Escape from Evil Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In our dark time, where ethno-nationalism and militant fundamentalism have lead to hatred and genocide, we are all what Robert J. Lifton calls "survivors (p. 235, Lifton, R. J. "The Future of Immortality", Basic Books, Inc., Publisher, New York, NY, 1987.)." As "survivors" we cannot help but search for an explanation of the violence and destruction that have plagued our century. In his book "Escape from Evil", Ernest Becker proposes a very convincing, and often harrowing, explanation of this destruction. He writes,
"Since men must now hold for dear life onto the self-transcending meanings of the society in which they live, onto the immortality symbols which guarentee them indefinite duration of some kind, a new kind of instability and anxiety are created. And this anxiety is precisely what spills over into the affairs of men. In seeking to avoid evil, man is responsible for bringing more evil into the world than organisms could ever do merely by excercising their digestive tracts. It is man's ingenuity, rather than his animal nature, that has given his fellow creatures such a bitter earthly fate (pg. 5, Becker)."
From this point, Becker attempts to define how man's ingenuity, hopes, and desires have lead to an incredible amount of trouble in the world. Becker is at once cultural analysist, religious scholar, and social psychologist. "Escape from Evil" is an amazing inquiry, exploring the frightening needs of diverse social groups, looking into the deep inner fears of man, explaining Hitler and the origin of guilt, delving into the meaning of culture and the origins of inequality. These are not small subjects and they will challenge the ideas of any reader.
His writing is precise and he integrates important thinkers into his work with the greatest of ease. Ernest Becker is a must read, and "Escape from Evil" is a good place to start. It will deconstruct the mind and then rebuild it again, leaving the reader feeling both enlightened and confused.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Escape from Evil

Click here for more information about Escape from Evil

Read More...

Sevcik Violin Studies - Opus 1, Part 1: School of Violin Technique (Music Sales America) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book is extremely helpful with my learning the violin. I love it. It arrived quickly and in perfect shape.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sevcik Violin Studies - Opus 1, Part 1: School of Violin Technique (Music Sales America)

Since 1901, Otakar Sevcik's works have formed the basis of many schools of string playing around the world. Thousands of players continue to find Sevcik an invaluable aid to technical development. In practicing Sevcik, as in playing scales, etudes, or pieces there are always four main headings to consider: purity of intonation, evenness of tone, exactness of rhythm and physical freedom and ease. Opus 1 Part 1 focuses on exercises in the first position.

Click here for more information about Sevcik Violin Studies - Opus 1, Part 1: School of Violin Technique (Music Sales America)

Read More...

Alfred's Basic Guitar Method - Complete (Book & CD's) (Alfred's Basic Guitar Library) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Follow this Method! "Alfred's Basic Guitar Method" is a system to make you a real musician. Its' exercises, music and theory leads you naturally and comfortably to deeper levels of musicianship and enjoyment. That must be why this book has been so popular for over 50 years. It has also been updated to include more current tunes.

Want to teach yourself? This Method combines physical and mental exercises with the fun of music-making as the goal:
Physically: It starts with illustrations of good guitar-playing posture, seated and standing. Also shown are correct hand and finger shapes and arm positions. The exercises are comfortably paced making learning enjoyable. You locate notes, one-at-a-time on one string-at-a-time while the hands and fingers are gradually strengthened and made flexible. Soon you will be using finger positions or "pattern shapes" on the fret board to build chords as the strings are learned. Your "mini-athlete" hand and finger muscles are gradually strengthened and flexed for stamina, agility and building "muscle memory."
Mentally: Standard music notation, dynamics (tempo, rhythm, loudness, etc.) and theory are taught in the book. These subjects are revealed and explained as you progress through the exercises. The same is true of chord-building as notes on the various strings are learned and played together. Without realizing it, music understanding and techniques are progressively learned by completing the exercises and playing the enjoyable tunes. Oh, by the way, the material is presented clearly with lots of "white space" so it's easy to overlook very important information. Be sure to really study each page and not just the exercise before moving on. Suddenly you are reading and understanding music!
A word about chords. Many people start by learning full guitar chords by rote. To a beginner they are painful and awkward finger patterns on the fretboard, without gaining a real understanding of the note relationships. Also, many guitar books separate the teaching of standard notation from teaching chords. As you can see from what has been said above, this Method presents a more gradual and integrated system. Muscles are allowed to adapt and the mind to "see" the logic in the note arrangements.
There is a payoff! Building chords from notes as they are being learned enables you to play fully accompanied tunes on the guitar. This is the full sound one hears on a piano, also a self-accompanying instrument.
Take this musical journey and have fun!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Alfred's Basic Guitar Method - Complete (Book & CD's) (Alfred's Basic Guitar Library)

Book & CD's. Recognized for over 50 years as the best-paced and most comprehensive guitar method available, Alfred's Basic Guitar Method has introduced over 3 million beginners to the joy of playing guitar. This updated and expanded edition features a new layout, making it easier to read and quicker to learn. Now included are blues, country, folk, jazz, and rock music styles, plus more pop songs!Learning to play has never been easier or more fun than with Alfred s Basic Guitar Method the first and best choice for today s beginning guitar students. This book combines all of the essential instructional material from Books 1, 2 and 3 of Alfred's Basic Guitar Method and is a complete course.Written in standard notation, it guides guitarists through the basics of playing the guitar using rock, blues, country and folk music. In addition, techniques such as bending, sliding, hammer-on and pull-off are included.

Click here for more information about Alfred's Basic Guitar Method - Complete (Book & CD's) (Alfred's Basic Guitar Library)

Read More...

Alfred's Basic Piano Library: Prep Course Lesson Book Level B Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My son has started playing the piano just 3 weeks ago.. When I was young, the piano book was hard and difficult but this book is easy. My son really enjoys palying the piano by himself..^^
I am satisfied this book.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Alfred's Basic Piano Library: Prep Course Lesson Book Level B

Alfred's Basic Prep Course, Levels A through F, was written to answer a demand for a course of piano study designed specifically for students who are five years old and up. This course offers a careful introduction of fundamentals, music that fits comfortably under the young student's normal hand span, plus constant reinforcement--all leading to results beyond those generated by other piano methods. After Lesson Book B, the student may progress to Prep Course, Lesson Book C or choose to go directly into the faster pacedLevel 1B of Alfred's Basic Piano Library. The complete Prep Course consists of six books (Levels A through F).

Click here for more information about Alfred's Basic Piano Library: Prep Course Lesson Book Level B

Read More...

First LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Oh how I WISH I had this book three years ago when I started my team. It covers just about everything you need to know about starting and keeping a First LEGO League team. From basic teamwork strategies to building and programming tips and tricks, this book has it all. It is the perfect compliment to the official coach's guide provided by FLL. It's informative and easy to read without being either dumbed-down or over your head.
I highly recommend this book and I'm going to keep my copy table-side every season. Thanks James and Jonathan for putting together such a great resource!

Click Here to see more reviews about: First LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide


FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is an international program for kids ages 9 to 14 that combines a hands-on, interactive robotics program and research presentation with a sports-like atmosphere. Authors James Floyd Kelly and Jonathan Daudelin-both participants in numerous FIRST LEGO League competitions-have teamed up to bring coaches, teachers, parents, and students an all-in-one guide to FLL.

Written for both rookie and experienced teams, FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide includes in-depth coverage of topics like team formation and organization, robot building and programming, and the basics of getting involved with FLL. Before the authors delve into the specifics of robot and team building, they reveal the fascinating history of the FIRST organization and the sometimes puzzling structure of the FLL competition. Using a combination of real-life stories and candid commentary from actual FLL teams, as well as recollections of their own experiences, they offer an abundance of helpful guidance and dependable building and programming examples.

FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide explores the complex workings and structure of the FLL competition, including its four key components: Robot Game, Technical Interview, Project, and Teamwork. You'll learn how to:

Organize, recruit, and manage a team
Find equipment, mentors, and funding
Design, build, and program winning robots
Tackle each of the four FLL components-from Robot Game to Teamwork
Use strategies and techniques from FLL masters to increase your scores

No matter what your role in the FLL competition, FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide will make you a better competitor, builder, designer, and team member. The only ingredient you need to add is your competitive spirit!

Click here for more information about First LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide

Read More...

Michael Aaron Piano Course: Lessons Grade 1 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm an adult piano student, who started learning with some basic knowledge already under my belt (How to read some notes, how to count time, what sharps and flats are). I found this book the perfect beginning point. Each song challenges me and teaches me new principles. After playing the songs in this book, I find the songs in other lesson books easy to play from sight. Students might also want to pick up an easier book to play for fun and relaxation, as every song in this book will challenge your abilities.
A few notes:
* I would not recommend this book to someone who is starting with no knowledge whatsoever. The Michael Aaron Primer might be more appropriate, though I haven't tried it.
* I would not recommend this book to someone trying to teach themselves. The book is intended for use with a teacher who can explain some of the techniques. (You should be learning from a teacher anyway. I don't recommend teaching yourself piano; you'll learn to do many things wrong.)
* Anyone using this book should also be using the Performance, Technic, and Theory books for your grade level.
Finally, I have deducted one star for the following reasons:
* Some of the fingerings they recommend are funky. My teacher has had to recommend better fingerings several times, with great results.
* The layout and graphics are very outdated, including a potentially offensive drawing to go with the song "Chopstick Revels".

Click Here to see more reviews about: Michael Aaron Piano Course: Lessons Grade 1

The Michael Aaron Piano Course Lesson books have been completely re-engraved, expanded (adding more definitions of musical terms and more musical pieces), updated (with modernized artwork), and re-edited (with less emphasis on fingerings and more on note-reading).

Click here for more information about Michael Aaron Piano Course: Lessons Grade 1

Read More...

Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, Seventh Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I teach crime scene techniques to police officers and this book is a mainstay for that instruction. This is the first text book a new CSI should read. If you are an old hand in crime scene you will still learn from Barry Fisher. This is not an old dry text book. Each chapter has real cases for reference. I found the book to be very interesting and it is required reading for all new CSIs in my agency (Tarrant Co. Sheriff's Office, Ft. Worth Texas). This is also one of the required reading texts for the level one crime scene certification examination of the International Association for Identification.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, Seventh Edition

This latest edition of Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation examines concepts, field-tested techniques and procedures, and technical information concerning crime scene investigation. It has been widely adopted by police academies, community colleges, and universities and is recommended for preparation for certification exams. Written in an easy-to-read style, this comprehensive text offers up-to-date technical expertise that the author has developed over many years in law enforcement. Includes check-off lists, case studies, and 16 pages of full-color illustrated photos. Also included is an appendix on equipment for crime scene investigations.

Click here for more information about Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, Seventh Edition

Read More...