Cengage Learning
Con fantasia; reviewing and expanding functional Italian skills, 2d ed.
Designed for classroom use by intermediate-level students, this text also works as a self-study guide for those who wish to update their speaking, writing and reading skills. Chapters include sections on vocabulary, grammar and communication skills along with readings from Italian writers (including several new to this edition). A particularly useful feature of each chapter is the focus on aspects of culture and exercises intended to encourage readers' imaginations and result in extended practice of reading and writing. Lessons are organized around such topics as love, greetings, the mass media, family life, food, transport, sports, animals, cinema and fashion, and the authors include examples of Italian graphic novels, puzzles cartoons, horoscopes and advertising. Each chapter also contains Internet resources, focusing on Italian websites. The text is primarily in Italian with a some prompts in English, and appendices include lists of regular and irregular verbs and a glossary. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Developing helping skills; a step-by-step approach.
Designed to serve as a classroom text in such fields as social work, psychology, educational counseling, counseling, marriage and family therapy, pastoral counseling, and human services, this combines narratives, case studies and practice sessions to help students ascertain their existing skills and develop new ones in a systematic manner. Chang (Indiana U. and her team of co-authors start by explaining the importance of understanding our own perceptions and development, then apply the lessons learned to how we relate to others, especially in professional relationships. Through a variety of exercises they examine the core interpersonal qualities of helping professions, such as warmth and empathy, and basic skills such as listening, observing and attending. They work on opening and closing a meeting, expressing understanding, using questions, seeking clarification, doing the work, evaluating progress, and ending professional relationships. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Doing data analysis with SPSS version 16. (CD-ROM included)
This book can be used as a supplement for any introductory statistics course. Material is arranged in 22 sessions to provide training in SPSS (version 16). Each addresses a statistical issue or need, and the sessions follow a traditional sequence to make this book compatible with many textbooks. Instructors are advised that they can utilize the text as a part of in-class activity, as stand-alone assignments, and as preparation for a text-based case or problem or independent projects. An included CD-ROM contains all the needed data files; an errata sheet is also included for functions in two sessions. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Introduction to careers in health, physical education, and sport, 2d ed.
Floyd (Alabama State University) and Allen (North Carolina Central University) describe specific jobs within the health education, medicine, therapy, fitness training, recreation, high school sports, professional sports, and broadcasting fields. The second half of the textbook discusses credentialing, testing requirements, resume writing, job interviews, job search strategies, professional etiquette, and workplace legal issues. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Marriages & families; making choices in a diverse society, 10th ed.
This sociology textbook explores the personal choices people make throughout their lives, acknowledges the current challenge of making family-related decisions in a changing society, and describes the different forms relationships and families can take. The tenth edition updates gender similarity hypotheses, marriage statistics, and research on cohabitation, spanking, divorce outcomes, and stepfamilies. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
On the philosophy of mind.
Montero (philosophy, City U. of New York Graduate Center) works through the central problems in the philosophical investigation into the nature of the mind, the soul and what it means to be a human being. Rather than providing all the answers, she guides readers through the logic of the arguments, as she introduces the various schools of thought about what the human mind is and what it does, and how understanding dualism of mind and body is central to the understanding of both individually. She describes the arguments for dualism from Descartes (and those from zombies), the problem of the existence and operation of other minds (and the behavioralist's solution), physicality, the art of thinking about thought, the "thinking" of a computer, mind and meaning, consciousness, emotions, personal identity, freedom of the will and the immortality of the soul. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Perspectives on contemporary issues; readings across the disciplines, 5th ed.
Although Ackley (emerita, U. of Wisconsin at Stevens Point) spends a significant portion of this undergraduate text providing guidance on writing in an academic setting (covering all the standard topics), the core of this work is her presentation of 76 diverse contemporary readings on issues from across the disciplinary spectrum (42 of which are new to this edition) intended to "sharpen students critical thinking skills" by providing them with different and often opposing perspectives on contemporary issues. In terms of issues and disciplines, the chapters cover music and video games, media studies, film and television, the arts, education, poverty and homelessness, criminal behavior, gender and sex roles, race and ethnicity in America, terrorism and war, American foreign policy, digital technology and the Internet, bioethics, public health, environmental studies, marketing and the American consumer, the workplace, the economic impact of outsourcing, and the global marketplace. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Picture yourself directing a movie; step-by-step instruction for creating short films and more. (CD-ROM included)
This colorful guide provides basic knowledge of the filmmaking process, including how to visualize scripts, work with actors and stage shots. Designed primarily as a launching point for novices who want to try their hand at a short film, this book avoids the more technical aspects of directing and concentrates on the artistic facets. A CD-ROM is included with actual film clips that illustrate points from the text. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Picture yourself learning Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac.
"Less than 10 percent of what a piece of software can do is used by the end user." With clear explanations and color graphics, the author of Imagine Yourself Learning Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard (the operating system with which readers should have basic familiarity) aims to get Mac Office novices and those upgrading to the 2008 version to also tap the other 90 percent. The guide includes tips, answers to "hard" questions about the software's history, and a summary of the pricing of the three versions and their compatibility with other Mac and Windows iterations. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
World regional geography, 6th ed.
Hobbs (geography, University of Missouri) takes students on a cultural and physical geographic journey through the world's eight regions in this introductory textbook, outlining human adaptations, historical geographies, current economy, and geopolitical issues. Hundreds of beautiful color photographs and maps illustrate the different regions. The sixth edition reduces the number of chapters to 11, expands the coverage on China, and adds more satellite images. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
