Women At Risk : We Also Served
Noonie Fortin
Writers Club Press
c/o iUniverse, Inc.
5220 S. 16th St., Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
ISBN 0595214940, $24.95, 466 pages, www.iuniverse.com
Donna Eggett
Reviewer
Interested in military history? Here's a book to round out your information. With heroes on every
page, Women At Risk by Noonie Fortin, rolls out an engrossing panorama of brave women who
have served their country faithfully, shedding their blood, giving their lives, using their talents,
fighting beside and saving their fellows. Covering American history from before W.W.II to
present
day, chapter by chapter you meet these brave, resourceful women, including: Jean Hayes,
following
family tradition as she joined the Coast Guard in W.W.II; Laura Dunlop, cryptologist during the
Korean War; Bernice Whiteside, volunteer Army nurse in Vietnam; Pam Waterston, an Army
Heavy
Equipment Operator serving in the Persian Gulf, watched, wished, hoped and prayed as she
served
with her fellow soldiers on ammunition guard duty at the Port of Al Jubayl.
Having given twenty-two years of service, Vietnam Era veteran, First Sergeant Noonie Fortin
knows her subject intimately. Fortin interviewed each women personally before including them in
this book. Written in simple, potent language, with appealing detail and many photographs,
Women
At Risk, provides interesting reading for a wide age spread, middle school through adult.
Libraries,
schools and individuals will find it a useful reference book. Several practical appendices add to the
convenience of this book: bibliography; listing of service organizations; roll call of women looking
for military buddies; glossary; an exhaustive index; suggested activities for students.
Waking Walt
Larry Pontius
Writer's Showcase
c/o iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Ste. 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
phone 877.823.9235, http://www.iuniverse.com
059525425X (trade paper); 0595651658 (hardback); Price: $22.95 (trade paper); $32.95
(hardback)
Ed Teja
Reviewer
BLURB: "Could it be true; Walt Disney was never cremated and buried at Forest Lawn as the
official story goes? Imagine that, for nearly 40 years, the entertainment genius has been in cryonic
suspension, waiting to return when a cure for his lung cancer is found. Now, an experimental drug
being tested looks like the answer. The waiting is almost over."
REVIEW: The hunt for immortality is the stuff of legend. Almost everything about Walt
Disney his creative genius, his struggle to put genius and art ahead of business concerns is also
mired in legend. Combining these two is not such a reach. When a man has spent his life
successfully
defeating what others consider insurmountable objects and objections, why should he view the
supposed inevitability of his own death differently? In this imaginative story he doesn't. Walt
Disney
lived with emerging technologies, and Larry Pontius postulates that perhaps he might have turned
to
them to postpone death until medical technology could find a cure for his cancer.
Waking Walt pivots on an intriguing "what if" science fiction premise, but technology is not the
issue here. Pontius wisely doesn't let the book limp along in an academic exploration of the
problems
and blessings that derive from medical advances. Instead, he skillfully constructs mystery thriller
where those legal, medical, economic and ethical issues escalate into a suspenseful struggle for life
and death.
Pontius, who has worked for the Disney company, portrays a very vivid and human Walt Disney
who must grapple with today's quite different business world, the changes in American life, and
his
own unfulfilled ambitions. That alone might make an interesting, if somewhat pastoral, book. But
Waking Walt doesn't settle for being a novel about the possibilities of Walt Disney reanimated.
Instead it takes a look at the darker implications, for the re-emergence of a famous person affects
the lives of others, not least those who bring him back to consciousness. For those not involved in
bringing Walt back, his return represents more than an inconvenience. Pontius introduces a
diverse
collection of characters who view Disney's return in very personal terms of profit or loss, and act
accordingly. This cauldron cooks up a story filled with twists and turns, suspicions and doubts
that
holds up until the end of the book. Or is it the end?
The Golden Hour
Helen J. Stanphill
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1-59129-352-9, $19.95 U.S., 188 pps, www.publishamerica.com
What I like most about The Golden Hour by Helen J. Stanphill is that the father character, Dr.
Aaron Hall, who abandons his wife and six-year-old daughter, Rebekah, is portrayed as a complex
individual, not a monster, not a no-good, but a man the reader can understand and even
sympathize
with, something not often encountered in literature concerning men who abandon their
families.
Another thing I like about this novel set in 1830s Mississippi, and later, in Savannah, Georgia, is
the
natural way it leads Rebekah, who is combating bitterness and resentfulness to the transforming
power of God's love.
Stanphill also tackles the issue of slavery in her first novel, providing a glimpse of an immoral
institution thirty years before the Civil War, depicting the ambivalence felt by many whites about
its
violence. When Rebekah witnesses the hanging of a runaway slave, she is disturbed but
internalizes
her discomfort, "I didn't even know her. There's no call to be carrying on about a stranger like
this,
especially some Negro who broke the law."
This novel is not "politically correct" and that is another of its strengths. Stanphill, who was born
and raised in Virginia's Tidewater region and who worked with teenagers as a youth pastor, stays
true to the era down to the dialect spoken by the household slave Isabelle...and she does it
well.
Despite a weak ending, the last scene leaps unaccountably into the future. The Golden Hour is an
excellent depiction of a young woman's quest for closure and ultimately to God. In fact, because
of
the author's engaging writing style, I found myself wishing for more elaboration, more
description,
and more information about the characters. Considering the complex issues alluded to in the novel
and its genre (historical fiction), the novel could have been double its length and I would have
been
doubly satisfied.
If Stanphill intended this book for a young adult audience, it's probably the right length, but if she
intended it for an adult historical fiction readership, she probably missed the mark (at least as far
as
length is concerned).
Ultimately, whether the length of this novel at 188 pages is an asset or a weakness is for other
readers to decide. I would have liked more.
The Search for the "Manchurian Candidate"
John Marks
W. W. Norton and Company
500 Fifth Avenue, NY NY 10110
0393307948, $13.95, 264 pages, 1-800-233-4830
Bill Labrie
Reviewer
Years after his retirement George White, the hard-boiled former narcotics agent employed by the
CIA to conduct drug-based mind control experiments, wrote a letter to his former boss Dr. Sid
Gottlieb. In a few sentences White summed up his almost ten-years of participation in the
program:
I was a very minor missionary, actually a heretic, but I toiled wholeheartedly in the vineyards
because it was fun, fun, fun. Where else could a red-blooded American boy lie, kill, cheat, steal,
rape, and pillage with the sanction and blessing of the All-Highest?"
This book documents top-secret mind-control experiments conducted by the CIA during the cold
war. The research program--initially called MKULTRA--arose in response to fears that the
Soviets
and Chinese had perfected some super-technique of psychic manipulation.
Marks sets the stage in 1943 with three events that prefigure the rest of the drama. He begins with
a
description of the first LSD trip ever: undertaken by the inventor of the substance, Albert
Hoffman.
At the same time Hoffman was tripping at the Sandoz lab in Switzerland, the Nazi doctors of the
S.S. were conducting brutal experiments on the inmates of Dachau concentration camp in the
name
of science and defense. Meanwhile, the American OSS --- a precursor to the CIA-was on the trail
of
a "truth drug" that would ensure a prisoner's total complaisance to interrogation. These three
contemporaneous factors set the stage for later developments in American mind control.
With the Nazis' defeat the Soviets became the main subjects of US intelligence efforts. In 1949
Hungarian cleric Josef Cardinal Mindszenty blandly read a prepared confession of his crimes
against
the country's Soviet puppet government and was sentenced to life in prison. Observers at the CIA
became convinced his confession was made under the influence of "some unknown force" the
Soviets had mastered. Within months, a team of CIA psychiatrists and "operations specialists"
were
in a farmhouse in Germany, trying various chemical and psychological techniques on suspected
double agents in an attempt to replicate what the CIA suspected the Soviets were already capable
of
doing.
The early drug experiments by the OSS and later the CIA used some combination of typical
narcotics like marijuana, nembutal, and Benzedrine. Later the CIA discovered the wonders of
LSD,
mushrooms and other even more potent hallucinogens. At the same time hypnosis was evaluated
as
a programming and interrogation tool. All were tested most extensively on subjects who were
considered secondary members of society.
Perhaps the most entertaining (or sadly telling) aspect of the book is in just how enthusiastically
members of the CIA and its co-conspirators pursued this part of the operation. George White was
hired to set up "safe houses" in New York and San Francisco where he could observe the
CIA-sponsored, drug-saturated cavorts of prostitutes and johns while seated on a toilet situated
behind a two-way mirror, a pitcher full of martinis close at hand. White was one of the field
operatives who ran real-life trials of the drugs and techniques devised by Sid Gottlieb, Dr. James
Moore, and others in the CIA laboratory. A number scientists conscientiously tried the new
substances on themselves (and each other) at least once before releasing them for field-testing,
and
not always with predictable outcomes. A tragic chapter concerns the death of Government
scientist
Dr. Frank Olson, whose "bad trip" started with Sid Gottlieb slipping him LSD at a weekend
meeting
and ended with Olson splattered on the concrete in front of a Manhattan hotel after jumping from
his
10th floor room.
These experiments were done in the name of defense against the Communist treat. The hysteria of
the early Cold War years somewhat explains how ordinarily straight-laced agents of the CIA,
college
professors, doctors, and policemen became entangled in what became a two-decade-long drug
and
sex party with overtones of murder, suicide, and torture. Many things the "establishment" would
later condemn about the hippie counterculture of he 1960's were first experienced, tested, and
exploited by paid agents of the US Government, convinced they carried the flag of the free world.
After almost twenty-five years and over ten million dollars, MKULTRA and its descendents
hadn't
delivered any sure-fire method of turning men into puppets and its contribution to national
security
was negligible. However it did provide a lot of Government-sponsored prurient fun for those
involved.
John Marks writes well and his research is superb. His style is serious though never ponderous.
The
book sprang from information that came to light during the Church Committee hearings during
the
mid-seventies on covert CIA activities. Invoking the Freedom of Information Act, Marks obtained
seven boxes of information specifically concerning the mind control efforts of the CIA. He
combines
this exhaustive research with background interviews, some of them with sources who insisted on
remaining anonymous. Given the cloak of extreme secrecy around the subject matter, the depth of
information he presents is impressive. This book will further convince the reader of the dangers
posed by government agencies given carte blanche to combat threats to national security.
Cheapeats Toronto 2002
Alexandra Clark
Plethora Press
599B Yonge Street, Suite 279, Toronto, ON M4Y 1Z4
ISBN: 0-9731201-0-X, $9.95, www.cheapeatstoronto.com
David Leonhardt and Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Reviewers
http://www.TheHappyGuy.com
Most regional or local books retain regional or local recognition. But every now and then a
regional
title appears for the world to devour. Such is Cheapeats Toronto, a guide to good food for
budget-savvy diners from around the corner and travelers from around the globe. To properly
review this book, David Leonhardt, who until recently lived in the heart of Toronto, and Carolyn
Howard-Johnson, from the opposite end of the continent, have teamed up to share their
impressions.
FROM LOS ANGELES:
I am a coupon clipper. Not a Fortune 500 type with a stock portfolio that warrants such an
activity
but a diner who digs dinner on the cheap. I go through the Sunday paper scissoring dinner deals
on
everything in LA from Mexican at the Acapulco to the salad bar at Sizzler. Now something even
better has come along.
A lovely guidebook, clean and graphic, was put into my hands recently. It is called "cheapeats
toronto 2002." I was in heaven. Not only is it a nice, thick little volume but it includes inexpensive
breakfast, lunch and dinner suggestions for Canadians. Now, if these delights are cheap for
Canadians you can imagine what bargains they are when those prices are translated into the
American dollar. (Each Canadian dollar will only cost Americans about 66 cents). What is cheap
and
tasty in Toronto becomes culinary madness for an American who likes to eat!
So, what if all these restaurants are in Toronto. Toronto, here I come!
FROM TORONTO:
It seems like just yesterday that I enjoyed Montreal smoked meat at Yitz's Deli, breakfast at the
Coach House or a tropical shake at the Papaya Hut. And I don't even want to count the times I've
eaten at Fran's Diner, Caf‚ Diplomatico (Italian), and Sangham (Indian).
Aside from identifying and reviewing the best places in Toronto to fill up on a budget, Cheapeats
gives plenty of value-added information to help choose the right restaurant. In addition to the type
of food, location, and hours, the handy icons tell you in an instant which restaurants have patios,
which still allow smoking (only those that are legally registered as bars can allow smoking -
Toronto
is a breathable city!), which have friendly service, and which let you leave with a full tummy. The
reviews are concise and fun to read.
My only complaint with this handy little guide is that Mr. Greenjeans is not included (and that
place
just HAS to be a cheap eat for me to eat there every couple weeks). Maybe in the 2003 edition
(hint,
hint).
Conclusion: Cheapeats Toronto, an inexpensive book in itself, is an excellent guide for locals and
out-of-towners to enjoy good food without breaking the budget. Every city should have a
Cheapeats
book. Cheapeats New York. Cheapeats Atlanta. Cheapeats Denver. Cheapeats East Pleasant
Plain,
Iowa.
The reviewers are David Leonhardt and Carolyn Howard-Johnson, co-authors of Cooking By The
Book and Musings: Authors Do It Write. Carolyn is also author of Harkening: A Collection of
Stories Remembered and the award-winning novel This Is The Place, both at
http://www.TLT.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm. . David is also author of Climb your
Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness and publisher of Your Daily Dose of
Happiness at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html.
I can understand why Paul Collins had difficulty in finding a publisher for this book. He tells
thirteen
stories about people whom once made a mark on society and then for various reasons were
forgotten. So who were these folk he writes about, what did they do? Well some were artists,
some
writers, others showmen, scientists, horticulturists, forgers or tricksters. All in their time were
well
known, some exceptionally so, and all, for various reasons, have passed out of history's ken.
There's the story of John Banvard (1815-91), perhaps the first artist to become a millionaire in his
own lifetime. In the 1840's he explored the Mississippi River and then he sketched and painted a
'three mile' panorama of it which he exhibited as a moving panorama with commentary and piano
accompaniment - a two to three hour performance and a sort of early cinema. He made a fortune
and retired to Long Island, NY, where he built a replica of Windsor Castle (Banvard's Folly) and
could have lived in comfort for the rest of his life. But he didn't.
Then there's the story of William Ireland (b 1775) who started out life as muddle-headed boy
unable
to apply himself to anything. He was sent home from one school with a note saying that 'he was
too
stupid to be taught and to collect any further tuition fees was little better than robbing his father of
his money'. His father eventually prevailed upon a lawyer friend to take him on as a clerk. His
duties
were not onerous and in his spare time he turned to forgery. Not that he tried to embezzle or
steal.
No, he 'found', for his father's collection of old manuscripts, documents signed by William
Shakespeare and then two lost plays, Vortigern and Henry II. There was even one performance of
Vortigern, put on at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London.
Then there's John Symmes (1780-1829) who thought that the Earth was made up of concentric
spheres each inhabited by beings and all accessible via holes at the north and south poles. And
Professor Ren‚(Blondlot who became famous for the discovery of N-rays in 1903 only to have
the
whole house of cards fall in a year later. There's Fran‡ois Sudre (d.1862) who invented a universal
language, Solresol, based on musical notes. And Ephraim Bull (1806-95) who bred the first
Concorde grapes only to have more commercially minded entrepreneurs make their fortune whilst
he
gained nothing.
A story I particularly liked concerns Scottish born Thomas Dick (1774-1857) who believed that
every celestial body was inhabited. In 1835 the New York Sun reported that Sir John Herschel
had
set up an immense telescope in South Africa and could detect life on the moon - initially a field of
poppies and then animals and finally 'a sort of people'. Alas it was all a hoax created by a brash
young British expatriate Richard Locke who found the works of Dick and his ilk, then being
reprinted in the US, to tempting to pass up. It is stated that Dick was 'unamused'
The saddest story in the book concerns Delia Bacon (1811-1887) who in about 1845 became
convinced that Shakespeare could not have written the many works attributed to him. She spent
the
rest of her life trying to prove this, herself impoverished and finally went mad and ended her days
in
an asylum.
Thirteen stories in all, thirteen ghosts briefly resurrected and their achievements again put on
display.
Perhaps what intrigues is the fact that someone, somewhere, cared enough to find out and follow
up
these old stories and to give, once more, a moments glory to a few whom the world once knew
and
now has forgotten. No matter, I read them all.
Liana's Bookshelf
Sibley's Birding Basics
David Allen Sibley
Alfred A.Knopf
299 Park Avenue, New York 10171
ISBN 0-375-70966-5, 160 pp, USA $ 15.95, CAN $ 23.95, www.aaknopf.com
David Allen Sibley, artist, naturalist, and birder has published two more books related to birds
that
have become bestsellers. The son of Yale ornithologist, Fred Sibley, he was born in New York
and
has been watching and drawing birds since he was seven years old. His illustrations have appeared
in
many publications, from newsletters to national magazines such as Bird Watcher's Digest, Birding,
The Nature Conservancy, and Audubon.
More of Mr. Sibley's artwork can be seen on his web site, www.sibleyart.com He lives in
Concord,
Massachusetts with his wife and their two sons.
Sibley's Birding Basics is a pocket-sized book, the first easily portable guide to all the skills you
need
to identify a bird in the few moments it's in your view! In this book, David is concerned with the
general characteristics that influence the appearance of all birds and give us clues to their identity.
It
includes 125 full-color illustrations and is specially designed for use in the field.
The book is divided into 16 chapters. At the Introduction, the author explains what exactly
bird-watching is and where it can be done.
'This book is about interpreting what you see and hear in order to make better judgments,' David
says. 'This is not a guide to the identification of any specific birds. It is designed to promote a
general understanding of the challenges of identification, and an understanding of how our
impressions of the birds are shaped by the environment and the birds' behavior.'
In the first chapter, Getting Started, the author says:
'Whether you can identify six birds or six hundred, you'll be a better birder if you have a
grounding in
the real nuts and bolts of what birds look like, and your skills will be even sharper if you know
exactly what to look for and how to record what you see.'
He writes about the equipment necessary, where and when to go birding and a lot of other useful
information:
'Browsing technical journals can provide insights and bits of information that will help you to
understand the birds and their identification.'
Finding Birds is the second chapter, where David gives the readers useful tips and advice:
'Of course, it is not essential to go out into the woods and marshes and stalk birds. By providing
food, water, and cover, you can bring many species of birds into your yard, where they can be
studied at close range and watched at leisure.'
Keeping Records, Field Notes and Sketching are all valuable subchapters to read.
The Challenges of Bird Identification comes next, dealing with the development of birding skills
and
its benefits.
'For the birder, one of the practical benefits of studying birds more closely is that the more
precisely
you define each species, the more accurate your identification will be,' the author says. Sorting
Skills
and Birds' Differences lead to the right identification.
The next chapter is about Misidentification. Here the author tries to sort out the problems of poor
or
brief bird observation.
'Unfortunately, it is easy to bias your own observations through a sloppy or casual approach,'
David
says. Identifying Rare Birds, Taxonomy, and Using Behavioral Clues follow, offering more
details:
'Birds are often seen in flight, and you can learn to identify flying birds, but to do so you must
know
"the Basics". Plumage patterns and bill shape can be seen in surprising detail on flying birds, as
can
leg length,' the author says.
The Voice comes next, and it's very interesting to learn all about it:
'Listen to the overall pitch and to changes in pitch, noting whether the song varies widely from
high
to low pitch or is more even...,' David goes on, explaining in simple graphs the song of several
species.
The following chapter is about Understanding Feathers. The author's sketches enlighten the
description of several species. In the Feather Groups of a Passerine pages, David displays a
detailed
description of the bird supported by his fine drawings, and labeling of feathers. David's sketches
fill
up the next pages and are explained in meticulous detail.
Feather Arrangement and Color Patterns, Structure of Tail and Wings and Bare Parts follow,
while
in chapter thirteen, Molt, the author explains everything about the process by which birds replace
their feathers. More colorful sketches appear in this section, while moving to the 14th chapter,
Feather Wear, the readers get informed about the wear of feathers and the changes in plumage
throughout the year.
Age Variation follows, with more details on how to determine the age of a bird:
'You can see how the progress of molt leaves clues that allow a birder to determine the age of a
hawk. A complete set of juvenal feathers indicates a bird in its first year of life,' David says.
In the last chapter, Ethics and Conservation, David Sibley motivates the readers to support habitat
preservation work locally. 'Your support of local, national, and international conservation
organizations is also important,' he says. He also displays some addresses related to conservancy,
as
well as their URLs.
The book ends with a list of Latin Names for Species Mentioned in the Text, and a note about the
author.
Sibley's Birding Basics is a well-organized pocket-guide book, clearly laid-out, scientifically
precise
and beautifully illustrated.
It caters for everyone, not just the ones who take up Birding as a hobby. It is highly educational
and
children can equally enjoy it and benefit from it, as well as adults.
'I wrote and illustrated this book to help every inquisitive birder, from novice to expert,' the
author
says.
The sketches throughout the book are not only helpful but show the author's exceptional talent in
fine arts, too. It is worth having this book, not only for the interesting information on birds, but
also
for keeping it on your bookshelf as an art book.
Related Titles By David Allen Sibley:
The Sibley Guide To Birds, 2000
The Sibley Guide To Bird Life And Behavior, 2001
Dream Jobs to Go! Professional Speaker or Trainer
Rosalind Sedacca
e-book
2001, 42 pp, $TBA, Highly Recommended.
Rosalind Sedacca, a Business communication Strategist, Public relations Practitioner, and
Marketing
Consultant, is also an acclaimed national Speaker, recognized for her presentations on business
communication issues. She can be reached at : talk2Roz@aol.com
Dream Jobs To Go is a highly informative mini guide book packed with useful advice and
information as well as links and e mail addresses the readers can use if they are online. It consists
of
11 mini chapters covering all areas of the public speaking business.
The first chapter, The Dream Jobs To Go e book: What it is and How to Use It, tells readers how
to
use this e book, while the second one, How to Break In as a Professional Speaker or Trainer,
motivates readers, advises and trains them break into this demanding field they have chosen to
try:
'We've all heard that people are more afraid of public speaking than of death itself. But that's not
the
case for you,' the writer says.
What It's Like (Really) To Be a Professional Speaker or Trainer is the next chapter, offering
insight
into the various categories of the profession:
'The profession is divided into several categories. Some speakers specialize in only one category-
others work in two or more,' Rosalind states.
The following section, Meet a Few Professional Speakers, tells readers about how these people
got
started and pursued a career in this field. The writer interviews Patricia Fripp from California, Lou
Heckler from Florida and other professionals whose advice will certainly help readers get started
the
right way.
Best Ways to Break In, deals with tips and more advice on how to succeed as a speaker:
'Beginning speakers often work for free to gain experience, test out new material, and build up a
roster of happy clients,' the writers says. Further on, more tips follow:
'Give your speech a catchy title. Like books, speeches are sold through their titles. Be creative,'
Rosalind suggests.
Tips from the Pros comes next, where Patricia Fripp, Lou Heckler and a lot of other professionals
share their knowledge in this field with the readers, by offering them straightforward and practical
tips:
'Keep your energy high. Be enthusiastic.'
'End with a bang.'
'Practice again and again.'
'Join an NSA chapter and refine your skills.'
Those are only a few of the lot the professionals advise.
There is a Resources section next, where the readers can learn about several organizations and
associations related to this issue, such as the National Speakers Association in USA and other,
while, the next chapter is about Your Game Plan, where the readers get familiar with a strategy
that
can get them started in their new professional speaking business.
The Reader Feedback section and a section About the Author follow, and last comes the chapter
about More Things to Dream About, where the writer displays email publications for the readers
to
subscribe to,as well as programs hosted online.
DREAM JOBS TO GO is a special, practical e-book, simple to read and extremely useful. It
caters
to those who are aspiring public speakers or trainers and would like to start a career in this
field.
Related Titles:
Secrets Successful Speakers: How you can Motivate, Captivate, and Persuade, by Lilly
Walters
101 Secrets of Highly Effective Speakers: Controlling Fear, Commanding Attention, by Caryl Rae
Krannich
Chance Place is a halfway house for the mentally ill where friends accidentally meet and society
avoids acknowledging the inmates existence. Nathan Waite, a troubled student of the latest
generation, suffers from overwork, parental expectations and schizophrenia and is incarcerated for
rehabilitation back into the unreal world. A fallout from the golden orb of Princeton society, he
makes a hard landing in Chance Place where the proprietor accumulates credit from government
agencies while keeping a closed larder and raiding the pantry to fill his own stomach.
Frenchy Bibideux splits from home after watching his old man, Jaques, beat up his mother. Tired
of
violence and physical abuse, he hitch-hikes into a night of drizzly rain to cross state lines in order
to
forget the past, acquire a new life under the personal tutelage of Peso who knows the gut insides
of
life,
"When I was your age," Peso said, "I sold cars in our neighborhood and was a pretty good
salesman,
but soon learned that my customers couldn't afford the rundown cars they bought. When they
returned them I had to return my commission. Before long, I ended up owing more commission
than
I had earned. I wanted needed to sell something that would bring a bigger return.""
"So?" Whatever it was, I knew that I wasn't going to like it.
Peso said, "I looked up because looking down was no way up. Figuring that people die and, in
one
way or another, folks bury 'em, I tried selling caskets; those commissions arrived on the
installment
plan. I saved up and took the Dale Carnegie course, which is how I learned the importance of
grammar in the white world. I hired someone to teach me manners, how to dress, and thought I
was
on my way." (p41)
With a twist on the education of Moll Flanders, Frenchy is taken in hand to learn the tricks of
trade
and given the wheels of status for his fifteenth birthday in an offhand way,
"I was anxious to see my present, but Peso did things at his own pace. I had learned not to push
him.
he produced as small gift-wrapped box. I tore the paper off. A Pet Rock, a smooth pebble about
an
inch-and-a-half long on a bed of straw with a little book on the care and feeding of this pet.
I looked up and smiled and said a sarcastic, "Thanks."
Peso laughed. "You wouldn't want to be the only one in the world without one, would you?"
I thumbed the miniature book, looking like I was too interested in it to pay attention to him.
"When you can care for a pet, "Peso said, soundig very pleased with himself, "You're ready for
more
responsibility." He reached inside his suit jacket pocket for an envelope.
Inside was a plastic card that at first I thought was a credit card. Then I saw that it was an Indiana
driver's license with
my birth date wrong." (p26)
And with keys in his hand for a 1972 Jag, Frenchy thinks too that he's on his way for success in
life,
but ends up headed in a different direction when he's given the company loyalty test:
"I braked, backed up, nearly collided with a station wagon filled with kids. "What the hell's going
down?"
"Listen to Eddie, he knows his way around."
Eddie said, "Drive like your fucking life depends on it."
Peso said, "Don't exceed the speed limit by more than ten miles."
Fear pumped my adrenaline. No way was this legit. If no one was after us, we should looked like
they should be. We passed a St. Paul sign.
Peso fumbled under the floor mat, said, "Stay calm. Everything's okay." In the rearview mirror I
saw
the police car enter the freeway. I set my lips tight, passed cars steadily. Up ahead a line of police
cars was parked across all lanes, blocking the Snelling Street exit..." (p57)
Naturally, nobody believed the story he gave --or that he was innocent --which landed him in the
half-way house at Chance Place with a conviction of temporary insanity.
Schelly, with a taste for the piquant, spices the with the bitterness of life, savouring the salty
morsels
and peppering it with sex. Through the thoughts and hallucinations of the characters, we explore
the
disappointments of relationships and the bruital realities of domestic violence that is kept neatly
out
of the investigative reporters' camera or splashed across the headlines for a day. She tantalizes us
with an opening that draws us further into the darker regions of society and into the labyrinthine
catacombs of our locked minds. Unwilling to admit the reality to fairy tales, we close off the
shadowland of socieity with the arrogance that such things could not possibly happen to us. Life,
like a steak, is better digested when its cooked and cut to a pleasing tenderness that falls apart at
every bite; but what she delivers is something more hard, more cold like white lightning on ice;
not
to everyone's refined taste.
Often confusing, she shifts point of view without preparation, mixing first and third persons
together, the narration convinces the reader of ongoing schizophrenia. Unable to indentify with
any
one character in a bleary world of drugs, overprescribed medication, canned rehab and
pyscho-therapy, we learn that human relationships and trust are difficult to establish in
contemporary
society, often alienating and designating members of society to the bottom edge of the universe
where stigmatized they struggle internally for acceptance, from self and society.
Not a book for the prissy reader, who wants to keep hands and mind clean from the dirt of
society;
Schelly digs in to the muck hidden underneath the gloss of government subsidy reforms and
reformation asscociations to find out about the maggots that crawl inside and how any sane or
insane person can survive the unrealistic conditions that many confront in their efforts to be
accepted
by the glass-plate showcase of society.
Controversial, provocative, she opens a Pandora's Box of social morality, taking off the lid to
view
straight and gay relationships, domestic violence, drugs and alcohol, and not so petty crime.
Pogo, Reviewer
Judine's Bookshelf
Love Never Dies
Ralph Morales, Jr., Ph.D.
Chicago Spectrum Press
4824 Brownsboro Center, Louisville, Kentucky 40207
ISBN: 1583740600; Pages: 180; Price: $12.95; Paperback
People often say it's hard to raise a family in the twenty-first century. I do not know the exact
statistics, but many more women work full-time jobs outside of the home, than in previous years.
The husband/father often lives with the family, but the wife/mother eventually has full
responsibility
as the backbone of the household. A child who needs special attention can only exacerbate the
situation, as most of the mother's love is drawn to that child. Oh, what is a woman to do?
"Love Never Dies" is a perfect example of this scenario. Rheumatic fever cripples Ricardo's feet
as
an infant. Miranda pours her love into her eldest child, for encouragement to be happy despite his
affliction. On more than one occasion, she overlooks the emotional needs of her husband and her
other two children. This causes a rift between all of the family members. But love never dies,
because in the end Miranda's sincerity towards her whole family triumphs.
Dr. Ralph Morales, Jr. admits to mixing fact with fiction in this novel. It is obvious how he
parades
his vivid imagination towards the end of the novel. That's okay, because it's probably the kind of
ending he would want in real life. I'm guessing Dr. Morales was one of the children who did not
receive a substantial portion of his mother's love. But, maybe after he grew older, he could see
how
his mother tried her best for everyone. That's why her love did not die; it remains ingrained in this
story for future generations. I recommend "Love Never Dies" to anyone looking for a dynamic
love
story.
Wings of Discovery
Captain Stacey L. Chance
Llumina Press
PO Box 772246, Coral Springs, FL 33077-2246
ISBN: 0932047093; Pages: 140; Price: $13.95; Paperback
Most of us have heard the saying, "There's nothing to fear, but fear itself." This rhetoric sounds
good, but to actually put it to use is a completely different story. Fear can stop someone from
experimenting with new activities, eating exotic foods, and traveling to foreign lands. But once
you
overcome the fear, you will most likely discover joy. This joy comes from the accomplishment of
breaking the imaginary chains of thought which held you hostage.
Wings of Discovery helps to clip the chains of fear. The premise of the book is about the
overcoming the fear of flying. Although his father was a pilot, Mark succumbs to a horrendous
phobia about flying. Then one day, he spots two ultralight planes having "fun" in the air. While the
planes land, Mark tracks them in his car and introduces himself to the pilots. This marks the
beginning of his adventure pursing his passion, following his dream and conquering his fear.
Capt. Stacy L. Chance introduces the reader to a wealth of information about how the Federal
Aviation Administration ensures the safety of aircraft. He also entertains by intermingling his vivid
descriptions of the landscapes and scenery when his characters take flight. I felt as if I soared
through the air, and watched as the coyote ran to keep up with the plane. For anyone really
interested in learning to fly, I learned that airplane kits are available. I definitely recommend
Wings
of Discovery for anyone who wants to learn more about aviation, and who those who allow their
fears to hinder them from soaring to new dimensions.
Articles That Sell
Bonnie Jo Davis
Davis Virtual Assistance
7 Via Caseta, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Pages: 43; Price: $25; e-book
How can you effectively and inexpensively promote your business on the Internet? But, all you
have
is a one page website. But, your site can't possibly attract a lot of traffic. But, you don't know
how
to find the people interested in what I have to sell. Never fear, help is here.
Articles that Sell gets eliminates the self doubt of advertising your small business on the Internet.
"There are thousands of e-zines, newsletters, and web sites that need your articles." Most of the
ground work has already been done. The combination of active links for books on writing, tips for
a
sizzling title, and sites which want your articles prove that big things do come in small packages.
Your article doesn't even have to be related to your business. The byline includes a link to your
site,
as a reference. All you have to do is write it well, and the readers will come!
Ms. Davis's creative entrepreneurial spirit is motivating. With so much competition on the
Internet,
any different technique improves the one-man operation or the corporate giants. Best of all, you
don't need to dish out any extra money. You're already paying your Internet service provider, now
let them indirectly pay you back.
Foster Care People
Lauretta Ali
Electric eBook Publishing
6254 Sycamore Street, Powell River, BC, Canada, V8A 4K9
ISBN: 155352053X; Pages: 66; Price: $10.00; Paperback
For just a minute, imagine the iron branding of human flesh. The putrid smell of skin burning
follows
the grotesque exposure of tendons and veins. Soon, the wounds heal, the scars fade, and the
physical
pain vanishes. But, what if this happened to the same person, over and over again, just in different
spots on their body? Would you dare to look at the disfigurement?
"Foster Care People" depicts the invisible iron branding of the human soul. Written from a child's
point of view, the book starts quite innocently. We witness a happy family, two parents with a son
and a daughter. Even the best of homes expect a few trials now and then. Yet the events
surrounding a kitchen fire smolder the lives of each family member for the next several years.
Lenora
Williams, the daughter and main character, attempts to warn us of the impending danger. That's
because the red-hot irons of abuse try to sear into your consciousness, which could burn the
bridges
to your spirit, and leave you numb for a while. I prayed the story only came from the author's
vivid
imagination.
Lauretta Ali's descriptions through the eyes of a child are riveting. Through Lenora, she calmly
reminds us that children are people too, not punching bags or sex toys. I felt as if I stood in a
corner
of the bedroom with my arms bound, and my mouth taped shut, while the second foster father
visited her at night. Although the skin quickly conceals the outer evidence, time creeps to erase
the
psychological effects. I recommend "Foster Care People" to anyone who raises a child, whether
for
a day, two years or a lifetime.
Safe Families: A Guide to Protecting Your Family from Natural Disasters and Terrorism
Thomas E. Dooley
elearningquest, Inc.
8613 Yellow Springs Road, Frederick, MD 21702
Pages: 98; Price: $10.00; e-book
There's an old saying, "It's better to be safe than sorry." This does not necessarily suggest fear or
panic. It does not eliminate the "I could have" or "I should have." Being safe simply gives a peace
of
mind knowing you did the best you could.
Safe Families gently guides the reader, without a sense of alarm, through the steps of gathering
family information, identifying the different types of dangers and preparing for a plan of action.
All
families, whether immediate relatives, neighbors or communities, should prepare a blueprint for
natural disasters, accidents or threats by man. Most of us know about arranging a safe meeting
site
and keeping emergency supplies, but how many families actually carry out these plans? Safe
Families
encourages the reader to be proactive. The web links in the Resource chapter are invaluable tools
if
you want to know about other emergency programs.
Thomas E. Dooley organized Safe Families in an easy to follow format. The content is easy to
read
without being too technical. Each chapter builds on the previous information clearly and
concisely.
The elearningquest.com links provide a quick click to helpful hints, medical kits and free updates.
This book should be a link from any government or nonprofit website with families or emergency
information.
Ten Chocolates From The Box
Rita Toews and Alex Domokos
Writers Exchange E-Publishing
PO Box 372, Atherton, QLD, 4883
ISBN: 1876962593; Pages: 31; Price: $4.95; e-book
When was the last time you put a piece of solid milk chocolate in your mouth, and allowed it
slowly
to melt? Not any kind of chocolate will suffice. Only the chocolates made with dairy butter and
heavy cream will quench the connoisseurs taste buds. Quickly crunching the sweet confection
away
is good, and satisfies the immediate craving, but leisurely savoring the creaminess is a treasure. A
good story has the same kind of effect, especially stories rich with wisdom.
Ten Chocolates from the Box is a perfect mix of stories creatively written from the authors'
imagination. "A Tribute to Parents" begins by weaving the fabric for an appreciation not only for
our
parents, but for the elderly. "Night Ride" transports the reader into the subway car with effortless
detail. We sit and watch the scene with the beggar trying to pick up the coins with his arthritic
fingers. And, "Spring Treasures" invites an exploration of new meanings for things which we
generally take for the face value.
Rita Toews and Alex Domokos bring life to ordinary experiences. They flavor these short stories
with the kind of chocolate-covered raspberry cream or hazelnut praline filling, which invites you
to
appreciate life and living. The insight and descriptiveness of the characters are very real, and
remind
me of similar moments in my life. If you are looking for rich dessert after your supper, pick up
Ten
Chocolates from the Box, sit back and enjoy.
Night Mare
Franci McMahon
Odd Girls Press
P.O. Box2157, Anaheim, CA. 92814
ISBN 1887237143, $13.00, 253 pps., www.oddgirlspress.com
Franci McMahon's sophomore effort is again involving horses, only this time instead of distance
riding, the story revolves around a newspaper reporter, Jane Scott, who shows championship
horses
as a hobby. Essentially a mystery and thriller, the story follows Jane and her friend Victoria, both
of
whom are upset about the bad treatment some of the horses in their area are receiving. With a
little
digging, Jane uncovers sleazy conspiracies to steal, transport, and re-sell prize show horses. When
she sticks her nose in, all hell breaks loose and she very nearly loses her life.
The novel starts a bit rocky. The side story of Anne's breakup with her girlfriend is necessary to
later
plot development, but doesn't endear any of the characters to the reader. But once Jane actually
begins investigating, McMahon's writing skill comes to the forefront and the mid-section of the
book
is gripping. The last third of the book effectively mixes romance with mystery and intrigue.
As with her 1994 novel, McMahon has written a colorful and engaging story, with horses as the
secondary characters. The novel is entertaining and a quick read. Of particular note is the
terrific-and
thematically perfect-book cover by ArtByLucy which packages the book beautifully.
To The Edge
Cameron Abbott
Alice Street Editions of Harrington Park Press
10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY. 13904-1580
ISBN 1560232234, $17.95, 248 pps., http://haworthpress.com/
First time novelist Cameron Abbott has written a cross-genre novel that of romance, coming of
age,
and a legal thriller as well. Anne Henderson is the main character. She's gone off to college, still in
love with Gallagher, a high school friend who hasn't yet graduated. In the first half of the book,
Anne goes through the normal college woes, including meeting Rae Sheldon, a bisexual party girl
who doesn't seem to know what she wants and is destined to break Anne's heart, which she does
quite handily. Then fast forward eighteen years for the second half. Anne has become a lawyer in
a
big firm and is working on an important case. Both Rae and Gallagher come back into her life, as
well as a new love interest, Rachel. What will happen to Anne's love life? What about her career
and
the big case?
Abbott does a nice job joining the two halves of this story and maintaining continuity. Anne is
definitely a bit jaded by the second half, but she is never a whiner and you can't help but like her
and
root for her. Gallagher, Rachel, and Rae are all compelling characters, and the story, while not
jam-packed with surprises, does offer up a couple unexpected twists.
Written by an author with intelligence and skill, this thoughtful and entertaining story is sure to
please readers. I highly recommend it.
Lori L. Lake
Reviewer
Meredith's Bookshelf
The Rustler
Frances McElrath
University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0255
ISBN: 0-8032-8284-2, $9.00, 193 pgs., 1-800-755-1105
Bittersweet love and tragic range war in 1890's Wyoming enthralls and informs in this tale built
upon
true facts, the author having been raised on cattle ranches and army posts of the period. Published
1902, the novel earned high praise; however, she never published another. Pity. For she brings to
the
sweaty, testosterone driven Western an educated feminist view of the West.
When Hazel meets Jim, it's not "love at first sight." More of an intrigued interest on her part; on
his,
a wonderment of why he had locked eyes with his boss's niece, visiting from back East. She notes
his "broad shoulders" as he wrestled a cow fallen into a mud-hole. He drops his eyes "bashfully"
when, as an invited guest for dinner, he notes how her blue frock flatters her auburn curls and
"clear
white skin."
From that proper Victorian beginning the story deviates from formula, becoming a study of how
calculated manipulation of another's heart can bring only pain and, sometimes, shocking
consequences. To see if she could, "social actress," Hazel sets out to charm the handsome, shy,
"strong" eyed Jim. Texas born and the "best foreman" around, Jim has lived life keeping his
thoughts
to himself, believing honest ranch work and raising a foundling would suffice for happiness. Hazel
draws him into a friendship wherein he bares his soul to her. When he believes she has deceived
him,
his turn away from decency to embrace outlawry and power takes the story to a strong climax
that
changes Hazel--forever.
The Battle of Milroy Station
Robert H. Fowler
Forge: A Tom Doherty Associates Book
175 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 110010
ISBN: 0-765-30659-X, hc $25.95 U.S./ $35.95 Canadian
A political kingmaker secretly offers Andrew Jackson Mundy, a Southern senator, a chance to run
on the 1896 election ticket as McKinley's vice president.
The opportunity would save the career of the racially progressive Mundy, fallen out of favor with
his
state's bigoted legislature and sure not to be reassigned to Washington. Mundy needs time to
weigh
the offer. He doesn't stand on McKinley's political platform. Furthermore, remembering his Civil
War record splattered with the blood of innocent Negroes makes Mundy wither in shame.
Nevertheless, he realizes not to take Hanna's tantalizing offer means leaving Washington D.C.
disappointing his wife, and returning home to be editor of his rural county's local newspaper. How
he makes his decision reveals the author's premise about the true nature of courage.
In 1861, the son of a prosperous plantation owner Jackson Mundy yearns to join the Confederate
army. But he has a clubfoot. Through his father's connections in Richmond he grabs a job as a
clerk
in the office of the Secretary of War. He meets the charismatic, Evan Martin--West Pointer,
soldier
in the Mexican War, and in Richmond to secure a Confederate commission. Mundy becomes the
older man's secretary, travels with him to England, falls in love with Martin's daughter, and serves
as
Colonel Martin's aide-de-camp during the battle of Milroy Station. There, Mundy awakens from
his
awe-struck dreams to see his mentor's, monster ego emerge. Martin has clay feet. The resultant
carnage enrages Mundy and haunts him for the rest of his life.
Letters to family and friends tell Mundy's story--a literary device usually tedious, but Fowler,
author
of five critically acclaimed novels, makes it work. The tale races at a rollicking pace. A metaphor
likens a character to "a great force of nature," a gun to a "truth machine." Confederate soldiers
maneuver "across the fields and through the woods," to challenge invading Federals at Milroy
Station. Founder of the British Heritage and the Civil War Times Illustrated, Fowler etches in acid
extended battle scenes, yet, always engages the human element--the minds of the men fighting
those
battles and experiencing the agony of warfare.
Meredith Campbell
Reviewer
Barclay's Bookshelf
Forever Ours: A Forensic Pathologist's Perspective on Immortality and Living
Janis Amatuzio, MD
Midwest Forensic Pathology, PA
3960 Coon Rapids Blvd. LL21, Coon Rapids, MN 55433
097162870X $19.95 1-763-236-9050 www.foreverours.com
I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Amatuzio speak. You may argue with the facts she presents, but
you can't argue with her sincerity.
Her book is a collection of stories that have come from her patients or their families. Her work
requires her to deal with death every day, but she also shows a remarkable amount of compassion,
making herself available to the patients' families. And because of that caring attitude people have
shared details with her that they might otherwise have been reluctant to reveal. Her book is a
collection of those revelations.
This is not great literature, but if you're a believer it will bring you to tears and it will fill your soul
with love and hope. Anyone who has lost a loved one and is still struggling with that loss will
want
to read this. But even for those of us who have found a way to heal, reading this will bring us new
comfort.
From the book:
"Doc, I know the secret... The secret about death."
"Tell me."
"Well, when my mother was in her 20's, she was diagnosed with a serious thyroid condition... Dr.
Wangenstein decided to operate... mother felt good about the operation but something went
wrong... My mother said that all of a sudden she found herself looking down on her body from up
near the ceiling lights... She saw the doctors working furiously on her but nothing seemed to help.
Finally Dr. Wangenstein's assistant said, "It looks like we lost her, Owen, there's nothing more
that
we can do."
Mother said that she watched the whole thing, all the while feeling sorry for the doctors, but not
distressed for herself. She saw Dr. Wangenstein finally leave the room too, put his head in his
hands,
and heard him cry: "No, no, no, I won't let this happen!" Then all alone he strode back into the
OR
where my mother's body lay draped with sterile sheets. He looked up at the ceiling and shouted,
"Mary, Mary come back! Stay with me here!" and then began resuscitating her again.
She remembered being surrounded by swirling lights of many colors and somehow knowing that if
she came back she'd have a son. (That's me). She chose to slip back into her body..."
The book doesn't break any new ground, and other writers (many also professionals in medicine)
have dealt with the same sort of accounts, but somehow we all need more, and this adds to the
growing body of evidence that we don't disappear or simply turn to dust when this mortal body
will
no longer sustain us. There is something beyond death and we do stay involved in the lives of
those
who are left behind. Of course scientists will argue otherwise, but that's because Western science
at
least is reluctant to accept anything that doesn't fall into certain measurable parameters. That
narrow
view seems too limiting to me. I'm a believer and to those others who believe, I give this book my
highest recommendation.
The Gifts of Caregiving: Stories of Hardship, Hope, and Healing
Connie Goldman
Farview Press
2450 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454
1577491173 $19.95 www.amazon.com
I met Connie Goldman while she was giving a presentation at the Valley Bookstore in Stillwater,
MN. She is a soft-spoken golden-ager, who proves that as long as you have your health there's no
limit to what you can do. She was formally on the staff of MPR, has written four books and is the
recipient of the 2001 Senior Award from the American Society on Aging.
I am the father of five severely handicapped children, but did not see myself as a caregiver until I
heard Connie speak. There are, after all, my children; of course, I'm going to care for them. But as
she pointed out, the term "caregiver" is relatively new. It didn't appear in the dictionary until
1997,
and since most caregivers are relatives it hardly seems like a job. Until one day when we find
ourselves providing for a sick spouse or a parent, we never suspect how much will be required. It
takes special sacrifice and patience and we have to be careful not to become so immersed in the
effort that we lose our own identity. The tendency is to put your own life on hold and try to do
everything yourself, refusing help from other friends and relatives who sincerely want to help. The
danger is that we begin to wish for the patient's death so that we can be free and we miss
wonderful
opportunities to know the person better, to build positive memories and experiences, to
strengthen
our love.
You can be a caregiver and come out depressed, worn out, and defeated, or you come away with
wonderful blessings - a better understanding of life - of what is important and what is really only
wasted time.
Goldman's book covers a wide variety of experiences from long term disabilities, to the
diminishing
capacity of old age, to dying from cancer or HIV, etc. The interviews explore the special
problems
and diverse circumstances of more than thirty different caregivers.
There are also interviews with Dana Reeve, wife of actor Christopher Reeve, former First Lady
Rosalynn Carter, and Pulitzer-winning author Studs Terkel.
Most of us will have to face this problem sometime in life from one side or the other, either taking
care of a friend or relative as the person who needs to be taken care of. This little book will help
you
understand, first of all, that you're not alone, and secondly, how to deal with the "drudgery,
loneliness and boredom." And if we approach this with the right attitude - if we work to keep
some
balance in our lives - we can come away from the experience with a multitude of blessings.
"Forgiveness, compassion, acceptance, and love grow through empathy for and understanding of
the
experiences of others."
Reading this book can be a tough experience emotionally, but it is well worth the effort.
Robert O. Barclay
Reviewer
Cindy Lynn's Bookshelf
The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd
Richard Zacks Theia
Hyperion
77 W. 66th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10023
ISBN 0-7868-6533-4, $25.95, Hardcover, 426 pages, 1-800-759-0190
"But the novelists and historians and relentless treasure hunters have gotten it all wrong. Master
Mariner William Kidd, who lived at 56 Wall Street, was no career cutthroat, no cartoon
Blackbeard,
terrifying his prey by putting flaming matches in his hair. Kidd was a reputable New York sea
captain empowered by a secret commission from the king of England to hunt pirates, confiscate
their
wealth, and divvy the spoils among his investors."
And with that paragraph, four pages into the book, he had me. The first page, there were was a
line
that really killed my suspension of disbelief, and kind of disgusted me, and so I was thinking, well,
I
promised to read it, I'll slog through somehow. When I hit this paragraph, he grabbed me and
didn't
let me go through the rest of the 426 page book. Though I'm interested in pirates and privateers,
my
books, mostly scavenged at library sales have been relegated to the "To be read...eventually" pile,
and so the majority of my pirate knowledge comes from Errol Flynn movies, and Polanski's rather
cool Pirates, starring Walter Mattahau. So, whenever anyone mentioned Captain Kidd, I saw the
Jolly Roger flying from the main mast, a wild haired, eye patched man with a colorful outfit and a
peg leg laughing with his hardees.
Now I know differently. And I know much, much more about the naval history and context of the
time than I thought I ever would. Zacks has a real gift for compacting knowledge and making it
all
as exciting as any fictional account. He squeezes in so many facts during the narrative. For
example,
you'll be reading the main story, "England, unfortunately for these mercenaries, was at peace, and
was actually clamping down on illegal privateering. Captain Henry Morgan, the notorious
buccaneer
who relentlessly attacked the Spaniards and been rewarded with a knighthood, had recently died
in
Port Royal, Jamaica, a bloated man, rum-drunk, his body swathed in magic clay by a local witch
doctor." with that, he sets the scene for Kidd to meet the man who would become his nemeses,
Robert Culliford, and drops in a little bit of information that enlightens us even further about
piracy...or, in this case, privateering. It might also make you think twice before drinking any
Captain
Morgan rum.
The story isn't just about William Kidd. It's about Robert Culliford, and how the two men's fates
seemed perversely intertwined, one a privateer who played pretty much by the codes of honor and
rules that defined a privateer from a pirate, one who embraced piracy with exuberance. Both
would
see the insides of the most notorious prison of London, Newgate, but only one would leave a free
man.
This is a fabulous retelling of Kidd's story. In fact, with this take, and all the facts that Zacks has
dug
up, including actual trial transcriptions, calling it a retelling does it a disservice. Kidd, a sometimes
sarcastic, honorable, restless man trusted far too much in the crown and his financial backers. He
ended up making mistakes, not playing the politics with the wisdom so desperately needed for
survival. He becomes both legendary and human, in some scenes expertly sailing silently through
dangerous waters and leading his men to impossible victories, yet so capable of making silly
mistakes that I can see myself making. An excellent read.
Dollhouse Decor
Nick and Esther Forder
Watson Guptill
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
ISBN 0-8230-1299-9 $24.95 www.watsonguptill.com
Soft furnishings such as rugs, tapestries and bed hangings are excellent ways to set your
dollhouse's
period, or to give flavor to the rooms. This book takes six different time periods, the Tudors and
Stuarts, Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Early 20th Century and Contemporary and creates rooms
that have furnishings that exemplify the time. Each of these rooms are filled with some truly eye
catching miniatures, some created by a list of artisans that can be found in the back of the book.
The
rest of them, the items made of cloth, are all things that a person handy with a needle can
make.
The ideas are really interesting. For instance, the author suggest using salt or rice to stuff small,
shaped pillows, such as the round bolster they show us how to recover. Also, if you have a sharp,
clean picture of a rug or tapestry that you've always wanted, but know that you could never
reproduce, they suggest photocopying it onto the cloth. For people who are looking for more
challenging projects, there are many, full color, needlepoint charts. Reading the instructions for a
beautiful floral pole screen, it looks like a simple project for anyone familiar with the basics of
cross
stitch. If you stumble across a stitch, such as the basket weave stitch, and can't remember what it
looks like, there are fairly decent, illustrated instructions in the back. There are also richly
embroidered bed hangings, rush mats, covered screens, tatted lace runners delicate and airy
enough
to tempt me to learn, quits so finely wrought you'll never see me doing them, (All those tiny, tiny
squares!) crocheted antimacassars, towels, blinds, a Victorian sofa and 1930's easy chairs. The
range
of projects is really impressive, and the instructions are well written.
The cons of this book...there really aren't any cons as much as minor gripes. My main complaint is
that a few of the really nifty things require the purchase of specialty items that are probably not
that
easy to find. I'm in love with the pole screens, but have a feeling that finding a pole screen that I
can
take apart and place my newly done bit of needlework in will be pretty impossible...and prettily
priced. I suppose I'd rather they included it than not, as even if I never find the screen, I can
probably make the pattern up, perhaps inset it on a cushion or frame it. (Both projects which I
could
find similar examples of in here, as they have, for example, a black work cushion and a framed
sampler.) Also, if I went to the trouble of buying a fancy chaise lounge, such as the gorgeous one
featured on the cover, I doubt I would need recovering instructions...but, again, it's good to have
the
information, in case the fabric gets damaged.
The range of projects goes from no sewing, to basic sewing, needlepoint, patchwork, quilting,
embroidery, weaving, tatting and crochet. If you have a basic knowledge of one or more of these
areas, you'll be fine, because the section in the back will help you out. If you have no experience
in
these areas, and don't plan on learning any, I would not suggest this book. All and all I really like
it,
and am looking forward to trying my hand at several of the projects.
The Art of the Miniature
Jane Freeman
Watson Guptill
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
ISBN 0-8230-0309-4 $24.95 www.watsonguptill.com
When they say the art of the miniature, that's exactly what they mean. This book is dedicated to
using miniatures to create works of art. From a bar at a station to the re-interpretation of art
masterpieces, this book's perspective is totally different from other doll house books. That's not to
say that the tips they include don't have other applications.
The first thing she discusses is how she's inspired, how she works. Her art is often interpretive,
such
as when she made a room to represent her friend, how found objects such as pan's pipes became
the
gates for her Magic Flute inspired design. She talks about perspectives, how to see things as
miniatures, and how to use that new sight to translate things into this medium. Then, like all good
art books, she discusses aesthetic principles. Once you've found the materials and the art you
would
like to work on, how do you put it together? If you're not careful with how you use space, how
you
use color, all you've got is a bunch of things crowded together. We see many familiar terms --
composition, stasis and movement, and it shows us how a the elements come together to
transform
things into true works of art. The most important thing I took in was the use of negative space.
When I was doing layout, my editor would often tell me that white space is your friend. Freeman
advises us to group objects together, allowing for places of emptiness where the observer can
rest.
The scenes are gorgeous...the tiny details merge together to make some very emotionally real
scenes.
Of course, my interest is more in the "what can I make for my house" areas...and I'll readily
confess,
the closest I get to art in my dollhouse is the organ kit I built a couple of years ago. There are a
lot
of fascinating ideas, because a lot of what she does is via found objects...just whatever's laying
around, whatever she collects at flea markets and junk shops. She reveals a lot of clever ways to
create all the usual things, from floors to walls to windows and their coverings. She also discusses
ceiling medallions and curtains. The things I like the most, though, are the clever ways she uses to
create things like spiral notebooks (the spring from a ball point pen on top of a mini self adhesive
pad) and cherry pits for passable coconuts.
I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a new of looking at miniatures. There are
lots of excellent tips, and I enjoyed reading it.
2003 Herbal Almanac
Llewellyn
P.O. Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
ISBN 0-7387-0073-8, $7.95 USD, 325 pages, http://www.llewellyn.com,
1-800-NEW-WRLD
An almanac is usually filled with things that are only good for that year -- sun signs, moon signs,
planting times and weather. Things that will pass. This is not the case with this book. It is filled
with
articles from many well recognized herbalists, and the information contained will never go out of
style.
The "Growing and Gathering Herbs" section has several articles, but the two I found the most
interesting were "Growing Unusual Herbs in Containers" and "Winter Activities for Herb Lovers."
The first one, by Scott Appell, discusses soils and container choices, then goes on to describe
suitable magical (Lion's Ear, Mandrake) culinary (Rosemary, Stevia) and, medicinal herbs
(cardamom, May Pops.) The only gripe I had was that he includes belladonna. While with care, it
has been said to have some benefits, but it is so dangerous that I don't agree with him including it
in
this short list. There are other herbs just as useful that could have gone here, instead. Ellen
Dugan's
"Urban Herbal Gardening" serves as a nice companion piece. Dallas Jennifer Cobbs article on
winter
activities manages to capture the feeling of winter - the ideas of rest and coziness - while giving us
some very good information. I particularly liked some of her vinegar combinations. The Culinary
section, as you would expect, is filled with recipes. Alchemy in the Kitchen is a guide to herbs that
grow well, listing their taste, background, properties and cooking use. There are nice recipes for
teas, breads and deserts. There are also recipes for herbed turkey, herb roasted potatoes and even
herbal candles to provide mood. Even though, as a Christian, I cannot practice herbalism with a
magical intent, I really loved the ideas in the article about cooking with magical intent...the idea of
peace and prosperity pizza not only sounds tasty, but its symbolism has to make you feel good. In
the Health section, there are some fairly good articles on Native American and Chinese herbalism
that I found interesting because they do mention a couple of things I haven't run across in other
books. They are also pretty concise introductions to these different cultural approaches to herbal
healing. There are also several beauty recipes for improving skin and taking care of teeth. The
herbal
crafts includes many potpourri and paper making ideas, and several incense reipes. The final
section
deals with the lore of some plants, pansies, and pitcher plants, to name a few. Yes, I am rushing
through a little, skipping, trying to touch upon everything without sounding like a
commercial.
I think that any herbalist can get a lot out of this book. It has a nice mixture of different things so
that all beliefs and levels of practitioner can enjoy it. I definitely recommend it.
Cindy Lynn Speer
Reviewer
Bogert's Bookshelf
The Last Warrior
Jim Hitt
Adventure Book Publishers
www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/ adventure@puzzlesbyshar.com
E-Book Price: $4.66, Online Pages: 255, ISBN:1-55313-118-5
The Last Warrior is a story based on an actual event that took place in 1903 in the Philippines.
Luther Kelley (Known as Yellowstone) famous for his battles against the Sioux and Cheyenne,
together with a group of African American soldiers help defend the territory against Muslim
radicals
and even escaped prisoners.
Mr. Hitt has done an excellent job in capturing the time period in his work. I enjoy books that can
give the reader a feeling of what the characters experienced, and how their way of life dictated
their
actions. The pace that is set in the story doesn't slack at any point, which is a plus for historical
novels. The author's style of writing allows the reader to understand the time period without
taking
away from the enjoyment of the book. It was a pleasure to read this story, and I would be happy
to
see it become available in print.
I would recommend The Last Warrior to readers, historical or not, who wish to add a fine story
to
their collection.
Sun Tzu's The Art Of War Plus The Art Of Love
Gary Gagliardi
Clearbridge Publishing
P.O. Box 33772, Seattle, WA 98133
Phone (206)-533-9357, Fax (206)-546-9756, www.clearbridge.com, info@clearbridge.com
U.S. $9.95/Canada $15.95, Pages: 146, ISBN: 1-929194-14-5
Sun Tzu's The Art Of War Plus The Art Of Love: The Ancient Chinese Science of Strategy,
Bing-Fa, Applied to the Challenge of Finding, Winning and Keeping Love is a guide to help those
serious about either building or maintaining a permanent and strong love relationship with their
partner. Based on Bing-Fa, which is the Chinese science of victory without conflict, the book
blends
two types of thinking together. On the left is the art of war and leadership, while on the right
lessons
on love and romance parallel.
On the whole, I found this book a pleasure to read. I've always been intrigued by the fact that
many
ancient teachings of the orient can still be applied to everyday life even now. As stated in the
book,
the lessons are simple to learn, but much more challenging to apply in a relationship. To simply
read
this book and place it aside will do no good. It must be studied many times during the course of
one's life, and if I may use a line from the book, it must be read at different times and situations.
There really is a wealth of knowledge contained in the pages.
Not everyone will agree with this book, particularly those who's religion may have an established
standard or strict set of regulations. There are also some who have their own 'schemes' and ideas
of
love who will find little help from this book.
Overall, I would recommend this book to those who like to keep a 'manual' hanging around,
especially when things take an unexpected turn. Quick reference to this book will help keep
marriages whole, relationships intact, and broaden the mind of anyone who reads it.
Don't Be Nice - Be Real Balancing Passion For Self With Compassion For Others
Kelly Bryson, MFT (Male)
APC Books (Distribution by: Anthroposophic press)
1687 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa, CA 95404
$15.00 (U.S.), Pages: 296, ISBN: 0972002804
Don't Be Nice - Be Real offers in-depth teaching and instruction to those who are suffering from
personal issues, family problems, or those who need a different outlook on life. Mr. Bryson
explains
in detail how situations arise, and how he has learned to overcome them. His writing is frank and
honest, delving into some of the hardest subjects in human behavior.
I found Mr. Bryson's writing clear and straightforward, but perhaps the one point that caught my
attention most of all was the fact that he lives his teachings. His experiences have forged a
foundation that he applies to his life and way of thinking. I do admire authors of this type that
"walk
the walk" as well as "talk the talk."
Granted, some readers will find his views in opposition, especially those who are headstrong
devoted to one faith or belief. But as with all writings, it must be taken as a whole, not piece by
piece. It is the books' idea in its entirety that will help those who read and apply it to their lives.
Mr.
Bryson has had years of experience around the world to bring troubled people together in peace,
and
his writings clearly reflect that.
Overall, this book will challenge those who are troubled to look within, and find the solutions that
will heal themselves and their families, as well as build stronger people for the communities they
live
in.
Tales Of Psychology Short Stories To Make You Wise
Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.
Paragon House
2700 University Avenue West St. Paul, MN 55114
$26.95 ($24.95 on web site), Pages: 304, ISBN: 1-55778-806-5 (cloth),
www.paragonhouse.com
Tales Of Psychology consists of 19 short stories written from the years of World War II to the
eighties. They all have lessons within them to discover and learn, and is discussed at the end of
each
story. The main themes deal with how people think and behave from a psychological standpoint,
in
the hopes that those who read it will be able to identify different behavior patterns of people they
encounter in life.
There is one word I can use to describe this book: Deep. It isn't the type of book you buy for
Aunt
Jane or Cousin Fred, but for those who really love to get 'into' their reading. It takes a person who
can dig into a book, and come out with more knowledge than when they started. According to the
introduction, those who read certain stories may actually change the way they think about
themselves or the way they live. The authors involved in this work range from very well known to
obscure, and as stated before span almost a half-century of time.
I enjoyed most of the stories contained in the book, though I kept my mind focused on the main
issue, which was to see the different types of behavior that manifested throughout each work.
Each
story was different not only in author, but also in theme and content. This is one book you really
have to sink into and let it consume your reading time!
Of course, the professionalism of Dr. Bond is clearly evident in her teachings and authorship. I'm
sure her skills have healed many people, and can now help them through this book.
I heartily recommend this book to those who seek a well-conceived idea of teaching psychological
issues through short stories and the lessons that follow.
Himmler's War
Robert A Goerman
Publish America
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705
Retail $19.95/Online $16.95, Pages: 233, ISBN: 1-59129-737-0, www.publishamerica.com
Himmler's War tells of one man's fight against a mounting threat from visitors beyond our world.
With aliens as well as humans against him, Derek A. Himmler wages war against those who killed
his brother, and those who will stop at nothing to keep their activities a secret.
In reading this book, I found some interesting qualities in the author&explanation His explination
of
weapons, vehicles and other items in the story gives a clear idea of what's happening. It was also
pleasing to find a fast-paced story where the character doesn't perform 'impossible' or 'ridiculous'
feats or actions. Every conflibelievablemmler survives is completely believeable (and possible)
which
leaves the reader with the thought of, story line if this could really happen'? The storyline is
strong,
keeping the reader's interest piqued throughout. This is one of the few books I've read that I
would
like to see made into a motion picture.
Because of the nature of the story, some parts are quite violent and graphic. Those who shy away
from harsh language and descriptive bloodshed should be warned before they read too far. I
would
recommend this book to those who enjoy a well-written, fast-paced story that will capture their
attention from beginning to end.
High Potency
J. R. Torgerson
Publish America
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705
$19.95 Retail/$16.95, Pages: 204, ISBN: 1-59286-162-8, www.publishamerica.com
High Potency is a high-tech story about a pair of doctors working for a large chemical firm who
begin illegal experiments on batches of the company's vitamin pills. Ted Benson, newly hired as
the
firm's Data Processing Manager, teams up with two lab techs in a race against time to save the
public from consuming the hidden mixture.
Although I use the word mystery as genre for the book, the author revealed several key points
early
on, allowing the reader to grasp what was actually happening. I found the story easy to follow and
the characters down to earth. There were no superheroes, and no unrealistic adventures for the
hero
and two
heroines, just regular people trying to solve a very disturbing situation. I can't go in-depth about
some key events in the book, as it would spoil the suprise of the reader. I can say, however, there
were many times during the story in which I was unable to guess the outcome, and I do like books
of such nature.
There were some places of sexual encounters, but they did not take away from the main story
(which sadly happens more and more.) Profanity was seldom, so it should appeal to those who are
sensitive to it.
Overall, I recommend High Potency to those who want a good story with unusual twists here and
there. A job well done!
Homage To A Princess
Patrick P. Stafford
Publish America
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705
$12.95 Retail/$9.95, Pages: 86, ISBN: 1-59129-638-2, www.publishamerica.com
Poetry has been used throughout the ages to express emotions and desires. Homage To A
Princess
contains fifty poems to honor Princess Diana, who's life was immediately and tragically cut
short.
Unless very young or just cold-hearted, most felt the deep impact of Princess Diana's untimely
death.
The author's beautiful poetry revives her memory, depicting various facets of her life both before
and
after marriage to royalty. The poems are very intense, bringing out many emotions. The author's
writing style is top-notch, reaching into the depths of the reader's heart and reminding us how
special this person was to so many.
There are those who have a distaste for poetry, and again there may be some who care little about
the Princess or her life, but for those who wish to reflect through excellent poetry, I would very
much recommend this book.
The Blue Marionette
Elsan H. Stafford
Publish America
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705
Price: $24.95 Retail/$21.95 Online, Pages: 334, ISBN: 1-59129-362-6,
www.publishamerica.com
The Blue Marionette is a story of love and trials of a man during the years of the twenties to
World
War II. The story follows him during a time when things were quite different, and love was
greatest
of all. His defeats and successes are brought out as he seeks happiness and true love amidst a
trying
time.
I was completely suprised at how much I enjoyed this book (I'm not one for romance novels,
especially the ones distributed lately.) This novel was delightfuly entertaining; a real page turner! I
like novels that really go deep into the character's lives and the situations he or she faces. I
actually
fought sleep to finish this book. The characters are brought out in a way that you could almost
recognize them like an old friend, and the many emotions that were brought out made this story a
pleasure to read.
The author did a great job with accurately describing the events of the time. Attention to detail set
the mood for the story, and gave the feeling of actualy being there.
If I owned a hat, it would go off to Elsan Stafford for a wonderfully written novel, and I would
recommend it to anyone who loves romance!
Leaps Of Faith
Karina L. Fabian and Robert A. Fabian, editors
FrancisIsidore Electronic Press
EMail: http://home.earthlink.net/~mklively/index.html
E-Book Price: $4.00 Download, $5.00 CD, Pages: 206, ISBN: 0971660328
Seldom does a book come along like Leaps Of Faith, where science fiction is blended with
Christianity to produce excellent stories to inspire and enjoy. Karina and Robert Fabian, editors,
have brought together several stories written by as many authors, that are based on the Christian
faith.
The book was a real delight to read, and the authors wrote their stories well. It was easy to
become
immersed in each tale as they followed one common theme. Some were not as jubilant and happy,
but each posessed an important moral, or lesson to be learned.
In some of the stories the authors had clearly studied and researched modern (and ultra-modern)
technology, or had been educated in that particular area. Above all, the mixing of Christianity was
a
very refreshing change from the norm.
I give Leaps Of Faith two thumbs up, and I look forward to similar works in the future. To Karina
and Robert I say, well done.
Michael Bogert
Reviewer
Magdalena's Bookshelf
Huey's Greatest Hits
Iain Hewitson, author & Greg Elms, photographer
Allen & Unwin/Unwin Hyman
c/o Paul & Company
814 North Franklin Street, Chickago, IL 60610
ISBN 1865088609, A$39.95, US$24.95, 304 pages, www.amazon.com, www.ipgbook.com
Like many television chefs Iain Hewitson has become larger than life. From his effusive
presentation,
his down to earth almost Okker style of irreverance, to his food laced braces/suspenders,
Hewitson
is colourful and fun. His television personality is well known in Australia, where he has his own
range of spicy sauces, advertises a major chain of supermarket ("Bi-Lo"), and is also known for
his
rather extensive weight loss, which is featured in another of his books, The Huey Diet. Hewitson's
latest cookbook, Huey's Top Ten features 200 recipes chosen from Hewitson's most requested, a
set
of viewer's favourites. The recipes are simple, generally classic, and like Hewitson, without
pretension. This material is not aimed at the restaurant chef, or even the gourmet home cook, but
rather, the enthusiastic amateur, men and women who want to cook real and generally healthy
food
for their families. Throughout the book in little one page "Hi Hewy Baby!" segments are excerpts
from letters written to Hewitson - some are fan letters and some aren't, some are from children,
some from very old folk, some complementing him and some criticising him - there are requests
for
recipes, reader tips, and even a few job requests. Most of the letters are very funny and add a real
human note to the book, some even including hand drawn pictures of Hewitson. There are also
small
amounts of text attached to each recipe, explaining its origin, little handy hints, quotes, etc.
The book is segmented into chapters on "Great Beginnings" which contains starters or light
meals,
"Super Soups" which includes a very versatile "Four Soups in One" which creates 4 soups (plus
another 6 variations) based on a single Potato, Leek & Onion Soup recipe. There are also sections
on "Birds of a Feather" which contains mainly chicken and couple of turkey and duck recipes,
"Dishes of Fishes," "Make Mine Meat, which contains beef, lamb, mince, veal and sausage
recipes,
"Perfect Pasta & Noodles," "Vegie Magic," which contains some very innovative vegetarian
dishes,
including some mock meats, burgers and sausages, curries and pancakes, "Odds & Sods"
including
uncategorisable foods like snacks, breakfasts, infused oils, preserved lemons and drinks (the
"Microwave Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Crispy Pancetta is as delicious as it is easy). "On
the Side" contains side dishes, including things like salads, potatoes, vegetables, rices and gratins
(the "Beetroot Chips" are wonderful). In the "Sweet Tooth" section, there are a range of desserts,
nearly all very easy - some just for children like "Coconut Ice", "Rice Bubble & Coco Pop Slice,"
and some more sophisticated like "Quince & Apple Cobbler" or "White Chocolate Moussecake"
which is very dramatic with its dried fruit and nuts, but actually extremely easy. The very easy to
make (using bought vanilla ice cream) "Xmas Ice-Cream Pudding" may well start a new tradition
as
it replaces the very unpopular baked one this year on our own holiday table. Each section has at
least a page of "Further Thoughts" which provide information and variations on the recipes, tips
on
things like keeping your knives sharp and dealing with specific ingredients.
Part of Hewitson's charm is that he isn't proud. Many of these recipes come from other chefs like
Charmaine Soloman, Davinder Bedi, Madhur Jaffrey, Kylie Kwong, Stephanie Alexander,
Newspaper columns and his grandmother. He always gives credit where credit is due. Most of the
recipes are pretty well known classics like meatloaf (credited to "Happy Days"), spaghetti and
meatballs, chicken chow main, moussaka, tuna mournay, pavlova and even a fried egg sandwich,
there are also some innovative ones like "Red Cabbage Pancake with Asian Flavours,"
"Mustard-Crusted Fillet of Beef with Minted Green Pea Puree" (surprisingly nice) or "A Parcel of
Salmon & Fennel." This nicely presented book isn't really about innovation though, or even about
impressing your friends, and a quick glance on the top ten most requested recipes at the start of
the
book will show that its the classics like "Warm Chicken Salad," "Chocolate Mud Cake," "Sticky
Date Pudding," "Smoked Code Pie," and "Lasagne" which are the most popular with his viewers.
This is a book which is solely about good home cooking using very readily available and
substitutable ingredients, prepared quickly and simply. The little bit of extra entertainment is icing
on
the (mud) cake.
In Arcadia
Ben Okri
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 0297829602, $A35.00, 230 pages,
I loved Ben Okri's Booker Prize winning novel The Famished Road, with its delicate poetry, its
magical realism, subtle messages and its mystical characters, but there is a serious downside to
writing a beautiful, perfect novel and winning a Booker Prize. No one dares edit you. In Arcadia,
Okri's latest, reads like a truncated first draft. I wouldn't go as far as Helen Brown from The
Independent., who wrote that "... In Arcadia reads like the ramblings of a stoned sixth former,"
but
certainly this book is both over and under written, starting with a wonderful germ of an idea that
has
a thin under developed plot and even thinner characters imposed on it. The story itself is left
dangling and never develops beyond the philosophical musings of its author, who is not included
as a
character. It might actually have been a fine book if it were written as Okri's own non-fictional
musings on the topic of Arcadia, since effectively that is what it is, and Okri speaks with some
power on the topic itself, as well as art history, something which he is clearly knowledgeable
about.
Instead however, he sets the novel up as a mystery, opening with a clearly delineated plot about a
group of 7 cinematic losers, including Lao, the presenter and ostensibly, but only in the beginning,
the book's narrator, who are given a cryptic task of making a television documentary on the topic
of
Arcadia, a supposed Earthly paradise in the Peloponnese.
The film crew are only provided with shadowy details and are gathered through the auspices of an
"evil-sounding man" called Malasso, who no one ever really sees or meets, with the promise that
they will receive their "illuminations" or instructions as they go along. There are some real
promises
in the opening. We are given to believe that there is some mystery surrounding Malasso, that one
of
the girls in the crew will fall in love with another of the crew ("that crazy girl who fell in love iwth
one of us") and that there will be a series of inscriptions which will lead them somewhere and to
some realisation. Thus we are set up and ready for a good read with a first person narrator, Lao,
who is an excellent, bitter, cynical, drunken but insightful character. The other characters also
show
promise: "What a joy to behold, all six of them, all clinging on by their broken fingernails to the
rotten beams of hope." There is Jim, the director, who hasn't directed anything in seven years,
Propr,
a sound man who is practically deaf and who has been voted worst sound man three years
consecutively, by the Academy (a little farfetched admittedly - you are either well known enough
to
be voted anything by the Academy or you are invisible - you can't be both), Husk, a "thin, nervy,
sour, grim, prim, rat-eyed" and obsessive worker, Riley, a "man-girl" full of wiry energy and nice
eyes, Sam, the first camera man who talks nonstop (until later when it turns out he doesn't talk
much
at all) and Jute, the company spy, whose early receipt of an "Inscription" causes her to become
very
nervous indeed. There is also Lao's girlfriend companion, the beatific painter Mistletoe, who
seems
to be so much "at one" in her thinking with Lao that she may as well be another aspect of
him.
One imagines that Okri put in some serious thought and work into this part of the novel, setting
up
the plot and creating a series of characters and even a premise around the nature of Arcadias - the
notion of paradise to ordinary folk and those people in our modern civilisation who have lost our
sense of paradise on earth - effectively living in a daily hell of anxiety and neurosis. Fair enough.
The
story effectively ends here and with a few returns to a plot that seems to change as it goes along,
and
a lot of philosophising which might have worked if it continued to rest in Lao's narrative -
something
it doesn't do - along with some rather extensive narrative intrusions which one sometimes comes
across - those post-modern and cranky reminders that we are "reading a book":
I hope I'm infuriating you so much that you want to throw this book aside and pick up one more
suited to your sheep-like complacency. Actually I don't mind sheep. It's human beings behaving
like
sheep that I can't stand. I hope this is getting rhough to you. I don't want any complacent bastards
on this journey. There are enough of those as it is. We are drawaing up to the next station, a
chapter
ending. You can get off and bugger off if you don't want to continue. But don't ask for your
money
back. I've spent it.
Having thus made it clear that we are at Okri's mercy (although at this stage I was still under the
impression that this was the character of Laos), and that he isn't writing for a "complacent reader"
like myself who was expecting a relatively tight plot due to the set up, we then join the team for a
trip to Arcadia, which ends up changing to a look at a range of different Arcadias through time
and
how each person creates his or her own - the trip to any place specific seemingly vanished. Early
in
Book Two, Laos (or at this point I still thought it was Laos, and was still imagining Laos as the
narrator) begins to have a series of "Intuitions" about the nature of gardens and the garden of
eden,
which is mingled with a kind of Greek Pan type Arcadia. These biblical like incantations or
"dreams"
go on for many pages, building up a kind of lay-philosophy which is a combination of something
out
of the bible, Greek Mythology, and perhaps a kind of Upanishad. Aside from the fact that it is a
musing on the nature of Arcadia though, it has little to do with the "plot" of the story, but then
there
is so little of the plot from here on - just a few reminders of the characters and basic outline of the
story, that it probably no longer matters.
There are a few "diversions" back into the characters, as Jute gets a cryptic message which throws
her into a serious panic. There is a moment when the crew suspect that a character has committed
suicide, a few screams, a mysterious hooded figure, and a visit to a train driver who has a nice
garden, a visit to Versailles and a visit to the Louvre where they spend a lot of time on Poussin's
painting Et in Arcadia Ego. The rest of the "novel" is pure haphazard philosophising on the nature
of
tunnels, on the collective psyche of modern man and above all on the nature of Arcadia as a form
of
enlightenment, and how we create our own Arcadias and how perhaps we have lost them. Aside
from the very tenuous plot, which is set up so well and then simply dissolves (nothing wrong with
a
plotless or character driven novel, but the set up is very jarring, and there is hardly any
characterisation after the first two "books"), there are some serious problems with this text. The
most irritating is the sudden mid-chapter change from a first person to a third person narrative
(chapter ten, Book 3). The focus until this point is on Lao, and we are led to believe that he is our
first person narrator, and that all of the musings are his. To suddenly change mid chapter like this
doesn't work well at all - it doesn't even come across as a nasty trick of a post-modern author - it
simply appears sloppy. From this point on, it becomes clear that the point of view has also
changed
and is no longer Laos, but the narrator, who isn't actually Laos at all. It appears that this narrator
is
Okri himself, certainly not invisible and paring his fingernails, but intruding on the text and
providing
us with a curator's gloss, explaining the nature of Arcadia, philosophising about things like the
nature of tunnels, the nature of art, the last days of beautiful things, the trials of going through
customs as a black man, the nature of "signs," the nature of reading, some very well done and
detailed but lengthy analyses on art history and the painting Et n Arcadia Ego, Arcadia and its
meaning, and the nature of a good life. Any one or all of these topics would have made a good
non-fiction piece, and together could have been a series of authorial musings on topics, in a way
that
Tom Wolfe, Umberto Eco and even Julian Barnes have recently done so artfully. In the guise of a
novel however, it doesn't work well at all - the very lengthy narrative intrusions fight terribly with
the story which is given short shrift, and the characters who change so quickly and rapidly begin
to
think and talk so completely alike that they are utterly unbelievable.
The "Intuitions" are particularly lengthy and in some cases, incomprehensible:
Painting is an inscription on the flesh of time. An invocation of colours. Painting is a raising from
the
dead, a resurrection, a transmogrification, a transmutation. Painting is the triumph of plants and
minerals and animal hair. It is soul dancing to soul.
Painting is the still life of God's mind. It is the heaven of remembered things, the hell of forgotten
things. It is the destiny of legend, the dream of a faun and all legendary beings. It is legend frozen,
memory's homeland.
This invocation to "painting" goes on in a similar Allen Ginsberg style (I can almost hear the
harmonium in the background) with a series of sentences that are seemingly profound but which
make no sense whatsoever, for four pages. Poetic as the writing is, and sometimes it is actually
quite
poetic, it really doesn't work. At least Ginsberg called his work poetry and tried to sing it rather
than
sticking it smack in the middle of what appeared to be a conventional narrative (although it was
still
unbearable at its worst). Ben Okri is clearly a writer with talent, and a good editor with enough
chutzpah to tell him that this was not his best work, might have helped him to create two books -
one a fictional one which picked up on his initial plot, and one a non-fiction, wherein, with some
judicious editing out of the rambling, could have helped him create a series of philosophical and
well
written essays. Instead In Arcadia is presented to the bemused reader as a sloppy, poorly written
novel which starts out by accusing the reader of being too stupid to understand the grand plan of
his
work, and ends with more incomprehensible speculation on the nature of life, reducing his only
characters to mere inscriptions. This might be acceptable for a youthful first time author, but a
major
and very experienced novelist like Okri could do a lot better.
Blindsighted
Karin Slaughter
HarperTorch
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0-380-82088-9 price: $7.50 paperback, October 2002, 378 pages
Cornwell and Reichs have started a tradition of hard edged, women forensic novels. Slaughter has
continued with a darker harder story. 'Blindsighted' is less the detective/mystery of Cornwell and
Reichs and more the suspense/thriller of a pulp writer. Slaughter paints a picture of a sinister
South
with dark dangerous passions hidden within each character. Her women characters are more
detailed
but her male personalities are still complex. Slaughter's writing is a little raw but so is the story. In
a
small southern college town, Dr. Sara Linton is running late for her lunch with her sister Tessa.
When she arrives, the normal sister bickering and family small talk starts. Sara decides she needs
an
escape and excuses herself for the bathroom. There she finds Sibyl Adams, drugged, raped, sliced
open, and bleeding to death. The blind college professor is just the beginning of the horror that
faces
her as Sara finds herself the focus of a sadistic serial killer who is bringing his macabre trophies to
her. Sara's ex-husband, Police Chief Jeffery Tolliver, must find the clues to stop the killing and
Sara
has to find the strength to rise above her hidden past. 'Blindsighted' is a must read suspense novel.
The power of the gruesome story pulls you to the final page. Just don't read this book if you are
going on a trip to a small Georgia college town in the near future.
The Involuntary Immortals
Rog Phillips
Renaissance E Books
P.O. Box 1432, Northampton, MA 01060
ISBN: 1-58873-140-5 price: $4.00 electronic download Copyright 2002, 152 pages,
www.renebooks.com
With 'The Involuntary Immortals,' copyright 1959, it is possible to compare the way two masters
in
storytelling approach the same topic. Heinlein's 'Methuselah's Children,' copyright 1958, is a story
about a group of people in the future who band together because they do not seem to age.
'Immortals' starts with a group of people in the immediate future who discover they are nearly
immortal. Phillips has a darker style with more science in the tale. The two stories blend many of
the
same ideas but diverge into different directions. Phillips limits his novel to the story's characters
and
immediate problems. Heinlein expands the story to cover a wider scope. It makes you wonder
what
gem of a tale would have come about if they had collaborated on a story.
Helen's husband Carl dies at the age of sixty-seven. In the forty-two years of their marriage, Helen
has always looked twenty. Their daughter, Agnes, screams at his death, "It was you, mother. You
killed him by drawing his life into your own body just as you are doing to mine and all those
around
you!" Agnes vows to make her mother's life misearable. Helen, who is a century and a half old,
packs her life with Carl away and tries to start again with her old name in Chicago. On the train,
she
meets Eric Trent, a man who looks twenty-five but is as old a she is. There is nothing more
vicious
than families broken by hate and desire. Betrayal and murder stalk Helen as she runs for survival
and
to learn the truth about her immortality.
The science in 'The Involuntary Immortals' is dated but the story is a pure action pulp. Phillips
weaves an intricate path through a complex story that is well worth following to its end.
Retro Diner: Comfort Food from the American Roadside
Linda Everett
Collectors Press, Inc.
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
ISBN: 1888054689, Pages: 128, $16.95, www.amazon.com
Dive into the specialty dishes that made the old-time diners famous. "Retro Diner: Comfort Food
from the American Roadside" won't make it onto the top healthy foods list, but it sure makes
some
old-time favorites come to life.
With recipes from the 1930's to the 1960's you are sure to find your favorite diner meals here.
Alabama Sweet Potatoes, Monte Cristo Sandwich, Butterscotch Pie, you'll find recipes here that
you
won't find anywhere else. But don't look for any shortcuts here; these are the original recipes,
which
means the recipes don't start with a plain cake mix but with flour, eggs, and salt.
The book can be confusing at times like where step seven of Dixie Diner's Blueberry Pancakes say
to
"bake in your waffle iron", which would make it a waffle and not a pancake, or the Chipped Beef
recipe that does not include toast or biscuits in the ingredients list but does state to serve it over
toast or biscuits, a bit of an annoyance if you are done preparing it and then find out that you have
no bread.
Still, even with the small annoyances, the book is a pleasure to read. To add to the enjoyment of
the
book, it is filled with illustrations, advertising, and photographs from the appropriate years. For
those who would like to travel back to a time of simple pleasures the book is a wonderful
nostalgic
trip and the recipes sure to delight.
America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations
William J. Federer
Amerisearch, Inc.
PO Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123
ISBN: 1880563096, Pages: 845, $29.99, www.amazon.com
"America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations" is exactly as the title proclaims, a
collection of quotations that refer to God and especially as related to America. William Federer
has
done an excellent job of collection these quotations, documenting his sources, and giving some
background on the individuals. That does not mean that there are not some curious quirks in the
book. For example, for many of the people quoted he has included a small picture of them.
However, at the entry for William Henry Seward, who was Secretary of State under Lincoln,
there is
no picture of Seward, but one of Lincoln.
Entries are listed alphabetically by the person being quoted. Which is great if you are looking up a
quote by someone in particular like Abraham Lincoln. What if you don't know who made a quote
but want to look it up by subject? No problem, as the author has also included a subject index at
the
back of the book.
This is an excellent book and a recommended resource for those who might be looking for a
particular quote from a founding father, court, state constitution, or more modern person such as
Martin Luther King, Jr. However, it should be understood that it many not accurately portray the
complete attitudes of our nation at any given time. If someone from another country were to read
the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. and conclude from these words that the United States was a
haven of peace in the 1960's with non-violence being the rule we would all be quick to point out
how wrong they were. However, there are no quotes in this book from that time period that
would
indicate otherwise. This is true to the author's stated intent - these are quotes about "America's
God
and Country" and any other items are not included. To realize that a conclusion like the one about
the United States during the time of Martin Luther King, Jr. is completely a farce and still race to
make the same conclusion about our Founding Fathers is ludicrous. And yet, I see that as the
greatest problem with this book; people will use it for the purpose of "proving" that the United
States was based on a Judeo-Christian philosophy without any consideration of the social context,
habits, or other writers, statesmen, or leaders of the time.
Still, I rank it a highly recommended read as the author has done an excellent job of doing just
what
he purposed to do with the book. Well researched, well documented, and well organized it should
be
in most libraries.
The Hours
Michael Cunningham
Picador USA
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 0312305060, Pages: 226, $13.00, www.amazon.com
Michael Cunningham's literary idol and muse was Virginia Woolf. Taking her writing style he
brings
her back to life as one of the characters in "The Hours" and places her in 1923 London writing her
novel "Mrs. Dalloway". Spanning across time and space the other primary characters are Laura
Brown in Los Angeles in 1940s and Clarissa Vaughn in Greenwich Village in the 1950's.
Clarissa Vaughn is planning a party for Richard, a poet dying of Aids and her oldest love. Many
years before he had nicknamed Clarissa "Mrs. Dalloway" after the character in the novel and
indeed
she parallels the Mrs. Dalloway character in many respects.
The Laura Brown character is also introduced while preparing a party. Her party is for her
husband's
birthday. Laura is pregnant and looking for more to her life than being the housewife and mother.
In
her searching she has become fascinated with the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" and reads it fervently to
the
point that she escapes into the fictional life of "Mrs. Dalloway".
Michael Cunningham does a great job of producing a highly readable text that intertwines the lives
of the three women. A recommended read for anyone who enjoys Virginia Woolf's style of
writing.
Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving
Jonathan Koomey
Analytics Press
PO Box 20313, Oakland, CA 94620-0313
ISBN: 0970601905, Pages: 221, $34.95, www.amazon.com
"Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" should be required
reading for anyone engaged in producing, reading, or analysing information. Based on the title
one
might assume that I mean numerical information, but that is not the case at all. The basic
principles,
such as how to sift through information and the importance of documentation of sources, are
important parts of any information product. In fact, except for the sections on graphs, tables,
normalizing data and a few others, the rest of the book (fully at least three quarters of it) is
dedicated to determining what constitutes good information, good techniques, good analysis,
good
documentation, etc. This is a book on problem solving techniques and analysis of the information
products of others.
Filled with useful tools and tips for problem solving under real-life situations it is one of the most
useful books available. "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem
Solving"
is a masterful work in the area of critical analysis and a highly recommended read for anyone
involved in creating or using information of any kind.
Northeastern Wilds: Journeys of Discovery in the Northern Forest
Stephen Gorman
Appalachian Mountain Club Books
5 Joy St., Boston, MA 02130
ISBN: 1929173091, Pages: 177, $39.95, www.amazon.com
The Northern Forest is an area of twenty-six million acres that stretches from Adirondack Park in
New York through Vermont, New Hampshire, and most of Maine. "Northern Wilds: Journeys of
Discovery in the Northern Forest" consists of historical information about this area as well as the
author's personal experiences. The author provides detailed descriptions and commentary of the
various facets of the Forest. These descriptions include what one might expect while hiking in the
area in different seasons, canoeing the rivers, or camping as well as how the area is changing due
to
development, logging, and other ecological factors.
Filled with stunningly beautiful photographs, it made me want to visit the Northern Forest at my
first
opportunity. A recommended read, but worth the price just for the pleasure of enjoying the
photography.
Khalifah: A Novel Of Conquest And Personal Triumph
John Elray
Aardwolfe Books
PO Box 471, Aiea, HI 96701-0471
ISBN: 0970777620, Pages: 315, $14.95, www.amazon.com
"Khalifah" is a fictional novel based on historical events set in the mid-east. The time period is
from
632 A.D. to 661 A.D., Islam is in turmoil as the once unified peoples have scattered and become
predominantly a culture of multiple warring tribes. The book is written from the Muslim point of
view and includes descriptive details of the violence that was common during that time period.
The
story line is filled with intrigue and treachery as various factions of the Arab groups vie for power
and Mu'awiya is caught up in the events of the time. If you want to understand the customs and
mind-set of Islam during that period of time, John Elray does a masterful job of bringing the
reader
into the daily life and frustrations of the military actions and deceit that were common then.
With well-developed characters and a good story line it is a recommended read with the following
reservations. First, this is a novel about very turbulent times and includes a lot of violence. If you
don't like violence in your reading then this is not for you. My second concern is that readers
understand that this is a fictional novel based on historical events at the beginning of the rise of
Islam. The reader should enjoy the book as a novel and as a window to understanding that time
period, not as a political commentary of modern day Islam. If you are able to do so then you will
find it an interesting read.
Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 2003-2004
Jeff Herman
Prima Publishing
PO Box 1260, Rocklin, CA 95677
ISBN: 076153735X, Pages: 892, $24.95, www.amazon.com
"Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 2003-2004: Who They Are!
What
They Want! and How to Win Them Over" is the Bible of resource and reference guides to book
editors, publishers, and agents. I've reviewed several other guides and many of them are both
good
and useful, but this one is different. If you only purchase one writer's guide to publishers this is the
one that you will want. It not only provides the publisher's name, address, and phone number, but
who should be contacted for each particular type of submission, the type of submissions they are
looking for, and examples of items they have published in the past. For agents it includes their
address and phone number as well as their educational background, career history, hobbies and
other
profile information. Thoroughly researched and well documented, it is the best book you can
purchase if you are a new writer seeking to get published or an experienced writer seeking to
change
agents or publishers.
The Wealthy Spirit: Daily Affirmations for Financial Stress Reduction
Chellie Campbell
Sourcebooks, Inc.
PO Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567
ISBN: 157071777X, Pages: 384, $16.95, www.amazon.com
Daily Affirmations are just that - affirmations. Their purpose is to be uplifting and motivating to
the
reader. Hopefully, they change the reader's attitude over time and make their life better by
applying
the affirmations. Applying? Yes, if you plan to just read this book and expect your life to change
you
will be disappointed. It does include some wise advice like not waiting for your ship to come in
but
instead sending out ships of your own. This involves action. If the affirmations are what you need
to
keep you on track and moving forward then this will be a great book for you. Of course, there is
more to this book than just affirmations. It is designed for the reader to read a page a day. Each of
these pages starts with a very applicable quote (which I found more motivating than the
affirmations). The quote is followed by a story, advice, explanation, life application of the thought
of
the day, or similar text. Then the page is concluded with the affirmation for the day. While I did
not
particularly like many of the affirmations and found some of them patronizing, I did enjoy some of
them. To me the value of the book is in each page's very appropriate quote and the rest of the
page
right up to the affirmation. Others may find the affirmations valuable. A very good book that I
have
no hesitations recommending, it was a joy to read.
The Water's Edge
Authors: Virginia Bailey Parker
Snowy Creek Press
PO Box 87555, Canton, MI 48187-0555
ISBN: 097034970X, Pages: 363, $18.95, www.amazon.com
"The Water's Edge" is a historical novel set in the 1600's in England and the fledgling colonies of
the
New World. For those who enjoy a storyline that follows a family or group of families through
their
daily life this will be a great read. The book follows three families from England to the American
colonies as they seek a better life. Using the vehicle of a historical novel Virginia Parker does a
masterful job of showing the complex relationships between the Quakers, the Puritans, the
Indians,
profit seekers, and those whose primary purpose was religious conversion. The reader comes to
understand the difficulties of life in the colonies and many of the problems and triumphs to be had
there. Become a part of the families as you live their hopes, their dreams, and their realities. A
well-done, recommended book for anyone who enjoys fiction based on historical events.
On The Line
Denise I. O'Neal
Banbury Publishing, Inc.
36148 North Banbury Court, Gurnee, Il 60031
ISBN: 0970600739, Pages: 343, $16.95, www.amazon.com
"On the Line" is the story of Cassius "Cash" Rivers, a fireman with the Chicago Fire Department.
With several public relations problems, the firemen need a new union representative, the
department
needs to improve their image, and the mayor needs to make the citizens have faith in his
administration. Of course others also want to run for offices and there is a fair amount of
corruption
within the ranks. Cash Rivers becomes the much-needed hero on the department but his problems
are just starting. Moving up the political ladder from obscurity to being in the public eye he
attracts
his share of well wishers as well as those who would wish him ill or use him to serve their own
purposes.
The book starts out as a rather slow read. It picks up steam around the middle and by the end it is
hard to put down as you are drawn into the morass of plot twists and turns and wondering what
will
happen next. A recommended read that most readers would enjoy if they can persevere through
the
first third of the book. The reward of a good story justifies the perseverance.
Preventing Strategic Gridlock
Pamela S. Harper
Cameo Publications
PO Box 8006, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938
ISBN: 0971573948, Pages: 203 plus Appendices, $19.95, www.amazon.com
Strategic Gridlock - when business strategies and initiatives come to a complete stop because of
persistent organizational problems. Everyone understands the fatal implications of such a problem
but few seem to understand how it comes about and how to get out of one. "Preventing Strategic
Gridlock: Leading Over, Under & Around Organizational Jams to Achieve High Performance
Results" provides an analysis of how seven "roadblocks" cause strategic gridlock and what to do
about them.
The first part of the book goes over each of these roadblocks, what causes them to occur, the
implications of each of them, their symptoms, and how to determine if you are experiencing them.
Each of these chapters has a checklist to help keep out of gridlock, an interpretation section to
define if you are experiencing the roadblock, a set of frequently asked questions, and a series of
checkpoints that define the highlights of the chapter. Together these make the book very useful
for
anyone seeking to avoid gridlock or determine if they are in a gridlock situation.
The second part of the book contains the details of the U.N.L.O.C.K. system to resolve strategic
gridlock. The technique is detailed and illustrated through examples. Throughout the book
multiple
real life scenarios illustrate each concept.
This is a recommended read for anyone experiencing gridlock in their organization or who wants
to
understand gridlock from the root causes to the moving beyond it.
Women Who Do Too Much: How to Stop Doing It All and Start Enjoying Your Life
Patricia Sprinkle
Zondervan
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310246377, Pages: 185, $10.99, www.amazon.com
Trying to be everything to everyone causes feelings of frustration, resentment, stress, and fatigue.
How do you do everything you are expected to do and still have time for yourself? The answer is
that sometimes you can't. That is where "Women Who Do Too Much: How To Stop Doing It All
and Start Enjoying Your Life" can help provide solutions.
The book starts with an analysis of why we often do too much. The price you pay for this is a loss
of
your inner peace and happiness. If you want to be at peace and happy you have to stop doing so
many things that you don't necessarily like to do and do more of the things that you want to do,
the
things that bring joy to your life. Of course, that is easy enough to say, but how do you actually
go
about doing it? That is the subject of the remainder of the book.
A serious subject written in a fun and insightful style it is a practical guide based on Biblical
principles. A recommended read for anyone feeling the frustration of too many things to do and
too
little time to do them.
Breakfast With God: Spiritual Food for Every Day
Duncan Banks (Editor), Gerard Kelly (Editor), Roz Stirling (Editor), Simon Hall
Zondervan
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310248310, Pages: 371, $14.99, www.amazon.com
Would you like to have a fun and creative way to do a short Bible study each morning? If the
answer
is "yes" then "Breakfast with God" may be the book for you. It contains 366 daily Bible studies
presented in a breakfast metaphor. Each breakfast starts with orange juice - a specific Bible
passage.
After the orange juice you head for the big breakfast - a story related to the passage, a personal
experience, or other guidance for better understanding the verse in today's world. After the big
breakfast is the Continental, a much shorter version of the Big Breakfast for those in a hurry and
don't have the time for the full big breakfast. Finally, the breakfast concludes with coffee - a final
thought to end your breakfast and direct your mind on a positive path for the day. A delightful
book
that presents daily Bible study in a way to make it fun for everyone.
Dad's Everything Book for Daughters: Practical Ideas for a Quality Relationship
John Trent, PhD
Zondervan
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310242924, Pages: 186, $12.99, www.amazon.com
Many men have few problems raising their sons, but are completely lost when dealing with a
daughter. "Dad's Everything Book for Daughters" is a book to help dads connect with their
daughters during the pre-teen years and establish the strong relationship that will help both of
them
weather the teen years as well as life as a grown up.
The book is divided into four sections: What Every Girl Needs From her Dad, Tips for
Connecting
With Your Daughter, Connecting from Far Away, and Praying for Your Daughter. By far the
largest
section of the book is the one on Tips for Connecting With Your Daughter. Many of the tips are
items that the author has done with his daughter and found effective. Others are nothing new in
the
area of advice for pre-teen parents. Still others are insightful and offer the sharing of new ideas
that
a caring dad can add to his repertoire of ways to relate to his daughter.
While the author indicates that the book is targeted to the 8 - 12 year old age group many of the
ideas can be used on much younger daughters and people with five-year-old daughters and older
should consider the book. While this book can provide much needed direction to some dads and
at
least a few gems for even the most experienced dads, I might also suggest it's companion book for
moms: "Mom's Everything Book for Daughters". Together they provide a pretty thorough
guidebook to building a strong, personal relationship with your pre-teen daughter.
Mom's Everything Book for Daughters: Practical Ideas for a Quality Relationship
Becky Freeman
Zondervan
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310242940, Pages: 185, $12.99, www.amazon.com
"Mom's Everything Book for Daughters: Practical Ideas for a Quality Relationship" is sure to be a
classic on how to develop a close relationship with your pre-teen daughter. It is one of the most
useful and practical books available for building a relationship with girls of this age. What I
particularly liked was that she does not just give you advice such as watching a "chick-flick"
together but goes a step further to list some recommended movies. Instead of giving obscure
advice
like many other relationship books, the author provides specific, definitive ideas.
As you read through it don't miss the highlighted sections on Rave Reviews (suggested additional
materials for the section) or Just for Fun (lots of fun activities for you and your daught
