1000 Strawberries
Ms. Liza Berry
Self-published
P.O. Box 12362 Wilmington, North Carolina 28403
No ISBN $14.95
Alyice Edrich, Reviewer
http://thedabblingmum.com
1000 Strawberries is a collection of recipes, activities, and ideas used to encourage family
members
to spend time in the kitchen. The 8" x 6" book is individually shrink-wrapped and includes a
strawberry huller.
If you love strawberries you'll love this book! Honestly, who knew you could do more with
strawberries than make strawberry shortcake, pie, or Slushies?! Ms. Berry's collection of things
to
do with strawberries is outstanding! She shares wonderful recipes like Zesty Berry Spread while
entertaining children with fun kitchen projects like building strawberry castles!
Order 1000 Strawberries by contacting the author at mslizaberry@juno.com today! You can also
order by snail mail by sending $17.95 ($14.95 plus $3 shipping) to P.O. Box 12362 Wilmington,
North Carolina 28403
The Turtle Warrior
Mary Relindes Ellis
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
ISBN 0670032654 $25.95 261 pages
April Whyte
Reviewer
There are those who believe Vietnam has been so written about that, topically speaking, it is
passe.
Perhaps. But it is difficult to believe that it will lose its fascination --- morbid or otherwise --- so
long as there is even one Baby Boomer still breathing. Just as our parents were defined by the
Depression and Pearl Harbor, so too are we marked by the spate of 60s assassinations and the
undeclared war in Southeast Asia.
Mary Relindes Ellis writes with grace and insight about emotional battle in the quiet farm country
of
Wisconsin juxtapositioning it alongside traditional combat in mid-twentieth century Vietnam.
Artfully woven throughout the horrors perpetrated by one man on his family, are threads of
compassion in the form of Amerindian wisdom's love of nature in both its animate and inanimate
forms.
The setting can, particularly during winter months, come across as depressing. One wonders how
Claire retains any sanity at all on the dreary, failing farm where she lives with an abusive husband
and a pair of bright, sensitive boys. John is frequently away, spending many nights at the local bar
after finishing his sustenance-paying shift at the town sawmill. Claire's loneliness is a blessing she
recognizes, since hubby's homecoming usually involves rage, marital rape, and both physical and
emotional torture. When Jimmy grows stronger, taller and sharper than his father, and is taught to
be
a crack rifle shot by the neighbor on the next property, John goads him into enlisting in the
Marines.
It is, after all, one way to reassert his own Alpha male status in the household. Since America is
busy
bogging itself down in Vietnam, both know the likelihood of his being sent there.
Obviously, Jimmy has merely traded one hell for another. The tragedy is that with his departure
there is no one left to protect his mother who, embarrassed by the downward plunge her life has
taken, isolates herself from everyone. This includes close neighbors Rosemary and Ernie, a
childless
couple who have loved both boys from the day they arrived. Bill is only nine and tries,
after.Jimmy is
declared MIA, to help his disintegrating mother. Claire does not learn until years later how this
unintentional abandonment of her younger son left him utterly unprotected.
There is plenty of guilt to go around --- mostly for the things left undone and unsaid because it
always seems less complicated that way. But as in all good storiess, there is a time of
redemption.
This too, Ellis handles skillfully, reminding us that oftentimes what we most want from good
story-telling is the very thing so easy to lose as we march the hard jungle of life: hope.
Turtle Warrior is Ellis' debut novel. One hopes to hear more from her. And soon.
I Think I Am Happier Than I Think I Am
Reverend James O'Leary
Battle Creek Area Catholic Schools
63 N. 24th Street, Battle Creek MI 49015
ISBN 0972619402 $14.95
Jean Carroll
Reviewer
This book is a collection of some of the weekly columns written for the church bulletin over a
period
of years while Father O'Leary was pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Battle Creek, Michigan.
The columns are as delightful as the title of the book, each focusing on a thoughr, an idea, a
memory, a holiday. . .
One column begins "When I was young, I dreamed of living until the year 2000. I knew that in
that
year I would be 65 years of age. I thought I would be too old to enjoy the event, but it is here
and I
am not too old."
Another states, "The great challenge of life is to decide what is important and to disregard
everything else. I know men who loudly proclaim that their children are the most important
factor
in their lives, yet they work 90 to 100 hours a week."
He adds: "If we put all our energy into one direction, we cannot help but take energy away from
another direction."
I met Father O'Leary in Coldwater, Michigan at a book signing. He had been Pastor in Coldwater
for some years, but is presently in Battle Creek.
Ten authors from the general area were featured at the book signing. There were four tables for
the
authors situated about the room in Taylor's books store. I was fortunate enough to be at the table
with Father O'Leary. Because he was well known to the area, he drew a crowd, but during idle
moments we had a chance to talk.
I was intrigued by the title of his book and he explained where it came from. I told him about my
new and used book shop in Huntington, and said I would like to offer his book to my
customers.
The books arrived and I thoroughly enjoyed what he had to say.
One selection in the book deals with perfection and what perfection is and isn't, and how a
perfectionist defends his behavior.
He writes: "Everywhere you hear people say, 'Well, the trouble with me is I'm a perfectionist.'"
Speaking for himself, he says " I find it rather comforting to say, 'Well, the trouble with me is that
I'm a perfectionist.' It is so much better than saying, 'Well, the trouble with me is that I'm a
neurotic
fuss pot.'"
He explains that "If your form of perfectionism makes you a pleasure to be around, it is 'the real
thing.' If it drives your loved one crazy, your 'perfectionism' has nothing to do with
perfection."
The entries in this book deal with everyday life. They touch on time, conversations, burn-out, and
baseball as an anology to life. A quick but thought-provoking read.
The Ordinary Seaman
Francisco Goldman
Atlantic Monthly Press
841 Broadway, New York, NY, 10003
ISBN 0871136716, $23.00 381 pp.
Coletta Ollerer
Reviewer
Esteban, a 19 year old former Sandanista guerrilla, decides to start a new life and signs on as an
ordinary seaman on the ship Urus anchored at Brooklyn. Fourteen other Central American men
do
the same. Their hope was to return home with money in their pockets but instead they find
themselves held hostage on the ship by virtue of their lack citizenship and withheld wages.
Frustration and anger build while the deceitful 'Captain' Elias leads them on. His friend and 'first
mate', Mark are engaged in dishonest get rich-quick scheme. The Central Americans are unaware
of
this and have no one but them to trust.
After many months, Esteban decides to leave the ship at night and investigate the neighborhood.
"Esteban waits by the rail awhile after Cabezon has plodded chuckling off to his cabin. Then
walks
swiftly back to the foredeck, steps over the rail, and hangs on in a crouch, looking down between
his
legs at the rope emerging from the mooring pipe and the black water underneath and in one
motion
pushes off and grabs the rope to his chest as he falls and wraps his legs around it, finding a center
of
balance after a few scary lurches." He loves the feeling of freedom away from the ship at first but
later comes upon some warehouses where he is able to steal food to bring back to the ship, frozen
shrimp, blueberries, a side of beef. The others are very grateful for this addition to their meager
menu of rice and sardines.
Bernardo, hired as the ship's waiter, is doing laundry on the dock one day and an elderly couple
comes strolling along. The men have never seen people on the dock before. Bernardo decides to
tell
them of their plight and to ask for help.
Bernardo receives severe burns to his leg when he spills hot oil in a cooking accident . The others
do
not know what to do. Elias and Mark are not around for days. The condition worsens and later
Mark insists on taking him to a hospital himself. Elias hears of it afterward and tries to find the
hospital where Bernardo is staying. He tells the crew that Bernardo has received treatment and
was
sent back home.
The old couple who had spoken to Bernardo on the dock went to the authorities and alerted them
of
the plight of the men. A Ship's Visitor, John, comes aboard and promises to take them to see a
lawyer. He returns later with food and clothing. This is a tale of sailors marooned aboard ship
amid
privation and deception and the resultant strength of the surviving spirit of man.
Clive Cussler
Valhalla Rising
Penguin Fiction
ISBN 0140287973 UK 6.99 Brit. pounds, AUS $19.95
John Gautry
Reviewer
Clive Cussler is at his literary best with the novel Valhalla Rising. The story begins in the year
1035
somewhere in America where a tribe of Vikings led by Bjarne Sigvatson explore the fjords of
America. Cussler manages to transport you to the Viking era without going into too much
historical
detail but gives the reader enough information to imagine the hardships the main Viking character
had to endure in his struggle to find new land for his tribe.
We are then transported to the year 1894 in the middle of the Caribbean Sea where a "monster" is
terrorising local shipping
It is the year 2003, a luxury liner Emerald Dolphin is suddenly engulfed in flames and sinks to the
bottom of the ocean. Dirk Pitt comes to the rescue of the passengers and embarks on a perilous
task
of determining the cause for the sinking and who or what was behind it.
In a short space of time a major upheaval will change Pitt's life forever, he will come face to face
with a series of extraordinary monsters, human and mechanical where many lives will be lost and
saved.
Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You
Sue William Silverman
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, Georgia, 30602
ISBN 0820321753 $16.95 www.amazon.com
Garrie Keyman, Reviewer
www.LititzPa.com
Powerful in its lean simplicity, gripping in its honesty, Sue Silverman's voice rivets the reader with
its
sensual evocation of imagery and ability to draw a reluctant audience into the painful world in
which
she was raised.
Written in vignettes snapshots of memory Silverman's book, published by the University of
Georgia Press, courageously shares the stark terror of growing up a victim of incest. Masterfully
alive in her words are the confusion, shame, and overwhelming dissolution of self such
experiences
engender.
Yet for all its unspeakable tragedy, Because I Remember Terror is also a tale of recovery, of a
woman's unbreakable inner being and her ability to rise beyond the crushing dust of a shattered
childhood.
Like many other readers, I read Silverman's 272-page memoir in a single day, unable to set it
aside.
Still, one could never claim like Silverman's book any more than one would claim to have loved,
say,
Shindler's List. Be moved by it, yes. Be forever altered, indeed. But like? Love? No sane person
can
wade into the pool of another's suffering and enjoy it. Still, Silverman's words and her tale
beckon,
an immersion we all need if we, as society, are ever to begin cleansing this festering, hidden
wound
that surrounds us in silent horror.
Silverman is to be applauded for her advocacy of others in similar straights, to be respected for
not
submitting, in the final analysis, to the terror to which her sadistic father subjected her, a terror to
which her mother turned a blind eye and hardened heart. Parents, teachers, psychologists, doctors,
teenagers should read this book. Hers is a voice crying out in a veritable wilderness where
children
are being lost to violence every day. Yes, here. In America. Maybe in the house next door to you.
Maybe in your own.
Please. Hear her.
Legacy of a Hanged Man
Peter J. Hedge
1st Books
ISBN Number: 1410774309 $14.50 174 pages
Shirley Roe
Reviewer
"It's about ten hours since the judge put on the black cap and sentenced me. All of a sudden it's
over
and the waiting has begun."
Steven Matchin's life is about to end. There is nothing more to do but wait. He takes pen in hand
and writes about what he is feeling. This is his story.
A teenager so influenced by peer pressure, in an attempt to impress his older friend Shell, shots a
policeman in a robbery gone wrong. Now he sits in a jail cell, a Padre and prison guards, his only
companions. The reader is taken on a roller coaster ride of emotion as the days tick away. Short
bursts of humor dispel the tension only to be replaced by dark depression and fear. Steven
becomes
as familiar to the reader as one of the family in the brilliant exposure of his character by the
author.
Steven tells of his many attempts to earn money, some a success but most a failure, he and his
best
friend Shell, working side by side, always sharing their adventures. But where is his friend now?
The
murderer is transformed into a typical teenager in the minds of those that listen. Colorful
vocabulary
makes this a believable story. Vivid imagery of the prison allows the reader to envision not only
the
state of Steven's surroundings but also the bleakness of his future. Padre Llewellyn consoles,
listens
and comforts until the end when he becomes the keeper of the manuscript. Upon his death the
manuscript finds its way into the hands of a famous writer, Vincent Sutherland. Sutherland is a
man
whose life is in turmoil, haunted by his past. Why does the manuscript come to him? What is the
connection?
Author Peter Hedge's ability to tell a story shines in this novel. Long after you set it down, the
book
haunts you. How often have you said, "He deserved what he got, justice has been served?" This
book will make you think twice.
Highly recommended.
Mother Teresa: The Final Verdict
Aroup Chatterjee
Meteor Books
170/43 Lake Gardens, Kolkata 700 045, India
ISBN 8188248002 9.90 UK pounds from Amazon.co.uk, 427 pp., ppb.
Xavier William
Reviewer
I fear to call myself a rationalist, for the reason that, by adding the "ist," I label myself, and then
paint myself into a corner. Thus I have often found that even rationalists are sometimes as
dogmatic
as theists. So I would like to define myself as a man who tries to be as rational as possible in all
thoughts and actions.
I have found many rationalists and atheists rave against Mother Theresa. Mother Teresa: The
Final
Verdict, by Aroup Chatterjee, is one such. While Chatterjee argues that Mother Theresa did not
do
as much charity as she claims, Sanal Edamaruku of the Indian Rationalist writes that by her work
she
projected Calcutta and India as a land of beggars and thereby did India incalculable harm. So
either
way Mother Theresa is condemned to be burnt at the Rationalist stake. As for Chatterjee's
comment
that no one in Calcutta knew or cared about MT's death, I can assert that it was almost a day of
mourning here in India. We felt the tremors even here in Kerala, over 1500km down south-west
of
Calcutta.
Here we have to distinguish between MT the Catholic and MT the human being. I wonder if
Chatterjee or any rationalist would have been as illogically acerbic about MT if she had been an
ordinary woman without religious affiliations. What is wrong with anyone promoting
himself/herself
if the outcome is beneficial? Jesus said not to let the left hand know what the right hand does
when it
comes to acts of charity. To me, it is better to do charity for the entire world to see than do no
charity at all. It is downright malice and cynicism to do no charity at all and to disparage others
who
are engaged in charitable work, whatever their motives.
Missionaries followed the colonist armies everywhere, and they came to India too. It is not for us
to
judge them. For every MT or Father Damien, the church has created thousands of inquisitors,
conquistadores and slave traders. All organized religions are evil political entities and Catholicism
leads the pack of these diabolic forces. But the work done by missionaries in India and the third
world cannot be vilified simply because the missionaries are Christians or Catholics. Christianity
and
Catholicism are indeed pure evil. That does not mean that all believing Christians, including
priests
and nuns, are incarnations of Satan. Rationalists are irrational when they do not distinguish
between
Christians and Christianity, Islam and Muslims, Hinduism and Hindus. Christians, Hindus,
Muslims
and all other believers are people who have been misled by their own parents and society, and it is
for us to teach them to throw off the yoke of superstition and misbelief.
Coming to the work of missionaries in India: Even after fifty-six years of independence, most of
the
schools, colleges and hospitals in India are run by Christian institutions. When it comes to the
quality
of these services, they have no peers. There are many government-run schools here in Kerala,
India,
where I come from. But because of the abominable standards of these institutions, many of them
have been forced to close down for lack of students, though it is free. The state run hospitals too
have a shameful story to tell- a story of inefficiency and corruption. Any Indian worth his salt,
including Mr. Chatterjee, is sure to have studied in a Christian institution or made use of the
excellent health services provided by the Christian institutions, at one time or another in his
lifetime.
In our land of arranged marriages, matrimonial advertisements are the best means of finding a
mate.
Most ads by girls used to describe themselves as "convent educated," irrespective of what their
religion was. Hindus, Muslims and others used to advertise their daughters as "convent educated,"
and then some of them turn around and talk bullshit.
When it comes to charitable institutions, there are none to beat the Christians or come anywhere
near them. Over 95% of the orphanages and institutions for the old and mentally impaired are run
well by Christian institutions. Kerala is the most advanced state in India when it comes to literacy
and social services. I have seen a few government-owned orphanages. But many of them have
been
entrusted to priests and nuns to run. I am yet to see an orphanage or charitable institution run by
Hindus, although there are a few run by cults led by god-men and god-women and charlatans.
There
are Muslim institutions running a few orphanages, called Yathim Khanas. But these take in only
Muslim orphans, whereas Christian-run institutions do not make any discrimination when it comes
to
the needy.
Christians have, or rather used to have, large cash inflows from the West that enabled them to
take
up such charitable works, whereas Hindus and Muslims did not have such resources or the
Western
O & M facilities that the Christians have and had. It may also be true that some of these resources
have been channeled into nefarious activities such as conversion. But conversion or no
conversion,
India would have been much worse off but for the great inputs by missionaries, and that goes for
Chatterjee, Calcutta, and most of the Third World.
Now reverting to MT and her works: I am twice married, and have two sons by my first marriage.
(I
split up with my first wife, as we did not get along.) My second wife has some problems that
prevent
her from conceiving. It is a matter of concern here in India for the married not to have children,
and
we felt bad about it too. So we decided to adopt an infant. All of the orphanages here are
Christian-run, and the one we went to was run by MT's Daughters of Charity. We found some
sisters washing the floor, with their saris hitched up and another was rocking a baby and feeding it
from a feeding bottle. There was no scope there at all in that institution for the ostentatious luxury
Chattejee talks about.
Alisa's Bookshelf
Daughter of Exile
Isabel Glass
TOR
175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010
http://www.tor.com
ISBN: 0765307456 $24.95 368 pp.
Daughter of Exile is a first novel from Isabel Glass. Readers who enjoy fantasy with a hint of
romance will enjoy this unusual first novel. This fantasy is a fun read with an interesting and
unusual
heroine, Lady Angarred Hashan.
Angarred, a fiery red-head, is a lady of the realm, but she has grown-up far from court. Her father
was banished from court by the King many years ago. Her mother died around the same time,
leaving Angarred to the care of her bitter, power obsessed father.
One fateful day, Lord Hashan is killed while hunting with hangers-on, leaving Angarred with a
decrepit, poor inheritance. Angarred travels to Pergodi, the capital of the realm, to seek out the
King
to gain vengeance for her father.
All is not well in Pergodi. Angarred fights an uphill battle to gain access to the King and to
unravel
the mystery of her father's death. Court intrigue is alien to Angarred and she finds few friends to
help
her.
All this takes a backseat when Angarred learns of the stone the King's magician wants it along
with
other kingdoms and races want it for the power it can wield. The stone has many secrets that
Angarred and her magician friend, Mathewar must unravel.
Daughter of Exile slowly evolves as the story progresses. Angarred is a feisty, young woman who
faces many adversaries. She is an interesting character not your normal heroine in a fantasy.
There
is nothing 'soft' about Angarred. Mathewar is another interesting puzzle to unravel. He is a sattery
addict and therefore, not your typical leading man/love interest. Angarred and Mathewar are
somehow fated to find the stone and bring peace to the realm.
The Shivered Sky
Matt Dinniman
http://www.mattdinniman.com/
Silver Lake Publishing
11 S. Mansfield Rd., Landowne, PA 19050
http://www.silverlakepublishing.com
ISBN: 1931095515 $19.95 448 pp.
Imagine waking up naked in the middle of a vast beach with no ocean in site. Not only do you not
know who you are but you have no clue if you are dead or alive in heaven or hell. Then others
begin arriving in the same condition. So starts the Shivered Sky by Matt Dinniman.
The world of the Shivered Sky is not heaven or hell it is another existence altogether. Cibola, the
city of Angels has been overrun with demons from other worlds. The billions of Angels are caught
unawares and the city is lost on fateful day.
The war is over and the angles are trying to just survive. Our wayward humans; Indigo, Gramm,
Dave, Ricco, and Hitomi find themselves thrust into this war without knowing whose side to fight
on. The Demons attack them, but the Angels treat them like slaves. Confused about all this, our
gang realizes nothing is as it seems. Luckily, this group has been given possession of an awesome
weapon, periscepters. These weapons look like a simple flashlight, but the light blasts from them
disintegrate any Demon in its path. Periscepters have 'true light' which destroys Demons but is
harmless to Angels and humans. The war between the Angels and Dominion controlled Demons
escalates with our human's caught in the middle.
Shivered Sky is not what it seems. This Dark Fantasy is extremely engaging with an original story
line. Each chapter brings more understanding of the world and its inhabitants. The ending is
climatic
and a complete surprise. Cibola is an amazing city with incredible buildings with unknown
characteristics. Dinniman has created a diverse, imaginative world that will entertain you just with
its
descriptions.
Another interesting aspect of the Shivered Sky is that God is missing. The book is not about any
religious theology, but about the struggle to survive and learn from past mistakes. God is missing
for
a reason that will become apparent towards the end of the book
According to the author's website, Matt Dinniman currently resides in Tucson, Arizona with his
wife
and family. He is the senior editor at Artichoke Down Press, and has had many occupations
throughout his life. He has worked as a pizza delivery driver, a security guard, an EMT, a private
investigator, an editor, a telephone psychic, and an obituary writer--and that's just the beginning.
His
award-winning fiction and non-fiction has been published all over the world. The Shivered Sky is
his
first novel.
Mortal Companion
Patrick Califia
http://patcalifia.com/
Suspect Thoughts Press
2215-R Market Street, PMB #544, San Francisco, CA 94114-1612
http://www.suspectthoughtspress.com/
ISBN: 0971084696 $16.95 282 pp.
Mortal Companion is not for the easily offended or those who are not comfortable with explicit
sex.
Subtitled as "an erotic tale of love and vengeance" like no other, Mortal Companion delivers.
Patrick
Califia has created a world where everything is possible and nothing is taboo. This world is
opened
up to the reader layer by layer chapter by chapter until the final climatic end which leaves us
panting and waiting for the sequel.
Mortal Companion introduces us to Ulric, a very depressed vampire. Life, as he experiences it has
become drudgery. Nothing gives him pleasure even feeding leaves him wanting. One evening, in
an
unknown small town, Mary Beth Wolcott reveals herself. Ulric is immediately smitten and begins
a
sensual assault that Mary Beth is unable to resist. Ulric wins her heart and soul and makes her his
mortal companion, renamed Lilith.
Lilith and Ulric begin a journey to San Francisco and to Ulric's past. Lilith learns how Ulric was
the
victim of the Germanic Knights of the Sepulcher. He was made a vampire by rape of the mind,
body,
and soul. This horrific beginning culminated in the rape and a feeding from Adulfa, Ulric's own
half-sister. Adulfa swore vengeance on Ulric for his rape and forcing vampirism on her.
Adulfa is more then just a vampire. She began life as a shapeshifter. She is a reckless woman bent
on
seeking pleasure through domination of the body and mind. She has been planning her revenge
against Ulric for hundreds of years and nothing will stop her. Lilith is her ticket to making Ulric
pay
for violating her.
Lilith and Ulric are aware of Adulfa's rage, but are so caught up within their insulated world they
have a false sense of security. Ulric introduces Lilith to the BDSM community and a sex slave is
born. Lilith gives herself over completely to Ulric. This trust is pivotal in what is to come.
Mortal Companion is an interesting and entertaining book. While the sex is explicit and violent at
times, it has a purpose. Lilith and Ulric continuously switch roles. Neither is completely dominate
over the other. It is clear that complete domination is not love, but sharing roles gives Lilith and
Ulric a true, heart wrenching, undying love. While it can be argued this their undoing, it is
beautiful
to read of that kind of bonding. Each chapter switches character point of view effortlessly, giving
the
reader a voyeuristic journey. Each perspective - male/female - top/bottom draws the reader
further
into a San Francisco most have only heard of.
My favorite characters by far are the vampire cats; Luna, Anastasia, Charley, and Hecate. These
cats
guard Ulric's house in San Francisco and play a very important role in the ending of the book.
Califia
has created the cats with individual personalities and separates voices. Luna speaks so eloquently
that her words are like poems within the book.
Parts of Mortal Companion have appeared is various anthologies. Author Patrick Califia has
written
many different short stories and books on sexuality and Lesbian issues. He currently suffers from
fibromyalgia and lives in San Francisco. When he is not reading other people's vampire stories,
Patrick is spoiling his kitty cat or disciplining deserving masochists. He says, "Cats, unlike people,
are innocent."
Alisa McCune
Reviewer
Bethany's Bookshelf
Word Group
Marjorie Welish
Coffee House Press
27 North Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401
1566891574 $15.00 1-800-283-3572
Award-winning poet, painter, and critic Marjorie Welish presents Word Group, a collection of
inspirational lyric poems that fuse raw imagination with dynamic patterns of rhythm, dialogue,
spacing, and descriptive imagery. A refreshing window into a unique style of using words as a
canvas to impress the critical struggles of daily survival and aspirations beyond. "This Sort": In a
plane, plot, or gravitational pull, negative or interrogative. / Glosses / Without pronouncing it /
The
zone in sun // gravitational accident / gravitational microphones // Histories of the subjugated read
as
serious scatter / vernaculars / smote by a microchip / "And he does so." // His effort to talk /
through
and through
Earthstepper/The Ocean Is Very Shallow
Seitlhamo Motsapi
Deep South
c/o ISBS
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
www.deepsouth.co.za www.isbscatalog.com
0958454221 $15.95 1-800-944-6190
First published in 1996, and now in a redesigned second printing, Earthstepper/The Ocean Is Very
Shallow is an anthology of free verse poetry by South African author Seitlhamo Motsapi.
Refusing
to capitulate to toe-the-line rhetoric or the lure of vanilla banalty, these free-verse works present
the
concepts of pan-Africanist militancy, romantic spirituality, and a vicious attack against all forms of
neo-colonialism. A vibrant and determined voice, refusing to be shackled by corporate or political
expectations and demanding to be heard. "Sol/o": my love / there are no accidents / in war - no
kisses / on the belligerent lips of crocodiles / no loves greener than / the dancing hearts of children
/
no reveller jollier than the worm / in columbus's boiling head
Bertolt Brecht: Poetry And Prose
Reinhold Grimm with Caroline Molina y Vedia, editors
The Continuum Publishing Group
15 East 26th Street, #17, New York, NY 10010-1505
0826415059 $24.95 1-800-561-7704
Bertolt Brecht: Poetry And Prose is an anthology primarily of poetry, but also offering the prose
works "Socrates Wounded" and "The Unseemly Old Lady" by Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956), which
reveals his skill in the free-verse that he calls "rhymeless lyrics with irregular rhythm." The poetry
is
presented both in its original German and English translation. A classic anthology of literature,
charged with emotion and a stark view of ills besetting individuals and society at large. "To Those
Born Later": Truly, I live in dark times! / The guileless word is folly. A smooth forehead /
Suggests
insensitivity. The man who laughs / Has simply not yet had / the terrible news.
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Betsy's Bookshelf
How The Bible Became A Book
William M. Schniedewind
Cambridge University Press
40 West 20th St, NY, NY 10011-4211
0521829461 $27.00 1-800-872-7423 www.cambridge.org
How The Bible Became A Book: Textualization In Ancient Israel by William M. Schniedewind
(Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA) combines recent
archaeological discoveries in the Middle East, linguistic anthropology, and insights drawn from
the
history of writing to present as close an understanding as reasonably possible in this day and age
of
how the Hebrew Bible was written and edited. For two hundred years, scholars have presumed
the
Bible was written during the Persian and Hellenistic priods (the fifth through second centuries
B.C.E.); new evidence has come forth that the late Iron Age (eighth through sixth centuries
B.C.E.)
may have been a crucially formative period for Biblical literature. Exploring the evolution of
literature in society and its secular as well as religious ramifications, How The Bible Became A
Book is a welcome addition to Biblical studies shelves, as readable and articulate as it is
scholarly.
A Canoeist's Sketchbook
Robert Kimber
Countrysport Press
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
0892726547 $14.95 www.countrysportpress.com
A Canoeist's Sketchbook is an anthology of canoeing essays written by a dedicated canoeist,
covering topics that range from exploring the wilderness, to the joy of paddling, to practical
advice
for canoeing and camping in remote locations. A handful of black-and-white illustrations add a
genteel touch to this fond reminiscence of experiencing nature, as vivid as can be experienced
short
of going out to see for oneself. Recommended, enjoyable, and practical reading for anyone
interested in taking up canoeing as a hobby.
Drunk With Pleasure
Nick Wadley
Pomegranate Communications, Inc.
PO Box 808022, Petaluma, CA 94975-8022
www.pomegranate.com
0764924915 $12.95 1-800-227-1428
Drunk With Pleasure is a collection of simple, sketchy yet wickedly humorous cartoons and visual
puns, all involving wine or alcohol. Drawn in a minimalist style with splashes of color, these
chuckle-inducing single-panel scenes include a play on the phrase "Life is unfair!" as "Life is un
verre!", i.e. a delicious drink. A glossary of wine terms to better contribute to understanding the
cartoons rounds out this amusing collection especially recommended for giving wine connoisseurs
a
chuckle.
Parenting At The Speed Of Teens
Search Institute
615 First Avenue, N.E., Suite 125, Minneapolis, MN 55413
www.search-institute.org
1574828452 $11.95 1-800-888-7828
Parenting At The Speed Of Teens: Positive Tips On Everyday Issues is a quick-reference and
lookup guide packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for parents to better understand and give
guidance to often rebellious teenagers. From steering youngsters away from junk food toward
healthier eating habits, to promoting safety while one's teens date and dealing with dilemmas of
sexuality, to the importance of positive communication and establishing boundaries, and much
more,
Parenting At The Speed Of Teens is extremely practical, useful, and down-to-earth with advice
that
is easy to absorb and learn from. Highly recommended for parents and guardians of teenagers
everywhere.
A Chicken's Guide To Talking Turkey With Your Kids About Sex
Dr. Kevin Leman & Kathy Flores Bell
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
031025096X $16.99 zondvervan.com
Family psychologist Dr. Kevin Leman and sexuality educator Kathy Flores Bell present A
Chicken's
Guide To Talking Turkey With Your Kids About Sex, a straightforward guide for parents and
educators about teaching young people about the first period, first nocturnal emission, dating
relationships, STDs, molestation, and much more. A Chicken's Guide To Talking Turkey With
Your
Kids About Sex offers useful advice in down-to-earth terms concerning what needs to be taught,
how to build a bond of trust and support, and how to sound fully credible when promoting
abstinence in a culture that is media-soaked with sexual imagery, as well as more basic tips
concerning trials of puberty such as proper hair and skin care, oral hygiene, and more. Highly
recommended.
Betsy L. Hogan
Reviewer
Betty's Bookshelf
Maid Marian
Elsa Watson
Crown Publishers
Random House, Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
ISBN# 1400050413 $23.95 307 pp.
I am very fond of the legend of Robin Hood and his merry men, but far too many Robin Hood
stories portray Marian as a typical twelfth century female afterthought, content to sew clothing
for
the men, stroke Robin's fevered brow, and stay out of the way of the action. Native
Washingtonian
Elsa Watson's representation of Marian as a young woman determined to wrest her fate out of the
hands of others and make it comform to her own dreams, while still working within the known
parameters of that day and age, is different and refreshing.
Elsa Watson's Marian is a landed heiress who is orphaned as a small child and married to her
playmate, Lord Hugh of Sencaster, at the age of five. After years of living apart from each other,
Marian is abruptly informed that Hugh has died, suddenly and inexplicably. Now a widowed
virgin,
seventeen-year-old Marian becomes a ward of the court, without the title and property due her as
Hugh's widow, due to Hugh's mother's machinations.
As court ward, Marian's life (and future) rest firmly in the hands of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine,
who is ruling the country in the absence of her son, King Richard. Queen Eleanor knows very well
the value of a young, lovely, and rich widow in the royal games of power, and she intends to get
the
full benefits of properly bestowing Marian's hand.
However, Marian doesn't intend to be used as a political prize; she wants to control her own
destiny,
a thing unheard of in that day and age. And as she fights society's expectations of her, she begins
to
suspect not only that Hugh's own mother may have been involved in Hugh's death, but that she
isn't
done with Marian yet, either. When she discovers that the queen and Hugh's mother have set into
play secret plans to marry her off again, she and her nurse go into the forest to seek Robin Hood
and
beg his help in changing the direction of her future.
Meeting Robin Hood face-to-face changes everything for Marian. He is charming and handsome
and
independent of society's ways, and she becomes convinced that a life spent with Robin Hood is
her
destiny. When Robin spirits her away from the very threshold of her wedding and takes her back
with him to the forest, she thinks he is sure of it, too.
Love can take many disguises, though, and when her past and Robin's cause their relationship to
sour, it becomes apparent that sometimes destiny needs a little help. So Marian becomes
determined
to do whatever it takes to make her dreams come true. Even if it's more than she thinks she can
do -
and far more than Robin or his men - or the queen - ever expected.
This book would make an interesting choice for one of the reading groups that are springing up
all
over to give readers a sense of community and a sounding board for the thoughts and decisions
various books bring to life. Some groups, loosely structured, just chat about the book, but others
prefer to use a series of questions as a guide for their meetings, and that's where this book shines.
Watson includes a page of extra information in the back which can be used as a jumping-off point
for groups that like to come up with their own questions, while groups that prefer prepared
material
can go to the Crown Publishing Group's web site at http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/ and
click
on "Discussion Guides". There, group members will find a prepared guide to Maid Marian,
complete
with questions about leadership, group dynamics, and the societal impact of poverty that may
cause
their next meeting to erupt into a discussion more animated than usual.
The circumstances under which Watson began writing this book are interesting enough to be
worth
mentioning: while she and husband Kol Medina were serving in the Peace Corps in
Guinea-Bissau,
West Africa, she wrote what turned out to be the beginning of this book, in longhand by
lamplight.
Eventually, she and Medina returned to Washington and settled near Seattle, where she now
writes
full-time. I hope that having access to the benefits of modern life won't stop her from delving
again
into the past; she does it so well!
Buster
Denise Fleming
Henry Holt and Company, LLC
115 West 18th St., New York, NY, 10011
www.henryholt.com
ISBN# 0805062793 $15.95 40 pp.
Denise Fleming's newest book, Buster, introduces a dog named Buster whose perfect life with
Brown Shoes (his owner, who appears only as the tip of a brown shoe in one scene, hence the
name)
is invaded by a little white bundle of feline trouble named Betty. Buster, who is afraid of cats, is
terrified and decides that if he ignores her, she'll leave him alone. When that doesn't work, he runs
away to the park, where he revels in not having Betty's attentions to annoy him - until he
discovers
he's lost and needs help to find his way back home.
As usual, Fleming tells the story with her trademark-style bright colorful paper pulp paintings.
Buster (who looks a little like the dog on "The Simpsons") is a hoot, running in and out of his
house
through a doggy door, dancing to the radio set to his favorite station, and demanding Brown
Shoes'
attention to take him on a walk. Betty is cute and cuddly and completely unthreatening, which
makes Buster's fearful reaction even funnier. And the way Fleming presents people and scenery
from
a dog's point of view (mostly knee-high) gives the illustrations extra appeal.
Fleming includes a map (complete with legend) at the end of the story, which can be used to give
little readers a sense of how maps work. Be sure to notice the streets, which are named after some
of Fleming's friends and family members (including husband David Powers, daughter Indigo, and
Henry Holt editor Laura Godwin) and don't miss the picture of Fleming (aka Red Toes) on the
back
flap of the book jacket, shot from Buster's and Betty's point of view.
The Business Card Book: What Your Business Card Reveals About You... and How to Fix
It
Dr. Lynella Grant
Off the Page Press
P.O. Box 1269, Scottsdale, AZ, 85252
www.quick-and-painless.com
ISBN# 1888739509 $17.95 500 pp.
A typical business card is 2" X 3 1/2". Small, right? So, who would've thought that anyone could
think of enough to say about them to fill a 500 page book? Dr. Lynella Grant did, and even she
says,
right in the book's beginning, "Clearly, this book contains more than you ever thought you wanted
to
know about business cards," while the back of the book proclaims, "The only book on business
cards you'll ever need!" Well, yeah. And when I first laid eyes on it, I groaned. 500 pages about a
subject that only slightly interested me? What had I done to deserve this? It surprised me, though
- it
was actually pretty interesting! Business cards. There's a lot to say about them. Who knew?
This book covers everything you'd expect it to, from the visible and invisible messages a business
card gives off (its "body language"), to graphics and font types that make a card stand out, to how
to make your card into a successful silent ambassador for your business (because, as Grant says
several times, "Your business card is the handshake you leave behind!")
However, that doesn't fill 500 pages. There's more. Lots more, including stuff you probably didn't
realize you needed to know: How to work successfully with designers and printers. How to use
your
card in networking, sales, and trade shows, and organize and follow up on the cards you receive.
How to use your cards internationally, while avoiding blunders and pitfalls caused by cultural
differences.
Grant even goes into the history of business cards and introduces the reader to both the Business
Card Museum (yes, really), in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, and the Business Card Archives, home of
a
collection of 50,000,000 business cards, located in Fairfield, Iowa. (Yes, you read that correctly -
a
5, followed by 7 zeros. Seven!!)
An interesting side note: Many of the cards in the aforementioned archives came from the
overwhelming response to a famous urban legend, the Craig Shergold story (you know, the little
English boy who has cancer and is collecting greeting cards? Or postcards? Or business cards?)
Some of the business cards that were sent to Craig by well-meaning victims of this story via the
Children's Wish and Make-a-Wish Foundations (both involved against their will in the
ever-spreading legend) eventually got sent to Iowa, to the archives. They got two shipments -
once -
and there are so many boxes of cards there now that they can't find time to catalogue them all! It's
over now. Really. But still, cards continue to pour into the post office near where Craig is from
and
into both foundations, even today.
So, listen up, people - for the sake of both foundations, the U.S. and English postal services, and
world resources in general, please help put a stop to this story. Craig Shergold is grown up now.
He's fine, honest. And he doesn't want anyone to send him anything else. If you absolutely must
send
something anyway to either foundation because of him, send money. Money, they can use. Cards,
gifts, and so on, not so much. Stop!!
Now, back to business - err, business cards. As we (finally) reach the end of this book, we find
that
even the back-of-the-book stuff is interesting. Want to know where you can have an offbeat card
made up? Holographic? Outsized? Made out of metal? Talking? Printed in Braille? There are
companies listed that can help you out. Want to have Dr. Grant look your card over and diagnose
the problem areas? There's an address for that, too.
There's also a Quick Reference Guide, to help you find exactly what you're looking for, an
appendix
that explains the difference between an employee and an independent contractor, and one that
shows
you a sample standard form of agreement for graphic design services. There are end notes. A
glossary. An index. Trust me, people, if you've gotten this far and you still have a question about
business cards that this book doesn't answer, you don't need to know. Either that, or the answer
doesn't exist.
Betty Winslow
Reviewer
Bogert's Bookshelf
DIY Portfolio Management
Lyle Wilkinson
Selact Publishing
P.O. Box 3182, Wailuku, HI 96793-3182
097283950X $29.99 304 pp.
DIY Portfolio Management provides the tools for those who wish to manage their personal
investments, thus eliminating the fees of an account manager. Mr. Wilkinson describes each facet
of
managing ones own investment with the clarity of apparent years of research. Readers of this
book
will find they can manage their own portfolio by applying discipline and hard work. Mr. Wilkinson
provides graphs and visual data throughout the book, even websites where one can download
helpful tools in managing their nest egg. I recommend DIY Portfolio Management to those who
want to break free from the fees and hassles of other financial institutions, and start managing
their
own investments.
Chase After The Wind
Bennett H. Bracken
Sunset Readers Publishing
ISBN: 0974933309 $12.95 291 pp.
Chase After The Wind is a tale set in the Rockies in 1838. The west is still wild and largely
unexplored, wherein the Bretton family decides to settle. After a vicious attack by Indians, Zack
and
his brother Danny find their family dead, with the exception of their sister Elizabeth who was
taken
captive. Being the oldest brother, though only sixteen, Zack begins a quest to find his sister,
which
brings him in contact with several people, and teaches him valuable lessons in life
As a long time fan of Louis L'Amour, I've always enjoyed stories of the west. Mr. Bracken has
done
an excellent job at bringing out the
harsh but beautiful ways of the frontier. The story was well written and the reader will find the
characters easy to follow. Emotions flow through the characters throughout the story, and
provide
the basis for the 'flavor' of the west, which I believe is a key element for writing a work of this
type.
I heartily recommend Chase After The Wind to anyone who loves a good story, whether a fan of
the
west or not. Very well done!
One With The Land
Preston L. Gorbett
Publish America
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN: 1413712983 $12.98 322 pp.
One With The Land is a story that begins with a young man, Scott Walker, who travels into the
west
after an accident that kills his friend. His adventures lead him through the beauty of untamed but
beautiful lands, accompanied by two others that he finds along the way.
Every so often I review a book that completely grabs my attention, both in the quality of the
writing
and detailed descriptions of the setting. Mr. Gorbett has done a great job incorporating the
characters into a landscape you can really 'get into'. As I myself live in an area of Florida that's still
considered 'wilderness', I can appreciate the events and trials the characters faced. The story itself
is
strong, and the characters are well conceived (I especially liked Man-with-no-hair!)
I give a hearty approval for One With The Land, and would recommend it to any reader,
outdoorsman or not, who enjoys a well-written story that keeps you turning the pages!
The Healing Conscious
Kifle Bantayehu
Lulu Enterprises, Inc.
www.lulu.com
ISBN: 1411600770 $15.80 106 pp.
The Healing Conscious is a collection of poems written from the heart of a man who came to
America from Ethiopia. His words speak of himself and his family, reaching into the emotions
spanning from joy to sorrow, and everything in between.
I don't get to review poetry books too often, which I feel is unfortunate. But I must say that Mr.
Bantayehu's collection in this book is a wonderful read. Each poem is written from the heart (as
should all be done, in my opinion) and they collectively tell the story of one man's life, and some
of
those whom he loved.
The book itself was well written, and in reading one can appreciate the trials, joys, sorrows and all
the emotions that a man would have as he journeyed through life.
I would recommend this book to all types of readers, even those who aren't accustom to reading
poetry. It would be an excellent addition to any library!
Michael Bogert
Reviewer
Buhle's Bookshelf
The Commonsense Way To Build Wealth
Jack Chou
Griffin Publishing Group
18022 Cowan, Suite 202, Irvine, CA 92614
1580000924 $19.95 1-800-472-9741 www.griffinpublishing.com
The Commonsense Way To Build Wealth: One Entrepreneur Shares His Secrets is a practical
guide
to accumulating capital, whether to purchase a business, start a franchise, develop a product,
invest
in real estate, or a number of other goals. Combining the author's personal experiences with plain
and simple guidelines, The Commonsense Way To Build Wealth covers basic legal issues to be
aware of, tips, tricks, and techniques for successful negotiation, warnings against common
business
and personal money matter pitfalls, and much more. A highly readible "must-have" introduction
for
any dedicated or aspiring entrepreneur.
Free Trade Agreements
Jeffrey J. Schott, editor
Institute for International Economics
1750 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036-1903
0881323616 $31.95 www.iie.com
Expertly compiled and edited by Jeffrey Schott (academician, economist, and Senior Fellow at the
Institue for International Economics), Free Trade Agreements: US Strategies And Priorities is an
anthology of essays by learned authors concerning American initiatives to enter free trade
negotiations with nations around the world, from the Asia-Pacific region to the western
hemisphere
to Afica. Discussing major policy questions, the importance of setting priorities and objectives,
the
conceptual case for FTAs, discussions of specific agreements being pursued (including ones for
Australia, Central America, Morocco, and the Southern African Customs Union) pack this
scholarly
and heavily researched compendium. A technical appendix with results of simulations of the trade
and welfare effects of prospective agreements rounds out Free Trade Agreements, a welcome
addition to economics shelves in public libraries, educational libraries and private collections.
The Oz Principle
Roger Connors, et al.
Portfolio
c/o Penguin Putnam Inc.
375 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
1591840244 $24.95 1-800-847-5515
The collaborative work of management consulting experts Roger Connors and Tom Smith, with
the
assistance of author Craig Hickman, The Oz Principles: Getting Results Through Individual And
Organizational Accountability is now available in a substantially revised and newly updated
edition.
Drawing upon concepts, characters, and scenarios from the classic "The Wizard Of Oz" authors
Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman offer crucial lessons for facing the challenges of
the
modern business world. The importance of accountability, both individual and collective, cannot
be
understated; The Oz Principle shows how to harness the drive human nature to claim
achievements
and live up to greater heights for effective financial success.
Linking Customer And Employee Satisfaction To The Bottom Line
Derek R. Allen & Morris Wilburn
Quality Press
c/o American Society for Quality
PO Box 3005, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3005
0873895010 $50.00 1-800-248-1946 http://qualitypress.asq.org
The collaboration of Derek R. Allen and Morris Wilburn, Linking Customer And Employee
Satisfaction To The Bottom Line: A Comprehensive Guide To Establishing The Impact Of
Customer And Employee Satisfaction On Critical Business Outcomes is organized into eleven
distinct chapters focusing on the issues thematically related to developing and improving
corporate
fiscal success through sustained customer and employee attitudes toward products and services
provided at every step of the corporate process. From the "Six Stigma" approach; to employee
retention issues, to diverse analysis frameworks, to "The Future of Linkage Research", this
compendium of superbly organized and presented information is as meticulously competent and
"user friendly". Enhanced with an appendix focused on "Matrix Algebra in Statistics"; a glossary
of
specialized terms, an extended bibliography for further study, and a comprehensive index, Linking
Customer And Employee Satisfaction To The Bottom Line is a seminal addition to professional
reading lists, as well as corporate, and Business School reference collections.
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
Burroughs' Bookshelf
Europe Inc., new edition
Belen Balanya, Ann Doherty, Olivier Hoedeman, Adam Ma'anit, and Erik Wesselius
Pluto Press
c/o Stylus Publishing, distributor
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
0745321631 $24.95 pbk. $75.00 hc
Now in a fully revised new edition, Europe Inc. examines the ways in which major industrial
corporations have gained so much power as lobbyists within the European Union that they pose a
threat to democracy itself. From the factors that have promoted the domination of corporate
influence, to how that influence has pressured governments to privatize public services, deregulate
industry, and remove social and environmental protections, to the roughshod treatment of small
business, organized labor, and individual citizens, and much more, Europe Inc. is a devastating
wake
up call. Highly recommended.
Culture From The Inside Out
Alan Cornes
Intercultural Press
PO Box 700, Yarmouth, ME 04096
193193004X $24.95 1-866-372-2665
Culture From The Inside Out: Travel - And Meet Yourself by training and development
consultant
Alan Cornes is a self-help guide that focuses on why and how some people adapt to a new culture
easily while others find it a protracted struggle. Exploring ways by which business travelers and
others can learn to not only build skills and understand new customs, but also come to a better
realization of one's own personality and use that knowledge to aid one's endeavors in a strange
land,
Culture From The Inside Out presents solid advice in clear, accessible terms. An excellent primer
to
mastering the skill of learning new things quickly and fluently.
Information War
Nancy Snow
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
1583225579 $9.95 sevenstories.com
Information War: American Propaganda, Free Speech, And Opinion Control Since 9-11 is a
candid
and disturbing look at how government and media have used spin control and propaganda to
shape
popular opinion and guide the nation toward a specific political agenda regardless of dissent since
the September 11th attacks. Identifying common propaganda techniques such as card-stacking
(selectively quoting facts in order to build a case against an opponent that ignores the whole truth
of
situations the facts refer to), labelling, bandwagon appeal (building support for an idea by
perpetuating the sentiment that "everybody" is in favor of it) and much more, it goes on to spot
these techniques used in recent quotes from individuals and spokespeople in the turbulent and
often
militaristic speeches since the attacks. A caustic, keen-eyed, and highly recommended "must-read"
for anyone seeking to understand what is really going on underneath recent American
rhetoric.
The Geneva Accord
Rabbi Michael Lerner
North Atlantic Books
1435 Fourth St., Berkeley, CA 94710
1556435371 $9.95 1-800-337-2665 www.northatlanticbooks.com
The Geneva Accord And Other Strategies For Healing The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a
document, developed by representatives of the Israeli and Palestinian people, that incorporates
key
points of agreement from the Oslo Accords and Camp David Summit in an attempt to seek a
reasonable negotiation and a peaceful resolution to the dispute between Israel and Palestine.
Acknowledging the cultural histories of Israel and Palestine alike, and presenting an ethical, legal,
and militarily secure agreement between two semi-contiguous states, The Geneva Accord is a
much
needed offer of a solution for a political situation fraught with problems. Highly
recommended.
John Burroughs
Reviewer
Carol's Bookshelf
Meditation In Motion
Barbara Bartocci
Sorin Books
PO Box 1006, Notre Dame, IN 46556-1006
1893732622 $12.95 1-800-282-1865 www.sorinbooks.com
Compiled by freelance writer and public speaker Barbara Bartocci, Meditation In Motion presents
forty-eight stories revealing people who discovered (often quite by chance and under unexpected
circumstance) connections between their physical activity and the spiritual awareness. Drawn
from
all backgrounds and life conditions, these stories range from people who engage in cycling, sky
diving, and hiking the Appalachian Trail, to others who swim laps at the "Y", surf the Pacific
Coast,
or "walk the mall". Enhanced by the author with twenty ways to help her readers become fit both
physically and spiritually, these are stories that combine "how to" ideas with anecdotal
inspirations.
Meditation In Motion is especially recommended for spirituality enhancement and personal
growth
reading lists and reference collections for members of the Christian community regardless of
denominational affiliation.
Last-Minute Liturgies
Donna M. Cole
Resource Publications, Inc.
160 East Virginia Street, Suite 290, San Jose, CA 95112-5876
0893905887 $19.95 1-408-286-8505 www.rpinet.com
In Last-Minute Liturgies: Creating Prayerful Responses To The Unexpected, pastoral ministry
activist Donna M. Cole shows her readers how they can utilize basic resources like the lectionary,
sacramentary, and "Book of Blessings' quickly and effectively in the facilitation of their response
through liturgical services to crises and sudden unexpected events. Readers will learn how to
create
a prayer service with music, symbols, and light; how to involve the assembled Christian
community
in the liturgy; and how to lead a prayer service with grace, dignity, and focus. Last-Minute
Liturgies
is a welcome, practical, "user friendly", and highly recommended addition to any pastoral, clergy,
or
layman support services reference shelf.
How To Have Purr-Fect Faith
Laura Thomas
Abiding Books Publishing
PO Box 243, Condon, OR 97823
097442840X $12.95 www.abidingbooks.com
How To Have Purr-Fect Faith is a Christian testimonial from an expert in breeding, raising, and
showing award-winning Persian cats. Expressing the author's reflections on what it truly means to
have faith in God's unconditional love, and His involvement in everything His creations do, even
the
daily events of a cat show, How To Have Purr-Fect Faith is a bountiful expression of warmth,
spirit,
and abiding love. A moving and emotional narrative reflecting the author's deep conviction.
Voices From Beyond
Isaac Nwokogba
The Writers' Collective
780 Reservoir Ave., Ste 243, Cranston, RI 02910
1932133445 $14.95 1-401-537-9175
Voices From Beyond: The God Force, The Other Side, And You is a spiritual account that
studies
the questions, "Can we really communicate with our loved ones who have died?" "What happens
to
us when we die?" "Can we change our life path?" and "Is it possible to have more than one soul
mate?" Presenting laws and forces that govern human existence beyond the veil, author Isaac
Nwokogba offers comfort to the bereaved and fascinating, spiritual answers to deeply troubling
issues. A compelling, well-written and smoothly presented exploration beyond the limits of
science.
The Making Of A Prophet
Ron Rendleman
Sterling Productions
PO Box 41, Sterling IL 61081
096508843X $11.95
The Making Of A Prophet is the personal testimony of a man on a mission from God. Devout
Christian Ron Rendleman offers his view of God's will, why God allowed the September 11th
attacks to happen, steps that Christians can take to promote their survival should the Apocalypse
come, the evil failings of the Christian church, the horrors all too prevailant in modern society,
and
much more. As scathing and severe as Rendleman's invective is, his vivid warning stems directly
from observations of all too real failings of society, from the shameful price-gouging behaviors of
prescription drug cartels to violence in the streets.
I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist
Norman Geisler & Frank Turek
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
1581345615 $13.99 www.crossway.com
The collaborative effort of author and international speaker Norman Geisler (who has spent more
than forty years in Christian ministry and academia, and currently serves as President of the
Southern
Evangelical Seminary, Charlotte, North Carolina) and Frank Turek (an articulate advocate in
defense
of Christianity and traditional moral principles), I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist
argues
that all worldviews (including atheism) require faith and that, surprisingly, Christianity requires
the
least faith of all the competing belief systems because it is the most reasonable in addressing the
fundamental questions of where we came from, why are we here, how should we live, and where
are
we going. I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist reveals the flaws in thinking that religion
is
merely a matter of opinion or preference, that the existence of evil and the silence of God defy
explanation for the believer, and that only what can be tested in a science lab can be accepted as
truth. Offering a logical twelve-point progression, the authors document that the truth about
reality
is knowable, that God does indeed exist, and that the Bible is a reliable document upon which to
explore and understand the answers to life's basic questions. Strongly recommended to the
attention
of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliation, I Don't Have Enough Faith
To
Be An Atheist is as intrinsically interesting a read as it is informed and informative.
The Gospel According To Dr. Seuss
James W. Kemp
Judson Press
PO Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482
0817014578 $10.00 1-800-4-JUDSON www.judsonpress.com
In The Gospel According To Dr. Seuss, James W. Kemp (now retired from fifteen years service
as a
United Methodist pastor) reveals the popular children's stories penned by Dr. Seuss are more than
simply imaginative and highly entertaining, a great many of them are also inspirational. Kemp
finds
parallels between the doings of cats in hats, Grinches, Snitches, Sneetches, and other whimsical
creatures with lessons embedded within the Scriptures. The meaning and relevance of many Bible
passages come to life within the originality of such stories as "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!",
"Horton Hatches the Egg"; Yertle the Turtle"; "Green Eggs and Ham", and other Dr. Seuss tales
of
whimsey and rhyme. Highly recommended to the Christian community regardless of
denominational
distinctions, The Gospel According To Dr. Seuss is lively, entertaining, inherently fascinating, and
spirituality enthusiastic reading.
Jesus Wept
Bruce Marchiano
Howard Publishing Co., Inc.
3117 North 7th Street, West Monroe, Louisiana 71291-2227
1582293503 $10.99 1-318-396-3122
Actor and speaker Bruce Marchiano, known for his portrayal of Christ in the movie "The Gospel
According to Matthow, presents Jesus Wept, a poignant and deeply reverent Christian view of
Christ's ongoing pain. Marchiano describes the agony and tears Jesus cries in response to
unspeakable wrongness in today's world, and proffers a message of compassion, and the love of a
God who feels human pain and reaches out in comfort. An emotionally moving testimony of
unfettered faith.
Why x 2
Thomas Vaillancourt
Self-Published
47 Greencrest Road, Goshen, NY 10924
1418418536 $9.95 AuthorHouse.com
Why x 2: Existential Questions Seen Through The Eyes Of Science And Christianity seeks to
bridge
the gap between modern Christians and the church, especially the rift that comes from a perceived
adversarial relationship between the church and science. Calling for renewed acknowledgement in
both the best science has to offer and the deeply spiritual benefits of opening one's mind and heart
to
a higher power, Why x 2 is a philosophical yet moving discussion that seeks to strike the chord of
reason in the logician and the believer alike.
Carol Volk
Reviewer
Christina's Bookshelf
Curiosity
Gerald Allen Wunsch
1st Books
PO 108, Bloomington, Indiana
ISBN# 1410736997 $11.45 1-800-839-8640
This book will interest children in learning about the Underground Railroad. To effectively
demonstrate the Underground Railway to them, Wunsch uses a contemporary setting, something
no
other book has tried. He entertains as well as educates.
With their parents vacationing in Europe, Ginger and her best friend, Irene, stay with Ginger's
grandparents. However, the girls feel they're the ones to find adventure. Who would believe rural
Indiana held excitement? It all began when Ginger's grandfather took them and his fox terrier, for
a
ride to the Browns, in his highly prized MG TF sports car from the 1930's. His friends offered the
girls a tour of their house and then of something special. The girls soon learn the Brown's home
was
once a stationmaster's house for the Underground Railroad. Stationmasters hid slaves escaping
north. The stationmaster hid them in secret areas such as behind closets, rooms under staircases
and
secret cellars.
Days later, back at Ginger's grandparent's the girls hear Laird barking, yet can't find him. After
searching, they discover a place no one alive knows about. Oh, what interesting items they
uncover.
Their secret is threatened though and they wonder if they should tell.
Quote taken from the story:
After a few seconds, I took the plunge and said, "Grandpa, what if that old cellar was actually a
hiding place for slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad?"
"I'll tell you what. I'll take one more look down there with the flashlight before I tear the roof
off."
He'd turned toward the door again so he didn't see the panic on my face and on Irene's face. I
knew
I'd better say something quick.
Later. . .
As we picked our way through the old tunnel, we came across two bone buttons and a rusty
lantern.
The lantern was very fragile after so many years in the dirt.
Book contents include:
Story with sketches
Information sections on:- Fox terriers with photographs
- The country Suriname on the coast of Brazil, along with a map.
- MG T series sports cars with a sketching and photograph
- Genealogy with a reproduction of Harriet Beecher Stowe's genealogy.
- America and the Underground Railroad, along with photographs, a picture from an Almanac
dated
1839, and a sketching of Harriet Beecher Stowe as a young woman.
- Buffalo nickels along with a photograph.
- For more information on Underground Railroads with phone numbers and websites.
- Acknowledgements and credits with websites and phone numbers for even more research.
- About the author with a photograph of Wunsch and his fox terrier, Laird.
- Back page with a photograph of the illustrator as well as her biography. Irene Joslin is an
award-winning cartoonist.
Wunsch is a retired lawyer who served as a diplomat with the U.S. State Department. He had
foreign assignments in Mexico, Suriname and the Netherlands.
He fashioned his story to help children find historical information interesting. Artifacts are
explained
well with supplemental photographs. The narrative is light in tone, adventurous, and told in first
person. For further interest, Wunsch also places his playful, real life dog, Laird, into the
story.
Wunsch handles the subject creatively for parents, teachers, and children. His book is user
friendly,
informative, instructional, and entertaining. A delight. Recommended.
When I Wished I Was Alone
Dave Cutler
Joan Schweighardt, Publisher
GreyCore Press
2646 New Prospect Rd., Pine Bush, N.Y. 12566
http://www.greycore.com
ISBN# 0967185106 $16.95 34 pp.
"I don't love you anymore. I wish I didn't have a family and could always be alone!" Children get
angry just like adults and sometimes say things they don't mean.
Here is a warm-hearted picture book with an enlightening moral.
Cutler's story, told in first-person, is about a boy who wishes to be away from his family. He gets
his
wish, but before long yearns to share extraordinary sites while on a floating chunk of land. He
sees
rainbows in the sky, a beautiful moon, and glorious stars. Although no one bothers him, tells him
what to do, or hurts his feelings, he wished his family could share it with him.
How will the boy get back home? With a magical mix of stars, birds, and a pile of silvery string,
an
amazing thing happens. When he does finally arrive, he runs to tell his family about his adventure
and most importantly, that he loves them.
The book will inspire family conversation about how everyone experiences times when they want
to
be alone, and the reasons why. If it's for too long though, we become lonely. Cutler's message:
spectacular sites, moments, and every day life are best when shared with special people.
Rich illustrations also enliven this charming story. The jacket is a glossy replica of a night sky.
They're bound to be a favorite amongst children and adults alike.
Cutler wrote and illustrated 'When I Wished I Was Alone,' and it is his first children's book. His
images have appeared on the cover of Business Week and in Time, Forbes, N.Y. Times, Glamour,
Newsweek and other major publications. His work has also favored UNICEF holiday cards.
Spectacular. Is best when shared with loved ones. Ripe, and waiting to be picked up and added to
a
child's collection. Healthy and well told. Recommended.
Christina Francine, Reviewer
http://www.CFrancine.bizland.com
Debra's Bookshelf
Men in Black
Scott Spencer
Knopf
ISBN: 0679434526 $23.00 321 pages
Sam Holland, one-time serious author of two well-received novels, can barely pay his bills until a
book he tossed off and published pseudonymously starts flying off the shelves. His Visitors from
Above is a hit among conspiracy theorists, all UFOs and alien abductions and the enigmatic
disinformation specialists of Scott Spencer's title--those fellows who, "sallow of complexion" and
inappropriately dressed, can convince alien spotters, Tommy Lee Jones-like, that they haven't seen
anything whatever out of the ordinary. But financial success and the celebrity of a national book
tour
are difficult to swallow when they spring from a product Sam can neither feel proud of nor claim
as
his own. They are, moreover, empty rewards against the backdrop of Sam's crumbling personal
life,
his failing marriage, his teenaged son's recent disappearance.
Scott Spencer's Men in Black offers readers a complex story about one man's belated recognition
of
his life's value. Unfortunately, Spencer's late bloomer was not a man I could empathize with. Sam
and his wife and son, the characters through whose eyes the story is told, are unlikable creatures
who are dissatisfied with their circumstances--the perfectly good, indeed arguably enviable
circumstances of their lives--and they make matters worse for themselves by behaving badly. In
the
end I did not care what the Hollands wound up doing with their lives--though I was certain alien
abduction was not in the cards for them--figuring that they had merited whatever unpleasantness
(divorce, incarceration) might lay in store after the last page. A good premise, then, but Men in
Black fails, finally, because its characters cannot engage the reader's emotions.
The Prisoner of Vandam Street
Kinky Friedman
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0743246020 $24.00 228 pages
Confined to his New York apartment at 199B Vandam Street for six weeks after contracting
malaria--the "only truly deadly strain" of the disease--private detective Kinky Friedman (not to be
confused with his creator, author, country singer, and potential future governor of Texas Kinky
Friedman) happens to see, Rear Window-style, a woman brutally beaten in an apartment across
the
street. The problem is, feverish and delirious as he's been, Kinky does not make the most
convincing
of witnesses, and neither the police he summons nor his gang of variously accented, frequently
inebriated cronies--the so-called "Village Irregulars," the collective Grace Kelly to his laid up
Jimmy
Stewart--believe him. When further investigation suggests Kinky wasn't imagining things, the
game,
as he and Sherlock like to say, is afoot.
But the mystery in The Prisoner of Vandam Street is in a sense beside the point, entertaining
though
it is, for Kinky Friedman's novel is a departure from standard mystery fare. The author's prose is
bursting with word play and Conan Doyleisms and pop culture references and irreverent
philosophical musings. If at times it borders on the cloying, his writing is far more often
downright
funny:
"Now, I'm not making light of people who are deaf or losing their hearing. I am not mocking a
disability that afflicts millions of Americans as they grow older, effectively cutting them off to
varying degrees from the hearing world. All I'm saying, and I'll try to speak loudly and slowly and
enunciate clearly, is that they should get medical help or a hearing aid or a large, metal ear-horn
like
the kind that was used in medieval times, and stop constantly blaming hapless, sensitive friends
like
myself for mumbling."
Friedman also has a serious side, evidenced in the book's closing parable and in the sweetly
moving,
brief chapter on his--Kinky the character's as well as Kinky the man's--continued sense of loss
after
the death of his parents.
In short, mystery lovers with a taste for off-color jokes and pun-punctuated prose will get a kick
out
of Kinky.
Superstition
David Ambrose
Warner Books
ISBN: 0446607827 $6.99 432 pages
Parapsychologist Sam Towne runs a research facility that conducts investigations into paranormal
anomalies--observable instances of psychokinesis, the movement of matter through psychic
power.
When he meets Joanna Cross, a staff writer for the magazine Around Town who has just
published
an article exposing a couple of mind-readers as con artists, an interesting group project suggests
itself: Sam and Joanna decide to enlist volunteers to help them conjure up a ghost. The phantom
they have in mind is not your run-of-the-mill, graveyard-haunting variety, but rather a
thought-form
that the group members will hallucinate into being, after extensive research into the time period
from
which their ghost hails, and after creating for him an elaborate back-story. The problem is, once
you
will something into being, it may not be eager to give up the ghost, as it were, when you'd like it
to.
David Ambrose's thriller Superstition is intelligent and genuinely scary in parts, and its conclusion,
despite being hinted at in a prologue, is impossible to figure out in advance. Part Jack Finney's
Time
and Again (a book the characters in Superstition in fact discuss), part ghost story, the book--if not
offering the sort of suspense that will keep you glued to the pages all night--is well worth the
read.
Mortal Fear
Greg Iles
Signet
ISBN: 0451180410 $7.99 622 pages
Thirty-something Harper Cole makes a comfortable living trading commodities from his isolated
Mississippi home, but it is his second, less lucrative job that offers the more interesting
perquisites:
Harper is a systems operator of an exclusive online sex forum, EROS (Erotic Realtime On-line
Stimulation), whose members pay hundreds of dollars a month to engage in anonymous sex chat
in a
hyper-private environment. As a sysop Harper can cruise the hundreds of discussions within
EROS,
his presence in allegedly private chat rooms undetected by the participants, and he can take part in
discussions himself under assumed identities. It is an avocation his wife Drewe--a beautiful and
highly intelligent obstetrician--has become uncomfortable with in recent months.
As it happens, there is much to be uncomfortable about. When author Karen Wheat, an EROS
client
with whom Harper is more than passably familiar, is found beheaded, Harper contacts the
authorities: a number of EROS clients have gone missing, and he thinks he knows who's behind
their
disappearances. But Harper's noble attempt to stop a serial killer's grotesque butcheries lands him
and his family in peril.
Greg Iles's Mortal Fear is not a perfect book. There are some loose threads left dangling in the
narrative (particularly the "Eleanor Rigby" side story), and Harper is made on p. 439 to consider
briefly an action entirely unworthy of his character. Some of the middle chapters, too, are rather
slow going. But the book builds to a breakneck pace, so that in its final 200 pages you will forgive
the story its flaws, cursing the interruptions of impertinent employers and offspring while you
neglect your responsibilities and read Iles's exciting conclusion.
The Music Lesson
Katharine Weber
Picador
ISBN: 0312252854 $12.00 178 pages
Art historian Patricia Dolan is biding her time in a rented Irish cottage, waiting for the perilous
business she's become involved in to pan out, waiting for her newly discovered distant
cousin/lover
Mickey to join her. In the meantime she is enjoying the life rural Ireland has to offer in the
off-season--solitude and an unprecedented closeness to and awareness of the elements, a barely
electrified dwelling that's not "on the phone," stoic donkeys and an abundance of mostly nameless
cats, the unspeakable beauty of her surroundings. Contrary to the expectations of her unknown
masters, Patricia is writing about her experience in Ireland, an account that turns out to be more
personal than art historical, as was her original intent. Her journal, the notebook she hides behind
a
secret panel in the cottage, is the text of The Music Lesson. From it we learn of the life Patricia
has
put on hold in New York and of the personal tragedy that has left her numbed for several years,
and
we are told of the family history and the subtle indoctrination that have culminated in her current
situation.
Katharine Weber's The Music Lesson is an elegant little novel about loyalty and loss and
disillusionment. Its protagonist is not always empathetic--Patricia crosses a line, foolishly and
devastagingly, perhaps not quite believably, when she follows Mickey's lead--but she regains our
support in the tense but quiet action of the book's end. As with her first book, Objects in Mirror
Are
Closer Than They Appear, Weber's sophomore effort proves that she is an author worth
watching.
Debra Hamel, Reviewer
http://www.tryingneaira.com
Emanuel's Bookshelf
The Burglar on the Prowl
Lawrence Block
www.lawrenceblock.com
William Morrow
HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN# 0060198303 $24.95 320 pp.
In "Burglar on the Prowl," Bernie Rhodenbarr is presented with a bit of an ethical dilemma. While
the slick burglar hides under the bed of a woman he's robbing, he hears her being raped. Should
Bernie come to her rescue and risk jail time (and a possible pummeling from the rapist) for his
thievery? Or should he just sit tight and hope he's not caught? To find the answer, you'll have to
read
the book.
"Burglar on the Prowl" is the story of the misadventures of bookstore owner and long time
criminal
Bernie Rhodenbarr. When one of his friends asks him to rob a mutual acquaintance in an act of
revenge, Bernie can't refuse. After all, the loot is pretty handsome. But during a practice run, he
encounters a delicate situation that he had not expected. To top it off, his face has been spotted
on a
security crime near another burglary. Only in this theft, the victims are murdered. When Bernie is
robbed himself, he can't help but wonder if the murderers have something to do with it.
New York writer Lawrence Block, author of "Hope to Die" and a Mystery Writers of America
Grand Master, uses some good old-fashioned style and humor to make this book a joy to read.
With
characters like Carolyn, his best friend who happens to be a lesbian with dating issues, and Ray, a
policeman straight out of a sixties film, how can you go wrong? This book is an intriguing
mystery
that will make you think, laugh, and have an all around good time.
Recommended.
Check It While I Wreck It: Black Womanhood, Hip-Hop Culture, and the Public Sphere
Gwendolyn Pough
Northeastern University Press
ISBN# 1555536077 $20.00 256 pp.
Throughout the history of Hip-Hop, its relationship with women (particularly Black women) and
feminism has been strained. Though there have been a few success stories regarding women on
the
scene and behind the scenes of the Hip-Hop movement, women's place in it have been, for the
most
part, invisible, degrading, and kept to a minimum. In Gwendolyn's Pough's exciting new book,
Check It While I Wreck It, the assistant professor of women's studies at the University of
Minnesota
examines the dysfunctional relationship between Black women, feminism, and Hip Hop.
The book commences with a history of Black women in the public sphere who have contributed
to
the betterment of African-Americans such as Angela Davis, the historical Black clubwomen, and
women who were trailblazers in the blues music industry. Pough reveals how Black women laid
the
foundation for future successes for the entire race. Pough writes "Black women were major
players
through Reconstruction, the civil rights movement, and the Black Power movement." In fact,
because of their exclusion, the author even suggests a re-writing of history.
Later the author gives us a more recent history of women's contributions to the arts and Hop,
including Sylvia Robinson, the label owner of Sugar Hill Records, break dancer Baby Love, and
female rapper Roxanne Shante. The book gives major props to Grammy-winner Queen Latifah,
Sista
Soulja, MC Lyte, and poet Jessica Care Moore.
Pough also critiques the products of popular culture such as movies like Boyz N The Hood and
Just
Another Girl on the IRT, books such as Sista Soulja's The Coldest Winter Ever and Omar Tyree's
Flyy Girl, and of course rap records such as L.L. Cool J's I Need Love, and Latifah's
U.N.I.T.Y.
The book is best when examining the problems that exist between women and Hip-Hop, from the
objectification of women in music videos to the acts of hyper-sexual rappers such as Lil' Kim and
Foxy Brown. Pough writes "Today, in addition to the old images of the sexually promiscuous
Black
women we have the bitches, hos, stunts, hoochies, pigeons, chickenheads, and baby mamas put
forth by Black men rappers. The need to struggle against stereotyped images is still present." Let's
hope this book will keep the discussion that invokes change alive.
"Check It While I Wreck" is a thoroughly researched, erudite, and culturally relevant work that is
virtually impossible to put down. Reminiscent of the writings of bell hooks, this scholarly work in
feminist theory and Hip-Hop culture is destined to be an instant classic taught in college lecture
halls
across the country.
Highly Recommended.
Don't Play in the Sun
Marita Golden
www.maritagolden.com
Doubleday
ISBN 0385507860 $23.95 200 pp.
The color complex has been a problem with African-Americans since the days of slavery, where
the
some of the lighter sons and daughters of slave owners were given preferential treatment over
darker
ones. In Marita Golden's (Migrations of the Heart) new memoir, "Don't Play in the Sun," she
examines the intricacies of what it means to have grown up a dark-skinned African-American
woman where women of lighter complexion were favored.
The book commences with snippets of Golden's experiences dealing with color including the
recollection of mother's stark warnings not to play in the sun or else she will have to get a
light-skinned husband for the sake of her children. The statement causes the young Golden to
question her beauty and self-worth based on skin tone and hair texture throughout her entire life.
Witnessing intra-racial preference influences her decision not to American University instead of
Howard because of the favoritism shown towards lighter-skinned Blacks at the all-Black school
and
influences how she views the portrayal of dark-skinned women on television. The author also
reminds the reader that light-skinned women are subjected to discrimination as well, particularly
objectification and sexism.
Golden recalls her world travels in Nigeria where many women surprisingly use skin-lightening
creams to attract men, Cuba, where darker-skinned denizens hold menial jobs as maids, doormen,
and even prostitutes while their lighter-skinned neighbors hold more visible, success-oriented
positions, and Belgium, where her romance with a European man was, for the most part, socially
accepted.
The book not only serves as an intriguing memoir but also a critique on popular culture, social
norms, and political practices throughout the world. Golden offers her opinion on the popular
Hip-Hop videos, the Grammy awards, the works of Zora Neale Hurston, and much more. People
of
all colors and gender should be able to find something enlightening and didactic about "Don't Play
in
the Sun." Golden has penned a wonderful, succinct, page-turner that examines the complex
relationship between lighter skinned and darker skinned people. One can only hope that the reader
will take Golden's life lessons to heart and grow from them.
Highly recommended.
Getting the Second Appointment: How to CLOSE Any Sell in Two Calls
Anthony Parinello
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
www.sellingtovito.com
ISBN 0471487236 $16.95 245 pp.
In the sales game, the road to closing is oftentimes difficult to navigate. The roadblocks that show
themselves in the form of gatekeepers, decision-makers, self-sabotage, and more are plentiful. In
Anthony Parinello's new book "Getting the Second Appointment," he sheds light on how to
negotiate the sometimes vicious sales cycle from the initial cold call to the request for
business.
In this book, Parinello (Selling to VITO) takes on the tremendous task of teaching salespeople
how
to sell in a relatively short amount of time, specifically after two phone calls. He schools
salespeople
on how to approach each key player in the sales hierarchy, including approvers, recommenders,
influencers, and decision makers. The author infuses Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and applies it
to
the personality types of the top officers of any organization. Parinello even gives great advice on
how to approach gatekeepers and use them as allies.
"Getting the Second Appointment" is part motivational book and part step-by-step instructional
manual. Parinello uses practical examples that are especially useful for those people who are in
phone sales. The book also offers online collateral for continued education after reading the book.
This is by far, one of the best, groundbreaking, easy-to- follow books ever written on the topic of
sales. It is a must read for any salesperson, from the novice to the top bell ringer.
Highly Recommended.
Plain Heathen Mischief
Martin Clark
www.martinclark.com
Alfred A. Knopf
ISBN 1400040965 $24.95 400 pp.
When defrocked minister Joel King is released from prison for having sex with a minor, he is
befriended by Edmund, a member of his congregation who happens to be an insurance scammer.
Edmund offer the ex-reverend a ride from Virginia to his sister's house in Montana and a piece of
an
insurance hustle. All King has to do is insure a few pieces stolen jewelry and file a claim when a
robbery is staged. When Joel agrees to go along with the scam, the plot for "Plain Heathen
Mischief"
is set in motion.
Upon his release from prison, King discovers that he is being sued for divorce and alimony by his
wife. He is also being sued by Christy, the bratty, alcoholic teenager he was convicted of
molesting.
To help him with his legal woes, Edmund introduces Joel to his partner in crime, Sa'ad X. Sa'ad, a
smarmy attorney whose personality is more like Don King than Johnny Cochran. Sa'ad gives Joel
legal advice on how to fight the divorce and the civil lawsuit worth millions of dollars.
When the somewhat na‹ve reverend discovers that he may have been set up by his new friends, he
soon devices a scheme of his own to keep himself out of trouble and to get himself a bigger piece
of
the pie. Meanwhile, after discovering how difficult it is for a felon to find employment, he tries to
establish some normalcy in his life by working two jobs while helping his sister take care of her
young son. To make matters worse, his probation officer is threatening to send him back to jail if
he
doesn't pay him a bribe.
Though "Plain Heathen Mischief" is full of twist and turns involving lowlife criminals, a conniving
teenager, and FBI agents, the plot is somewhat unbelievable, especially when the protagonist
shares
a secret with his sister Sophie that may have kept him out of the whole chaotic mess in the first
place. While the book is crammed with unnecessary subplots that lengthen but don't necessarily
add
to the overall story, Martin Clark (The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living) does a superb job
in
capturing the quirky behavior of a na‹ve ex-minister facing life-altering, moral challenges that
threaten to challenge his religious beliefs.
Transmission
Hari Kunzru
www.HariKunzru.com
Dutton
ISBN# 0525947604 $24.95 278 pp.
When Arjun Mehta is offered a tech job working for an American software company, it's like a
dream come true. Since Mehta began his love for computers at an early age in India, it was only
natural that he'd be offered a job doing what he did best. The programmer imagines himself
becoming the pride of his family, rich and successful. Once his H1B visa is approved; and he
arrives
to the U.S., the dream becomes a nightmare. Instead of fulfilling his dream, he ends up "on the
bench," with other immigrants in a crowded apartment while waiting for a position to open up.
When a job with a virus checking software company is finally offered, it doesn't take long for the
realities of employment in the tech industry to set in, particularly the layoffs. When Arjun gets
canned, he turns to drastic measures in order to keep his job. He unleashes a computer virus. So
begins the plot for "Transmission" the latest book from London author Hari Kunzru (The
Impressionist).
When Arjun's virus (named Leela after his favorite actress) is released, it is felt around the world,
shutting down businesses, elevators, and ER departments. It causes so much havoc, the day it is
released becomes known as Grayday, "an informational disaster, a holocaust of bits [where] a
number of major networks dealing with such things as mobile telephony, airline reservations,
transatlantic e-mail traffic and automated teller machines went down simultaneously."
The real Leela is affected by the virus as well. The twenty-one year old actress must squash
rumors
that the virus is a publicity stunt to help her promote her latest movie, while dealing with her
overbearing celebrity mom.
The virus also affects romantic couple Guy Swift and Gaby Caro, the CEO of a marketing firm
and a
pr manager respectively. Guy, who relies on technology to drive home ideas to clients, must deal
with the pressure from venture capitalists too succeed. He must also try to not to lose Gaby.
Meanwhile, insatiable Gaby is given the task of handling Leela's bad press.
"Transmission" is a thought-provoking tale taken from a real-life story, reminiscent of an episode
of
TV's Law and Order. The author, much like Hemingway, is a master at painting an intricate
picture.
However, Kunzru describes a scene with such vivid detail that it tends to overload the story with
uninteresting facts. Readers may find themselves searching for more dialogue. To top it off, there
are
a few words and phrases written in Hindi that may cause readers to feel they're not in on the joke.
Though the language may be a tad high-brow for the average reader, the stimulating plot,
absorbing
characters, and melancholy yet satisfying conclusion makes it all worth while.
Bleachers
John Grisham
www.jgrisham.com
Bantam Dell Publishing
ISBN 0440242002 $6.99
It's been a while since I'd read a book by Grisham. "The Street Lawyer" was the last one where he
continually hit you over the head with his message about the homeless. It turned me completely
off
to ever read another book by him. For some reason I decided to give "Bleachers" a try. I'm happy
to
say that it has totally changed my view of Grisham. This is a very different story from his usual
legal
fare. High school coach Eddie Rake, a legend in the town of Messina dies. The community holds
services that include those who played for him throughout his long career. In particular star
quarterback Neely Crenshaw has mixed feelings about his former coach. Crenshaw, like other
former players, is not sure if he loved or hated Rake. The most charming part of this novel is
where
the former athletes sit in the bleachers of the stadium named after Rake and reminisce, then
ponder
his effect on their lives. This is an easy to read tale that is filled with memorable characters and
great
writing.
Four More for George W?
Gene P. Abel
1st Books Library
1663 Liberty Dr., Bloomington In 47404-5161
www.authorhouse.com
ISBN 1414076347 $11.95 888-280-7715
At first because of the title it appears to be another favorable book for George W. Bush to win a
second term. I was most impressed that the author is a Republican who feels that Bush doesn't
deserve to be president a second time because of his lousy first term. Abel shows that Bush has
such
a poor record on the environment, the economy, the war in Iraq, and the fight against terrorism,
civil
rights, and social security that he should not be given a second chance to govern the nation. Abel
also asks two questions voters this year should ask themselves. How have the policies of this
administration impacted them and what effect is there in the future if he is returned to the White
House for 4 more years. This is a book that should be read by anyone who feels this is a
compassionate conservative presidency
Worse Than Watergate
John W. Dean
Little Brown and Company
Time Warner Book Group
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN 031600023X $22.95 www.twbookmark.com
Think Michael Moore's movie Fahrenheit 911 is made up? Then read this book by former counsel
to
President Nixon and ask, Who better than John W. Dean who was there throughout the scandal of
Watergate could you have telling how bad the present administration really is? Dean shows that
this
is the most covert administration to ever hold office. He compares the Nixon presidency to this
one
and also shows that Vice President Dick Cheney is the power behind the scenes, unlike any vice
president in history. I was so enraged at how secretive, manipulative and downright dishonest this
government has become in just four years. The rage turned to anger that built on each page
throughout this very revealing picture of the two worst men to ever hold the two highest offices
of
the country. Dean compares Bush to Nixon on several aspects and makes Nixon look like a saint
compared to this vicious, corrupt, deceiving, underhanded team that now hold the offices. His
charges are far worse than anything Nixon ever did. I came away from this book with the
statement
"So this is really what compassionate conservatism is all about." Dean sums up and says that Bush
and Cheney should both be impeached for the things they have done in their term of office. This is
one voters should read and believe, because Dean has no ax to grind with Bush and Cheney.
Hair Loss Answers
Peter J. Panagotacos, M.D.
Card Publishing
San Francisco CA
www.hairdoc.com
ISBN 1932428348 $19.95
If I need to know how to restore my hair loss, this would be the book I would use. Panagotacos
has
written a valuable resource that has the most up to date information on the different ways to
restore
hair for men and women. We hear all the time commercials for products like Rogaine but no real
details. This is the place to learn such things as effects, how safe each way is, and risks, side
effects
if any. If you are considering a hair growth process this is the book to go through before you have
it
done.
Bring Your Brain on Vacation
Roddy J. Dryer
1st Books Library
1663 Liberty Dr., Bloomington In 47404-5161
www.authorhouse.com
ISBN 1414076340 $11.50 888-280-7715
At first I thought since I live in the Central Florida area this book is of very little value to me but
then again some of the tips he gives are good even for me when I take a trip. Some of the things
he
tells are about Disney and other attractions. What was most interesting to me were the advice he
gives on protecting your belongings and yourself. This is a very easy guide, written by someone
who
works in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Plonk Goes the Weasel
Joan Del Monte
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford. PA 19041-1413
www.buybooksontheweb.com
ISBN 0741417782 $14.95 877-289-2665
I loved this author's idea of a small town of people who plan to get revenge because they feel they
were used by a film company that promised to do a major TV show there but instead ends up
leaving. The problem is that the author has too many characters that are very hard to follow and
the
book just seems to plod along.
Unknown Victim
Gennadiy Faybshenko
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford. PA 19041-1413
www.buybooksontheweb.com
ISBN 0741413450 $9.95 877-289-2665
This could have been a much better mystery if the author had taken the time to think it out a little
better. My problem with it is that he has a character in the beginning that seems to know a little
too
much before he should. It is an easy read that just didn't get to where it should have.
The Magic of Writing
Linda J. Falkner
iUniverse
5220 S.16th ST Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0595294359 $9.95 877-288-4737
To publish or not to publish, that is the question. Falkner tells ins and outs of how to write and
get
published. She is positive, helpful, and gives a lot of good information for starting out writers who
want to learn the field of writing. She deals with such things as plotlines, characters, type of
writing,
getting published, mainstream or print on demand publishers, self publishing.
Tears of Joy
Jerry Hanks and Bobbie deCordova-Hanks
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford. PA 19041-1413
www.buybooksontheweb.com
ISBN 0741413450 $12.95 877-289-2665
This is a very touching positive account of living through the ordeal of cancer. What I enjoyed
was
the way the two authors wrote this book. They each took a chapter and told their perspective on
what was happening at the time in their lives. The book ends on an optimistic note, showing how
they have helped others deal with the disease.
Bad Hair & Nothing To Wear
Katie Harper Jones
Trafford
Suite 6E 2333 Government St., Victoria. B.C V8T 4P4 Canada
www.trafford.com/robots/03-0529.html
ISBN 1412012104 $14.63 1-888-232-4444
Harper-Jones has the lowdown on things to do at the salon, what to wear for whatever occasion,
and just about everything you wanted to know about anything that has to do with looking your
best
for every circumstance. The author passes her expertise in the field on in a simple and easy
manner
to follow.
Slow Down
David Essel
Hay House
P.O.Box 5100, Carlsbad CA 92018-5100
ISBN 1401900836 $13.95 1-800-654-5126
Society has for a long time said that you have to move fast in business or relationships because if
you don't, you'll miss it. Well, Essel is saying the exact opposite. Slow down and still get whatever
you want just take your time and enjoy yourself. He gives sound logic that is reminiscent of the
old
statement "stop and smell the roses." Which I agree with. He is giving insightful gems of
information
on how to have a better life.
Scholastic Children's Encyclopedia
Scholastic Inc
557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
www.scholastic.com
ISBN 0439438160 $19.95 212-343-6100
Can't find what you are looking for? Check out this wonderful new edition. Whatever you want to
find is all here with easy to read descriptions photos of famous people, to animals. This is the
biggest
easiest research tool for kids to use that does not cost an arm and a leg. This version has 600 all
new
entries with 2,000 illustrations. What's also nice is you don't have to be a kid to use it.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK OF LISTS
By James Buckley Jr. and Robert Stremme
Scholastic Inc
557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
www.scholastic.com
ISBN 0439419050 $8.95 212-343-6100
This book is filled with lots and lots of stuff that even I didn't know. It has such things as the
biggest
cities in the nation, obscure famous people, sites of the Civil War, women in science that are just a
few of the 250 lists the authors have compiled.
Mystery in the Sunshine State
Stuart Kaminsky, editor
Pineapple Press Inc
P. O. Box 3889, Sarasota, Florida 34230
www.pinapplepress.com
ISBN 1561641855 $14.95 1-800-746-3275
The interest in the State of Florida has grown so much through the years. This is a very fine
collection of stories has been published, Some of the tales here are a bit weird while others are
great
mysteries, but all are by authors who live Florida. Some of the names are Robert W. Walker, Les
Standiford, Edna Buchanan, Harold Q. Masur, and 18 other writers. I had a very fun time reading
the many different interoperations of Florida
Belly of the Dragon
Jack E Romig
1st Books Library
1663 Liberty Dr., Bloomington In 47404-5161
www.authorhouse.com
ISBN 1759622019 $17.50 800-839-8640
Romig's novel of the Korean War that shows how a covert mission can go bad. Word is leaked to
officials in Washington that China is about to help the North Koreans by making jet engines to fit
Russian built airframes. This could completely alter the air superiority the U.S. presently
maintains.
The president and his advisors decide that the U.S. must act swiftly to eliminate the threat posed
by
the Chinese made jet engines. Therefore they decide to send in a small covert unit of soldiers to
eliminate the threat, knowing that the odds are against them succeeding in their mission. The
characters are believable and the combat scenes are realistic in a tense tightly written thriller.
Gary Roen
Reviewer
Goldman's Bookshelf
Civilization And Its Enemies: The Next State Of History
Lee Harris
Free Press
A Division Of Simon & Schuster Inc
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
simonandschuster.com
ISBN: 0743257499 $26.00 U.S. $39.00 Can 1-800-456-6898
The over-whelming sentiment of Lee Harris's timely Civilization And Its Enemies The Next Stage
of
History is pretty much summed up in the Preface when he asserts: "The subject of this book is
forgetfulness."
Harris, who could be described as a "philosopher's philosopher," convincingly places 9/11 into
perspective with carefully crafted arguments reminding the reader that we have learned little from
the past.
Concepts such as who the enemy is and why it is imperative to react ruthlessly are extensively
examined in the light of past historical events as the French Revolution, World War 1 and the
teachings of the great political philosophers.
No doubt, the book is a riveting attack on many naive liberal ideals that refuse to believe that the
enemy is motivated by a fantasy ideology bent on destroying the very foundations of Western
democratic principles and ideology no matter what it takes.
Harris argues that it is a grave mistake to adopt out-dated rationalizations espoused by many
intellectuals that the enemy can be a viable negotiator, notwithstanding that they may be
misguided,
misunderstood or politically immature-that in the end things can be worked out. This na‹ve and
complacent view of the world as it should be and not as it is a gross misunderstanding of the
collision we are presently facing. Unless, as the author points out, we are prepared to look
seriously
at the historical stakes in America's world-historical gamble, we will completely misunderstand the
enemy.
To explain the notion of "world-historical gamble," Harris relies on the writings of the German
philosopher, Hegel, who believed that such gambles arise from situations of historical impasse or
deadlock for the human race. In such instances, it is vital that mankind doesn't ignore these
situations and bury its head in the sand, as if they don't exist. This would be far more dangerous
than
taking the "world-historical gamble."
Many other concepts examined within the context of the present day crisis are origins and
importance of leadership, team spirit, tolerance, the origin of the enemy, the rare virtues of the
West,
ruthlessness and Hegel's origin of civilization.
Harris's gets top marks for his clear and precise writing that contains a great deal of substance that
avoids generalizations that are often the shortcomings of books of a similar nature. You get a
sense
that Harris knows what he is talking about without talking down to his audience.
The Full Matilda
David Haynes
Harlem Moon
an imprint of Broadway Books
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.harlemmoon.com
ISBN: 0767915690 US $14: CAN $21.00 1-888-591-1200
David Haynes latest novel, The Full Matilda, focuses on the memoirs of a tough and feisty
fictional
character, Matilda Housewright, who was born during the early years of the last century, and
grew
up in Washington, D.C. in the home of a head steward or majordomo to a US Senator.
The story is recounted through the voice of Matilda as well as various male members of her family
passing from one generation to the next.
Haynes' delightful work of fiction is resplendent with warm dialogue, mesmerizing words and
descriptions. You almost have the feeling that the narrators are in the same room as yourself. Just
reading the title of the first chapter, The First Thing I have To Tell You sets the theme and tone
of
what is to follow. Immediately, the principal narrator, Matilda Houswright, informs us that
although
her father may have been in the service of a well-known US Senator, her family was to remain
invisible.
It is this invisibility that continually runs through the book, reflecting the poignant remarks made
by
Matilda at her father's funeral when she states: "Jacob Housewright, a man who, although almost
always there in the corner of the room just waiting to respond to every need, seemed at the same
time to be invisible, seemed not to be there at all."
Readers are also provided with an insightful perspective through the eyes of three generations of
the
life and times of African Americans, who although may not have grown up in the ghetto, were not
spared the blatant racism as well the insensitivity that surrounded them.
When Matilda's brother Martin goes into the catering business, that eventually propels him to
wealth
and success, he is still constantly reminded that he and his staff are African Americans and are to
"remember their place." Matilda, who initially joins her brother in his catering business, passes on
instructions to their staff that they are to accept their role as invisibility although they may not like
it.
These were the lessons that she was taught by her father and she or they were not to question
their
justification. On the other hand, she makes it clear that "although on the surface it might seem
otherwise, our lives have almost nothing to do with blind obedience. The blindly obedient do not
think. We do. What our lives are about is easing the way, smoothing things over; we are a kind of
social Vaseline." The Housewright's principal role in life was to take care and to perform their
tasks
as flawlessly as possible.
Haynes, who is an underrated novelist, has fashioned a great story that once you have completed
this
latest novel will entice many to read some or all of his previous work, if they have not already
done
so.
Blood From Stones
Douglas Farah
Broadway Books
1745 Broadway, New York, NY, 10019
www.broadwaybooks.com
ISBN: 0767915623 US $24.95 CAN $35.95 1-888-591-1200
Disturbing is an understatement when I try to come to grips with the American intelligence
community's failure to understand the complex financial workings of al Qaeda pre- and
post-9/11.
An award-wining investigative reporter for the Washington Post as well as other publications,
David
Farah delivers an outstanding expos‚ in his book Blood From Stones of just how extensive this
financial network spreads itself throughout the world, something akin to an octopus with its
multitude tentacles.
In 2000 Farah was named as the Post's West African chief. It is little wonder that he had to flee
for
his life from the Ivory Coast, where he had been stationed, if the information he uncovered and
revealed in Blood For Stones is any indication of his findings.
Prior to 9/11, tracking down the financial networks of terrorist groups was given very low priority
within the western intelligence agencies. In fact, when it finally began to show up on their radar
screens indicating how vital financing was to the lifeblood of these groups, many in the
intelligence
community were caught in a state of disarray. It also depicted just how uncreative these
intelligence
agencies were when its members failed to understand the mentality and culture of these various
groups.
Farah's findings divide itself into nine chapters, each of which deals with different aspects of the
intricate architecture of the financing of terrorists organizations. Using historical narrative
peppered
with hard investigative facts, the author effectively succeeds in divulging just how far and deep
the
system has extended.
Beginning with the terrorists' forays into the diamond fields of Liberia and Sierra Leone, and how
money is exchanged for diamonds in order to escape the conventional banking system, readers are
subsequently apprised of other avenues of creative terrorist financing.
We learn how charitable organizations, individuals, and businesses funnel millions of dollars to the
coffers of al Qaeda as well as other terrorist organizations as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Muslim
Brotherhood, who incidentally, contrary to some wide-held belief, do in fact collaborate with one
another. How small-time scams and petty crimes committed by terrorist sympathizers in the
United
States help their cause. These crimes include skimming the profits from drug sales, stealing and
reselling baby formula, illegally redeeming large quantities of grocery coupons, stealing credit
card
numbers, and many more.
Farah also explains to the reader that one of the vital ingredients of the system of financing of
terrorists is the 'hawala." One built on trust, family relationships and regional affiliations - a
concept
foreign and little known to the intelligence community. According to the author, "hawala" means
to
change or transform, and also carries a connotation of trust. The money that flows through it
often
actually does not move at all.
The author's superb investigative skills do not shy away from the difficult realities exposing the
incompetence of the American intelligence services, although he does attribute part of the blame
for
the extensive cutbacks that had occurred after the end of the cold war. No doubt, had the
intelligence services followed up on the many leads presented to it from various sources including
the author, a different picture and understanding of al Qaeda and its collaborators would have
emerged. In part, it may be that pre 9/11's principal focus was on stamping out illegal drugs,
rather
than bothering about the smuggling activities in West African countries or the petty crimes in the
USA. There was also a general philosophy within the intelligence services that "thinking out of
the
box" or creativity on the part of their personnel was unacceptable. In fact, there was a kind of
self-denial that such an intricate financial system would be possible.
Farah gets top marks for his crisp and intelligent writing avoiding quick generalizations, and many
of
his findings are corroborated with concrete evidence found in the "notes" section at the end of the
book. Definitely, this is a must read for anyone wishing to know more about the intricate
workings
of these terrorist groups.
Norman Goldman, Reviewer
www.bookpleasures.com
Gorden's Bookshelf
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, A Fair and Balance Look at the Right
Al Franken
Dutton
Penguin Group Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN: 0525947647 $24.95 379 pages
'Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, A Fair and Balance Look at the Right' is not an
accurate
title. Franken bases his narration on correct facts and real research. The people and stories he
lambastes in 'Liars' start with fiction that looks and sounds like fact. Franken can't be fair and
balanced when he starts with something so unusual as the truth.
'Liars' does depend on facts but the fictional portions of the narration are so mockingly vicious
you
will either hate Franken or love him. Franken is at heart a satirist. He cannot write anything
without
adding his biting wit to it. This gives the book a petty nasty feel but the information and details he
supplies serves the needed task of pointing out the inconsistencies in the stories propagated by the
conservative right.
Distortions told by the political right are seldom questioned by the mainstream media because of
the
malicious feel of disclosing the truth about others in your own field. It harkens back to your days
in
school when the teacher calls a student to the chalkboard to show the correct way of solving a
problem. The student is embarrassed he/she got it right and the others in the class got it wrong.
The
mainstream media doesn't want the role of being the one with the correct information and calling
to
task the schoolyard bullies. This is unfortunate because it does lower the credibility of all
media.
You might not like the nastiness of 'Liars' but if you want to learn the facts about the politically
active right wing media, it is a great source of information. 'Liars' is a 'must' read for anyone
planning on voting in the upcoming elections. It doesn't matter which party or political affiliation
you
have. The facts you find in the book are important. Do not judge this book by the anger it incites
but
on the facts you can learn from it.
Picture Me Dead
Heather Graham
MIRA Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9
ISBN: 0778320103 $6.99 413 pages
Graham has written a detailed and complex mystery in 'Picture Me Dead.' It has all the features
anyone would expect in a mystery novel. But, to keep the tension high, Graham manufactures too
many unnecessary side threats. A little less heavy handed suspense and the story would read
smoother.
Ashley Montague is in her last weeks of police training when she sees an apparent accident on the
highway. There is an unconscious, nearly naked, man laying in the middle of the road. Later, she
finds out the injured man is a very close friend. Nothing she finds out about the accident makes
sense. The more she learns the more she knows it was not an accident.
Her life takes on even more twists when Detective Jake Dilessio moves into the marina next to
her
home and she is asked to become a crime scene sketch artist. The attraction between Ashley and
Jake is immediate and their professional and personal lives become quickly tangled.
Dilessio is investigating a series of murders and somehow Ashley's
unconscious friend is linked to the crimes. The more Jake and Ashley uncover
the more danger they are in as the killer or killers try to cover their
crimes.
'Picture Me Dead' is a solid well thought out murder mystery with everything a reader would like
in
the story. The heavy handed plotting detracts from the otherwise well written story. 'Picture Me
Dead' is recommended as a solid story that is worth reading.
Naked Prey
John Sandford
G. P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Putnam Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN: 0399150439 $26.95 359 pages
Sandford has written another great Lucas Davenport detective novel. He has gotten the location
and
characters of a Northern Minnesota prairie town down pat. The characters are blended into a
believable well rounded detective mystery. Sandford is easily one of the best detective mystery
writers today.
Lucas Davenport is specialist working directly for the Governor in the Minnesota BCA, Bureau of
Criminal Apprehension. His job is to defuse those tough politically dangerous cases before they
become a problem. A white woman and black man are found hanging from a tree in Northern
Minnesota in the middle of winter. They are naked and the possible racial implications are not lost
to
the Governor. He sends Lucas to solve the crime before any political problems occur.
Lucas follows the clues and avoids the politics. With each step closer to the truth, another body
falls
as the schemer behind the crimes tries to eliminate anyone who can trace the killings back to the
murderer. Lucas has to solve the crimes before everyone involved is found dead.
'Naked Prey' is about the best you can find in the detective mystery genre. The last ending twist is
given away but it is so adroitly done that the anticipation serves as added flavoring for the finish.
My
recommendation is simple. Read it.
'The Chronicles of Riddick'
Alan Dean Foster
Del Rey Books/Ballantine Books
A division of Random House, Inc.
New York, NY
ISBN: 0345468392 $6.99 342 pages
Foster is one of the best writers to convert screenplays into novels. 'Star Trek,' 'Star Wars,' 'Alien,'
'Alien Nation'... is a short list of the many screenplays that have been made into novels by Foster.
He
has the knack for adding just enough words to make the screenplay expand beyond its visual
format
and into the imagination of the reader that a novel requires.
'The Chronicles of Riddick' continues the story of Riddick from the movie 'Pitch Black.' In
'Chronicles,' Riddick becomes a reluctant superhero battling a military mystic order of humans
bent
on conquering every human world. This order, Necromancers, is a death cult. To them, life is
cheap
and death is the goal of the living. Killing nearly every person on a planet is a religious
triumph.
The Necromancers next target is the planet Helion Prime. Riddick is forced out of hiding and
tricked
into coming to Helion Prime. He is the one person who has a chance of turning the Necromancers
away from the human populated worlds.
'The Chronicles of Riddick' seamlessly brings you into the fantasy worlds of Helion Prime and the
Necromancers. Foster creates a believable super hero in Riddick by giving him everyday human
thoughts and doubts. The novel is a great escape with only a few problems pulled from the
screenplay that couldn't be fully novelized. The most apparent one is a little too abrupt ending.
'Chronicles' is highly recommended for any fantasy or science fiction reader. Foster pulls you
smoothly into a fantasy the reader can escape in.
A Charge To Keep: My Journey To The White House
George W. Bush
Perennial
10 East 53rd St, NY 10022
ISBN 0060957921, $14.00 253 pp.
Reprinted from American Rationalist
The back cover of Junior Bush's book begins, "I was not elected." That is probably the only true
statement in the entire book. Unfortunately, by the end of the sentence it becomes clear that Bush
is
claiming that he was elected. I would suggest that he could give Richard Nixon lessons in lying,
except that Bush's chronic intellectual handicap makes it not unlikely that he believes he really was
elected.
The first thing that strikes the reader on opening this ghostwritten book is that it is written in
comprehensible English, in sharp contrast to the unelected president's own illiteracy. The
following
Bush utterances are taken from George W. Bushisms, edited by Jacob Weisburg:
"That woman who knew that I was dyslexic I never interviewed her."
"They misunderestimated me."
"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
"I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family."
"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."
Bush's ghostwriter, Karen Hughes, is acknowledged on the back cover but not on the title page.
That she is a Republican is no coincidence. Nobody but a Republican could have peddled such
self-serving fiction with neither a twinge of conscience, nor any apparent awareness that the
unelected president stretches his intellect to the limit just remembering to unzip in the bathroom.
Ghostwriters are expected to shut out the reality that, if their principal says it is raining outside, he
is
parroting something he was told, not expressing a personally derived conclusion. In all likelihood
Bush believes to this day that, when he filled his administration with yes-men he could count on to
assure him that Iraq had whatever it took to justify an invasion, they were stating established
facts,
n
