All Books
Synopsis: We all live in a world which, if not dominated by science, is certainly strongly influenced by it. Yet most people seem have only a vague, and often erroneous, understanding of what science is all about. This is both sad and dangerous. If we depend on science but don’t really understand it, we are likely to make uninformed decisions with disastrous consequences.
Since this book is directed at people who basically don’t like science — or worse, fear it — it needed to be organized to be as readable and approachable as possible.
To this end, there are no chapters about specific sciences, i.e. everything you really need to know about physics, everything you really need to know about chemistry, everything you really need to know about astronomy, etc. Instead, it takes the form of easy-to-read essays, some of which are based on speeches given to lay audiences, some of which have already been published elsewhere, and some of which are being published here for the first time. Each essay is self-contained, so they can be read. You don’t have to read the first essay first in order to understand the second one, and so on.
In addition to the essays, you will also find a wide variety of quotations about science from well-known scientists such as Einstein and Newton, lesser known scientists, as well as authors, philosophers, poets, etc. Again, each quotation is self-contained. Therefore, they are not categorized into specific sub-headings. However, where necessary, a quotation will be commented on to make certain that Is references and allusions can be easily understood.
Believe it or not, some people find science to be fun; scientists like to laugh at themselves. Science for the Concerned Citizen therefore concludes with several pages of jokes. Again, where necessary, a joke will be commented on to make certain that its references and allusions can be easily understood.
Since this book is directed at people who basically don’t like science — or worse, fear it — it needed to be organized to be as readable and approachable as possible.
To this end, there are no chapters about specific sciences, i.e. everything you really need to know about physics, everything you really need to know about chemistry, everything you really need to know about astronomy, etc. Instead, it takes the form of easy-to-read essays, some of which are based on speeches given to lay audiences, some of which have already been published elsewhere, and some of which are being published here for the first time. Each essay is self-contained, so they can be read. You don’t have to read the first essay first in order to understand the second one, and so on.
In addition to the essays, you will also find a wide variety of quotations about science from well-known scientists such as Einstein and Newton, lesser known scientists, as well as authors, philosophers, poets, etc. Again, each quotation is self-contained. Therefore, they are not categorized into specific sub-headings. However, where necessary, a quotation will be commented on to make certain that Is references and allusions can be easily understood.
Believe it or not, some people find science to be fun; scientists like to laugh at themselves. Science for the Concerned Citizen therefore concludes with several pages of jokes. Again, where necessary, a joke will be commented on to make certain that its references and allusions can be easily understood.
Publication Date:
Age Level: Adult
Genre: Nonfiction
Synopsis: The March 2010 edition of the Toastmaster, the monthly magazine of Toastmasters International, published an article titled “The Better You Write It, the Better You Say It.” Toastmasters International is a worldwide club dedicated to helping people improve their speaking and presentation skills. It has over 270,000 members in more than 100 countries. The article makes a couple of crucial points.
Excluding pure entertainment, the objective of most speeches is to convey information, or to promote or defend a point of view. Certain tools, such as vocal variety and body language, can aid this process. But by their very nature they can communicate only emphasis or emotion.
If your words are incapable of getting your message across, then no amount of gestures or vocal variety will do it for you. Thus, when preparing a speech, your first objective must always be to carefully structure your information and look for the best words or phrases to express what you want to say . . . But if writing your speech is the key to success, how should you go about it?”
In line with this analysis, the first purpose of this book is to lay down a few simple ground rules for writing a good speech. Once you have produced a credible, coherent speech, the second objective is to lay down a few equally simple ground rules for delivering it in the most congenial, forceful, persuasive manner possible.
The “theoretical” part of the book takes up only about one-third the total text. It is so short because the fundamental principles of effective public speaking are few and, when explained, are almost self-evident. It is divided into three interrelated sections.
•The Essentials of Good Writing (how to compose a good speech)
•The Essentials of Good Public Speaking (how to effectively deliver a good speech)
•The Essentials of Effective Visual Aids (how to effectively support a good speech)
The “practical” part of the book (two-thirds of the total text) consists of 10 carefully crafted appendices that explore certain key principles and techniques in greater detail, as well as providing some exercises to help you practice them. For example:
•Steve Jobs: Lessons from a Presentation Icon
•The Day I Lost My Fear of Public Speaking
•How to Untie Your Tongue
•Laugh Your Way to Persuasive Communication
Public Speaking: The Essential Ten Percent is part of the expanding “The Essential Ten Percent” series. The series was launched in 2011 on the premise that many self-instructional books fail to distinguish between:
•Casual Users — those who need to understand and apply only the very basics of a subject.
•Intensive Users — those who need to understand and apply virtually everything.
As a result, most such books tend to make fundamentally simple ideas appear to be unnecessarily complex. And more complex ideas hopelessly impenetrable.
Books in “The Essential Ten Percent Series” rigorously focus on the casual user to ensure that simple ideas remain simple and more complex ideas can be decomposed into simpler ones.
"Don’t write merely to be understood. Write so that you cannot possibly be misunderstood." — Robert Louis Stevenson
Excluding pure entertainment, the objective of most speeches is to convey information, or to promote or defend a point of view. Certain tools, such as vocal variety and body language, can aid this process. But by their very nature they can communicate only emphasis or emotion.
If your words are incapable of getting your message across, then no amount of gestures or vocal variety will do it for you. Thus, when preparing a speech, your first objective must always be to carefully structure your information and look for the best words or phrases to express what you want to say . . . But if writing your speech is the key to success, how should you go about it?”
In line with this analysis, the first purpose of this book is to lay down a few simple ground rules for writing a good speech. Once you have produced a credible, coherent speech, the second objective is to lay down a few equally simple ground rules for delivering it in the most congenial, forceful, persuasive manner possible.
The “theoretical” part of the book takes up only about one-third the total text. It is so short because the fundamental principles of effective public speaking are few and, when explained, are almost self-evident. It is divided into three interrelated sections.
•The Essentials of Good Writing (how to compose a good speech)
•The Essentials of Good Public Speaking (how to effectively deliver a good speech)
•The Essentials of Effective Visual Aids (how to effectively support a good speech)
The “practical” part of the book (two-thirds of the total text) consists of 10 carefully crafted appendices that explore certain key principles and techniques in greater detail, as well as providing some exercises to help you practice them. For example:
•Steve Jobs: Lessons from a Presentation Icon
•The Day I Lost My Fear of Public Speaking
•How to Untie Your Tongue
•Laugh Your Way to Persuasive Communication
Public Speaking: The Essential Ten Percent is part of the expanding “The Essential Ten Percent” series. The series was launched in 2011 on the premise that many self-instructional books fail to distinguish between:
•Casual Users — those who need to understand and apply only the very basics of a subject.
•Intensive Users — those who need to understand and apply virtually everything.
As a result, most such books tend to make fundamentally simple ideas appear to be unnecessarily complex. And more complex ideas hopelessly impenetrable.
Books in “The Essential Ten Percent Series” rigorously focus on the casual user to ensure that simple ideas remain simple and more complex ideas can be decomposed into simpler ones.
"Don’t write merely to be understood. Write so that you cannot possibly be misunderstood." — Robert Louis Stevenson
Publication Date:
Age Level: Adult
Genre: Nonfiction
Synopsis: Tesania is the only survivor after her village is massacred by magically altered beasts. In the aftermath of the attack she senses her father's sword calling out to her, the hilt reforming to fit her small hand as she draws the blade from its sheath.
With its magic tingling at her nerves, she embarks on a mission of revenge.
Could her father's sword be the ancient weapon spoken of in the decaying parchments of the Tenule chronicles, imbued with magic and forged with blood? Can it possibly make the difference when she stands before the evil mage, Trannyth, and demands her vengeance on his beasts?
Tesania - Trannyth's Keep is a 132,000 word (500 page) novel.
With its magic tingling at her nerves, she embarks on a mission of revenge.
Could her father's sword be the ancient weapon spoken of in the decaying parchments of the Tenule chronicles, imbued with magic and forged with blood? Can it possibly make the difference when she stands before the evil mage, Trannyth, and demands her vengeance on his beasts?
Tesania - Trannyth's Keep is a 132,000 word (500 page) novel.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Literate people are literate because they have been taught how to read and write. Right? Wrong. They have been taught how to read, but many (if not most) have never really been taught how to write.
“I know, because I used to be one of them,” says Philip Yaffe, a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and long-time international marketing communication consultant. ”When I was in high school, I thought I knew how to write, but when I went to college, I was shocked to discover that I didn’t.
“Much secondary school writing is aimed at helping students perfect their mechanical skills such as grammar, vocabulary, rhythm, syntax, etc. In college, it is assumed that students already do these things well. The task now is to use these skills to clearly, concisely, and persuasively present or defend an argument or point of view. This is where I and many of my freshman colleagues fell down,” he explains.
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent attempts to rectify the problem by focusing on the truly key ideas and techniques needed to achieve these objectives.
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent displays, explains, and provides exercises for general writing principles and practices that can be adapted to all kinds of college-level writing formats, e.g. book reviews, term papers, research papers, theses, essay exams, etc.
“If you truly understand and master the principles and practices explained in this book, it really won’t matter what format may be imposed on your writing. The format is like the cover of a book. The essential thing is what is inside,” the author says.
As any good teacher knows, saying something once is tantamount to not saying it at all. People may understand something the first time they hear it, but that doesn’t mean that they will necessarily remember it or understand it later. Key ideas must be repeated to ensure comprehension.
College-level Writing: The Essential 10 Percent is therefore purposely redundant. You will see certain pieces of information repeated in many different places. This is done to ensure that vital information is always available when and where you need it. You won’t have to go looking for it on an earlier page in order to understand the page you are currently reading.
Because they are fundamental, the principles and practices taught in this book are also adaptable to business and professional worlds beyond graduation.
Philip Yaffe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1942 and grew up in Los Angeles, where he graduated from the University of California with a degree in mathematics and physics. In his senior year, he was also editor-in-chief of the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s daily student newspaper.
He has more than 40 years of experience in journalism and international marketing communication. At various points in his career, he has been a teacher of journalism, a reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal, an account executive with a major international press relations agency, European marketing communication director with two major international companies, and a founding partner of a specialized marketing communication agency in Brussels, Belgium, where he has lived since 1974.
Other Books by this Author
Word for Windows: The Essential Ten Percent
The Human Body: The Essential Ten Percent
(to be published in February 2012)
The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a Professional
The Gettysburg Collection:
A comprehensive companion to The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a Professional
Actual English: English grammar as native speakers really use it
Gentle French: French grammar as native speakers really use it
What’d You Say? / Que Dites-Vous?
Fun with homophones, proverbs, expressions, false friends, and other linguistic oddities in English and French
The Little Book of BIG Mistakes
Science for the Concerned Citizen: What you don’t know CAN hurt you
“I know, because I used to be one of them,” says Philip Yaffe, a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and long-time international marketing communication consultant. ”When I was in high school, I thought I knew how to write, but when I went to college, I was shocked to discover that I didn’t.
“Much secondary school writing is aimed at helping students perfect their mechanical skills such as grammar, vocabulary, rhythm, syntax, etc. In college, it is assumed that students already do these things well. The task now is to use these skills to clearly, concisely, and persuasively present or defend an argument or point of view. This is where I and many of my freshman colleagues fell down,” he explains.
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent attempts to rectify the problem by focusing on the truly key ideas and techniques needed to achieve these objectives.
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent displays, explains, and provides exercises for general writing principles and practices that can be adapted to all kinds of college-level writing formats, e.g. book reviews, term papers, research papers, theses, essay exams, etc.
“If you truly understand and master the principles and practices explained in this book, it really won’t matter what format may be imposed on your writing. The format is like the cover of a book. The essential thing is what is inside,” the author says.
As any good teacher knows, saying something once is tantamount to not saying it at all. People may understand something the first time they hear it, but that doesn’t mean that they will necessarily remember it or understand it later. Key ideas must be repeated to ensure comprehension.
College-level Writing: The Essential 10 Percent is therefore purposely redundant. You will see certain pieces of information repeated in many different places. This is done to ensure that vital information is always available when and where you need it. You won’t have to go looking for it on an earlier page in order to understand the page you are currently reading.
Because they are fundamental, the principles and practices taught in this book are also adaptable to business and professional worlds beyond graduation.
Philip Yaffe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1942 and grew up in Los Angeles, where he graduated from the University of California with a degree in mathematics and physics. In his senior year, he was also editor-in-chief of the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s daily student newspaper.
He has more than 40 years of experience in journalism and international marketing communication. At various points in his career, he has been a teacher of journalism, a reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal, an account executive with a major international press relations agency, European marketing communication director with two major international companies, and a founding partner of a specialized marketing communication agency in Brussels, Belgium, where he has lived since 1974.
Other Books by this Author
Word for Windows: The Essential Ten Percent
The Human Body: The Essential Ten Percent
(to be published in February 2012)
The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a Professional
The Gettysburg Collection:
A comprehensive companion to The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a Professional
Actual English: English grammar as native speakers really use it
Gentle French: French grammar as native speakers really use it
What’d You Say? / Que Dites-Vous?
Fun with homophones, proverbs, expressions, false friends, and other linguistic oddities in English and French
The Little Book of BIG Mistakes
Science for the Concerned Citizen: What you don’t know CAN hurt you
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Durriken Brishen has lost his parents, his grandfather, and though he doesn't know it, his Gypsy culture's dangerous gift.
Taken in and raised on the rails by the first woman to pilot a freight train, Durriken has one remaining connection to his Romani roots: a small wooden box that hangs from the hammer loop of his overalls.
The last gift he received from his grandfather, the box contains the world's first chess set. But a piece is missing: the Red Queen. According to Durriken’s family lore, the complete set awakens the power of Tărie, a mercurial gift that confers unique abilities on each new Master.
When a suspicious fire erupts in the Chicago rail yard, Durriken's escape produces an uneasy alliance, though not without its silver lining. Dilia is a few inches taller, several degrees cleverer, and oh yes – very pretty. While Durriken is uneasy allying with a girl whose parents were convicted of sedition, there's no doubt she is a powerful partner. And while it's not immediately clear to either, her own Guatemalan culture and family history are deeply entwined with the ancient Romani mystery.
Jumping box cars, escaping riverboats, deciphering clues, crossing swords with the brilliant madman Radu Pinch – with great American cities as its backdrop – Gypsy Knights is the page-turning saga of Durriken Brishen and his quest to rediscover his past.
Taken in and raised on the rails by the first woman to pilot a freight train, Durriken has one remaining connection to his Romani roots: a small wooden box that hangs from the hammer loop of his overalls.
The last gift he received from his grandfather, the box contains the world's first chess set. But a piece is missing: the Red Queen. According to Durriken’s family lore, the complete set awakens the power of Tărie, a mercurial gift that confers unique abilities on each new Master.
When a suspicious fire erupts in the Chicago rail yard, Durriken's escape produces an uneasy alliance, though not without its silver lining. Dilia is a few inches taller, several degrees cleverer, and oh yes – very pretty. While Durriken is uneasy allying with a girl whose parents were convicted of sedition, there's no doubt she is a powerful partner. And while it's not immediately clear to either, her own Guatemalan culture and family history are deeply entwined with the ancient Romani mystery.
Jumping box cars, escaping riverboats, deciphering clues, crossing swords with the brilliant madman Radu Pinch – with great American cities as its backdrop – Gypsy Knights is the page-turning saga of Durriken Brishen and his quest to rediscover his past.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: I am a professional writer in English and I speak fluent French. By fluent, I mean that I can carry on a conversation for hours at a time without ever being at a loss for words.
You have probably heard that French is a difficult language to learn. The bad news is, unfortunately this is correct. The good news is, it is much easier to learn if properly approached. Much easier. If your objective is mainly to speak rather than to create chefs-d’oeuvres littéraires, then I believe you will find this book of considerable help.
Objectively, English is an easier language than French because of its demonstrably simpler grammar. But don’t be misled. Certain characteristics of French are simpler than their equivalents in English. By rejoicing in French’s simplicities rather than focusing on its complexities, learning the language can be made more rapid and more enjoyable than you might have expected.
Structurally, Gentle French is designed to achieve two principal objectives:
1. Emphasize those characteristics of French that make it easier than English
2. Simplify the undeniable complexities of French as much as humanly possible, particularly in terms of how native speakers think about their language when they are actually using it.
We are all familiar with grammar books that enunciate a rule, then list 5 -10 exceptions where it doesn’t apply. It is facetiously said that in French, the exception is the rule. However, looked at properly, many of these so-called “exceptions” do follow the rule, or come closer to following it than their formal grammatical description might suggest.
Exceptions are the principal factor that makes learning a language difficult. Separating “false exceptions” from real ones therefore should make the task considerably easier, which this book diligently tries to do.
As another way to maximize understanding, Gentle French keeps grammatical terminology to an absolute minimum – and in fact changes it when conventional terminology would hinder understanding, rather than helping it.
To achieve its objectives, the book is divided into five parts.
1. The Psychology of Learning French
This section proposes the proper psychological approach to learning French, and suggests a number of pedagogical artifices to make learning easier and more enjoyable.
2. Seven Ways French Is Easier than English
This section looks at the basic structure and logic of French to highlight fundamental features of French that are demonstrably easier than they are in English.
3. Essentials of French Grammar
This section looks at how the principles enunciated in Parts 1 & 2 work in practice. Constant emphasis is placed on the regularities of French and its similarities to English. To this end, it introduces a new way of categorizing grammar: 1) foundational grammar, 2) explicative grammar, 3) decorative grammar.
4. Particularities
This section examines particular problems English speakers encounter in learning French, such as pronominal verbs, verbs conjugated with être instead of avoir, use of c’est, use of chez, silent letters, etc. It also suggests logical — or at least psychological — ways of dealing with these problems.
5. Ready Reference
This section is a compendium of key reference materials such as basic grammatical terminology, conjugation of key irregular verbs, true friends (vrais amis), false friends (faux amis), common idiomatic expressions, special problems between French and English, etc.
In short, the purpose of the book is to help you think in French, so you will better understand what is going on in the mind of native French speakers when words are actually coming out of their mouths. It is only when you truly begin to think like a Francophone that you can truly begin to speak like one.
You have probably heard that French is a difficult language to learn. The bad news is, unfortunately this is correct. The good news is, it is much easier to learn if properly approached. Much easier. If your objective is mainly to speak rather than to create chefs-d’oeuvres littéraires, then I believe you will find this book of considerable help.
Objectively, English is an easier language than French because of its demonstrably simpler grammar. But don’t be misled. Certain characteristics of French are simpler than their equivalents in English. By rejoicing in French’s simplicities rather than focusing on its complexities, learning the language can be made more rapid and more enjoyable than you might have expected.
Structurally, Gentle French is designed to achieve two principal objectives:
1. Emphasize those characteristics of French that make it easier than English
2. Simplify the undeniable complexities of French as much as humanly possible, particularly in terms of how native speakers think about their language when they are actually using it.
We are all familiar with grammar books that enunciate a rule, then list 5 -10 exceptions where it doesn’t apply. It is facetiously said that in French, the exception is the rule. However, looked at properly, many of these so-called “exceptions” do follow the rule, or come closer to following it than their formal grammatical description might suggest.
Exceptions are the principal factor that makes learning a language difficult. Separating “false exceptions” from real ones therefore should make the task considerably easier, which this book diligently tries to do.
As another way to maximize understanding, Gentle French keeps grammatical terminology to an absolute minimum – and in fact changes it when conventional terminology would hinder understanding, rather than helping it.
To achieve its objectives, the book is divided into five parts.
1. The Psychology of Learning French
This section proposes the proper psychological approach to learning French, and suggests a number of pedagogical artifices to make learning easier and more enjoyable.
2. Seven Ways French Is Easier than English
This section looks at the basic structure and logic of French to highlight fundamental features of French that are demonstrably easier than they are in English.
3. Essentials of French Grammar
This section looks at how the principles enunciated in Parts 1 & 2 work in practice. Constant emphasis is placed on the regularities of French and its similarities to English. To this end, it introduces a new way of categorizing grammar: 1) foundational grammar, 2) explicative grammar, 3) decorative grammar.
4. Particularities
This section examines particular problems English speakers encounter in learning French, such as pronominal verbs, verbs conjugated with être instead of avoir, use of c’est, use of chez, silent letters, etc. It also suggests logical — or at least psychological — ways of dealing with these problems.
5. Ready Reference
This section is a compendium of key reference materials such as basic grammatical terminology, conjugation of key irregular verbs, true friends (vrais amis), false friends (faux amis), common idiomatic expressions, special problems between French and English, etc.
In short, the purpose of the book is to help you think in French, so you will better understand what is going on in the mind of native French speakers when words are actually coming out of their mouths. It is only when you truly begin to think like a Francophone that you can truly begin to speak like one.
Publication Date:
Age Level: Adult
Genre: Nonfiction
Synopsis: Aislinn of Bairbhe dreams of becoming a lady knight to honor the death of her fallen brother. To her mother's horror, King Patrick grants Aislinn's wish.
Despite the mockery of the other pages and the disdain of Prince Caelen, who also trains to be a knight, Aislinn commits herself to her training and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and bravery.
Through the years, Aislinn and Caelen grow from sparring classmates to good friends. Honor, bravery, and yes, love are worth fighting for even when they both know that someday Caelen will have to marry for the sake of the kingdom.
Despite the mockery of the other pages and the disdain of Prince Caelen, who also trains to be a knight, Aislinn commits herself to her training and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and bravery.
Through the years, Aislinn and Caelen grow from sparring classmates to good friends. Honor, bravery, and yes, love are worth fighting for even when they both know that someday Caelen will have to marry for the sake of the kingdom.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Few people will willing admit that they don’t think logically. Ironically, perhaps the people most willing to admit it are those celebrated for their outstanding minds (e.g. Albert Einstein, William Gladstone, Wolfgang Goethe, Benjamin Franklin, Blaise Pascal, Voltaire), because they are aware of how difficult logical thinking really is.
Why? Because we are all subject to fallacies. These are illogical ways of handling ideas that seem logical at the time and therefore often lead is down the wrong path.
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent displays, explains, and provides examples of the general principles and practices of logical thinking, with particular emphasis on avoiding fallacies. Part of it reads like a textbook. However, much of it is in the form of essays that are used to go more deeply into certain matters that the textbook format would not allow. Together, it is hoped that the textbook format and the essay format will serve as an easy introduction to the key aspects of logical thinking as well as providing a fundamental, easy-to-use reference work.
Please bear in mind that the purpose of this book is not to teach you to think, but to help you think more logically.
There is a difference. Thinking logically is not always the best thing to do. Most artists do not think logically; if they did they probably would never produce any original works of lasting value. Likewise for poets, composers, song writers, novelists, etc. This would fall under the rubric of “creative thinking.”
Whatever other kinds of thinking we may do, logical thinking is likely to enter into the process. This is especially true regarding personal decisions that will affect how we, and those close to us, will live our lives. It is also true regarding political and social decisions that will affect the future of our community, our country, our world. For example, compulsory vaccination of all schoolchildren, assisted suicide, insurance coverage for alternative medicine, polygamy, same-sex marriages, etc.
Failure to recognize and avoid common mistakes in logical thinking that can lead to misjudgments that could sometimes result in major — and usually unpleasant — consequences.
As any teacher knows, saying something once is tantamount to not saying it at all. Key ideas must be frequently repeated to be certain that they don’t get lost in the details. The reader will therefore see pieces of information repeated in many different places. This is to ensure that vital information is always available when and where the reader needs it. He won’t have to go looking for it on an earlier page in order to understand the page he is currently reading.
To add some light relief, the book also contains a chapter on “Logic through the Looking Glass,” delightfully instructive illogical passages from Lewis Carroll’s class Alice in Wonderland books, an equally delightful and instructive excerpt from a short story by Isaac Asimov, and a list of “Common Misconceptions: Things We Know that Just Aren’t So.”
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent is part of the expanding “The Essential Ten Percent” series. The series was launched in 2011 on the premise that many self-instructional books fail to distinguish between:
•Casual Users — those who need to understand and apply only the very basics of a subject.
•Intensive Users — those who need to understand and apply virtually everything.
As a result, most such books tend to make fundamentally simple ideas appear to be unnecessarily complex. And more complex ideas hopelessly impenetrable.
Books in “The Essential Ten Percent Series” rigorously focus on the “casual user” to ensure that simple ideas remain simple and more complex ideas can be decomposed into simpler ones.
The books in “The Essential Ten Percent” series (at March 2012) are:
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent
Public Speaking: The Essential Ten Percent
Why? Because we are all subject to fallacies. These are illogical ways of handling ideas that seem logical at the time and therefore often lead is down the wrong path.
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent displays, explains, and provides examples of the general principles and practices of logical thinking, with particular emphasis on avoiding fallacies. Part of it reads like a textbook. However, much of it is in the form of essays that are used to go more deeply into certain matters that the textbook format would not allow. Together, it is hoped that the textbook format and the essay format will serve as an easy introduction to the key aspects of logical thinking as well as providing a fundamental, easy-to-use reference work.
Please bear in mind that the purpose of this book is not to teach you to think, but to help you think more logically.
There is a difference. Thinking logically is not always the best thing to do. Most artists do not think logically; if they did they probably would never produce any original works of lasting value. Likewise for poets, composers, song writers, novelists, etc. This would fall under the rubric of “creative thinking.”
Whatever other kinds of thinking we may do, logical thinking is likely to enter into the process. This is especially true regarding personal decisions that will affect how we, and those close to us, will live our lives. It is also true regarding political and social decisions that will affect the future of our community, our country, our world. For example, compulsory vaccination of all schoolchildren, assisted suicide, insurance coverage for alternative medicine, polygamy, same-sex marriages, etc.
Failure to recognize and avoid common mistakes in logical thinking that can lead to misjudgments that could sometimes result in major — and usually unpleasant — consequences.
As any teacher knows, saying something once is tantamount to not saying it at all. Key ideas must be frequently repeated to be certain that they don’t get lost in the details. The reader will therefore see pieces of information repeated in many different places. This is to ensure that vital information is always available when and where the reader needs it. He won’t have to go looking for it on an earlier page in order to understand the page he is currently reading.
To add some light relief, the book also contains a chapter on “Logic through the Looking Glass,” delightfully instructive illogical passages from Lewis Carroll’s class Alice in Wonderland books, an equally delightful and instructive excerpt from a short story by Isaac Asimov, and a list of “Common Misconceptions: Things We Know that Just Aren’t So.”
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent is part of the expanding “The Essential Ten Percent” series. The series was launched in 2011 on the premise that many self-instructional books fail to distinguish between:
•Casual Users — those who need to understand and apply only the very basics of a subject.
•Intensive Users — those who need to understand and apply virtually everything.
As a result, most such books tend to make fundamentally simple ideas appear to be unnecessarily complex. And more complex ideas hopelessly impenetrable.
Books in “The Essential Ten Percent Series” rigorously focus on the “casual user” to ensure that simple ideas remain simple and more complex ideas can be decomposed into simpler ones.
The books in “The Essential Ten Percent” series (at March 2012) are:
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent
Public Speaking: The Essential Ten Percent
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Synopsis: Ranulf, the Speican lord, is dead, and Arnhem is save, or so the Arnhemians believe.
Sir Geoffrey and his companions have just completed a mission for Queen Aislinn when he receives word of the Speicans attacking Arnhem. Geoffrey and his party, which now includes exile Jenanna, split up and rush to different kingdoms to ask for aid. Even as he fights for his kingdom and his life, Geoffrey finds himself torn between his new friend Jenanna and the mysterious lady Celestia he left behind in Arnhem.
Enlisting help is infinitely more difficult than they anticipated and to make matters worse, rumors about that the Speicans have enlisted a mage of their own, to work unspeakable, forbidden magic. The war between Speica and Arnhem has just begun. Will Geoffrey survive the battle to live another day and discover which woman he truly loves?
Sir Geoffrey and his companions have just completed a mission for Queen Aislinn when he receives word of the Speicans attacking Arnhem. Geoffrey and his party, which now includes exile Jenanna, split up and rush to different kingdoms to ask for aid. Even as he fights for his kingdom and his life, Geoffrey finds himself torn between his new friend Jenanna and the mysterious lady Celestia he left behind in Arnhem.
Enlisting help is infinitely more difficult than they anticipated and to make matters worse, rumors about that the Speicans have enlisted a mage of their own, to work unspeakable, forbidden magic. The war between Speica and Arnhem has just begun. Will Geoffrey survive the battle to live another day and discover which woman he truly loves?
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Series
Synopsis: When Riley finds her grandmother dead, she knows her world is about to collapse. Determined to find the father she knows only by an address, Riley and Mia take off on a journey with so many twists and turns Riley begins to doubt they’ll ever find a real home. She ignores the question that keeps popping into her mind–if they do find her father, will he even want them? Or will he send them away?
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Series
Synopsis: When ten-year old Christopher Knight gets an email from his best friend, now living two hundred miles away, he has no idea that it holds the key to another world. The two friends unexpectedly find themselves in the magical kingdom of Distania. There they must face a raging river, dragons, a mysterious prince and an angry king; and they need to get home in time for dinner!
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Synopsis: The war between Specia and Arnhem now reaches the sea after the selkies discover the Mystical Conch Shell of the Sea has been stolen. Selliki the selkie sets out to find it, and Gabrael, the mage she loves. No union between a selkie and a human has ever had a happy ending, but neither can ignore their feelings. Each night, they experience terrible, real dreams that show how doomed their love is.
The war threatens not only their love but the entire world. Lucifer has aligned himself with Specia and wants nothing less than to bring about the Apocalypse before its time. In the last battle, trolls fight icthyocentaurs, dwarves armed up against the Drow, angels against demons. Only one kingdom will prevail; that is, if the world doesn't end.
The war threatens not only their love but the entire world. Lucifer has aligned himself with Specia and wants nothing less than to bring about the Apocalypse before its time. In the last battle, trolls fight icthyocentaurs, dwarves armed up against the Drow, angels against demons. Only one kingdom will prevail; that is, if the world doesn't end.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Synopsis: Book 2 in The Iron Trilogy. Rebecca Harding discovers that there is much more to being a vampire than she had originally suspected. Meanwhile, she continues to be pursued by Jack, a brutal and relentless vampire who wants Rebecca for himself, and Angus must do all he can to protect her.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Synopsis: Amazon Best Sellers Rank: voted #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Death & Grief
Christina Black squirmed. Sweat dripped down her face and it wasn’t from the South Florida sunshine. Her mother's hair was gone. There were five or six bottles of pain killers lined up on the kitchen counter.
"Christina, where are you?" Mrs. Black called. "I want you to sit and read to me honey."
Christina's green eyes watered and she pushed back her black bangs. They stuck up slightly from all the sweat. "I'll be right in," she shouted. Her voice cracked a little. She grabbed her mother's pain pills and placed them on a tray with some toast. "Okay mom, I'm ready," Christina said.
She peered around the door to see her mother's head wrapped in a handkerchief. Her mom was so skinny and frail. A big lump clogged Christina's throat. There was saliva stuck in the corners of her mother’s mouth making her look half alive. Slowly Mrs.Black's eyes fluttered closed.
Christina put the tray down on the end table and crept out the front door. She raced towards her favorite spot. It was at the end of the street on a private boating dock. She collapsed onto the dock and burst into tears. Her mom couldn't have cancer. She was only thirteen. What would she do without her mother?
Christina Black squirmed. Sweat dripped down her face and it wasn’t from the South Florida sunshine. Her mother's hair was gone. There were five or six bottles of pain killers lined up on the kitchen counter.
"Christina, where are you?" Mrs. Black called. "I want you to sit and read to me honey."
Christina's green eyes watered and she pushed back her black bangs. They stuck up slightly from all the sweat. "I'll be right in," she shouted. Her voice cracked a little. She grabbed her mother's pain pills and placed them on a tray with some toast. "Okay mom, I'm ready," Christina said.
She peered around the door to see her mother's head wrapped in a handkerchief. Her mom was so skinny and frail. A big lump clogged Christina's throat. There was saliva stuck in the corners of her mother’s mouth making her look half alive. Slowly Mrs.Black's eyes fluttered closed.
Christina put the tray down on the end table and crept out the front door. She raced towards her favorite spot. It was at the end of the street on a private boating dock. She collapsed onto the dock and burst into tears. Her mom couldn't have cancer. She was only thirteen. What would she do without her mother?
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: ""The Big Apple Posse: Escape From New York" is an action/adventure story for kids of all ages. It is only a children's story if "The Lord of the Flies" is only for children.
"The Big Apple Posse" tells the story of four kids who were trapped in New York City after a terrorist attack. In the spirit of "The Wizard of Oz," they become a band of travelers (The Big Apple Posse) adding new friends as they attempt to flee the city and find their families. By pooling all of their different skills, they discover what happened to the city and escape.
Twelve-year-old Amanda was dreading a boring afternoon at a Broadway theater, babysitting her ten-year-old brother Peter and watching her cousin Cindy perform the lead role in an Off-Broadway production of "Annie." After the show, as they wait to be picked up in Cindy’s basement dressing room, something unimaginable happens—the theater, and perhaps the entire city, explodes above them! Armed with a laptop and backpacks, the terrified but determined tweens manage to escape through an old door in the men's room and climb down a Prohibition-era stairway to the subway.
When they emerge, they are stunned to find an empty city where the streets are choked with abandoned cars and plagued by looters running wild. They dodges thieves and thugs, making their way to Grand Central Station where they find an explosion of white powder. What really happened? Is it a terrorist attack?
Determined to solve the mystery and reunite with their families, the tween posse quickly expands, adding characters they meet along their way: Mr. Garvain, a true New York eccentric; his sister Miss Virginia, proprietress of an extensive costume wardrobe; Thibodeaux, a twelve-year-old New Orleans boy turned New York City rapper and clothing designer; and Auntie Tina, Thibodeaux's guardian.
Amid the nonstop thrill-ride, the now expanded posse learn to trust each other and stay together to save the city.
"The Big Apple Posse," written by Wendy R. Williams and illustrated by Sophie Escabasse, is the first in a series of three books, "The Big Apple Posse Trilogy," which follow the posse in their journey from hapless victims to witnesses in the terror trial of the century. The second in the trilogy, "The Big Apple Posse: Escape From New Orleans," was published in December of 2011 and is for sale at Amazon.com. The third book, "The Big Apple Posse: Escape from Los Angeles" was published in August of 2012 and is also for sale at Amazon.com. "Solange's Song," the young adult sequel to the "Big Apple Posse" books, was published in January of 2014.
"The Big Apple Posse" tells the story of four kids who were trapped in New York City after a terrorist attack. In the spirit of "The Wizard of Oz," they become a band of travelers (The Big Apple Posse) adding new friends as they attempt to flee the city and find their families. By pooling all of their different skills, they discover what happened to the city and escape.
Twelve-year-old Amanda was dreading a boring afternoon at a Broadway theater, babysitting her ten-year-old brother Peter and watching her cousin Cindy perform the lead role in an Off-Broadway production of "Annie." After the show, as they wait to be picked up in Cindy’s basement dressing room, something unimaginable happens—the theater, and perhaps the entire city, explodes above them! Armed with a laptop and backpacks, the terrified but determined tweens manage to escape through an old door in the men's room and climb down a Prohibition-era stairway to the subway.
When they emerge, they are stunned to find an empty city where the streets are choked with abandoned cars and plagued by looters running wild. They dodges thieves and thugs, making their way to Grand Central Station where they find an explosion of white powder. What really happened? Is it a terrorist attack?
Determined to solve the mystery and reunite with their families, the tween posse quickly expands, adding characters they meet along their way: Mr. Garvain, a true New York eccentric; his sister Miss Virginia, proprietress of an extensive costume wardrobe; Thibodeaux, a twelve-year-old New Orleans boy turned New York City rapper and clothing designer; and Auntie Tina, Thibodeaux's guardian.
Amid the nonstop thrill-ride, the now expanded posse learn to trust each other and stay together to save the city.
"The Big Apple Posse," written by Wendy R. Williams and illustrated by Sophie Escabasse, is the first in a series of three books, "The Big Apple Posse Trilogy," which follow the posse in their journey from hapless victims to witnesses in the terror trial of the century. The second in the trilogy, "The Big Apple Posse: Escape From New Orleans," was published in December of 2011 and is for sale at Amazon.com. The third book, "The Big Apple Posse: Escape from Los Angeles" was published in August of 2012 and is also for sale at Amazon.com. "Solange's Song," the young adult sequel to the "Big Apple Posse" books, was published in January of 2014.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure