Step Across This Line: Collected non-fiction 1992-2002
Salman Rushdie
Random House
ISBN: 0224 061607, A$ 59.95, 454 pages
Ann Skea, Reviewer
http://ann.skea.com/
For someone like me, who has read all of Rushdie's published fiction but very little of his
non-fiction,
this collection offers an interesting picture of the author. Actually, it's more like a kaleidoscope of
glimpses, since the essays date from 1992 to 2002, with several excursions into memories of
earlier
times. We see Rushdie as an aspiring hippy in 1967 (and the vision of him in "red crushed-velvet
flares" is hard to forget!); Rushdie as a serious and outspoken advocate of intellectual and artistic
freedom; Rushdie onstage with the band U2; Rushdie the Bombay-born Indian; Rushdie the critic
and columnist; Rushdie the football fan; Rushdie considering acting as an alternative career
(having
played a dancing pixie at the age of seven); and Rushdie the courageous spokesman for oppressed
writers.
Many of the essays are lighthearted but, more than anything, I came to admire Rushdie's
willingness
to speak out on issues of terrorism, security, and religious bigotry of all kinds. He is adamant that
writers everywhere should have the right to use their imaginative gifts to the full. He has, of
course,
first-hand experience of living under the threat of assassination, but he chose to fight it rather than
change his life and live in hiding. He wanted, as he says, to live his own life: and who can disagree
with that.
Part II of this book, 'Messages from the Plague Years', collects together pieces which Rushdie
wrote
whilst under the Satanic Verses fatwa. He writes of his horror at the deaths of others who became
associated with his work, and of the blame which some place on him for these deaths. He writes,
too, of all those who have also suffered, and still suffer, from similar accusations and persecution.
He writes of the need to fight despair and the need to keep always in mind that blame lies with the
oppressors. And he writes that the oppressors' "assumption of infallibility" is a question of power
not
morality. He writes from a personal conviction of the need to fight such oppression and he argues
bravely and cogently for his beliefs. How many of his critics, or his supporters, would be as brave
were they under similar threat?
What does not destroy us, it is said, makes us stronger. There is no doubt that Rushdie is now a
strong, combative, determined and opinionated man. But clearly, it is his nature to be
argumentative.
He was well trained, he tells us, by growing up in a family dominated by formidable women: "to
be
heard in this company you must not only raise your voice but also have something interesting to
say.". So perhaps it is not surprising that in his essays, especially those in Part III of this book
where
his journalistic pieces are collected, he has become something of a pundit and expounds on
'Gobalization', Islam and the West', 'Northern Ireland', 'Kosovo', American politics, Indian
abortion
and even 'Reality - TV'. Perhaps, too, it is only a function of the choice of essays included here,
that
he seems to have no doubt about the rightness of his views.
As always, Rushdie writes with imagination, clarity and flair, and these essays cover a very wide
range of topics and moods. I particularly enjoyed the humour and perception of Rushdie's critical
deconstruction of The Wizard of Oz, and his diary entries about his return to India with his son,
Zafar, in July 2000. His occasional comments about sources in his own work are enlightening. His
response to the Daily Mail's claims that his protection cost the British taxpayer millions of pounds
sets the record straight. And his Human Rights lecture at Yale (from which this book takes its
title)
is an interesting mixture of prosaic public lecture, personal memory, a moral stand expressed with
spirited integrity, and polemic.
Rushdie, himself, has crossed many frontiers in his life and, especially, in his writing. Judging by
the
essays in this book, he now treads fearlessly where many others fear to tread, he is unafraid of
crossing boundaries - always ready to cross the line - and because of this, his writing is, by turn,
pleasing, amusing, argumentative, confrontational, angry, sad, controversial. It is almost never
dull.
The Real Middle Earth
Brian Bates
Macmillan
ISBN 0283073535, A$50, 292 pages
Reviewed by David Skea
david@skea.com
If you've read Tolkien's The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and have seen the movies than maybe
you
wondered if any of these tales were based on a time that really existed or was it just pure
fantasy?
Well, some of the tales do come out of the past - the Dark Ages, a time so-called by scholars to
mark the relative lack of written records. This was the period between the Romans leaving
Europe
and the establishment of the Christian religions throughout Europe and Iceland, say about 400 -
1000 CE.
Professor Bates tells us that Middle-earth really existed. Historical research has revealed that
some
2000 years ago there arose a largely forgotten civilisation stretching from Old England to
Scandinavia and across western Europe which foreshadowed Tolkien's imagined world.
Tolkien readily admitted in his letters that the concept of Middle-earth was not his own invention,
but an old Anglo-Saxon term for the magical world inhabited, in the first millennium, by the
people
now grouped together and known as Celts, Anglo-Saxons and Norse. Fortunately some of their
knowledge has survived and Professor Bates has put a lot of this information into this book.
He begins by telling how Middle-earth came about and about the people who lived there. These
people lived in a land that was far more wooded than we know today and lived very close to
nature.
To them the land was a magical place inhabited by dragons, elves, dwarves, giants, wizards,
monsters and other beings, some beneficial and many malevolent. And these beings were taken
into
account in everyday living. So, many of the strange beings that Tolkien wrote about in The
Hobbit
and Lord of the Rings were believed to exist
Professor Bates then documents many of the strange beings and myths associated with
Middle-earth
and makes links to the characters Tolkien wrote about. So we learn about dragons, elves, wells of
wisdom, plant magic, the raven's omen, seeresses, ents, dwarves, spider monsters and the web of
destiny amongst other things.
To the people of Middle-earth three realms made up the cosmos. These realms were
Upper-world,
Middle-earth and Lower-world and suspended among these three realms were nine other worlds.
These three realms surrounded the World Tree, whose branches reached up to heaven, like three
disks.
Gods and goddesses inhabited the Upper-world. These were the old warrior gods and fertility
goddesses. This was also the land of light elves who expressed the spirit of nature.
Middle-earth was where humans lived and was surrounded by a vast ocean containing an immense
world serpent, so long that it encircled Middle-earth and bit its own tail. Close by, but over the
ocean, was the world of giants or ents. These beings established the Earth. Dwarves also lived in
this
Middle realm, underground in the north, as did the 'dark elves'.
The Lower-world contained the world of the dead and lay to the north and down from
Middle-earth.
Its citadel was Hel governed by a half black, half white female monster of the same name. It was a
dark and forbidding place containing the wisdom of the dead.
To the people of Middle-earth the landscape looked quite different to the way we see it. Elves
populated the trees and streams, dwarves forged magical weapons, dragons slumbered beneath
the
hills guarding treasure, wizards cast spells and seeresses foretold the future. Wizards made
perilous
visits the other realms to obtain knowledge and hence become wise.
Professor Bates identifies the source of many of the myths, strange beings and places used by
Tolkien and for those wanting to research further a full reference list is given in the Notes. These
include Tacitus' account of the early German peoples written in 98CE, the 1000 year old medical
manuscript in the British Library (Harley 585) known as Lugnunga, and Snorri Sturluson's The
Prose Edda written about 1200CE.
After the Norman Conquest and throughout the Middle Ages these pre-Christian beliefs were
denigrated and dismissed as primitive superstitions and as an embarrassing interlude of history
between the Romans and the Normans. However it is interesting to observe that the Christian
Church believed in many of these superstitions, their objection to them being that they gained their
powers from sources outside the blessings of the Church and hence undermined the political
power
of the Church. Where the Church could not successfully outlaw a magical practice they adopted it
into Christian custom. And so these age-old beliefs live on.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Real Middle-earth. This is a book that I am sure to refer to in
the
future.
Housebreaking A Husband
Lori Soard
Five Star Books
ISBN 0786245786, $26.95
Marge Perry
Reviewer
Just as funny as the title promises it will be, I found Ms. Soard's characters engaging and
well-rounded. The twins could have easily taken over the entire story line but their appearances
were skillfully balanced with the budding romance between the hero and heroine. Anyone who
loves
short, romantic comedy will appreciate this book.
Trent Kasey is the owner of a construction company, trying desperately to juggle a twin niece
and
nephew he's raising with his career. His sister left the children in his care upon her death. She had
no reason to think their deadbeat father might come back and claim custody. He's never been a
part
of the twins' life. Trent's lost everyone he ever loved and he's determined to keep custody of
Caitlin
and Kyle.
Sarah Goldwyne is a dog trainer. She figures dogs are fine company and tries to tell herself she
can
be satisfied with that. But she longs for children of her own--children she can't have because of a
tragic accident. She's been wounded deeply by her ex-fiance who walked out on her when their
unborn baby died.
Despite her attempts to keep her distance, Sarah quickly becomes attached to the children. When
Trent's attempts to hire a nanny fail, she steps in and takes over the job. But the date for the
custody
hearing looms, Trent's chances aren't great against a biological father, and his lawyer is insisting
he
find a wife.
From the moment I picked this book up until I set it down, it held my attention. Ms. Soard is still
a
fairly new writer and there were a few things that kept me from giving it that coveted grade of an
"A," such as some choppy sentences and quick shifts in scenes. However, overall the story was
engaging and the author's voice and style pleasing.
Readers will enjoy this fun but sometimes serious book. Grab your copy, brew a cup of hot cocoa
and curl up next to the fire for an enchanting read.
The Mate Map
Steven Sacks
Banner Publishing
145 E. 16th St., #3J New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 0-971-38870-9, $24.95, www.matemap.com
David Leonhardt, Reviewer
http://TheHappyGuy.com
The last thing any of us associate with "mating" is structure. We generally prefer to fall in love
and
enjoy it, then double-check our compatibility if we decide the person might be interesting for a
long
term relationship. That is exactly the way NOT to build a long-term relationship, according to
Steven Sacks, author of the Mate Map.
The Mate Map suggests that mates should be chosen using a structure that starts with a vision of
what we want, and continues by separating "love", "personality fit" and "magnetism" for analytical
purposes.
Perhaps the most interesting piece of advice Sacks offers is to beware of extreme similarities and
extreme differences. We hear that "opposites attract", but that doesn't mean they make good
partners. We also know that people with many things in common have a basis for a relationship,
but
too much similarity can cause things too break down. For instance, two leaders will be constantly
stepping on each others' toes, whereas two indecisive people will never reach a decision.
Sacks draws his credibility from a real life "Mate Map Study", and he recounts the successes of
that
study right up front.
This is one of the better books on relationships, since it focuses less on telling people how to find
a
mate and more on how to decide if the person is right for you. However, true romantics might
have
some difficulty relating to the almost scientific analysis that Sacks puts readers through. As a
reviewer not looking for a mate, I found much of the latter half of the book tough reading, so I
would recommend reading only the second section until you actually have someone to
evaluate.
Beyond Literary Theory: Literature as a Search for the Meaning of Human Destiny.
Eduard H. Strauch
University Press of America.
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, Maryland 20706
ISBN: 0761819924, $44.00, Hardcover, 360 pp
Frank P. King
kingfr@earthlink.net
Dr. Strauch, who is also the author of How Nature Taught Man to Know, Imagine, and Reason:
How Language and Literature Recreate Nature's Lessons (Peter Lang, 1995), discusses a variety
of
major classical writers from Aristotle to I.A. Richards and Paul Diel. He summarizes the
"traditions
of literature" in thirteen statements and analyzes the "scope and limits" of rational-philosophical,
scientific, and psychological interpretations of literature before he considers the "mystical
dimension
of literature." He reaches a number of insightful, fresh conslusions such as this: "The natural
world is
not divided by spiritual powers of light and darkness, spirit versus matter, good versus evil, mind
versus body, or essence versus existence. Dualism is pure mythology. It does not exist as a
material,
empirical, or scientific reality. In whatever form, dualism is a delusion." (p.257) This book is a
very
important and original study of literary theory and is written in an admirably efficient and effective
style which reflects the author's exceptionally mature scholarship and clear thinking about a
cluster
of essential topics related to literature and philosophy.
Conjunctions:39 - The New Wave of Fabulists
Peter Straub, editor
Bard
ISBN: 0-941964-55-8, $TBA, www.conjunctions.com
Cindy Lynn Speer
Reviewer
In these sixteen short stories, two novel excepts and two essays, we find our selves lost in new
worlds. When they say fabulous, they are not using the term in its "How wonderful" term, but
going
back to its essence, creating a condition, a state of being, an atmosphere of difference, that one is
lucky that the stories are short - mere windows where we witness the unusual places we find
ourselves passing, before we are pulled back, gently, and pushed in the direction of the next
one.
Truly, it is not familiar territory. Here, even the darkest of us can find redemption ("The Bearing
of
Light", Patrick O'Leary) the seasons can be personified, and meet to tell tales, ("October in the
Chair", Neil Gaiman) and phone sex workers become modern day Scheherazahds ("Lull", Kelly
Link). And with these three examples, I have only touched the edge of the fantastical things found
in
here. Some stories push the fantastical to the furthest degree, stretching the suspension of
disbelief
to its breaking point and using it to crochet a new shawl. Some take stories old and well known,
and
take them to new levels.
But what is the point? These stories are (well, mostly) not common fantasy. Even Gene Wolf's
except from his book Knight, the closet thing here to what we think of as fantasy, slips away from
the usual. There is horror, even an occasional bit of mystery, but they are not horrible for the
point
of fear, not fantastical for the point of exploring that excepted genre, either.
So what are they? They are fabulist works, and they are works with a sharp, literary point.
Lessons
can be learned.about wonder, about finding and accepting who you are. (I would say that was a
theme in many of these stories, most especially in Nalo Hopkinson's Shift, Andy Duncan's "The
Big
Rock Candy Mountain", Gaimans' "October in the Chair" and even, oddly enough, in China
Mi‚ville's "Familiar".) That forgiveness is eternal, and precious. That the worlds around us are
much,
much larger and filled with so many possibilities than even this group of fabulous writers can
consider.
To tie it all up, there are two amazing essays. Gary K. Wolfe and John Clute do an amazing job,
both of analyzing the genre (Wolfe's "Malebolge, Or the Ordinance of Genre) and analyzing these
stories (Clute's "Beyond the Pale" ) giving us a greater perspective of how these stories actually
do
fit into the octopus like body of work that we call fiction, as well as on the stories
themselves.
Murder on the Wrong Note
Shelley Glodowski
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 194041-1413
ISBN 0741413361, $16.95, www.amazon.com
Gregory E. Rutledge
Reviewer
Shelley Glodowski knows suspense novels. As a senior reviewer for the Midwest Book Review,
she
has written hundreds of reviews, many of them for suspense novels, which is her forte. She also
knows music, for she has been a long-time rock n' roller as a founding member, along with her
husband Randy, of ZBM, has released a couple of CDs, and even continues to play. Some might
say
it's coincidence, but when many years of someone's life are centered around these two strains of
creativity, rock n' rolling and read n' writing, it's only natural that the two would flow together
and,
ultimately, mutually reinforce one another. In this case, the result is Murder on the Wrong Note
(2002), Glodowski's first novel, which is a combination of a rock n' roll tour and the tour de force
of
a murder investigation tangled in the bass-line of drugs, money, greed, and celebrity. While the
FBI
is involved, along with the gruff, hard-boiled detectives from two police departments, it takes a
woman's touch to sleuth-out the culprit, whose identity adds a nice touch of irony itself. Enter
Samantha Peters.
Sam is a detective with the Cleveland Police Department. She is one of the department's best,
which
is why she and her partner are assigned to the high-profile murder investigation of LeMar Ridley,
a
powerful booking agent who is assassinated in his sleep. The media frenzy one might expect from
the murder of a music-industry mogul who has many connections and probably just as many
enemies
is a story in and of itself. But Glodowski personalizes this story by situating the plot around the
members of Heartthrob, Ridley's star band. As a collection of young, beautiful, and talented
performers, Heartthrob's members face a murder investigation that could cause irreparable
damage
to the band's reputation and esprit de corp just as it begins its first road tour. But at least one of
them has motive to kill Ridley, among other performers traveling with the band; moreover, a host
of
others, from booking agents, cocaine-addicted managers, and gang leaders, also makes the web
more difficult for Sam to unravel.
Lest the reader be deceived that Glodowski takes the standard approach to her plot, she adds a
subtle yet important twist. While men like Jerry Malone, her "fatherly" boss, are significant, Sam
takes exception to the patriarchal environment in which she works. Yes, she's tall, athletic, and
beautiful, but she's also intelligent, talented, and capable, a point Glodowski emphasizes through
Sam's dealings with men on both sides of the law. For example, Sam finds Dan Holiday, Ridley's
former partner, so disgusting that he seems to have "crawled out of a rock somewhere" (133), and
St. Paul detective Barry White so egotistical that Sam's first conversation with him makes her
think,
"No wonder some cops earn the name of farm animals" (166). Glodowski reiterates this point by
turning the plot away from the typical suspects, the first- and second-level individuals who have
the
typical motives, and provides a puzzle only someone of Sam's particular insights and talents can
unravel.
This is the strength of Murder on the Wrong Note. By making Sam the character she is and the
murder investigation what it is, Glodowski adds a feminist twist to the typical male-centered
detective story that is more than capable of holding readers in suspense. However, the plot isn't an
ideological vehicle, for Glodowski balances Sam's feminist impulses with romance, compassion,
and
integrity, and the story with action, rock n' roll music, and mystery. Indeed, the rich cast of
characters, multiple venues, and interlocking subplots make the novel balanced, nuanced, and
intriguing. But like many first novels, Murder on the Wrong Note does have its own false ones.
The
very complexity of the plot, from character motivations to investigative protocol, is sometimes
undeveloped. In addition, while the characters will no doubt leave strong impressions on readers,
they occasionally lack the depth to make their actions believable. Notwithstanding these
weaknesses,
Murder on the Wrong Note is, as an engaging read and literary debut, the beginning chord of
what
promises to be a rewarding literary career.
Continental Divide
Naveed Burney
Writers Club Press
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
ISBN: 0595261175, $11.95 U.S, 142 pp.
Ian Robertson
Reviewer
Someone aptly said: "A precondition for reading good books is not reading bad ones: for life is
short." The problem though is how to determine the good from the bad? Of course, the obvious
answer lies in reading the book and deciding if it is good or bad, and in this day and age when the
market is saturated with millions of books, and more being published every day, it is important to
do
some screening before one invests precious time in reading any title.
It was the intriguing graphics of American symbols contrasted with the spiritual ones on the cover
of
Naveed Burney's fiction titled Continental Divide that attracted me to read it. A quick perusal
indicated promise and I got bold enough to walk to the cashier with the story. After having read
it, I
felt that I did succeed in ferreting out a good book from the ocean of the good, bad and the ugly.
I
also recognized the relevance of the graphics on the cover after discovering the dichotomous
character traits of pragmatism and spiritualism in the main character. And honestly, it was not a
waste of time reading it, for; on the contrary, it was fun.
The book is interesting. For starters, it kept me glued to the twists and turns of the plot and what
I
would consider a predominantly character driven focus a feature not frequently found, particularly
in the genre of mystery and adventure in modern fiction.
The setting of the novel takes the reader to different places the author appears to have had a first
hand experience with. The result: Captivating description, intimate and persuasive situations and
hints of a travelogue style. The style of writing is varied, lively and enjoyable that offers a chance
for
characters to become animated, not content to be merely dressings on a flagpole.
I would classify the novel as a page turner and I would suggest that the reader's interest does not
flag throughout, except in some stray tracts before we are introduced to a very lively rendition
and
description of Indian culture, so very much alien to the western world.
It is with the help of RSVP, an intriguing character, and Urmilla another gem that we see the
lively
cultural intricacies of an exotic world. Urmilla, who appears almost in a cameo role, is a definite
bonus or reward for the reader thrown in by the author, who even without her help could have
provided a reasonable pleasurable episode of reading.
The delineation of Tony Corrodo's character the no-nonsense tough customer is a close
rendition of a person who one is likely to meet or hear about in real life. His is a character with
interesting dimensions almost as dynamic as that of the protagonist, Dave Marsupial, whose
exploits
and culmination of adventure in the book could be a definite take off for a sequel. The villains are
convincing all enemies of decent living and American ideals.
Mixed up in the writing is an element of humor hard to define but nevertheless most welcome. So
are the themes of the potency of blending American pragmatism with Eastern spiritualism, in
addition to a few others available on closer inspection.
In the end, the reading is light and cheerful. Continental Divide is a book ideal to be read during a
bus ride or a subway sojourn, or just when the daily grind of life is about to get the better of you.
Readers who like mystery, thrill, adventure and action will certainly appreciate this book, which
could have afforded to have more pages to it.
Don't Let Your CHEATING MATE Drive You to the Mental Institution
Jacqueline Grant
A Cappela Publishing/Advocate House imprint
P.O. Box 3691, Sarasota, FL 34230-3691
ISBN 0-9706576-2-5 $19.95 phone/fax 941-362-3481, paperback 193 pages
Jodi Greene
Reviewer
EVER THOUGHT ABOUT KILLING YOUR HUSBAND?
This author did, and spent a year in a mental institution recovering her sanity.
Could this happen to you?
What if you gave up your life, your kids and your family to marry someone you loved completely?
What if you found out that someone had separate lives with five other women? What if your
confrontation with him resulted in his death? What if the mental institution was your only hope for
survival?
Bizarre as it sounds, this is a true story, written by a woman who loved and was betrayed. We
follow the author from the happy days of her marriage through her discovery of her husband's
other
lives; through her conversations with the other women in his life and her confrontation with her
husband. We know exactly how she feels as she gathers her courage to face him with the facts,
and
experience her shock at his violent response. We are as unbelieving a she was that her
self-defensive
blow results in his death.
We then walk with her through her year of rehabilitation when she releases her guilt, renews her
self-esteem and moves on with her life. We come to understand how she got into this fix, and see
her step-by-step recovery from the nightmare of it.
For everyone who has become involved in a co-dependent relationship
For every woman who has been used or abused by her mate
For everyone who has loved completely and been betrayed
And for anyone who could doubt that such things happen
--This is a must-read book
Sullivan's Bookshelf
Harold and William, The Battle for England, A.D. l064-l066
Benton Rain Patterson
Cooper Square Press
ISBN #0815411650, $28.95, 207 pp.
Everyone knows that William the Conqueror, defeated King Harold and took over England and
its
royal throne. Few, however, are aware of how this came about and the details leading up to the
decisive Battle of Hastings in l066. The book tells in dramatic, narrative fashion, just how it
happened and why.
This reviewer hadn't known, for example, that immediately before William invaded England, King
Harold, a relatively new English monarch, had had to fight a major battle with his own brother,
Tostig, who was allied with a terrifying bully, Harald Hadrada, the brutish King of Norway.
Harold successfully defeated those two enemies and their invading army. But the effort seriously
depleted Harold's forces and drained those who survived. Consequently, when he had to face
William, Duke of Normandy, so soon after the first battle, Harold was at a distinct
disadvantage.
He did, though, manage to choose his battlefield, taking there a defensive position. William, the
aggressor, attacked the King's position. Harold's forces initially did so well that they even broke
ranks, though ordered not to, in chasing after William's retreating army elements. But that
allowed
William, astride a horse, and with his cavalry, to get directly at the heart of the Saxon
position.
The invading Normans made mincemeat, literally and figuratively, not only of the English military,
but of King Harold, too. In fact, Harold was so hacked to death as to be unrecognizable.
William,
who couldn't positively identify the fallen English monarch found the Norman soldier responsible
and admonisted then banished him.
Patterson writes at the beginning of the book, "As a writer, I felt that the tragedy of Hastings was
too poignant to be ignored and that Harold was too heroic to be remembered only as England's
last
Anglo-Saxon king. He deserved to have his story told, not merely the story of the Battle of
Hastings or even of that whole disastrous year, but the story of the man himself{....}"
And tell it the author does! The gripping, smooth flowing, informative read, from beginning to
end,
reminded this reviewer of another book about war, GETTYSBURG by Shaara. Yes, HAROLD
AND WILLIAM is history--but the volume reads like a novel and is highly recommended.
A retired journalism academic, Patterson taught and still resides in Florida.
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Greg Palast
Pluto Press
ISBN # 0745318460 $25.00, 211 pp.
Palast is a journalist with the British newspaper, the OBSERVER. Many of his major stories are
reprinted in this book. Basically, an investigative reporter, his work as won him kudos and
condemnation. Fortunately, his complimenters outnumber his critics.
In the U.S., Palast came to the fore with his thorough reporting on the Bush/Gore presidential
electiion and its Florida debacle. This reporter found that in the Sunshine State's supposed
removal
of felons from the eligible voters rolls that many were incorrectly on the felon's list and
consequently
were improperly removed from voters registration lists. And guilty or not, they couldn't vote.
Had
those truly non-felons been allowed to vote, Gore most likely would have won, according to
Palast.
Reported revelations about Evangelist Pat Robertson's less-than-holy financial dealings landed
Palast
in hot water, again. This was typical fallout for much that Palast wrote. Favoring the little, or
average guy, this reporter knocks, when the truth calls for it, both Democrats and Repuublicans.
He
even took Tony Blair's Labour Party government, for example, to the woodshed in a big way.
This
book covers, also, what Palast found out about the rigors of gloalization, the greed and abuse in
corporations, and the skullduggery in other money matters that hurt the public.
The author writes, "You read the papers and you watch television, so you know the kind of
spiderbrained, commercially poisoned piece-of-crap reporting you get in America. If you're
reading
this in Britain, you stand a chance of getting some real information, but YOUR news is censored
and
twisted in a knot that...well, that's another story {....}.
You could call this book: What You Didn't Read in the NEW YORK TIMES. {....]"
An American, raised in the poorer end of Los Angeles, Palast earned a scholarship in the
University
of Chicago. After his schooling, he did undercover work for a major union. Then he got
interested
in journalism. Much of his reporting today seems too hot to handle for most establishment
media.
Palast has won many journalism awards. He has also been published in SALON.com,
WAWSHINGTON POST, HARPER'S, and THE NATION. He divides his time living and
working
in London and New york.
Despite this volume's small print, its contents are eye-opening for other reasons as well and,
therefore, recommended!
Jim Sullivan
Reviewer
Roger's Bookshelf
Speak with Confidence
Dianna Booher
McGraw-Hill Book Company
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
ISBN 0071408053, $12.95, 240 pages, 1-800-722-4726
Well, it's 2003 and here's another book on speaking in front of audiences. There are plenty of
books
on this topic, since public speaking is consistently rated the experience that frightens us most.
Statistically, people would rather die in a plane crash than give a speech. Giving a speech is not
terminal, so if we gain some good advice about how to do it, we can overcome the fear and
become
more effective.
So why this book instead of all the other fine books that have been written on the topic? I suggest
there are three reasons to choose "Speak with Confidence."
When I pick up a non-fiction book, particularly a how-to book, I want to see some author
credibility. What gives this person the right to write this book? Dianna Booher is a Certified
Speaking Professional with a considerable amount of platform experience. "Successful Meetings"
magazine identifies her as one of the Top 21 Speakers for the 21st Century. Here's a classic case
of
"been there, done that."
The second thing I look for in this kind of a book is readability. Is the book designed in such a
way
that I can grasp the concepts without getting bogged down in a morass of irrelevant and
confusing
text? I was delighted with the way "Speak with Confidence" is put together. There are 16
chapters
to organize the information, but the tips are presented in numbered paragraphs-497 of them!
Whew!
The table of contents design, combined with the list of tips in the back of the book, makes it easy
to
get to the knowledge you want.
The third criterion for me is content. Is there good solid material? Can the reader really learn
something? This book is jam-packed with information that is easily accessible and presented in a
way
that helps the reader. The author weaves in some of her own experiences to juice up the
presentation, but these pages are filled with in-depth advice. Even after ten years in Toastmasters
and 23 years speaking professionally, I found myself learning new ideas while refreshing things I
knew.
Special gift idea: every up-and-coming corporate leader will benefit from reading this book and
practicing the principles that are presented. Building the ability to speak before groups will put
you
miles ahead of your peers. This book will help get you there.
Memories of Mayberry
Newell Mitchell Kutzer
Dynamic Living Press
PO Box 3164, St. Augustine, FL 32085
ISBN 0971100047, $19.95, 189 pages
Thousands and thousands of us faithfully watched the television classic, The Andy Griffith Show
and
its sequel, Mayberry RFD. We followed Sheriff Taylor, Barney, Aunt Bea, and the rest through
249
episodes from 1960 through 1968. From 1968 through 1971, we were treated to 78 episodes of
Mayberry RFD. Watching these shows today is a heartwarming nostalgic experience. Why, there's
even an active The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club!
Mayberry has its roots firmly and deeply planted in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, a small town nestled
in
the mountains between Winston-Salem and the Virginia state line. Andy Griffith is celebrated
there,
along with all the traditions of hometown America, during community festivals and other
events.
Jewell Kutzer grew up in Mayberry, just a couple of years behind Andy Griffith. She shares many
of
the memories that inspired Griffith to create Mayberry and the character of the popular television
show. In Memories of Mayberry, she shares her experiences growing up in this now-famous small
town. It's a pleasant, comfortable book to read, like having a conversation with a friend. Mt. Airy
was a microcosm of life in a changing country, in a changing world. Lives were interwoven with
the
lives of others in the community. People were real, they were caring neighbors, they led simpler
lives
in the 1940s and 1950s. This book takes the reader back to those uncomplicated times.
Did I say uncomplicated? Well, compared to today's complex lifestyles. But for Jewell, growing
up
in a small town, life brought one adventure after another. Her tales of yesteryear are referenced to
episodes in The Andy Griffith Show that relate to the memories. Readers will gain a deeper
appreciation of how Griffith made the show so real in the earlier days of television.
Want a trip back to our roots? To the values on which our country was built? Pick up a copy of
Memories of Mayberry to open your mind and heart to our wonderful past, not just in Mt. Airy,
but
in hundreds of other small towns across the land. Definitely designed for readers over 40 (we
were
there), but offers valuable insights for younger readers, too.
Jump Start Your Business Brain
Doug Hall
Brain Brew Books
1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207
ISBN 1-55870-607-0 $24.99, 324 pages
Doug Hall is a Chemical Engineer by education, a master marketer by training and experience.
He's
a superior innovator. No, he's a research-based stimulator who helps corporate executives
innovate
and follow-through to sell their products and services at high profits. You could be one of those
successful corporate executives if you read this book and follow the abundant advice.
You're not a big-shot executive of a major well-funded corporation? Not a problem. Hall's
specialty
is helping small companies (97 percent of American companies earn less than $1 million in
revenue
in a year) achieve greatness. Yes, he works with large clients like Mattel, AT&T, Johnson &
Johnson, Pepsi-Cola, Tyson Food Service, and John Hancock Insurance. The learning he gleans
from them is then shared with smaller companies as Hall enjoys his role as a modern-day
corporate
Robin Hood. His readers are the beneficiaries of his knowledge, insight, and experience.
If you've read marketing books, some of Hall's urgings will sound familiar. He's a self- admitted
follower of marketing guru David Ogilvy. But, that's just the beginning. Hall will take you to the
next level. Before I even finished the book, I was re-writing my firm's marketing messages.
In the first part of the book, Hall delves into what he calls the Three Laws of Marketing Physics.
You'll learn about Overt Benefit, Reason to Believe, and Dramatic Difference. The concepts
presented will awaken your thinking and fuel your idea generator. This section is valuable for
readers who need to understand the principles that underlie what Hall prescribes. The second
section
jumps into the nitty-gritty, exploring the Three Laws of Capitalist Creativity: Explore Stimuli,
Leverage Diversity, and Face Fears.
In addition to the inspiring flow of material in the chapters themselves, you'll find value in the
frequently asked questions sections, the bibliography, and the index-which you'll probably use
liberally as you convert the book from a good read to a powerful tool. Think you know a lot of
this
stuff already? Take the Quick Quiz at the start of the book and you'll discover there's more to
learn.
Doug Hall will be your teacher.
Roger E. Herman, Reviewer
www.hermangroup.com
Pogo's Bookshelf
Follow This Path: How the World's Greatest Organization Drive Growth by Unleashing Human
Potential
Curt Coffman and Gabriel Gonzalez-Molina
AOL Time-Warner Books: A Warner Business Book
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York NY 10020
0-7595-9768-5, 2002 Gallup, 305pp, First Ebook Edition, http://www.twbookmark.com
Follow This Path is a mix of motivational speaking and practical management manual for
improving
staff and clientele relations to result in a stable base and potential market growth. The
presentation is
based on the Q12 method of the Gallup Path for improving profits through employee and
customer
satisfaction as growth is perceived as the harmonious triad of relationships: the company to
employee, employee with customer and customer with company. The trick is to make each
happy.
When there is a satisfied customer, he comes back. When there is a happy employee, he remains
with the company and produces more resulting with company growth.. The management is happy
because the turkey in the yard is growing up to be an ostrich. How is it done? According to
Gallup,
they have perfected a method of analyzing employee talents, temperaments and skills to match
their
positions, with the credo that each person within a company has special abilities that should be
applied to maximise their potential-- ultimately resulting in the company's stock growth. Logical?
Certainly. "But how?" the bemused business professional asks. By following the Gallup Path is
their
reply. Buy the book to find out.
In synopsis, Gallup has organized "talent themes" into certain catagories: Relating, Impacting,
Striving, and Thinking. More succintly, drop the unnecessary jargon to call them human
attributes,
each having associated characteristics. A person who is classified as "Impacting" is influential,
affecting those around him, often unconsciously initiating action. The "Relating" person
empathisizes
easily with others, identifying with others' reactions and problems. "The Striving" person is the
ambitious go-getter, never satisfied with anything and always in need of limelight and new
accolades. "The Thinker" was sculpted by Rodin. Break the 305pp into smaller sections for study.
Much of the information is valuable and will enhance internal company operations. However, the
world is divided into great managers and great companies with great managers following the
Gallup
Path. It is imperative that upon opening this book to lock your other thoughts and ideas in a
drawer.
Put aside your previous life because the true enlightenment of the Gallup Path lies before you.
Each
step, each page will lead you to increased profits and greater corporate health.
Practical principles are set forward giving deep insight into company relationships between
personnel, and between clientele and employee. The principles are applied into the daily work
situation by addressing twelve issues that identify potential problems and frustrations within a
company possibly obstructing the growth of the company. They are:
1. Expectations are placed upon the employee.
2. Availability of materials and equipment.
3. The opportunity to excel daily.
4. Personal recognition for good work.
5. Corporate concern for the individual.
6. Personal optimization of talent.
7. Employee opinions.
8. Connecting the corporate mission to the individual goal.
9. Quality work evidenced among fellow employees and associates.
10. Friends at work.
11. Personal acknowledgement of achievement and development.
12. Opportunity to learn and grow at work.
Termed "the emotional-driven economy," the authors present personnel management and
corporate
growth based on personal satisfaction and loyalty towards the company as radically new thinking.
By learning to identify the discontent within the company, the employer has the golden
opportunity
to improve performance and output by seeking to recognize the talents of each employee and
exploit
them rather than send the unlucky person into training camps focusing only on his weaknesses. By
capitalizing on the strengths of the individual, the worker has the opportunity to perform better,
have better self-image and produces a better product. He is then more satisfied with job and the
world, grumbles less and optimizes his time. Unfortunately, Gallup could have saved themselves
several thousands of hours and seven decades of investigation just by asking Birgit Nilsson about
her
relationship with the Metropolitan. She would have tersely informed them that "when the birds are
happy, they sing better."
The ideas are not radical or earth-shaking, but present new perspectives on old problems.
Certainly,
it is old news that much of the time and energy of the workforce is wasted, nor a surprise that a
small percentage of the workforce produces effectively. In a world where people are treated as
disposable machines with their personal needs and achievements unrecognized, there is little
motivation to be a top achiever or quality worker. There is little or no reward for the effort
invested
into an impersonal organization. The kernel of the book is the examination of interplay between
roles and conditions, revealing that companies frequently can change and the production does
improve when the individual receives recognition and becomes a significant member of a
team.
The book offers advice how to change a company from being a cold prison of labor to becoming a
warm environment where individual ability is acknowledged and developed-- whether the mail
clerk
or the medical technologist. Three things fault the writing for a busy professional: the verbose
rhetoric that becomes inflated and turgid like the Mississippi at flood-time with its limited
vocabulary. There are endnotes, appendexes and explanations regarding the development of the
method at the back, but no links. And most shaming of all, the endnote citations aren't in any
standard format but squished together like persimmons in a sieve to make pudding. Just remember
the old WWI song, "scroll, scroll, scroll."
Once Upon a Time When the Princess Rescued the Prince
Rosemary Lake
Dragon Tree Press
POB 1209, Guerneville, CA 95446
www.dragontree.com
www.rosemarylake.com
ISBN 0-940918-50-1 $12.95 paperback, 0-940918-54-4 $3.95 ebook
Some beautiful heroines dutifully sacrifice themselves to beasts and others become enslaved to
kitchen drudgery cleaning pots and pans, sifting peas from ashes, while still others spend their
lives
sewing shirts from nettles. The fairytale heroine lives a tediously daunting life in setting the
example
of fidelity and patience, humility and obedience beyond the endurance of Penelope, who sits
beside a
fireside and waiting years for the returning Odysseus, while gracefully allowing the bullying
suitors
to track mud in on her newly woven carpet and eat the pantry out of food.
Enough of this? Time to break out of the cookie-cutter stereotype of Miss Goody-Two Shoes
climbing over the mountains to redeem the worthless lover who has wandered off with the local
Ice
Princess? Then find out about when the princess rescued the prince to get in touch with reality.
Instead of filling a book with cut-out pictures of princes and princesses, golden birds, talking
frogs
and fishes, Rosemary Lake opens the magical door into a universe where the heroine is a
progressive-thinking feminist, taking charge of the world in which she lives, tired of the low
expectations of female roles in society and the mundane pursuits of being ladylike. Imagine being
commanded to marry by your father, the king:
Once there was a princess whose father wished her to choose a husband, but she did not like any
of
the men she knew. "Just what kind of a man do you want?" her father demanded? "That's an
interesting question," said the princess, whose name was Biance. "I will think it over" After a few
days, she returned to her father and said: "I want a husband who is handsome, but not too
handsome. I want him to be sharp, but not too sharp. I want him to be sweet, but not too spicy..."
The king became angry. "You cannot just make up a man to suit yourself, like ordering a cake
from
the baker!" "That's a good idea," said the princess. "The king began jumping up and down and
screaming, so the princess went away to the kitchen. There she ordered the cooks to bring her
twenty pounds of flour, twenty pounds of sugar, and twenty pounds of powdered almonds..."
(p23)
And with this delicious mix of satire and fairytale Rosemary feeds us her story line by line, naming
the knight, Sir Marzipan. Added to these ingredients is a touch of classical mythology with the
entrance of Queen Medea plotting to abduct the cooked-up knight.
Or consider that kings and queens might have learned from reading about the past when getting
babies baptized:
"The whole kingdom celebrated, but at the christening the visiting fairies became troubled. It was
the custom in those days for the fairies to tell the fortune of the new baby, but this time the fairies
just whispered and shook their heads. "Go on," the king urged them. "Do you see some
misfortune
for our baby? Have we forgotten to invite someone?" "Do we need to get rid of all the spindles?"
said the queen. "Good riddance, I'd say." (p50)
No more do little girls just obey the royal commands and do what daddy says:
"At this, the poor king lost his wits and went quite insane. "Preziosa, only you have golden hair
like
your mother's. You must marry my old servant and immediately have a son to be my heir. I will
continue in charge, and you will All Do Exactly as I Tell You."
Preziosa got mad. "Change the law, and I will be your heir myself. But I will not be your puppet!
And I will not marry anyone just to produce a grandson for you!"
"Yes, you will!" shouted the king, "You are My daughter, and you will follow My commands."
(p52)
The heroines not only challenge their fathers, but the society in which they are born. They are
savvy,
witty and have sharp tongues for repartee. They are not satisfied with the sewing or knitting
classes
imposed upon them to send clothes to the soldiers at the front, but take it upon themselves to
explore beyond the walls, right the wrongs and rescue the hapless prince or helpless knight,
turning
the world on its ear. They challenge the "little girls wear pink dresses" mentality:
Once a rich merchant had two daughters, whom he loved dearly. The older always wore fancy
clothes and minded her dignity; but the younger sister, Portia, wore old clothes, played in the
mud,
and carried bugs and snakes out of the house with her bare hands. "They never bite me, " she told
her big sister, "because they know I mean them no harm, poor things."
"You'll never get on in the world that way," sniffed the older, who was named Priscilla, and who
was getting ready fo her first ball. "Their father agreed. "Men do not want a girl who is braver
than
they are. You are supposed to shriek and toss your hair around ineffectually." "And shudder in a
ladylike way," said Priscilla. "And call for smelling salts, and be prissy and quaint."
Portia sighed. "I ain't the kind." (p92)
And in destroying the myth of the ideal woman, Rosemary Lake enables her heroines to react to
the
world in a different way with realistic dialogue while spinning satire on the helpless female image.
They have other assets to beguile you besides playing the harpsichord, flute and dulcimer,
including
wriggling their ears. Undaunted by the tasks they face, they do not shudder, but cross the
Mountains
of Moon and climb the tallest Mountain of the Sun to as ask the Hermit living in a house of gold
for
his advice-- which is --only to scale the Mountains of the Stars. And being liberated as well as
clever, they are not worn down by the impossible demands of wearing Iron Shoes, but find
creative
solutions. They are models of self-determination and independence as they seek to solve the
problems of their lives, freeing the enslaved from captivity and winning the hearts of their
admirers
by their brilliant personalities.
The stories are annotated with brief comments regarding their origins. For teachers, looking for
alternative reading materials, the stories are individually classed by the Flesch Reading Ease and
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level in the backmatter. For those interested in studying or teaching
fairytales, the book is valuable for new interpretations on old themes and for the selected
annotated
bibliography that the author gracously includes. From beginning to end, there is never a dull
moment
, as we go off on adventures with the extraordinay characters spouting lively dialogue that could
easily translate into dramatic scenes for colorful animation. We snicker privately as we see the
skewed perceptions of social roles reflected in the characters of the stories:
So the next week the Governess arrived: a very nice lady who wore lots of beads and shawls
pinned
together by cameo brooches. She set up a school-room on the top floor of their house, in a turret
with bay windows all around, most of which were held cloed by the branches of a beautiful green
elm tree (for the shutters had fallen into disrepair long ago). The room was like a tree house, and
both girls fell in love with it and with their Governess immediately.
One day when they were all in the schoolroom happily studying (in the dancing shadows of the
elm
leaves) a
chapter of the Etiquette Manual on Polite Subterfuges for Declining Unwanted invitations, Portia
asked, "Why not just tell the truth?" (p93)
In a society that is addicted to television fantasy and Hollywood illusions, the question cannot be
so
easily dismissed by an alert reader. How many changes has society made to admit women into the
executive ranks or raise their income to the equivelant of their male counterparts? Although witty
and satirical, children stories mirror the values that we hoard. Is life so much safer being an
employed wife and mother? Or is it time to take that next step to attaining social recognition in
being the self-reliant administrator, the go-getter and problem-solver of society rather than just
another teacher or nanny willing to passively give into the social expectations of the past. Perhaps
parents should better consider the heroine scaling the Mountains of the Moon to encourage their
daughters to take off into the wide universe where a teacher finally gets her ride with NASA to
the
International Space Station. Delayed, a few years late, but slated for history.
The backgrounds of the stories are enriched by Rosemary Lake's personal travels and experiences
in
Thailand, Singapore, Sri lanka and New Delhi as she sees the world turn under the vibrant colors
of
the sun's rising. A student of McMurray College in Abilene and U Tex in Austin, Rosemary
dropped
out of academic life to marry a sailor and follow the sea of the universe. In the 1980's they began
publishing books for Fantasy Role-Playing Materials and inventing new worlds. Living in a
Winnebago, they stopped by woods and streams to write, managing their business through
telephone
booths. In following their literary paths, they arrived with new outlooks on times past when the
princess rescued the prince.
Pogo, Reviewer
pogomcl@dowse.com
Paul's Bookshelf
Spirit of Independence
Keith Rommel
Barclay Books LLC
6161 51st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33715
http://www.barclaybooks.com
ISBN 1-931402-04-3, $14.95, 276 pages
Travis Winter is your average soldier fighting in the latter days of World War II. One day, he is
killed in cold blood by another American soldier. Then his adventures begin.
He has been recruited, by Heaven, as a new kind of warrior in the age-old battle between heaven
and
Hell. Now called the Spirit of Independence, Winter's first stop is at the Gates of Hell. He is
confronted by the ruler, a being who calls himself Navarro and claims to be a nice guy who was
thrown out of Heaven by a mean and vindictive God. Winter is rescued by a group of angels, and
so
thus begins a new phase in the Heaven-Hell battle.
As a Spirit, Winter is able to travel in the spirit and material worlds. One of his duties is to bring
souls to the Light when the time comes. He meets all sorts of beings, including his predecessors as
Spirit. Among the humans brought into the battle is a woman named Amanda. During a time in
the
material world, she is dragged into a building and brutally raped. While she is unconscious,
Navarro
shows up and changes the DNA of the fetus to match his own. Amanda is pregnant for two full
years, then gives birth to a being that changes, within minutes, from a newborn baby to a
full-grown
adult with horns, red skin and a tail.
As you might have guessed, this is a very strange novel. Written from several different
perspectives,
it's intended as a sort of guide for the reader, chosen as the next Spirit. The first of a four-part
series,
this is also a pretty graphic story, with a considerable amount of violence. It's not a very easy
read,
but it's a very well done and very satisfying read that is well worth the reader's time.
Transcend
Richard Joseph
Stoic Press
244 Fifth Ave, Suite 253, New York, NY 10001-7604
http://www.transcend.ws
ISBN 0-97-07301-0-1, $13.50, 324 pages
Most of this book is an autobiography of your average New Yorker, who, after college, was not
sure what he wanted to do with his life, so he decided to see America. He bought a used car and
headed west. He slept at campsites and hostels and worked as a cook at Glacier National Park
along
the way. He hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and discovered, the hard way, that he had
chosen the wrong trail on the return trip.
He got word of a job teaching Korea at a school in Korea, so, after getting the required
permission,
off he went. He left the school after a few months; the trip turns into a sixteen-month odyssey
through Asia from Korea to India. His companion is Jes, a young woman from British Columbia.
To
say that the trip, especially their time in India, could be described as "sensory overload," would be
a
huge understatement. Joseph begins to realize that after seeing people forced to live on the
equivalent of a couple of dollars per day (most of the world), the urban American complaints
about
traffic and work stress seem pretty silly and meaningless.
Returning home to New York City, he attempts to reconnect with his friends. To his dismay, he
finds that they haven't done any emotional growing up during his absence. They just want to stay
home and watch TV, while Joseph wants to, at minimum, have a few beers at the local bar.
On a later trip to Japan, he discovers a huge market for American vintage clothing, the sort that
would be found at the local Salvation Army. Driving cars cross country for a car rental company,
he
stops in thrift stores along the way to check out their stock. Upon reaching the West Coast, he
continues on to Japan and sells the clothing at 10 or 20 times the purchase price.
The rest of the book is Joseph's attempt at psychology. He talks about what he calls Objective
Truths. Everyone will die someday. There is no objective, scientific proof that an Afterlife exists.
Is
it possible that the Afterlife was created by early humans to give them something to look forward
to;
to tell them that this life isn't "it"? He also talks about how America is the richest, and most
wasteful,
society on earth.
Others are more qualified than I to judge the psychology part of this book, but I enjoyed the
whole
book. I appreciated the travelogue, and the perception that there is much more to life than work
and
TV and thinking that Americans are The Chosen People. It may take some effort on the part of
the
reader, but this book is more than worth the time. It is well worth reading for all Americans.
The Star Rover
Jack London
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
http://www.prometheusbooks.com
ISBN 1-57392-695-7, 329 pages, $9.95
This is the story of former college professor Darrell Standing, serving a life sentence in San
Quentin
for murdering a colleague. Another prisoner, Cecil Winwood, convinces forty other convicts to
join
him in a jailbreak. At the appropriate time, the guards capture everyone and throw them into
solitary
(little better than a dungeon). They knew about the jailbreak ahead of time, because Winwood had
turned stool pigeon in hopes of reducing his sentence for forgery. All of the "conspirators" are
beaten by the guards, including Standing, some to the point of becoming permanent physical or
mental cripples. Winwood then tells the warden that a supply of dynamite to be used in the
jailbreak
is hidden somewhere in the prison and only Standing knows the location. He then finds himself the
subject of torture by the warden and guards, including, among other things, being left in a strait
jacket for days at a time. Of course, there is no dynamite.
He escapes the pain and torment by astral travel, withdrawing into dreams of his past lives during
his
"eternal recurrence on earth." At one time, he is a nobleman in medieval France. Another time, he
spends years shipwrecked on an outcropping of rock barely one-half mile square in the middle of
the
ocean; his only possession was an oar on which he wrote his tale. While in prison, he got word to
a
famous museum that just happened to have that oar in storage. Still another time, he is an
Englishman living in 1600s Korea. For a time, he is a trusted friend and confidante of the
Emperor.
When the political winds change, he and his Korean wife are made outcasts by the new Emperor.
For twenty years, they are forbidden to leave Korea, and they are also not to receive any
assistance
from the local population.
Back in the real world, during one of his periodic beatings by the guards, Standing, having wasted
away to a bag of bones, is able to defend himself just enough to give one of the guards a
nosebleed.
For this "assault," he is sentenced to hang, not for killing his college colleague.
Having spent time in prison for vagrancy (today it's called "being homeless"), this is London's
attempt to expose the horrors of prison. It's not his most famous novel, But it's still very poignant
and thought-provoking, and is well worth reading.
This is the Place
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
AmErica House Publishers
http://www.publishamerica.com
ISBN 1-58851-352-1, $19.95, 217 pages
This novel is about Mormon culture in 1950s Utah. It's also about the sting of bigotry and
intolerance and how it can be disguised as love and acceptance.
Sky (short for Skylar) Eccles is a young woman who has several "strikes" against her. In the
insular
Mormon community, she is considered a half-breed (in her case, her father was Mormon and her
mother was Protestant, the religion under which she was raised). She is unmarried; Mormon
women
are supposed to marry young, stay home and have lots of children. Sky agrees to marry a man
named Archer Benson, a man about as true-blue Mormon as they come. But they decide not to
have
a Temple wedding (not to get married in the Mormon church), which doesn't go over well with
her
relatives. Not only does Sky work outside the home, she writes for the Other Newspaper in Utah,
the Salt Lake Tribune, the one not owned by the Mormons.
Raised with something of a double identity, Sky is forced to look at her own family history,
containing several instances of women who entered into mixed marriages. Hr career in journalism
clarifies her vision of herself and her ancestors. Suffering a series of devastating events, Sky
begins
to see that her future is up to her, that she must find her own way in the world, find her own true
north.
This is a fine piece of writing. It gives quite a look inside a culture with which few outsiders are
familiar, it's a "quiet" book that says a lot, the characters are real people, and, overall, it's well
worth
reading.
Death Before Dawn: SEAL STRIKE!
Martin L. Strong
Writer's Showcase
5220 S. 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512; http://www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0-595-18454-5, $11.95, 151 pages
Matthew Barrett is the son of a highly decorated soldier, now deceased. His father's method of
parenting was heavy on the pushing and very light on the praise and encouragement. Nothing
Matt
did was good enough for his father.
Matt joins the Navy SEALs, partly to prove to his father, and himself, that he is good enough.
Since
SEAL stands for Sea, Air and Land, Matt practices all sorts of scenarios with the other members
of
his squad. As a lieutenant, Matt is the designated leader of the squad. Each member of the squad
has
their own area of expertise, but they are also supposed to function as one unit. Matt passes SEAL
training, but not exactly with flying colors.
Meantime, the government of Egypt is on the brink of collapse. An Islamic fundamentalist leader
named Banadar has been gaining popularity among parts of the military. The transformation of
Egypt into a fundamentalist government would be a disaster for America and the West, so the
decision is made to invade Egypt to keep that from happening. Matt's squad has the task of
discovering the size and strength of Egyptian forces at the international airport in Alexandria.
They
must relay that information to a group of Army Rangers who are right behind them and who will
do
the actual taking over of the airport. Unfortunately, the Rangers get shot out of the sky by the
Egyptian military, so Matt and his squad must now wait several hours for assistance. The military
units stationed at the airport know that something is wrong, and it's only a matter of time before
they pinpoint the squad's location and open fire.
This one is quite good. It's short and easy to read, the squad members are real people, and not just
tall, square-jawed military stereotypes, and it feels very plausible (it had better be plausible, the
author is a former actual Navy SEAL). This novel is well worth the reader's time.
Pipsqueak
Brian M. Wiprud
iUniverse, Inc
5220 S. 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512
http://www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0-595-22727-9, 219 pages, $14.95
Garth Carson is a taxidermy restorer and collector. One day, in an out-of-the-way antique shop,
he
sees a very famous stuffed squirrel. Pipsqueak the Nutty Nut was a character from the General
Buster Show, an afternoon children's TV show from the era before cable and afternoon TV talk
shows. Garth nearly gets caught in a robbery at the antique shop, at which a biker ends up dead
and
Pipsqueak ends up missing.
Garth and his live-in girlfriend, Angie, a jewelry designer, suddenly find themselves in a rapidly
growing conspiracy, all centered on Pipsqueak. It involves a stuffed loon, tuning forks, Soviet-era
secrets, thugs wearing plaid cummerbunds and Garth's older brother, Nicholas, who Garth hasn't
seen in 15 years. Along the way, Garth and Angie find themselves inside the retro-swing music
revival and discover a mind control conspiracy involving digital TV. Included are some very
interesting things hidden inside Pipsqueak and his two colleagues from the General Buster Show,
Howlie the Wolf and Possum, his sidekick.
This story rates pretty high on the strange meter. It has something for everyone, and it will
certainly
keep the reader's interest. Wiprud has done another fine job; this one is well worth reading.
Wisdom on the Green: Smarter Six Sigma Business Solutions
Forrest W. Breyfogle III, et al.
Smarter Solutions Inc
13776 US Highway 183 N., Suite 122-110, Austin, TX 78750-1811
http://www.smartersolutions.com
ISBN 0-9713222-0-1, $16.95, 170 pages
Four friends who first met during their MBA days get together for their monthly round of golf.
Now
working at different companies, each has their own challenges and problems at work to fix. Using
the metaphor of golf as something where there is no such thing as total perfection (like in
business),
the authors show how business problems can be solved using a business strategy called Six
Sigma.
It's a methodology for pursuing continuous improvement in profit and customer satisfaction
applicable to any sort of business, not just manufacturing. If the problem is to be found at Point X
in
the process, it would be easy to say Fix Point X and the problem is solved. What if fixing Point X
creates a new problem at Point Y? Six Sigma looks at improving the entire strategic plan instead
of
focusing just on the trouble spot. It can be applied to everyday, real-world problems like
increasing
sales, cost reduction and inventory control.
This is a very specialized and very technical book (much of which was over my head), but it is
much
better than the average dry business textbook. For most people, this book can be skipped. But, for
those in middle or upper management, or those for whom defect reduction is a daily concern
(shouldn't that be everyone in management?), this book is very much worth checking out.
Only in America
John Soltez, Gansevoort Press
807 Washington St, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014
jsoltez@aol.com
ISBN 0-9710168-0-1, $21.95, 249 pages
Buck Fourcade is a tycoon from Louisiana who has turned American politics on its head.
Plugging
into the discontent of the people, the Presidential election becomes a marathon as results take
much
longer than expected, or are changed more than once. The election is declared inconclusive, so
attention shifts to the Electoral College. Some states just happen to have a law on their books
saying
that the Electoral College elector doesn't have to vote the way the state did during the election.
The
political chaos continues as the next stop is the House of Representatives. Fourcade supporters
encourage the House to choose Buck as President by surrounding the US Capitol with a ring of
four
million supporters. Congress gets the message, and Buck Fourcade is soon sworn in as President.
He quickly sets about changing things in Washington, promising to run America like a business.
He
changes the Cabinet positions into Vice President For positions, cracks down on corporations
who
don't pay taxes and institutes Government By 1-900 Number. (Remember Ross Perot in
1992?)
This is seen through the eyes of Doug Murphy, middle-level employee of Continental Brewing,
and
living in the Midwest town of Brookville. He is your typical apathetic person who totally believes
in
the American Dream. Still, he notes the increasing number of For Sale signs and closed businesses
in
town, along with wave after wave of layoffs at work. He also notices how some of the town's
leading citizens are not just Fourcade supporters, but obsessed with him.
That obsession turns to anger when Fourcade is assassinated. Seeing plenty of "suspects," they
take
to the streets, letting out their anger on anything and everything. Doug watches as things like
newspaper delivery, street repair and trash pickup become things of the past. The situation in
Washington can best be described as "chaotic." Policies of the past 20 or 30 years, like running up
a
multi-trillion dollar debt and printing paper money without the gold to back it up, come to the
forefront. What passes for a national government divides the country into security zones and
deploys
troops to quell the growing internal rebellion. Canada and Mexico move troops to their borders to
stop fleeing Americans. As unemployment skyrockets (Doug is one of the victims), the only
businesses left are convenience stores, sporting goods stores (suppliers of knives and guns) and
those run by Fourcade supporters.
This is not an optimistic novel, but it is very much a Must Read. It's also quite spooky (not so
much
"horror movie" spooky as "very plausible" spooky). For those, like Doug Murphy, who are total
believers in the American Dream, this book may just change your mind.
Brown Glass Windows
Devorah Major
Curbstone Press
321 Jackson St, Willimantic, CT 06226
http://www.curbstone.org
ISBN 1-880684-87-X, $15.95, 194 pages
This novel is about a family who live on Fillmore Street in present-day San Francisco. Formerly a
thriving, close-knit place to live, the street is in the process of being gentrified out of
existence.
Jamal, a graffiti artist who calls himself "Sketch," lives with his grandmother. Jamal's father,
Ranger,
came back from Vietnam a cocaine addict and spends most of his time living on the streets.
Ironically, just when Ranger seems to have his addiction actually conquered, he is caught in the
middle of a drive-by shooting. Because of the family's built-up resentments and recriminations, a
period of emotional turmoil results, and, each in their own way, the family comes out the other
end
stronger and more united than ever.
The family is helped in their journey by an older, eccentric woman named Victoria. Never one to
venture outside without looking "presentable," her obsession (?) grew until she reached the point
where she dressed all in white, including white pancake makeup on her African-American skin,
and
believed herself to be invisible. She is accompanied by the book's narrator, the spirit of a
300-year-old African slave, who has "adopted" Victoria for the time being.
This story works in several different ways. It's a must read for urban residents forced to watch the
transformation of their neighborhood into something unrecognizable. It does a very good job at
showing one family's attempt to come to grips with the legacy of the Vietnam War. For those who
like their fiction with a touch of strange, the author does a fine job with the Latin American magic
realism. This novel is well worth the search, and well worth reading.
Students Against Sweatshops
Liza Featherstone
Verso Books
180 Varick St, New York, NY 10014-4606
http://www.versobooks.com
ISBN 1-85984-302-6, $15.00, 120 pages
A movement is growing on college campuses across America; a movement broadly focused on the
relationship between universities and multinational corporations and more specifically on the
places
(sweatshops) where college apparel is made.
When a group of students stages a protest march or petition drive to get their university to get
their
apparel supplier to get the clothing factory to improve conditions for their workers, the usual
response from the university is to ignore them. Given enough pressure, and enough solidarity
from
other groups on campus, the administration usually comes around. Many universities joined the
industry-led Fair Labor Association as a way to get the students to be quiet. Under more student
pressure, they switched sides and joined the student-run Workers Rights Consortium.
Naturally, the corporations are not just sitting around, hoping the students will go away. When
they
get wind of a protest planned for one of their stores, they start by deploying plainclothes security
and video surveillance, and go from there.
The concern (or criticism) has been raised by African-American students at these same schools
that
USAS (United Students Against Sweatshops) focuses on conditions overseas so it won't have to
discuss the sensitive issue of race relations here at home. When white students protest an issue,
they
at least get a meeting with the school administration. When minority students protest an issue,
they
get totally ignored. Some USAS chapters have gotten the message, and begun to focus on issues
closer to home, like a fair wage for hourly employees at the university.
To those who think that all American college students are apathetic partiers, this book will help
change your mind. It's (too) short, very easy to read and tells of young people who are actually
doing something to change things around the world. It's highly recommended.
Vegan and Vegetarian FAQ: Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions
Davida Gypsy Breier
Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203
http://www.vrg.org
ISBN 0-931411-24-6, $15.00, 272 pages
This is a collection of questions sent to the Vegetarian Resource Group on all aspects of
vegetarianism. They are grouped into categories like Vegetarianism in Daily Life, Nutrition, Food
Ingredients, Travel and Restaurants, Cooking and Baking, Soy and Veggie Kids.
Here are a few examples of the questions answered in this book. Where can I find vegan
marshmallows? At the moment, there aren't any. Is it true that Krispy Kreme donuts are vegan?
No.
Does guacamole contain gelatin? Some processed kinds do, but fresh guacamole is often
gelatin-free. I just found out gummy bears are made with gelatin. Is there a veggie bear available?
Yes. My daughter is raising her infant son on a vegan diet. Should I be worried? Not if the child is
getting adequate nutrition. Why do people become vegetarian? Among the many reasons are
dislike
of meat, belief in non-violence, compassion for animals, and health, cological and religious
concerns.
Are there vegan flu vaccines? No, because vaccine materials are generally grown on egg-based
media. Is photographic film really made of cow bones? Yes. Can I be a vegan and an athlete? Yes.
Does bone china really have bones in it? Yes. Is tattoo ink vegan? Ask your tattooist.
The book also contains a number of vegetarian recipes, and has a large appendix including a quick
guide to fast food, a senior's (and athlete's) guide to good nutrition, a feeding plan for infants and
toddlers, and the protein content of selected fast foods.
This is an excellent one-stop resource for all things vegetarian. For anyone who wants to learn
more
about vegetarianism, or those who want to become vegetarians but don't how to go about it, start
here. Even veggie veterans will learn a lot from this book. It is well worth reading.
Al-Jazeera
Mohammed El-Nawawy and Adel Iskandar
Westview Press
5500 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
http://www.westviewpress.com;
ISBN 0-8133-4017-9, $24.00, 228 pages
Al-Jazeera is the all-Arabic TV news channel which burst on to the international scene in the
wake
of September 11 and the war in Afghanistan. Its unfettered access to that country during the war
and
its showing of the bin Laden tapes made it an automatic force on the world stage.
Based in the Gulf state of Qatar, it came from the remnants of the BBC Arabic TV service. With
the
help of startup money from the Emir of Qatar, Al-Jazeera was to have complete editorial
independence.
In a part of the world where the press is usually government controlled, Al-Jazeera is not afraid to
get specific and name names. At one time or another, it has been criticized or condemned by
seemingly every government in the Arab world, for broadcasting things that the local government
would prefer not be broadcast. Every local editorial of condemnation and every denial of press
credentials to Al-Jazeera reporters just increases its audience all over the world by satellite.
One of the things that Al-Jazeera is most known for is its talk shows, especially a nightly,
two-hour
show called The Opposite Direction. Two guests appear on the show, with totally opposite
opinions
on a certain issue, and with help from live phone calls, the sparks fly. Even by American TV
standards, things get pretty loud and lively. Arab governments have noticed, and have begun
imitating the format on their tame and boring government TV channels.
Even though Al-Jazeera is an Arab TV channel, it has tried very hard to be impartial, hosting
members of the Bush Administration, after September 11, and government officials from
Israel.
For those who want to decide for themselves if Al-Jazeera is a legitimate news broadcaster or a
terrorist mouthpiece, this book is highly recommended. It's comprehensive, clearly written and is
quite enlightening.
The Best of Annals of Improbable Research
Marc Abrahams, editor
W.H. Freeman and Company
41 Madison Ave., 37th Floor, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 0-7167-3094-4, $14.95, 208 pages
The Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) is an actual bi-monthly magazine that combines two
areas
of human endeavor that are not thought to go together: science and humor. This is a collection of
articles from AIR, written like actual scientific papers, some of which were published in real
scientific journals.
The book (and magazine) cover all areas of science, from astronomy, to biology, chemistry, math
and medicine. The titles include: The Aerodynamics of Potato Chips, Apples and Oranges: A
Comparison, The Politically Correct Periodic Table, How Dead Is a Doornail?, The Medical
Effects
of Kissing Boo-Boos, The Ability of Woodchucks to Chuck Cellulose Fibers, How To Write a
Scientific Paper, and the classic piece of scientific experimentation, The Taxonomy of
Barney.
The author also looks at the IgNobel Prize ceremony held every fall at Harvard University (the
author is also the Master of Ceremonies). Prizes are presented by real Nobel Prize winners, in
various categories. A few past honorees include: a dentist from Minnesota for his study Patient
Preference for Waxed or Unwaxed Dental Floss, the authors of the painstakingly researched study
Acute Management of the Zipper-Entrapped Penis, and a man from South Carolina for calculating
the exact odds, over 8.6 trillion to 1, that Mikhail Gorbachev is the Antichrist. Of course, who can
forget IgNobel honoree Dan Quayle, for demonstrating the need for science education?
This book is hilarious. Some are going to say that science and humor don't belong in the same
sentence, let alone the same book. Nonsense. It shows that scientists can laugh at themselves, and
if
it gets even one young person interested in science, this book will have been a success. It is highly
recommended.
Paul Lappen, Reviewer
plappen@arrl.org
Magdalena's Bookshelf
Belief or Non-Belief: A Confrontation
Umberto Eco and Cardinal Martini
Translated from the Italian by Minna Proctor
Continuum
ISBN: 0-82645210-8, $TBA, July 2001, Hardback Arcade Publishing
ISBN: 1559704977, $17.95, January 2000, Hardcover
It is a wonderful concept. Invite two of the modern world's most eloquent thinkers, each from
opposing perspectives in their life's work, to a written debate, and publish the results. This is the
origin of Belief or Non-Belief, a slim but thought provoking book which journals the staged
correspondence which initially took place between Umberto Eco and Cardinal Carlos Maria
Martini
in the Italian newslpaper La Correra de la Serra. Most of the questions are raised by Eco, and
answered by Martini, although the once exception is perhaps the most striking exchange in the
book.
In all instances, both Eco and Martini are respectful to one another, thoughtful, intelligent and
above
all, extremely clear in their attempts to illuminate deep and often complex and difficult concept of
ethics, faith and a modern morality.
The topics are wide reaching and relevant, beginning with the impending apocalypse, which takes
its
cue from the Millennium but also looks more broadly at whether there is a notion of hope and
responsibility for both believers and non-believers in the concept of an end of the world, end of
time
or end of the universe. Martini's answer to this question is beautifully phrased, in a way that
makes
sense both within and outside of religion, and is equally applicable to how we come to terms with
our own individual impending deaths.
For the notion of an end to make use as aware of the future as we are of the past, as something to
be
reflected on in a critical way, the end must be an end, with the characters of an ultimate
declaration
of value, illuminating our endeavours in the present and endowing them with significance.
(39)
There is no hedging from controversial topics either, and for his second question, Eco asks, in
reference to the Church's stand on abortion, "when does life begin?" Again, the questions are
framed and explored in the broadest perspective, with prose as rich as poetry:
I do want to say that at the very core of Christian theology lies the question of the threshold (a
paper-thin threshold) beyond which what was a hypothesis, a gem - a dark articulation of life still
tied to the mother body, a marvellous desire for the light, not unlike a seed deep in the earth
struggling to flower - at a certain point is recognized as a rational animal, a mortal.(38)
Eco's third question is the least powerful in the book, partly because Eco himself remains
unengaged
with it: "clearly this is not a personal issue for me." The issue of women's role in the Church,
specifically in reference to ordination seems drier and more theoretical than the other issues, and
although it may well be of profound interest to a Churchgoer, to a secular thinker, it seems trivial
in
comparison with the weight of the other issues. Martini's answer to this question also seems, for
once only, to avoid the issue. This one shallow exchange is more than made up for however in the
final question, which brings the book full circle. Posed by Martini, the question asks where the
layman finds illumination or a basic ethical foundation. This is an important question and Eco
rises
to the challenge providing a lucid and powerful answer which evokes Martini's on hope in the first
question:
Yet even the vision of a great and unique cosmic Substance into which we will one da be
reabsorbed
can generate a vision of tolerance and of benevolence, precisely because we are all invested in
maintaining the equilibrium and harmony of the only Substance think it impossible that this
Substance is not somehow enriched or deformed by what we have done through the millenia - that
is
why we care. (95)
Eco's philosophical arguments are as strong as his writing and the only negative thing about this
book is that it is too short. It would have been wonderful to see Martini's reply to Eco's final
argument, and indeed to see the questions and answers to more of life's big mysteries.
The book is worth reading for its philosophical insights and the beauty of its prose alone, but the
very fact that a correspondence like this can take place is also meritous and powerful. In these
times
of fundamentalist ignorance and intolerance, it is only by thoughtful, respectful and reasoned
conversation that we move forward, away from fear, prejudice and racism. As a precedent, it
doesn't get any better than this book. That two intellectuals of this calibre from such opposite
walks
of life can converse on such a powerful plane is cause for great hope. Of course fanatics are
unlikely
to be reading books like this, but nevertheless, both Martini's and Eco's interest in "frank and
unfettered dialogue" is vitally important. Reasoned debate, thoughtful discourse and even good
dinner conversations are becoming rarities in our overly "busy" world. This book is cause for
celebration, conceptually, spiritually and practically.
All I Ever Wanted Was A Window
John West
Pardalote Press
ISBN 0-957-8436-2-3, $TBA 61pgs
The poems in John West's fourth collection of poetry are strong, stark, and filled with a very
ordinary ennui and pain that most readers will be able to relate to. At 61 pages, this slim volume
contains an equal number of poems generally one to a page. Most of the poems take their
landscape
from the Australian environment - the hot summer, dust, local icons, specific locations and lingo
informing a kind of personal sadness and longing for something beyond the endless days, nursing
home duties, friends long gone, scars both internal and external and addiction.
Some of the recurring themes include the evocative mercy of death, the awkward pain of the teen
years, as typified by West's son Matthew, aging, alcoholism and recovery (AA), and a kind of late
mid-life crisis of meaning coupled with the odd moment of perfection. Death is everywhere
though,
particularly in his odes to other poets now gone - one perhaps a friend, as in the Newcastle Prize
commended "Mowing the Lawn with Michael Dransfield" which compares a sudden death to "this
endless scratch of living":
"You can't expect forgiveness for your endless lack of belly, the way that you escaped from
Malcolm
Fraser, from planning your retirement, from haemorrhoids, the terrors of retrenchment, from
weekend access visits."
Similarly "Waking Up With Philip Larkin" romanticises the release that death brings from the
mediocrity and ugliness of aging:
"no unruly veins, just rest, rest, and nuzzling the moist black honeycombe kept hidden
underground."
In "Watery Eye" we face the standard sort of impending death heralded by a sign of aging:
"It's all so suddenly close this toppling backwards into coffins, this kneading your body to your
grave"
The poems are simply written and easy to enter, but there is always the twist at the ending which
brings home the truth - the real meaning of the poem:
"it's like waking at night in a razor factory naked."
In the teenage poems we feel sympathy with the awkward ill fitting youths, or most powerfully
with
the sense of waste and a lost future, in an ode to his son's dead friend, only "15 & 1/3":
"Mouths are open now, eyes quirt tears, heads are shaken but there are only questions, fluttering
all
around us like a swarm of butterflies."
Many of the poems towards the end of the book are written out of West's work in a rehabilitation
hospital, and look at the pain of aging, and the pain of observing and ministering to the aged,
infirm
and dying with their coated scrotums, handfuls of pills in different colours and loneliness:
"people with pickets filled with the marble chips of dreams the bluestone chunks of age"
Everywhere there is boredom, pain, death and sadness, but these poems are neither empty nor
depressing. There is always a glimmer of light somewhere, that moment of joy, however, brief
and
already passed as in "A Perfect Autumn Day" or "Canoeing," or in the best instance, the last poem
of the collection, "Daylesford Weekend":
"and so I fidget, but slowly the sky is prinnkled with stars and th enight hten blossems into
morning
into another afternoon and awkward hugs of farewell and I have finally returned to the
stammering
world of need, of people of love."
For more information on All I Ever Wanted Was a Window visit:
http://www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au/warrickw/poetry/john_launch.htm
The Blind Season: Common Threads in the Life
Ronald L. Donaghe
Writers Club Press/www.rondonaghe.com
2001/$19.95/368 Pages/ISBN: 0595189768
In the middle 1980s, author Ronald Donaghe envisioned a four book series which he called
Common Threads in the Life. The initial book, Common Sons, was published in 1989 and found
a
cult audience, particularly among youth, both gay and lesbian, who were struggling with their own
coming out issues. Then it took well over a decade to bring the sequel to fruition. The Blind
Season
is that long-awaited sequel and is the continued story of Joel Reece and Tom Allen, two young
men
from Common, New Mexico. The sequel picks up in 1970, four years after Common Sons left
off.
The two boys are now young men who live together, work on Joel's parents' farm, and consider
themselves married. Though the townspeople continue to be suspicious, prejudiced, and
unsupporting, Tom and Joel are mostly happy-but not entirely happy because they want children
of
their own.
The boys set out to find a young woman to carry their child, and they meet Sharon Minninger,
who
is a shunned Mennonite runaway living over the border in Mexico. Sharon has dreams of her
own,
including getting an education and making something of herself. She agrees to bear Tom and
Joel's
child in return for help to go to college. The circumstances of the baby's conception, Sharon's
pregnancy, and the little girl who is subsequently born bring strong feelings out in the open from
the
townspeople and from Tom and Joel's families as well. The story of how they navigate all of this
is
suspenseful, dramatic, and touching. While many people are against Tom and Joel - particularly
the
vicious, latent homosexual police officer in town - they gradually find others like Margaret, the
low-key lesbian from the local diner, who support and encourage them. In addition, there are
some
real surprises from members of their families.
This story evoked a tear or two along with a few chuckles. It's lively, entertaining, and a highly
effective sequel to Common Sons. Mr. Donaghe is a talented writer who continues to put a
realistic
and reflective face on the gay young men about whom he writes. This is a book anyone from high
school to age 100 could enjoy, and I highly recommend both this book and the series.
Winged Isis
Jean Stewart
Bella Books
2002/$11.95/232 Pages/ISBN: 1931513015, www.bellabooks.com
From 1992 to 1995, Jean Stewart published three speculative adventure/romance books about the
women of Isis (Return to Isis, Isis Rising, and Warriors of Isis). Upon completion of that trilogy,
it
seemed that the story of the Isis society and the two main characters, Whit and Kali, was
completed.
Not so. Stewart surprises and delights with a new trilogy beginning with Winged Isis.
The women of Isis live in Freeland, a democratic city-colony on one half of the U.S., which is
protected by an invisible Border. On the other side is Elysium where religious fanatics, corrupt
men,
and the regulators, a
Gestapo-type of police force live violent, miserable lives. The highly technological and deadly
Elysium men want nothing more than to destroy Isis and take their resources, and only the Border
shield powered from the
satellites is stopping them. They have been kept out for over eight decades, but now the Border
shows signs of decay and breakdown.
Tomyris "Whit" Whitaker and her psychologically adept partner, Kali Tyler, are leaders in Isis
who
want to prevent disaster before the Border breaks down. The satellites which power the invisible
shield must be repaired. But there is dissension in the ranks as well as treachery and sabotage.
Can
the satellites be repaired? And what sacrifices will be made? Kali is pregnant with their child.
Will
they manage to maintain a society that is safe for their unborn daughter and for all children? Or
will
they fall prey to the violent, fundamentalist Elysians?
Jean Stewart has created a fascinating society that is especially interesting because harmony is not
necessarily the state of affairs in Isis. Unlike many Utopias, the women of Isis disagree and fight
about things, and power struggles are typical. The secondary characters are strong and fully
fleshed
out, and provide a worthy counterpoint to Kali and Whit's struggles on behalf of Isis.
Stewart's writing style is crisp and clear. She gives enough back story to thoroughly ground this
new trilogy in the facts of the previous books without overwhelming the reader, and then she
moves
quickly into the meat of
the conflict. Unlike many sci-fi/fantasy stories, the author doesn't resort to magic and highly
fantastical tricks. The women in Isis are scientifically and psychologically gifted, and they use
those
talents as much as possible, but their society is not a world of sorcery and magicians. This places
Stewart's work in its own special category: a hybrid of science fiction, adventure, and romance in
a
uniquely lesbian framework.
Winged Isis has a complex plot, a fast pace, compelling characters, and a surprise ending that will
leave the reader excited and ready for the next book in the series, which, one can only hope, will
be
published soon.
Winged Isis is marvelous storytelling, and I give Stewart sincere kudos for bringing the women of
Isis back to life again.
Up: A Novel
Lisa Jones
Sticky Press
2002/$12.95/121 pages/ISBN: 0971530904 www.stickypress.com
Becky Pine graduates from college and smack dab into the realization that she is lesbian. Just to
be
sure, she goes out on the town, meets a woman named Marta, and sleeps with her. Sure enough,
she's gay. Becky calmly reports this news to her parents, jumps in the car, and heads out of
Colorado toward what she hopes will be a more gay friendly life in L.A. where Marta just happens
to live. She moves into a gay-friendly neighborhood and tells us she "hoped that a motherly
lesbian
couple would knock on my door and give me Bundt cake. I imagined a sisterhood of women like
woodland nymphs adorning me with flower garlands. There would be singing, dancing, as I was
inducted into a lesbian society of mutual support. At the very least I expected a few friendly
hellos.
This was not to be."
Alone and lonely, Becky gets a job at a car dealership and learns a lot about the business of roping
people into buying vehicles. Squatty is her boss. Gil is the sleazy lead salesman, ready to betray a
coworker in an instant. Reynolds is another salesman who is more ethical. An "Up" is the sucker
the salesperson tries to get to buy something. Becky is only marginally successful with her Ups.
She can sell the buyer on the car, but the weaseling and obfuscation of closing the monetary deal
is
not her best skill. "At Southland Auto Acres, selling and screwing are interchangeable concepts."
Becky is not very good at screwing. Literally. We find that
out in one bizarre scene with Gil.
In boredom and loneliness, Becky looks up Marta, the woman from the one night stand in
Colorado.
This leads to a series of misadventures, including much bad blood from Marta's lover, Joy. It also
gives Becky the chance to focus her 'gaydar' on Linnie, a straight woman who is engaged to a man
but who has all her meaningful relationships with lesbians. Becky believes Linnie is running from
her
true sexual orientation, and Becky becomes enamored with her, intent on winning the other
woman
over. Disaster follows swiftly.
Jones' writing style is fresh, humorous and entertaining. Her characters are drolly sketched, and
seeing things through Becky's eyes is often highly amusing. It becomes abundantly clear early on
that Becky has no clue what she wants in the car lot of life, and the only way for her to find out is
to
get into the metaphorical car and experience it. The test drives she takes lead to disaster far more
often than not, but she is a fast learner after all.
At a mere 121 pages, the book could have been longer, but Jones packs a lot into those pages,
and
the story is resolved effectively. If you enjoy clever dialogue, funny turns of phrase, and a coming
out plot that manages
to be both wacky and reflective, then Up: A Novel will entertain you immensely.
Word Work: Surviving and Thriving as a Writer
Bruce Holland Rogers
Invisible Cities Press
2002/$16.95/256 Pages/ISBN: 1931229171 www.invisiblecitiespress.com
About this book, Damon Knight said, "These brilliant essays illuminate the art of writing in a way
I
have never seen before." That is exactly what Bruce Holland Rogers has accomplished, and Mr.
Knight is right.
Many writing books give the reader specific technical instruction followed by batches of writing
exercises. Not so with this one. Although Rogers shares ideas for getting around writing
problems
(procrastination, networking, writer's block, taking rejections, etc.), he concentrates on the entire
world of being a writer. He shares what he knows in essay format in such a way that any
reflective,
working writer can benefit. I was especially taken by the chapter, "Death and the Day Job," in
which
Rogers discusses the real reasons we should think about and focus upon our writing and why we
do
it.
This is a book for thinkers, doers, achievers, and all those who want to work toward
accomplishments in any realm of writing. It reads like a wise, but humble, mentor is sharing the
information, and the entire book is
peppered with humor and information about other writers and their processes.
I give this book high marks and recommend it to all thoughtful and reflective writers who are
working at a career in writing.
Lori L. Lake
Reviewer
Liana's Bookshelf
God Exists: An Engineer Explains Why
Peter Soszek
e book, $TBA 156 pp
Peter Soszek, an engineer, had decided that he would write an e book about God. Although he
does
not consider himself a writer, yet, after a long time he has finally reached his goal. He has become
a
writer and through his book about God he wants to help people live a happier life.
GOD EXISTS is a philosophy book based on the writer's observations throughout the years, from
his childhood till now. Peter tries to unveil the mysteries around us in a simple way and each
opinion
of his is carefully illustrated by examples of everyday life. This book is actually written by a simple
man and is addressed to simple people who wish to think about God's existence.
'"Do I believe that there is a god?" The question is very private for a variety of reasons,' the writer
says at the introduction of the book. ' The purpose of this e book is to present my perspective and
to
explain just some of the reasons why I know, without a doubt, that there is God.'
'In terms of happiness, I hope that this material will help those people who find themselves stuck
at
the edge of the fence, choose and get on the right side of the fence,' Peter says.
The book is divided into three sections:
The first section explains what the author feels are some very fundamental concepts and is
important
to the overall understanding of the later parts of the book. The second section addresses his
perspectives and outlooks on the various sciences: physics, mathematics, engineering, chemistry,
biology, a little astronomy and evolution. The third section consists of the writer's answers to
what
he thinks are common challenges issued be people on whether or not God exists.
GOD EXISTS contains 16 chapters. The first one, Forces of Simplification, deals with a theory
about the universe and a force that exists. Peter describes "the law of simplification" in plain
words
for the readers to understand.
'In summary, no matter what a person may create during their lifetime, no matter how complex
the
item, the Forces of Simplification will eventually act on that item and reduce it to a simpler and
more
random form,' the author says.
Chapter two is about Possibility and Probability, and Peter's theories are supported by events from
his childhood, while in chapter three, The Super Labs vs The Primordial Organic Soup, the writer
displays the hypothetical challenge of Science vs Nature.
In chapter four, Peter's theory is based on physics, and chapter five deals with chemistry.
Biology comes next, where the writer says:
'Does Biology have a unifying theory of life, basic laws, or a "mathematics" of biology that allows
a
description of the laws and any systematic advancements?' Peter tries to analyze that question in
depth.
Chapters seven, The Ant and the Universe, is a section where the author recalls certain events
from
his childhood related to ants and the philosophy of life, while, chapter eight . deals with the
Theory
of Evolution. Chapter nine hits the point : If There is a God, Why is God Punishing Us All? Read
Peter's viewpoint and find out.
The tenth chapter, Why Doesn't God just Give me a Sign?, tries to analyze the popular question
for
people who have doubts about the existence of God, while chapter eleven, A Calculation of God's
Power, answers the question of how powerful God would be.
In chapter twelve, the readers will come to grips with The Ten Commandments :
'We need law and order . That is the tough part,' the writer says.
Who has The Most Toys Wins is the thirteenth chapter where Peter says:
'Yeah Right. It is the old- "the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer". This is a
very
distressing situation and collectively we have to start changing some attitudes in people about
this.'
The following chapter, The Lottery of Life, is about the attraction of gambling and the disastrous
results:
'The problem is that our soul and this innate sense we feel is beyond all of our regular human
senses
and any scientific detection methods that may exist. Is this all a part of the sixth sense that we are
supposed to have?'
Next comes Fate and Faith: The extreme odd couple.
'Is it according to Fate or Faith? The choice likely reflects on our mental outlook, how we act or
behave, and even how people view us,' Peter says.
In the last chapter, Conclusion, the writer gives his answers to the previously mentioned concepts,
and finally states:
'Please, choose to believe in God. This work has been meant to help and not to hurt. God bless
you.'
GOD EXISTS is a inspiring e book, simply written and enjoyable to read . The theories of the
writer
are well supported by examples of daily life. It caters to everybody who wants to research this
issue
and is meant to help people become happier.
You can visit Peter's site at http://www.mts.net/~pekored and read the e book . It is free.
Now We're Cooking! 43 authors in the kitchen.
Eva Kende
E book, 2001, $TBA 126 pp
Eva Kende is the lead author of this inspirational e book that is actually a live link to all 43
contributing authors from all over the world. All contributors are authors in a variety of genre and
it
is quite interesting to be able to reach each one of them through their web site address that is
displayed in the last section of the book.
NOW WE'RE COOKING! 43 authors in the kitchen is a revolutionary cookbook! Some readers
may wonder though: "What is this cookbook about? Why is it free? And how did it get started?"
Eva gives all the answers at the introduction of the book which is worth reading before you move
to
the recipes.
"A group of talented authors from all over the world got together over the Internet to share our
passion for electronic books and for food," the writers says. 'These recipes are the home -cooking
family favorites we use every day "
Eva urges the readers to contact them:
"You can email any of us from our web sites . We'd love to hear from you".
Apart from the conventional Table of Contents, this book has also something innovative: A Table
of
Contents by genre! So, there is a Children's section, a Fantasy section and so on. You can use
your
imagination and search the part you would like to try.
The cookbook consists of 12 cooking sections.
The first one, Appetizers and Salads, deals with the preparation of every day dishes that will boost
us with vitamins. You should try the Simple Salad Dressing which is quick, easy and tasty, and the
Golden Fruit Salad, which is greatly refreshing and is suitable for summer and not only! Soups,
Meat
and Seafood follow, packed with delicious recipes while, Eggs and Cheese is a section that will
surprise you. Easy to make recipes and absolutely tasty can become one of your favorites. Cheese
Potatoes is an easy Irish dish that can satisfactorily fill you up any time.
Vegetables, Sides and Sauces include delicious dishes such as Tomato Tart, a tasty way to use the
harvest. Here comes the Desserts section, filled with flavor and passion for the fast and- easy
lovers, too.
Cakes and Pies comes next, with Mud Cake, a simple cocoa cake which is not only for the kids,
while, Cookies and Squares, and Breads and Rolls offer a variety of interesting foods . Try the
Honey Wheat Bread which is unbelievably moist and light.
Confections is next, while Entertaining comes along with Pastry Crunch, an easy recipe for the
party
of the kids .
At the end of the book there is a table of Common Measure Conversion, the Epilogue and the
Web
sites of contributors.
NOW WE'RE COOKING! 43 authors in the kitchen is a very informative and entertaining
cookbook that appeals to every age, and all levels: from beginners to professionals. It is clearly
laid
out and the recipes are simple and easy to make. The important thing is that you are not supposed
to
stick to the rules strictly: you can improvise and alter ingredients, and create your own recipe out
of
this book. It is a book that can inspire you!
Related Titles:
Recipe Hall of Fame Quick and Easy Cookbook, Quail Ridge Press
Finance for Managers
Richard Luecke and Samuel Hayes
Harvard Business School Press
ISBN 1578518768 $19.95
An entry in the new Harvard Business Essentials series, Finance for Managers is a primer by
Richard Luecke and Samuel Hayes which is designed to introduce non-financial managers to
business finance. Short chapters define and describe the basic elements of financial statements,
accounting, taxes, venture capitalization, budgeting, decision and investment analysis, and
business
valuation in layman's terms.
Toxic Emotions at Work
Peter Frost
Harvard Business School Press
ISBN 1578512573 $27.50
Toxicity - emotional pain - is "a normal by-product of organizational life," says University of
British
Columbia's Peter Frost. In the best book of the month, Toxic Emotions at Work: How
Compassionate Managers Handle Pain And Conflict, he describes the sources and effects of
organizational pain, the role of "toxin handlers," and strategies for defusing toxic emotions,
protecting the handlers, and creating compassionate organizations.
Ceo Capital
Leslie Gaines-Ross
Wiley
ISBN 0471268070 $29.95
For better or worse, CEO reputation is a corporate asset that must be managed, according to
consultant Gaines-Ross. Leslie Gaines-Ross' Ceo Capital: A Guide To Building CEO Reputation
And Company Success describes five characteristics of CEO reputation (being credible,
establishing
organizational ethics, effective internal communication, management teambuilding, and the ability
to
motivate and inspire) and describes how to achieve them throughout what she identifies as the five
stages of a leader's tenure.
What Clients Love
Harry Beckwith
Warner Business
ISBN 0446527556 $21.95
Marketing maven Harry Beckwith is back with What Clients Love: A Field Guide To Growing
Your
Business , a new collection of short (often less than a page) lessons in pleasing customers. He
begins
with 14 counterintuitive ideas for business planning, but the core of the book revolves around four
main themes: creating clear communications, compelling messages, reassuring brands, and caring
service.
Branded
Alissa Quart
Perseus
ISBN 0738206644 $25.00
The commercialization of kids is a burgeoning phenomenon with a dark side, according to
journalist
Alissa Quart. In Branded: The Buying And Selling of Teenagers , she argues that companies are
successfully using sex, schools and social needs to market their brands and move goods, while
teens
are being insidiously transformed into consumer-zombies unable to just say no.
More than a Pink Cadillac
Jim Underwood
McGraw-Hill
ISBN 0071408398 $21.95
In More than a Pink Cadillac: Mary Kay Inc.'s 9 Leadership Keys To Success , management
professional Jim Underwood uses Mary Kay, Inc. to illustrate nine management principles
including
building a unifying brand, value-based leadership, maintaining a higher purpose, continuous
innovation, etc. In doing so, he shows how Mary Kay grew from a $5,000 investment into a $2
billion company with 900,000 sales reps in 33 countries.
In the Company of Owners
Joseph Blasi, Douglas Kruse & Aaron Bernstein
Basic Books
ISBN 0465007007 $27.50
Greedy top execs aside, the authors argue that stock options serve as the enabler of "partnership
capitalism" and should be offered to all employees. They prove their point in In the Company of
Owners: The Truth About Stock Options (And Why You Should Have Them) by exploring the
history of employee stock options and analyzing the results they deliver to investors and
employees
alike.
The One Minute Apology
Ken Blanchard and Margret McBride
Morrow
ISBN 0688169813 $19.95
The timing seems particularly ripe for The One Minute Apology: A Powerful Way To Make
Things
Better , a fast, simple business guide to the mea culpa. Ken Blanchard and literary agent Margret
McBride call on the One Minute Manager to once again solve a management crisis - this time by
teaching the mechanics behind an apology that can raise self-awareness, heal relationships, and
create a commitment to future improvement.
Attitude 101: What Every Leader Needs To Know
John Maxwell
Thomas Nelson
ISBN 0785263500 $9.99
"Attitude can make or break you," writes leadership guru John Maxwell in Attitude 101: What
Every Leader Needs To Know , a fast, motivational read. With plain prose, short anecdotes and
quotes, he explains the power of attitude, describes how attitudes are shaped and changed, and
how
to approach both failure and success with a positive, productive mindset.
It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys
Marilyn Paul
Viking Compass
ISBN 0670031941 $24.95
Writing for the chronically disorganized, OD consultant Marilyn Paul promises that an organized
life
yields "more self-confidence, more energy, and more joy." Her Seven-Step Change Process delves
deep for the roots of the problem and establishes a purpose and vision for a more organized life.
It's
Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys: The Seven-Step Path To Becoming
Truly Organized is supported with plenty of practical techniques and exercises.
The Value Profit Chain
James Heskett, W. Earl Sasser, Jr., & Leonard Schlesinger
The Free Press
ISBN 0743225694 $35.00
James Heskett, W. Earl Sasser, Jr., & Leonard Schlesinger teamup to examine thirty years of
research and anecdotal evidence to prove the efficacy of the "value profit chain" (happy
employees =
happy customers = profits). The Value Profit Chain: Treat Employees Like Customers And
Customers Like Employees describes the "performance trinity" -- leadership and management,
culture and values, and vision and strategy - and how it is used to fulfill the equation.
Mastering Alliance Strategy
James Bamford, Benjamin Gomes-Casseres & Michael Robinson
Jossey-Bass
ISBN 078796462X $45.00
Mastering Alliance Strategy: A Comprehensive Guide To Design, Management, and Organization
is
a compendium which is drawn from the archives of the now-defunct magazine, The Alliance
Analyst. The articles have been updated and edited around four major topics: designing alliances,
managing alliances, creating alliance constellations, and developing internal alliance
competence.
Competitive Solutions
R. Preston McAfee
Princeton University Press
ISBN 0691096465 $59.50
Based on the idea that strategy is often situational, University of Texas's R. Preseton McAfee
delivers an impressively encyclopedic selection of strategic concepts in Competitive Solutions:
The
Strategist's Toolkit . The tools cover a wide range of purposes (industry analysis, labor
bargaining,
pricing, compensation and incentives, product life cycles, etc.), include technical instructions for
use,
and are illustrated with short case studies.
The Little Website That Could
Lynne Schlumpf
Route 66 Cyber Cafe, Inc.
9222 S 36th West Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74132
ISBN 0971806132 $24.95, eBook
The Internet is becoming a booming retail business. Anyone can have a website selling items from
apricots to customized ziplock bags. To the untrained eye, it's quite seamless to log on and click
the
check-out icons. For the most part, many sites do not change their main design often. This might
give the impression of a maintenance free operation. Okay, so you want to start your own site.
Don't
let these appearances fool you. Do your homework first, and gain knowledge from those who
learned the hard way.
"The Little Website That Could" hauls all of the information you need to know about steering a
virtual freight train, from the engine to the caboose. It begins to chug along with getting your
business started as a corporation. The chapters of lessons learned along the way, tips about
marketing with ezines, and suggestions for looking like a big corporation are the first few cars of
the
train. Information about search engines, ebooks, and affiliate programs fuel the other chapters and
the dogs running by can't catch up with you. Be sure to read the ebooklet "How I Turned An
Ordinary Hobby Into My Wildest Dreams." With a little determination, you too can have
extraordinary success with your website.
Lynne Schlumpf describes her entire website experience in this book. She loves trains, and the
moral
of the story "The Little That Could" has always stuck with her. This book is a result of the
success
and failures from 8 years of researching internet marketing and operating her website Route 66
Cyber Cafe. I would recommend "The Little Website That Could" to all entrepreneurs who want
to
drive a successful internet freight train.
Release Your Unique Potential
Ronnee McGee
ChooseToExcel
2900 Government Way, #320, Coeur d' Alene, ID 83815
ISBN 1-891429-46-9 $11.95
The art from of writing has an ancient history. Studies show that writing can relive stress and
reduce
the symptoms of many chronic illnesses. Writing can also be used as an aid for personal or
professional growth. Great writing is not mandatory. Don't worry about grammatical errors or
sentence structure. The only requirement is a desire to see the picture of whom you are at the
core
with a willingness to change.
"Release Your Unique Potential" qualifies as an excellent snapshot guide for professional growth.
The twelve lessons focus on the panoramic scene of your career, and encourage you to peer
through
the zoom lense for close up snapshots. Timed assignments are provided for quiet reflection and
workbook entries enhance your individual life photographs. If you set aside just six hours of one
day, your successful career becomes an album filled with multiple proofs for self evaluation to
release your unique potential.
Ronnee McGee summaries her experience as a Career Guidance Performance trainer into a very
educational book. She realized not everyone can participate in her seminars, so she creatively
brought the seminar to the reader in book form. By studying and practicing the ideas which she
teaches, Ms. McGee lives the successful life that she imagined, and she wants the same for
everyone.
I would recommend "Release Your Unique Potential" to anyone who wants a change from the
hum
drum of their current career.
The Book
Bonnie Elaine Doss
DLSIJ Press
http://dlsijpress.com
ISBN 1-928973-93-0, eBook
When was the last time you weren't really concentrating on where you were going, and you
missed
the turn or exit to your destination? Then, when you try to get back on track, it seemed long and
cumbersome. So, eventually you gave up going to that location, and arrived at another spot in the
vicinity. Once at the new destination, there is someone you haven't seen in quite awhile, and
you're
glad your initial plans were rearranged. Chalk it up to a coincidence?
"The Book" emphasizes that every encounter in life is a culmination of your journey in life. There
are no coincidences; everything happens for a reason. With Avatar as our spiritual mentor, we are
guided to raise our conscious minds to a greater awareness of life events. Avatar walks with us
through thunderstorms, pre-dawn mornings and moonlit nights to help each of us find our own
Truth. As an esoteric traveler, the entire journey will take approximately one year, in order to
transform your world into one which is fully enlightened, fully awakened and fully enriched.
Bonnie Elaine Doss writes as if she personally knows the reader. She combines ancient wisdom
for
many cultures to teach a systematic approach to higher wisdom. Her vivid imagery captured me
as if
I was not reading her words, but actually listening to her speak in person. Her soft calm voice
encouraged me to find a beautiful meaning in every single event in my life. That's one of The
Truths
I found. Although the title of the book is quite pretentious, I would recommend "The Book" for
anyone seeking the wisdom of their life through self-transformation.
A Fine Work of Art
Shelby Reed
Ellora's cave
ISBN 1843603608, $TBA, www.ellorascave.com
Elizabeth is an art teacher. She's middle aged and is going through a particularly painful divorce.
Her
husband has just left her for a beautiful woman half Elizabeth's age, and Elizabeth is feeling very
low. So it's with first disbelief, then amazement tinged with regret, that she realizes that Boone
McCrea, her very handsome, talented art student has a crush her. Boone is twelve years her
junior,
and although he's twenty four and she's, well, in her mind she's way too old for him. But his
attentions flatter her and he cheers her up when she's feeling blue. He seems to be there for her
when
she needs him, and to her surprise, she finds herself more and more attracted to him. She resists
though, and it takes Boone a while to find the seduction scene that works; and surprise when
they
are together, sparks fly. But things don't always go smoothly in romances, as in real life. Elizabeth
has troubles besetting her as her ex-husband shows up. Then she had problems at work, and
Boone
and Elizabeth find themselves struggling against the prejudices of others.
This love story had me hooked. I've always liked the older woman, younger man scenario, and
this
one was unusual in that the younger man took the initiative, was more experienced, and generally
took over. Elizabeth is no weak heroine though. She's smart and she's sexy it took Boone to
convince her of that though! And she's a talented painter in her own right. If you like your love
stories with more than a touch of realism, your characters well rounded and the story clear, you'll
really enjoy 'A Fine Work of Art.' The sex scenes are sizzling, and the chemistry between
Elizabeth
and Boone keeps this story moving along at a fast pace. Highly Recommended.
Vanished
Jaid Black
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1843603357, $TBA, www.ellorascave.com
Lynne Temple, her red SUV full of her belongings, is driving towards a new life, a new home and
a
new job. Little does she suspect that the tranquil future she's had in mind is about to fall apart.
One
wrong turn, and her life will never be the same. In the snowstorm, her car goes into a spin and
crashes. Lynn passes out, but not before seeing the man. A tall man, who, for some reason, seems
to
be wearing chains. When Lynne wakes up, her worst fears are realized. She's not dead but she
may
wish she were dead. There is a man with her, and she instantly recognizes him as the serial killer
rapist, who had stalked his victims all up and down the east coast. He must have escaped and now
she's his hostage. They are alone in a little cabin, miles away from anyone. Panicked, Lynne
decides
she'll do anything anything to save herself. Including offering her body to the killer. She wants to
live. Jesse Redshaw has escaped prison. He was falsely accused, and now he wants nothing to
prove
his innocence. But a woman crashes her car right in front of him, and he saved her life. When she
wakes up, three days later, she's convinced he's a deadly assassin, and before he can explain, she's
stripped off her clothes and begging him to screw her. Well, what's a man to do? Especially one
who's been in prison for a while, and who has an admitted taste for a little bondage? This story is
a
fast read, with likeable characters and a scary, yet amusing premise. Ms. Black is a superb writer,
and the story had me turning pages until way after midnight to see what would happen! A little
menacing, a lot sexy, this story is one of those 'grab you and won't let you go' tales that go on the
keeper shelf. I highly recommend 'Vanished'.
Hansell and Gretty
Sahara Kelly
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1843603411, $TBA, www.ellorascave.com
Ellora's Cave has decided to issue take-offs on Grimm's fairy tales. They've asked their authors to
choose one and rewrite it in their fashion, with an erotic, romantic streak. Sahara Kelly has chosen
the spooky Hansel and Gretel for her story, and the result it nothing like you've ever read in a
fairy
tale book! Emma Hansell is a graphic artist, and for years has been in love with Michael Gretty.
They have a long-distance relationship, until the day Michael begs Emma to move to the East
Coast.
He even goes so far as to get her an interview with the boss of his company, Enchanted Cottage,
Inc. so she can work with him. Emma gets the job and moves in with Michael. Everything is
perfect.
Almost. There is, however, a wicked witch in the story. Or wicked Wietsch. Jasmine Wietsch.
She's
the new CIO and has an unshakable, voracious appetite for new blood. Or in this case, young,
handsome men. And those who do not play along with her game find themselves fired. But she
manages to keep this aspect of her personality hidden. So, when Jasmine invites Michael and
Emma
to her house for a working weekend, they don't suspect it is so that Jasmine can feast on Michael.
There is even a big, bad W
