Customer Reviews (3)

Christmas gifts for the grandchildren...
I purchased The Flannel Board Storytelling Book as the first step in making flannel board stories for my grandchildren. I am very pleased with this purchase. The figures are simple. Though preparation of the stories will be time-consuming, I believe first teaching the stories, then letting my grandchildren teach me will be well worth the price I paid for this book. It is a collection of both well-loved stories from my childhood, and many others that teach values and offer the opportunity to talk about life situations. I'm excited for Christmas. R ALLEN

The Flannel Board Storytelling Book
As a volunteer storyteller for our local library's storytime, I have recently looked through this book and found it to be a superb addition to our resource section. Here are 4 reasons I have found this book to be helpful enough to own my own copy. 1. It is instantly useable, no need to tweak and edit the stories. 2. The stories lend themselves to puppets as well. 3. The stories and rhymes are simple and easy to use. 4. The book itself is nicely organized.

Everything you need to know to tell flannel board stories.
I train childcare teachers and use this book when teaching how to tell flannel board stories.The author gives guidelines for using the flannel board story with different age groups.A total of 50+ stories, poems, andsongs are included, some appropriate for the younger child, some for agesfive and older.The selection is varied, including familiar stories suchas "Three Billy Goats Gruff" and "The Three Pigs". Also included are folktales which are less familiar but equally wonderful. For each story, the author shares special directions for using the flannelboard characters and how to include the children in the telling of thatstory.For me, a special feature of this book are the patterns for thecharacters--they are large, clear, and easy to duplicate. ... Read more

Product Description
As an animator, it’s difficult to watch movies or animated films without thinking about the directing quality or technical aspects of the production. But when that movie pulls you in and draws you to the characters and their plights, you really experience the story.

Storytelling Through Animation provides an in-depth guide to the process of conceiving, planning, and producing an animated or live action media production. It covers specific information for many forms of visuals, including traditional cel, stop motion, Flash, or 3D CG with a focus on the most critical aspect of any production—the story. The book is written for filmmakers, animators, producers, editors, directors, game creators, and anyone who has the task of telling a story visually. It teaches the principles, real-world techniques, tricks, tips, and creative and visual fundamentals key to great animated storytelling. Using detailed explanations of principles and techniques and a variety of film examples, it guides animators through every step of the production process, and teaches them how to infuse their story and develop emotional connections in every part of the production. It provides systems and checks and balances that can make projects smoother and storytelling better at any level or budget. In addition, it explores all of the concepts and techniques needed for animation, including visual theory, motion, animation techniques, and their live action counterparts, character animation, composition, production, lighting, rendering, editing, and compositing. Finally, the book helps to create critical and realistic critiquing skills for evaluating and creating emotional connections with the audience. After reading this book, animators will have the knowledge and skills needed to tell their own visual stories. FEATURES* Details story modes, including motivation, conflict, and pacing* Covers story-driven character design, direction, lighting, and art direction* Provides the analytical tools and skills needed to develop quality character performance and acting* Equips animators and filmmakers with the knowledge, insight, and techniques needed to tell a great story visually* Teaches essential do’s and don’ts for creating great animation* Provides interviews with industry professionals who share their insights, theories, hard facts, and advice* Includes a companion CD-ROM with sample film clips to use, evaluate, and study along with the techniques covered in the book, and all the images from the book in full color

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS MAC: Quicktime 5.0 or greater for both systems, OS 8.0 or greater, at least 64MB of RAM. WINDOWS: Pentium processor-based PC or compatible computer, at least 128MB of RAM, Windows 98, 2000/XP. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Like sucking molasses through a straw
I've read a lot of animation books over the years, but this is one I don't think I'll ever look at again. Most of these "one stop shop" type books that cover every single aspect of filmmaking end up not saying much no matter how long winded they are.

There's no shortage of information in this book. The problem is little, if any of it is in a form you can be readily applied to your own work. Complex thoughts with little elaboration. Highly visual ideas with no pictures explain things. Just a glut of film making tibits with little actual learning.

The CD content is better than ones in some other books I've read, but it doesn't help if the disc takes the place of illustrations in the book. That way I'm forced to be at my computer while I'm reading to get the most out of the book. Overall I think the CD added more to the price of the book than it did the content.

For my time and money, books like CGI Filmmaking: The Creation of Ghost Warrior are a much better buy.

My review
Lovely book, it has very interesting bits of information to guide students in animation.

The Story of Telling a Story Using Animation
First, this is not a book on the mechanics of producing animation. Instead it is a book that comes before that. It's about how to tell a story through animation. It's about the first steps that must be done right if the story is to be told at all.

It all begins with the story. Without a story, animation is just a bunch of pictures. How do you make the story better? How do you make it fit animation as opposed to live action?

How do you create the character? How do you make the image, the story give the character a personality? What kind of a background, a world do you design?

From here the book goes through the whole production process. Once again, this is not a book on how to use a software package to produce the animation, it's a step before that. The author is a professional at film making. In addition he interviews quite a number of professionals from the major studios to get their view of the process.

Finally the CD included with the book include film strips that you can use to evaluate just how well these guys did in following the precepts of the book. ... Read more

Product Description
--Includes 175 color plates illustrating clothing, headdresses, ceremonial objects, and other artifacts-many never before published-of the tribes that live in the North and South Dakota region of the United States --A highlight of the publication is the original manuscript recounting of the Battle of the Little Bighorn written by a warrior who fought there, Joseph White Bull, nephew of Chief Sitting Bull --An invaluable addition to the study and understanding of Native American traditions and history The University of North Dakota's history is irreversibly intertwined with the difficult history of the Plains Indians whose land includes the regions of North and South Dakota. Founded in 1883, the University has been collecting Native American art and artifacts for more than a century. With great respect of how the Native American people use and cherish these objects, this catalogue documents this extraordinary collection of clothing, headdresses, and ceremonial objects, many of which incorporate exquisite bead and quill work.Many objects presented in this publication are pieces their Native American owners did not consider objects of art, but instead viewed them as symbols of status, identity, or ceremony. Often pieces are a connection between the past and future, and handed down from one generation to the next. In addition to the older pieces, contemporary native artwork is also featured. The essays that accompany this collection examine the history of each piece and engage in the discussion of the traditions and the future of Native American art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

History notes accompany a variety of full-page Native art works documenting sacred ceremonial objects
STORYTELLING TIME: NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ART FROM THE COLLECTIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA is a winning title presenting objects made by native North Americans and examining them in a manner which allows for cultural insights. History notes accompany a variety of full-page Native art works documenting sacred ceremonial objects as well as paintings and other mediums. The result should be added to any holding interested in more then Native art alone.
... Read more

Product Description
The narrative spell cast over politics and society.Politics, as currently practiced, is no longer the art of the possible, but the art of the fictive. Its aim is not to change the world as it exists, but to affect the way it is perceived.

This is the subject of Christian Salmon’s Storytelling, which looks at how the creative imagination has been hijacked in the twenty-first century. Salmon anatomizes the timeless human desire for narrative form and how it is abused in the marketing mechanisms behind politicians and products: luxury brands trade on their embellished histories, managers tell stories to motivate employees, soldiers in Iraq train on computer games conceived in Hollywood, and spin doctors construct political lives as if they were a folk epic.

Salmon unveils the workings of a “storytelling machine” more effective and insidious as a means of oppression than anything dreamed up by Orwell. The “reality-based community”—to use a phrase coined by an aide to George W. Bush—is now regularly outmaneuvered by public relations gurus and political advisers, as they construct story arcs for a population that has come to expect them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Poorly written
After reading Doug's review, I gathered that Mr. Salmon had written an attack on storytelling. I purchased the book anyway, because Doug's negative review made the book sound perversely interesting. Sadly, the book is so poorly written it is difficult to understand what point the author is trying to make.

Since Mr. Salmon takes issue with the current use of storytelling, I would assume that when he wrote this book he made a point of NOT telling a good story. I understand this. However, he has also failed to make a clear argument. The essence of a clear argument is that an author clearly and succinctly states a claim, then sets out reasons that support the claim. Mr. Salmon is so full of scorn for the current use of storytelling, much of his book is a compilation of brief quotes from other authors' negative views. But he fails to tell a good story and he fails to make a clear argument.

If I can parse some sense out of his scrambled prose, I gather Mr. Salmon is making a case against the misuse of storytelling by corporations, advertisers and politicians to mislead and deceive the public. If this is what he is point he is trying to make, I agree with him. Nevertheless, the book is still poorly written. If you want to read a book that makes this point clearly, that explains exactly how narrative is being used to deceive and that makes rational suggestions about an effective response, read George Lakoff's "The Political Mind".

Sensationalism - Not the treatment this subject deserves
Salmon is concerned about the growth of applied storytelling: storytelling used to persuade, sell, or educate. In particular, he rails against the use of stories and storytelling in business and politics, in seven chapters with titles like these:

- The New "Fiction Economy" (about manipulating workers emotionally so they can, in turn, fool customers)
- Turning Politics Into a Story (about the role of narrative in recent presidential politics in the U.S.)
- Telling War Stories (about video-game-like, immersive military training) and
- The Propaganda Empire (Karl Rove, Fox News, the internet and more.)

Salmon sees all these trends as combining to form a frightening replacement of a reality-based world with a series of "shared fictions" (p.67). His claim is that storytelling puts emotions over rational thought, elevates entertaining fiction over hard reality, and replaces political skill with "fictional competence."

But I believe that, like all tools, storytelling can be used for good or bad, to illuminate the nature of reality or to conceal it. Salmon, to be sure, puts his finger on some disturbing uses of storytelling. But he focuses blame on the tool, not on those using it or even on those of us who allow ourselves to be manipulated.

I would have loved a good book about the dangers of mis-applied storytelling. But this isn't it.

Salmon writes like a muck-raking journalist. He is good at assembling many examples of storytelling-as-deception and assembling them into an alarming montage. But he has clearly spent more time compiling examples than constructing a penetrating analysis of them - or suggesting a reasonable corrective for society.

To make things worse, his writing is frequently lacking in the logic that he glorifies. He often uses examples that don't support his conclusions. He uses emotional language in an apparent attempt to prejudice the reader against his targets. (For example, people in favor of storytelling are most often referred to as "gurus" in his book, whereas those critical of it are "researchers.")

He doesn't appear to have noticed that the emphasis during the Industrial Age on "discipline" and "rational argument" has failed to make us happy or peaceful. Most importantly, he doesn't seem to notice that storytelling's increased presence is in part a reaction to the suppression of important aspects of the human experience.

Altogether, his implied story has more in common with tabloid journalism than with reasoned analysis: "We are being manipulated by unseen forces that are taking over the world. Be afraid!"

To see Salmon's book as being about storytelling is, in spite of its title, missing the point. It's really about dangerous trends toward manipulation through narrative. If this were well-argued, it would be a valuable addition to the literature about storytelling.

Storytelling deserves better critics. I hope that the coming years produce them.

Disappointing - Poor Arguments
I was disappointed and found this book to be unpersuasive.The author makes statements about broad changes in our society, with few facts or arguments to back them up.For example in one passage he describes how simply making a purchase at a modern retail store is an act of participation in a narrative, but he never explains how or if this would not have been true 20 (or 200) years ago.I wanted to learn about how institutions and politicians are manipulating the hard-wiring of the human brain and using stories to get what they want; instead the book provides lots of anecdotes (heh) and heavy borrowing from others to demonstrate that everyone's talking about storytelling these days.He seemed to have few concrete statements of its own, and looked like the author simply lexus-nexus searched for the word "storytelling" and provided citations for every instance he could find.

Imaginative, thoughtful, well-researchedlook at the rise of storytelling
This is an excellent book. It considers the rise of storytelling in all manner of contemporary settings - from politics and management to advertising and the military. It is critical of the ways thatstorytelling can be used astools for coercion and manipaulation. It draws on a huge range of research and ideas, yet is very readable. 'Storytelling' made me think about lots of things -I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

I'm returning this book IMMEDIATELY!!!
What a waste of money!I read a negative review by another reader and STILL bought the book --- BIG mistake.The cover design is beautiful and that's what probably fools hundreds of people.The content is a total disaster!

There are MAYBE five good shots of over 100 featured.The author obviously knows nothing about photojournalism and very little about photography in general.Plus, her writing style is on grade school level and the photography tips are... ugh...

I feel sorry for all those brides who hired her to document their big day.I'm sure they'll have some "storytelling" to share.

I got another book by the same publisher: Amhest Media - it's also going back TODAY.Is seems like low quality is their standard.

For solid advice and excellent photography examples, choose The Art of Wedding Photography by Bambi Cantrell.The quality of the editorial is excellent, ditto for the photos.

If you still don't believe me, go ahead and buy the Barbara Box disaster book.You'll see for yourself.

Photos that will trigger your creativity!
The quality of printed photos are not brilliant in this book, but the book is a great one to remind you why you fell in love with black and white photographs.The details of weddings are highlighted here, and it is a good book to keep as a reference tool.

You've got to be kidding, this book ...
There's no doubt this book will give a different perspective but there are other books that will do the same thing, look for Bambi Cantrell or Philippe Cheng for a real wedding book. These are terrific.

Good Book
This book shows photography from another perspective. It helped me to be more creative in my own style and gave me more ideas. Good book to have in your library.

Don't be fooled by the nice cover
That just happens to be the best picture you will find in this book, It rambles on and on about nothing and the pictures quickly get very very boring after seeing the fifth hand close-up, don't be fooled by the image and title, you learn very little "storytelling" here. Save your money and buy something else. This author may shoot weddings but she's a total amateur and snapshot artist. I hate this book ... Read more

Product Description

As a game designer or new media storyteller, you know that the story is everything. However, figuring out how to tell it interactively-and in a way that keeps your audience coming back for more-can be challenging.Here to help you out (and to open your mind to ever more creative ways of producing those stories) is the man who created the cult publication The Art of Computer Game Design and who has devoted much of his career to that very topic: Chris Crawford. To highlight the path for future gains in the quest for a truly interactive story, Chris provides a solid sampling of what doesn't work, contrasting unsuccessful methodologies with those that hold promise for the future. Throughout you'll find examples of contemporary games that rely on different technologies-and learn the storytelling lessons to be garnered from each of the past methodologies. Within the context of interactive storytelling, Chris explores ways of providing conflict and challenge, the difference between low- and high-interactivity designs, the necessity to move beyond purely visual thinking (so that the player is engaged on multiple levels), and more.

Customer Reviews (7)

Ahead of its time.
One day the games industry will look at Chris Crawford the same way the film industry looks at Joseph Campbell. He sets out the first few steps of a path that could revolutionize gaming - if only it is taken to heart. Some of his ideas are radical, some are controversial, but all are insightful. The only criticism I have of this book is that Crawfords brash and grungy tongue-in-cheek delivery might rub some people the wrong way (although, I personally found it refreshing). And that the book is too short.

The Beginning
Crawford's take on Interactive Storytelling, that is the maturation of a medium which will become the dominant form on art and entertainment in the 21st century, provides a foundation upon which future efforts will either be based off of or at least reference in intellectual homage. The breakdown of the modes of human thought in the early chapters provides a sturdy, cognitive lense which game designers can use to understand challenge. This book focuses primarily on social reasoning and the challenge which could be derived from that important facet of human experience, so far unexplored in traditional video and computer games.

In late 2005 Mr. Crawford wrote an article for The Escapist, and online publication which is highly recommended to anyone interested in the cutting edge of the interactive medium. The article addressed appealing to the female demographic of possible players from the angle of utilizing social challenge to meet women on a common ground. The problem with this article was that it used a controversial science to make this point, and it was possible to infer a sense of sexism, where women are inherenlty social and therefore drawn to interactive soap operas, while men are inherently spatial and drawn to games similar to hunting. The real point is that social challenge will put games on a whole new playing field which both men and women can appreciate as art and popular entertainment. Thats the lesson taught by "Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling", along with some useful approaches to the design problems. Don't let politics stop you from glimpsing a revolution.

Additional comments
In the spirit of full and open disclosure, I have known Chris Crawford for over twenty years. We are close friends and colleagues. So instead of providing a review, I'd like to comment on some of the things brought up in the other reviews.

In two reviews, it is indicated that the book is not tutorial and doesn't provide specific examples. These are absolutely correct."Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling" is a distillation and documentation of all that Chris has learned and created on interactive storytelling over the last thirteen plus year. He explores areas where none have gone before and he also explores areas where others have been adding insights that are new. There is definitely material here you won't find in any previously written book. However, this is a not a document of a completed journey. A couple of simple stories have been built-as proof of concept for the early working versions of the Erasmatron-but they mostly demonstrated the need for better tools. Interactive storytelling requires a new set of skills and tools. This book is heavy on theory and process, but light on examples because the theory and processes must precede the examples-and we're just getting a handle on the theory and processes.Expect to see examples in Chris' next book, which I expect he'll write once the Erasmatron is out the door and pumping out interactive stories. (I'm guessing here, Chris has never mentioned doing another book, but there will definitely be a need for a book on Erasmatron storybuilding and who better to write it than Chris Crawford and/or Laura Mixon?)

William Ogles comments on Chris' writing style, which is decidedly conversational. His writing style, combined with his strong convictions, often polarizes readers and the attacks against him can be as vicious as the praise is glowing. Chris was a teacher early in his career and lessons learned from those early days drive much of his writing and speaking style. He will present gray area subjects in stark black and white and he writes provocatively. This is his method for making a point and generating thought and discussion.

Indeed, it was his recent article about Women and Gaming in "the Escapist" (an on-line magazine) that provoked the single negative review of this book. The best clue to this is that the reviewer is complaining about Chris' views on women and gaming, yet that subject isn't covered in this book. Also the quotes are from his article, not from the book. Chris' point was that sales ofromance novels (especially of the "bodice rippers" genre) and soap opera show that women were the primary customers and that they were immensely popular and that games that appeals to the same needs would be more successful with women than "Doom" clones. It appears to me this is rather obvious-the trick, of course, is figuring out what such games might be. The reviewer's characterization of the above as "blatant gender stereotyping" is a hard trail to follow and suggests that Chris triggered a hot button for the reviewer.

Also, unlikeChris' other book "Chris Crawford on Game Design", this book is not for aspiring "game" designers-it's for aspiring "interactive storytelling" designers (of all ages) or for game designers that want to move into an entirely new and exciting field.

An inspirational manual from the topic's greatest thinker
In this book, Chris Crawford presents his teachings, thoughts and feelings on Interactive Storytelling, the topic that he has courageously committed the last thirteen years of his life to researching, understanding and developing.

This book struck many chords with me and opened up many avenues of thought, presenting me with inspirational ideas that kept me thinking about Interactive Storytelling for the many months that followed. I own a reasonable collection of books on game development and related academic topics, and I believe this to be the single most important book in my collection. Many of the ideas within are worth the price tag alone.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anybody even remotely interested in Interactive Storytelling, and especially designers and developers within the games industry. It simply deserves to be read.

Not Just a Must-Read, It's a Must-Study.
This book opened up a whole new pattern of thinking for me. The information Mr. Crawford conveys in this publication is invaluable to any writer seeking to break into new areas-particularly gaming and other applications utilizing interactive storytelling. Writing for this genre requires a whole different mindset from traditional genres and Mr. Crawford succeeds at moving the reader towards that mindset.

Time and again I see in game reviews how a particular game has "awesome graphics and great gameplay but the story and dialogue" were severely lacking. With Mr. Crawford's extensive experience in the gaming industry, he very capable gives aspiring writers every tool he or she will need to get a very good start in the industry. Throughtout the book, he stresses how important it is for the "artsie" thinkers (the writers & artists) to work together with the "techie" thinkers (the programmers) and I think this is a valuable lesson that many current game producers have yet to learn. Mr. Crawford reminds the entire programming industry that one sector of development cannot succeed without the other. He more than adequately investigates and chronicles how the different development teams can work together and bridge the "communication" gap between the "artsies" and the "techies."

This book, while not exactly a tutorial piece, offers many examples and exercises to move the writer along in thinking like an interactive storyteller. The only real drawback may be the detail Mr. Crawford goes into. While I personally don't have a problem with this, I work with several young people who, while they are very keen on gaming development, probably wouldn't spend an adequate amount of time studying the information contained in the book unless it were required reading in a course.

Personally I feel that any writer who wants to pursue and develop stories for interactive programming should study this book. It's not enough to read it through once, twice or even three times. This is a book which needs to be worked through section by section, until writing for this relatively new genre becomes second nature. This book will have a permanent home in my library; it is very rich in information-hats off to Mr. Crawford for producing a very timely manual.
-Adaera- ... Read more

Product Description

The Healing Heart provides powerful examples of the use of stories and storytelling in encouraging resiliency, empathy, respect, and healing. These engaging books contain stories, and narratives about the use of the stories in activities with different populations (children, teens, those with disabilities, seniors, inmates, etc.) or which address specific social or community problems (addictions, poverty, violence, racism, environmental degra-dation, homelessness, abuse).

The books are a collective effort containing the expertise of more than 60 storytellers and health professionals who illustrate the power of story in moving others to commitment and action, in building self-esteem and mutual respect.

The Healing Heart ~ Families focuses on families, dealing specifically with healing through story, health promotion, disease prevention, early childhood intervention, children with medical problems, adopting families, schools, sexual identities, grief, and spiritual healing. The Healing Heart ~ Communities focuses on community-building, with sections on youth, violence prevention, poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse and addiction, racism, elders, culture, environmental protection, homelessness, and community development.

Allison Cox is a therapist and Prevention Specialist, in Tacoma, Washington, with 20 years experience as a professional storyteller, and is a founder of the Healing Story Alliance—part of the National Storytelling Network.

David Albert is a storyteller, writer, and Senior Planner and Policy Analyst with the Washington State Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, and a contributor to Spinning Tales, Weaving Hope (New Society, 2002).

Customer Reviews (1)

Story Telling From the Heart That Makes A Difference!
I highly recommend them to EVERYONE!!It has really struck me what a "white bread" existence I've lived as I read these stories - so rich in culture.

They are an exercise of the tongue, of the mind, and of the spirit.They entertain way beyond just a simple bed time story.You can picture the cities, the towns, the people.Just when you think the story a bit to complex for a child, they child chimes in with their own interpretation making these stories even more complex, but in an enriching and entrancing way.

They are more clever than Aesop, more intoxicating than Anderson.And the way they are intertwined with practical applications in life makes the storytelling real.

They are simply enchanting. ... Read more

Product Description
Oftentimes, we think stories are for children. But usingthe Bible as evidence, we see that God communicated histruth to men and women of all cultures, time, and placesby way of many small stories forming one large story.

While possessing a rich heritage of storytelling, toomany evangelicals have forfeited this vital skill. TomSteffen’s aim is to help readers recapture the most natural,universal, and effective means of evangelism-discipleshipthat exists—storytelling.

This book is not just theory—it provides practical helpby identifying the roles and tasks that are necessary tobecome an effective storyteller in another culture. Steffenoffers creative tools and introduces practical ways toincrease many of the storytelling skills for evangelism-discipleship. He moves us beyond linear gospeloutlines, Western logic and organization, and individualresponses to traditional evangelism rituals, to a mode ofcommunication that respects the audience, making it easyfor them to grasp what they have heard and to pass it onto others with minimal loss of content.

By reconnecting storytelling to ministry, readers will bemore comfortable in sharing the gospel, both at home andabroad.

• Helpful to those who feel they don’t have the spiritual gift of evangelism.

• Each chapter closes with probingreflection questions and a helpfulbibliography for developing deeperstorytelling knowledge, skills, andcontext-specific curricula. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Trust the power of "story"
Dr. Steffen revisits the message of the Bible through the framework of "story." His perspectives are missiological, anthropological, and andragogical. He integrates the concepts of storybook, storyline, and storyteller, drawing from key narrativists, including Boomershine, Bradt, Brueggemann, Fackre, Leighton Ford, Donald Miller, and Ryken. Storying is a universal form of communication. Ryken argues that "...the narrative mode is uniquely important in Christianity" (1984:33). Dr. Steffen's book, though brief, is a scholarly work describing how to use narrative as an educational methodology. The book contains key questions and helpful bibliographies. I highly recommend this book as well as Dr. Steffen's "Passing the Baton." ... Read more

Product Description
These five stories give children the opportunity to read about important life skills. They also give them the chance to answer comprehension questions. Includes self-insight remarks throughout the text. When children have finished completing the activities, answering the questions, and coloring the pictures, they will have a personalized book to take home and share with parents. Topics include: Understanding and accepting differences, handling anger, friendship and character education, bullying, and tattling. Grades K-2. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great resource for counselors
I have used this book in classroom guidance lessons for two years now.The kiddos LOVE the stories and the activity pages support the literacy skills they are learning in the regular classroom.The only negative is that the illustrations are not in color, which the students immediately comment on.Overall, it is a great purchase.I will be buying the 2nd edition as well. ... Read more

Product Description
The art of editing in a nonlinear mode cannot be gleaned from software application manuals. This book is designed to convey the artistic considerations and techniques that both new and experienced editors need to employ in editing digital stock. Readers learn the importance of timing, emotion, and art in assembling a cohesive project that tells a story with the appropriate flow and pace. Each chapter features interviews with professionals and exercises relevant to the subject matter under discussion.

Nonlinear Editing is chock full of provocative ideas, insights, resources, tools, and exercises that will inspire you to making better decisions in the edit bay and in your career. For editors, directors, producers, and screenwriters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A must read!
I Bought this book as a reference for technical issues (formats, standards, procedures) but I got much more. Button gives you the whole layout of this art/craft of film editing. The topics covered range from editing equipment to film theory, color harmony&design basics to writing resumes. Light, sound - this book covers it all. Not all topics are discussed in great length, but there are excellent reference lists for further reading and websites.
Bryce Button seems to be an experienced editor and a film scholar and clearly enjoys teaching.
I have been a film editor for 10 years -I've still learned a lot. Some of the information will be redundant to the more experienced but still- very well written, packed with knowledge, insight - in short, a real inspiration. Well Done!

Very good advice for beginners
The book contains tons of very good advice for novice editors. The tips on planning will save a lot of time when the real work begins. The suggestions on the practical and aesthetic (including sound) aspects of editing will speed up the process and improve the quality of the finished work, perhaps by the equivalent of at least a few month's apprenticeship. The chapters on dealing with stress and team members, clients and the business, give an idea of the work environment to be expected. After reading the whole book, chapter 13 summarizes the most important tips as "cheat sheets" - very useful.

The only thing I didn't like was a number of typos, and what I thought was an occasional lapse in a couple of explanations. ... Read more

Product Description
The ancient art of storytelling revealed in Storytelling and the Art of Imagination shines as a powerful antidote to today's passive, solitary world of electronic entertainment. As a true path of self-development, storytelling awakens and nourishes the timeless and archetypal experiences, symbols, and forces of our inner lives.

In this classic in the field of storytelling as a healing art, Nancy Mellon offers the tools for story-making and story-telling through examples and exercises. Her deep sense of mission and her commitment to creativity inspire this step-by-step guide on how to tap into vast creative wisdom within the archetypal characters, landscapes and plots found in tales throughout the world.

Many teachers, students, community leaders, parents, therapists and other professionals have carried this inspirational book with them, dog-eared and worn, in backpacks and purses to help them meet daily challenges. People of all ages are learning to creatively find healing perspectives and artistic courage in the midst of even the most dire stresses of daily life. Some of the many tools Mellon discusses and demonstrates include employing the rhythms of voice and speech, movement and direction, visualization, and the imaginative wealth of symbolism both in the natural world and in the external forces that can inform the healing imagination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

an excellent place to start
I believe the earlier prints of this book were called "Storytelling and the Art of Imagination".This book outlines various essential parts of a story, characters and how they have been traditionally used, symbolism associated with characters and settings, and examples from folktales.After reading this you may never look at fairytales in the same way again.It encourages you to write for yourself, and those you love, and gives examples of how people who have attended her classes have achieved personal healing by putting their own difficulties in a written (or verbal) fantasy form.I found it personally inspiring. ... Read more

Product Description
Of course you want to help students master communication, learn about language, and practice thinking skills--but with storytelling games? Yes you can, and easily, with the expert guidance of professional storyteller and educator Doug Lipman. You will also discover that storytelling games are a fun and exciting way to explore places, periods, and peoples, and even to practice math and science. The author provides step-by-step methods for adapting and using the story games to meet the needs of specific groups. He explains how to teach each game, control your group without decreasing energy, and even how to get reluctant players to contribute. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fabulous!
This book is full of wonderful ideas for using the magic of storytelling with children and even teens! It has games and activities that are suitable fora variety of ages. Love, love, love this book!

Excellent resource for teachers and tellers alike
Doug Lipman never fails to disappoint, and this book is no exception.He provides a wealth of language-based activities that can not only enhance storytelling abilities, but can be used to reinforce classroom skills and concepts or provide a fun team building game.The games are rated and ranked in every possible fashion, making it easy to choose just what is needed for a group;by age group, by level of complexity, by cultural background, by type of skills emphasized, all neatly indexed in the back of the book for quick reference.There are games for math and science, games for learning about cultures, games to enhance oral communication skills.The introductory chapters provide rationale and ideas for creating a joyful learning environment.Each game is described fully, with a script to make it easy for one to pick the book up and try a game when a few minutes are left at the end of class.

Even adults can have fun with these games.I haven't laughed as hard as I did when I used one during a storytelling session I was hired to do with a family holiday gathering.I used the game "Letter Relay," in which the group had to build a story, taking turns sentence by sentence.Sounds easy?Here was the catch.Each subsequent sentence had to begin with a word that started with the last letter of the last word in the previous sentence. By the end of the evening, mysterious boxes had been left on doorsteps, containing magical Beanie Babies that transported the recipient to all kinds of strange and wild adventures.All of us in that living room were transported into fits of laughter as the story wound its way to a very final conclusion.I highly recommend this book, and encourage families in particular to try some of these games instead of turning on the tv.You won't be sorry. ... Read more

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Product Description
Story Circle is the first collection ever devoted to a comprehensive international study of the digital storytelling movement, exploring subjects of central importance on the emergent and ever-shifting digital landscape.

• Covers consumer-generated content, memory grids, the digital storytelling youth movement, participatory public history, audience reception, videoblogging and microdocumentary
  
• Pinpoints who is telling what stories where, on what terms, and what they look and sound like
  
• Explores the boundaries of digital storytelling from China and Brazil to Western Europe and Australia

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Out-of print since the Philadelphia days of New Society Publishers, demand for this much-loved storytelling sourcebook has only continued to grow. These 29 wondrous children's stories from around the world-from the mythic to the silly-are about loving each other, the Earth, and ourselves. Each story is enriched by storytelling tips, suggested activities and exercises, and resources.Amazon.com Review
Power Rangers, take a rest. Cartoons, television, and comicbooks for children are all more focused on violence than in thepast. New Society Publishers offers a collection of stories that teachproblem-solving, cooperation, and creative thinking about socialissues such as tolerance, understanding other ethnic groups, and howto handle controversy diplomatically. The authors' introductionexplains the difference that stories can make, as well as how to usestorytelling as a model for patterning positive behavior. Combinedwith each story are creative activities, cooperative games, andrelated reading lists. This wise book is a must for every schoollibrary, every educator, and every home with children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great teaching resource
This book is actually two books in one.There are many tellable tales included and also there are quite a number of teaching projects or activities that relate to all areas of the curriculum.So any storyteller would want to own it and any teacher as well.A great resource

merlin the magican
Wonderful stories for young and old I have been using it as a teaching and theraputic tool for decades ... Read more

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Reading this book is an enlightening experience! Weaving a rich tapestry of multicultural myths, ancient legends, and simple folktales, Anita Johnston teaches women how to free themselves from disordered eating by discovering the metaphors that are hidden in their own life stories. "Storytellers speak in the language of myth and metaphor," Johnston explains. "They tell us a truth that is not literal, but symbolic. If we hear the stories with only the outer ear, they can seem absurd and untrue, but when listened to with the inner ear, they convey a truth that can be understood and absorbed on a deeply personal level. In this way, stories help us connect with our inner world, to the natural rhythms and cycles of the earth, and to the power of our intuitive wisdom."In addition to being immensely enjoyable reading, Eating in the Light of the Moon is filled with practical exercises and profound insights. Twenty chapters explore different themes of self-discovery and empowerment on core issues such as:

Intuition: The Inner Seeing, Hearing, Knowing

Symbolism: Hunger as a Metaphor

Feelings: Gifts from the Heart

Moontime: Reclaiming the Body's Wisdom

Dreamtime: The Journey Within

Sexuality: Embracing the Feminine

Recovery: Out of the Labyrinth ... Read more

Customer Reviews (49)

Wonderful book
Never once on Amazon have I seen 48 out of 48 five star reviews for anything.Generally there's someone who doesn't like something about whatever it is, but this book well deserves the accolades it's received.I was completely turned around in my thinking after just reading the first two chapters, & I love the idea that "food" is not the problem.I would suggest also reading "Reinventing Your Life" by Jeffrey Young as a sort of companion piece to this book.Loved them both.

Enlightening to say the least
This book is more than fantastic. It has helped me more than any book, any therapy, any friendship through my ED. It's like I have a pocket guide that understands exactly how I see the world and relates to how I feel. I recommend this book for all women. 50 5 star reviews doesn't lie.

self-help book
This book was recommended to me by a psychologist and I have found it very interesting.It was delivered quickly and was in the condition described.

New insights into the issue
It is my opinion that when all is said and done, there will be found to be lots of reasons why people struggle with weight issues. I think, for example, that the massive amounts of chemicals in our foods and in our general environment contribute greatly to the problem of obesity.But there are certainly other issues to the problem and this book addresses the emotional issues in an artful way.

I don't actually have an eating disorder but I still recognized the issues and appreciated the solutions the author presents so well. Those of us who do not deal with our issues by using food, but rather by other also indirect (and futile) ways, can also benefit from this book by simply substituting our misguided attempts at life's solutions (other addictions, whatever) with "food," and there you have it.

The fables and stories are pure, very creative, and can be applied to many of life's problems in order to provide needed insight for life change.

So, yes. I think this book would be helpful for those who have eating disorders, and maybe even for those of us who do not.

Thank you, Dr. Johnston! From a grateful reader!
Words cannot fully express what an excellent book this is! I've read several self-help books on happiness, eating behavior, Louise Hay books, Eckhart Tolle books, etc. This book is so unique in the way it delivers its message. I really enjoyed every chapter. After reading it a second time, I continue to grow and learn from it.

Thank you so much Anita, from one person to another, your book has touched me in so many ways, I cannot express it all.

I recommend any women w/emotional eating issues to read this book. You won't regret it. And please, after reading it take a few minutes of your time to write a review on it (here on Amazon). I rarely write reviews but was compelled to b/c this book was so incredible!

I wish everyone w/an eating issue to find their way to a more intuitive eating path.Namaste. ... Read more

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Consisting of a series of essays written by storytellers who work in the classroom, as well as teachers who use storytelling in the classroom, this title addresses specific curriculum areas, and includes practical, easily replicable lesson plans.Also included isa review and explanation of the current research on the value of storytelling in the classroom in teaching the whole brain using the multiple intelligences and the integration of thinking in the left and right brain. Itmakes valid connections to educational standards in curriculum areas. Topics addressed are from the dual viewpoints of storytellers and educators.

The Storytelling Classroom is an inspiring, practical and immediately applicable collection of preK through eighth grade lesson plans by and for teachers and media specialists who use storytelling in the classroom and storytellers who work in the classroom. Each lesson plan is linked to National Standards in Language Arts Social Studies, Math or Science and accompanied by an essay which provides a glimpse of the alchemy that occurs when students, teachers and story are brought together: student engagement, classrooms that are alive with thinking students, LEARNING!

Customer Reviews (2)

"Just what the Doctor ordered!" I am a storyteller and this has been a fine addition to my resource library.
The book was in excellent condition and has provided me with rich resources for my work in the local schools as a storyteller educator.

A book with vision
I am a storyteller and trainer.This book does what some other good books don't quite do in terms of teaching and showing all of us how to integrate stories effectively into class curriculum. I wish that all teachers and student teachers would study this book and implement it. When I am teaching, this book easily helps me find and integrate a teaching story for the lesson that does wonders for student comprehension and involves that key ingredient, joy.If you already know everything about storytelling and teaching, the bibliography alone makes this book worth the price.If you are a teacher teaching other teachers how to teach, this would make a good text book. ... Read more

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Hannah Arendt argued that the 'political' is best understood as a power relation between private and public realms, and that storytelling is a vital bridge between these realms -- a site where individualised passions and shared views are contested and recombined. In his new book, Michael Jackson explores and expands Arendt's ideas through a cross-cultural analysis of storytelling that includes Kuranko stories from Sierra Leone, Aboriginal stories of the stolen generation, stories recounted before the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and stories of refugees, renegades, and war veterans. Focusing on the violent and volatile conditions under which stories are and are not told, and exploring the various ways in which narrative re-workings of reality enable people to symbolically alter subject-object relations, Jackson shows how storytelling may restore to the intersubjective fields of self and other, self and state, self and cosmos, the conditions of viable sociality. The book concludes in a reflexive vein, exploring the interface between public discourse and private experience. ... Read more

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The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is a systematic approach to storytelling that offers insight into the unique psychological reality of each individual. This book integrates a variety of interpretive approaches to the TAT to illuminate the meaning of narratives and explore their clinical implications. Informed by psychodynamic theory and empirical research, the book addresses such topics as the ways narratives reveal different personality organizations; how stories change over the course of therapy; the influence of age, gender, and defense mechanisms on narratives; and the use of the TAT in clinical studies. A new preface to the paperback edition situates the book within the contemporary landscape of personality research.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

No pictures.
For whatever reason, there is not one picture of the Thematic Apperception Test cards in the entire book.Anyone know where I can find a set?

"A must for all future doctors and practicioners of psychology."~JC Angelcraft
" This is a clearly written and comprehensive study of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).If it is not a required text, this book can enhance your understanding of this ever important form of projective testing and assessment technique. A must for all future doctors and practicioners of psychology." ... Read more

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This is 'the most in-depth work on traditional oral narrative in the Yangzi delta published in English to date. ... Boerdahl is to be commended for producing such a rigorous study. Her enthusiasm for and love of the art is apparent in every sentence' (Asian Folklore Studies). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent study of a local style of storytelling in China
This is a scholarly work on a style of local professional storytelling in China.The city of Yangzhou lies in the delta of the Yangzi River in eastern China.It was once the center of the salt trade and was a hub ofthe canal networks that connected north and south China in imperial times. Professional storytellers have been active in the area for several hundredyears and a local style of storytelling known as Yangzhou pinghua graduallydeveloped.Similar styles are found in other regional cities, particularlySuzhou and Shanghai.Stories are told in story houses where patrons,usually older men, gather daily to listen to episodes of the lengthy tales,often stories of heroes from Chinese history.A popular story is that ofWu Song, who killed a tiger with his bare hands after drinking in a localtavern at the foot of a mountain.Such tales often take weeks or evenmonths to complete and are a mixture of conflict, humor, and interestingasides.Bordahl has thoroughly researched the Yangzhou tradition andsupplies the reader with a historical overview of Chinese storytelling, ananalysis of the speaking styles in Yangzhou storytelling, and a number ofcareful translations of select episodes in the Wu Song story cycle. Book-length studies of local styles of Chinese oral tradition are stillrarities and the attention given the Yangzhou style is well-deserved andwell-executed.While written primarily as a scholarly study, certain partsof the work could inform classroom studies of Chinese folklore and oralperformance for younger students.The volume is very well printed onglossy paper with excellent black and white photos of contemporarystorytellers. ... Read more