Getting Started On Drums-Setting Up - Start Playing DVD

Customer Reviews & Opinions

Getting Better
I am a total beginner and was actually given a drum kit recently by a friend. This DVD is exactly what I needed. It started with assembling the drums, adding new drum heads and tuning the drums and went through positioning the kit around you.

Tommy then continues with very basics of holding the sticks properly and on to some basic grooves.

It’s a great start because it was so encouraging that I could actually play drums! Of course there’s a long way to go before I could call myself a drummer but this DVD is a great start.

A really good DVD for all skill levels
This is a really good DVD. Tommy is very thorough, and starts at the beginning. He really is a great teacher. I’m a music teacher myself, and let me just say, as a teacher, this guy knows how to convey ideas and share knowledge like a pro. He explains what he is doing and why, and is positive and encouraging the whole time. The drums aren’t like other instruments where you take it out of the case and start playing–you have to put them together (at least the first time), and if this is done wrong, you have set yourself up for difficulty later on. Tommy shows you how to set up your kit correctly, including everything from assembling isolation mounted toms to tuning resonant heads to bass drum pedal setup. Again, as a music teacher, I can tell you that getting started right is half the battle. (Okay, maybe not half, but you get the idea.) And rather than playing everything himself (which might give you a “shucks, I can’t do that” attitude), he has students demonstrate most of the beats (which gives you subliminal encouragement-”if a kid can do it, then so can I”). And if you are under 16, then you get to see what someone your age can do. Tommy chose the right beats to start with, too–cool grooves that if you can master (which you can) you will want to keep practicing. This DVD has it all–fills, grooves…even some play-alongs. And yes, just to inspire you, Tommy plays one piece at the end, but somehow it doesn’t have a “show-off” feel. It’s more like Tommy saying, “See how cool the drums can sound? If you practice and stay dedicated, you can do this too.” Or at least that’s the way I felt when I watched it. The camera work is good, the sound quality is good, and Tommy is awesome. Honestly, I can’t recommend it strongly enough. Nice work, Mr. Igoe!

Excellent Drum Lessons
When I first started I had a hard time because things seemed so simplistic. But if you watch the whole video and see how it progresses you understand why it is set up the way it is. He is an excellent instructor and even he says you may want to get some private lessons later. But this DVD is an excellent start.

Very Informative
Great for introductory video. My 10 year old daughter is working her way through it and thoroughly enjoys it.

Great For Beginners!
Just getting started on drums?

Dont know a thing about drums?

Want to know a few fills to some techniques, even the construction of a drum set?

If you answered yes to any of these then this dvd is for you. I bought it and it was quite helpful. Once you’ve mastered this dvd you should consider picking up is other dvd “Tommy Igoe’s Groove Essential’s”.

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Golden Compass

Customer Reviews & Opinions

Always late…
The title above doesn’t concern the book as much as myself. It is intended to be some kind of lamentation on my behalf, showing regret in my always coming late to a texts of great importance or influence. It says as much of me as anything, but I guess that popularity, in-fiction and all sorts of praises never really interested me. So it came to pass that I have read Pullman, for the first time, only a week ago. I’m seriously doubting that I would do it any time soon if it weren’t for the fact that I got my copies directly from the publisher - for review in my own country. Having watched the film first (yes, you can scorn me for that), I knew what to expect and that proved as a great disadvantage in my trying to be a part of the world inside the text. Much of it’s magic is lost, once you know the basic plot and it’s ending, so I seriously recommend skipping the movie part, and go straight for the book. Also, it should be said that these thought refer only to the first volume of trilogy. What is coming next is yet to be seen.

As I recall movie got awful reviews, reason for which I couldn’t really fathom. In my opinion it was relatively solid child flick, with unpretentious casting, with interesting setting and atmosphere just magical enough to pull you in. People complained of it as not being something more, something that, apparently, only book had. Upon reading the book, I honestly can’t say what’s with all the fuss. Sure, there are obvious differences (not to mention just ending part), and pace of storytelling differs as much in both mediums, but when boiled down to it’s basics, one has to admit that first part of trilogy is relatively simple and straightforward - almost as much as movie itself.

So what’s with the five stars? Northern light offers much potential. It’s world is a living one, even if not as much detailed as some would like. Its narration is concise and doesn’t stray about too often. It’s characters are likeable and multi-layered, there is a sense of epic proportions but it’s lacking the black and white juxtaposition which is a trait fairly uncommon to many of the contemporary fantasy novels, and it leaves you with wanting for more. Upon reading the first one, one just has to know what happens next. Maybe an adult reader will find this book somewhat oversimplified or maybe not important enough since in it Pullman holds of his big guns (though there are some dark and gritty scenes) but I believe that any child out there, who enjoys books, will find Norther Lights quite fascinating read. This is not to say that NL is book for children. As many great things are so is this one - multilayered and thought-provoking, demanding from its reader an active role, not just the one of a passerby who hasn’t something better to do. Reading the Norther Lights means traveling with Lyra, sharing her feelings and suffering the impact of choices that she takes. As Pullman himself has written - this is a world strangely familiar and one cannot fail to see that.

In it’s simplicity, Northern Lights are strangely compelling and deep, and laying all the trilogy stuff beside, that should all the justification one needs. You’ll not become better person upon reading this book (or maybe you will, one could never tell these things) but you’ll be influenced, challenged and involved. What else is there that you should be looking for?

Very nice edition of this amazing book
The quality of this edition of this book is the best I’ve seen. The book it’s self is amazing. This is a seriously important piece of literature. Just look at the number of books available on amazon about this book. There can be no doubt that it’s impact is significant. Children will enjoy a well written and exciting adventure story with wonderful characters. Adults will enjoy this book on a totally different level. What a great way to introduce a child to really complex story telling. Pullman has much more in common with Lewis Carrol and Tolkien than Oxford.

Language Arts Validation
This is an unbelievable book. I picked it up in the library with pretty low expectations, but I was astounded as I started to get into it! Pullman weaves an incredible fantasy tale of a whole different world complete with witches, armored bears, scholars, daemons, and altheiometers. The biggest difference by far between this world and our own is that every person has a daemon. Daemons are pretty much your conscious in the form of an animal that can talk to you. Your daemon can change animal forms at will until you become an adult, around 13 or 14, and then it will set to a certain animal depending on your personality. For instance, if you are a very quiet person, your daemon will probably set as a mouse. This is an amazing concept, and really gives the story a unique factor. Along with this Pullman included the perfect balance of exciting events, enough to make me never want to put the book down but not making the book seemed crammed. Lyra is an orphan and a likable main character, and her quest to save the children from the Gobblers is wildly entertaining. The plot includes many interesting twists and turns, and I spent many hours wondering what was going to happen next. Religion does play a big role in the story, but at no point was I uncomfortable and I really don’t think you should let that influence whether you read the book or not. At the end of the book the author really leaves you hanging off a cliff, and encourages you to read the next book in the series, which is called “The Subtle Knife”. I look forward to reading the next two installments in the series, and hold the highest of expectations.

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Ebay for Dummies

Customer Reviews & Opinions

Provides the Basics of What to Do on E-Bay for Newbie Sellers and Buyers
It’s important to note that this book is released in different countries as specific country editions. The triangle headed guy on the front cover is holding the flag from of the country each edition is from. Each country has its own laws and taxes, postal system you’ll be using for domestic and international sales and so forth. Although most of the info (the general stuff) is the same if you’re going to the effort of buying it I’d get one applicable to where you live. Even though Amazon is a global website, it is based in the US so you’ll no doubt get the US version ordering it here.

There’s heaps of books out there on ebay. Let’s be honest none of them are really needed at all as all the info you could even need is on ebay’s FAQ, help pages and discussion boards. If however your online internet time is very expensive or you don’t have much time or opportunity to access the internet and want to be completely prepared for buying or selling an item on ebay before the expense of going online, then I guess you are going to buy a book to help you. Although if this is the case odds are you’re not online and not reading reviews on Amazon about books anyway. But if you are after a book containing the basic information you need to buy or sell eBay for Dummies is one of the better ones out there.

This book is laid out in easy to follow chapters with headings on the various actions you’ll be looking to do. It also has a pretty good index to search for particular things that way as well. There’s not a great deal of pages devoted to buying, it’s more for sellers (probably about 4 fifths of the book) but the basics are covered.

A much better book I have subsequently come across since writing this review is The eBay Myth-Bu$ter: Turn 199 Misconceptions Into Money! by David Busch. It debunks a lot of myths sellers tell buyers (and other sellers on the discussion boards) such as buyers are responsible for lost items (nope sellers are), feedback is important (nope but how you respond to it is), you can’t have multiple accounts (yes you can, in fact you’re stupid not to), buyers or sellers must respond within 3 days of auction ending (no they don’t have to). It’s a much better book to learn stuff than this Dummies or any other e-bay book I’ve come across.

Great resource!
I was a complete novice at selling on eBay, but thanks to this book I have completed three transactions! I did not have a single question that was not answered in this book. I highly recommend this as a resource for new (and not so new) eBayers!

Great book
This is a good book if you want

to know how to do Ebay.

Good service. Thank you.

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Quick Medical Terminology: A Self Teaching Guide (Wiley Self-Teaching Guides)

Customer Reviews & Opinions

Great foundation for medical terminology!
I am currently halfway through the lessons of this book and I love it. I am working through it during my Christmas break between semesters. It is set up in an easy, quick way to learn, not only the meanings, but also the rules of building the words. It also has an extra appendix to teach you how to build words that use special (not commonly used) spellings when speaking in plural forms. You can go as quickly or as slowly as you need to. This is an excellent source for anyone going into a medical profession or for individuals just wanting to expand their vocabulary.

This Book is Great!
This book is very easy to understand. The exercises are interesting and helpful. It has taught me so much.

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Understanding Baking: The Art and Science of Baking

Customer Reviews & Opinions

An Essential
This book is exactly what I was looking for. I set out to find a book that would give me an understanding of the science involved in baking, and this book did just that. I devoured the book (which is now riddled with highlighted sentences, underlined concepts and handwritten margin notes)and am now able to modify and manipulate existing recipes to achieve my desired results, as well as write my own recipes! An indispensable addition to the library of any serious baker. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why egg whites whip better in a copper bowl, or why the meringue on your lemon pie gets runny (and other such questions), this book has the answers for you.

The *best* book for the money
I am a cake designer by trade and I’m getting ready to teach my first college level course and this is the book that I will be using for my students.

The reason for this is simple: value for money with a clear understanding of baking principles.

Most professional tomes like the Gisslen or Friberg book will set you back 50-75 dollars a book. You can have both of Amendola’s books for the cost of just one. Sure, they might not have all the pretty pictures, but why go out and spend hundreds of dollars that you don’t need to.

And to set the record straight, I completely disagree with the person who complained that the books were boring and too scientific. The act of baking is not an art - it’s all about science and if you think that’s boring then you shouldn’t be baking.

A good baker and cake designer will know and understand why cakes are made the way they are, otherwise, he or she will not have the knowledge needed to overcome the problems and issues that every baker will face at some point in his or her career, whether professional or home baker.

If you’re a home baker and you want a less “science-driven” book then I’d suggest The Baker’s Dozen. If you love cake and really want to understand what it’s all about then you can’t beat Joseph Amendola - he is a master.

Baker’s Best Friend
Understanding Baking gives the student baker all the baking science he or she will actually ever need in day to day operations. This new edition has a much friendlier tone and eliminates a great of the repetition and overly arcane or dated material that existed in the previous editions. Theory and concepts are related to actual products much more clearly. Rees/Amendola lucidly and concisely explain the chemistry of ingredient interaction, baking physics and supply useful ingredient definitions. The reference tables and troubleshooting guides are helpful and clear. The new information on wild yeast starter/artisan bread is timely and interesting as is the discussion of trans and cis fats. Any pastry chef can tell you that the most complicated presentations begin with a good grounding in the basics. From there, it’s up to you. Industrial baking, which this edition, for the most part, sidesteps, is now so specialized, automated and artificially preserved you need an whole set of encyclopedias to understand the processes that are usually performed by a machine. On the other hand, with this book and it’s companion volume, The Baker’s Manual (also recently revised with many, many appealing new formulas), you could start a fine little pastry shop. It impowers you to be the best baker you can be.

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The Reader

Customer Reviews & Opinions

POIGNANT AND MOVING
This was a very moving and sad book in many parts his love for Hannah was so deep yet he couldnt really come to her defense and struggled with his own decisions. His marriage failed and he struggled with all of the decisions in his life including the marriage. In the end he seemed very shallow and reconciled to her ending her own life. His chracter was detached from the realities of life in post war Germany.At such a young age he couldnt be held responsible for what went on but could have been less detached from the cruelties and agony of the concentration camp detainees . Moved me greatly and was very sad.

A very good book
There were many levels of insight that were striking and new for me, but it was also just a great read. I couldn’t put it down. I kept thinking back on conversations I had had at different times in Germany, some late at night after glasses of wine, but one with an aloof airport official in the glaring light of day. We talked around this national consciousness of a crime that was somehow everyone’s. And yet how long should or would the people carry this dark millstone? This book illucidated all the backs and forths of that shared sense of darkness, and why lots of German citizens would rather do anything but dwell in those memories.

But I don’t do it justice by giving the impression that it was only about war crimes. It was a fascinating, sometimes sad and thoroughly beautiful story from beginning to end. A very good book, and highly recommended.

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Naked in Death

Customer Reviews & Opinions

Good Light Read
I love the futuristic world she’s created here. Take one edgy cop with a chip on her shoulder and match her up with the sexiest man ever created and then make them both believable. Pop them both into a future world that is intelligently extrapolated from our current one and set them head to head. THEN… let’s have the most impossibly perfect man stick around and marry her and you’ve got the sub-plot of the entire series. In the foreground, you’ve got great cop mystery complete with a unique serial killer in each book.

The blend of characters and plots is enchanting, but bring your rocky road ice cream and fuzzy slippers out for this series.

Page Turning Mystery & Hot Romance…
I came to Amazon last week searching for a book with steamy romance, a good murder mystery and an interesting plot…and I got exactly what I was looking for!! From the very first page, this book held my interest and I could not put it down. It kept me up way past midnight and I enjoyed every second.

The story is set in 2058 New York City. Guns are relics of the past and so it is a surprise when a high class prostitute and grand daughter of a senator is found shot to death by a .38. Det. Eve Dallas is assigned as lead investigator and soon the body count starts to rise. There are many suspects, and Eve takes a particular interest in Roarke, a tall, dark and handsome millionaire. As the mystery grows, so does their romance and Eve must battle with her desire for Roarke and her duty to solve the case.

This was my first introduction to Nora Roberts (aka JD Robb) and now I’m asking myself what took me so long! The writing is superb and she’s a master at mixing HOT, steamy romance with mystery and suspense. Eve is a tough, complex, vulnerable and respectable heroine, and I found her to be a layered and deep character, unlike some of the perfunctory, one-dimensional heroines in other novels. And I can already tell that there’s more to Roarke as well. This is the first book in the series and if it is any indication of what’s to come, I can’t wait to read more. Great read!

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Handbook of Alternative Assets (Frank J. Fabozzi)

Customer Reviews & Opinions

Great Reference
Nice overview of alternative asset classes. One reference of many we use for research, cross-reference, marketing and new associate education.

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The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Customer Reviews & Opinions

This Book is Excellent! It is a Must-Read for Anybody Interested in Cross-Cultural Experiences
I first read this book about three years ago and recently re-read it. I am a socal worker and educator but I have been giving copies of this book to everyone I know because it is relevant to anyone who has any interactions with people of different cultures. It reads like a novel and is a page-turner. It is also loaded with information and written in a literary and beautiful style.

The book focuses on the clash between Hmong culture and traditional western medicine. The story is of one little girl with a seizure disorder whose family seeks help from California doctors. The Hmong have a complicated and almost mythological belief system based on centuries of narrative. Their views on health and healing are complex and many of these beliefs are not easily translated into the English language. English may have no word that does justice to the Hmong concept.

How the family belief system and their desire to help their daughter results in a terrible clash with the medical doctors in the U.S. is examined by Ms. Fadiman in an exacting and compassionate way. She shows empathy for the Hmong family and the physicians who are trying to treat a girl with a life-threatening illness. The doctors feel like the family is non-compliant and the family feels that they much adhere to their spiritual belief system and treat their daughter in a way much differently than recommended by her physicians.

I can’t imagine anyone not loving this book, not being able to relate to some experience where they felt that their belief system was not understood by another for any reason. I highly recommend it for a wonderful read and to enhance one’s knowledge of the difficulty of trying to truly understand another’s cultural beliefs.

Valuable reading for nurses.
This book was required reading for a nursing program I am in. It will forever change the way I view other cultures, and gave me a better understanding of their beliefs and traditions. Although the story is tragic b/c of the unfortunate cascade of events that unfolded, it can serve as an important learning tool in cultural awareness and sensitivity, especially where medicine is concerned. It is a beautiful story of parental love and devotion, even if we (as Americans, familiar only with our own western medicine) dont understand it.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
This was a fantastic read. I spent the first half of the book outraged at the Hmong family for never bothering to learn the English language or educate themselves on American customs, (while clearly expecting every American to know and honor their own,) at the expense of their own daughter. I spent the second half of the book falling in love with the Hmong family and culture and gradually grasping their predicament and finally realizing the one thousand and one applications this book has in my own life.

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