I leafed through this book to give me some idea on how to prepare for my TOEFL-CBT essay writing section and was pleased with my full score of 6.0!

This helpful book that comes with 150 short sample essays, teaches you the rudimentaries of essay writing and development from the basic levels of English composition and grammar. Different charts and disgrams are displayed on how to develop your ideas you've brainstormed for the essay. Time is not on the side on the test-taker and it would do you well to be prepared in one way or another.

This recommended guide will prove useful for both English and non-English test-takers. For the former, it might look too easy for those confident in the usage of the Englih language and would merely be a revision of what is being taught in schools. For the latter, a little more patience, time and a lot of English essay writing practice are needed. Begin with this inexpensive guide book. It might do you some good.

I would suggest that the author and publisher come up with more challenging topics and essays though, and have the next edition of book printed on quality paper that can last a millenium.

First, you need to know that TOEFL publishes its official list of TOEFL essay topics on its website, and ALL essays that you will have to write on the TOEFL come from this list. Second, you need to know that this list is updated every year, with some topics removed and new ones added. The next update will occur around Aug of 2002.

After this book was published, TOEFL updated its topics so that there were 185 topics, not ~150 when this book was published. Many of the old topics were retired, and many new ones took their place, so many of the essays in this book will NEVER appear on the TOEFL again.

If you don't mind that, this book will give you excellent advice on how to write your TOEFL essay and will show you how to get a 5.0 or a 6.0, which will help you to raise your score. Remember, the TOEFL essay is worth the same as the grammar section (each is worth 1/6 of your total score).

Hey friends, this is for test preparation, not for English language learning; otherwise, it will call "English" not "TOEFL".

Its grammer review sections are very good. It absolutely worth a buy.

I was already fairly competent at understanding, but this book did help me pass the CLEP. I scored in the upper 90's of the percentile range. It is real easy to skip over definitions, but they were the most helpful thing after considering the practice tests. It's not the easiest test I ever took, so good luck!

When studying for this CLEP, I purchased this book as a studyguide. Even though I've always done well on comprehension exams, this book provided an excellent overview of the terminology and types of reading samples included in the test. I recommend this book and advise that you not spend too much time or money on other studyguides. Basically, either you get it or you don't. Literature spans back too far and is too diverse to be covered by any guide(s) available. Good luck!

This is a must have review book if you are planning to take the CLEP test. I got my book last Wednesday, studied Wednesday night, all day Thursday and about an hour on Friday. I took the test today (Monday) and got a 61, which is equivalent to a "B". I took the 3 tests in the book several times and focused on my weakest area, poetry. The actual test seemed much easier than the ones in the book, which means I was very well prepared. Also, you have 1:30 minutes to answer 80 questions on the computer when you take the test, as opposed to the same amount of time to answer 90 in the book.

I figured it out -- these much needed 6 hours cost me about [$$$] a piece, including the cost of the book, shipping and handling and the CLEP test fee. Go for it, you can't get 6 semester hours of college credit any cheaper!

The book The Catcher in the Rye was one of the best books I have ever read, and also my favorite. As a fifteen year old myself I understood much of what Holden was going through. I got the book and didn't stop reading it untill I finished it the next night. I loved the style of writing and it kept me interested untill the very last word.

I absolutely loved this book. Holden Caulfield captures the essence of youth and all the troubles that the youth of any era must go through. A great book for anyone, from a high school student to someone in their 40's. This book will have you laughing, sympathizing and nearly in tears as you read about this troubled young man.

I read this book at 16 because a teacher told me I would relate to the main character. This was soon after I had been diagnosed with manic-depressive illness. I am now 21 and have read the book several times and the more I experience and live through the symptons of my illness, I see how the entire book seems to show that Holden might have been experiencing a manic episode. And it is amazing that it was written so long ago, before much was known of the illness. I adore this book because the thoughts and emotions I sometimes have that seem to be so terribly painfull and unexplainable are all stated crystal clear right there in the pages. I reccomend this book to anyone who has manic-depression, or anyone who wishes to understand such a person's emoitional obstacles. I also highly reccomend all other works by Salinger, particularly "Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters and Seymour, an Introduction".

Like the reader from Berkeley, I cringed throughout "Bartleby." It is easy to understand why this talented author was unappreciated during his post-Moby Dick period. Although rich in symbolism, the story hardly captivates the reader. Instead of a tale, "Bartleby" comes across as an assignment. I read the story once in high school and I'm devasted to discover I must re-read it for college. Honestly, I prefer not to...

The story of Bartleby is simply about a man loosing his will to live. It is intended to show the reader a dark side in all of us when the meaning of our existence is allowed to be challenged. The chilling image of Bartleby in his previous job at the Dead Letter Office leaves my imagination running wild, wondering about the contents of the letters and how Bartleby must have gone from concern to sadness to indifference about his own mortality as he read the messages written to those who can no longer receive them. I'm glad Melville left Bartleby's reason for being (or not being) a mystery. This way, any reader can relate to the story by drawing on their own experience.

Herman Melville wrote this story in 1853, two years after Moby Dick had been published and his writing career was beginning to lose its luster. Subtitled, "A Story of Wall Street", it is a seemingly simple story about a lawyer who hires a gentleman named Bartleby as a scrivener in his office. This was way back in the days before photocopy machines and scriveners performed the necessary tasks of tediously hand copying documents over and over. Bartleby was good at the copying part of his job, but when asked to proofread aloud one day he simply replied, "I prefer not to." From that moment forward, he used the phrase "I prefer not to" for every task requested of him, eventually "preferring not to" do any work whatsoever. The lawyer, who is astounded by Bartleby's attitude, tells the story in the first person.

The story is rich in language and yet spare in actual action. The reader is forced to think, and think seriously about the choices we make daily. Bartleby chose to rebel and become an anti-hero. But the real protagonist of the story is the lawyer, who is drawn into Bartleby's power and grows to admire him. The conclusion is sad, but inevitable. Recommended.

As a general computer dictionary I would rate this as 3/5 stars. Although, all-in-all, this is suppose to be an up to date terminology reference for Internet terms as well...not really up to date in that department unfortunately either. As for a programmers reference...look elsewhere! For example, there is a definition for CORBA; but no definition for COM or COM+! Not very well thought out...look to another book for a more complete vocabulary.

Barron's Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms is a good computer/internet dictionary and rather inexpensive. Although there are not some updated terms in the dictionary, I'm sure they will be included in the next edition. I believe the context is comprehendable for beginner computer users up through near-advanced computer users.

This is a very helpful little book which is ideally suited to newer users who feel a bit ill at ease with computer terminology ,while at the same time being in no small way useful for the more advanced user, not least of all due to its very clear language and the simplicity of its expression. I personally find ,'Websters New World Dictionary of Computer Terms,by Bryan Pfaffenberger,5th Ed' , somewhat better.Pfaffenberger's dictionary is however, written with a slightly more experienced audience in mind than that by Downing and co., and as such the Barrons Guide may provide a better alternative for many less experienced users. This book is particularly strong on diagrams and pictures (eg. in addition to defining and describing 'Draw Program',there is a picture of the corresponding application window with toolbars ,an exapmle drawing etc ).

(My comments refer to edition 5 (1800 definitions,422 pages),and not to the soon to be published edition 6)

Romeo and Juliet is a great book. It's an interesting book to read. It is about tragic love during Shakespeare's time. Their love was impossible because their families, Montagues and Capulets, hated each other. The book shows how a couple fights against everything for their love. It has a tragic end in which both, Romeo and Juliet die, because nobody accepted their love.
You must have a very good English, to understand it. Because it is written in old English, what, in some parts may confuse the reader.
Though for some moments it may be boring, because it gives too many details, we enjoyed the story, and we recommend it.
It's definitely one of the best books written by Shakespeare.

I think that this is a great book because it tells you how much two people can really love each other and they gave up their lifes for their love.
I have seen the movie version about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and still love the book every time I revisit the story. Every word fascinates the reader into truly feeling the passion and tragedy of these two lovers. Even a character such as Tybalt Capulet won me over as far as description goes. Shakespearean writing is very much complex and confusing but it has a touch romance and anger which adds to the emotion of the story.
Is an excellent story for teenagers, read this classic book of love, hate and tragedy!

Romeo and Juliet is an amazing book, about two starcross lovers have never read a book like this one. What attracted me about the story was that they both killed themselves because of the strong love they had.
Kids from the age of 10 to 13 will understand it without any difficulty. The adult's will like this book but not as kids will do. This book has a lot of emotions from the beginning to the end. I think that Shakespeare was inspired when he wrote this book. He would have been inspired with one of his loves or in England's daily life. I think he is the most important English author of time.
I think it's a great book and I recommend it to anyone that likes tragedy books and like's Shakespeare books.

When you buy this book (10th edition), do not buy the one with the CD-ROM. It is not the right one (it is the 9th). All the books with CD-ROM have the wrong one. The correct one comes out in October. So if you want to buy this book do NOT take the one with the CR-ROM, because you're going to waste money!!

I bought this book after i failed to get the score i needed in the TOEFL exam, and it helped me a lot at the second time I did the test. The best part about it is the CD-ROM that has 4 complete tests so you can practice just like if you were doing the real Computer Based TOEFL Test. It helps you to get in the mood of the test so you are prepared when you take the real test. There is only one thing that should be enhanced in this book. The review and hints at the "writing test part" are not enough. There should be more essay examples. Over all, this is the book you have to buy if you are planning to pay just for one book to prepare for the TOEFL

if you must prepare for TOEFL, this book can help you. now i'm use this book prerpare for TOEFL!

There is much worthy of praise in Ms. Barron's Jane Austen series. The very concept of Austen as a sleuth is fun, and even fitting -- after all, PD James has argued persuasively that "Emma" has all the elements of a good mystery novel. The footnotes in the Austen mysteries give significant insight into the people, places, and lifestyles of Regency England, even if the "feel" of the books sometimes tends to the Edwardian. The sweep and pace of the first two books provided a welcome diversion from the gloomy skies during a recent vacation in Florida.

But after "Wandering Eye", I'm giving up. Barron simply does not have the skill to pull off the complicated plots she attempts. She feels obligated to spin everything on its head in the final pages, and "Wandering Eye" left MY eyes glazed over as I tried to sort out which of the suspects had what relationship with which young lady, including one mentioned only in passing and who is dead before the book even begins. Complicated is fine, confusing is not, and this book tends toward the latter. Three down, more to go, but I'm not gonna bother.

I enjoy these Jane Austen-as-sleuth novels. Author Stephanie Barron is a fine writer who emulates Austen's elegant prose style with success. This third installment of the series takes place in 1804 Bath, where Jane's family has moved, in part to accommodate father George's declining health, and Jane dislikes intensely living in a place of such "dissipation". A murder has occurred during a fancy dress party Jane attends, and she is drawn into the mystery by her old friend, Lord Harold Trowbridge.

I had some minor quibbles with the book -- Austen's renowned wit is missing, too many characters (in costumes, no less!) and relationships make the plot confusing -- but in general I enjoyed this book very much, and appreciate the opportunity to spend time with our beloved Jane as the author deftly weaves historical and biographical facts into her story.

Personally I enjoy the footnotes, which are infrequent, informative and not at all intrusive.

I really enjoyed the third book in the Jane Austen series of mysteries, even more than the first two (Jane and Secret of Scargrave Manor, Jane and the Man of the Cloth) because I think that the author is really beginning to show promise in her crafting of the mystery plot and the characters.

In this mystery Jane is introduced into theatrical company, and if you enjoy late 18th and early 19th century British theater I think you will enjoy being immersed in those circles, as well. In addition, the main clue of the mystery is one of the "eye portraits" fashionable in the late 18th century. When an eye portrait is found on the dead body at the center of the mystery, Jane turns her attention into discovering whose "wandering eye" this is.

If you enjoy Jane Austen and are fully cognizant that Stephanie Barron is not and can never be Jane Austen, you should give this series of mysteries a try. They are very entertaining, extremely well-written for a historical mystery (except the liberal sprinkling of footnotes which I still find annoying), and provide an interesting first-person narrative (because the mystery consists of Jane's journal entries).

I had to read this book over the summer for a class, and I kept reading it a chapter at a time every other week. It was sooooo boring. But then I had to read the remaining 450 pages in three days at the end of this month. I still think the book bit, but come on, these people had nothing and they still found ways to help each other. All of the migrant workers in this book did as much as they could for each other. Even as disgusting as the ending was, it was simplly showing that even when you have nothing (the poor girl didn't even have any clothes) you can still help those who have less. And this book was real. This happended to thousands of people in this country. Our grandparents and greatgrandparents. As lame as it sounds, this book was actually kind of touching. However, I still hate John Stienbeck's writing style.

I wrote this review because I was severly angered by the reviews that were previously written. This book may have been boring to those who are un-compassionate or ignorant. This is a brilliant portrayl of life when the deppression hit, John Steinbeck knows people, he knows how they think. The ending made me cry because it was so desperate and deep. For those who didn't understand it, I suggest an "I-can-read" book.Those "Children" have no idea what they are talking about. I am a teenager myself and am sad to see that these ignorant fools are our future. The Grapes of Wrath is about a family and it's struggles to survive. This book is about compassion, racism, and the troubles that can bring people together or shove them apart.

This book helped me save time and still gave all the information I needed for my paper! I love this book!

Well, I can not say that W.D. Howells was another Nathaniel Hawthorne. But what I can say is that his "The Rise of Silas Lapham" is A LOT better than some books that were made famous (probably for political reasons). Do not expect the superb images and construction of Hawthorne. But what we CAN expect is a timeless message about society. At first Silas is a rich money grubbing monster. (Just think of Dickens' Scrooge.) He finds ways to cut his friends out of deals, alienates his family with the want of more money, and even gets his wife upset. Ah, but later things go bad, and he starts losing money. This is when the human side of him begins to show and he becomes a very sympathetic character. In my opinion, to enjoy this even more, you must assume that before the book opens, he WAS a good and decent man. Once he ran into immense wealth, he grew detestable. So while, this is not exactly a masterpiece, the degeneration of Silas and his return to humanity is ample material to carry this book and place it in the American Museum of Literature.

These days Howells is usually overlooked in favor of the more overtly urbane Henry James or the grittier Stephen Crane or Theodore Dreiser. That's a shame, since Howells at his best is a more varied and thought-provoking author than any of them. The Rise of Silas Lapham is Howells at his best. The title is quite ironic, of course, but ultimately spot-on, as Howells' nouveau-riche bumpkin is redeemed only in losing it all. Lapham is keenly drawn, alternately frustrating in his bluster and affected pompousness and endearing in his genuine (if sometimes poorly expressed) love for his family. Other characters are not so fortunate; one of his daughters remains mostly a cipher, and both Mrs. Lapham and Bromfield Corey, the rich scion of society whose favor Lapham so earnestly covets, are dangerously close to stock characters. Howells excels at elaborate descriptive prose focused on intricate detail, sometimes to the point of exhaustion. Some elements of the plot may seem quaint to modern readers, but Howells does not treat them with condescension. The Rise of Silas Lapham is definitely a book of its time. Perhaps it is so rewarding because his time and ours are not necessarily so different as we think.

This is a must read book and provides a glimpse of business morals in the nineteenth century. Read first, Mark Twain's "The Gilded Age" and Charles Dickens' "Martin Chuzzlewit". Silas' 'rise' is not ironic unless accumulation of wealth is your only value. While his monetary assets may shrink, his family 'prospers' in many ways. Clearly, Howells makes the point that honest work can bridge the gap of old rich and new. Commerce is not inherently bad, but it does ask the question, how far should one go in disclosure and protecting others from their potential investment folly.