books tagged “reference” (Reference)

Graphic Design, Art, Comcis [via]

The preeminent resource guide for more than twenty years, this one-of-a-kind book, now available in paperback, has been updated to include those recently canonized and beatified.

Since its original publication in 1980, John J. Delaneys Dictionary of Saints (more than 200,000 copies sold) has become the leading reference book for the scholar and general reader alike. With more than five thousand biographies of the saintsfrom the well known to the obscurethis new edition brings to life the inspiring accomplishments of these men and women of God. The martyrs and the monks, the mystics and the virgins, the doctors and the peasants are all contained in this essential volume. To know the saints, how they thrived in their achievements, how they lived in destitution, is to meet a fascinating company of people whose actions have influenced and enriched the history of the world.

Reset in an easy-to use-format, it contains substantial listings for the more popular saints, and thumbnail sketches for those less well known. From Aaron to Zosimus, this modern dictionary has been updated with the entries for the newly canonized, including Italian mystic Padre Pio, Mexican Nahuatl Juan Diego, Polish Franciscan Maximilian Kolbe, and Americans Katharine Drexel and Rose Philippine Duchesne. It also contains a complete listing of feast days, an index of patron saints, and several other useful appendixes. [via]

An A-Z guide to the origins and meaning of superstitions. Find a wealth of fascinating facts and a number of fun "spells" to try -- including a rhyme to say to the new moon for revealing the identity of your true love. For those who believe in "breaking a leg", or for anyone interested in folklore and popular culture, this is sure to be an entertaining read as well as an invaluable reference. [via]

What do doctors do when they get sick? The editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books asked more than 500 of the nations top specialists to recommend their best doctor-tested and easy-to-follow remedies for 138 illnesses and maladies. This complete, practical guide contains the distilled experience of health professionals who offer more than 2300 accessible healing tips for the most common medical complaints.

In this handy reference you will find curative techniques and symptom-relieving treatments for bladder infections, depression, emphysema, headaches, premenstrual syndrome, toothaches, and much more.

Here are invaluable at-home solutions for annoying afflictions such as canker sores, dandruff, and snoring as well as methods for coping with more serious health problems such as high cholesterol, ulcers, and backaches. The Doctors Book Of Home Remedies is like having a doctor on call 24 hours a day. So treat yourself to this prescription for health and stay well. [via]

What do doctors do when they get sick? The editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books asked more than 500 of the nations top specialists to recommend their best doctor-tested and easy-to-follow remedies for 138 illnesses and maladies. This complete, practical guide contains the distilled experience of health professionals who offer more than 2300 accessible healing tips for the most common medical complaints. In this handy reference you will find curative techniques and symptom-relieving treatments for bladder infections, depression, emphysema, headaches, premenstrual syndrome, toothaches, and much more. Here are invaluable at-home solutions for annoying afflictions such as canker sores, dandruff, and snoring as well as methods for coping with more serious health problems such as high cholesterol, ulcers, and backaches. The Doctors Book Of Home Remedies is like having a doctor on call 24 hours a day. So treat yourself to this prescription for health and stay well. [via]

The author whose signature style of art introduction has sold nearly a million books now applies his highly regarded techniques to humorous art with a drawing guide guaranteed to bring laughter within everyone's reach. Featuring 1200 illustrations with thorough instructions. [via]

This backlist favorite, selling over 1 million copies since its first publication, has been repackaged for a dynamic new look. The result of years of research, this easy-to-use guide tells how to distinguish the four types of dreams, identify dream symbols, and understand meanings. "Admirable".--New York Times. [via]

English Composition and Grammar Complete course Benchmark edition copyright 1988. Author John E. Warriner [via]

3rd Course [via]

Warriner's grammar IS the one, the ONLY text needed to learn or review grammar. The text presentation in simple black, white, and red keeps things simple with regard to importance, etc. Want to learn grammar?? Go to Warriner's! [via]

Very minimal signs of shelf wear to cover, but all pages are clean, bright and intact. Binding is tight. SHIPS NEXT BUSINESS DAY! [via]

Filled with the latest images from NASA, this collection of star maps, charts, tables, and diagrams tells what is visible in the sky anywhere, anytime, and when and where to see unusual astrological phenomena. 40,000 first printing. [via]

Each guide employs the Peterson Identification system which pinpoints key field marks for quick recognition of species and easy comparisons of confusing look-alikes. Provide up-to-date range information. [via]

From one of the top-selling authors of art instruction books comes a classic introductory guide to all manner of still-life techniques. Illustrations and explicit instructions guide readers through a wide array of artistic methods from sketching to abstraction. [via]

With today's information explosion, students, job hunters, professionals, and researchers urgently need more than just an annotated bibliography to guide them through the bewildering maze of resources now available. Responding to this need, Thomas Mann--a reference librarian at the Library of Congress--offers us A Guide to Library Research Methods.
Introducing a distinctive, new approach to the fact-finding process, this book provides not only an exceptional overview of the range of material that exists, but, more importantly, a detailed discussion of both the advantages and disadvantages of using each type of source. Mann's problem-solving technique emphasizes seven different research methods that researchers can apply to any inquiry. Used as a set of easily remembered "mental pegs," these methods enable individuals to get further into a subject more quickly, with less wasted effort. The seven research methods described include subject heading inquiries, systematic browsing, key word and citation searches, use of bibliographies, computer searches, and talking to people.
A Guide to Library Research Methods should be required reading for every individual who has ever asked the question, "Where should I start looking to find out about this?" [via]

Simple, clear instructions for drawing animals with more than a thousand step-by-step illustrations. Basic fundamentals for the beginner, new principles and techniques for the professional. A detailed guide for everyone who enjoys--or wants to enjoy--drawing. [via]

You need no previous experience reading hieroglyphs to benefit from this book. This is a hieroglyphs guide for the layperson, tourist, or museum enthusiast who'd like to have more of a clue when it comes to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs. Focusing on the funerary symbols one would be likely to see in Egypt or at a museum, and illustrated with hieroglyphs that are on display in the British Museum (drawn by Richard Parkinson, curator in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum), How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs makes possible a deeper appreciation not just of museum displays but of the Egyptian culture that used this writing system.

Both experts in Egyptology (Collier teaches Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, and Manley teaches the subject at the University of Glasgow), they explain how most hieroglyphs are used to convey the sound of the ancient Egyptian language, then go on to teach, in easily digestible segments, the basic phonograms (sound-signs) used in inscriptions a traveler or museum-goer would be most likely to encounter. Each chapter teaches a new portion of hieroglyphic script and a new aspect of the Middle Egyptian grammar, with a section to practice the new reading skills and exercises to solidify the lessons taught. It provides a wonderful opportunity to sit at home and learn about the pharaonic administration, ancient Egyptian family life, and the Egyptian way of death, while building a firm understanding of the most common features of hieroglyphs. --Stephanie Gold [via]

What does it mean when a fictional hero takes a journey?. Shares a meal? Gets drenched in a sudden rain shower? Often, there is much more going on in a novel or poem than is readily visible on the surfacea symbol, maybe, that remains elusive, or an unexpected twist on a characterand there's that sneaking suspicion that the deeper meaning of a literary text keeps escaping you.

In this practical and amusing guide to literature, Thomas C. Foster shows how easy and gratifying it is to unlock those hidden truths, and to discover a world where a road leads to a quest; a shared meal may signify a communion; and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just rain. Ranging from major themes to literary models, narrative devices, and form, How to Read Literature Like a Professor is the perfect companion for making your reading experience more enriching, satisfying, and fun.

In the years since its publication in 1988, Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time has established itself as a landmark volume in scientific
writing. It has also become an international publishing phenomenon, translated into forty languages and selling over nine million copies.

The book was on the cutting edge of what was then known about the nature of the universe, but since then there have been extraordinary advances in the
technology of observing both the micro- and the macrocosmic world. These observations have confirmed many of Professor Hawking's theoretical predictions
in the first edition of his book, including the recent discoveries of the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite (COBE), which probed back in time to within 300,000 years of the universe's beginning and revealed the wrinkles in the fabric of space-time that he had projected.

Eager to bring to his original text the new knowledge revealed by these many observations, as well as his most recent research, for this revised and expanded edition Hawking has prepared a new introduction to the book, revised and updated the original chapters throughout, and written an entirely new chapter on the fascinating subject of wormholes and time travel.

In addition, to heighten understanding of complex concepts that readers may have found difficult to grasp despite the clarity and wit of Hawking's writing, this edition is magnificently enhanced throughout with more than 240 full-color illustrations, including satellite images, photographs made possible by spectacular new technological advances such as the Hubble telescope, and computer- generated images of three- and four-dimensional realities. Detailed captions clarify these illustrations, enabling readers to experience the vastness of intergalactic space, the nature of black holes, and the microcosmic world of
particle physics in which matter and antimatter collide.

A classic work that now brings to the reader the latest understanding of cosmology, The Illustrated A Brief History of Time is the story of the ongoing search for the tantalizing secrets at the heart of time and space. [via]

'This book is both more and less than history, a work of imagination in its own right, a piece of movie literature that turns fact into romance.' Gavin Lambert was reviewing the first edition of David Thomson's monumental work in 1975. In the eight years since the third edition was published, careers have waxed and waned, reputations been made and lost, great movies produced, trends set and scorned. This updated fourth edition has 30 entirely new entries and every original entry has been re-examined. Thus the roster of directors, actors, producers, screenwriters and cameramen is both historical and contemporary, with old masters reappraised in terms of how their work has lasted. Each of the 1,330 profiles is a keenly perceptive, provocative critical essay. Striking the perfect balance between personal bias and factual reliability, David Thomson - novelist, critic, biographer and unabashed film addict - has given us an enormously rich reference book, a brilliant reflection on the art and artists of the cinema. [via]

Time has sealed the reputation of Matthew Henry's classic commentary as a rich source of insight into God's word. Four centuries after its first publication, it remains one of the best-loved, most popular commentaries ever written. However, while its wisdom is timeless, the English language has changed much through the years. Words that meant one thing in Matthew Henry's day have taken on different meanings today. In addition, Henry's often wordy reflections are generations removed from the crisp style that communicates most effectively to contemporary readers. The Zondervan NIV Matthew Henry Commentary is a masterful response to these concerns. It delivers the heart and soul of Henry's incomparable writings in a style that is easy to read and understand. -Dr. Leslie Church's meticulous abridgment retains the essential content of the original work. - Easily misunderstood words have been replaced with modern ones while keeping Henry's style. - Use of the New International Version (NIV) instead of the King James Version makes this edition fully compatible with today's most widely used Bible translation. In one volume, here is a wealth of exposition, metaphors, analogies, and illustrations, ideal for - Personal devotions - Bible study - Sermon and lesson preparation [via]

Drawn from the acclaimed Oxford Classical Dictionary, The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion offers a fully rounded guide to all aspects of religious life and thought in ancient Greece and Rome. Highly authoritative, this new book covers not only Greek mythologies and Roman festivals, but also devotes attention to topics such as Greek and Roman religious places, monuments, authors and texts, religious organization, imagery, divination, astrology, and magic. Unlike many other references on ancient Greece and Rome, the Dictionary also includes many entries on Judaism and Christianity in the classical world.
The editors, area advisors for the third edition of the Oxford Classical Dictionary, have selected, revised, edited, and in some instances completely recast a large number of entries from the OCD to create this handy and accessible reference. The main text is supplemented by an important introductory essay providing overviews of mythology, religious pluralism in the ancient world, and the reception of myths from antiquity to the present. In addition to a helpful thematic index and extensive cross-references, the text is further supported by three maps and six genealogies.
Backed by the authority and scholarly rigor of the renowned Oxford Classical Dictionary, The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion is a valuable A-Z reference and is as ideal a tool for students and teachers of ancient history as it is for all classics lovers.
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Let a general Reference Librarian at the Library of Congress show you the best ways to find the information you need.
With all the changes in information storage and retrieval, anyone doing research today may feel unsure of the most efficient ways to use the library. Through clear explanations of nine fundamental methods of searching, Thomas Mann provides an overview of little known but powerful strategies used by librarians and information specialists. These techniques can be applied profitably to almost any area of research, from discovering business records or government documents to unearthing manuscripts in archives or finding genealogical Web sites on line. Chapters explain how to take advantage of controlled vocabularies, browse library shelves systematically, construct keyword searches, use published bibliographies, and even make personal contacts with knowledgeable people. Throughout, Mann enlivens his advice with real world examples, positing along the way some energetic and reasoned arguments against those theorists who have prematurely announced the demise of print. Against the trendy but mistaken assumption that "everything" can be found on the Internet, Mann asserts the lasting value of physical libraries and time tested research strategies, while acknowledging the complementary applications of computer technology. All formats--including books, journals, newspapers, microforms, audiovisual materials, primary documents, bibliographic databases, and digital libraries on the World Wide Web--are considered for their unique advantages, as well as for their limitations.
Required reading for students, scholars, information seeking professionals, and laypersons, The Oxford Guide to Library Research offers a rich, inclusive overview of the field, one that can save its readers countless hours in the search for information. [via]

From Miss Piggy to Woody Allen ('Not only is there no God, but try getting a plumber at weekends'), from Dorothy Parker to Mae West ('To err is human, but it feels divine'), from Morecambe and Wise to Homer Simpson ('To alcohol! The cause of - and solution to - all of life's problems'), the last hundred years offer a rich banquet of humour. Even Belgium, golf and inflation have inspired witty remarks. Here is the definitive collection, organised by theme and offering more laughs per page than any other book. 'Wittily indispensable' - Chris Patten, "Guardian". [via]

What's the funniest thing you've ever heard? Who said it? Was is Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse (The Right Hon. was a tubby little chap who looked as if he had been poured into his clothes and had forgotten to say "When"!), Groucho Marx (A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running), Nancy Mitford (She said that all the sights of Rome were called after London cinemas), Lily Tomlin (Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain), Homer Simpson (To alcohol! The cause of - and solution to - all of life's problems!) or Joan Rivers (I don't exercise. If God wanted me to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor)? May be it was Noel Coward, Jack Dee, H.L. Mencken, Woody Allen or Rowan Atkinson? They are all here: over 5,500 quotations from the funniest people of the past hundred years. The quotations are grouped thematically, covering catgories from abstinence, bosses and honeymoons (Honeymoon - the morning after the knot before) to wealth, wine and Yugoslavia, via creativity, pets (Springfield Pet Shop: All Our Pets are Flushable) and swimming (They say that swimming is great exercise. Have you ever seen a whale?). The result is a book which will give the reader a line for any kind of speech or simply provide hours of pleasurable browsing. He who laughs, lasts - Mary Pettibone Poole. [via]

This book cuts through the hype and jargon, giving you the real story on credit cards, savings, taxes, real estate, spending reduction, mutual funds, retirement, and insurance -- all in a fun and easy-to-understand style. Also recommends the best financial products to meet your specific needs. [via]

A newly updated edition of a standard reference work presents descriptions of more than 1,500 of the most commonly prescribed drugs, explaining possible side effects, usual dosages, and much more, and includes full-color actual-size photographs of the most-prescribed pills. Reissue. [via]

The Christian church has a long tradition of systematic theology, that is, studying theology and doctrine organized around fairly standard categories such as the Word of God, redemption, and Jesus Christ. This introduction to systematic theology has several distinctive features: - A strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine and teaching - Clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum - A contemporary approach, treating subjects of special interest to the church today - A friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect - Frequent application to life - Resources for worship with each chapter - Bibliographies with each chapter that cross-reference subjects to a wide range of other systematic theologies. [via]

This is the completely revised and updated, ultimate reference guide to the world, history and adventures of the characters from Rice's Vampire Chronicles. Everything the reader might want to explore further is annotated and analyzed in this entertaining work: the unforgettable characters of Louis, Lestat, Claudia, Akasha, Armand, and Memnoch; the important points of interest on Lestat's fascinating tour through Heaven and Hell; ancient lore; Rice's unique contributions to the mythos of vampires; the literary inspirations that echo through the novels; Rice's own reflections and revelations about her work and the movie Interview with a Vampire; and more. [via]

The most practical and up-to-date Spanish and English dictionary available

Throughout the world, the Vox dictionaries are acclaimed as the finest Spanish and English references published. The new edition of the Vox Compact Spanish and English Dictionary is large enough to serve as your preferred reference at home or at the office, yet its compact size and vinyl cover make it easy to take to class or on your travels.

Additionally, the Vox Compact Spanish and English Dictionary is edited to serve your needs as a beginning or intermediate student--whether you are an English-speaking student of Spanish or a Spanish-speaking student of English. Its convenient size and format, as well as clear typography and layout, make this dictionary an excellent value.

Here you'll find:

• An up-to-date word list that gives special emphasis to everyday language, idioms, and current technical, scientific, and business terms
• Approximately 85,000 headwords, phrases, and examples
• Irregular verb forms--in both Spanish and English--presented in convenient tables
• Complete grammar overviews of both Spanish and English
• A special 45-page section of 3,500 of the most frequently used Spanish and English idioms and expressions
• English pronunciation indicated in the International Phonetic Alphabet
• Useful appendices that add to the dictionary's value as an all-purpose reference

BOOK [via]