General Books

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Longman Classics)

Mark Twain

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 511 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Huck Finn 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is required reading for my 16 yr old son....the
book arrived quickly & in great shape! Saved me driving all
over town to compete w/ other parents also looking!! Thanks!

Huckleberry Finn 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Huckleberry Finn is a classic. Simple as that. It provides a look into what life was probably like for a 19th century boy. It was different than the life of children today, because today life centers around education. Back then, it was a regular thing to play hooky, even though they got in trouble for it when they were caught. And when they were punished, usually it was with a beating instead of `You're Grounded!'.

The book shows us how badly slaves were treated. They weren't even considered humans! It was like they didn't have feelings, and didn't see things the same way white people did. They way the slaves actually did think was odd. It was sad to see that they could slap a slave for no reason, and the slave would accept it either because they were used to it or they thought that whites were better than them.

Huck Finn is rather unrealistic in the aspect of adventure. I'm guessing most boys back then didn't run off with an escaped slave to Cairo. The way that Mark Twain wrote the book was different than other first/second person books I've seen. The dialogue was very much like the 19th century southern Mississippi talk. Sometimes it got hard to decipher what a paragraph in slave-speak meant because it was so obscure.

All in all, Mark Twain's writing style is different than the traditional Southern book, but that doesn't detract at all from the story. I liked it!

Editorial Review:

'Cordially hated and dreaded by all the mothers of the town because he was idle, and lawless, vulgar, and bad - and because all their children admired him so', Huckleberry Finn, the fourteen-year-old son of the town drunkard, joins runaway slave Jim on an exciting journey down the mighty Mississippi River on a raft.

Kaplan TOEFL iBT with CD-ROM 2008-2009 (Kaplan Toefl Ibt)

Kaplan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

PROS AND CONS 4 out of 5 stars.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.

I bought Cracking the TOEFL IBT with Audio CD, 2009 Edition (College Test Prep)( Princeton Review) and Kaplan TOEFL iBT with CD-ROM 2008-2009 (Kaplan Toefl Ibt) .i read both of them for one month and passed the ibt by 97. This is what I think about these two books on all four part of ibt:
Princeton Review
Reading 3 out of 5: good strategies but the readings are simpler than the real exam
Writing 5 out of 5: great strategies and samples with good drills
Speaking 4 out of 5: good strategies and drills but difficult to use on exam
Listening 4 out of 5: good strategies and sample but limited number
Overall 4 out of 5: the most important negative point is that it comes only with audio cd and you can not experience the real exam condition.
Kaplan
Reading 5 out of 5: great strategies and samples
Writing 2 out of 5: some useful techniques but not so helpful
Speaking 2 out of 5: some useful techniques but too general
Listening 4 out of 5: good strategies and examples
Overall 3.5 out of 5: the most important positive point is that you can create the real exam condition by its cd-rom at home.

Editorial Review:

Includes:

-4 practice tests on CD-ROM in iBT format

-Audio CD and transcripts of authentic-language conversations for listening comprehension 

-8 comprehensive chapters of reading, writing,  listening, and speaking practice

-Hundreds of strategies for answering  integrated skills questions

American Accent Training (Book and Audio CD, 2nd Edition)

Ann Cook

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Barron's Educational Series Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $21.90

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Subjects -> Reference -> Words & Language -> Phonetics & Phonics

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 85 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A fantastic, often nefarious theme made easy! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have to say this book is for us people who would like to master American English Pronunciation...This book is fantastic in the whole theme. The way it explain the letters: There's a chapter tha deals with the "T", which Ann Cook explains very extensively, has more than five different sounds in American English. The final chapter (an appendix) deals with the most usual problems people from different etnicities face up to when trying to talk English.

Before coming to this material I "THOUGHT" I Knew English. But, confronting the issues presented, I deducted I knew just Spanish in English (What I call literally speaking a language). More or less, speaking English with a Spanish base.

I have these CDs on my car and here them over and over. I use to hear one for weeks and the turn it over to the other...and then circle back to the first...

I certainly recommend this book to anyone who has not been born in USA and would like to talk a better English (American Accent).

A WORD OF CAUTION: As everything in life, the whole thing is just as good as you prove yourself you are capable: MEANING? It require you to "work it out" and try the different accents, rythms and tones variation proposed by Ann. It's certainly not amateur stuff!!!

Editorial Review:

The second edition of the highly acclaimed American Accent Training, now on 5 audio CDs, is for foreign-born students and business people working, traveling or studying in the United States and Canada. Through extensive intonation and pronunciation exercises, students learn how to speak with a standard American Accent. At the same time, listening comprehension improves dramatically. Supplementary materials included detailed nationality guides for eight languages (Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Spanish, French, German, Russian and Korean), access to a comprehensive website, and referral to a qualified telephone analyst for an individual diagnostic speech analysis. Also included are colored markers for written exercises, and a mirror to practice accurate pronunciation.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Readers, Level 4)

Oscar Wilde, Wilde

Amazon Price: $9.27 List Price: $9.27 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Pearson ESL Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $4.44

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 262 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

"Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter"-Oscar Wilde 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Basil Hallward is an artist, who paints a portrait of Dorian Gray, a very good looking and naïve young man. The portrait is a masterpiece that in reality depicts Basil's feelings for Dorian, as well as, Dorian's youth and beauty.
Lord Henry Wotton, a seductive emotional predator and selfish pleasure seeker, is a friend of Basil who meets Dorian at Basil's house and gives him a philosophical speech about the fading nature of youth and beauty. Dorian whose greatest qualities are his youth and beauty pledges his soul to stay young and beautiful. As part of the deal Dorian Gray's portrait becomes the surrogate for the disgrace and aging of the real Dorian Gray.
Under the growing influence of Lord Henry over Dorian, the later embraces Hedonism and increasingly sinks into a sinful corrupt life and shows no regard for values or morals. A tragic event caused by Dorian's behaviors starts the projection of Dorian's ugliness and self -centeredness on the portrait. Dorian creates excuses and excuses himself with lame explanations for the tragedy and hides his portrait so he can't see the hideous transformation of himself reflected in his picture. As long as his beauty remains, he can ignore the changes in his portrait. It's interesting how Dorian tries to avoid his inner feeling of ugliness by trying to surround him self by beauty, and other beautiful distractions such as roses and music.

Basil's love for Dorian, which is likely a real life reflection of Wilde's love for Lord Alfred Douglas, causes Basil to defend and protect Dorian, even from his self destructive acts, until the last shocking event. I'm tempted to describe the ending event, but I won't deprive the reader from the pleasure of exploration and discovery.

Given the period when this novel was written, Wilde is artistically candid and courageous beyond belief. Wilde displays his usual wit, sarcastic playful ways and funny style, while he walks us through serious dilemmas like the supremacy of youth and beauty, homosexual feelings, repentance and murder. Wilde grabs the reader through the use of shocking events that not only criticize Victorian morality, but ironically displays a moral lesson about vanity and narcissism.

"The picture of Dorian Gray" is a wonderful piece of literature in which the portrait asserts itself as Dorian's conscience in a superficial society that places values on looks and wealth while ignoring the real value of humans. Simply, a one of a kind work.

Editorial Review:

As the years pass, Dorian Gray always looks young and handsome. But in the attic a picture of Dorian is changing day by day. What is happening to the picture and why has no one ever seen it? A classic story by one of the most celebrated authors of the nineteenth century. Oscar Wilde was famous not only for his writing but also his decadent life-style which made him many enemies as well as friends.

Wuthering Heights (Simple English)

Emily Bronte

List Price: $6.25 By: Longman Group United Kingdom Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $4.51

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 504 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

To be appreciated, not loved 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Although Wuthering Heights is distinguished as a Victorian romance novel, love is a stranger to these characters. They are manipulative, self deprecating, and pathological to the point of the readers amusement and wonderment. At times, I found myself shaking my head. How could Bronte create such uncivilized characters?

Very few readers will enjoy this novel, but many cannot help being in awe of Bronte's literary skill. It is intriguing that Bronte, in her 20's, was able to articulate the depth of human depravity and psychopathology with such profound perception. Through her writing, we learn something about her; she is passionate, intense, imaginative, intriguing and mysterious.

This is one of my favorite parts of the narrative.... it beams with imagination, brilliance and eloquence.

"Heaven did not seem to be my home; and I broke my heart with weeping to come back to earth; and the angels were so angry that they flung me out into the middle of the heath on the top of Wuthering Heights; where I woke sobbing for joy" (Chapter 9).

Editorial Review:

The story of Cathy Earnshaw and the wild Heathcliff as they fall in love on the Yorkshire moors spans three generations and is seen through the eyes of the narrators Lockwood and Nelly Dean. Emily Bronte tells of the passion between Cathy and Heathcliff with such vivid intensity that her tale of tragic love has gripped readers for over 100 years.

English Grammar In Use with Answers and CD ROM: A Self-study Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Students of English (Grammar in Use)

Raymond Murphy

Amazon Price: $21.12 List Price: $32.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Cambridge University Press Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $18.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

English Grammar in Use Third Edition is a fully updated version of the classic grammar title. It retains the key features of clarity and accessibility which have made the book so popular. This third edition: - has 10 completely new units, including 9 new units on phrasal verbs to more thoroughly cover this important area for intermediate students. - has even more Additional Exercises, to offer more contrastive practice. - is in full colour and has a slightly larger format to look clearer and more inviting for students. The with answers version of the book is packaged with the CD ROM. This exciting and substantial new CD ROM: - has a diagnostic test to help students identify areas to practise. - has extra exercises for all the units in the book. - allows users to make their own tests from a bank of contrastive exercises. - has recordings of all the main exercises so users can practise their pronunciation. - includes a link to Cambridge Dictionaries Online so students can look up any words they need.

Student Text, Vol. A: Understanding and Using English Grammar (Blue), Third Edition

Betty Schrampfer Azar

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This classic developmental skills text is a comprehensive grammar reference as well as a stimulating, teachable classroom text. While keeping the same basic approach and material as in earlier editions, the third edition more fully develops communicative and interactive language-learning activities. New features include: -- Numerous "real communication" opportunities. -- More options for interactive work in pairs and groups. -- Additional open-ended communicative tasks for both speaking and writing. -- Expanded error-analysis exercises. -- Interesting, lively new exercise material. -- Shorter units for each class use. Second Edition Workbook, Chartbook, Teacher's Guide, Transparencies, and Answer Keys can be used with the new Third Edition. Program Components: -- Student Book -- available in full and split editions. -- Workbook -- offers self-study practice (with answers provided) for independent study or classroom use. -- Chartbook -- a compilation of all the grammar charts from the Student Book, for easy reference. -- Answer Keys -- available for the Student Book.

Side by Side: Student Book 4, Third Edition

Steven J. Molinsky, Bill Bliss, Molinsky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Side by Side, Third Edition, by Steven J. Molinsky and Bill Bliss, is a dynamic, all-skills program that integrates conversation practice, reading, writing, and listening -- all in a light-hearted, fun, and easy-to-use format that has been embraced by students and teachers worldwide. This four-level program promotes native communication between students ...practicing speaking together "side by side." Features of the Third Edition *Vocabulary Preview sections in every chapter introduce key words in a lively picture dictionary format. *"How to Say It!" lessons highlight communication strategies. *Pronunciation exercises provide models for practicing authentic pronunciation, stress, and intonation. *Side by Side Gazette "magazine-style" pages offer feature articles, fact files, vocabulary expansion, cross-cultural topics through photos, authentic listening activities, e-mail exchanges, and humorous cartoons for role-playing. *All-new illustrations are lively, light-hearted, and richly detailed to offer students language practice that is contextualized and fun.The core components include Student Books, Teacher's Guides, Activity Workbooks, Activity & Test Prep Workbooks, Communication Games and Activity Masters, audio programs, combined split editions (Student Book and Workbook lessons combined), a testing program, and picture cards.

Speak English Like an American (Book & Audio CD set)

Amy Gillett

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Clear, Practical, and Engaging 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This excellent ESL textbook provides engaging model dialogs, explains practical American idioms - with solid definitions and examples, and includes a CD with clear articulation. The dialogs, illustrated with pen and ink cartoons, display a healthy sense of humor.
Speak English Like an American is almost ideal for adult education students, international visitors seeking to improve their language skills, and young people considering studying in the United States. Apparently designed for self-study, this book also works for English tutors and classroom instructors.
I strongly recommend this outstanding new book for immigrants and international students, ESL teachers and tutors. It's a winner!

Editorial Review:

If you already speak English, but now would like to start speaking even better, then Speak English Like an American is for you. This book and CD set is designed to help native speakers of any language speak better English. Over 300 of the most-used American English idioms and phrases are presented in engaging dialogue, with plenty of usage examples, illustrations, and lots of exercises -- with convenient answer key -- to help you learn the material. The audio CD includes all of the dialogues. Ideal for self-study. A fun and effective way to improve your conversational English!

Frankenstein

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

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Total reviews: 318 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Choose the 1818 version 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Most editions of Mary Shelley's landmark book available today follow the heavily revised 1831 version. The impulse behind this trend is an honorable one (to present what is seemingly an author's "final revision"),but the 1818 version is preferable for many reasons. Looking back on her creation in later life, Shelley felt obliged to alter the book's focus in significant ways, adding what critic Marilyn Butler accurately describes as "long passages in which her main narrator, [Victor] Frankenstein, expresses religious remorse for making a creature..." The author sought to make the 1831 edition less controversial and thereby more palatable to the tastes of the reading public. The 1818 version is closer to Mary Shelley's original intentions, though it too, unfortunately, was filtered through the sensibilities of her husband, the poet Percy Shelley, who took many of his wife's rather straightforward passages and rendered them into his own more ornate and Ciceronian style. Still, the 1818 version remains more vital, more original, and less constrained by what the author believed would be acceptable to readers in 1830s England.

Editorial Review:

This is one of the best known horror stories ever. Victor Frankenstein, a Swiss scientist, has a great ambition: to create intelligent life. But when his creature first stirs, he realizes he has made a monster. A monster which, abandoned by his master and shunned by everyone who sees it, follows Dr. Frankenstein with murder and horrors to the very ends of the earth.