The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book

Amazon.com Reviews

"In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf." So begins Eric Carle's modern classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. More than 12 million copies of this book have been sold in its original, full-sized edition, and the beloved tale of science and gluttony has been translated into 20 languages. This five-by-four-inch miniature edition is truly tiny, with tiny type, but it is a nice size for small hands to hold and flip through the pictures. Despite its diminished state, the book is complete in every detail, following the ravenous caterpillar's path as he eats his way through one apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage--until he is really fat and has a stomachache. And no doubt you know what happens next! Kids love butterfly metamorphosis stories, and this popular favorite teaches counting and the days of the week, too. A fun gift package for caterpillar fans. (Baby to preschool) --Karin Snelson

Customer Reviews:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book.......2007-10-18

I bought this book for my 20 month old grandson, and he loves it. When we read it, we put his index finger in each hole of the food that the caterpillar eats. He seems to enjoy it more when he can participate in part of it. Usually by the time we get thru all the food that the caterpillar eats, instead of being excited about the beautiful picture of the butterfly, he is ready to go on to the next book. This book is perfect in every way for his age.The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book

Childrens Book.......2007-10-17

Great book to read children teaching them the life cycle of the caterpillar. Beautiful illustrations. Is a favourite with my children.

Shipment Delay.......2007-10-09

The book was in excellent condition, but we did not receive it until at least a week after all the other items we had ordered were received. They were all going to be mailed to our grandson, so it was a little frustrating to have to wait on this one item.

Best of Eric Carle.......2007-09-15

This is one of Carle's best books (along with Brown Bear, Brown Bear). It teaches counting to 5, the days of the week, and how caterpillars become butterflies. The illustrations are, of course, stunning. My daughter has enjoyed this book since she was about 8 months old.

love it.......2007-09-09

My baby loves this book. It's an easy read. I read it to my 3 month old, who loves it. It has little holes where the caterpillar chews through the book.

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (I Can Read It All by Myself Beginner Books)

Average customer rating:

Another classic Dr Seuss book
These fish become swans
Of course it's great!
Five stars for One Fish
Fish and Things

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (I Can Read It All by Myself Beginner Books)
Dr. Seuss , and Theodor Seuss Geisel
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394800133
Release Date: 1960-03-12

Product Description

Description coming soon...

Amazon.com

"Did you ever fly a kite in bed? Did you ever walk with ten cats on your head?" Such are the profound, philosophical queries posed in this well-loved classic by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. While many rhymes in this couplet collection resemble sphinx-worthy riddles, Seuss's intention is clear: teach children to read in a way that is both entertaining and educational. It matters little that each wonderful vignette has nothing to do with the one that follows. (We move seamlessly from a one-humped Wump and Mister Gump to yellow pets called the Zeds with one hair upon their heads.) Children today will be as entranced by these ridiculous rhymes as they have been since the book's original publication in 1960--so amused and enchanted, in fact, they may not even notice they are learning to read! (Ages 4 to 8)

Customer Reviews:

Another classic Dr Seuss book.......2007-07-20

Although its not as great as The Cat in the Hat, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish is certainly one of my children's favorites, and they especially love trying to read some of the rhymes outloud. Certainly a great choice for a book for your young ones.

These fish become swans.......2007-07-12

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss gives young children an excellent way to start reading independently. The book helps children learn to count to eleven and it increases their vocabulary as you read it along with them the first few times. Young children just learning to read will be able to read this book as one of their first books that they can read by themselves; and the cute illustrations will delight children and even adults everywhere.

The book's plot is not entirely deep--nor should it be for this exceptionally young, tender age group. The book helps kids to learn how to count to eleven and recognize the words for those numbers; it also uses pictures to introduce words for basic colors including red, blue, black, yellow and pink. Children also explore the concepts of old and new; fast and slow; high and low; thin and fat as well as here and there. Excellent! The book also introduces the telephone and how two people can communicate by phone. Your child will love that--they'll think that the phone is a toy!

The book is nicely bound and the strength of the hardcover binding makes the book tolerate the bending and occasional carelessness of a young child who is learning to read partly by using this book. Great!

I highly recommend One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish for younger kids who are just learning to read. This book will increase their vocabulary by introducing words, comparisons and pictures. The child also gets a heightened awareness of the world around them; and the adorable illustrations will delight children everywhere.

Great job, Dr. Seuss!

Of course it's great!.......2007-06-08

Who can say anything bad about One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish!?!?!!

Five stars for One Fish.......2007-06-02

This is one of our favorite Seuss creations, along with Fox In Socks. My son lvoes to finish every sentence for us. We love this book and the funny creatures in it! ("From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!"

Fish and Things.......2007-04-10

You will have fun reading this tongue twister with your child. With funny made up animals (things) and verse that can twist the tongue of the most experienced reader.
What is the story about? Nothing really, just a bunch of nonsense that makes Dr. Seuss as fun as ever

Average customer rating:

Wow...that was fast.
Nice book for beginners
Not impressed
Excellent Book.
Terrible accounting text

Accounting: What the Numbers Mean
David Marshall , Wayne William McManus , and Daniel Viele
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0073011215

Book Description

Accounting: What the Numbers Mean is written for non-accounting students who nevertheless need to understand accounting in order to effectively participate in planning, control, and decision-making. Students learn the basics, from what accounting information is to how managers use it. Marshall's simple, step-by-step approach has made it the leading text in the Survey market. The seventh edition includes new content updates, improved organization, great technology tools, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Wow...that was fast........2007-10-02

Let's just say i was registered for a class on Friday that started on Monday and I got my book on Tuesday without paying an arm and a leg for expedited delivery. I'm really thankful for AMAZON :)

Nice book for beginners.......2007-10-01

This book helped me to understand accounting in a simpler way though my background is engineering. Nice examples and explanations are written in simpler language that everybody can understand.

Not impressed.......2007-09-29

I was not impressed with this book. I found it long-winded and text-y. I was expecting an Accounting-for-non-accountants approach but I couldn't have been more wrong. The more I read this book, the more I wanted to buy another book-- Accounting for Dummies. Thank God for my instructor's supplementary materials for without those, I would truly be lost. Her presentations provide more concise, to-the-point information.

If you are a non-accountant like me and you wish to understand accounting by your own terms, this is definitely not the book for you. Their exercises don't even have quick and available answers.

Excellent Book........2007-09-06

I scored an A in this subject due to the good quality of the book.

Terrible accounting text.......2007-02-26

The textbook is just poorly organized and doesn't begin to prepare you to solve the problems that are given at the end of each chapter. While it defines terms well it also leaves out explanations for most practical applications that are tested for in the problems. There is no way to check your actual work, since even the homework manager only provides solutions and not a detailed methodology as to how the answers were arrived at. It is amazing that this has survived to 7 editions without someone organizing the chapters and the material in some more organized fashion. Unrelated concepts are thrown in at the end of chapters with little explanation. If you want to learn accounting terminology this book is okay. If you want to learn how journal entries are actually recorded line by line look somewhere else. The explanation of debits and credits is perfunctory. This is not written as an entry level accounting text for non accountants.

Average customer rating:

KCS Number the Stars
Wonderful story for old and young alike!
A Simple but Moving Story
A teacher told me about this book.
great book!!

Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440227534
Release Date: 1998-02-09

Amazon.com

The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a small flotilla to herd 7,000 Jews to Sweden. Lois Lowry fictionalizes a true-story account to bring this courageous tale to life. She brings the experience to life through the eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, whose family harbors her best friend, Ellen Rosen, on the eve of the round-up and helps smuggles Ellen's family out of the country. Number the Stars won the 1990 Newbery Medal.

Book Description

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.

Customer Reviews:

KCS Number the Stars.......2007-10-11

Have you ever feared of being prisoners and your parents were staying in a place you don't know, you would be staying in your friends apartment for a while and this would all be happening because of your religion. This book takes place in a town called Copenhagen during World War 2 in the year 1943. The main character is Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen (who they are hiding from the Nazi soldiers). Annemarie has short blond hair and Ellen who has dark black hair.

The problem that they faced in the book was that the Nazi soldiers were coming after all Jewish people. They got the list of all the Jewish people and where they lived by getting the list of all the Jews at the synagogue. So Rosen's parents have to go somewhere and hide but they do not want to leave Rosen alone so they take her to stay with Annemarie's family.

The main idea of this book is to never give up in yourself and in others and also to have courage. The plot summary of the book is that Rosen and the other Jews will be in danger because the Nazis are trying to capture them and take them somewhere no one knows where it is but they are calling it "relocation". The meaning of the title "Number the Stars" is how the Nazis are trying to gather up all the Jewish people to put them in a camp, so they call it that because the Jewish symbol is the Star of David the Nazis are trying to gather them and count them up so they are numbering the people that are Jewish.

The pacing of the book was very fast and exciting with everything they did, it seemed like they were never left with nothing to do. The authors craft is a sad but happy style to it and it pulls you in so you want to keep reading more. It doesn't say if Annemarie's family is Christian so I don't know if it is written from a Christian perspective. The genre of the book is Historical because I know that World War 2 did actually happen but I don't know if Annemarie was a real person so it might be Historical Fiction. Over all I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to people ages 10-12 because it was fairly easy for me.

Wonderful story for old and young alike!.......2007-10-09

I really enjoyed "Number the Stars" not only because it was a great story, but it was also educational. I have to admit that I have been ignorant to the effect WW2 had on Denmark, until I read this book. I have heard and read so much about the other European countries, but I have hardly heard a thing about Denmark. Thus, I liked how the author weaved in the reasons for Denmark not fighting the Germans, and how the king of Denmark remained uncontrolled during the occupation. I also enjoyed learning little facts about the Danish Resistance.

As far as the fictional side of the book, I found it to be an easy read that young and old alike could enjoy. Lowry has such a good imagination, that you can't help but be captured by the characters bravery and courage. At times when reading this book, I asked myself if I could have made the same courageous choices.

A Simple but Moving Story.......2007-10-09

This is a moving story ~~ written simply for the younger audience and it's perfect for all ages who want to remember the lost and the forgotten of World War II. This is a simple story of "What Should You Do?" in times like this ~~ where the Jews are forced underground or to leave their homes. This is a story of a young girl who delivered a life-saving package to her uncle who was about to be boarded on his fishing boat by the Germans. He was smuggling his niece's friends and other people to Sweden.

It is a simple story ~~ there are other stories out there that are better written and more well-rounded but this is a perfect start for young kids who want to learn more about history. It's written beautifully and simplistically and yet realistically. It is a story of courage and defiance and strength even in moments of sheer terror. It is a story that honors the old commandent: "Thou Shall Love Thy Neighbors."

It is a must-read for all serious readers.

10-9-07

A teacher told me about this book........2007-09-24

I really enjoyed the book. I went on a trip to Washington D.C. and visited the Holocaust Museum. Since then I have been interested in WWII and mostly the Holocaust. A teacher told me about this book. I read the book very quickly, it was so interesting. My mom liked it too, and read with me. I'm reading it again!

great book!!.......2007-07-12

My granddaughter,11, read this on our vacation, and she told me she absolutely loved it!

The Number : A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life

Average customer rating:

The Number
Waste of money
More like 3.5 stars...
Write a Book, Make Your Number
Philosophical guide to saving for retirement

The Number : A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life
Lee Eisenberg
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743270312
Release Date: 2006-01-03

Book Description

Do you know your Number?
What happens if you don't make it to your Number?
Do you have a plan?

The often-avoided, anxiety-riddled discussion about financial planning for a secure and fulfilling future has been given a new starting point in The Number by Lee Eisenberg. The buzz of professionals and financial industry insiders everywhere, the Number represents the amount of money and resources people will need to enjoy the active life they desire, especially post-career. Backed by imaginative reporting and insights, Eisenberg urges people to assume control and responsibility for their standard of living, and take greater aim on their long-term aspirations.

In 1999, Eisenberg was in the midst of downshifting from having served as the Editor-in-Chief of Esquire and other high profile positions. He was "half-in, half-out of the workplace" with an enviable consulting position at Time, Inc., and a family comfortably settled in the suburbs. That's when he received an unexpected offer from the Wisconsin-based Lands' End which, in the end, he couldn't resist. It meant uprooting his family and moving to the rural heartland, and taking on the challenges of an entirely new way of life. Before the move, he admits, "I was worried about the Number." Once in Wisconsin, Eisenberg confesses that the "Number was leading us around by our noses."

From Wall Street to Main Street USA, The Number means different things to different people. It is constantly fluctuating in people's minds and bank accounts. To some, the Number symbolizes freedom, validation of career success, the ticket to luxurious indulgences and spiritual exploration; to others, it represents the bewildering and nonsensical nightmare of an impoverished existence creeping up on them in their old age, a seemingly hopeless inevitability that they would rather simply ignore than confront. People are highly private and closed-mouthed when it comes to discussing their Numbers, or lack thereof, for fear they might either reveal too much or display ineptitude.

In The Number, Eisenberg describes this secret anxiety as the "Last Taboo," a conundrum snared in confusing financial lingo. He sorts through the fancy jargon and translates the Number into commonsense advice that resonates just as easily with the aging gods and goddesses of corporate boardrooms as it does with ordinary people who are beginning to realize that retirement is now just a couple of decades away. Believing that the Number is as much about self-worth as it is net worth, Eisenberg strives to help readers better understand and more efficiently manage all aspects of their life, money, and pursuit of happiness.

* According to Eisenberg, "Number chasers" fall into four personality types:

--"Procrastinators" enter their forties and fifties ensconced in a cloud of avoidance and denial about the years ahead of them, or simply do not understand investing in their futures.
--"Pluckers" often lazily or arrogantly pull ephemeral, albeit specific, Numbers from thin air with little attention to developing a realistic and coherent plan to achieve their goals.
--"Plotters" crunch every practical aspect of their financial history, hoping to cement their Number in black and white, even at the expense of not having fun and leisure.
--"Probers" visualize their Numbers not as an end but as the means to pursuing dreams and passions, and completing inner and outer journeys to self-fulfillment.

* The current "Debt Warp" is the "silent Number killer that afflicts young and old" that has been brought on by our "whip-it-out credit-card culture."

* The "Lost Years" describes a person's 20s, 30s, and 40s wherein sensible financial foundation-building bows to oblivious and careless spending, and the tug-of-war dichotomy between the "old Rest of Your Life" and the "new Rest of Your Life."

* A surprise "Lifestyle Relapse" attack around retirement age can be induced by debt, aging, long term care, and self-absorption. Living longer and spending more, people will eventually experience dire consequences in response to the debt-drenched, expense account-driven lifestyles to which they have grown accustomed.

* The six tenets of the "Eisenberg Uncertainty Principles" outline the dubious state of living in a carpe diem-addicted, indebted culture with little financial guidance or responsibility.

* "Downshifting" is an important skill one needs to know how to do in the expanse between leaving a career and before death in order to maintain financial stability and a happy life.

Eisenberg's book is not an investment guide, but rather something wholly original: a revealing look behind our most common financial and emotional conflicts and how we can begin to get a grip on them. Eisenberg gives each reader a unique and unprecedented tool with which to virtually craft his or her future. This encompassing book is a priceless, step-by-step prelude to initiating, or continuing, discussions with a qualified financial advisor. The bottom line for The Number is that Eisenberg offers each reader a fresh and promising beginning to the rest of his or her life.

Download Description

"Do you know your Number? What happens if you don't make it to your Number? Do you have a plan? The often-avoided, anxiety-riddled discussion about financial planning for a secure and fulfilling future has been given a new starting point in The Number by Lee Eisenberg. The buzz of professionals and financial industry insiders everywhere, the Number represents the amount of money and resources people will need to enjoy the active life they desire, especially post-career. Backed by imaginative reporting and insights, Eisenberg urges people to assume control and responsibility for their standard of living, and take greater aim on their long-term aspirations.

Customer Reviews:

The Number.......2007-10-08

I have read many books about planning for retirement and investing. I enjoyed this book immensely. I see that many reviewers were somewhat disappointed with the book. Since I am from the era of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance this book was right up my alley. We all are out there (or should be out there) chasing the number, but as with Zen there is a much bigger picture you must look at then just the number. My wife and I have had several conversations because of this book. As Mr. Eisenberg says in his book you can get a number with only a few taps of a calculator, but what you want to do with the rest of you life is a much deeper consideration. We feel that we are in a much better place to move forward with the rest of our life. Bravo Mr. Eisenberg!

Waste of money.......2007-08-26

Why can't we give "0 stars"? No insightful content. Self-important name-dropping. I felt cheated out of my $20+ for a book saying, "Retirement is about more than money."

More like 3.5 stars..........2007-08-09

A reader's perspective on this book will probably vary a lot based on their individual experience and knowledge. For some it may be eye-opening, for others it may be more like "tell me something I don't know".

It is a fast read, and full of interesting factoids. The history of how people have looked (or not looked) at their retirement plans (actual drawdown and spend, as opposed to micromanaging their 401ks) was interesting.

Pros:
- easy to read, light humored.
- Interesting stats, and good references to experts in the field
- Nice thumbnail sketches of types of individuals and their exposures to risk
- has some interesting frameworks. For example, think about your retirements spending as being equal to 4% of your intended nest egg. If you need more than 4% in retirement, you may need to save more to get your Number up.

Cons:
- may be too basic for someone who has done analysis for their actual long term planning. It should also come as no surprise that the current generation has their own accountability to save for retirement (not the government or your employeer).
- can be alarmist for people...i.e. Guess what, you could be in trouble. And even worse, you can't necessarily trust people who say they are 'experts'.
- middle section of the book drags a bit compared to intro, I thought.

In summary, if you have thought about retirement, but haven't yet really done some detailed planning, this book can be an enabler for how to think about plans. It won't solve your problems, but it will highlight the considerations you should be making.

I tend to believe that people get scared of the complexities in financial planning, when in fact, several basic principles can be applied to help an individual along a reasonably healthy path. The internet provides a lot of resources to do this, but there probably needs to be a better standard primer out there.

Write a Book, Make Your Number.......2007-08-01

Ugh.

I did something I rarely do, I picked up a book on a whim at an airport. I fell for the cover title, and I was interested to read another person's perspective on reaching the ultimate personal annuity goal - a self-perpetuating nest egg.

My primary objection is that - though this is a book clearly marketed to the masses - Eisenberg's primary focus appears to be on a close circle of friends who are multi-millionares (and yet, still seem unsure whether they've accumulated enough money). Hence in terms of focus, the book is frequently off-base.

A second objection is the writing style. Perhaps this can be expected from a journalist/editor, but I often found myself rolling my eyes at fluffy filler which largely served to distract from the content-at-hand. "... [ten commandments] etched onto an I-can't-believe-it's-not-stone Corian tablet", and "... slightly better than a snowflake's chance in the Sonoran Desert", for example. It's a book - no need to fill the column, Lee.

My third primary objection is the wide employment of statistics without backing references. It can be excused that most of the material was repetitious for me, but figures without references should raise suspicion.

On the positive side, the book was an easy read, entertaining on occasion, and may spur a few people to think harder about their investment situation. But there are far better resources out there.

For practical investing, I very much recommend Burton Malkiel's "Random Walk Down Wall Street", and Benjamin Graham's "The Intelligent Investor".

In summary, with my purchase, Lee is one royalty check closer to making his Number.

Philosophical guide to saving for retirement.......2007-05-30

Great read by somebody not in the financial industry. He is a journalist and editor, so the book is thoroughly researched. He is funny as heck, so, the book will keep you entertained as you read. While is he not a financial specialist, he really knows the business well. He helps you understand the business so that when you deal with the wall street guys and insurance guys, you will be a smarter and more informed client. It's a great wakeup call for anybody in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, who are approaching retirement and need sound guidance on what to do and how to figure out the right path. Most importantly, it's a good test for your own values, so you can figure out for yourself what is important to you and how to spend the rest of your life. So, it deals not only with money, retirement, and investing, but also with how you invest your time - or the amount of time you have left here on earth. Very well done, give it to somebody you care about or somebody who needs financial direction for retirement, saving, life insurance, etc.

AMA HCPCS 2007: Level II (HCPCS - LEVEL II CODES (AMA VERSION))

Average customer rating:

Good Old HCPC's

AMA HCPCS 2007: Level II (HCPCS - LEVEL II CODES (AMA VERSION))
AMA
Manufacturer: American Medical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1579478085

Book Description

Your guide to Medicare's National Level II codes! Organized for efficiency and accuracy, with enhanced icons, detailed illustrations, quick-flip color tabs and dictionary-style headings. Additional features include:

-All HCPCS 2007 codes, modifiers and deleted codes - Includes the most up-to-date information found in the HCPCS, MPFS and OPPS files

-DMEPOS icon alerts - Feel confident and save time by knowing exactly what supplies should be submitted under the DMEPOS to your durable medical payer

-Age and sex edit icons - Handy alerts aid in assigning appropriate codes based on age and sex

-AHA's Coding Clinic for HCPCS - Helpful references to aid in difficult coding scenarios

-APC status indicators - Aids in learning which codes are payable under OPPS

-ASC designation symbols - Know which codes can be billed using ASC groupings

-National Coverage Manual references and excerpts

-Expanded table of drugs

Customer Reviews:

Good Old HCPC's.......2007-02-08

The book was just as described, arrived on time and in perfect condition!

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1)

Average customer rating:

A wonderful series - but start in the middle
A Classic
A Kid's Review
Blah
simple, fresh and enjoyable..

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1)
Alexander McCall Smith
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1400034779
Release Date: 2003-02-06

Amazon.com

Penzler Pick, July 2001: Working in a mystery tradition that will cause genre aficionados to think of such classic sleuths as Melville Davisson Post's Uncle Abner or Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee, Alexander McCall Smith creates an African detective, Precious Ramotswe, who's their full-fledged heir.

It's the detective as folk hero, solving crimes through an innate, self-possessed wisdom that, combined with an understanding of human nature, invariably penetrates into the heart of a puzzle. If Miss Marple were fat and jolly and lived in Botswana--and decided to go against any conventional notion of what an unmarried woman should do, spending the money she got from selling her late father's cattle to set up a Ladies' Detective Agency--then you have an idea of how Precious sets herself up as her country's first female detective. Once the clients start showing up on her doorstep, Precious enjoys a pleasingly successful series of cases.

But the edge of the Kalahari is not St. Mary Mead, and the sign Precious orders, painted in brilliant colors, is anything but discreet. Pointing in the direction of the small building she had purchased to house her new business, it reads "THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY. FOR ALL CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS AND ENQUIRIES. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED FOR ALL PARTIES. UNDER PERSONAL MANAGEMENT."

The solutions she comes up with, whether in the case of the clinic doctor with two quite different personalities (depending on the day of the week), or the man who had joined a Christian sect and seemingly vanished, or the kidnapped boy whose bones may or may not be those in a witch doctor's magic kit, are all sensible, logical, and satisfying. Smith's gently ironic tone is full of good humor towards his lively, intelligent heroine and towards her fellow Africans, who live their lives with dignity and with cautious acceptance of the confusions to which the world submits them. Precious Ramotswe is a remarkable creation, and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency well deserves the praise it received from London's Times Literary Supplement. I look forward with great eagerness to the upcoming books featuring the memorable Miss Ramotswe, Tears of the Giraffe and Morality for Beautiful Girls, soon to be available in the U.S. --Otto Penzler

Book Description

This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s widely acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to “help people with problems in their lives.” Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency received two Booker Judges’ Special Recommendations and was voted one of the International Books of the Year and the Millennium by the Times Literary Supplement.

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This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s widely acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to “help people with problems in their lives.” Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency received two Booker Judges’ Special Recommendations and was voted one of the International Books of the Year and the Millennium by the Times Literary Supplement.

“The Miss Marple of Botswana.”
   THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

“The author’s prose has the merits of simplicity, euphony and precision. His descriptions leave one as if standing in the Botswana landscape. This is art that conceals art. I haven’t read anything with such unalloyed pleasure for a long time.”
   ANTHONY DANIELS, THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

“The writing [is] very accessible, yet the prose so beautiful.... I choose books that give me pure joy, whose world I want to stay in for a long time.”
    AMY TAN, FOR THE TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB

“General audiences will welcome this little gem of a book just as much if not more than mystery readers.”
   PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Smart and sassy...Precious’s progress is charted in passages that have the power to amuse or shock or touch the heart, sometimes all at once.... Thoroughly engaging and entertaining.”
   THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

“One of the best, most charming, honest, hilarious and life-affirming books to appear in years.”
   THE PLAIN DEALER (CLEVELAND)

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful series - but start in the middle.......2007-10-19

I've enjoyed every book in this series set in Botswana - but I must say that this book, the first, is not the strongest or in my opinon the best place to start. I would instead recommend "Morality for Beautiful Girls", number 3 in the series, or "The Kalahari Typing School for Men," number 4. But wherever you start, it's hard not to like these wonderful books.

A Classic.......2007-10-16

What a superb book and series! To categorize this book as a mystery or a detective novel is a misguided attempt at characterizing this novel far too narrowly. Sure, there are little stories within the book which are "mysteries" but these are merely the background, along with Botswana, on which the larger story is told. Indeed, those readers who read The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series seeking a detective story may be disappointed, but they will at least have had the literary content of their typical reading raised.
This book also isn't "simple" as some have suggested either. The subleties of human strength and human frailty , honesty and duplicity, love and selfishness, generosity and greed are worked out in the lives Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J L B Matekoni and their clients and friends and offer a far more profoundly insightful glimpse of human relationships than any complex plot twisting thriller. The characters are beautifully drawn, warts and all, and they draw the reader into their world and make the reader feel that they too are there with Mma Ramotswe, drinking red bush tea, and remembering to treat each other and everyone they meet with respect, kindness, grace, tact and dignity.

A Kid's Review.......2007-10-08

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
By Alexander McCall Smith
If you're looking for an engaging, well written book with unpredictable plot twists, than The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is absolutely perfect for you. This mystery follows the ups and downs of the life of Precious Ramotswe, starting in the present and containing flashbacks to childhood and adolescent years in her country of pride and joy, Botswana. Each memory reveals a tad bit more about the independent and smart personality of Precious Ramotswe, the reason for which she eventually settles down and opens the first detective agency run solely by a woman in all of Botswana. Although slow at first, business catches, like a spark held to gasoline. Throughout unimaginable mini mysteries, including a confused crocodile, an unknown double-identity and a dangerous case involving witch doctors, Precious Ramotswe uses sharp intellect to figure out the absurdly impossible.
Out of five stars, I rate The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency a four. This is because though the plot drew you in and left you hanging at each chapter, I feel that even more descriptive words could have been selected at times. Something I can relate to in the book is the fact that Precious is constantly having to put up with the doubts from various men that she, a lady, can run a business. Although I have not encountered this in such an extreme form, the "Men are better than woman" idea is still relevant at times even in more modern countries such as the U.S. One reason I really enjoyed this book is because I encountered a style of writing which is new to me. I found it very interesting that the author conveyed Precious' past through snippets and small chapters interspersed throughout the book, instead of merely starting at the beginning of Precious' life. This way the past is revealed slowly as opposed to all at once. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a flavorful book that should be added to your repertoire of reading today!

Blah.......2007-10-06

The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency is the first story in a series of mystery novels about Mme. Ramotswe and the detective agency that she opens with the money left to her by her dying father. The catch here, if you hadn't noticed from the title, is that she is a woman, and not only that, the first woman detective in all of Botswana. If you missed that intricate plot detail, never fear, the main character will remind you of it during the course of the story. Again, and again, and again....

I debated between one and two stars for this one. It wasn't a total waste. It had some charm to it... some. In the end I give it one star simply because I had much higher expectations for it, and it was a let down. Wow, and what a let down it was! I honestly really thought I would enjoy it. I was interested in the mystery aspect of it. I like a good mystery novel. I have a fascination with Africa, and being set in Africa, I was thinking "this looks like a winner."

One of the main problems I had with is was the way in which the dialog of the characters was written. Another reviewer described it as "baby talk", and really, I can't think of any better way to describe it. I keep trying to come up with reasons for why it was written in this manner, but none of them make any sense to me. It just makes the characters come across as stupid, as though African people are incapable of using any words longer than five letters long or expressing themselves with any sort of eloquence what-so-ever.

There's also the plot. Mme. Ramotswe solves several cases throughout the story with a certain finesse of Inspector Gadget. SPOILER ALERT! There is the case of the missing Christian husband, who Ramotswe is convinced has run away with another woman ("Men are stupid, LOLZ!!!1" is a major theme of the book). Turns out he was swallowed whole by a crocodile. Of course! There's the case of the 16 year old girl, who actually outsmarts Ramotswe. The girl is actually the only character in this book that I liked. There's the doctor with seemingly inconsistent talent. Like a plot twist straight out of a daytime soap opera, it turns out he has an identical twin brother who is getting to substitute for him in hospitals so he can hold down two jobs and earn twice the money. Wow! That makes so much sense... wouldn't he spend twice as much since he has to have two places to live? Other than that, I'm sure this is totally probable. And then there is the heart breaking case of a missing boy which challenges Ramotswe the most, and puts her in the most danger... or so says the back cover of the book. Allow me to paraphrase this climax of the book for you:

Ramotswe: Your husband murdered a boy for Muti!
Witchdoctor's Wife: Not he didn't. The boy is living on a cattle ranch.
Ramotswe: Show me.
Wife: Okay
(drives to ranch)
Ramotswe: Are you the boy who was kidnapped from the school teacher.
Boy: Yes
Ramotswe: Okay, I'm taking you home now.
(drives to the boys house and drops him off)

Seriously, if you blink, you might miss this climatic ending. I have watched episodes of Scooby Doo with more drama and suspense.

In conclusion. Don't read it. Really, just don't waste your time. The No. 1 Detective Agency furthers my belief that it is now possible for anyone to get a book published.

The End.

simple, fresh and enjoyable.........2007-09-18

Hats off to the author for attempting to deviate from the mainline sleuth stories (with protagonist being a gent that is tech savy or a martial art/sharp shooting expert chasing around in expensive cars in a story where atleast a dozen people end up dying).

This is quite very different, with a not so attractive single woman running a detective agency solving cases that are simple and almost realistic. The African setting without any of the typical 'gods have left Africa' theme makes it even more interesting. I will definitely be reading few more books in this series.

-Santhosh.

The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure

Average customer rating:

New Math Again
number devil fan
boring
Interesting
Students love this book!

The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure
Hans Magnus Enzensberger
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805062998

Amazon.com

Young Robert's dreams have taken a decided turn for the weird. Instead of falling down holes and such, he's visiting a bizarre magical land of number tricks with the number devil as his host. Starting at one and adding zero and all the rest of the numbers, Robert and the number devil use giant furry calculators, piles of coconuts, and endlessly scrolling paper to introduce basic concepts of numeracy, from interesting number sequences to exponents to matrices. Author Hans Magnus Enzensberger's dry humor and sense of wonder will keep you and your kids entranced while you learn (shhh!) mathematical principles. Who could resist the little red guy who calls prime numbers "prima donnas," irrational numbers "unreasonable," and roots "rutabagas"? Not that the number devil is without his devilish qualities. He loses his temper when Robert looks for the easy way out of a number puzzle or dismisses math as boring and useless. "What do you expect?" he asks. "I'm the number devil, not Santa Claus." (Ages 10 to adult) --Therese Littleton

Book Description

The international best-seller that makes mathematics a thrilling exploration.In twelve dreams, Robert, a boy who hates math, meets a Number Devil, who leads him to discover the amazing world of numbers: infinite numbers, prime numbers, Fibonacci numbers, numbers that magically appear in triangles, and numbers that expand without . As we dream with him, we are taken further and further into mathematical theory, where ideas eventually take flight, until everyone-from those who fumble over fractions to those who solve complex equations in their heads-winds up marveling at what numbers can do.Hans Magnus Enzensberger is a true polymath, the kind of superb intellectual who loves thinking and marshals all of his charm and wit to share his passions with the world. In The Number Devil, he brings together the surreal logic of Alice in Wonderland and the existential geometry of Flatland with the kind of math everyone would love, if only they had a number devil to teach it to them.

Customer Reviews:

New Math Again.......2007-10-05

My son refused to look at this when he saw the title had Number in it, so I began reading it to my daughter instead. Soon he was listening intently and then asking to see the pictures or diagrams. The book doesn't teach how to do math, but more the logical constants of math. Numbers become predictable friends instead of tricky foes. Because it pits the boy against the devil, it appeals to boys competitive spirit. And you can go back to chapters again and again to gain a deeper understanding without getting bored. The practical applications of what they are doing with numbers are a little harder to grasp in this book, but it is a fun read.

number devil fan.......2007-09-16

This is a fabulous novel all about numbers: their history, their use, and their mystery! It is a must read! :)

boring.......2007-08-05

Unfortunately, my daughter says this is a yawn. It is informative but very boring. She says it tries to be creative and make math fun, but it is "not fun."

Interesting.......2007-03-11

My 9 year old read this book and then extended her borrowing time so that I could also read it. I enjoyed the format with each chapter being based on one of his dreams.

I think the book can open kids' eyes open to the relevance of numbers and mathematics. It's engaging and funny.

Students love this book!.......2007-02-12

My 6th grade math-hating students, the students who struggle with math and have little number sense, love hearing this book while drawing reflections and using calculators to crunch the numbers. They are starting to look at numbers in a new way.

Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean

Average customer rating:

Illuminating
Excellent book ... for beginners only
Clear, interesting, fun
A good beginning...
Fun with managerial accounting

Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean
Karen Berman , Joe Knight , and John Case
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1591397642

Book Description

Companies expect managers to use financial data to allocate resources and run their departments. But many managers can’t read a balance sheet, wouldn’t recognize a liquidity ratio, and don’t know how to calculate return on investment. Worse, they don’t have any idea where the numbers come from or how reliable they really are.

In Financial Intelligence, Karen Berman and Joe Knight teach the basics of finance—but with a twist. Financial reporting, they argue, is as much art as science. Since nobody can quantify everything, accountants always rely on estimates, assumptions, and judgment calls. Savvy managers need to know how those sources of possible bias can affect the financials—and they need to know that sometimes the numbers can be challenged.

While providing the foundation for a deep understanding of the financial side of business, the book also arms managers with practical strategies for improving their companies’ performance—strategies such as “managing the balance sheet” that are well understood by financial professionals but rarely shared with their nonfinancial colleagues.

Accessible, jargon-free, and filled with entertaining stories of real companies, Financial Intelligence will help nonfinancial managers be smarter and more confident in their everyday work.

Customer Reviews:

Illuminating.......2007-10-10

This book helps to demystify corporate accounting and arms the reader with the ability to ask the right questions for growing a profitable business.

Excellent book ... for beginners only.......2007-06-10

If you have some understanding of finance - even basic - don't expect to learn anything out of this book. I was expecting much more than that given the target audience - "managers" - and the publisher. I doubt that in today's world, a manager wouldn't have some sort of understanding of finance. Nonetheless, the book is well written, explained and organized. I had my analyst read it as an introduction and he liked it a lot.

Clear, interesting, fun.......2007-03-30

I had to buy this book for a fiscal management class. It is probably one of the best management books that I've read. It is really clear. I don't really have a head for finance, but this book makes it simple and entertaining. There are lots of examples from real life. This is a great book if you want to know more about financial vocabulary and basics. Also might be a good brushup, though I was starting from scratch so I wouldn't know.

A good beginning..........2007-03-10

This is an overview of what to look for in balance sheet and income statement as a manager. However, better information resides with cost based accounting around activities(ABC/M). This book is an excellent read for simple information. Not bad for the price!

Fun with managerial accounting.......2007-01-09

I really enjoyed reading "Financial Intelligence" by Karen Berman and Joe Knight. The authors use a fairly casual tone (often humorous) to combine a semester's worth of managerial accounting with a healthy dose of private sector application. The book is a quick read and should be great as an introduction to managerial accounting or a refresher for anyone responsible for managing a P/L at any level.

How to Read a Financial Report: Wringing Vital Signs Out of the Numbers (How to Read a Financial Report)

Average customer rating:

great book
Excellent terse intro to financial statements
A pleasure to read
Arrows, Diagrams, and Simple Explanations
Uses Visuals to Show Financial Relationships

How to Read a Financial Report: Wringing Vital Signs Out of the Numbers (How to Read a Financial Report)
John Tracy
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471478679

Book Description

Hidden somewhere among all the numbers in a financial report is vitally important information about where a company has been and where it is going. This is especially relevant in light of the current corporate scandals.
The sixth edition of this bestselling book is designed to help anyone who works with financial reports--but has neither the time nor the need for an in-depth knowledge of accounting--cut through the maze of accounting information to find out what those numbers really mean.

Customer Reviews:

great book.......2007-07-30

I spent a long time trying to find a book that could help me read a financial statement. It needed to be simple without sacrificing substance. Finally I found this book. It shows how income, cash flow, and balance sheet are related, in a visual, line by line way.

I think the only way you could do it better is by having a spreadsheet which linked all these together, which you could play with and see the linkages in action. But barring that, this book is great.

It does require study, but I don't think it requires much accounting background. I had no business or accounting background, and I found this book approachable.

The one downside is that it doesn't teach you how to interpret a financial statement. It teaches you to understand how one works, and how it fits together. But how to spot things that might be "troublesome" or in need of further inquiry in a real business report, this book doesn't tell you.

You need another book for that sort of thing. And I haven't found one of those yet -- that is simple and strong in its own way.

Excellent terse intro to financial statements.......2007-06-19

I loved this book. John Tracy does an outstanding job introducing financial statements: how to read them, how to make sense of the numbers, and the basic framework around the statements. His language is easy to understand, and his examples illustrate the new concepts very well. The book is 200 pages long, and there is zero fluff. I found everything to be very useful information - nice and crisp.

Tracy jumps in by introducing cash flows and basic financial statements. He continues through the first half of the book by going down the income statement and the balance sheet together, describing how the numbers from the two statements work together (i.e. which portions of the income statement affect various numbers on the balance sheet).

Next, Tracy jumps into cash flows and describes the cash flow statement. He nicely illustrates how cash flow and profit differ and how they can grow in opposite directions depending on whether the business is expanding or shrinking. Tracy then covers logistics - he talks about statement footnotes, the importance of CPA audits, and the organizations and standards surrounding financial statements. He continues by discussing the various methods of expensing the cost of goods (LIFO, FIFO, average) and various depreciation and amortization techniques, and wraps up with common financial ratios (ROE, ROI, P/E, etc.) and a brief FAQ of basic questions and answers.

There are many diagrams throughout the book, and they are, for the most part, very helpful. I found a couple small errors in the diagrams (and a couple typos throughout the text), but they didn't really hinder my understanding - it was obvious what the author was trying to say and show.

This book does not require any previous knowledge of the subject. In fact, Tracy does a fantastic job defining everything he discusses. I like how new terms and concepts are italicized to emphasize their importance. The book is well organized (see 2nd and 3rd paragraphs of this review), although I wish that chapters 20 and 21 (cost of goods expense methods, depreciation & amortization techniques) came earlier in the book - closer to where Tracy discussed these items on the income statement. However, I do understand his motivation to save these items for later - so as not to confuse the reader with more advanced topics while introducing the basics - and to postpone the discussion of various ways to affect the net income.

Tracy is unafraid to give his own personal advice. He often uses "I think" and "in my opinion" throughout the book to emphasize his own preferences and thoughts rather than the generally accepted ideas. He expresses his opinions on the GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles), the organizations that ultimately govern the GAAP, and, most importantly, on acceptable and average values for various financial ratios - I found this to be most helpful.

On a totally different note, the book has an interesting physical format - it is wider than it is taller. While this sucks for bookshelf storage, it gives lots of room for the large and clear diagrams.

In conclusion, I recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn about financial statements. You will not see very advanced topics, but you will get a great introduction and quite a bit of practical advice. Excellent job by John Tracy!

Pros:
+ very easy to read and understand - Tracy's explanations are simple and straight to the point
+ lots of diagrams, which nicely illustrate the flow of numbers
+ great intro to the 3 basic financial statements
+ additional useful and interesting info on the organizations and standards surrounding financial statements
+ practical advice (average values for certain ratios, what to look for first in the financial statements, etc.)

Cons:
- a couple small diagram errors and typos (not very significant)
- could include more info on advanced topics

A pleasure to read.......2007-06-17

I am only a little way through the latest edition of "How to Read a Financial Report". One area i can already see as a huge plus is the style in which the book is written. Candidly, clearly and entertainingly relaying information on a topic that can so easily become one of the dreariest around has helped me understand and retain much more information on the terms and concepts I need to know.

Without even finishing half of this book, I am compelled to offer a strong recommendation to anyone contemplating purchasing it. I have only done what could best be described as rudimentary level accounting previously. This has left me with a great number of terms and definitions but little real understanding on the interconnectedness of financial reports and the terms within them. "How to Read a Financial Report" essentially gathers all the pieces of the puzzle and clearly shows you how it is put together. Whilst I cannot comment on the latter half of the book, this explanation of the way the financial statements connect has already proven invaluable to me.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone wanting to truly understand the nature of financial statements

James.L,
Sydney,
Australia

Arrows, Diagrams, and Simple Explanations.......2007-05-18

If you already know how to read financial reports like a pro or you work in the accounting department as an auditor, this book is definitely not for you. However, if the reams of reports spit out by corporations dumbfound you or you just feel intimidated when your accountant hands you a P&L, this book is perfect for you!

The author starts by explaining, line-by-line, each item in each type of report: Cash Flows, Balance Sheets, and more. The author then uses good ol' fashion simple diagrams and arrows that show direct interactions between lines in each report. The concepts are as easy to grasp as "if this number goes up, this other number goes down and here's why." It's just that elegant!

In my opinion, this should be required reading for any college graduate. In today's world a certain level of business acumen is expected which includes the ability to read and comprehend basic financial reports. This book gives you enough knowledge so that you can comfortably understand those reports. Of course, you can always delve deeper, if you choose, but keep in mind that this book is for the uninitiated which is just perfect for most of us mere mortals.

Uses Visuals to Show Financial Relationships.......2006-12-07

How to Read a Financial Report uses a lot of visuals to show the relationships between balance sheets, income statements, and statements of cash flow. If you have ever looked at a financial report and wondered what everything meant, this book is for you. This book took me from knowing hardly anything about financial statements to being able to understand them. I highly recommend this book to both investors and business owners.

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