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Visual Motion and its Role in the Stabilization of Gaze
F. A. Miles
Manufacturer: Elsevier Science Pub Co
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0444811958 |
Book Description
Hardbound. This fifth volume of Reviews of Oculomotor Research is mainly concerned with the visual stabilization mechanisms but, unlike the previous volumes in the series, the coverage goes beyond the mammalian literature. The emphasis is on the visual processing problems that must be solved if the motor responses are to be appropriate. Chapters are included dealing specifically with the psychophysics and physiology of visual motion, areas of intense research activity in recent years.
The first section deals with the fundamental problem of how motion is first decoded by the visual system. The second section deals with more global aspects of the visual motion experienced by the moving observer. The third and last section deals with specific stabilizing behaviors and their underlying physiology.
An excellent book, at the cutting edge of research developments in visual stabilization mechanisms.
Average customer rating:
- Thorough, Comprehensive and well-put together.
- Great student guide
- Be careful using the advice with this book
- Good for the cities included
- Frommer's 2001 Europe : From $70 a Day
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Frommer's Europe from $85 a Day, 46th Edition
Reid Bramblett ,
Richard Jones ,
Suzanne Rowan Kelleher ,
Joseph S. Lieber ,
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Hana Mastrini ,
George McDonald ,
Haas Mroue ,
Cheryl A. Pientka ,
Darwin Porter ,
Danforth Prince ,
Beth Reiber ,
Sascha Segan , and
Christina Shea
Manufacturer: Frommer's
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Binding: Paperback
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Frommer's Europe by Rail (Frommer's Complete)
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Frommer's Europe (Frommer's Complete)
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Europe For Dummies (Dummies Travel)
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Europe by Eurail 2007, 31st: Touring Europe by Train (Europe By Eurail)
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Hostels European Cities, 2nd: The Only Comprehensive, Unofficial, Opinionated Guide (Hostels Series)
ASIN: 0764568906 |
Book Description
Frommer's Dollar-A-Day guides show you how to travel in style-without breaking the bank. You'll find inexpensive accommodations that don't skimp on comfort. Affordable restaurants where locals go for a good meal. And all the best sightseeing and shopping values. Frommer's Dollar-A-Day guidebooks. First-class travel on a budget.
Everything You Need for an Unforgettable-and Affordable-Trip!
- Charming places to stay, from an antique-filled canalside home in Amsterdam to a Renaissance-era Florence palazzo-many for less than $35 per person a night!
- Great dining at unbelievably low prices, from a Paris bistro with a $15 menu du jour to Athens's best souvlaki for less than $5.
- A complete guide to Europe's sights-museums, castles, cathedrals, cemeteries, literary landmarks, gardens, and much more-plus the lowdown on what to do and see for free.
- Low-cost nightlife: Spanish tapas bars, Viennese coffeehouses, German beer gardens, British pubs, and more.
- Detailed, accurate city and transit maps.
Download Description
An indispensable guide for value-conscious European travelers
- Pinpoints restaurant, hotel, and shopping values in the top 24 European destinations, from Amsterdam and Athens to Venice and Vienna
- Offers complete sightseeing advice-plus the lowdown on what to see and do for free
- 40 percent of the 10 million visitors to Europe travel to two or more countries
- Includes a giant full-color foldout rail map
Customer Reviews:
Thorough, Comprehensive and well-put together........2006-01-10
Thorough, Comprehensive and well-put together.
From all the travel books out there on Europe this one is not a compilation of mere facts, photos, phone numbers and page-fillers.
What sets Frommer's apart is the information provided and the style in which is presented. You will find lodging options for various budgets, a list of most important sites to see and even suggested ways to spend time in a city if you have only 1 day or as much as 5 days, great places to eat and great places to splurge if you can stretch your dollar. Be aware that this is not a book for the ones on a shoestring budget. Frommer provides a good introduction to Europe without being overloading you with mass amounts of information or pictures, a truly well-balanced book.
When I backpacked 4 months through Europe I had a copy of the Lonely Planet for Europe (a thick and heavy book) because it covered more cities and esoteric towns, a ripped chapters of all the international youth hostals Europe of the countries I visited, and as primary guide for nominal cities and capitals I used Frommers (ripped the book and kept only chapters of countries planning to visit - so I can keep the weight down).
Great student guide.......2004-05-20
Coming from a person who thought that I was against travel guides, Frommer's was great. The restaurants were tasty and their descriptions were accurate, and the general information and tips about each city were very helpful. Often it was useful to have hotel information in the book so that you could call ahead of time from another city and make a reservation. I am a 22 year old semi-budget traveler, and many other young travelers that I talked to were disappointed with Lonely Planet.
Be careful using the advice with this book.......2004-03-27
I have had mixed results with Frommer's books. I like their maps and guides to attractions... BUT... The hotels they recommend in the lower end category often fall short. I especially did not like their recommendations for Rome.
The book has a great layout but the hotels need to be rechecked. I would make sure to balance this book with another guide like Karen Brown's or Fodor's... I make sure any hotel I stay in has a good rating in at least two sources....
Good for the cities included.......2002-11-10
Just returned from a 2 month trip using the 2002 guide. I found the recommendations for the restaurants to be excellent. After realizing that the Frommer's writers and I had the same tastes, I made it a point of seeking out all of their 'starred' recommendations for restaurants. The sightseeing descriptions and recommendations were also quite good. The hotel recommendations were not as good. A few of the hotels we stayed in that were not 'starred' or listed as a 'Find' were not as comfortable as hotels in other books.
We traveled with this Frommer's, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides through France, Belguim, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Italy. We liked Rick Steves' recommendations for lodging, Frommer's for restaurants and both for sightseeing. Lonely Planet and Rough Guides were not used if in a Frommer's city. If in a Rick Steve's city (but not Frommer's) we used Lonely Planet for restaurant recommendations (not as good a Frommer's but better than Rick Steves).
Background: Two travelers, professional, early 30s with enough money to stay out of the hostels, but did not want to blow the bank of 5 star lodging. Rick Steve's packing philosophy. Both traveler's love to eat!!
Frommer's 2001 Europe : From $70 a Day.......2001-08-18
I recently returned from a 3 month tour of Europe and took this book with me. While it did have a number of major European cities in it the actual information about them was definetly lacking. I found my self usually better off with out a book at all as opposed to only having this one. Several other travelers we met felt the same way and some were lucky enough to have Lonely Planet guides. For the money spent I'll stick to them or Rick Steves in the future. i.e. This book would take you to the train station/ subway but then fall short on what the heck to do to get a ticket!!! Which is important information stranded in 20 different stations/ subways a month each with different customs. Frommer's did do an excellent job of pointing out all of the gay and lesbian districs and bars in each city and the gay friendly hotels and shops... but they also have a strickly gay guide to Europe as well. The amount of space used for this information could have been better allocated for more pertinent information. I'll have to give a thumbs down on this book. Take something else with you or take nothing at all.
Book Description
This popular collection consists of a variety of primary sources, all grouped around central themes in American history since 1865. Each chapter in this book focuses on a particular problem in American history since 1865, such as American involvement in the Vietnam War, providing the reader with several points of view from which to examine the historical evidence. For anyone interested in American history since 1865.
Customer Reviews:
Great choice for American history professors and anyone interested in learning more about American History.......2006-12-12
I have reviewed many American history-related books for my college classes - textbooks, essay collections, primary source collections. Of all the choices out there, Constructing the American Past is my favorite. Each section begins with an essay that sets the stage for the documents you are going to encounter. Then comes a series of primary documents - brief enough excerpts so that you are not overwhelmed, but long enough to get a well-rounded picture of whatever issue the chapter is address. The documents are followed up with another essay, and finally you are given a few provocative questions to consider. Don't miss the set of documents on the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in the Introduction!
Great for History Teachers!.......2004-10-27
I am a former student of Dr. Bilhartz's who used this textbook in class. The text is full of interesting primary sources that can be examined for class discussion. Some of my favorite class discussions derived from the sources used to decipher the intent of Aaron Burr to kill Alexander Hamilton and the examination of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Also - the text includes a section on the Lincoln/Douglas debates which will bring your concept of Abraham Lincoln to a new level. A fabulous text to teach historical research - and this is coming from the student! By the way - I didn't sell back the book.
Book Description
Alas, environmentally friendly design hasn t always meant high style. Confronting that challenge head on, ecoDesign lists well over 500 consumer products for those who seek design that s not only beautiful and useful, but also has minimal impact on the earth. Some of these pieces-from clothing to kitchenware, electronics, furniture, and much, much more-have already become classics. But this remarkable sourcebook also guides readers to undiscovered gems and handcrafted objects from artisanal studios. Detailed illustrated entries describe the products themselves, while an extensive reference section defines these new and hybrid materials and provides information on manufacturers, design studios, green organizations, and a further reading list. ecoDesign is the total resource guide for a new generation of contemporary design.
Customer Reviews:
ecoDesign: The SourcebookRevised Edition .......2007-01-10
This book is useful but does not contain much additional information from previous edition.
a good starting point.......2005-09-17
This beautifully designed book is a great idea-generator if you're thinking about using sustainable products and materials in your home or office, or if you just like cool, european design that makes you ask, "so where can I get that?" or "who makes that utterly cool thing that I will probably never find in a shop and can't afford, anyway?"
It introduces you to good-looking examples of ecological design for everyday life -- flooring, furniture, transportation, miscellaneous -- and gives a breakdown of the kinds of materials available (biopolymers, textiles, etc.) and who makes them. For me, it would also be helpful to see price tags on some of these options, as well as more easily located--or at least up-to-date--URLs for the companies that produce them. Many examples had no web sites listed and some were defunct.
excellent book for designers.......2003-01-12
this book is cool - lots of pictures, the text is brief. there is a good mix of concepts and production products ( concepts are always more fun to look at and have more pure ideas. production parts show how it all works in the real world). in fact, the best part of the book is that it finds positive things about a lot of products. it isn't demanding that we stop using plastic or batteries - just finds the best examples of products that use them wisely.
One important section is buried in the back. pages 327 - 330 give eco-design strategies. the are brief desicriptions of how to design an "eco" product. for example, one says "self-assembly: designs that are assembled by the consumer, therefore saving valuable space in transport and storage". most writers would take several pages to say the same thing.
great fun to browse.......2002-08-07
For those of us who appreciate both good design and environmental issues (recyclability, energy used in manufacture, durability, etc.), this book offers a wonderfully wide spectrum of products that will inspire and enlighten... and possibly make you reach for your credit cards, thanks to the lists of manufacturer contact info in the back. However, you should realize that a significant portion of the products shown are "one-offs" or case studies -- they are not available for purchase. I feel that the author's descriptions are inconsistent -- sometimes helpful or interesting, sometimes not. But the vast array of products presented are generally quite well chosen from what must have been a truly dizzying number of possible entries, and nicely organized. I appreciate the inclusion of vehicles, although I have been watching that particular area of product development (EV's, FCV's, etc.) closely enough to wish that the author had opted to include certain other models, and had more complete or current facts about some that were presented, such as the General Motors EV1, which was a brilliantly designed electric car with a massive waiting list, mysteriously pulled out of production by GM for extremely dubious reasons. In summary, Ecodesign is quite enjoyable, with a huge number of fantastic designs for a wide range of products.
Average customer rating:
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Yellowstone Bear Tales
Paul Schullery
Manufacturer: Roberts Rinehart Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Mountain Time: A Yellowstone Memoir
ASIN: 091179798X |
Book Description
Presents a rich and varied cross-section of early encounters with the park's most famous wild residents.
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A Book of Spinning Wheels
Joan Whittaker Cummer
Manufacturer: Peter E. Randall Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 091433946X |
Customer Reviews:
Rare collection.......2005-06-23
It's difficult to find published information for the general public on antique wooden textile equipment. There are literally hundreds of styles of spinning wheels, reels, and other yarn-making tools. The Book of Spinning Wheels presents a large variety of photographs accompanied by detailed information about the use and construction of each piece shown. A source like this can be especially valuable for helping to identify antique tools and figure out what pieces might be missing or broken. Recommended for spinners interested in the history of the craft, and antique dealers/shoppers who want to know what they're selling/buying. Unfortunately, it appears to be out of print and hard to acquire.
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Fun with Animals (Spinning Wheel Books)
R. Van Der Meer
Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0399217894 |
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Fun with Shapes (Spinning Wheel Books)
R. Van Der Meer
Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0399217878 |
Customer Reviews:
"The Joy of Spinninig" is a Joy!.......2000-07-12
"The Joy of Spinning" by Marilyn Kluger is a good read for spinners and non-spinners alike. Her gentle homey descriptions have you interested far more than you ever expected. Her presentation of the technical aspect of spinning is clear, concise,and extremely helpful to the new spinner. The history of spinning and the role of women in society is well presented. The history of her oun journey toward a life enriched by spinning is charming. I believe anyone interested in fiber crafts will find this book informative and enjoyable. I rate it 5 stars.
Product Description
Leaflet 887 -- Stitching Craft Book
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Spinning Wheel Stories (Classic Books on Cassettes Collection) [UNABRIDGED] (Classic Books on Cassettes Collection)
Louisa May Alcott , and
Flo Gibson
Manufacturer: Audio Book Contractors, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
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Alcott, Louisa May
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ASIN: 1556854447 |
Product Description
These homespun tales are full of old-time values and simple pleasures. Three 90-minute cassettes and two 60's.
Book Description
The story behind the creation of one of the world's most breathtaking public gardens. Les Quatre Vents in Charlevoix County, Quebec, has been acclaimed as the most aesthetically satisfying and horticulturally exciting landscape experience in North America. The garden seamlessly combines elements from the best gardening traditions with the original and the unexpected into a splendid composition that is nevertheless perfectly compatible with its natural surroundings. The Greater Perfection illustrates the delights, diversions, and surprises that await a visitor to these extraordinary gardens. The book chronicles the family origins of Les Quatre Vents as well as the story of its expansion during the last twenty-five years. Author Francis Cabot's account of the challenges of developing and enlarging Les Quatre Vents reveals the fascinating process behind the creation of a world-class garden that has become a mecca for horticultural enthusiasts from around the globe. Featuring photographs by five of today's leading garden photographers, this is one of the most beautiful books on gardens to appear in years. 382 color photographs, 25 black-and-white photographs.
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful book.......2004-03-04
I read LOTS of garden books, a this is one of the best
in a long time.
Gorgeous book, gorgeous garden.......2003-10-06
The joy of this book is that Francis Cabot writes marvelously about a landscape he has loved from childhood -- and, although his garden is rarified, he remains at heart a hands-on dirt gardener, spending hours dividing and transplanting perennials, weeding, replanting, mulling over how a planting could be improved, and all the other tasks that keep gardeners occupied through the growing season and beyond.
It seems to me that people who make great gardens rarely do it just for themselves, but because they can't help but share their passion with other garden lovers. Francis Cabot has created and nurtured a brilliant garden, and now in this very personal book, he lets us in on its joys and its challenges.
The photography is exquisite. A great gift for your favorite gardener.
A great accomplishment.......2003-07-16
This is one of the most beautiful and inspiring books about the creation and restoration a garden that I have ever seen. The Greater Perfection shows what someone with great taste, imagination, skill and yes, resources can accomplish. What is especially impressive for me as a gardening professional is that all this has been accomplished in a zone 3/4 garden in the Canadian Maritimes. A great book for browsing and reading. Absolutely stunning - the garden we wish we all had.
What a pleasure!.......2003-04-05
Join Mr. Cabot in a personal tour of his garden, as he brings the reader from place to place, stopping to admire his favorite things in each of his gardens. If you listen, he'll share some advice on how he solved some of his gardening problems, and introduce you to some friends that stop by. The book is quite pricey (I'll admit, I borrowed it), but the photos are so outstanding, and the writing so entertaining, it is definately worth the money. By the end, you'll feel as if you've made a new friend.
Even More Amazing than the Huntington Gardens.......2002-01-03
This is a man's true odyssey, making Ulysses look short on imagination. Mr. Cabot along with some of the most talented and imaginative landscapers around turned his place into a true dream of beautiful garden after garden. But his personality and what he loves really comes through. Lots of imagination went into different alles and infinite dream-like entries and exits. He worked with all the best people. Hobhouse is one of my favorites not to mention a few others. I could be very jealous but I am simply thrilled to be able to read it. It is long and full of superb photos and good writing. Makes other books that I love seem not quite as fabulous. Some of Cabot's friends look as though they would be a lot of fun at a cocktail party. Makes me want to buy a lot more land and keep going with determination to create a real series of outdoor Valhalas from France, Italy and England. Bravo, Mr. Cabot and all who helped!
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Breviarium Vrbis Romae Antiqvae
Adrianus Van Heck
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback
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Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide (Oxford Archaeological Guides)
ASIN: 9004124993 |
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New Dance Group: Movement for a Change (Choreography and Dance)
Bernice Rosen
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 9057551403 |
Book Description
This remarkable issue chronicles The New Dance Group (NDG), the radical dance group formed in New York City in 1932 in the depths of the Depression, which survives today although with a very different focus.
Most of the articles were contributed by creative forces who were closely associated with NDG as faculty, choreographers, or board members. The chronicle places the birth and development of NDG in the artistic, social and political context in which it was born. Many other radical dance groups with similar missions and ideologies arose at the same time, but only the NDG has managed to survive to this day. Subsequently, the changes in the New Dance Group reflect the vast changes in Society from the 1940's to the present.
In 1993, a memorable retrospective concert of NDG works from 1936-1979 was held. An account of that concert is included.
The issue offers appendices of students, artists, and staff, and both chronological and alphabetical lists of events presented by NDG from 1933-1970. C
Book Description
The challenges of working in an urban school are not for every teacher. Some get burnt out fast. Some lose sight of why they started teaching to begin with. Some find their calling in other neighborhoods…with other kids. But not Salome Thomas-EL. A teacher at Roberts Vaux Middle School in Philadelphia's inner city, he chose to stay. Gripping, poignant, and surprisingly honest, this is his blistering real-life tale of mentoring and making a difference—and of how the reformation of America's educational system can start with just one school.
I CHOOSE TO STAY
Salome Thomas-EL
Embodying the best qualities of education pioneers Joe Clark and Jaime Escalante, Salome Thomas-EL is a black man dedicated to changing the lives—and dreams—of inner city kids. Born in 1964, one of eight children, Salome grew up in the Philadelphia projects. But identified early as "gifted," he had doors opened to him that are closed to most. In a media-related job, talking with superstars such as Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks, he was on the fast track to success. But he couldn't forget his roots, or the children of the inner city.
In the late 1980s, he went back into disadvantaged neighborhoods and into the classroom. As teacher, mentor, and in most cases, the only positive male role model in these children's lives, Salome Thomas-EL would do something extraordinary: he would lead the girls and boys of his school to victory as they competed in three major championships. Chess championships. Reviving the chess club, the Mighty Bishops, Salome taught his pupils to resolve conflict with their minds instead of their fists. They went into regional competitions, to the nationals in Tennessee, and to the U.S. Open in Orlando. Not knowing they were expected to lose, they won. In the years between 1996 and 2000, Mr. Thomas-EL helped scores of other schools begin similar programs. But in the same years, twenty of his students were murdered.
Clearly, chess wasn't enough. Now in this compelling memoir, Salome Thomas-EL tells of what else needed to be done, from implementing the 100-book challenge program, to Saturday tutoring and in-school breakfasts. As his efforts began to have a citywide impact, the offers began pouring in for promotions, for advancement, for his going elsewhere. He chose to stay, and the results are an inspiration to us all.
More than just one man's story, I CHOOSE TO STAY shows concerned Americans everywhere how to make a difference in their schools and communities. Acknowledging problems, banding together to solve them, and seeing the value of mentoring relationships are all lessons to be learned from the life of this extraordinary man, whose struggle and triumph are a model of how to engage students and their creativity...and of how to live.
Customer Reviews:
Inspirational Story With Teeth.......2005-03-09
As with most inspirational titles, this is a fast read. Mr. Thomas-El's account is especially worth reading for an inner-city teacher such as me. Both the downs of teaching in a challenging environment (violence and death, pernicious attitudes undermining success) and the ups of an energetic and talented teacher's influence are presented.
Readers will be unhappy with views presented by Mr. Thomas-EL if they bring a basic misunderstanding of the book's purpose and premise. Although co-written, Mr. Thomas-El's personal experience is foremost. Yes, the man is smart, but he admits failures and mistakes and seems to have no delusions about the likelihood of more of them in his future.
If a reader is concerned with depth, standardized test scores and the overall political scene in education, attempting to focus on them in this context would totally miss the point of the book. As a teacher in a school system with a significant percentage of families who are dealing with the issues Mr. El finds himself facing every day, I can completely understand how one person could have a profound impact on the lives of a small (but not insignificant) number of individuals within his sphere without that sphere being large enough in and of itself to result in increased institutional test scores. The title says it all: "I Choose to Stay". Mr. El is there because of what he is able to do with the relatively few students he spends time with day in and day out, not because he feels he is personally charged with the task of bringing about a sea-change of attitudes in American inner-city culture or the U.S. political environment on education. As to why Mr. El's school "always scores in the bottom percentile" of its standardized tests, I believe the answer lies in the frequency, intensity and duration of the problems the majority of his students are facing. If every teacher in Mr. El's school influenced five students in his or her classroom in a way similar to Mr. El's work with his chess students, I think the school's test scores would rise. I believe almost any teacher could have that much effect on a small number of students, but very few have the drive to spend the quantity of personal time required above and beyond the requirements of a daily routine with 20-30 students.
Perhaps changes could be made to the educational system that would make a difference, but I feel that this is where the educational community has been misled in the past. The most important issue highlighted by Mr. Thomas-EL's experience is not the educational system, but the overall cultural, spiritual and economic inheritance with which so many families are coping. Changing the entire culture, converting unbelievers and raising everyone out of poverty are goals that reach beyond the educational system (and the scope of this book), but according to the author, the best place to start seems to be with the circle of people with whom you connect every day.
A Positive Role Model.......2004-06-23
Salome Thomas-El's book, I CHOOSE TO STAY is both a memoir and inspirational tale of his unrelenting dedication to inner city schools. Born one of eight kids, he began his life in the projects of Philadelphia. Even as a child, he showed dedication to his community and a thirst for knowledge. Most of his fondest memories are of teachers who supported, encouraged, and helped to mold him into the man he is today.
After high school, Thomas-El attended East Stroudsburg University, a predominantly white institution where he had to fight hard against prejudices and racism. Upon graduation, he pursued a career in broadcasting, but soon he was called on to teach. After teaching in several suburban schools, Thomas-El realized that he could give back more to his community by teaching in inner city schools. Once he had the opportunity, he began transforming the students and the schools by establishing a chess club, Saturday schools, and several tutorial programs. Students have gone on to attend colleges and win national chess championships under his guidance. Although he has been offered several lucrative contracts from suburban schools, he declines to take them, knowing that helping these children is much more rewarding than anything that money can buy.
I CHOOSE TO STAY is a must read for anyone in the education system. It shows how one man's vision, dedication, and perseverance helped transform a school system, and encourage students who were otherwise lost. Salome Thomas-El exemplifies what it means to be a teacher and many can learn from hearing his story.
Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
A Compelling Book.......2003-10-01
I Choose to Stay is a compelling book. It is not only a great read but it is also deeply informative about the needs of inner city schools, and analytical about the strengths of inner city education. The intertwining of the professional and the personal journeys of the author give this book depth and energy.
An inspirationl story that lacks teeth.......2003-09-05
When I heard that this book was being published, I literally counted the days until I had my hands on it. After having read the book, my feelings were so strong that I chose not to write about it until I have had a few months to get over them. I must say that I was very disappointed. I have the highest respect for Mr. El and everyone else in his profession. I have a very similar background to Mr. El - grew up in North Philly, attended public high school, went on to pursue advanced degrees at an Ivy league university, and am deeply involved in public education in Philadelphia. Therefore, with all due respect, I found it very had to swallow some of the things that I read in the book about his experiences. I saw the embelleshments of a ghost writer all over this book. The theme became redundant after some time. The first half of the book was spent telling the reader how smart Mr. El was. The second half was about how the kids could do it if someone beileves in them etc, etc, blah, blah. I've seen all this in movies.
I also feel that the book lacked depth. What about the effect of the political scene on public education? How about explaining why the PSSA scores in your schools are always so low? I want to know why a school that has such a dedicated public servant always scores in the bottom percentile year in and year out? What are your thoughts, Mr. El, on what kind of changes we have to make to the system to make public education work in Philadelphia? I understand that Mr. El can't get involved in these issues because he still has a career to think about but I was hoping to see someone step forward and expose the political hypocrisy that continues to keep our kids down. In closing, again I want to reiterate how much I respect this profession and understand what kind of dedication and personal sacrifices have to be made in order to make changes in the lives of children so thank you for that, Mr. El.
Moving Memoir!.......2003-07-03
Salome Thomas-EL's I Choose to Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner-City is a testament of selfless dedication and commitment to Philadelphia's inner-city community. He opens by recapping his childhood and ever-present internal drive to succeed despite the obstacles in his path. Born into a large family with little money and an absentee father, Mr. Thomas-EL excelled academically and stayed out of trouble as a youth. His record of accomplishment earned him respect from instructors who encouraged him to live up to his potential despite peer pressure to do otherwise. He credits his mother and teachers as having the greatest influence on his life and has made it his mission to reciprocate all the many blessings he has received.
He shares that early in his life he felt he was destined to teach and cites a few early adult experiences that seemed to confirm the inevitable. His innovative academic programs, strong rapport with students, and love of teaching led him to become an effective and influential educator and role model. Mr. Thomas-EL meticulously chronicles the resurgence and accomplishments of the Vaux Chess Team and the strategies that he used to encourage and develop the students' skills for the game and life's hard lessons. As stated in the foreword written by Arnold Schwarzenegger, there is no doubt that Salome Thomas-EL is to be commended for his tireless efforts and devotion to the children of Vaux Middle School. Written in the same vein of Joe Clark's Lean On Me, Thomas-EL's I Choose To Stay is proof that inner-city public schools can succeed and produce great students.
Although Thomas-EL's story is truly inspirational, it is the construct of the book or memoir that distracts from the story. There are some passages and concepts that are repeated and the story's flow stalled in a few areas. However, if the reader is looking for a positive, feel good, encouraging story, then this novel delivers.
Phyllis
APOOO BookClub, The Nubian Circle Book Club
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