practical, helpful guide
936042
I found the diet log extremely motivating, encouraging, and filled with tips and suggestions as to how to track down what I eat, and improve my dietary habits. I think it's a must for every serious dieter, or anyone who has a goal in a particular area as far as eating habits are concerned. I sometimes don't write down what I ate, but the log beckons me to try again. Also, the evaluation questions at the end of each week are very helpful.
3683718
This is actually a pretty practical and useful book.  All of the information is in the format of lists of things to try, which makes it easy to use.  The last few chapters are also specific to different content areas.  I can see myself feeling stuck, grabbing this book and reading through the content area suggestions for new ways to differentiate or accommodate. This is a book on teaching that I expect to actually use while teaching, which is rare.  I recommend it.
2484078
As a former public library employee of 10 years, I have found this book to be a useful resource, and have seen its instructions successfully applied by workers with no conservation experience at all.  It would be an excellent go-to guide for any library technical services department.  The text is clear and methodical, designed to be as informative and practical as possible.  The photos clearly illustrate the text and techniques. Based on my own experience with this sensible, helpful, and quite harmless tome, I find the harshness of the first review to be disturbingly misplaced.  I highly recommend Basic Book Repair Methods.
2672591
Whether you are single and ready to mingle or trying to bounce back from a breakup, this book is a great how to guide on how to get back on the dating scene: what to expect, topics to talk about, how not to dote on an ex, and other social faux pas to avoid. It also includes a chapter on online dating (you know, to keep up with the times) and also conventional dating (ie trying to get to meet people in a bar or at a party)
I like the tips in the book, they are practical and can definitely be used by the singles out there.
3329350
I thought a book about legal guidelines in psychotherapy practice might make for some pretty dull reading, but this book is written in such an engaging manner that reading it would have been an enjoyable experience if it didn't make me so paranoid. But I guess a bit of paranoia is a useful thing when trying to avoid lawsuits. This well-organized reference book is full of very specific practical advice, often introduced with compelling vignettes and concluding with answers to frequently asked questions and a box containing bullet-pointed recommendations.

Because this is a reference book and not a novel, I started by opening the book at random and reading a couple of pages from a number of different sections. I was surprised and pleased to discover that everything I read was relevant, interesting, and helpful. This inspired me to read it from cover to cover. Even though the book is over 500 pages long, it seems to contain few unnecessary words, which is kind of an editing marvel. I have often thought that books published by Wiley were overpriced, but this one is actually extremely reasonably priced for what it offers. It costs way less than a half-hour consultation with an attorney, and if one follows all the recommendations, it may diminish the likelihood of ever needing to pay a lawyer to help you deal with a problem that could have been avoided.
1794293
This book is a relatively compact paperback that provides good guide mostly to Manhattan, with emphasis on sightseeing within neighborhoods, with lots of suggestions for eateries.  The neighborhood approach is helpful in that you can makes plans to walk in an area and then bus or subway to another to continue your visit.  The book is well illustrated, and includes an introductory "25 top New York experiences" and highlights man sights throughout as "Don't Miss...."  attractions such as the Guggenheim on full pages that includes hour, addresses, and bus/subway stops.

The book includes a good tearout map of the city which lists top sights and include streets (well indexed) and subway maps.  The book itself includes a good set of indices that separate out "Drinking and Nightlife," "Entertainment," and "Sports and Activities."  In addition is practical overview of transportation in the city and a short listing of hotels.

I liked the book a lot, in part  because of its size - some travel books are just too bulky to carry around. This is a bit big for a pocket but would fit in a purse or could be easily carried around.

Definitely recommended for a visitor to Manhattan as a good practical resource - you can use this book for planning and always get more information about specific sights online.
4412247
Cherie offers practical tips on how to evaluate your situation, ways to get started on your journey to being debt-free, and how to make a budget that your family can actually use. She also includes tips on how to make things at home to avoid buying them, and how to avoid falling into the "guilty parent" trap in a society where kids are always expecting more and more.

The tone of the book was really appealing to me, because it strives to make you feel like you can overcome your financial woes. Regardless of how long the journey may be, it's a process that is better started sooner than later, and you're a lot more likely to succeed with some friendly advice at your side.
4787988
This is a practical, encouraging guide through many of the land mines in the field of academic writing. Silva identifies several mental roadblocks and how to overcome them, and offers guidance that comes from having been down the same road before. I found this book funny, refreshing, and encouraging. The principles aren't earth-shattering, but the process that Silva offers will help you get down to the business of writing productively. He offers good guidance, too, about how to prepare an article for submission to a journal, and how to craft your resubmission. Well worth the read. I'm looking forward to getting another of his writing books.
3979713
As a former resident and frequent visitor to Mexico City, I still appreciate having access to this guidebook, which I find quite practical and easy to carry along (as opposed to the more common, bulkier Mexico country guides). I find the author's writing to be directed not just towards the casual tourist, but also towards longer-term visitors and ex-pats as well, with its extensive coverage of nightlife, day-trips, restaurants, bars, neighborhoods, and experiences that would not necessarily be of interest to a first time, short-term visitor. At the same time, it is well-organized and precise enough to be very useful to short-term visitors, I have on several occasions lent my copy to colleagues or friends and they have all had a good experience using the this guidebook. I find the writing strikes the right balance between being descriptive enough to get a very good feel for the sights/events and succint enough not to overwhelm with description. To boot, it can be an entertaining and informative read, especially in its side bars and background information sections (i.e., "chilango slang"). Overall, highly recommended.
2295791
This is a helpful, practical guide for those who find themselves going to the doctor too much and worrying too much. Great book.
4912491
Amy Jo Kim has collected many online community learnings and turned them into a practical, readable, and useful book. She has distilled things down to a level where they make sense for the smallest online community, as well as for the mega-commercial sites.
So what's to like about this book?  It  is well-organized. Kim has built the book around her nine down-to-earth  community design strategies with specific elements on how to execute those  strategies. She stays on track.
It uses examples from both large and  small sites which take this book from the realm of theory to one of  practicality.
You can read all of it or one section and it makes sense.  Chapter divisions and subheads make for a pleasant browse for inspiration  or to get a specific tidbit. Graphics are used generously, but my  "old" eyes had to strain a bit on the screen shots.
From a  content perspective, I found myself repeatedly nodding my head in agreement  with her assessments and suggestions. She pays attention to what I feel are  the three main domains of a successful online interaction space: purpose,  design, and social structures or interactions.
While the business models  of online community may not yet be clear, the mechanisms are becoming  more  visible. You can save a lot of wasted time and effort by using the  guidelines, pulling what is relevant, and leaving the rest for when your  needs grow or change. Good book. Worth the price!
Nancy White
3973891
This book is a wonderful, practical guide for building a more creative environment.  He starts with the essential factors and ground rules for achieving creativity, such as:
*  Everyone is creative.
*  Be aware of your own defenses.
*  Keep it in the room:  confidentiality counts.
*  Build on other's ideas.
*  Keep the energy up.
*  Stick to the problem/topic.
*  Keep it fun to keep it productive.
*  Embrace ambiguity.
*  Foster Constructive dissatisfaction.
*  Nothing "bad."
He describes some great process tools to brainstorm and wraps them all up in "The Game" where the facilitator provides creative prompts to force new perspectives and new mind-sets.  He lets you know how to set it up, what to be careful about and how to get the most out of the game.
738615
Stacy has written a remarkably practical, clear and readable guide for parents trying to help their kids navigate the sometimes choppy waters of elementary school.  I found extremely helpful suggestions for dealing with situations with which I have struggled - as well as great ideas for the future. Thank you, Stacy, for this terrific book!
1226136
Easy to read with practical advice.  Not clear what audience is the book written for. If it is for professional photographers, seems to basic. If it is for amateurs like me, it has too may details on some subjects. Having said that, the summary on Chapter 8 - A look at different systems - is very helpful. The challenges of saving digital pictures is the first one an amateur photographer will face, and the book provides guidance on the subject. The advice is easy to grasp and helps making decisions on how to save and backup your pictures. The details on the search of your pictures seem directed to more professional or advanced photographers, those who need to retrieve a specific picture or subject from a very big number of pictures. I would expect that anyone who has such need already has some system in place. The book also give details how to work with the different most commonly used software packages. I think those sections are not really needed. If you are going to buy a software package, then I would like a detailed comparison between what is available. If I have one package already, then that section is of little help assuming the reader is already using that software. Still, even for advanced photographers, it is worth to review some principles of storing and retrieving from time to time, this book is a good choice as it is easy to read and provides practical advice.
1781806
Well-written, and doesn't waste your time with a lot of trendy jargon or chattiness.  I especially liked the 2-page example of what it looks like to study the Bible the way she suggests.  This is a practical, useful book that will endure.
156259
This is an easy to read guide, full of practical and DO-ABLE ideas. The concept of 15 minutes a day is very appealing. I love the retro cover too.
3776311
This is a great guide for giving some tips about financial planning practices to work with clients who may have complex money issues.  What I really enjoyed about the text is that it also gives practical and useful tips that one may use with clients.  It is not a work that is simply constrained by theory.