Demystifies key players, their relationships, and their motivations

Understand the mythology, characters, and themes of Middle-earth

Don’t know Gollum from Gandalf? This plain-English guide helps you make sense of the creatures, language, geography, and richly detailed history of the fascinating world of Middle-earth. From the Shire to Mount Doom, from the hobbits to the Ringwraiths, you’ll discover the varied sources and inspirations behind Tolkien’s stories and comprehend the meanings that lie beneath the surface.

Discover:

• The differences between the books and the movies
• The historical background of Middle-earth
• The origins of Tolkien’s mythology in European folklore
• Middle-earth’s diverse languages
• Why the Elves were Tolkien’s favorites

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Communication is no longer considered an optional soft" skill for climbing the corporate ladder. More and more businesses are placing emphasis on being able to communicate effectively. Communicating Effectively For Dummies gives you the tools and insight you need to manage conflict, build teams and communicate persuasively at work."

"The fun and easy way" to learn Spanish-by playing games

Do you want to learn how to speak Spanish? One major aspect of learning a new language is learning the vocabulary, but for many people, this involves memorization, which can be a difficult task. Now, "Spanish Word Games For Dummies" offers you a fun and painless alternative: games and puzzles designed to help you practice and remember your Spanish vocabulary.

This fun, practical guide features more than 100 word games and puzzles, including crosswords, word searches, cryptograms, and more-that range in difficulty from easy to challenging. As you play, you'll develop your Spanish vocabulary while you improve your language skills."Spanish Word Games For Dummies" provides you with challenging puzzles to build your Spanish vocabulary and enhance your skill setIncludes crosswords, word searches, cryptograms, and other word gamesWorks as a supplement to Spanish language courses and programsIt's portable enough to easily take to classes or on the road

Whether you're a proficient speaker looking to brush up on your vocabulary or a first-time Spanish speaker, this clever guide is the ideal way to have fun while you increase your skills

Your hands-on, friendly guide to writing young adult fiction

With young adult book sales rising, and bestselling authors like J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer exploding onto the scene, aspiring YA writers are more numerous than ever. Are you interested in writing a young adult novel, but aren't sure how to fit the style that appeals to young readers?

"Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies" gives you tricks of the trade and proven tips on all the steps to write a YA book, from developing an idea to publication.Unique writing exercises to help you find your own authentic teen voiceTips to avoid when submitting manuscriptsHow to break into the flourishing young adult market

With the help of this step-by-step guide, you'll have all the skills to write an inspiring and marketable young adult novel.

Transform your next college essay into an A+ masterpiece Taking a 100-level English composition course? Just doing your best to get ready for the rigors of college-level writing? Then it's probably time you picked up College Writing For Dummies, the single greatest roadmap to writing high-quality essays, reports, and more! This book is the ideal companion for any introductory college writing course and tracks the curriculum of a typical English Composition, College Writing, English 101, or Writing & Rhetoric course. You'll learn composition techniques, style, language, and grammar tips, and discover how to plan, write, and revise your material. You'll also get: Ten can't-miss resources for improving your college writing Strategies for revising and repairing inadequate essays on your own Techniques to help non-native English speakers master the challenging world of English essay writing Full of real-world examples, lessons in essay structure, grammar, and everything in between, this book is a must-read for every incoming college freshman looking for a head start in one of the most important skills you'll need over the next few years. Grab a copy of College Writing For Dummies today.

This is a set Italian Phrases For Dummies & Italian for Dummies, 2nd edition with a CD. Everyday conversations in Italian made easy. Italy is a perennially popular destination for Americans, with three cities (Florence, Rome, and Venice) among the top ten in Travel & Leisure's 2003 "World's Best Cities" poll. This concise, easy-to-use guide helps travelers and students get up to speed fast on conversational Italian, showcasing the most commonly used words and phrases. Francesca Romana Onofri is an Italian translator and teacher. Karen Moller is a writer who has worked on several Italian-language projects for Berlitz.

?Habla espanol? Improve your Spanish with Dummies Spanish Workbook For Dummies is full of clear explanations and hundreds of practice activities for beginning Spanish learners. You'll learn how to express yourself, ask questions, talk about the past, and construct simple sentences--en espanol. As you work through the book, complete practice exercises, get lots of writing opportunities, and have tons of fun. Then check your work, with answers and explanations at the end of every chapter. Plus, you'll have access to handy verb charts, a thematic vocabulary list, and mini-dictionaries, right inside this very book. Learn the fundamentals of Spanish with integrated grammar that advances as you go Work through practice exercises and activities as you read through each chapter Improve and activate your Spanish with explanations of each workbook answer Avoid common mistakes made by Spanish learners and get ready to travel, chat with friends, or interact with colleagues This friendly Dummies workbook is perfect for beginners of all ages. If you're looking to get started with Spanish, step right in--we've got the practice, practice, practice you need to succeed.

The tools you need to master Spanish grammar

"Spanish Grammar For Dummies" is a logical extension and complement to the successful language learning books, "Spanish For Dummies" and "500 Spanish Verb For Dummies." In plain English, it teaches you the grammatical rules of the Spanish language, including parts of speech, sentence construction, pronouns, adjectives, punctuation, stress and verb tenses, and moods. Throughout the book, you get plenty of practice opportunities to help you on your goal of mastering Spanish grammar.Grasp the grammatical rules of SpanishBenefit from plenty of practice opportunities throughout the bookUse the Spanish language confidently and correctly

Whether you're a student studying Spanish or a professional looking to get ahead of the pack by learning a second language, "Spanish Grammar For Dummies" is your hands-on guide to quickly and painlessly master the written aspect of this popular language.

Genius demystified, the Dummies way!
In 1905, Albert Einstein revolutionized modern physics with his theory of relativity. He went on to become a twentieth-century icon-a man whose name and face are synonymous with "genius." Now, at last, ordinary readers can explore Einstein's life and work in this new For Dummies guide. Physicist Carlos Calle chronicles Einstein's career and explains his work-including the theories of special and general relativity-in language that anyone can understand. He shows how Einstein's discoveries affected everything from the development of the atom bomb to the theory of quantum mechanics. He sheds light on Einstein's personal life and beliefs, including his views on religion and politics. And he shows how Einstein's work continues to affect our world today, from nuclear power to space travel to artificial intelligence.

Publish, market, and sell your own e-book Although creating an e-book seems fairly straightforward, it is not. You need to select and create a variety of formats that will be read on a variety of e-reader devices--and market and sell your book in a variety of ways. Before you take the plunge, get this practical guide. With clear instruction and sensible advice, it will help you navigate the often confusing, time-consuming, and costly world of self-publishing an e-book. The book gives you solid marketing tips for selling your e-book, including using blogging and social media and how to build an online platform. It also discusses key technologies you'll encounter, including Smashwords, iBooks Author, Amazon, Microsoft Word, Open Office, Calibre, WordPress, E-junkie, and others. * Helps readers navigate the confusing, time-consuming, and often costly world of self-publishing an e-book * Provides both technical how-tos as well solid marketing advice on how to sell your e-book using Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and other social media sites * Covers essential technologies, such as Smashwords, iBooks Author, Amazon, Microsoft Word, Open Office, Calibre, WordPress, and E-junkie * Explores e-book devices, including Kindle, Kobo, Sony Reader, Nook, iPad, and other tablets * Delves into the nitty-gritty of e-book formats Before you self-publish your e-book, start first with Publishing eBooks For Dummies.