Study Aids Books

Of Mice and Men (Literature Made Easy Series)

Ruth Coleman, Tony Buzan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1101 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Sad Story 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

In my opinion I thought this book was extremely sad and unpleasant. First, almost every other word was a swear word. Yes, I realize that a lot of the population swears, but I don't understand why novels have to have so much of it. Second, I was very appalled at all of the deaths. The death of one of the worker's dogs, the death of Curley's wife, and finally the death of Lennie. Lennie happened to be my favorite character, so obviously I was sad to read that his companion, George, shot him. I was also sad that Lennie didn't get to tend to his furry rabbits.

Editorial Review:

TheLiterature Made Easy Series is more than just plot summaries. Each book describes a classic novel and drama by explaining themes, elaborating on characters, and discussing each author's unique literary style, use of language, and point of view. Extensive illustrations and imaginative, enlightening use of graphics help to make each book in this series livelier, easier, and more fun to use than ordinary literature plot summaries. An unusual feature, "Mind Map" is a diagram that summarizes and interrelates the most important details that students need to understand about a given work. Appropriate for middle and high school students.

Lord of the Flies (Literature Made Easy Series)

Mary Hartley, Tony Buzan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1274 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

"Incomplete," In My Opinion 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Lord of the Flies is another classic that relies on a bad outcome in the story to get attention from readers. In a lot of schools it is required reading. I suppose that teachers think that stories with bad outcomes serve as warnings to other people, and the author probably had similar motives. However, there are two important questions to answer. First, does Lord of the Flies meet the criteria to be considered a "warning" to society? Second, does the content of the novel itself contradict its purpose?

Lord of the Flies is a novel about a group of boys who are stranded on an island with no adults present. The boys attempt to form a simple "government" among themselves. However, their weak sense of order starts out with childish, verbal conflict and eventually turns into violence. Given the novel's summary, one may deduce that the message of the novel is a warning to society of the dangers of anarchy.

I dislike the fact that almost all off the characters are boys within seven years of each other's age. Real world societies have a much wider variety of people. When writing a book designed as a warning to society, it is important to make sure that the whole society can relate to the book. In my opinion, the real art of writing a plot in a novel is to create a scenario in which people o many different ages and backgrounds get involved and contribute to the outcome. In Lord of the Flies, the consequence of the lack of diversity among the characterizations is that there are too many pages that rehash childish arguing. Therefore, the novel could have (and probably should have) been reduced to a novelette length.

As stated earlier in this review, many literature interpreters believe that the purpose of Lord of the Flies is to demonstrate the dangers of anarchy. A lot of interpreters of literary symbolism consider the "Lord of the Flies" to be an allegory for the devil. Therefore, the fact that the book is essentially titled "the devil" seems to indicate that the book focuses on evil acts and events. In my opinion, one major flaw in the novel is that the characters with good intentions fail to have a positive impact on the outcome of the plot or the development of other characters. With that in mind, the problem is that the author condemns anarchy, but fails to tell us what we should do about it, which seems to cause the book to lose its purpose.

Due to its monotony and "incomplete" philosophies, I do not recommend Lord of the Flies.

Editorial Review:

TheLiterature Made Easy Series is more than just plot summaries. Each book describes a classic novel and drama by explaining themes, elaborating on characters, and discussing each author's unique literary style, use of language, and point of view. Extensive illustrations and imaginative, enlightening use of graphics help to make each book in this series livelier, easier, and more fun to use than ordinary literature plot summaries. An unusual feature, "Mind Map" is a diagram that summarizes and interrelates the most important details that students need to understand about a given work. Appropriate for middle and high school students.

Cracking the SAT, 2009 Edition (College Test Prep)

Princeton Review

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent review of needed material, but with a few warts 4 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

When I prepared to take my first SAT, I relied on this book to prepare. Let me first talk about the good aspects of the book:

It demystifies the SAT and takes a "student friendly" approach. That is, it helps convince the reader that the SAT doesn't measure intelligence, self-worth, etc. While this may or may not be true, it relieves one of a significant burden by believing that the test doesn't test anything innate, which prevents the formation of artificial mental barriers or blocks.

The vocabulary list is quite good, as it consists of a short, but sweet list of 200 words that are likely to show up on the SAT (either in passages or in the sentence completions). For such a short list, it sure does get a good number of "hits" on the real thing.

The math refresher is good -- it's not a math textbook in the sense that it will, in vivid detail, teach you the fundamentals of mathematics beginning with "2 + 2 = 4", but it does give you a great refresher of all the topics you (should) have learned. If you're shaky about performing basic algebra, then you don't need an SAT prep book -- you need a basic mathematics book. It also shows how these basic math tools can be applied to the SAT, by showing how to solve several "famous" or "representative" problems to give you a feel of the kinds of problems you'll likely encounter.

The grammar/essay sections are good, too. It goes over the fundamental errror that you'll likely encounter without attempting to write the next great treatise in English grammar. So with the rules in here, you'll feel comfortable answering the questions on the real test.

The best part, by far, of this book is the set of three very accurate, very SAT-ish practice tests. They're slightly more difficult than what you'll encounter on the SAT, but not by any significant margin. The math questions are sufficiently convoluted in wording and the content is great. The passages are of SAT level and the questions are very much in the flavor of the test. The writing/grammar questions are also superb -- any error that you can find on the real test, you'll find in this book on these practice tests. So, all in all, good practice that will demystify the content/format/questions on the test.

Now, for the bad:

Firstly, the reading comprehensions "tips and strategies" are just god-awful. This book explicitly states to "not read the passage and just skim it for the gist". Are you kidding me? That's how you miss out on big points on the reading comprehensions, especially the tone/overall meaning/theme questions. In fact, I was so naive as to follow their advice and got a lower score than I'd deserved (the first time I tried their method and scored 680CR, but when I retook and read through the passages without skimming, I scored a 760.) It's for this that I dock a star -- the section's called "critical reading", not "skim through and hunt for factoids which will invariably be out of context".

The book also doesn't have enough practice tests. The SAT is very much like any intellectual or artistic pursuit -- one's skill is directly proportional to the amount of practice that one has. And if you're using this book as your sole source of preparation, the three tests, while well designed, will run out quickly, and you'll very soon need to buy some more. For this, you can either buy PR's 11 practice tests or the Official SAT Study Guide which has 8 tests created by the ETS (guys who write the SAT). In this case, I'd go with the Official Guide -- no test can be as accurate as one written by the guys at the ETS. Not a huge downfall, especially since most people won't take that many tests, but it's nonetheless a caveat for those aiming for relatively high scores.

All in all, a very light and fairly entertaining read that will get you familiar with the SAT and help you raise your score. But if you're really serious, you're going to need to pair this with another book to provide an alternate perspective (I'd reccomend Barron's), as well as with the Official Guide for practice tests.

Editorial Review:

Cracking the SAT brings you proven techniques from the test prep experts! The 2009 edition includes full-length practices tests and exclusive free access to further review online. In Cracking the SAT, we’ll teach you how to think like the test writers and

· Master specific strategies for answering every question type
· Boost your vocabulary with our exclusive “Hit Parade”— a list of words that appear most frequently on the SAT
· Practice online with an additional full-length test, lessons, and drills
· Get the most out of your prep time with the study plan that’s right for you

We give you plenty of practice problems to help you master our proven techniques. In addition, this book contains 3 full-length, “paper and pencil” SAT practice tests. Our practice questions are just like those you’ll see on the real SAT—but with detailed answers and explanations for every question.

Animal Farm (Literature Made Easy Series)

Iona MacGregor, Tony Buzan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1154 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Utopian Idealism Unmaksed 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It is the rare political book that is both entertaining and thought provoking. Rarer still to be unforgettable and insightful and life-changing. Animal Farm, for me was all this.

The allegory is powerful and the use of farm animals both clever and entertaining, and helped makes the story all the more vivid and memorable. The story is well know, a group of farm animals eventually led by the boar Napoleon, overthrow the capitalist farmer and create an idealistic worker's paradise. Little by little and bit by bit they become not only as corrupt as the former system, but even worse as exemplified by their ruthlessness and hypocrisy. The reader comes away much more cynical about utopian ideals, which sounds like a bad thing but is actually a good thing. Incredibly powerful book, with the weight of truth and some kind of native energy that makes a despairing fairy-tale into a life-changing lesson. I've read plenty of books that I've enjoyed more, but few I've been so drastically impacted by. This book is a must for an adolescent, and if you missed it then even if you're eighty-five pick it up and read it now. It's both historical and timeless.

Editorial Review:

TheLiterature Made Easy Series is more than just plot summaries. Each book describes a classic novel and drama by explaining themes, elaborating on characters, and discussing each author's unique literary style, use of language, and point of view. Extensive illustrations and imaginative, enlightening use of graphics help to make each book in this series livelier, easier, and more fun to use than ordinary literature plot summaries. An unusual feature, "Mind Map" is a diagram that summarizes and interrelates the most important details that students need to understand about a given work. Appropriate for middle and high school students.

The Official Study Guide for All SAT Subject Tests (Real Sats)

The College Board

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The only source of previously-administered practice tests for all 20 SAT Subject Tests

 

Every year nearly 600,000 high school students take one or more SAT Subject Tests. Many selective colleges recommend or require them for admission or placement. The Official Study Guide for All SAT Subject Tests is the only source of official questions and answers for all 20 SAT Subject Test exams, and it is the only comprehensive guide developed by the test maker. This all-new edition
includes the following exclusive features:
• never-before-published practice tests for all 20 exams
• test-taking tips and strategies from the test-maker
• two audio CDs to practice for the foreign language SAT
Subject Tests with Listening (Spanish, German, French,
Chinese, Japanese, and Korean)
• practice tests for the SAT Subject Tests in Chinese, Japanese,
Korean, Modern Hebrew, Italian, and Latin

Includes 2 Audio CDs for language tests!

Much Ado About Nothing (Cliffs Notes)

Richard O. Peterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 286 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Fun, quirky, and true to the spirit of the Shakespearen romantic comedy 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I consider this to be one of my favorite movies. It's a true chamer that proves that a good play of Shakespeare can be set at any time. The charming game of cat-and-mouse with lovers is only part of the wonder when it comes to the talented set of actors, each one perfect for their role. However, the best performances are demonstrated by Branagh and Emma Thomspon, whom we all know can do just about anything. The setting of the little villa is charming, and the classical score suits the story well. Even if you think Shakespeare is boring, you will adore this fun romp.

Ken and Em in Tuscany 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

After swearing that they will never marry anyone, let alone each other, two bickering "friends", Beatrice (Emma Thompson) and Benedick (Kenneth Branagh), end up falling in love after each is falsely led to believe that the other is in love with them.

Given the fact that neither of his most recent Shakespearean adaptations have received so much as a DVD release out here (Australia), let alone a cinema release, it is hard to imagine that there was once a time when Kenneth Branagh was hailed as being the next Laurence Olivier. However, back in the 1990's, Kenneth Branagh did manage to produce some of the best Shakespearean adaptations ever made, the best of which being the 4-hour "Hamlet" and this version of "Much Ado About Nothing".

"Much Ado About Nothing" is rare among Shakespeare's comedies in that it is actually funny, thus making it one of Shakespeare's most accessible plays, and Kenneth Branagh has a gift for making Shakespeare understandable to anyone, even someone who has never encountered "the Bard" before. Not all of the actors are up to the same standard as Branagh (Kate Beckinsale, in an early film role, is notably wooden), but this is more than made up for by Branagh and Thompson. Branagh and Thompson are both excellent actors in anything in which they appear, but they are at their best when appearing together. When this film was made, they were married to each other and the chemistry between them is something beautiful. I have always considered it to be a great tragedy that their marriage didn't last.

Editorial Review:

One of Shakespeare's romantic comedies, this play is set in the seaport town of Messina, in Sicily. The drama concerns "the battle of the sexes" and focuses on the barbed wits and intrigues that two sets of lovers and their friends and family create. Brimming with wit and antagonism, the play has amused and provoked audiences for centuries.

Cracking the PSAT/NMSQT, 2009 Edition (College Test Prep)

Princeton Review

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Pretty good 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is a pretty good review. I wished they had more tests though, two is not quite enough for preparation. I liked the first part of the book where it talks about the qualifications for the tests and the national merit scholarship, however, it should be more detailed. The techniques are useful. I think the problems may be a little on the easier side.

Editorial Review:

Cracking the PSAT brings you proven techniques from the test prep experts! The 2009 edition includes 2 full-length practice tests and all the strategies you’ll need to score higher. In Cracking the PSAT, we’ll teach you how to think like the test writers and

·Eliminate answer choices that look right but are planted to fool you
·Master the most important PSAT vocabulary words
·Crack even the toughest subjects: geometry, vocabulary, algebra, grammar, and more
·Ace the math and short critical reading questions

Plus, all of our practice questions are just like those on the actual PSAT–but with detailed answers and explanations for every question.

Kaplan SSAT & ISEE 2009 Edition: For Private and Independent High School Admissions (Kaplan Ssat & Isee)

Kaplan

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Editorial Review:

Features:

• 6 full-length practice tests: 3 SSATs and 3 ISEEs, tailored to upper, middle, and lower levels

• Detailed answer explanations

• Hundreds of practice questions covering the most frequently tested material

• Intensive, test-specific Math and Verbal workouts

• Customized review sections for important subject areas, including Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, and Writing

• Practical tips for every question type

• Powerful test-taking strategies to help you score higher

Barron's AP Psychology

Robert McEntarffer, Allyson J. Weseley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fabulous study guide! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I used this book to prepare for the AP Psychology exam and was thrilled! I had never taken a psychology course before and thought it would be challenging to try to succeed on the exam to earn college credit. It was easy to read and the practice test questions were extremely similar to those on the actual exam. I was excited to hear that I received a 5 on my exam... and the only aid I used was this book! I would recommend this to anyone.

Editorial Review:

This updated manual presents an extensive subject review covering all test topics plus three full-length practice tests that reflect the actual AP Psychology Exam in length, subject matter, and degree of difficulty. All test questions are answered and explained. Test topics reviewed include research methods, the biological basis of behavior, sensation and perception, states of consciousness, learning, cognition, personality, abnormal psychology, and treatment of disorders. This manual also presents an overview of the test, extra multiple-choice questions for practice and review, test-taking tips, and an analysis of the test’s essay question with a sample essay.

Cracking the SSAT & ISEE, 2009 Edition (College Test Prep)

Princeton Review

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 1.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Princeton Review realizes that acing the SSAT and ISEE exams is very different from getting straight A’s in school. We don’t try to teach you everything there is to know about English and math–only what you’ll need to score higher on the exam. There’s a big difference. In Cracking the SSAT & ISEE, we’ll teach you how to think like the test writers and

·Correctly answer analogy and synonym questions even when you’re not sure what all of the words mean
·Ace the reading comprehension section by learning to spot main ideas, topic sentences, and key words
·Crack the general math section by learning to avoid wrong answer choices that look right but are planted to fool you
·Learn how to turn complicated algebra problems into simple word problems
·Simplify the SSAT writing sample and the ISEE essay using a sure-fire, step-by-step approach

This book includes five full-length practice tests, with questions like the ones you’ll see on the actual SSAT and ISEE.