5 comments about The Writer's Toolbox: Creative Games and Exercises for Inspiring the 'Write' Side of Your Brain.

1. I'm an English teacher and a part-time, professional non-fiction writer. I walked past "The Writer's Toolbox" in a bookstore this past weekend, sniffed at the creative packaging, and muttered, "All fluff, but no substance, I'll bet!" And yet, I found myself going back to it. Finally, I bought the damned thing, hoping to scratch the itch.
   
   At home, I opened it, expecting buyer's remorse. No way!!! This kit is amazing. I plan to use it in the classroom next year, both during school hours with my writing students and after hours with my Writers Guild. I especially like the sample story -- in the directions -- that is essentially the result of the toolbox games.
   
   My favorite device? The non sequiter sticks. I plan on using them to help keep some of my non-fiction writing dynamic. Of course, I'll have to modify the items to my own research and reality, but that strikes me as half the fun.
   
   A very clever little box full of games, ideas, and methods for creative writing. Thanks!
   
   Scott Snair



2. The Writer's Toolbox is fun and engaging-- not only for me, but for our weekly writers' group! The group of six to eight of us come to the table with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. The Writer's Toolbox inspirational and fun exercises are relational and help us to jump 'write' in with our warm-ups! Thanks for sharing your fabulous ideas and instruction, Jamie!
   Tanja Moriarty, "Encouraging Words", Haddam, Connecticut.



3. This is truly a wonderful product! Simply put, the Writer's Toolbox is a necessity for every writer. Who among us has not been faced with a blank page at one point or another during our writing careers? The writing exercises in this package are perfect for moving beyond "I want to write" to "I am writing." In fact, it was a writing exercise from Jamie Cat Callan that inspired me to write my novel, due for completion in August 2008. Kudos to Ms. Callan for a brilliant creation!



4. Jamie has been one of my most inspiring writing mentors, and it looks like she literally "picked up" her classroom and placed it into this clever and eye-appealing keepsake! How ingenious that she put her creative teaching techniques INSIDE a box in order to motivate writers to think OUTSIDE of it. The only thing missing from this toolbox is a badge that says, "I am a writer," as the person who utilizes her time tested techniques will certainly be able to make this declaration after using it!



5. As a homeschooling parent with a high school age daughter, I bought The Writer's Toolbox to use as part of our writing program. After years of focusing on sentence structure and grammar rules, I was afraid I had completely destroyed my daughter's desire to write. Jamie's toolbox provided the breath of fresh air that our writing life needed. With just the right amount of instruction and loads of room for creativity, the exercises offered quickly restored to my daughter the joy of writing. When we break out the Tool Box, the spinners, cards, timers and sentence starting sticks have us feeling like we're playing a game. When learning and fun are synonymous, both teacher and student are winners. Thanks, Jamie for this great writing tool!

2 comments about Grammar of the Shot (Media Manuals).

1. This book is AMAZING.I'm a film student and i have to say i learned more from this book than the past three years in school.



2. This book, shall we say, 'cuts to the chase scene' of what to look for in a good shot.

   Rather than contain lots of useless trivia look so many other books on filmaking and editing ["here's what a movieola looks like...it was invented in 1272 by Sir Random Dingleberry...", etc.], this book describes in no uncertain terms what ABSOLUTELY MUST BE IN EACH AND EVERY SHOT -- so that the successful film-maker can build a story that flows smoothly. This book will help you to be artistic, but will also help you to avoid confusing your audience. A small book that is easily read in the space of an hour, the student or novice film-maker will find himself using it as a quick reference many times over. Highly recommended.

No comments about Still: Oceanscapes by Debra Bloomfield.

5 comments about The Art of Getting Over.

1. this book is a must for anyone who appreciates the art of the streets...and as a person who loves the east coast...i love how this books highlights a lot of espo's work



2. This book is on point! reading this took me back to that day and age of no worrys,no cares the only problem you had was where am i rackin' my next can of paint! Great book, and everything in it is 100% acurate!



3. Wow is one way to put it. I just loved this book. It has the the writers I have always admired like kad. Pictures are great. And its philadelhia!!!!!



4. RAZZ, KADISM and SUROC! You can read about New York writers in any book. Reading about these Philadelphia standouts is worth the price alone.



5. This book is the same old one-sided ranting found in most graffiti books. It only tells one side of the story; the selfishness of most graffiti writers to place their egos on city walls. It says nothing about how graffiti effects the people who live with it everyday in their neighborhoods. It also says nothing about how graffiti has fueled a multi-billion dollar abatement industry in the US alone. No voices are heard from the real thing that keeps graffiti alive; the intense effort by US city governments to eradicate it. This book only scratches the surface. If you want a book that gets much deep check out Michael Walsh's powerful book Graffito. It hits on everything I've mentioned here and is visually much more dynamic.

No comments about The New Photography Manual.

3 comments about Perfect Waves: The Endless Allure of the Ocean.

1. perfect waves: the endless allure of the ocean. i got this book as a christmas gift for my mom who loves the ocean. she (and i) thought the photos were magnificent. perfect book for viewing the perfect waves.



2. I bought this book for Cgristmas for my boyfriend who used to be an avid surfer. The photography is gorgeous. This book was passed around all Christmas morning.



3. My son, who's been surfing for 20+ years, was glued to this book when I showed him my library copy. He actually went through it cover to cover at one sitting. It explains the physics of waves in a way that non-surfing types can understand and shows the shapes of waves peculiar to certain sites that he instantly recognized -> lots of things for us to talk about. So, now I have my own copy and am getting one for him. The photographs are exquisite and give me ideas for the stained glass I make. I think it's a great book to give a surfer or surfer parent and it's great to put the beauty of waves on the coffee table, too.

5 comments about Dan Eldon: The Art of Life.

1. A more artistic interpretation of the traditionally print-driven journal, Dan Eldon's records are colorful and compelling.



2. This is a very moving and powerful book from someone who was so young. It documents a movement of change and how Dan Eldon could find beauty in the simplest of things. The imagery will stay with you long after you've put the book down.



3. I love this book. The story of Dan Eldon is one everyone should read. It will change your perception of the world and how you live your life.



4. I purchased both The Journey is the Destination and The Art of Life on the same day. Over the next two days, I rotated the books as I couldn't decide on which one to read first. Jennifer obviously dove deeply into Dan's life. The stories that are told from memories collected from Dan's closest friends and his family are engaging. There is no doubt that Dan left a mark on everyone he met. Even more incredible is that he continues to leave his mark on the lives of those who meet him through these books. His death may have been premature but he certainly didn't waste the short amount of time that he was given. He certainly deserves to be known as one of the twentieth centuries heroes.



5. It's a shame Kathy(his mother) never wrote this book.
   By far the most imtimate and well written part of this book was the last chapter that Kathy Eldon wrote.
   Obviously Jennifer New loves Dan's life like we all do but unfortuneatly she never met him and that glaringly stands out in the biography. There is way too much creative license here,the fact he is raised to almost sainthood can be squeemish at times.Jennifer's writing leaves a lot to be desired, but through the clumsy writing you can't helped but be inspired by the life of Dan Eldon.
   Dan is amazing!! His photos say more about him than any bunch of words can. 'The Journey is the destination" is a must have book!!
   Flip through that and I guarentee your life will be changed forever!

5 comments about One Hundred Seashells.

1. I LOVE this book!. It's a large, beautifully photographed coffee table book designed to delight the senses. I bought a second copy and framed six of the photographs for a spectacular wall display. If you love photography, seashells, or just a great coofee table book...this is a winner!!



2. I used this book as my sign in book at our wedding 2 weeks ago and everybody loved it. they loved so much that i have to order another one for a close friend who is opening a new restuarant and wants one for the table in the lounge. The rest. is beach house theme is go so well there. The photograpghs are so beatiful. thank you c.f. from ft.lauderdale



3. This is an absolutely gorgeous book. I learned of its existence at a beach wedding we attended recently where it was used as a Guest Book. People were expected to select a page and sign in on a shell with a big Sharpie pen. Naturally, when we celebrated our 25th Anniversary at the Yacht Club with a beach/shell/nautical theme last week, we used the book in the same way. People loved looking through the impressive photographs and it will be a beautiful memory maker for years to come!



4. I purchased this for my friend who has a condo on the water in Naples and it looks beautiful on her coffee table. Everyone who visits admires it. It's a very beautiful book and the perfect hostess gift. We really enjoy it!



5. Although this book has some compelling and beautiful photographs, they fall short of the high resolution photos we have all become used to. The photos (or perhaps the printing) lacks the clarity and detail that high-res photos (or printing) would have given.

1 comments about Picture Science: Using Digital Photography to Teach Young Children.

1. One of the most enjoyable and 'kid friendly' pastimes for young boys and girls is the taking of photographs. Digital photography technology is now so simple and easy to use that teachers, parents, and caregivers can use digital cameras as an educational tool to enhance any child's learning experience. "Picture Science: Using Digital Photography to Teach Young Children" by classroom teacher Carla Neumann-Hinds (Codrington School, St. John, Barbados) can be readily used to teach children from three to fourteen how use photography as an important part of their early childhood program, making each step in the process from posing questions, to gathering data, to showing findings, a fun and informative learning experience. After an informative introduction about digital photography and how to use "Picture Science" to best advantage, the thoroughly 'user friendly' and profusely illustrated text is divided into four chapters dedicated to collecting and analyzing data, demonstrating conclusions, making the process of inquiry visible, and creating documents. Of special note is the appendices of technical questions and answers. A unique contribution to public and private school classroom curriculums for young learners, "Picture Science" is highly recommended for home-schooling parents and community library Early Childhood Learning resource collections as well.

2 comments about Edward S. Curtis: The Great Warriors.

1. This is a beautifully photographed book by a photographer with obvious reverence for the American Indian.



2. The author, Hans Christian Adam, is clearly an admirer of his subject, Edward S. Curtis. Curtis, who lived from 1868-1952, devoted his life to photographing the American Indian. In this book, Adam has included 172 pages of Curtis' most impressive photos along with 15 pages of text and a paragraph by Theodore Roosevelt on Curtis. Adam gives a clear picture of Curtis as a man as well as a photographer. In his photos, Curtis shows the life,customs,history,legends and religion of the Indians. To quote Adam: "Curtis wanted to make up for the injustices that members of his race had inflicted on the Indians". The high quality, large format, sepia photos are magical and leave a lasting impression on the viewer. The best part of the book is the photos. The only thing I do not like about the book is that the text is in English, German and French. This takes up space, but it does not detract from the photos and text. This book will make the reader want to see more photos by Curtis.