About This Blog


This blog was started as a place to post book reviews. The books reviewed here will be mixed. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, General Fiction, NonFiction and more. Both positve and negative reviews will be posted, as well as reviews for books written for all ages and all reading levels.

Many of the books reviewed here are ones that I have purchased for my own reading pleasure. Some, I receive free in exchange for reviews. Beginning in December, 2009 you will know which are the free ones if you read the final paragraph of my reviews.

Also of note: I choose what I will read, attempting to avoid the books on which I would end up writing a negative review... but I have been known to make mistakes. Thus you see some one and two star reviews here. Since I don't enjoy writing negative reviews, I only write them if the review was promised, or if the book was so exceedingly bad, I just had to say so. Regardless of the percentage of positive to negative reviews on this blog, I give my honest opinion each and every time, and have never received financial compensation for posting my reviews.

Note that, except for fair use portions quoted from some of the books reviewed, all copyright in the content of the reviews belongs to Lady Dragoness.


Showing posts with label Academic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Academic. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Biblical Origins Explained

How We Got the Bible Video Study Series
Author: Timothy Paul Jones PhD
Rose Publishing (2015)
Multiple Media Formats, including DVD and Powerpoint
Complete Kit ISBN: 9781628622072
DVD Only ISBN: 9781628622065
Reading and Study Level: Adult

If you've ever had questions on the origins of the Bible, this study is for you. Facts are presented in an interesting manner through video lecture and animations. The complete kit also includes a written reference manual, a series of powerpoint slides, and a fold-out timeline chart as well as the printed versions of the leader's guide and participant's guide to enhance the understanding of the presented material.  While the study guides and some other components of the kit are available separately, some material is reserved to, and available only in the deluxe kit.

This study reveals the long process used to preserve the contents of our Bible through the centuries. From memorized (oral) history as seen by eye witnesses to events which happened during the life of Jesus Christ to written written word decades after His crucifixion, and translations from several languages many centuries later. The study is informative, valuable and entertaining for people who question the origins of the Bible and for those interested in Christian history. While this study is aimed primarily at adults, those in the middle through late teen years might also find the material of interest.

Note that I was given free access to promotional materials and an excerpt of this six session video study by the publisher for the purpose of this review. Nevertheless, all opinions stated in the above review are my own and I have not received any financial compensation for this review.

This review has been posted, wholly or in part on the following sites Dragonviews, Amazon.com, Christian Book.com, and Rose Publishing

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Comprehensive and Scholarly

Rose Then and Now Bible Map Atlas with Biblical Background and Culture
Paul H. Wright, Ph.D.
Rose Publishing (2012)
Hardcover: 272 pages & PDF Format
Reading Level: Adult

The Rose Then and Now Bible Map Atlas with Biblical Background and Culture is not an easy-to-read volume that one could devour in a matter of hours. The text is complex, incorporating cross-references and annotations where appropriate as well as maps of the Holy Land as it was in ancient times with clear overlays showing modern political divisions and nomenclature of the same areas. There are many illustrations, timelines, and photographs liberally sprinkled thoughout this book. The text is divided into 24 chapters, the last 22 of which focus on important characters we meet in the Bible. The first two chapters focus on the background information. The book also features a comprehensive introduction, bibliography, and index.

I normally base my reviews on the full reading of a book, but in this case, the formulaic construction makes the full reading unnecessary to evaluate the quality of this publication. Despite the complexity of this book, it is worthy of the time and attention required to study the material. I do not recommend attempting to read this volume from cover-to-cover like you would read a novel.  Instead, as you study Genesis, read the first two chapters of this atlas. Then move on to the chapters featuring Moses and Joshua as you study Exodus, etc. The chapters do not need to be read in the order they appear in this book.  The information concerning the Biblical Background and Culture contained in this volume will greatly enhance your understanding of the Bible.

Due to the complexity of the material, I do not recommend this book to those under the age of 17, but for anyone mature enough to understand the material, I would highly recommend this book, especially if one is interested in doing in-depth studies of biblical topics or persons.

While this volume was purchased by me, I do sometimes accept books free in exchange for review. Nevertheless, whether I purchase a book or whether I receive it in exchange for review, all opinions stated in the review remain mine, and I never accept financial compensation for posting reviews.

This review has been posted on Dragonviews, Amazon, Rose Publishing, and Christianbook.com

Friday, June 1, 2012

Log Your Practice Sessions for Better Results

The Complete Music Practice Record Book:
A Six-Month Log and Journal for Dedicated Students

by Larry Zafran
Larry Zafran (2011),
Paperback, 108 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible

At first glance, one might be intimidated by all the blank spaces in this practice log, yet filling the pages with your information in the vast variety of categories provided by the author can help you to better monitor your own or your child's practice sessions while studying any instrument.

Pros
While this practice log was not originally intended for a beginner, it is widely adaptable and can be used by music students of any age and for any instrument. A small corner of each practice record has been allocated for parents or teachers to initial if this is required. The author has thought of most everything one would like to track and provides spaces for each item in a concise half-page a day format. He has left the date spaces blank, so you can start at any time. If you skip a day or have a poor practice session, there's even a space to indicate why.

Neutral
There are a few categories of information for which space is provided that I will probably not use. Mood(s); Meditation, Breathing, Physical Exercise, etc. aren't the sort of data that I consider to be part of my practice time, while Performance/Rehersal/Recordings are not something in which I am involved at the moment... but which I might use in the far future. However, these few categories currently of no use to me may be useful to others. The book would best be used with a fine point pen or very sharp pencil and neat, small writing.

The author pointed out to me that this book is not spiral bound... which I would definitely have noticed on my own. I doubt that, for such a slim volume, the lack of a spiral binding is going to be a large handicap. Even so, the lack of a spiral binding is something that can be remedied at many local copy shops such as Kinko's.

Cons
The spaces provided to write in aren't very convenient; they feel cramped for someone with large, sloppy handwriting like mine... Each practice log or self-assessment section has been given a medium width bold border that helps visually divide the page, and which some may view as an asset. On the negative side, this same border helps the page feel more cramped, especially to those of us who normally write large. The months have been rounded to 28 days, which, over the course of one year (two of these books) leaves out 29 daily practice sessions, and four personal assessment records - approximately another whole month of practice data; hence the four star rating of a potentially five star product.

Possible Improvements
I'd like this to be a full page for each day, with a bit more space to write for the day, especially in the notes section at the bottom of each daily practice log. The page size need not continue to be 8 X 10 inches; I think 6 X 9 inches would work as well with the single daily practice log per page. I'd like to see the book expanded to handle an entire 52 week year. The weekly assessment sections could remain in place at one after every 7 daily entries; only the monthlies would need to be arranged differently, with one being placed at roughly every 1/12 of the way through the log.

Recommended to all dedicated music students and professionals. This review is based on a full copy of the book provided to me free by the author in exchange for review.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

New Approach to Management Education

Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed
Authors: Jeremy Short, Talya Bauer, Dave Ketchen
Illustrator: Len Simon
Flat World Knowledge, Inc. (2009)
Paperback, 194 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible

This book is an intriguing new format for a business management classes that might help attract the interest of some students who otherwise would not be paying attention in class - the same type of person depicted in the graphic novel.  The protagonist, Atlas Black, is the perfect example of what not to do in order to graduate from college. He does not pay attention, does not study, can't even be dependable enough to show up on time for class. On top of that, Atlas Black is unemployed and can't seem to keep a job long enough to pay his rent and other bills from month to month. Perhaps Atlas Black is supposed to be humorous, but his problems are realistic enough that they are no laughing matter, and, at least for me, the humor falls flat. This type of character gains no respect or even sympathy from me as most of his problems are of his own making.

That said, the business concepts covered in this graphic novel text are interesting, and covered differently than the texts I used during my own business management classes not so long ago. I loved reading about the relevant examples used to explain the topics discussed; however, the main thing I like about this book is the affordability and various formats in which it is made available. The authors and publisher have given their attention to the fact that people learn differently. The graphic novel is a highly visual format. The graphic format tends to slow me down while reading. For some students this slowing of pace can be good, as important information is less likely to be missed when reading slower. Each page covers lots of information, incorporating the story of the protagonist as he makes his way through his last business class before graduation with the business management concepts.  The availablity of the book in audio format will be a boon to those students who learn better from traditional lecture-type classes.

Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed would be a great text to use for those condensed classes, which try to cover a variety of topics in a limited amount of time. As supplimental material for a class using another book as the main text, the availability of individual chapters of the Atlas Black text books would be a boon to instructors, providing additional material for study and discussion at very affordable prices. The splitting of the text into modules A and B helps keep the book light and portable for students, as well as contributing to the affordability, since the student need purchase only the part of the book required for their specific class. Kudos to the publisher of this fine text book for recognizing the financial burden of college students and doing something to help. For easy review, each chapter closes with a synopsis of the concepts covered in that chapter and a quick overview of the next chapter.

A black-and-white paperback desk copy of Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review was simultaneously posted on Amazon.com, Dragonviews and LibraryThing.