Book Description
From the lost ancient art of towel folding (yes, there is one, and it does stem from ancient times) comes the newly revived and hot trend The Lost Art of Towel Origami.
Filled with hilarious completed-project photographs and step-by-step instructions and illustrations, this book will provide hours of entertainment. Stun your company by skillfully creasing and crinkling your linen into works of art. You've got everything you need, right in your own bathroom.
Creations include:
" Elephant
" Monkey
" Luscious Lips
" Skyscraper
" Ladybug
" Palm Tree
You'll never look at laundry the same again with The Lost Art of Towel Origami. The absolute perfect coffee table (or, ahem, bathroom) book is bound to get you and your guests folding masterpieces.
Customer Reviews:
The Lost Art of Towel Origami.......2007-07-06
I was very interested in learning Towel Origami. The size of the pieces and the number of towels needed to create them made the task almost impossible.
Good book, hard to do.......2007-06-08
The book is well written but I think you must need special towels to make the figures work.
There are better towel origami books out there.......2007-05-18
I bought this book after getting into towel origami on a Carnival Cruise. This was disappointing. There were some okay ideas but all in all I would spend the $$ buying the Carnival Cruise towel origami book instead of this one. I bought this thinking that there would be ideas for a towel wedding cake. Thier version isn't near as pretty as the ones that I found searching online. Skip this one and buy the cruise one on EBAY.
Lot's of good Examples!.......2007-05-16
This was a great purchase. The guides and examples were easy to follow and very colorful. The book was a hit!
The Lost Art of Towel Origami.......2007-05-12
I thought the instructions were vague. They don't give you towel size and/or detailed instructions. It seems like they skip a few steps. I could only do two out of the whole book and was disappointed in my purchase.
Amazon.com
Ron Suskind won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 1995 for his stories on Cedric Jennings, a talented black teenager struggling to succeed in one of the worst public high schools in Washington, D.C. Suskind has expanded those features into a full-length nonfiction narrative, following Jennings beyond his high-school graduation to Brown University, and in the tradition of Leon Dash's Rosa Lee and Alex Kotlowitz's There Are No Children Here, delivers a compelling story on the struggles of inner-city life in modern America. While it appears to have a happy ending (with Jennings earning a B average in his sophomore year), A Hope in the Unseen is not without a few caveats (at times, Jennings feels profoundly alienated from his white peers). Trite as it may sound to say, this book teaches a lesson about the virtue of perseverance, and it's definitely worth reading. --John J. Miller
Book Description
It is 1993, and Cedric Jennings is a bright and ferociously determined honor student at Ballou, a high school in one of Washington D.C.’s most dangerous neighborhoods, where the dropout rate is well into double digits and just 80 students out of more than 1,350 boast an average of B or better. At Ballou, Cedric has almost no friends. He eats lunch in a classroom most days, plowing through the extra work he has asked for, knowing that he’s really competing with kids from other, harder schools. Cedric Jennings’s driving ambition–which is fully supported by his forceful mother–is to attend a top-flight college.
In September 1995, after years of near superhuman dedication, he realizes that ambition when he begins as a freshman at Brown University. In this updated edition, A Hope in the Unseen chronicles Cedric’s odyssey during his last two years of high school, follows him through his difficult first year at Brown, and now tells the story of his subsequent successes in college and the world of work.
Amazon.com
Ugly Americans documents the "Wild East" of the mid-1990s, where young, brilliant, and hypercompetitive traders became "hedge fund cowboys," manipulating loopholes in an outdated and inefficient Asian financial system to rake in millions. Using a concept called arbitrage, they made their fortunes mainly on minute shifts in stocks being sold on the Nikkei, the Japanese stock market, collapsing banks and nearly bankrupting the Japanese economy in the process. Other schemes were also concocted, most of which were technically legal, though certainly unethical. This true story revolves around "John Malcolm," who, in exchange for anonymity, agreed to give Ben Mezrich all the access and information he needed to write this book. As a recent Princeton graduate in the mid-1990s, Malcolm accepted an undefined job offer from an American expatriate in Japan to work in the investments field. Though he had no prior experience, he facilitated 25 million dollars worth of trades on his first day on the job, and it just got more exciting from there. He soon joined a small group of expatriates, all in their twenties and mostly Ivy League graduates, who lived like rock stars, thriving on the stress and excitement of their jobs to create their own steroid versions of the American Dream half a world away. Mezrich tells this riveting story well, incorporating elements of the culture into his narrative, including the infamous and pervasive Japanese "Water Trade," or sex business, romantic intrigue, and even run-ins with the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. Though there is little real analysis of their financial dealings and how they ultimately changed the rules of finance in Asia, this entertaining page turner does offer a glimpse into a world little explored in print until now. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
Ben Mezrich, author of the
New York Times bestseller Bringing Down the House, returns with an astonishing story of Ivy League hedge-fund cowboys, high stakes, and the Asian underworld.
John Malcolm was the ultimate gunslinger in the Wild East, prepared to take on any level of risk in making mind-boggling sums of money. He and his friends were hedge-fund cowboys, living life on the adrenaline-, sex-, and drugs-fueled edge—kids running billion-dollar portfolios, trading information in the back rooms of high-class brothels and at VIP tables in nightclubs across the Far East.
Malcolm and his Ivy League-schooled twenty-something colleagues, with their warped sense of morality, created their own economic theory that would culminate in a single deal the likes of which had never been seen before—or since.
Ugly Americans is a story of extremes, charged with wealth, nerve, excess, and glamour. A real-life mixture of
Liar's Poker and
Wall Street, brimming with intense action, romance, underground sex, vivid locales, and exotic characters, Ugly Americans is the untold true story that rocked the financial community.
Customer Reviews:
An Exciting Read and Look into the Asian "Wall St".......2007-09-12
For those who enjoyed the movie "Boiler Room," this book is a must-read. Mezrich tells the tale of wannabe big-time US investors who use the opening of the Japanese stock market to weasel in and stretch the law and their own morality to make deals and steals. It's an honest, gritty portrayal of the Asian nightlife and the ex-pat's who work hard by day and play hard after the bell signals close. You don't need to be a swing-trader to enjoy it; this is a great book for those who either want to learn about big stock trading or just read an adventure about a ex-football player who got roped into a shady, billion-dollar enterprise.
The characters are as real as they can get on paper. The protagonist is trying to make the one big score and get out and the antagonists are just reprehensible enough to remind you of business folks you know in your life. Add in Yakuza (Japanese Mafia), black market plotlines, and the urban backdrops of Osaka and Tokyo and you have a real grabber. It was tough to put this one down and the ending does not dissappoint.
Not even that interesting.......2007-07-31
I really enjoyed the author's other two works, which I read quite quickly. Whether they were totally factual or not was immaterial...they were fun and interesting reads. This book disappoints. I didn't find the story interesting or fast moving. The "danger" element seemed forced, almost as if it was added in to "spice things up".
If you're looking for a fast reading "true" story of big money makers, try Mezrich's other books. Avoid this one, whether you're a Mezrich fan or not.
Much ado about not so much.......2007-07-21
This book had a very similar tone to the "Breaking Vegas" book, which is not unexpected given that the books were written by the same author-- however, too much stylistic overlap is still too much.
On the good side:
1. The writing was fast, light, and easy to follow. Not needing of too much concentration, and something that can be picked right up and settled into.
2. There was some explanation about the concept of arbitrage.
3. There was interesting insight into the sex-for-sale culture of Japan. This alone could have spun off and made a whole new book.
On the bad side:
1. The explanation of the nuts and bolts of trading was too thin. It might have only taken one extra chapter to give us the details that many of us who bought the book were looking for.
2. I wonder how much the author *really* knew, given that he used the word "farang" to describe foreigners-- even though that word is 100% Thai. Was he throwing in technical terms to make it *look* like he had done his homework? And if he made that mistake, how many others did he make that we might not have recognized?
3. It might also have been interesting to get a better idea of just how much the Japanese government and Yakuza were in bed together. Is this really the case? Or is this poetic license? There were more than a few topics in this book that just weren't covered as much as a reader might have liked-- though I can appreciate that this is done for the sake of brevity. (An extra bit here and an extra bit there, and the next thing you know you have a book that is as overwrought with detail and most of what Ayn Rand has written.)
A story of the people, not of the business.......2007-07-15
This book is clearly written to entertain rather than inform, as it orders the exposition of events to maximize suspense rather than efficiency of information presentation. Additionally, it is a very shallow read, revealing absolutely nothing about the mechanics of trading or the business operations of the financial world, focusing instead on the lavish and crazy lifestyles of the rich and tasteless who run this world. For example, the author constantly refers to Nikkei trades done by the people in this book but never explains what it is about the trades that these men made that makes them so special. As an entertaining read, this book gets 3 stars, but as an exposition on hedge funds or stock trading this book gets 0 stars.
Thoroughly enjoyable!.......2007-05-19
A quick, smooth, fun read. Has all the tension and plotting of a good movie. Although the details might be somewhat inaccurate and/or exagerated, it's worth it for the inherent drama of the story, and the basic story is a corker.
Average customer rating:
- Three and a Half Stars
- Funny Dialogue, Enjoyable Book
- Abby, the potty-mouthed nag hag heroine.
- Dull, confusing and weak character development
- Weak Characters
|
When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity, Book 1)
Alexandra Ivy
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ASIN: 0821779354 |
Customer Reviews:
Three and a Half Stars.......2007-09-01
Following an incident in her employer's house, Abby Barlow has become the Chalice. She and Dante (the Chalice's vampire protector) set out to discover how this has happened and if there is any way for this process to be reversed.
I've been reading a lot of first books in a series, recently, and this (Book 1 of the Guardians of Eternity) is a definite improvement on most of them.
The book starts with a bang, and the plot doesn't let up 'til about page 180. Unfortunately because it starts at this breakneck speed it does have some uneven pacing, with the middle of the book lagging a little before picking up again.
The characters are well written and there is an undeniable chemistry between Dante and Abby. Dante has a dry sense of humour, with which he is only too happy, to provoke Abby. And the banter between the pair really brings them to life. Though I could have done without being constantly reminded how terrible Abby's early life was.
The secondary characters are well fleshed out, in particular Viper who on first meeting Abby practically oozes sex across the page. I wish we could have spent more time with him and also Troy and The Shalott. (But it isn't their book, fingers crossed we will be seeing more of them in the future). The bad guys are not two-dimensional and their motivations are well explained.
It's not perfect, as well as the above-mentioned pacing problem, there is a reliance on some coincidences to keep the plot moving and I noticed one slip in continuity.
However, it held my interest and I'm looking forward to picking up the second book in the series Embrace the Darkness which will feature Viper and The Shalott.
Funny Dialogue, Enjoyable Book.......2007-08-17
I just finished this book. I did not have any expectations and was pleasantly suprised at how funny the dialogue was. I enjoyed Dante's character, but I loved Viper. I am looking forward to reading his story in Embrace the Darkness (book 2).
If you enjoy paranormal romance, I recommend giving this series a try.
Abby, the potty-mouthed nag hag heroine........2007-07-29
This book is unspeakably awful. The clues are there from the very first page.
First clue. The copyright is owned not by Alexandra Ivy, but by Debbie Raleigh. Which probably means Debbie who lives in Raleigh NC. A whole different ballgame from Alexandra Ivy.
Second clue. On page 13 the heroine says she's an idiot 'when it comes to choosing men.' That means she's had a lot of relationships. That many of them have gone bad. And that she's chosen to blame herself entirely. In other words...a doormat tenement ho'. Well. If you make your partner choices based entirely on looks no wonder things can go a little wrong.
The heroine says she's 'passably average' in the looks department. Passably? Does that mean she is plug-ugly? But all the handsome vampire warriors think she's lovely. Are they blind or just stupid?
Both Dante and Viper talk about the heroine Abby's 'innocence and purity.' Ha, ha, haaa. On nearly every page she's using a phrase like 'Holy hell, holy crap, freaking this, freaking that.' She's a D.O.G. (with capitals) I know some romance readers get very excited when a no-class dog has a handsome guy fall for her. I'm not one of those readers. I tend to feel sorry for the guy. Saddled with a hag as a partner. Or in Dante's case; a nag hag. Because, boy, does Abby whine and like to have the last word. Which is usually a curse. So actually, Dante ends up with a potty-mouthed nag hag.
And who on earth still eats pancakes, eggs and bacon for breakfast?? Apart from our heroine Abby that is. She will be a 20-plus size before she is 30-years old.
Just why does Abby find it so hard to get proper work? Her cultural references seem to be TV soaps, Buffy, Dawn of the Dead and shopping in malls. So obviously she's not had an education. Why is she so convinced she'll end up as a bag-lady pushing a shopping cart around? Ok, her parents were not the greatest but it's not as though either they or her six siblings are still around to weigh down her life. At one point Abby says she's afraid of becoming 'a cheap hooker servicing drunks in a sleazy motel.' But that is exactly how she talks and behaves for the whole of the novel. This is not a heroine who has any good aspirations of what she is going to do with her life. I thought Buffy was a middle-class teenager not a no-class loser.
Later there is a petty squabble between the main couple about whether he thinks she is stupid. The poor guy has to spend time stroking her horrible, shallow ego. How is that of any relevance to the plot?
There is a mystery in this story. Why did Selena, the supposed all powerful previous Chalice, die? But this question is dragged out for the whole of the book. The hero, Dante, who's mission is to protect the Chalice, hasn't a clue. Or a clue about getting a clue. He confesses that he spent his time lusting after Abby instead of carrying out his job. Jerk.
This novel has everything in it. Witches, zombies, lightning-bolt shooting wizards, onion (?) demons, and vampires who are not afraid to sink their fangs into their enemies. None of it amounts to anything like a coherent plot. Just one lightweight TV episode after another. Suddenly in chapter 12 the chief baddie, up til that point known as 'The Master' changes into someone called 'Rafael.' So he promptly loses all his charisma and mystique, becoming just another expendable bozo in the process. And around this point it also becomes clear that someone changed their mind about who was going to be the chief baddie in the story. The focus becomes the witches not the wizard.
Like I said. Awful.
Dull, confusing and weak character development.......2007-06-17
As someone already mentioned the endearment lover was used and every time I read it it felt wrong. The endearment Love would have worked much better.
I have no idea who these characters. We get a whole bunch of awful stuff from Abby about how horrible her life was, but nothing in how she acts is really influenced by her past. I have no idea how she came to work at the mansion for Selene. I have no idea why should would be attracted to Dante after initially being introduced to him as an irritant. I have no really good idea why he is an irritant. I have no idea what this world is? Does everyone know about the paranormal or is there and underground of it? What is this clan that Dante belongs to? What does it consist of? Who is the head of it and if Vampires are a solitary lot why is there a Clan? is there more than one clan?
The writing is subpar. The descriptions of scenes are usually very difficult to figure out.
In the beginning we meet Abby wondering wondering what to do about a broken Ming vase. She's on the ground getting ready to hide the pieces when Dante enters the room. She turns around and blocks the view of the broken vase. How she can block the view of the broken vase from someone who is standing, I don't understand, but she does. In that same scene there is a mention of her not backing up because she will back into the broken pieces then then a big bang and she's knocked onto her back. But she doesn't land on the broken pieces.
Another scene that I still don't know what I missed after reading 4 times, Dante is giving Abby a bath in a, I'm pretty sure, sunken bath tub. I never read that he took his clothes off or that she was taken out of the bath or the water was drained. One minute she's lifting her damp arms to pull him closer and closer he comes. After that interlude he does dry her off and lifts her and takes her to the bed, that is covered in silk sheets and puts her to bed. She asks him to stay with her and he gets into bed. This whole scene I'm wonder how he's not dripping and how he manages to not make the bed wet.
This is a poorly written and poorly edited book.
Weak Characters.......2007-06-12
I have been reading the vampire genre for quite some time now and there are many authors out there who do a remarkable job weaving their stories of these otherworldly cast of characters.
Unfortunately, this wasn't one of them. I really tried to get into this story but I found the main characters lacking in depth. Dante had the potential to be a great hero vampire but regrettably, the author didn't delve into the character enough. He was bound to the chalice for the soul purpose of protecting her. Where were those great powers that he should have been endowed with to enable him to fulfill the job. As for chemistry between Dante and Abby, there was none... Yes there were sex scenes, but I couldn't see where Dante's attraction to Abby stemmed from. There were also too many contradictions in Abby's character for me to connect with her.
The story line sounded great, but unfortunately it did not hold up to what I expected. If you truley want to read some great masters of the vampire genre, I would recommend Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward and Kresley Cole.
Customer Reviews:
This book is nonsense........2007-07-15
Mr. Pope does not seem to like Ivy League colleges. But in the world of business, politics and finance; today and many years from now, people will continue to love Ivy League education. What is the purpose of college education? It is not just "true education" and personal growth etc. (which most Ivy Leagues do deliver). But beyond that, they allow your kids to build a worldwide network of influential people and leaders in many fields of human endeaveour. You get to meet and learn of leaders who are re-shaping today's world and thinkers who plan for tomorrow. I met and listened to more than one Nobel Laureates, and at least one influenced my thinking in economics/finance for the rest of my life (even though I am a computer science graduate).
Guess who started Amgen, Cisco, Sun Micro, Genentech, Yahoo, Google, and countless other non-tech and tech companies that revolutionized how we live and play? And Who funded them? Check their resumes, please. Although one can argue that no education is really needed to build a billion dollar business or change world politics, statistically speaking, Ivy League graduates have the most contributions towards such efforts. And this is a fact.
What do you want your child to become ten or twenty years from now? Your child's goals change with time. Interests change with time. But the Ivy League name stays on your child's resume forever. And the network your child will build at Harvard/Stanford/Princeton/Yale is well, pricelss!
You decide.
Steer clear of this outdated guide.......2006-04-07
Read the first paragraph in the book and then run. Pope's argument can be stated in a single sentence: small, liberal arts colleges throughout the U.S. can provide an excellent education. However, he ruins his credibility by using weak logic, meaningless examples, and very outdated personal research. It's like listening to your dad's retired guidance counselor thumping his fist on your desk, spitting, "The Ivy League stinks." Let's face it: the Ivies are great and small liberal arts schools can be great, too. It's all a matter of finding the right match, but Pope won't help you do that. Buy any other guide and you'll be better off.
Garbage.......2006-01-04
This book is a load of crap... and thats the nicest thing I can say about it. I couldn't even stand to finish it, though I got most of the way through it.
Her statistics are all massively out of date (maybe the book is too, I don't remember) and the book is aimed at low level students. If you're a barely-making-it-c-student who needs a boost, read this. Otherwise, skip it.
The things she says about Ivy league schools (all the classes are huge and taught by graduate students with thick accents, etc) come off like she's presenting a conspiracy theory, and I hardly count her as a credible source.
If you want to read a book dealing with about the same subject matter, read "Harvard Schmarvard." The guy who wrote it is a Harvard alum, so I trust what he has to say slightly more than Pope. He takes a much more objective- and sane- view about the whole thing, and comes off as much more trustworthy.
Pope completely puts down big schools, saying their wrong for everything, along with competitve and Ivy league schools. Big schools are wrong for some, Ivy league schools are wrong for some, but the woman is crazy.
I read the library's copy, but I wouldn't advocate buying it. Even used.
The best kept secret.......2005-09-02
As a guidance teacher, I always recommend Loren Pope's books because I believe they are a wonderful guide for aspiring young Americans. I also run West Point via Norman Thomas Remick's book, "West Point----", past aspiring young Americans. It is an all scholarship college, but don't let that scare you. Though West Point is 4th out of thousands of colleges in total Rhodes Scholars behind only Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, you can get in if, as Loren Pope says, the Admissions Dept at West Point thinks it is right for you, even if you're not a straight A student. And if you think it is right for you based on much of the criteria that Loren Pope so aptly presents in "Looking Beyond the Ivy League", plus the answer to "why West Point" in the Remick book, you could find that this is the best kept secret. Be sure to read Loren Pope's "Looking Beyond the Ivy League" first for overall perspective. Then check out West Point via the Remick book.
The Proof is in the Pudding.......2004-11-30
My daughters, now 23 and 25 both used this book as the cornerstone of their college searches. Both chose colleges neither had heard of before, Hampshire College and Earlham College. Both schools were exactly right for both of them, and both girls followed Mr. Pope's advice in their selection process.
When visiting colleges they went when school was in session, attended classes, spent the night, had a student mentor (not a freshman) and ate in the dorm. One daughter visited an exhausting 12 schools, the other only 2 before she felt she had found her soul mate (Earlham). The daughter who picked Hampshire did so because she needs freedom to explore many venues, but the closeness of a small school community. At Hampshire she could attend any of the 5 school consortium at no additional tuition costs. So if Hampshire didn't have the exact class she wanted, she could use the free and frequent busses that run between the schools to take classes at Smith, Mt. Holyoke, University of Mass or Amherst.
The best thing about Mr. Pope's advice and bias on choosing a small school is that it's true. Not only do you get the small class size and individual attention of dedicated and well educated professors, but you have almost unlimited opportunities to explore social issues, sports, the arts and global society through personal involvement than most students at state schools.
In talking to peers who attended the oft chosen bigger schools, my girls found they had written more critical papers in one semester at their schools than friends had written in 4 years! At Earlham my daughter got to sing in the schools traveling performance choir for a semester in Vienna and Europe, be a teacher's assistant in German for a semester in Germany, live in a "Friendship" house, be a "featured artist" of the week in the school paper, play rugby for fun, write her first and second grant proposals and be able to successfully execute them.
The second daughter got to co-edit the school paper for a year and then resurrected the school's Literary Journal. Spent a summer in Bolivia writing for a paper owned by an alumni. She got to work in public radio, travel cross country researching her senior thesis, take horticulture at Smith and advanced Spanish at Amherst.
In small liberal arts colleges you don't have to be a "state champion" to play volleyball or football or rugby. You don't have to have ever had a voice lesson in order to sing in a choir and gain the skills you need to get into a performance choir. You can dream of being at the inaugural parade in Washington DC and the school provides transportation and teaches you how to be a socially responsible, safe protester who effectively gets a message across during a protest without offending (or getting arrested). You make friends and have a community that includes your professors. Friends you will keep for life.
Somewhere in one of Mr. Pope's two books he says something to the effect that the job you will have in 10 years probably does not exist right now, and that by having a liberal arts education a student is prepared to go out into the world and adapt and to continue learning while the world changes around them. That's exactly what my daughters are doing.
One, who majored in Art and German is living in Japan and teaching English for two years (and becoming fluent in a third language). Her student loans will be paid off in 2 years with a tidy nest egg stashed away for grad school. The other, who majored in non-fiction writing is now back in school preparing for grad school in library science with an emphases in the arts and art history. Neither are where they imagined they would be when they were 18 and looking ahead. Because they had the advantage of reading Mr. Pope's books, they certainly have had a much more interesting and fulfilling life and education than they would have had they followed the "herd" out of high school.
And yes, Mr. Pope's book and specific school recommendations need updating. Antioch College is a drug den, crumbling, graffiti sprawled and fading blip on the colligate radar screen that shouldn't even be in the phone book, much less this book. But overall, of the 14 colleges we visited, all seemed to deserve their recommendation.
Based on Mr. Pope's personal recommendations (I called and talked to him) we did find that financial aid was plentiful and at almost all schools the financial aid package would have (and did) made the small private schools as inexpensive as state schools. The value of this book's contrarian viewpoint outweighs the fact that the specific school information needs updating. That's why I gave it 5 stars but hope that Mr. Pope has another, better revision coming along.
Amazon.com
Plenty of college admission guides promise to help students crack the Ivy League, but few of these have detailed knowledge to back up their advice. Michele Hernandez, on the other hand, is the ultimate insider. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College, she also worked as Dartmouth's assistant director of admissions for four years. In A Is for Admissions, Hernandez describes the step-by-step process Ivy League schools use to evaluate an application. Along the way she settles some ancient debates, including the comparative importance of SATs versus high-school grades, public versus private high schools, and extracurricular activities versus part-time employment. She evaluates every possible factor affecting chances for admission, including special categories of students such as recruited athletes, minority applicants, and legacies. Most dramatically, Hernandez reveals the precise mathematical formula used by admissions officers to rank applicants. Using her guidelines, readers can calculate their own AI (Academic Index) and--should their scores come up short--learn ways to compensate in other areas.
Refreshingly, Hernandez helps would-be Ivy Leaguers keep their goals in perspective. She strongly advises against "grade grubbing" or "working for the grade." If you think attending a top college is the key to success, Hernandez cautions that the Ivies may not be for you. "If your goal is to make money, but you don't enjoy studying or reading, don't waste your time by trying to get into an Ivy League or highly selective college.... The beauty of an Ivy League/highly selective education lies in the intellectual atmosphere.... It does not lie in the prestige of having a diploma from Princeton or Dartmouth on your wall." Levelheaded and clearly written, A Is for Admission is the perfect guide for the student (or parent) who has his eyes set on the stars.
Book Description
Plenty of college admission guides promise to help studentscrack the Ivy League, but few of these have detailed knowledge to backup their advice. Michele Hernandez, on the other hand, is the ultimateinsider. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College, she alsoworked as Dartmouth's assistant director of admissions for four years.In A Is for Admissions, Hernandez describes the step-by-stepprocess Ivy League schools use to evaluate an application. Along theway she settles some ancient debates, including the comparativeimportance of SATs versus high-school grades, public versus privatehigh schools, and extracurricular activities versus part-timeemployment. She evaluates every possible factor affecting chances foradmission, including special categories of students such as recruitedathletes, minority applicants, and legacies. Most dramatically,Hernandez reveals the precise mathematical formula used by admissionsofficers to rank applicants. Using her guidelines, readers cancalculate their own AI (Academic Index) and--should their scores comeup short--learn ways to compensate in other areas.Refreshingly, Hernandez helps would-be Ivy Leaguers keep their goals inperspective. She strongly advises against "grade grubbing" or"working for the grade." If you think attending a top collegeis the key to success, Hernandez cautions that the Ivies may not be foryou. "If your goal is to make money, but you don't enjoy studyingor reading, don't waste your time by trying to get into an Ivy Leagueor highly selective college.... The beauty of an Ivy League/highlyselective education lies in the intellectual atmosphere.... It does notlie in the prestige of having a diploma from Princeton or Dartmouth onyour wall." Levelheaded and clearly written, A Is forAdmission is the perfect guide for the student (or parent) who hashis eyes set on the stars.
Customer Reviews:
One of the Best, the Bible of Admissions Entry!.......2007-05-23
This book is the first one you need to get. Also get her other book, "Acing the College Application," "Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean," "You're Gonna Love this College Guide," "America's Elite Colleges," "Cracking College Admissions."
Ms. Hernandez was an admissions officer when she wrote this book, but now she is a private consultant, charging $40,000 to help privileged kids get into the Ivy League schools. Part of her expertise helps them present themselves as not privileged. Too bad with all of her talents she could help the ones who really need her help.
Great Perspective for Most Selective School Admissions.......2007-03-23
While I neither have children nor seek to gain admittance to any University at this point, I am involved with recruiting both for my alma mater (a Top 20 School), and my firm (global investment bank). I would absoultely recommend this read as a differentiated perspective for understanding where you son/daughter falls on the spectrum to better gauge realistic schools.
Living in NYC, its all too common for seemingly gifted children to be disappointed in their college admitance outcome, and for the most part, its their failings to see what is actually valued and discounted.
Additionally, a worthy read for helping you sculpt your resume while in undergrad, admissions into Ivy is not unlike getting an interview at an investment bank.
Good IF your kid is a hyper-mega-achiever.......2006-08-16
This book is very useful if your kid has 800 SAt scores, an A avergae, and has discovered a cure for a fatal disease (well, practically!). if you have a bright, well-rounded normal kid who maybe hasn't hit their peak by age 17, though, pay attention to its real message -- the Ivys are NOT within the realm of reality. So be it. To find out what to do next, and to hold on to your sanity and humor while you do, see a great new book, GETTING IN WITHOUT FREAKING OUT
A is for Admissions.......2006-08-15
This is probably the most helpful book that I have read about college admissions, because it gives real information instead of just maintaining the party line. It shows just how important standardized test scores are in the process and gives you the equation to figure out how you stack up against other ivy league hopefuls. I found this to be extremely enlightening. I would recommend this to anyone who is seriously considering applying to an top 20 college.
Outstanding!.......2006-08-01
One of the finest books on competitive college admissions that I have ever read! As a public school guidance counselor, I have worked with many students who have gone through the process. I am constantly recommending this book to my most motivated students and their parents as I find it to be well organized and technical enough to help a reader understand the nuances of the Academic Index. The fact that the author was a Director of Admissions at an Ivy allows the reader to "peek behind the curtain." I highlighted the important points and went back after reading it and found that nearly every page has a significant point on it! If you are a motivated student or the parent of one who will be seeking out admissions at a competitive college - this book is a must read.
Book Description
A sought-after “packager” of high school students shares highly coveted strategies to help parents get their kids into the country's most competitive colleges
Did you know? A child's guidance counselor can help reverse a deferral. A parent can help get a child off a waiting list. And there is a way for students to back out of Early Decision once they've been accepted.
Based on the controversial insider information Elizabeth Wissner-Gross has gleaned from working for years as a successful packager of high school students and from interviews with heads of admission at some of the nation's most competitive colleges, this book helps parents answer questions such as: Can an application be sabotaged by a competing student or parent? How do colleges really know if a student applies to two or more schools for Early Decision? Is it possible to prescreen a teacher's recommendation? As well as the biggest question of all: Of the tens of thousands of highly qualified students that graduate each year, why should a college choose yours?
Targeting the college-educated parents of today's college-bound teenagers who seek to gain a proven edge in the highly secretive and seemingly arbitrary college admissions process, What Colleges Don't Tell You (and Other Parents Don't Want You to Know) reveals 272 little- known, unconventional, tried-and-true secrets to help parents get their children into the most competitive schools of their dreams.
Customer Reviews:
Indispensable Consumer-Oriented Reference.......2007-09-15
Having recently gone through the college admissions process with two children, we've looked at most of the books in this category. What sets this book apart from the others is the fact that the author is unquestionably on the side of you, the consumer. Ms. Wisner-Gross lends transparency to the business of college admissions, and offers many suggestions reflecting her ability to think outside of the box. This book was extremely helpful to us, and a clear favorite.
Getting Your Child Into a Top School.......2007-09-02
The presentation emphasizes the importance of monitoring grades from the
9th grade onward because this provides a good predictor of future performance. In addition, parents should track grading rubrics. Student
practice is important to solidify knowledge of the technical subject areas. i.e. math, science and foreign language
Sometimes, group study can make tedious work more palatable and manageable. The author provides a list of excellent colleges that do not require an SAT score. i.e. Bates, Bowdoin, and Harvey Mudd engineering school. Olin College provides a free engineering school. The author recommends that students provide a resume, chart and no picture.
Essays should provide a sincere recitation of your accomplishments and what you plan to contribute to the college. Applicants should demonstrate a passion for the area of study in the application. In addition, areas of strength should be emphasized.
The authors really do not explain the pitfalls of selecting a top school.
First of all, what is a top school? Is it a place with a 100% job
placement rate or a place where only PhDs are hired or a place where
top SAT scorers are highly sought out? In my own experience, it is
important to visit the institution of choice and talk to current and
former students. Do students seem to be happy? Are they overworked?
Do teachers teach or do student teachers take up most of the teaching
load because professors are too busy publishing and doing research?
These are all areas to be investigated because college is a multi-year
commitment in time and money.
The author doesn't say so; however, a top school consists of the following:
o excellent job placement/prospects in your major area of study
o good preparation for graduate school work, if ever contemplated
o comprehensive teaching by academic types or working professionals
o a current curriculum (although professional licensure courses of study
are mandated by state or federal law)
o a reasonable cost for the value of the education provided
o a roster of accomplishment by the alumni
i.e. Professional licensure, PhD or graduate education, publishing,
inventorship, identification by the print media
There are things you do not want in a top school. i.e.
o professors or teachers who delegate too much teaching to assistants
o instruction that is too esoteric or theoretical
o an institution that doesn't link the education to professional placement
o too much adherence to bell curves and rigid grading rubrics
o teaching that assumes too much prior background in the subject matter
o an environment which is not conducive to learning
o an unaffordable cost for the education
A great help!.......2007-08-31
I, like some of the others was a bit put off by the title, however, I bought the book after browsing through the chapters because of the practical and pragmatic advice given.
I did not know that the information that you give for your child's interests in one part of the college application would have a direct bearing on how he/she should write their essays - that one should support the other.
I also did not know how important the essays are on a college application until my son came home with his guidance counselor's form and ALL the questions were in the form of an essay directly taken from the college application.
If my son comes in with well-thought-out essays that showcase him and what he can offer a school, is he to be considered "packaged" because his parents bought a book that helped him?
The negative comments (which are in the minority and really should not have the prominent position they do on this website) really do not reflect the majority of us that have found it invaluable.
For smart parents who want to even out the playing fields.......2007-08-06
Parenting of teenagers has become very polarized in America, as the reviews for What Colleges Don't Tell You seem to demonstrate: There are the involved parents who maintain close relationships with their teenage children, and there are parents who prefer to let their teenagers bring themselves up with minimal input or guidance--independence at all costs--who are outraged by high-achieving families that work together.
Parents who value the art of parenting right into the teenage years can gain a lot from What Colleges Don't Tell You. The book is very respectful of teenagers and tells parents how they can guide and remain close during their children's high school years. But for those who think that parenting ends when their kids become teenagers--or for kids who resent any parental involvement--the book will probably seem foreign and even threatening.
Parents of high achievers will be especially impressed with the insights that this book provides. Admission to the prestige colleges is made more accessible and more logical for hard working, dedicated students. Wissner-Gross helps the reader to understand the current admissions system, which apparently is no longer based solely on GPAs and SATs; she helps the reader understand the many subjective credentials--and how a dedicated student can earn them--in a world where the "haves" prefer to keep these factors secret.
Adults who believe in blind obedience--the high school is always right--may find this approach to college admissions daunting. But more educated parents who prefer to have the playing fields evened out will particularly appreciate the book's in-depth discussions of grades, college essays, and studying.
I don't recommend this book for conventional thinkers who have stereotypical teenage children and prom queens who lack focus and academic commitment. Benefiting from this book probably requires child-centered families with lots of rapport. It seems targeted more toward today's involved parents, rather than 70s style do-your-own-thing parents. I strongly recommend this book to families where parents and their teenagers work as a team. Other people won't get it. I wish it had been available back when I was in high school.
Like Having a Personal College Advisor!.......2007-08-04
This book was released as my daughter was entering 12th grade...I wish Eliabeth Wissner-Gross had written it sooner! In "secret" #14, she discusses some academic competitions and programs which are highly regarded by colleges and are less well-known than Intel and Westinghouse. We had never heard about them, even though we're in a highly academic school district and this is my second child to pass through it! Her unique perspective on how to approach and prepare for standardized testing is detailed, extremely informative and may actually improve your relationship with your college-bound kid! Every section of this book provided valuable information that made us feel like we had a personal college advisor!
Book Description
Communication helps readers see the relationships among the concepts, skills, theories, and contexts of communication by anchoring all discussion around five fundamental principles.
Written by experienced and highly regarded textbook authors and teachers, Communication:Principles for a Lifetime provides readers with all the theory and skills necessary in the introductory course - in a manner that will help them to apply what they learn throughout their lives. Understanding that the challenge of basic communication is learning the myriad of skills, principles, and theories, Beebe/Beebe/Ivy emphasize five key principles of communication throughout their book: Be aware of your communication with yourself and others. Effectively use and understand verbal messages. Effectively use and understand nonverbal messages. Listen and respond thoughtfully to others. Appropriately adapt messages to others.
For anyone interested in the art of communication.
Customer Reviews:
As an instructor.......2007-01-22
I have been teaching Speech Communication for over 17 years. I have taught a few other communication courses. It is not very often that Professors get to brag about a textbook. I recently had an opprtunity to visit one-on-one with the author. He is the "real deal" and so is the book! Long on substance and short on fluff. This is a book the students can truly learn from and one any teacher can truly create the kind of flow that a seasoned instructor could create. I recommend this book to the serious student of communication or a department looking to give their students a first-class textbook.
Book Description
Laura McGee Kvasnosky's newest trio of stories is an entertaining and genuine look at the ups and downs of sisterhood.
The fabulous fox sisters return in three fresh, funny stories perfect for beginning readers. Whether Zelda and Ivy are combating the injustice of cucumber sandwiches for lunch, deciding what to leave the children of the future in their time capsule, or solving Zelda's writer's block, they are sure to tickle the funny bones of both new and returning fans.
Amazon.com
Criticism for the public school system in the United States is nothing new; kids of all skill levels are slipping through the cracks at every age and in every city. Rather than attempting to change the system or point out it's failures, Jonathon Mooney and David Cole have created a practical guide to help kids jump through the necessary hoops to achieve whatever larger, postschool goals they may have. While much of the material is written for kids who've received the label LD or ADHD, many of the suggestions can be just as helpful for those who've been labeled "gifted," or any other student who feels frustrated with the daily routine of standard education.
The introduction (personal histories of the authors) is great reading for parents of LD or ADHD kids, and much of it has a humorous tone that makes it equally appropriate (and approachable) for discouraged adolescents. From the terror of weekly spelling tests to the few inspiring teachers and tutors the two encountered, the tales are equal parts entertaining, poignant, and encouraging to others who may well be experiencing quite similar events. There's little discussion of what methods are right or wrong--ultimately, both authors take a fundamentally pragmatic view, and it's "right" if it worked. A steady focus on study skills fills the majority of the book, and Mooney and Cole take what are generally pretty familiar stands on note-taking and test preparation and break them down into easily digestible concepts. With different methods for different types of learners (visual thinkers are encouraged to use maps and brightly colored markers), students will find plenty of help in creating notebooks, focusing their attention, and even appropriate ways of conducting the infamous all-nighter. Including information on how to recover lost class notebooks, how to make the most of a syllabus, and "The Seven Habits of Highly Disorganized People," Learning Outside the Lines provides students with plenty of tools to further each reader's personal idea of success. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
Learning with YOUR purpose in mind -- not your parents', not your teacher's, not your school's
Every day, your school, your teachers, and even your peers draw lines to
measure and standardize intelligence. They decide what criteria make one person smart and another person stupid. They decide who will succeed and who will just get by. Perhaps you find yourself outside the norm, because you learn differently -- but, unlike your classmates, you have no system in place that consistently supports your ability and desire to learn. Simply put, you are considered lazy and stupid. You are expected to fail.
Learning Outside the Lines is written by two such "academic failures" -- that is, two academic failures who graduated from Brown University at the top of their class. Jonathan Mooney and David Cole teach you how to take control of your education and find true success -- and they offer all the reasons why you should persevere. Witty, bold, and disarmingly honest, Learning Outside the Lines takes you on a journey toward personal empowerment and profound educational change, proving once again that rules sometimes need to be broken.
Customer Reviews:
Why all the swearing?.......2007-09-11
I haven't read this book, I was thinking about buying it and read the excerpt online. It might be great, but I wouldn't want my kid reading any book with the "F" word on every page. I think it's unfortunate. Just my opinion.
This book saved my 1st semester @ Grad School!!.......2007-08-05
I had leafed through this book one day in the library and it looked interesting. So, I bought one and I keep it with me always! I use it like a reference book. I found the chapters on reading and writing for people with learning disabilities the best. Once I started using the techniques, I saved my semester and my Grad School career! I was on academic probation and had to pass all classes (I'd gotten an "F") before. When I came back to try Grad school again, I had two "D's" at mid terms my first semester back! I read the book from cover to cover and kept it with me after that. I went from two "D's", a "B", and an "A" to two "A's", a "A-", and a "B" over the next six weeks. By the time finals came I was in the clear. The next semester I got straight "A's" for the first time in my life! All using techniques from this book! You have to get it. If you have ADHD or another learning disability like I do, it will help for sure!
A must have book for those intelligent people with ADHD.......2007-07-13
I purchased this book after hearing Jonathan Mooney speak one evening last February at a local school. I have shared his story with many and have purchased several copies of this book and have even given it as "graduation presents" for some kids headed to college. Its a must have...
LD is not a prescription for failure!.......2006-12-14
Learning to learn can be quite a difficult task, just ask Jonathan Mooney and David Cole, two individuals diagnosed with learning disabilities and ADHD at a young age. But, it is not impossible. Through sheer determination and a disciplined regime, these two young men blossomed into honored Ivy League graduates. They forged their own paths and refused to let their learning difficulties define who they were or how successful they could be.
Learning Outside the Lines, provides intimate stories of pain and hardship to give us a sense of what it is really like to grow up with a learning disability. But more importantly, it provides those diagnosed with learning disabilities advice and guidelines on how to succeed academically.
This book is most beneficial for students in their teens who have been diagnosed with a learning difficulty and struggling to make sense of it all and looking for a way to effectively tackle a variety of academic tasks. It is also an amazing informational resource for anyone who has a child or student struggling in school.
For those of you who have been diagnosed with a learning difficulty, I would like you to take Jonathan Mooney and David Cole as examples of how you can succeed in life when everyone and everything seems to be against you. Know that having a learning disability does not mean that you can only go so far in life; you have the potential to do great things.
Ali Hashemian, Ph.D., COHC
Director, Attention & Achievement Center
Walnut Creek, CA
Outisde the lines at the speed of light.......2006-09-24
This is a great book for anyone who has trouble reading from top to bottom or beginning to end. Those who start in the middle and skip around or read toward the front will recognize themselves. Its been 30 years since I finished college and a few less since finishing law school. I still use many of these techniques every day. I laughed my way through the book because I kept thinking "Hey, I used to do that." Don't miss this one. Thanks to the authors. I'm sure we could be friends.blewin
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- The Samurai's Garden: A Novel
- The Samurai's Garden: A Novel
- The Well-Designed Mixed Garden: Building Beds and Borders with Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs
- The Worm Book: The Complete Guide to Worms in Your Garden
- Time-Saver Standards for Landscape Architecture
- Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring
Books Index
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- Final Fore
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