Reading Comprehension Success (Skill Builders Series (New York, N.Y.).) Review

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(More customer reviews)The author provides the complete toolset essential for reading comprehension. For example, the author shows exactly what a "main idea" is, provides definitions and examples, provides hands-on practice and tests reader understanding, and then ties several related tool-skills together in a later review chapter with further integrated practice materials. This sensible approach was missing or lacking in every other book I read; the first grade reading comprehension books I browsed at the bookstore were more helpful than those books. I have been out of formal education for many years and I read several top-brand books trying to get solid help. None of those books were nearly as helpful as this one book. In fact, (Elizabeth L. Tesla) the author's series of books is a must for every personal reference book shelf- even appropriate for younger children. This one book answers all of the questions and solves all of the problems related to reading, but the author also points out correctly that a reader must practice in everyday situations by reading a variety of materials and applying the tools in this book. Reading is a lifelong enjoyment and acquired skill. Buy this book and then practice, practice, practice.

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Anyone preparing to take a job-related exam that tests for basic language, math, and/or critical thinking skills. High school or college students and adults who need basic skills improvement to perform better in the classroom or on the job.

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Psychology Review

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(More customer reviews)Psychology is no longer a discipline with a few sub-disciplines that need to be examined. Now there are branches of cognitive psychology that need to be discussed with more clarity, the growing ideation concealed beneath the umbrella term "positive psychology" that needs to be introduced sooner and with more zeal, and there are so many other themes that need to be looked out but just don't seem to be "important" to people trying to prime future students. When you look at the 8th edition of Myers Psychology you can see how all of this can be looked addressed by an instructor without overloading students in the process, and you can also see how the author(s) took the time to look deeper than the average creator of books. This doesn't cover the instructor resources, either, which are well worth the time and attention of anyone looking for newer researcher to discuss.
If you are a teacher looking at this, check out the resources and the DVD that comes in the mix because the video library they provide certainly is beyond the mundane norm.
The 8th edition is 18 chapters in length, covering: A Prologue on Psychology, 1 - Thinking Critically, 2 - NeuroScience and Behavior, 3 - Nature Nurture and Human Behavior, 4 - Development through the Lifespan, 5 - Sensation, 6 - Perception, 7 - States of Consciousness, 8 - Learning, 9 - Memory, 10 - Thinking and Language, 11 - Intelligence, 12 - Motivation and Work, 13 - Emotion, 14 - Stress and Health, 15 - Personality, 16 - Psychological Disorders, 17 - Therapy, 18 - Social Psychology, and an Appendix on Careers in Psychology.
In these I liked a few things, including:
(1)The fact that many of these ask a student to "think critically," not just presenting information but allowing the student to interject their opinion on the subject. I thought that was a rewarding thing to see because, above anything else, too many introductory classes leave the student out of the equation.
(2)The fact that some of the chapters treat new ground not covered by most introductory books and do so interestingly. This means that the book gives the students some interesting topics to look at and not just the background of Freud, Erickson, Maslow, and the other well-known names.
(3)The book discusses issues separately that should be separated. Therapy and Psychological Disorders is one of those, and Chapters 5 - 10 are others that also fall in that realm.
(4) The book looks into issues that are not normally covered without delving into some sort of Developmental Psychology, some Cognitive Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and a few other classes. Basically, you have a lot of mini classes cocealed within this one book, allowing the instructor to design their own approach to teaching.
While this may not be the most favored book for students who want a continuum from their high school highs, it is a great book to introduce people to the disciplines of Psychology and allows for a lot of deviation by the teacher. I would certainly recommend it as a primer for Psychology majors, allowing them to see just what the field has to offer. Too often that isn't expressed, with careers in Counseling or Mental Health always taking precedent over Research careers or hose in the Industrial sector.
It really is nice to see something that showcases just how broad the world really is.


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David Myers's Psychology is a textbook like no other--always fresh, always introducing effective new tools for teaching and learning, and always attuned to the fascinating ways that new research can shape the introductory psychology course. The new Eighth Edition is vintage Myers. It redefines excellence for an introductory psychology textbook, raising the standard with its expanded emphasis on diversity and gender issues, its incorporation of new frontiers in research studies in such areas as neuroscience and cognition, new learning features, and its expanded media/supplements package.Myers continues the tradition of previous editions of bonding psychological science with a broad perspective that engages both the mind and the heart.

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Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (8th Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)I found Asking the Right Questions (ARQ) to be a very balanced and thorough approach to critical thinking. I am an electrical engineer by profession... I am well-regarded by my peers as an careful thinker; however, I have found myself frustrated at times when discussing controversial issues with friends... some lines of thought don't ring true, but are nonetheless hard to refute. After reading ARQ, I found that these dilemmas are frequently either the result of not agreeing on the definitions of ambiguous terms (e.g. oppression, sexism, racism) or on some logical fallacy that was used. This has made a quite difference in my ability to discern the issues at hand.
ARQ uses a systematic list of questions to review the proposed thesis. These questions are designed to help you understand their conclusion, and evaluate their supporting evidence. Throughout the book, you are encouraged to set your own biases aside in favor of rationally evaluating the evidence. Furthermore, you receive some brief instruction on typical logical fallicies. In particular, Ad hominem attacks (i.e. attacks on the character of participants) are addressed; however, blatant character references are just beginning of an ad-hominem attack. Many times discussions get sidetracked by implicit accusations about a person's character. As an example, this statement (greatly simplified here) was used on me in the past, "you couldn't possibly be able to think critically, because your spiritual convictions make you biased." Until I read ARQ, I had a hard time realizing that this is actually a diversionary tactic used to sidetrack the discussion. If I accept this "evidence", the issue now becomes my credibility, instead of discussing my actual position on the issue.
Another good point the authors make is that that the mere existence of a logical fallicy should be not used as a means to halt discussion.
Finally, this book doesn't try to give you the "right answers" to controversial issues. They teach you how to find those answers on your own. In many cases, there are no right or wrong answers... simply a difference in the core values of the individuals.
I have been very pleased with the thoughtful approach that ARQ uses. I believe that every high-school and college student should be required to read it.

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The habits and attitudes associated with critical thinking are transferable to consumer, medical, legal, and general ethical choices. When our surgeon says surgery is needed, it can be life sustaining to seek answers to the critical questions encouraged in Asking the Right Questions This popular book helps bridge the gap between simply memorizing or blindly accepting information, and the greater challenge of critical analysing the things we are told and read. It gives strategies for responding to alternative points of view and will help readers develop a solid foundation for making personal choices about what to accept and what to reject.

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