<p>Title says it all.. What are the best books?</p>
<p>I hear Sparknotes is the best for US History, can anyone confirm this? And is Sparknotes best for anything else? Remember best is a subjective term, but I'd like to get thoughtful and hopefully mostly unbiased opinions..</p>
<p>And what are the books to stay away from?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>i used only the sparknotes to study for us history. i just read there 18 chapter version in one day and than took it the next day. i'll tell you my score on dec 15. :) but even if i do bad, sparknotes emphasis on the themes and trends of american time periods is excellent to get a feel for what the SAT II is testing on US History. plus, its short and concise and can be easily studied in a day.</p>
<p>OK, thanks. That's awesome. Combined with their cheap practice tests I think I'll go Sparknotes for US History at least..</p>
<p>best writing is kaplan, PR wasn't good</p>
<p>Writing, US History: Sparknotes
Literature: Kaplan</p>
<p>Barron's is good for writing, not fot Lit, imo.</p>
<p>Well, now I have three conflicting opinions on writing... anyone provide more info? :)</p>
<p>REA for AP US History Exam...for me atleast</p>
<p>No idea what REA is.</p>
<p>Anyone have experience with the Arco books?</p>
<p>ushist.:kaplan</p>
<p>"No idea what REA is."</p>
<p>REA
Research & Education Association
includes a CD Rom with exams
there are also 6 full-length Practice exams in the book with detailed explanations to every answer and sample DBQs with sample answers...
also has a complete review of ALOT of topics</p>
<p>it's a big help to me...it's the most in depth book out of all of the bunch...but I don't recommend it for last minute cramming...it's alot of stuff</p>
<p>only costs like $20 too</p>
<p>Well, I'm going to decide to use sparknotes for US Hist before anyone tells me different. :P</p>
<p>Can I get anymore opinions on literature and writing? Looks like literature will be Kaplan unless someone else can say otherwise, at least.</p>
<p>..........................................</p>
<p>bump</p>
<p>I used the same Princeton Review for AP US History(5) and SAT II US History(expected 750+)</p>
<p>bump one more time again</p>
<p>Worst SAT II US History Book: Barrons
Practice Test questions are nothing you'll see on the actual exam.</p>
<p>US History: Princeton Review + Sparknotes = 700 (I slept during the test)
Writing: SparkNotes Review and PrincetonReview Tests = 780</p>
<p>Anymore opinions for literature?</p>
<p>def. barrons for writing...DO NOT USE PR
i used pr the first time did horribly. 2nd time i just took the practice tests in barrons a few days before the test and scored in the 700s.</p>
<p>OK, noted - anymore opinions for lit?</p>