Reference Books

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: 5th Anniversary Edition

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Barron's Educational Series Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $18.50

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Movies -> Guides & Reviews
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Movies -> History & Criticism
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Movies -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This special Fifth Anniversary Edition of the acclaimed film reference guide is packed with virtually everything movie lovers need to know about the films they simply must see. Stephen Jay Schneider and his team of writers have brought the book up to date by including the most memorable movies released during the past five years. Among their new additions are The Queen, The Lives of Others, Brokeback Mountain, and several more recent movies that have attracted worldwide attention. Covering more than a century of filmmaking and dating back to silent-era sensations such as Edwin S. Porter’s The Great Train Robbery and Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, this book describes musicals, dramas, screwball comedies, experimental “New Wave” films from 1950s and ’60s Italy and France, major films noir, classic westerns, action and adventure films, and even memorable documentaries. It lists each film’s director and cast, presents a plot summary and production notes, and cites interesting, often little-known facts relating to the film’s cast, storyline, and production. For students of cinema, discerning film buffs, DVD collectors, and readers who enjoy thumbing through and reminiscing over cherished screen moments, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die is the place to start reading. Filled with 800 movie still shots and actors’ photos.

The Bedside Baccalaureate: A Handy Daily Cerebral Primer to Fill in the Gaps, Refresh Your Knowledge & Impress Yourself & Other Intellectuals

Amazon Price: $12.84 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sterling Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $12.03

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Self-Help -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Self-Help -> General AAS
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Library & Information Science -> Reference

Editorial Review:

Many adults long to make up for an education they either never had or that seemed somehow lacking. Now they can fill in the gaps right at home with The Bedside Baccalaureate series, which speaks directly to this grown-up thirst for knowledge. Filled with color images, extremely readable, and with an appealing presentation, it provides a fun, no-pressure experience that everyone will enjoy.
The goal of The Bedside Baccalaureate is not the simple accumulation of trivia, but the placement of facts within the framework of knowledge. The 20 courses—focused overviews of subjects with which any well-educated person would want to be familiar—are created by experts in their fields with the intention of making the topics accessible and entertaining. Each course consists of 18 one-page lectures that maximize clarity without compromising the integrity of the ideas. The lectures are rotated, rather than clumped together, to add variety to the reading experience and to mimic the heady mix of subjects one encounters in the world of the intellect. You can dip into an assortment of areas by reading a page at a time; or, if a course really grabs you, you can skip ahead. Learning is contagious—once you get started, it’s difficult to stop.
The courses are associated with one of 12 departmental “strands” as follows: Two courses each per volume   •American History
•Philosophy
•World History
•Economics
•English and Comparative Literature
•Classics
•Art History
•Environmental Science
•Mathematics and Engineering
•Physical Sciences
•Social Science

                     

The Complete Wedding Planner & Organizer

Elizabeth Lluch

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wedding Solutions Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $17.99

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Weddings -> Planning
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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Weddings -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Keeps me organized! 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This binder has been very helpful for keeping things neat during this crazy planning time. Every time I meet with a vendor they always comment on how organized I must be. The pictures and checklists in the binder are helpful, but most things you can easily find online. The included hole-puncher is super helpful for immediately hole-punching contracts!

Informative Organizer 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I purchased the wedding planner through Amazon a few weeks back. I love it! I love all the checklists and pockets to put your own information into. I am not getting married till 2010, however this planner will keep me up to date and super organized till then. I highly recommend this planner to the woman that is looking for a whole lot of help on her wedding day.

Editorial Review:

A new title from America's top wedding experts, Elizabeth & Alex Lluch. The Complete Wedding Planner & Organizer provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date wedding planning information in a handy 3-ring binder designed to help brides stay organized and on top of their wedding plans. The binder includes a back cover pocket to store important documents, dividers to keep track of information, a 3-hole punch to easily add pages, and inspirational wedding photos.

Cartographia: Mapping Civilizations

Vincent Virga, Library of Congress

Amazon Price: $37.80 List Price: $60.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Little, Brown and Company Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $23.59

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Subjects -> History -> Historical Study -> Social History
Subjects -> History -> World -> General
Subjects -> History -> World -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

CARTOGRAPHIA offers a stunning array of 200 of the most beautiful, important, and fascinating maps in existence, from the world's largest cartographic collection, at the Library of Congress. These maps show how our idea of the world has shifted and grown over time, and each map tells its own unique story about nations, politics, and ambitions. The chosen images, with their accompanying stories, introduce the reader to an exciting new way of "reading" maps as travelogues---living history from the earliest of man's imaginings about planet earth to our current attempts at charting cyberspace.


Among the rare gems included in the book are the Waldseemuller Map of the World from 1507, the first to include the designation "America"; pages from the Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum of 1570, considered the first modern atlas; rare maps from Africa, Asia, and Oceania that challenge traditional Western perspectives; William Faulkner's hand-drawn 1936 map of the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi; and even a map of the Human Genome. In an oversized format, with gorgeous four-color reproductions throughout, Catrographia will appeal to collectors, historians, and anyone looking for a perfect gift.

The Military Advantage: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Military & Veterans Benefits

Christopher P. Michel

Amazon Price: $13.60 List Price: $20.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Simon & Schuster Amazon Marketplace: 68 new & used starting at $3.25

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> General AAS
Subjects -> History -> Military -> United States -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The Military Advantage 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I found this a very good guide that should be read by all current service personnel, reserve or active before they leave the service. To many service people miss out on programs that help while they are in the service. Take advantage of what is out there, you earned it.
The Military Advantage: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Military & Veterans Benefits

Editorial Review:

If you are one of the 30 million Americans who have answered the call to serve, you've earned valuable benefits. Literally billions of dollars in scholarships, educational benefits, home loan guarantees, and military discounts are there for the taking. All too often, however, these extraordinary benefits go unused or overlooked.

The Military Advantage will help you unlock these benefits and make the most of your military experience. This plain English guide is a handy reference chock-full of insider tips, little-known benefits, shortcuts, and answers to frequently asked questions. It's an essential resource, an owner's manual for everyone with military or veterans benefits.

Whether you are in uniform today, a veteran, military retiree, or family member, The Military Advantage is an absolute must-have.

How to Walk in High Heels: The Girl's Guide to Everything

Camilla Morton

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hyperion Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $6.74

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> General
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> General AAS
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Self-Help -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The bestselling U.K. sensation, hailed as "the most fabulous instruction manual the world has ever seen" by Vogue.com

Can you make yourself up in five minutes flat? Make the first move without breaking a sweat? Hang a picture without becoming unhinged? Get out of a car -- or an unpleasant situation -- gracefully in a short skirt? Load an iPod as effortlessly as a dishwasher? If not, international style and fashion journalist Camilla Morton can help you navigate these and more than two hundred other hazards of modern living with grace and aplomb. Much more than just a style manual or crash course in social skills, How to Walk in High Heels also illuminates the finer points of achieving better homes and gardens, tackling technophobia, climbing the career ladder, and joining the jet set.

From the practical, such as what to do when a heel breaks and how to catch a mouse, to the imaginative, such as how to enjoy karaoke and swim in sunglasses, How to Walk in High Heels overflows with useful nuggets of advice delivered in the author’s inimitable witty style, accompanied by a foreword from Dior’s John Galliano and a Louis Vuitton trunkful of insight from experts including: -Manolo Blahnik on How to Pick a Shoe -Dolce & Gabbana on How to Get Ready in Five Minutes -Gisele Bundchen on How to Look Good in a Photo -Jade Jagger on How to Compile Your Own Soundtrack

This comprehensive do-everything-better bible takes the guesswork out of flaunting your fabulousness so that you can stop teetering and start striding confidently through the obstacle course of life.

Dictionary of Banking Terms

Thomas P. Fitch

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Barron''s Educational Series Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $8.50

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Industries & Professions -> Banks & Banking
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Reference -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Reference -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Don't Let the Title Fool You 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 12 people found this review helpful.

This can almost be considered an inexpensive textbook. It not only defines, but explains the terms in a simple, easy to understand format. Although in dictionary form, it consistently relates the terms to one another so the reader will understand how the concepts interwind. Includes financial and banking terms.

Comprehensive 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Working in an IT company catering to bankers I bought this book to help understand their lingo. I have to say it hasn't disappointed yet. It is also very up to date the latest IT/banking terms. If you were to read all the definitions in this book you would probably know more than you banker. A great reference. Buy it!

Exellent resource 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I use this in a training class about bank documentation. It is very helpful and comprehensive. It defines terms in concise and easy to understand words. Even a seasoned banker can learn something from this dictionary.

Editorial Review:

More than 3,000 terms are defined in this newly updated edition as they relate to banking, banking practices, laws, and regulations. Barron's Business Dictionaries are useful reference sources for business students as well as the general reader who is seeking advice and information on business matters.

Encyclopedia Idiotica: History's Worst Decisions and the People Who Made Them

Stephen Weir

Amazon Price: $14.95 List Price: $21.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Barron''s Educational Series Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $10.95

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Subjects -> History -> Historical Study -> Reference
Subjects -> History -> World -> General
Subjects -> History -> World -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The 64 A.D. burning of Rome during the reign of Nero . . . Winston Churchill's ill-conceived and disastrous World War I plan to invade Turkey at Gallipoli . . . the Maginot Line, built in France in 1929-34 in a foolhardy effort to prevent the feared German invasion . . . the 1950s thalidomide pharmaceutical disaster that resulted in at least 20,000 babies born with deformities . . . the 1989-91 misappropriation of company funds by publishing executive Robert Maxwell, and the collapse of his financial empire . . . the Enron scandal of 2000 that brought down a yet larger business empire. Chronicled in these pages are stories of corporate chicanery, poor military decisions, engineering disasters, diplomatic blunders, and other appalling, large-scale mistakes that resulted in ruin and misery for countless innocent bystanders. Here are baleful tales motivated by false hope, anger, greed, pride, lust, and many other instances of erratic human behavior. A selection of approximately 50 disastrous decisions are presented, each grim account summarized in a report of roughly a half-dozen pages and enhanced with sidebars and thumbnail-sized cartoon-style illustrations. Each account opens with its cast of characters, then sets the story's background before reporting the grim details and concluding with the unhappy moral. Here is a page-turner of a book that recounts some of history's most dramatic-but also catastrophic-moments.

Wedding Bouquets: Over 300 Designs for Every Bride

Wedding Magazine

Amazon Price: $10.36 List Price: $12.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hamlyn Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $7.55

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Crafts & Hobbies -> Flower Arranging
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Crafts & Hobbies -> General
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Crafts & Hobbies -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Nice pick for the size and price 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

As a professional special event florist who specializes in weddings, this is another book I keep in my consultation room for brides to browse and reference. I'm partial to design books that contain a lot of photos so this one earns high marks from me, but the drawbacks are it's size (small, which means the photos are also small) and that it's a paperback so it doesn't hold up to wear and repeat usage like a hardbound book. Most of the designs are current and contemporary, which is nice after seeing so many outdated wedding design books from the 80's and 90's still on bookstore shelves, but some of the designs lack "that certain something" that make the bouquets really stand out and personalized to the bride. As a designer I'm never super excited about anything cookie-cutter (see cover photo as an example) because it can easily become a crutch for clients who aren't confident making floral selections and also a crutch for florists who don't want to spend the quality time needed for a proper consultation. However, if used as an initial reference for size, shape, and to build designs from, the book will certainly provide that and a bit more. Based on what I've observed from brides browsing and using this book during consultations at my location, easy-to-please brides usually find a few styles in the book that they like, but fussier brides browse through the book quickly (rarely stopping on any one style) and move on to other books. It is a nice little book for the price though -- quality photography and an overall good value.

Editorial Review:

The wedding bouquet, like the center jewel in the engagement ring, is a focal point for the celebration. The bouquet’s colors, arrangement, and even fragrance, can express the mood and style of the ceremony, from the bridal gown and attendants’ attire to the décor of the reception room. How to decide? Each of the 300 bouquets displayed here comes with lavish close-up photos and careful descriptions of each detail, with recommendations for the kinds of dresses and ceremonies they best complement. Every color theme receives special treatment (with price range indicators), from whites, ivories and creams to yellows and oranges, reds and pinks, blues and purples, as well as variegated and original color schemes.

Putting Things in Order

David Finkle, Ellen Baumritter

Amazon Price: $19.55 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $12.20

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Recommended by Clark Howard 5 out of 5 stars.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.

I recommend this book to anyone who feels a need to advise family members pertinent information regarding all aspects of your everyday life (and death): i.e. bank account numbers, passwords, retirement data, bills owed, will location, detailed description of what you would like for your impending funeral, and numerous other areas for documenting things that only you would know that would be needed by the family upon your death.

Putting Things in Order 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 11 people found this review helpful.

A very thorough book on all the things one needs to consider for organizing information for one's heirs let alone insurance purposes.

Editorial Review:

Organizing your affairs in case of death or incapacitation is vitally important. This step-by-step workbook ensures that all important papers (birth certificate, real estate deeds, insurance policies, trusts, wills, etc.) are accessible, possessions are distributed as desired, wishes for a funeral or memorial service are carried out, and more. There is also space to reflect upon one's life and memories, accomplishments, and joys. Putting Things in Order is a practical and meaningful guide for all who desire to leave a clear legacy for their loved ones.