Dreamweaver CS5: The Missing Manual

About the Book

Dreamweaver, Adobe’s website-development program, lets you revamp an existing site, or design, build, and manage a new one without writing a single line of code. But keeping track of the latest updates to Dreamweaver CS5 is tricky. Dreamweaver CS5: The Missing Manual by David Sawyer McFarland helps you master this versatile program with jargon-free language, hands-on tutorials, and savvy advice from a Dreamweaver pro.

• Get complete guidance. Go from building your first web page to creating interactive, database-driven sites
• Build skills as you learn. Apply your knowledge using 12 tutorials and downloadable practice files
• Create a thoroughly modern website. Build fast-loading pages based on powerful, easy-to-use CSS tools
• Add instant interactivity. Use pre-packaged JavaScript programs to add forms, drop-down menus, and more
• Tap into databases. Connect your site to a database and build pages that display the information
• Discover hidden tips and tricks. Learn undocumented workarounds and shortcuts
• Have it your way. Customize the way Dreamweaver looks and works to suit your needs

David Sawyer McFarland is president of Sawyer McFarland Media, Inc., a Web development and training company in Portland, Oregon. David is also a writer and trainer, and teaches in the Portland State University multimedia program. He wrote the bestselling Missing Manual titles on Adobe Dreamweaver, CSS, and JavaScript.

My Thoughts on the Book

Talk about a powerhouse book for those who need to get up to speed quickly on Dreamweaver CS4! This book is hefty, not only in weught/size but also in content. The author has a dizzying array of knowledge on the subject matter and is able to share this with the reader in such a way that they are not lost. Thus the book is able to be understood and useful for both the new user and the expert of the program itself.

To be honest, this book should have come with the program, as it is all inclusive. The author even spends time on the differences between CS3 and CS4, so if you are upgrading you can find solace in the fact that you would be in good shape with this book also.

While I have some basic knowledge in web design, in reading this book, I realized that I have a long way to go before I know everything on this topic. Overall, this book made me realize that I was missing out in not completely understanding all of the ins and outs of CSS, and now feel much more comfortable in using CSS for the future!

This post was written for O’Reilly Media who provided the complimentary book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review – Kids Make it Better

About the Book
Ask a roomful of kids how to save the planet, and you’ll never come up short on answers—or surprises. That’s how bestselling author, illustrator, educator, and activist Suzy Becker created kids make it better, an imagination-spurring journal for children ages 6 to 10.

Becker went out and asked children their ideas about fixing problems both big and small. What to do about all the garbage? Here’s Kristin, age 10: “Have a law that says every person who litters has to pick it up and eat it.” Can’t argue with that!

The solutions—adorable, touching, sometimes downright inspired—are whimsically illustrated in Becker’s trademark style. After each spread, budding change-makers are invited to take a crack at the problem themselves, with space for writing down possible solutions and a frame for drawing the best one. In the back of the journal, a Make It Better Action Plan helps young activists bring their solutions to life. They’ll learn how to write a mission statement. They’ll reach out to friends, teachers, parents, or organizations for help. They’ll even get a to-do list together.

A cure for shyness, the tin foil treatment for nail-biters, and an alien-friendly fix for the ozone—no problem too little, no solution too out there. Sidebars profile real-life kid activists and cases in which the featured solutions really worked. (There actually are fish that love to eat pollution.)

Yes, kids can!

About Suzy Becker

Suzy Becker is an author, artist, and entrepreneur, a former White House Fellow, and a winner of the Anti-Defamation League’s “A World of Difference” award. She is also the founder of the bike-a-thon Ride FAR (Ride for AIDS Resources), which has raised over $1,000,000 for its cause. Her books include the #1 New York Times bestseller All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat, I Had Brain Surgery, What’s Your Excuse?, and My Dog’s the World’s Best Dog. She lives with her family in Massachusetts .

My Take on the Book
I am always looking for ways in which my girls can make a difference in our world and this great book does the trick. The book does a great job at helping children to think larger than themselves and come up with solutions for everyday problems that plague the world. I loved the fact that the book was a write-in book so kids are able to put in their answers as they go through the book itself.

Also, the book encourages kids to make their solutions realities, not just ideas on paper, giving children next steps to follow as they continue forward.

This book will inspire children and adults alike!

Heroes For My Son Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to commentor #13: debp!

About the Book

Who do Americans consider to be their real heroes? Brad Meltzer has been fascinated by this question for nearly a decade. From his first exhilarated drive home from the hospital the night his son was born, his mission has been to find the heroes in life who would help him teach his child about kindness and courage and other singular attributes that would help his boy become a good man. The issue was, where to begin? He decided to do what he knew: tell the best stories.

HEROES FOR MY SON (HarperStudio/$19.99/May 11, 2010) by Brad Meltzer is the New York Times bestselling novelist’s first foray into nonfiction. It’s a hand-picked collection of heroes—52 men and women, both familiar and unknown—and illustrated throughout with black-and-white photographs, many of which have not been seen in decades. Meltzer mines the lives of each of these men and women and finds the moment that best illustrates what makes a hero out of each of them. Lyrically written, these narratives have potency in their very simplicity. Meant to be read aloud and shared together across generations, HEROES FOR MY SON gets to the heart of what it means to be heroic in everyday life.

From the Wright Brothers to his grandfather, Ben Rubin, Meltzer’s heroes include philanthropists and creative people, doctors and politicians, performers and activists, athletes and ordinary citizens. Roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson, Bella Abzug and George Washington, Jonas Salk and Jim Henson, Clara Hale, Mother Theresa, Mr. Rogers and Albert Einstein stand side-by-side with Officer Frank Shankwitz who founded the Make A Wish Foundation, or Dan West who created Heifer International, and Miep Gies, Otto Frank’s assistant who hid her employer and his family including his young daughter Anne Frank for two years.

Meltzer draws from the stories—some familiar from history lessons—and within them finds unorthodox wisdom. The Wright Brothers’ fame as the first in aviation becomes a story about how they always packed everything they would need to repair their planes; in essence planning for their failure, and yet never giving up. What Meltzer tells about Abraham Lincoln is how he lost his Senate race in 1858 because he refused to go along with the prevailing view of that time that Black men and women had no rights—he committed political suicide because he refused to be quiet. Jim Henson wanted to work on television but when he went looking for a job at seventeen, he was turned down. He saw that they needed a puppeteer so he went to the library, checked out a book on the subject, built his own puppets and returned to the station—and got the job.

As Meltzer writes in his introduction, “There are thousands of heroes. And I think that’s what I like best. There is proof—absolute proof—everywhere. Look around at any life and you’ll find examples of character and honesty, leadership and humility, tenacity and dignity. These are the tools I want my son to have…This isn’t about how to be remembered—it’s a book about how we live our lives, and what we are capable of on our very best days.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Fate, as well as the bestsellers The Tenth Justice, Dead Even, The First Counsel, The Millionaires, The Zero Game, and The Book of Lies.

He is also one of the co-creators of the TV show, Jack & Bobby—and is the Eisner Award-winning author of the critically acclaimed comic book, Justice League of America.

His first non-fiction book, Heroes For My Son, is a collection of heroes—from Jim Henson to Rosa Parks—that he’s been working on since the day his son was born and is on sale May 11. His newest thriller, The Inner Circle, will be released in January 2011. You can read far more about him at www.BradMeltzer.com.

HEROES FOR MY SON

Brad Meltzer

HarperStudio

Publication date: May 11, 2010

Price: $ 19.99

People included in the book include:

• The Wright Brothers, inventors of the first flying maching
• Team Hoyt, father and son long-distance runners
• Joe Schuster and Jerry Siegal, inventors of the first superhero
• Mr. Rogers, Television host
• Miep Gies, found and preserved Anne Frank’s diary
• Roberto Clemente, Baseball legend and hometown hero
• Amelia Earhart, record-breaking pilot
• Nelson Mandela, activist and President of South Africa
• Norman Borlaug, Father of the Green Revolution
• Martin Luther King, Jr., clergyman, activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner
• Anne Sullivan, teacher
• John Lennon, legendary singer/songwriter, peace activist
• Harriet Tubman, abolitionist
• Harry Houdini, magician
• Jackie Robinson, Hall of Fame baseball player
• Albert Einstein, scientist
• Jesse Owens, Olympic gold-medal winner
• Jim Henson, creator of Kermit the Frog and the Muppets
• Jonas Salk, Scientist and researcher
• Dr. Seuss, children’s book author
• Bella Abzug, Congresswoman, Defense Attorney, Leader of the women’s rights movement
• Dan West, Relief Worker, Farmer, Founder of Heifer International
• Mother Theresa, Relief Worker, the Saint of the Gutters
• Steven Spielberg, Director, Producer, Philanthropist
• George H.W. Bush, Pilot, Navy man, U.S. President
• Lucille Ball, actor, trailblazer
• George Washington, General, Leader, First President
• Charlie Chaplin, Director/Actor
• Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host, Influence Maker, businesswoman
• Frank Shankwitz, Highway patrolman, Cofounder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation
• Mark Twain, Humorist, Novelist
• Eleanor Roosevelt, activist, First Lady
• Neil Armstrong, test pilot, Astronaut
• Paul Newman, actor, philanthropist
• Pele, soccer superstar
• Barbara Johns, high school student and civil rights activist
• Aung San Suu Kyi, Political prisoner
• Eli Segal, businessman, political strategist
• Abraham Lincoln, lawyer, Senator, President
• Andy Miyares, Special Olympics athlete
• Clara Hale, Foster Mother, Harlem resident and founder of Hale House
• Muhammad Ali, Boxer
• Barack Obama, President
• Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird
• Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, Thinker, Statesman, President
• Mohandas Gandhi, spiritual leader, political icon, pacifist
• Frederick Douglass, Abolitionist, speaker, and teacher
• Chesley B. Sullenberger III, Pilot
• Rosa Parks, mother of the Civil Rights movement
• Lou Gehrig , baseball legend
• Teri Meltzer, Brad Melter’s mom
• Ben Rubin, Grandfather

My Take on the Book

I was impressed by the book and thought to myself, this book could work for sons or daughters! I also thought it was a great idea and wondered who else I would add to the mix that the author himself added.

The book is easy to read and is geared toward being a read aloud book for parents to share with their kids. I read a few of the chapters to my girls and they enjoyed them!

I look forward to sharing more of the book and more of my own heroes with my daughters as they get older.

WIN IT!

We have a signed hardcopy of this book for one lucky person! To enter:

• Just mention in comments before midnight, June 28th why you’d like to win this book. That’s it!
• A random winner will be selected and notified via email shortly thereafter.
• The winner will then have 2 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

• Subscribe to An Island Life’s feed.
• Follow Island Life on Twitter.
• Tweet this giveaway.
• Place our button in your sidebar.
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to Heroes For My Son.

This giveaway is open to US addresses. Good luck!

This post was written for Harper Books who provided the item for review and giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product. By entering this giveaway, you are acknowledging that you have read, understood, and agree to our disclosure policy.

Green Guide Families: The Complete Reference for Eco-Friendly Parents

About the Book

Green Guide Families: The Complete Reference for Eco-Friendly Parents answers the questions and concerns that arise in the course of family life— from play time and school days to birthday parties and vacations.  From National Geographic and the trusted editors of the Green Guide comes a book for parents of young children, giving them all they need to know to make environmentally sound decisions about food, health, clothing, home decor, toys, toiletries, travel, play activities, and more.

There are a lot of books out there about living the green life. But this book is the only one written with the whole child in mind, covering not only how to protect your child from toxic chemicals but also how to protect the Earth for future generations, and including topics from healthy eating choices to eco-friendly holiday parties. Author Catherine Zandonella is a parent and science journalist who specializes in the health & safety concerns of the family and the environment.

According to Catherine, when thinking about how to go green, it is important to remember that protecting the environment and protecting your family’s health go hand in hand. Just follow the simple rule, “If it is good for the planet, then it is most likely good for my child.” Zandonella offers some advice for all of us in a “Do This, Don’t Do That” list that will make a family’s decision to go green easier:

1. Do invest in Pyrex bowls.
Don’t use the plastic containers to reheat food. They can go from fridge to freezer to microwave to table — practical and attractive, and you don’t have to worry about microwaving in plastic, or choosing the right kind of plastic. They last for years so you are not generating waste. (Plastic margarine tubs make great storage containers for children’s craft items.)

2. Do prepackage your own healthier snacks.
Don’t buy individually wrapped chips and crackers. Use small plastic snack containers (i.e. Ziploc) and load them up with serving sizes of blueberries, baby cut carrots, grapes, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, cheese cubes, etc. Store them in the refrigerator so you can quickly grab them on the go.

3. When buying organic:  Do choose organic soft-skinned fruits and vegetables because these are the kinds that tend to absorb pesticides into the skin.
A list of the top fruits and vegetables to buy organic can be found in the book.  Don’t spend money on organic potato chips or cookie bars. (You are paying for packaging that ends up in the garbage).

4. When fast food is the only option for your child’s dinner:  Do replace those high-fat and sugar food with fresh fruit and milk.
Don’t order the fries or soda.

5. Sunscreen for babies:  Do dress your children and babies in “rashguards” or other sun-protective clothing.
Don’t lather their entire bodies with sunscreen. These should have a UPF rating (similar to the SPF rating of sunscreens). Sun-protective clothing also protects fish and aquatic life from exposure to chemicals. There is a company called Coolibar (www.coolibar.com) that has really cute kids’ clothes and bathing suits.  For older children, choose a sunscreen with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide – the white ones. These block both UVA and UVB rays and don’t contain potentially harmful chemicals such as oxybenzone.

6. Do dispose of the disposable lifestyle.
Don’t buy bottled water, paper napkins, disposable plastic picnicware, paper towels, or dryer sheets. Do buy the largest size you can of consumable goods like shampoo, laundry detergent, etc. (Reusable water bottles are a great investment — they’ll save you a lot of money over time. Just be sure to put your child’s name on it in case it gets lost.)

7. When hosting a party: Do use reusable plastic plates and cups.
Use your own tableware – or purchase an inexpensive set for parties – instead of buying plastic forks and spoons. You can reuse these for years, saving money as well as being able to cross one more errand off your list prior to party time.  Don’t buy paper goods or plastic utensils.

8. At your party:  Do use large containers of drinks, milk and water.
Don’t serve juice boxes and individual size drinks.

9. When buying toys for your kids, do buy solid-wood blocks, cloth dolls, puppets and Legos (even though they are plastic, Legos are widely consider to be OK because they last for years).
Don’t buy lots of cheap toys for your kids.

10.  To freshen the air inside your home, Do eliminate odors with a box of baking soda or if you crave a scent, make some home-made potpourri.
It is easy to make by saving flower petals from your garden, air-drying them, and combining them with dried orange and lemon peels.  Don’t buy air fresheners.

About the Author

Catherine Zandonella is a science journalist who covers topics from environmental health and toxicology to biomedical research and technology. As science editor of National Geographic Green Guide since 2002, Zandonella has covered numerous aspects of green living.

A parent of young twins, Zandonella understands that children are far more vulnerable than adults to toxins in our environment. Children are also fascinated by the natural world and are eager to keep the planet as pollution-free as possible. In the “Green Guide for Families,” Zandonella combines her knowledge of environmental toxicology with her own experiences raising eco-conscious kids to create a resource for all parents who want to green their family’s lifestyle.

Zandonella has a master’s degree in public health with an emphasis on environmental toxicology from the University of California, Berkeley. She studied science writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz’s science writing program. She has a Bachelor of Science in pharmacology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Prior to becoming a science writer, Zandonella worked as a research associate in a biotechnology company. This hands-on experience gave her insight into the process of scientific discovery, allowing her to bring a deeper understanding to her coverage of science research.

Zandonella also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, in southern Africa, where she taught high school math and science for two years. The experience of living in a rural village that lacked electricity and paved roads shaped her desire to better the livelihoods of people and improve the planet through her writing.

Zandonella has written numerous articles for New Scientist and Nature magazines and other publications, and for scientific academies and foundations. See her Web site at www.catzan.com for a select list of published articles.

Zandonella is a member of the National Association of Science Writers, the Society of Environmental Journalists and the Author’s Guild.

My Take on the Book

My family and I have been working on trying to become more earth conscious. We have done much more recycling. Have been looking into composting and rain barrels. Outside of this we are lways looking for other options on making the world a better place. This is not an easy thing to do, but this book makes it possible. The book is filled with great resources and ideas about small steps that each of us can take to make the world a better place.

I have to say that I was quite impressed with the number of healthy options that are provided in the book. Some of these options are ones that are quite simple to undertake, while others are more time consuming.

Overall, if you are looking for a great book that will open your eyes to the possibilities for green living, look no further!

If this sounds like a book you would like to have in your own library you can find it on Amazon!

This post was written for National Geographic who provided the complimentary book in exchange for my honest review.

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