Koncocoo

Best Grammar Reference

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition
Use the fourth edition of "the little book" to make a big impact with writing. "No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume." "The book remains a nonpareil: direct, correct, and delightful." "It's hard to imagine an engineer or a manager who doesn't need to express himself in English prose as part of his job. It's also hard to imagine a writer who will not be improved by a liberal application of The Elements of Style ."
Reviews
"edition (the one with the blue cover that is expanded) and I own the 3rd edition (which is not expanded). I've always struggled with being concise in my writing, and this book is THE book to help you maximize your writing."
"Classic book, I don't know one better."
"I bought this for a family member who is writing a book."
"It is by-far the best book book for conveying a message with concision and clarity."
"If you are a writer and need some quick referencing for your style and answered questions about how to use elements of structure in the literary world, this book is perfect."
"William Strunk's original guide, before the modern updates by E. B."
"A beginner or novice needs another book on writing that includes those aspects of the written english language."
"Anyone who even thinks about wanting to write should have this book on the nighttable, or within easy reach of brief periodic readings. The underlying point, like all good English books, is that there really is no new way to say, "it is," although overuse of "be" is a detriment to vivid writing."
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The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition
This seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style has been prepared with an eye toward how we find, create, and cite information that readers are as likely to access from their pockets as from a bookshelf. It offers updated guidelines on electronic workflows and publication formats, tools for PDF annotation and citation management, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords. The citation chapters reflect the ever-expanding universe of electronic sources—including social media posts and comments, private messages, and app content—and also offer updated guidelines on such issues as DOIs, time stamps, and e-book locators. ( Washington Post ). “This manual stands as an indispensable and thoughtfully constructed English language and style resource for those compelled, by enthusiasm or responsibility, to attend to the minutiae of written expression.”. ( Publishers Weekly ). “As it incorporates contemporary examples (e.g., NOOK, Lady Gaga), CMS, as expected, offers sensible, clear advice on matters great and small for authors’ guidance—such as the treatment of names of ships and spaceships, use of the en dash, how to edit electronic manuscripts, and the ins and outs of documenting and citing works of many kinds.
Reviews
"I bought CMOS 17 primarily for two reasons: (1) my CMOS 16 was battered and torn, beaten down by years of abuse and page-cornering; (2) I like to keep up with the changes, even if Bowie is dead. The biggest changes in content in CMOS 17, compared with CMOS 16, are an added subsection on syntax and expansion of the discussions of copyright and permissions. Another change one may not notice without CMOS 16 in hand, unless one happens to be a publisher/typographer, is with fonts. If so, I recommend GARNER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE by Bryan Garner (still weighty and not quite as comprehensive, but a bit more entertaining—and Garner is the contributor of the Usage chapter in CMOS, so the information in his book is consistent with that provided in CMOS) and EDITOR-PROOF YOUR WRITING by Don McNair (nice and short but absolutely loaded with information that can make a subpar writer an above-average one—maybe). Given the number of discordant reviews of his book by obviously failed writers (and because I've read it cover to cover and can attest to its quality), I'd say McNair has a live one."
"Even so, this is a very good resource to clarify some rules of usage that we can forget or we never learned in school. It would be lovely if folks who bought a copy of this pricey tome also got access to more examples at the CMOS site and ongoing notifications of revisions of rules before the next edition released. Some changes to hyphenation-- head hunting becomes head-hunting; e-mail is now email--and some differences in certain uses of commas are also included in the new edition."
"Briefly, I like the organization and I love the index--a real old-fashioned index done by a professional indexer that means if it's in the book you can find it However, I simply haven't used it was much as I though I would."
"The Chicago Manual of Style is the gold standard."
"It's THE book for fiction editors."
"Quite the doorstop, but a great reference."
"The best style manual in print."
"The gold standard of English usage."
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Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer
Ten years ago, Roy Peter Clark, America's most influential writing teacher, whittled down almost thirty years of experience in journalism, writing, and teaching into a series of fifty short essays on different aspects of writing. The 50 tools discussed here take writers through the process of storytelling in prose, from the basic (construct a sentence with a subject and a verb) to the advanced (make your characters archetypes, not stereotypes).
Reviews
"Love this book."
"I've recommended this book to my fellow writers."
"Among his many talents, Roy Peter Clark is a superb teacher, and in Writing Tools, he breaks down 50 aspects of writing in digestible chunks."
"This reference tool is an absolute necessity for ANY writer, of any type information."
"Not an exhaustive reference, but a good basic guide, and great for people who have trouble wading through technical grammar references."
"This should be mandatory reading for all fiction and non-fiction writers."
"Great overview of writing tools."
"This book is well organized, efficient, and full of great ideas."
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Best Writing Skills Reference

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition
This seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style has been prepared with an eye toward how we find, create, and cite information that readers are as likely to access from their pockets as from a bookshelf. It offers updated guidelines on electronic workflows and publication formats, tools for PDF annotation and citation management, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords. The citation chapters reflect the ever-expanding universe of electronic sources—including social media posts and comments, private messages, and app content—and also offer updated guidelines on such issues as DOIs, time stamps, and e-book locators. ( Washington Post ). “This manual stands as an indispensable and thoughtfully constructed English language and style resource for those compelled, by enthusiasm or responsibility, to attend to the minutiae of written expression.”. ( Publishers Weekly ). “As it incorporates contemporary examples (e.g., NOOK, Lady Gaga), CMS, as expected, offers sensible, clear advice on matters great and small for authors’ guidance—such as the treatment of names of ships and spaceships, use of the en dash, how to edit electronic manuscripts, and the ins and outs of documenting and citing works of many kinds.
Reviews
"I bought CMOS 17 primarily for two reasons: (1) my CMOS 16 was battered and torn, beaten down by years of abuse and page-cornering; (2) I like to keep up with the changes, even if Bowie is dead. The biggest changes in content in CMOS 17, compared with CMOS 16, are an added subsection on syntax and expansion of the discussions of copyright and permissions. Another change one may not notice without CMOS 16 in hand, unless one happens to be a publisher/typographer, is with fonts. If so, I recommend GARNER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE by Bryan Garner (still weighty and not quite as comprehensive, but a bit more entertaining—and Garner is the contributor of the Usage chapter in CMOS, so the information in his book is consistent with that provided in CMOS) and EDITOR-PROOF YOUR WRITING by Don McNair (nice and short but absolutely loaded with information that can make a subpar writer an above-average one—maybe). Given the number of discordant reviews of his book by obviously failed writers (and because I've read it cover to cover and can attest to its quality), I'd say McNair has a live one."
"Even so, this is a very good resource to clarify some rules of usage that we can forget or we never learned in school. It would be lovely if folks who bought a copy of this pricey tome also got access to more examples at the CMOS site and ongoing notifications of revisions of rules before the next edition released. Some changes to hyphenation-- head hunting becomes head-hunting; e-mail is now email--and some differences in certain uses of commas are also included in the new edition."
"Briefly, I like the organization and I love the index--a real old-fashioned index done by a professional indexer that means if it's in the book you can find it However, I simply haven't used it was much as I though I would."
"What's to like or not like: it's a guide that one needs for one's professional life."
"The Chicago Manual of Style is the gold standard."
"The best style manual in print."
"The gold standard of English usage."
"Sure, Turabian distills this book (and the sin of the latest Turabian is that in a misguided attempt to appeal to more people, they've added a parenthetical reference system to the footnote system she popularized), but sometimes you must turn to the Chicago for more information."
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Best Grammar Reference

The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need: A One-Stop Source for Every Writing Assignment
Using dozens of examples, The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need provides guidelines for: Understanding the parts of speech and elements of a sentence Avoiding the most common grammar and punctuation mistakes Using correct punctuating in every sentence Writing clearly and directly Approaching writing projects, whether big or small. She edits and publishes Class Act, a national magazine that features grammar, writing, and ideas for English teachers, and has written more than fifty articles on English instruction, as well as a number of study guides. If a sentence contains a misplaced or dangling modifier or is essentially illogical, it becomes confusing at best and ludicrous at worst. This chapter will give you some pointers for looking critically at your sentence construction as well as the tools to fix any problems you find. The way the sentence is written, the ambulance driver is barely speaking—but surely that’s not what the writer meant. Witnesses reported that the woman was driving the getaway car with flowing black hair. Witnesses reported that the woman with flowing black hair was driving the getaway car. Mrs. Anderson could not stop thinking about her sick baby running in the six-mile road race. The clause running in the six-mile road race is out of place; it should be closer to the noun it modifies (Mrs. Anderson).
Reviews
"The problem is that often the description is useful, but the example given is so incredibly bad that one wonders if they missed something. For instance, in the section on plural possessives, the author correctly points out that plural possessives are usually formed with an apostrophe but not 's' on the end. All that noise related only tangentially to the actual point—how to punctuate plural possessives, NOT how to find plural nouns (as if finding the word with the "s" on the end is like divining water or casting magic spells). My guess is that readers will be more rather than less confused after reading this section. Meanwhile, the author adds sections about predicates, gerunds, and similar concepts that most beginning students will find quite difficult to understand because they are more nuanced than simple subject–verb constructions."
"I would suggest purchasing The McGraw-HIll Book of English Grammar and Usage, along with this book and workbook, should you need more explanations on some of the topics. However, I will say that the commonly misspelled words in this book is more comprehensive than any other grammar books I've taken a look at recently."
"Small enough to fit in a purse or bag and easy to read/find what you need quickly."
"Excellent book on Grammar, with this one, you won't need any other!"
"Using this text for a homeschool study skills class."
"Good book for learning a new word each day."
"Purchase it to review English grammar."
"Arrived quickly and as described."
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Best Reference

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
#1 New York Times Bestseller |. Named one of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • The Seattle Times • Esquire • Time Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction | Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction | Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award | Finalist for the Los Angeles Book Prize | Finalist for the Kirkus Reviews Prize | An American Library Association Notable Book A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books “Searing, moving . Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he’s also a gifted writer and storyteller.” — The Washington Post “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Just Mercy is his inspiring and powerful story.” —John Grisham “Bryan Stevenson is one of my personal heroes, perhaps the most inspiring and influential crusader for justice alive today, and Just Mercy is extraordinary. But at the same time that [Bryan] Stevenson tells an utterly damning story of deep-seated and widespread injustice, he also recounts instances of human compassion, understanding, mercy, and justice that offer hope. Just Mercy is a remarkable amalgam, at once a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books. For decades he has fought judges, prosecutors and police on behalf of those who are impoverished, black or both. Injustice is easy not to notice when it affects people different from ourselves; that helps explain the obliviousness of our own generation to inequity today. Against tremendous odds, Stevenson has worked to free scores of people from wrongful or excessive punishment, arguing five times before the Supreme Court. The message of the book, hammered home by dramatic examples of one man’s refusal to sit quietly and countenance horror, is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Stevenson has been angry about [the criminal justice system] for years, and we are all the better for it.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Bryan Stevenson, however, is very much alive and doing God’s work fighting for the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the vulnerable, the outcast, and those with no hope. The stories told within these pages hold the potential to transform what we think we mean when we talk about justice.” —Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow “A distinguished NYU law professor and MacArthur grant recipient offers the compelling story of the legal practice he founded to protect the rights of people on the margins of American society. It is inspiring and suspenseful—a revelation.” —Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns “Words such as important and compelling may have lost their force through overuse, but reading this book will restore their meaning, along with one’s hopes for humanity.” —Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains “Bryan Stevenson is America’s young Nelson Mandela, a brilliant lawyer fighting with courage and conviction to guarantee justice for all. It is as gripping to read as any legal thriller, and what hangs in the balance is nothing less than the soul of a great nation.” —Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Reviews
"My tendency is to put things into "liberal" and "conservative" buckets and this one seemingly fit into the liberal bucket and I am a professed conservative."
"I have a new hero . Bryan Stevenson. This is a great book."
"This is a system that condemns children to life imprisonment without parole, that makes petty theft a crime as serious as murder, and that has declared war on hundreds of thousands of people with substance abuse problems by imprisoning them and denying them help. JUST MERCY explores a number of devastating cases, including children as young as fourteen facing life imprisonment, and scores of people on death row - mostly poor, and mostly black - who have been unfairly convicted. But the central focus is on Walter McMillan, a black man sentenced to death for the murder of a prominent young white woman. Ours is no longer a country that sees compassion as a virtue; instead, we write harsher and harsher laws that demand longer and longer sentences for those we consider undesirables. It's rare these days to meet someone who truly dedicates himself to those least able to help themselves, especially someone who isn't after media attention or self-promotion."
"He is a witness in the stories, a helper, an overwhelmed human who makes sure his clients and the system are the focus of his stories, so we, the readers, can begin to understand what really happens in the legal system, from the behavior of police to the biases of justices with unchecked power, and the witnesses that are the wrong color to be heard."
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Best Authorship Reference

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition
This seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style has been prepared with an eye toward how we find, create, and cite information that readers are as likely to access from their pockets as from a bookshelf. It offers updated guidelines on electronic workflows and publication formats, tools for PDF annotation and citation management, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords. The citation chapters reflect the ever-expanding universe of electronic sources—including social media posts and comments, private messages, and app content—and also offer updated guidelines on such issues as DOIs, time stamps, and e-book locators. ( Washington Post ). “This manual stands as an indispensable and thoughtfully constructed English language and style resource for those compelled, by enthusiasm or responsibility, to attend to the minutiae of written expression.”. ( Publishers Weekly ). “As it incorporates contemporary examples (e.g., NOOK, Lady Gaga), CMS, as expected, offers sensible, clear advice on matters great and small for authors’ guidance—such as the treatment of names of ships and spaceships, use of the en dash, how to edit electronic manuscripts, and the ins and outs of documenting and citing works of many kinds.
Reviews
"I bought CMOS 17 primarily for two reasons: (1) my CMOS 16 was battered and torn, beaten down by years of abuse and page-cornering; (2) I like to keep up with the changes, even if Bowie is dead. The biggest changes in content in CMOS 17, compared with CMOS 16, are an added subsection on syntax and expansion of the discussions of copyright and permissions. Another change one may not notice without CMOS 16 in hand, unless one happens to be a publisher/typographer, is with fonts. If so, I recommend GARNER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE by Bryan Garner (still weighty and not quite as comprehensive, but a bit more entertaining—and Garner is the contributor of the Usage chapter in CMOS, so the information in his book is consistent with that provided in CMOS) and EDITOR-PROOF YOUR WRITING by Don McNair (nice and short but absolutely loaded with information that can make a subpar writer an above-average one—maybe). Given the number of discordant reviews of his book by obviously failed writers (and because I've read it cover to cover and can attest to its quality), I'd say McNair has a live one."
"Even so, this is a very good resource to clarify some rules of usage that we can forget or we never learned in school. It would be lovely if folks who bought a copy of this pricey tome also got access to more examples at the CMOS site and ongoing notifications of revisions of rules before the next edition released. Some changes to hyphenation-- head hunting becomes head-hunting; e-mail is now email--and some differences in certain uses of commas are also included in the new edition."
"Briefly, I like the organization and I love the index--a real old-fashioned index done by a professional indexer that means if it's in the book you can find it However, I simply haven't used it was much as I though I would."
"What's to like or not like: it's a guide that one needs for one's professional life."
"The Chicago Manual of Style is the gold standard."
"The best style manual in print."
"The gold standard of English usage."
"Sure, Turabian distills this book (and the sin of the latest Turabian is that in a misguided attempt to appeal to more people, they've added a parenthetical reference system to the footnote system she popularized), but sometimes you must turn to the Chicago for more information."
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Best Technical Writing Reference

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition
Use the fourth edition of "the little book" to make a big impact with writing. "No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume." "The book remains a nonpareil: direct, correct, and delightful." "It's hard to imagine an engineer or a manager who doesn't need to express himself in English prose as part of his job. It's also hard to imagine a writer who will not be improved by a liberal application of The Elements of Style ."
Reviews
"edition (the one with the blue cover that is expanded) and I own the 3rd edition (which is not expanded). I've always struggled with being concise in my writing, and this book is THE book to help you maximize your writing."
"I think this would be an excellent little guide for high school and college age students."
"Classic book, I don't know one better."
"I bought this for a family member who is writing a book."
"It was the required text for English 8, a course taught by the author and printer of the book, William Strunk Jr. Strunk called it "the little book," an apt label for a book of forty three pages. There's a fourth edition, a fiftieth anniversary edition, even an illustrated edition. The New York Times says that, "It's as timeless as a book can be in our age of volubility." "The beginner should approach style warily, realizing that it is himself he is approaching, no other; and he should begin by turning resolutely away from all devices that are popularly believed to indicate style--all mannerisms, tricks, adornments. The approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity.""
"a century has passed since this book was written, and thousands have attempted to surpass it, without succees."
"This should be a required text for college freshman, or high school seniors as they strive to improve their writing."
"It is by-far the best book book for conveying a message with concision and clarity."
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Best Book Publishing Reference

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition
This seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style has been prepared with an eye toward how we find, create, and cite information that readers are as likely to access from their pockets as from a bookshelf. It offers updated guidelines on electronic workflows and publication formats, tools for PDF annotation and citation management, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords. The citation chapters reflect the ever-expanding universe of electronic sources—including social media posts and comments, private messages, and app content—and also offer updated guidelines on such issues as DOIs, time stamps, and e-book locators. ( Washington Post ). “This manual stands as an indispensable and thoughtfully constructed English language and style resource for those compelled, by enthusiasm or responsibility, to attend to the minutiae of written expression.”. ( Publishers Weekly ). “As it incorporates contemporary examples (e.g., NOOK, Lady Gaga), CMS, as expected, offers sensible, clear advice on matters great and small for authors’ guidance—such as the treatment of names of ships and spaceships, use of the en dash, how to edit electronic manuscripts, and the ins and outs of documenting and citing works of many kinds.
Reviews
"I bought CMOS 17 primarily for two reasons: (1) my CMOS 16 was battered and torn, beaten down by years of abuse and page-cornering; (2) I like to keep up with the changes, even if Bowie is dead. The biggest changes in content in CMOS 17, compared with CMOS 16, are an added subsection on syntax and expansion of the discussions of copyright and permissions. Another change one may not notice without CMOS 16 in hand, unless one happens to be a publisher/typographer, is with fonts. If so, I recommend GARNER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE by Bryan Garner (still weighty and not quite as comprehensive, but a bit more entertaining—and Garner is the contributor of the Usage chapter in CMOS, so the information in his book is consistent with that provided in CMOS) and EDITOR-PROOF YOUR WRITING by Don McNair (nice and short but absolutely loaded with information that can make a subpar writer an above-average one—maybe). Given the number of discordant reviews of his book by obviously failed writers (and because I've read it cover to cover and can attest to its quality), I'd say McNair has a live one."
"Even so, this is a very good resource to clarify some rules of usage that we can forget or we never learned in school. It would be lovely if folks who bought a copy of this pricey tome also got access to more examples at the CMOS site and ongoing notifications of revisions of rules before the next edition released. Some changes to hyphenation-- head hunting becomes head-hunting; e-mail is now email--and some differences in certain uses of commas are also included in the new edition."
"Briefly, I like the organization and I love the index--a real old-fashioned index done by a professional indexer that means if it's in the book you can find it However, I simply haven't used it was much as I though I would."
"What's to like or not like: it's a guide that one needs for one's professional life."
"The Chicago Manual of Style is the gold standard."
"The best style manual in print."
"The gold standard of English usage."
"Sure, Turabian distills this book (and the sin of the latest Turabian is that in a misguided attempt to appeal to more people, they've added a parenthetical reference system to the footnote system she popularized), but sometimes you must turn to the Chicago for more information."
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Best Synonym & Antonym Reference Books

Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words
With some one thousand entries, from “a, an” to “zoom,” that feature real-world examples of questionable usage from an international array of publications, and with a helpful glossary and guide to pronunciation, this precise, prescriptive, and–because it is written by Bill Bryson–often witty book belongs on the desk of every person who cares enough about the language not to maul or misuse or distort it. Fowler's A Dictionary of Modern English Usage as an authority, though he also makes a handful of references to recent texts, such as the Encarta World English Dictionary and Atlantic Monthly columnist Barbara Wallraff's "Word Court." Despite the revisions, the book often betrays its origins as a British text, as in citing words in common usage throughout the U.K. and British Commonwealth, but rarely used by American writers, such as Taoiseach, the Prime Minister of Ireland or City of London vs. city of London.
Reviews
"This was a gift."
"Fun to read, this is a great primer on the often subtle distinctions between words such as "gantlet" and "gauntlet.""
"And slightly disconcerting discoveries that you had previously totally not understood the true meaning, or for that matter had any idea what the word or phrase had meant."
"I won't remember all situations from the book, of course, but the book has planted a seed so I probably will remember to check in the future."
"The misused, the misunderstood and even the mis-spelled are treated with great humour and insight. Bryson is a highly observant wordsmith and his book should be read by all those who cherish English and its marvelous journey."
"I'm a sucker for reference books, and I've also started writing more."
"Rarely have I had this much fun from one book."
"SUCKS purchase Webster's spelling corrector cheap and promotes good vocabulari."
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Best Phonetics & Phonics Reference

Explode the Code 1
Explode The Code provides a sequential, systematic approach to phonics in which students blend sounds to build vocabulary and read words, phrases, sentences, and stories.
Reviews
"At best, they begin teaching phonics in first grade after teaching high frequency words with flashcards in kindergarten... which simply teaches young children that the way to read is to memorize what a "word picture" looks like. From everything I've read, getting a kid who has learned to read this way to put in the effort to learn phonics is like pulling teeth so I was determined to teach my daughter proper reading with phonics. She could pick out the letters in simple words that she heard and read simple C-V-C words like 'cat'. I checked out several books from the library, including "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons", "Phonics Pathways", and "The Reading Lesson". (2) Can your child blend letters together to read simple C-V-C words like "cat"? If not, play word games to get her hearing those letter sounds, play "spot the letter ___" in stores where each of you try to find things that start with a specific letter. (3) Once your child knows those letter sounds and understands the concept of sounding out words, you are ready for these books."
"I love this series of books for homeschooling!"
"I bought this for my daughter who I homeschool for Kindergarten."
"This book started my daughter reading !!"
"These books are wonderful."
"boy likes it and learning to read and write quickly."
"I am homeschooling my kindergartner and he has been doing so well with this book!"
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Best French Language Instruction

Easy French Step-by-Step
You are quickly introduced to grammatical rules and concepts in order of importance, which you can build on as you progress through the book. Myrna Bell Rochester is a textbook author and editor.
Reviews
"The only issue I have with the book is that there is not phonetic pronunciation key to accompany the vocabulary words."
"With the knowledge I received from Easy French, coupled with a sample of Pimsleur really increased my verbal fluency. When I was depending on what I learned from Easy French, I would still struggle with phonetic French. If you have a talent to pick up languages by ear, then I recommend you go through the Pimsleur French first and Easy French second. I have always had french classes in my youth and somehow I retained a lot of the basic grammar, which helped in the easy way I swept through the first couple of chapters in Easy French. If you have no idea where to start in order to start the process of learning the ever so difficult French language then look no further than Easy French Step-by Step for Written Fluency. Click on the links to direct you the additional material I bought and recommend with Easy French: French, Conversational: Learn to Speak and Understand French with Pimsleur Language Programs. The Ultimate French Review and Practice."
"Easy to read, easy to learn, I use almost evary day at least 20 minutes."
"For someone trying to teach themselves French, it's kind of confusing and the chapters don't follow in a nice order..."
"Very helpful in learning word gender and how to pronounce French words!"
"This is one of the best French grammar books in its price range on the market."
"Loves it but needs a French to English translation/ dictionary."
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Best Communications

Leadership: Theory and Practice, 7th Edition
2016 Recipient of the McGuffey Longevity Award. from the Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA) Translated into 12 different languages and used in 89 countries, this market-leading text successfully combines an academically robust account of the major theories and models of leadership with an accessible style and practical examples that help students apply what they learn. "I have found Peter’s books exceptionally well written, applauded by my students for its quality and readability. "A useable and up-to-date introduction of the psychodynamic approach that brings psychological concerns about motivation and personality into a helpful conversation with mainstream leadership theory." [The Adaptive Leadership Chapter] presents leadership through a new lens and provides an approach to leadership that was missing from previous editions. "Leadership: Theory and Practice is a scholarly examination of leadership as a dynamic, evolving, and elusive influence process with differing approaches to effectively build relationships and facilitate the achievement of goals and visions." He then presents the strengths and weaknesses of various leadership approaches in a compelling way, yielding evidence based leadership practices." "This is the ideal text for a survey course on leadership theory that also helps students put their leadership into practice."
Reviews
"Good read."
"used for a class at university and liked it."
"Great theory in this textbook."
"A little dry, but a good amalgamation of several leadership theories and models."
"Every student of business leadership should have this easy-to-read guide."
"Not the best book but needed for the class and the ebook version was easy to buy and download."
"Great book."
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Best Linguistics

American Sign Language Dictionary, Third Edition
This illustrated abridgment of the most authoritative reference book on sign language features more than 5,000 signs and 8,000 illustrations, as well as clear, detailed instructions to help you master each sign. An illustrated abridgment of the most authoritative reference book on sign language, with well-written and easily understood instructions for the use of each sign.
Reviews
"It is a great book."
"A good reference when not using ASL apps."
"Gave this as a gift to our 13 year old."
"I am very pleased with this book after my first glance."
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Best Russian Language Instruction

Dirty Russian (Dirty Everyday Slang)
GET D!RTY Next time you’re traveling or just chattin’ in Russia with your friends, drop the textbook formality and bust out with expressions they never teach you in school, including: • Cool slang. • Funny insults. • Explicit sex terms. • Raw swear words. Dirty Russian teaches the casual expressions heard every day on the streets of Russia: Dirty Japanese-Previous Dirty-Series Title-9781569755655-10.00-Ulysses Press-07/2007-11000--. Dirty Italian-Previous Dirty-Series Title-9781569755662-10.00-Ulysses Press-10/2007-3500--. Dirty French-Previous Dirty-Series Title-9781569756584-10.00-Ulysses Press-10/2008--- Dirty Japanese|Previous Dirty|Series Title|9781569755655|10.00|Ulysses Press|07/2007|11000||. Dirty Italian|Previous Dirty|Series Title|9781569755662|10.00|Ulysses Press|10/2007|3500||. Dirty French|Previous Dirty|Series Title|9781569756584|10.00|Ulysses Press|10/2008|||.
Reviews
"Pretty funny book."
""Dirty Russian" is street slang that would not be taught in a standard university course."
"So funny book) I expected something really really small and not so much informative....but.....I'm glad that i got it )))) it is very useful for both English and Russian speakers!!!"
"I am from Ukraine and my hubby is American."
"There is a formatting problem with this product on the Kindle Fire (and perhaps other versions, I don't know)."
"This book only translates English idioms/slang-words/saying into Russian."
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Best Latin Language Instruction

Getting Started with Latin: Beginning Latin for Homeschoolers and Self-Taught Students of Any Age
If you're intimidated because you've never studied Latin, bewildered by traditional Latin books that move too fast, or just don't know where to begin, then Getting Started with Latin is for you! A native of North Carolina, William E. Linney holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in music from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.
Reviews
"Bad news first: As others have stated this book can be finished quickly--not in half an hour as one reviewer put it, but a week is enough time for a serrious adult student to master the material in this course. Following this method the learner never feels overwhelmed, after learning a few nouns and verbs, one can quickly and naturally move on to correctly produce simple sentences."
"We are satisfied with Rosetta Stone, however we just needed a little help with the forms in the Latin Language and this has been very helpful."
"great presentation of latin, learn a little at a time, dont rush, and absorb the info."
"A very good, very logical step by step guide to learning Latin."
"This book was ok."
"I studied Latin throughout high school and when I began to homeschool my 6-year-old daughter I looked for a good introductory text."
"This book is the best choice I have found for three reasons: First, each lesson is short and teaches ONE new concept at a time. The effect of this is my second reason for loving this text: my students and children feel excited about their ability to tackle Latin."
"I am learning Latin with my first grader, and it has been easy to follow and understand(for both of us!)."
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Best Creative Writing & Composition

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Expression
One of the biggest problem areas for writers is conveying a character's emotions to the reader in a unique, compelling way. Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are bestselling authors, writing coaches, and international speakers.
Reviews
"In my opinion, this guide could be useful to both new and experienced writers of fiction. For the former, this is an amazing resource for learning how to write convincing characters and see how emotions translate into writing (then, hopefully, provoking sympathy, empathy, or whatever feeling you wish to evoke in the reader). For the latter, I would say that this can easily be a go-to reference for experienced writers to shake things up a bit and to avoid the long hours of research it would require to do the legwork already done in this guide."
"This book should be a must for every fiction author."
"An invaluable guide for novice writers and their endless struggle with the crucial "show, don't tell" dictum."
"It has suggestions for nearly every emotion you can think of."
"As a new writer, I have been using this with my current WIP, and it has helped when I am searching for the correct actions to describe a particular emotion my characters are feeling."
"An extremely helpful resource."
"An absolutely awesome reference book for those who are writing or acting."
"It digs deep by talking not only about external signs, but internal as well, giving writers significantly more to play with in the wording of their novels."
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Best Book Publishing Industry

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition
This seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style has been prepared with an eye toward how we find, create, and cite information that readers are as likely to access from their pockets as from a bookshelf. It offers updated guidelines on electronic workflows and publication formats, tools for PDF annotation and citation management, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords. The citation chapters reflect the ever-expanding universe of electronic sources—including social media posts and comments, private messages, and app content—and also offer updated guidelines on such issues as DOIs, time stamps, and e-book locators. ( Washington Post ). “This manual stands as an indispensable and thoughtfully constructed English language and style resource for those compelled, by enthusiasm or responsibility, to attend to the minutiae of written expression.”. ( Publishers Weekly ). “As it incorporates contemporary examples (e.g., NOOK, Lady Gaga), CMS, as expected, offers sensible, clear advice on matters great and small for authors’ guidance—such as the treatment of names of ships and spaceships, use of the en dash, how to edit electronic manuscripts, and the ins and outs of documenting and citing works of many kinds.
Reviews
"I bought CMOS 17 primarily for two reasons: (1) my CMOS 16 was battered and torn, beaten down by years of abuse and page-cornering; (2) I like to keep up with the changes, even if Bowie is dead. The biggest changes in content in CMOS 17, compared with CMOS 16, are an added subsection on syntax and expansion of the discussions of copyright and permissions. Another change one may not notice without CMOS 16 in hand, unless one happens to be a publisher/typographer, is with fonts. If so, I recommend GARNER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE by Bryan Garner (still weighty and not quite as comprehensive, but a bit more entertaining—and Garner is the contributor of the Usage chapter in CMOS, so the information in his book is consistent with that provided in CMOS) and EDITOR-PROOF YOUR WRITING by Don McNair (nice and short but absolutely loaded with information that can make a subpar writer an above-average one—maybe). Given the number of discordant reviews of his book by obviously failed writers (and because I've read it cover to cover and can attest to its quality), I'd say McNair has a live one."
"Even so, this is a very good resource to clarify some rules of usage that we can forget or we never learned in school. It would be lovely if folks who bought a copy of this pricey tome also got access to more examples at the CMOS site and ongoing notifications of revisions of rules before the next edition released. Some changes to hyphenation-- head hunting becomes head-hunting; e-mail is now email--and some differences in certain uses of commas are also included in the new edition."
"Briefly, I like the organization and I love the index--a real old-fashioned index done by a professional indexer that means if it's in the book you can find it However, I simply haven't used it was much as I though I would."
"What's to like or not like: it's a guide that one needs for one's professional life."
"The Chicago Manual of Style is the gold standard."
"The best style manual in print."
"The gold standard of English usage."
"Sure, Turabian distills this book (and the sin of the latest Turabian is that in a misguided attempt to appeal to more people, they've added a parenthetical reference system to the footnote system she popularized), but sometimes you must turn to the Chicago for more information."
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Best Teen & Young Adult Biology Books

Holt McDougal Biology: Student Edition 2012
Book by HOLT MCDOUGAL.
Reviews
"This Physics book will allow our more advanced secondary students learn the concepts and skills they'll need."
"The book arrived in time and as it was described."
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