Book Giveaway - Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World

Ever wonder about the first e-mail (1971 at BBN in Cambridge - I interviewed there once) or about the first roller coaster (1600s in Russia)?  Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World provides an amazing collection of the origin of over 500 topics.  This paperback is a light-hearted read into the history of everyday things which is entertaining as well as informative.  It would make an excellent gift for your trivia fan.

*** If you'd like a copy of Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World, leave a comment below. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends December 15, 2009 at 11pm EST and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Special thanks to Alpha Books for providing copies of Firsts for the giveaway and review.

Book Giveaway - No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale

Looking for the perfect gift for your technology-loving friends?  No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale combines stunning photography by Felice Frankel with fascinating discussions about nanotechnology by chemist George Whitesides.  From nanotubes to ribosomes to Eleanor Rigby, this substantial hardcover book will be sure to captivate.  As an engineer in the biotech field, it was a breath of fresh air to see these advances in nanotechnology beautifully rendered in an easily understandable format.

*** If you'd like a copy of No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale, leave a comment below. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends December 15, 2009 at 11pm EST and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Special thanks to Harvard University Press for providing copies of No Small Matter for the giveaway and review.

Review - Lego Rock Band

When my 9-year-old son saw the packaging for Lego Rock Band, his eyes lit up like never before.  Two of his favorite things, Legos and Rock Band, all in one?  You bet.  I thought it would be hard to beat The Beatles Rock Band (still my favorite), but the Lego version has taken the top place on his list.

One of his favorite new bands is Queen.  Look at them all dressed up as Legos.



Check out David Bowie in a Lego concert.



The gameplay is much more intense than previous Rock Bands, where you can knock down buildings and a "Rocktopus" with your awesome playing.



With your earnings, you can buy costumes, figurines and even an entourage and tour bus!  Check out the "Cal C. Fyde" costume.



My son said that his favorite things about Lego Rock Band were that the music bars were Lego pieces, the songs, and that you can "buy cool stuff".  My favorite thing is that the songs are finally family-friendly for the younger rockers, as well as the "super-easy" mode for the real newbies.  I had a hard time trying to explain that the song "Raining Blood" from Guitar Hero III was meant to be metaphorical.  If you have a Rock Band and Lego fan on your shopping list, this game will be sure to please  for this holiday season.

Special thanks to Harmonix for providing a review copy of the game.

Giveaway - $10 iTunes Gift Card from Holiday Inn

When you think of Holiday Inn, do you think, "Oh yeah, there's one in every city." But did you know that Holiday Inn is a global hotel brand? Next time you have Paris on your mind, you can stay at one of several Holiday Inns in Paris:



Or if Bali Hai calls you, enjoy the tropics at a familiar yet exotic Holiday Inn.



One destination on my bucket list is Dubai. Check out the luxurious digs in this most opulent of cities.





Here are some other great, surprisingly affordable destinations:

• Malé, Maldives for about $199/night
• Lisbon, Portugal for about $107/night
• Papau New Guinea for about $224/night
• Christchruch, New Zealand for about $132/night
• Nairobi, Kenya for about $215/night 

Of course none of this destinations may be in anybody's budget, but you can rely on Holiday Inn for a great night's sleep if you're visiting relatives this holiday season, or planning a romantic getaway or a girls' escape weekend.

To help create a holiday music mix for your travels this season, Holiday Inn is offering several iTunes gift cards.

*** If you'd like win one of three $10 iTunes gift cards, visit Holiday Inn and leave a comment below with an exotic or not-so-exotic place you'd like to visit with a Holiday Inn. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends December 2, 2009 at 11pm EST and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Special thanks to Holiday Inn for providing the iTunes gift cards for the giveaway and myself.

Book Giveaway – Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind

Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood

Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind by Phillip Done is one of those incredibly heartfelt, charming books that make you laugh and cry at the same time. Since my son is in third grade, it also provides me unique insight into his classroom through his teacher's eyes. Phil has 25 years of teaching under his belt and he knows that despite the changes in technology with computers and gadgets, kids are still kids.

Here's a short sample of why Phil Done remembers why he loves being a teacher:

When I asked the class where french fries come from (I was looking for potatoes) and Eric said McDonald's, when Ronny wanted to know if there is such a thing as a left angle, when Evelyn was shocked to find out that I get paid, when I asked the class to give me a synonym for laugh and Greg said LOL, and when Juan looked at my cuff links and said, "My dad wears handcuffs, too" - I remembered.

If you can't get enough of Phillip Done, check out his previous book, 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny.

32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching

*** If you'd like your own copy of Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind, leave a comment below. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends November 21, 2009 at 11pm EDT and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Special thanks to Phillip Done for providing copies of both books for the giveaway and review.

Review - iPlay n' Learn iPhone Application

Parents magazine has just released the iPlay n' Learn application for the iPhone / iPod Touch. It is the perfect distraction, I mean instructional tool, to keep your preschooler occupied.

My daughter is five years old in Kindergarten, and she liked the Tracing section most, especially since she is learning to form letters and numbers correctly in school.



For less dexterous younger children, the Flashcards give a great introduction to letters, numbers, shapes and colors. There are entertaining audio messages and animations to go along with each section.

My daughter also enjoyed the quizzes, where she could "beat the question" by tapping the answer after reading the word instead of waiting for the audio.



Does this application hold the interest of the young set? The proof is in the pudding. On another occasion, my daughter she went back to the iPlay n’ Learn app for more tracing and quizzes. Yay!

The iPlay n’ Learn app may be purchased in the iTunes app store for $0.99. Just click this link to open it in the iTunes Store.


Special thanks to Parents.com for sending an iTunes gift card so I could review the iPlay n' Learn app.

Review - Percy, The Perfectly Imperfect Chicken

Percy, The Perfectly Imperfect Chicken by Rick Rieser is a delightful children's book which teaches tolerance for differences and imperfections. Rick Rieser (RickRieser.com) is a chicken farmer and first-time author, with a 25-year career as a nationally recognized children's advocate. Rick used FastPencil.com to publish his book. Through their marketplace, he found an illustrator for the book.

My daughter enjoyed reading this book and especially looking at the rich color illustrations. The message of the book makes it a perfect holiday gift.

You can preview "Percy, The Perfectly Imperfect Chicken" on RickRieser.com and purchase it from FastPencil.com for $12.95.