This book has a pretty good beginning and seems to flow really well towards the middle, but the whole other half has barely any point to it. It's a bunch of political stuff which makes it boring. The ending makes me dissappointed also.

I believe that Black Boy is a great book. The author was honest and did not try to make himself seem like he was more pure and good in his childhood than he really was. The autobiography was the life story of a lot of young Black boys growing up in the Jim Crow south.

When I read this book for the first time in nineth grade, I thought this book was really boring because the author kind of put too many descriptions. But once I understood what the story was about and kind of accept the fact that he included a lot of details, I really liked the book. Infact, I actually liked the descriptions that he wrote. Because of this book, I was motivated to write a twenty page autobiography for my english class. Now I am a senior in high school and I have just decided to read this book all over again, and I find it even more interesting now because I understood it even more. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about the history of African Americans. I hope more high school students will read this book because it is a well-written book. Thank you.

Be cautious ... this edited version is a research and study guide ... it is not the full text of the book!

Can it be said that there's no place like home in all instances? This group of post-war youth prove this enticing theory wrong. Home is where the comfort lies, not the heart.

Jake, Brett, Bill, Robert, and Mike form a group of friends traveling wherever their consience leads them. Growing restless when they keep themselves in one situation for too long, this mess of human regret lives for the moment. They travel to the week long Fiesta in Pamplona, where they find nights of drinking and days of somber realizations, uniquely tied hand in hand with bullfighting.

As is true with most Hemingway novels, a man and woman's relationship with one another is used as a mode of depicting his views on life. Lady Ashley (Brett, disguising herself with a title as she does with short hair and hats and various other men's traits) stars as the diva without a cause. She wanders the streets of Paris in search of a good night in bed, which is all the war has left her with. As was done to the rest of war-participating America, Brett was stripped of compassion, of desire for love, and was left with a hollow lust. This lust was never to be filled but was continually in search of completement. This is what drew Brett to Pamplona with Mike, her haughty, yet understandably grounded, fiance.

Perfectly depicting the result of Brett's search for completion, Robert Cohn follows Brett to the Fiesta and likewise follows her every move. He is a former lover whwhich cannot seem to tear himself from the idea that she was once his. By his continual snooty comments, and the fact that Brett could find pleasure in him and not Jack (sexually hindered by a war wound) every word that comes from his mouth is the subject of Jack's narrative scorn.

Easily understood is Jack's disattachment from the world which took away his "manliness," especially when this is that which would attract the one thing in life that he values, Brett. Jack's love for Brett is obbsessive and ultimatley dooming when he sacrifices his remaining link to disillusionment, bulllfighting, which is his last escape from the chaos trailing the war. In an effort to please Brett, he gives access to an able-bodied matador, the object of her lust. After losing the trust of a community held tight with respect by Jake, he is left with the same Brett, just a little more contented than she was five minutes ago.

In my careful opinion, Hemingway has reconstructs a world ignored by many, but remembered and endured to this day. In a time of confusion and distrust in the reality of human emotion, this group typifies the actions of self-indulgence and disparity which characterize this generation. Instead of merely a drunken party with some good fights, some bullfighting, and plenty of sex, the novel depicts with pity the lost generation and all their woes.

For all those opposing the seemingly endless stream of war literature, it's fair to say "Give it up, already!" With unforgetable stories like these, how can we complain about a generation willing to share their tales of dedication to one true thing, in a time of great confusion. Their sacrifices will live forever in us and our decisions. Respect this and you can understand any Hemingway novel that is thrown at you.

This is a wonderful edition of a great work. Hemingway's first novel, "The Sun Also Rises" is a beautiful, elegiac portrait of restless, unsatisfied expatriots wandering through Europe during the 1920s. In many respects, although the style and narrative differ, this is a companion piece to Fitzgerald's "Gatsby"--beneath the seemingly carefree exterior of Hemingway's characters, beneath the drinking and carousing and aimless wandering, the mood is melancholy and empty. What makes this particular edition so valuable--to the scholar as well as the average reader--is the shrewd, readable appendices. This includes criticism, a biographical vignette, and other useful supporting materials.

even though different people wrote each one, every entry in this book reads basically the same, thereby making it pretty much useless. also, as a guide to "elite" colleges it is quite inaccurate, including a few rather mediocre schools while strangely excluding some very top ones (such as Oberlin). Save your money and buy Fiske's, which is the best all-around college guide.

This guide on the surface appears the same as the many others of its genre, large in size etc but once you open it, you realize that it is very different. While the other guides rely on a few statistics about sometimes as many as 500 colleges and universities, this book very much focuses on the intimate details of just the top 53 which means that there is a great deal more information about the best colleges. You find out about all the courses offered, the study abroad options and of course the all important student hangouts. This book is full of genuine student comments so you can really get a feel for the campus and I found it very easy to tell which ones I was most interested in. You really feel a description either clicking with you or pushing you away from the college which makes it easy to get a manageable shortlist of your favorite colleges. This book even gives some helpful tips on the all important application essays so it is a must have for the high school student trying to decide on the right college.
My only complaint would be the fact that 53 is slightly too few colleges. 100 would be a better number although that would mean that less competitive and academic colleges would be featured. Buy this book, and good luck on your search for colleges!

i just want to say, that i like that this book mentions prominent graduates from some of these top schools. in fact, in the lehigh section, they talk about me going through a combined medical program. however, in the actual lehigh section, they don't even talk about the combined program. it's not really helpful for people who want to get on the fast track to medical school from high school. those people should check out From High School to Med. School: The Definitive Guide to Accelerated Medical Schools (talk about a great book!). i can't really blame barron's because hardly any college books mention these prestigous programs. though, for non-pre-meds who are interested in the top schools, barrons is a good book.

I've read about 6 books on real estate bought from Amazon, and I have to say that this one is the most oversimplified. It is like reading one of those "pocket MBA" books, which just tells you terms and procedures. Don't expect to read this book and be able to transact "foreclosed and bargain homes". It is far from that! For instance, the chapters on how to identify and find a "bargain" home comes down to this: look it up at a bank, MLS, or internet. Heck! I could have told you that for free! Given that that is the most important step, I was really disappointed with this book. Don't waste your money...

If you want to buy an overview or basics book on home buying I sugget the "Unofficial Guide to Buying a Home" which is much more detailed and straightforward about buying a home. And it covers in better details what are the pitfalls of buying a bargain home.

I got this book because I became disenchanted with attempting to purchase real estate through tax liens and was searching for a better way. What I have found by reading this book is that it is possible to purchase real estate at a discount if one is willing to do the leg work.
The authors do a good job defining bargain homes, dicussing strategies on getting the best price and locating repossessed homes. Also the book has a useful glossary, helpful checklist and locations of Hud and VA offices around the country.

This book is wonderful for the novice trying to learn about the business of investing in real estate. There is not a wasted word in this book and each chapter is only 2-3 pages long so it can be read inbetween commericals during a movie. I read over half the book during one movie.

There are helpful checklists and nuggets of suggestions that should help anyone wanting to buy a house or an investment such as Exhibit 1 showing how prices tend to change according to the season and the General Checklist to apply to any property you are considering buying. There are addresses for all the Hud offices in the US. There are tables to calculate mortgage payments based on the interest rate and there is an excellent explaination of the foreclosure process.

This a nugget of a book written in an extrememly readable and digestable manner. It may be a little too basic for experienced real estate investors but it is perfect for those just starting to learn the subject. I wish I had this book when I bought my first house and anyone facing foreclosure could benefit from reading it as well to understand the process.

I used this book along with the companion book which had 360 practice questions ( filled with errors). I studied long and hard with these materials and the actual test differed greatly. I would recommend using these books as a slim refresher only. They are NOT worth the money nor the time in study ( you will be studying VERY general theory). However, most REA subject test booklets are excellent! I dont know why this edition is lacking. If you are about to take the test I would recommend purchasing "Cracking The Clep" as a reference of what to study. College Textbooks, internet, Cliff Notes, all of which are better resources than the clep review. Good Luck!

Lynne Ewing's book, "Possession", is a captivating and interesting novel about a small group of girls with special powers who live in central California. The main idea Ewing stresses within "Possession" is the importance of friendship and trust between yourself and others. She refers to this idea throughout the book and uses a variety of techniques to tell the story and aid her unique style of writing. One technique she uses is the allusion to the Greek goddess of the night, Selene. This goddess protected Greek mortals from darkness and evil through turmoil and times of sadness. Two other devices Ewing uses is imagery and metaphorical expressions, both of these devices add to the whole appeal and flow of the story, which makes her book an easy, and enjoyable read for the teenage level.

This review is for those of us who have little or no knowledge in the test subjects, but need to pass the Clep in a hurry.

I used this book to pass the: Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and History, and English Comp w/essay tests. I took all tests from May 2002 - July 2002 (computerized versions.)

The clep tests are generalized tests. You need to know a little bit about a lot. The greatest strength of this book as well as it's companion book, The Best Test Preparation for Clep, it that it exposes the reader to a diverse area of knowledge that is likely to be on the test. While the actual questions on the real tests do not match the ones in any study book, the concepts do match. Learn enough general concepts, pass the tests!

If you use this book, the companion book, Cracking the Clep, and the Comex series books for your review, you will be exposed to enough concepts and ideas to pass the test. If you have no prior knowledge (or little knowledge), you should use all four books. They cover slightly different areas. But together they give a good, well rounded exposure to test question criteria.

I had no clue about Natural Sciences and Social Science and History before I started studying. I have been out of school for
22 years. However, after simply reading these books and taking the practice tests, I scored in the 94th Percentile in Natural Sciences and 98th percentile in Social Science and History.

(A passing score is somewhere about the 61th percentile, which requires approximately only 50% of the questions to be answered correctly.)

If you are clueless as I was, buy this book and the other three above. You should have no problem passing the tests.

Over most of these TASP review books get 2 stars at most. I have ordered this Barron's book from here. The Reading and Writing sections of this book and in the other books I have bought and/or checked out from the libary are all about equal and will help you. The test questions themselves DO appear harder then the study guide question. Over ALL (repeat) ALL of the study guides I have used lack poorly in the math section! This Barron does not even give you the answer key to check your math answers for the drills in the math part!!! It does provide one for the two practice TEST within the book, but otherwise your left on your own to find your practice math answers. Why write a study with no answer key? Another book "The Best Test Prepartion for the TASP" study guide has better math examples overall, but it's still lacking. I suggest getting non TASP math books for study. I myself am returning to school after 10 years. I am not orginally from Texas so I am at the mercy of an awful state system. I feel this TASP test is a way for someone to just get extra money from the students and is a WASTE of time. If your college has it ask to take the ACCUPLACER TEST!!! It's easier and less costly. Also note only a simple 4 function calculator can only be used on the TASP!!! Scientific calcs are banned! (yet I can a sci calc while in school/class? Hmm does this not tell you they WANT you to screw this part up?) When was the last time the MAKERS of this test not use a sci calculator themselves? FIGHT THIS TASP TEST! Write the money hungry makers of it and tell them it's BULL!!!!!
I give this Barrons book 2 stars due to it's poor math section.
I give The Offical TASP Study guide 0 stars!!! It's just awful! A complete waste of money!
I give The Best Test Prepartion for the TASP study guide 2 1/2 stars, math section is slighty better but not by much.

Remember take the ACCUPLACER TEST instead if your school has it!!!!! Good luck all on your test.

After completeing college some time ago, I found I had to take the TASP test in order to enter a teacher education program in Texas. I hadn't done much math beyond balancing my checkbook for about 10 years, so I knew I needed a refresher on the quadratic formula. I bought this book, and really did it, but when I took the test I found much of the material I had prepared for was irrevelant, too easy, and generally just not on the test. The explanations were well written and a lot came back to me as I was studying, but in general, the questions on the actual test were more complex than this book led me to believe. The reading section also contained lengthy explanations on concepts that weren't even on the test. But I mean let's face it, the TASP isn't brain surgery - I hope I passed it anyway - but this book was only an okay preparation.

This book is well organized. You will not find any difficulty to study it by yourself. However, it just contains 2 full length tests only, it is not enough for those who have never had the TASP before.

You have to buy another TASP book for more practice after buying this, in order to pass the exam.

I bought this book to help me create a suitable environment for my veiled chameleon. The information I needed was printed within the pages but it was an extremely dull read. It was common to find scientific jargon without definition. The book is written by scientists whom I'm not convinced even like these wonderful, expressive creatures, it is full of lifeless facts which lead me abandon the book after reading only the pertinent chapters. To my horror, a crucial detail about female chameleon health was only mentioned in the breeding chapter, a chapter I had no need for since I had no intentions of breeding my pet. I found out too late that most female chameleons die egg-bound if unfertilized. Should this information have shown up in the Health chapter (which deals with very little in 4 short pages) my chameleon would still be alive. Previously, I read the entire 280 pages of The tarantula keeper's guide by Stanley A. Schultz, et al, this book is animated and written by a couple who truly love their hobby, it was a pleasure to learn as much about tarantulas as possible. Although, I am sure there is a book out there that does the same for chameleons, this one isn't it.

this is a very good book, a lot of information. a must have for newbies and a good addition to any experienced herpers library

This book is great if you need basic information on a variety of different species. The section on setting up an incubation box is very helpful. Other books that are helpful in this manner are those written by Phillepe de Vosjoli. This books sexing techniques are helpful as well as the glossary of terms it provides and the illustrations of different physical characteristics of chameleons i.e crests and other such protrusions.

This book was excellent! I wasn't required to read it for school. However, we did just happen to watch the movie in my ethics class. It was great! Nicholson did a wonderful job portraying McMurphy. Basically, the jist of this book is that McMurphy has gotten himself into some trouble. No one can figure it out if he is a criminal or crazy. So he gets placed in the mental institution where he thinks everything is a party until he finds out he cannot leave until they release him. The book really isn't too hard to follow, but if reading it for school, I would reccomend the Cliff Notes. They always have those great hidden ironies! I don't want to give away the ending, so I highly suggest getting the cliff notes, reading the book, or even just watching the movie! It is worth your efforts!

I also had to read this book for school, and truthfully, itreally wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I pretty much understood everything, and it was interesting to see what action McMurphy (the lead character) would take against the ward and its policy. The ending has a very ironic and sad twist to it-I don't wanna say anything else or I may spoil the plot! From (my) point of view, I actually enjoyed the book and would recommend it to people who like reading. END

In my life, there are four books I have read twice - Huckleberry Finn, Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Rings and One flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It is a masterpiece. Unforgettable characters and poignant scenes make this a wonderful read. The faux world series, for example, is inspired. Once in a long while a book unfolds at a wholly unexpected level of artistry. This is such a book.

I liked the idea of working only four hours a day instead of the usual eight. Half of a person's efforts go toward supporting a BOSS or BOSSES nowadays in our society. I did not like the stupid idea of rinsing the trays after lunch with skim milk that then flowed out to feed the hogs, as I have learned from raising pigs myself - they would be satisfied with the water runoff. Plus it would easily collect some nasty viruses. However, I can relate to the main message because I try not to waste anything. Then the part about babies not wearing clothes and not needing diapers, yet forced into seclusion in a padded vinyl room was very stupid. At least they would have the problems of bedsores and rashes that could leave life-long scars. Overall though this book was interesting and can be compared with 1984, We, and Brave New World (rather than Walden).

Do not compare this with Walden. Dont read it just because you
liked Walden.
This book is told in a narative fashion, and rather personally
by Skinner. He examines (critically) a new community created by an old friend. It is an experimental way of living, and may
be shocking to people unfamiliar with Behavior Analysis. It is not a lesson or text-book, however. It is an interesting tale
filled with observations and advice that are suprisingly relevant today. Sometimes frightening, but ultimately eye opening for anyone interested in society, education, or culture.

For those of you who do not know Skinner, he was one of the most famous behaviorists in the history of psychology. Behaviorists believed that human behavior is totally controlled by the environment and that our social problems therefore come from "wrong" reinforcement contingencies between our behaviors and the feedback we get from our environment. Thus, Skinner wrote this novel to show how it was possible to build a good community if it was based on the "right" contingencies of reinforcement. This book shows how people can cooperate and have fulfilling lives by simply working a few hours a day to keep the community functioning, and then spend time on what they really enjoy doing. Skinner also discusses very important issues. Behaviorists believe that different individuals are interested in different things and also learn at different paces. Thus, children need to be in an environment where they can master their interests at their own pace, with a lot of personal attention yielding to more and more independence with age. Skinner then illustrates what such education would be like, with small laboratories being set for children to experience many things and thus learn by seeing the meaningfulness of what they are taught. In short, Skinner tries to recreate the workings of natural selection with behavioral engineering methods. The argument is that human beings have stopped experimenting with what works and what does not work. Our civilization has settled down in its own ways, and now tries to fix its problems from the inside, blinded by the false belief that civilization was the best thing ever made. Skinner argues that there are better ways to live, and that to find them we need to experiment with different things and find what works for everyone of us. Although you might find a few of its chapters plain silly, or even scary because of the "engineering" of behavior, this book is a great read.

Barron’s How to Prepare for the TOEIC Test has both positive and negative points, but the negatives outweigh the positives. First off, the positives. (...) You get six complete TOEIC practice tests and a fair number of practice exercises for each of the seven sections. All of these exercises somewhat approximate an actual ETS TOEIC test. In addition, the author gives explanatory answers to the practice tests and exercises. However, this is where the positives of Barron’s book end. On the negative side, the author’s analysis of the construction of the TOEIC is very confusing. For example, his presentation of the material in the listening comprehension sections is less than helpful. It attempts to mix all four sections together which, in my opinion, doesn’t work well. Peterson’s TOEIC Success presents this listening material in a much clearer manner. In addition, the author’s analysis of Parts 5 and 6 (grammar) of the reading section leaves much to be desired. Simply put, the grammar points reviewed in the Barron’s book are not an exact reflection of the grammar you will find an actual TOEIC test. I do feel that the author’s analysis of Part 7, the reading comprehension section, is the stronger than his analysis of Parts 1-6. For Part 7, he provides a useful “question type chart” and realistic TOEIC-style reading passages. However, even here, there are problems: The reading passages are on the short side and there is an overabundance of chart-type passages. Overall, Barron’s How to Prepare for the TOEIC Test is not terrible, but mostly confusing and unenlightening. Buy this book if you want a lot of practice tests, but not as a way of giving you a full understanding of the construction of the TOEIC exam.

The attractive thing about "How to Prepare for the Toeic Test : Test of English for International Communication" is that it's good value for money. You get six full TOEIC practice tests, as well as some mini-tests, and a full coverage of every section of the test. Unlike some other reviewers, I found the explanation section quite good and well-detailed, but most of my students have complained about the ease of the practice tests in comparison to the real TOEIC test -- this does not have to be a big problem. I teach a TOEIC preparation program at Cambridge International College in Melbourne, Australia, and, as a result of my students' feedback, I now use this book during the first and part of the second week into the course to drill my students for harder tests. By the time the students have finished the six practice tests in this book, they are ready to move to harder tests that reflect more the level of difficulty in the real TOEIC test. Some of the answers at the back of the book have errors in them, but no so many that you should be too concerned. Overall, it's a great tool for low-level to intermediate TOEIC students, or advanced students who want to start low and build up from there with other text books. It is a great teacher's tool, but it might be a little difficult for some students if used as a self-teaching book.

I am an ESL teacher using this book with students in Japan. I most like the large number of sample questions, including several full-length tests and accompanying CD's. One problem, though, is that Loughheed's explanations are difficult for even my advanced-level non-native speakers to understand. However, they are very helpful to me as a teacher in explaining how to solve problems. What I do is review his explanations myself before class, then use them as a tool to help teach things to my students as they work through the sample problems. The test section does not include a table giving a model TOEIC score. I wrote the author about this, and he said a conversion chart would be included in the next edition. He also kindly sent me a conversion chart.
Overall, it was a useful book and I will continue using it with future students.