Having purchased this book offline, at the beginning of my graduate studies, I would not have got through my first semester without it. The helpful, easy-to-read instructions to finding relevant books, articles and reputable online sources has proved invaluable!

A new guide to student research will help adults and students alike that provides tips on how to use library and school resources, Nancy Lane, et.al.'s Techniques For Student Research focuses on how to use the library, providing search keys for both printed and electronic references ranging from atlases and dictionaries to almanacs and online resources. This reference is keyed to common student research questions, with examples showing how to effectively use the indexes and database contents.

Written by Barry Lane and enhanced with the artwork of Miles Bodimeade, The Tortoise And The Hare Continued... is a charming and very highly recommended children's color picturebook that extrapolates from Aesop's famous "slow and steady wins the race" parable. As we all know, the tortoise challenged the hare to a race, and the tortoise won because the hare was lazy... but what happened the next day? And the day after that? Continuing the story of tortoise and hare exploits, and introducing new morals along the way, The Tortoise And The Hare Continued... is a delightful story that's just a little closer to the real world than most, since it acknowledges that there is no such thing as a pat ending. The final moral: "Made up stories can improve real lives."

Great book that teaches you to see past the end of fables. The illustrations are a riot! Especially when the Tortoises hire gophers to help them win the next race. I can see how teachers could use this inventive book to inspire children to create and reshape their own fables. Moral: Buy it!

Helena Greenwood was the head of marketing at a biotech company in southern California. She was present at the dawn of DNA testing in her industry, and when she heard about the newly patented method of DNA fingerprinting, she told the directors of her firm, "This DNA fingerprinting is going to be big. I think we should get into it." She was just the person to influence the firm in that direction, but in 1985 she was murdered in the front garden of her home. There was a suspect, but no witnesses, no fibers, no fingerprints, and the homicide department put the murder in the archive for more than a decade. Then a resourceful investigator found physical evidence in the file, and, ironically, used the same DNA testing on it that Greenwood had been promoting. The history of this case, and the results, are told in a fascinating detective story, _Pointing from the Grave: A True Story of Murder and DNA_ (Miramax) by Samantha Weinberg. The book does not simply relate the facts of the case and profile the personalities involved, but it also gives a satisfying and useful history of DNA research and the effect of that research on forensic investigations.

Weinberg intercuts her murder story with visits to labs and descriptions of the history of DNA going back to before Watson and Crick. One of Weinberg's digressions is to the Innocence Project, which has used DNA evidence to free wrongly convicted prisoners. The Project's efforts have shown that courts and juries are more badly flawed than anyone had previously suspected, and have increased the importance of DNA for fair legal investigation. But the useful digressions in _Pointing from the Grave_ all hang on the story of Greenwood's murder, and that story is very well told indeed. In 1998, an investigator found Greenwood's fingernail clippings taken at the autopsy, and thought that perhaps under the fingernails would be skin samples for investigation. When Greenwood had been murdered, such evidence was useless; fifteen years later, it provided the basis for the arrest of a charming sociopath who at the time of the murder had had been out on bail for sexually assaulting her. His lawyer attempted to use the defense that the science was untested, to "persuade the jury it was voodoo," but in 2001, juries had heard enough about DNA successes, and prosecutors had had enough experience with demonstrating the reliability of such evidence, to make a difference.

Weinberg has interviewed many of the scientists whose work she mentions, and has had jailhouse interviews with the accused. She has become friends with his family, who are sad figures ("they were the essence of the American suburban family") trying to understand how a nurturing and non-abusive upbringing could have turned out so. There are vital portraits of all the players at the trial here, and a summary of the proceedings that is exciting. Unforgettable is Greenwood's father; he was proud of his science-inclined only child, and devastated by her death. "There's enough sadness in the world," he said, "without people killing each other." He compared it to stones thrown in a pond, "... the ripples as they grow outward bring misery to everyone." When he said this, prostate cancer was painfully killing him in England, but he had hung on to life for years hoping to have his daughter's death resolved. He heard the verdict relayed to him by telephone, and died only hours later.

I walked into this one knowing the outcome and essential facts. This case had been covered on either Unsolved Mysteries or one of the many forensic shows available through cable tv and I was immediately familiar with it.
The pleasant surprise was the book's essential structure and Ms. Weinberg's writing style. This was a true story that in many ways was written like a great crime novel. Her cast of characters had well developed personalities. Her research was meticulous. She was able to build a level of suspense when her reader already knew where she was going. Weinberg managed to maintain a level of objectivity and even a level of sympathy for the perpetrator while managing to be mindful that this person wasn't innocent.
As for my own reaction to this story, I became almost immediately hooked. There was almost a creepy aspect here as I had stayed at a hotel no more than 2 blocks from the scene of the crime last October. Her descriptions were so intensely visual that I almost felt like I was in Del Mar witnessing the crime scene first hand. I kept thinking that this all seemed so surreal. On a certain level I kept thinking the title could have been Murder In Paradise.
This book was researched very thorougly and many people who were involved closely to the victim, perpetrator, or the investigations conducted were interviewed at length.
Of course, as the title implies, the victim was indirectly responsible for nailing her murderer 15 years after the fact. While there is a certain irony in that, by no means is that the whole story.
I read this book in slightly over 3 hours. Usually I don't speed read when I'm reading for pleasure, but it was so compelling I just couldn't wait to move forward.
Be forwarned that I only review books that I really like or really detest. I absolutely loved this one.

Fielding Dawson has called his "Penny Lane" series transitional work. They are in fact the last of his first person(al) autobiographical prose, but transitional? I think not. They are, especially "Two Penny Lane," a stunning apex to his work. The Metropolitan world of two writer friends, as told in dialogue, memory, and dream, is brought to life with such crystal-clear language, and at times with startling shifts, so as to disarm the uninitiated reader. But being stunned into this world is a sublime event. You will see yourself at the end of the bar, in apartments, and at the ballgame with Lucky and Guy. Unable to contain yourself you will interact with them, in their dialogues and experiences, and share their world. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Fielding Dawson has called the "Penny Lane" series transitional work. They are in fact the last of his first-person(al) autobiographical prose, but transitional? I think not. They are, especially "Two Penny Lane," a stunning apex to his work. The Metropolitan world of two writer friends, as told in dialogue, memory and dream, is brought to life with such crystal-clear language, and at times with startling shifts, so as to disarm the uninitiated reader. But being stunned into this world is a sublime event. You will see yourself at the end of the bar, in apartments, and at the ballgame with Lucky and Guy. Unable to contain yourself you will interact with them, in their dialogues and experiences.

I read this book after reading Mrs. Birkby's book, "Neighboring on the Air", which was a great pleasure to read and cook from. Once again, Mrs. Birkby has hit a home run!

Mrs. Birkby was one of the 'radio homemakers' who broadcast recipes, tips and news to Iowa's rural housewives as well as writing a long-lived newspaper column. Needless to say, after decades she had a very rich collection of recipes and local history to share. This she has done in a book that is very well organized, easy to read, and involves the reader. Having never read her column, I can assume this style is what endeared the author to generations of Iowans.

This book focuses mainly on the years Mrs. Birkby spent with her husband starting and maintaining an Iowa farm for 10 years following WW II. It is broken up into chapters on topics such as 'Grocery', 'Milking', 'Stoves', etc. Recipes in each chapter follow the narration. I prefer this format for historical cookbooks, as it makes it much easier to leaf through and locate recipes.

I've tried several of the recipes, and all have worked well for me.

This book would have rated five stars for me, even if it hadn't had any recipes. Mrs. Birkby's struggles to make a success of a small farm with her family make a valuable documentation of postwar rural life. Reading her accounts, particularly of laundry, illustrates how far we have come as a nation with housekeeping.

Thank you again, Mrs. Birkby, for sharing your personal and professional history with us!

I loved this book! It was chock-full of recipes for the kinds of dishes my grandmothers and aunts prepared. It also gave great stories and details on rural Midwestern life during the 1940's and 50's - the kind of details you won't find in history books. Homey and comforting.

If you've ever wanted to see the full vocal arrangement for "Since You've Been Gone", it's here! Play/sing along with your favorite videos and cds. This is more fun than humans and hamsters should be allowed to have!

The "Weird Al" Yankovic Anthology is the long-awaited sheet music of Al's most popular songs. The quirky satire of family vacations is profiled in "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota." The agony of love gone very, very bad is the theme of "One More Minute." "Weird Al" Yankovic has a marvelous talent of bringing out the kid in all of us while putting a smile on our faces. If you like Al's music, you'll love to play it on the piano and sing it in the shower.

Wonderful book. It really shows the importance of God in our lives. He can do anything, like this book shows. I really recommend it.

Merry Hanson's friend, Lissa, shows up at Merry's house one night bruised and banged up. Lissa says she can't go home or her father will beat her again. Can Merry help her? This book shows the importance of our tears to God. I really recommend Whispers Down the Lane!

I don't have much to add to the other review. I will say that I occasionally stop playing 1. e4 all together, because I don't want to face the Sicilian. But this is silly. Why play chess at all if I am scared of certain lines? After all, it's only a game. My point is that when I come back to 1. e4 and try to decide what to play against the Sicilian, I always end up turning to this book by Lane (that is, after I try and drop the Smith-Morra [too gimmicky], the Alapin [too passive], the Grand Prix [too aggressive], and the Closed [too Closed!]. The Bc4 scheme makes a lot of sense, and is consonant with chess principles and chess history (Fischer used it, and he is the closest thing to what Morphy may have been like in the modern era). Excellent book with a good index in the back and nicely produced by Batsford.

I think that this book is highly reccomended to all players who don't like to simply win a chess game! The lines are analized with clearness taking advantage of what grandmaster practice has done with them. Lane chooses beautiful and instructive games for each line and he gives the strategic plans that are behind any possible continuations (all the notes are strictly connected to this feature). This is very important because this variation doesn't admit any misjudgments and so the moves must be carefully calculated, this is why it's most wiseable to me that you can understand the way you make that move instead of learning the move from a book. This book allows you to enter the secrets of the Fischer-Sozin without putting in your memory a lot of move orders without explanation. The only reason I didn't give 10 rating is that I wanted to see much more games than the 48 analized inside... But I can assure you this number is anyway worth of it!

On par with Sidney Sheldon for pulling you in and making you feel all the angst and heartache that this character goes through. You can literally feel the slippery slope from which Gerri Knapp begins her downward spiral. Can she pull herself out? Will there be other forces to help her along the way? You can truly identify with some of the real life examples. I felt the same powerful 'human feelings' while reading this novel as I did when I viewed the Michael Douglas film, 'Falling Down'...things like her utter despair and inability to confide in anyone around her. Lauren Stone makes you want to reach out your hand to Gerri Knapp...REACH OUT AND BUY THIS BOOK! You won't be sorry!