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Reviewer's Choice
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong.
Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow
Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139, Naperville, IL 60563
ISBN: 1402200455, $16.95, 1-800-432-7444
Shauna Singh Baldwin
Reviewer
To many Americans, Edith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier represent France. For others, France is the
place where style matters more than substance, the country that broadened our adjectival palette
to
describe fine wines. To others, it is the country that has been "ungrateful" for being saved in
WWII,
that inexplicably challenged George Bush's plans for unilateral military intervention in a foreign
country. The Canadian view of France is less extreme. Many English-Canadians associate France
with de Gaulle's 1967 "Vive le Quebec Libre" that was interpreted as support for Quebec
separatism, others with cheese, food as religion, and the creation of the EEC. So why do most of
us
love France but hate the French?
In Sixty Million Frenchman Can't be Wrong, coauthors Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow with
10 years of business journalism apiece, renovate our ideas about this paradoxical country.
French-Canadian and English Canadian respectively, this married couple moved to France and
spent
two years researching this rare book of cultural anthropology for the general reader.
Like many cultural guides to France Polly Platt's French or Foe?, and Sally Adamson's Culture
Shock! France they enumerate many ways in which France is "a clock that runs on a different set
of gears" but Benoit and Barlow also show us how it got that way. In the process they challenge
our
cultural assumptions and expectations. Reasoning from history and geography, the authors explain
French differences, offering cross cultural statistics and anecdotal comparisons along the
way.
Take North American myths of France as insular: the authors describe France's continuing global
reach as a still-surviving colonial power. Using Guadeloupe as example, they describe the
homogenous administration of colonial possessions. Why is France so far behind even
less-developed countries in its business use of the Internet? The authors introduce us to France's
Minitel system. Why are the French against globalization, as Thomas Freidman complains in The
Lexus and the Olive Tree? The authors tell us the French accept globalization, but are against the
model and impact of the current progress of exploitive globalization as promoted by the US and
the
WTO. The French, like many other countries, have even proposed a global tax on financial
transactions for redistribution of wealth from wealthy states to poor nations, a "solidarity
tax."
Keenly aware of the power differentials between French and English in the foreign and business
affairs of France and North America, Sixty Million Frenchman Can't be Wrong celebrates French
self-assurance, French interest in international politics. A recurring theme is the impact of that
provocative and consummate politician, Charles de Gaulle in setting France on an independent
path
in foreign policy and economics. In every area, the authors show how de Gaulle's single-minded
pursuit of French interest, from refusing American control and reconstruction after WWII to
creating the myth of total French resistance to the German occupation, to the creation of the
Fourth
Republic and France's current democratic institutions.
From a book co-authored with a woman, you might expect more information about French
women
and French feminism. Is it still "Vive la Difference" - how have cultural expectations for French
women changed over the years? But beyond noting that France passed a law in 2000 that requires
50% female representation among political candidates presented by any party, the authors skirt
this
issue.
They replace our myths with a picture a highly authoritarian and formerly homogenous country
just
emerging from the control of Paris and its elites, waking to local representation, decision making
and
participative democracy. A country that has only in the last ten years woken to the assimilation
problems of its Muslim population, and realized the dangers posed by its many conservative,
anti-semitic and fascist elements. A powerful participant on the global stage. A country not so
different from the USA.
Sixty Million Frenchman Can't be Wrong is a delightful book, a must-read before your first trip to
France, and also one that can illuminate, interpret and deepen your last experience of the
country.
Staying Sane at an Insane Time
Adrienne J. Rosenberg, MSW
Mystic Publishers
www.successforchange.com
ISBN: 0972784012 $12.95 Adrienne2171@aol.com
Sarah Lee Marks
Reviewer
I started reading Adrienne's book when all was calm in my life --then all h-ll broke loose.
Words are often an attempt to ease the pain of our affliction. Making sense of the trials that
prevail
upon all of us at one time or another is what Rosenberg does for a living. Aptly named, Staying
Sane at an Insane Time is not a clich‚. We all question our sanity when control and
comprehension appear beyond our grasp.
Coping skills from A-to-Z covers every possible trauma, conflict or personal crossroads including;
Dealing with the Unexpected, Coping with Financial Insecurity, Dealing with the loss of a Loved
One, Weaning away from Addictions, The Pain of Divorce, Retirement and the Adjustment to
Aging. Young adult to golden agers will find solice in this work. Adrienne's backround in social
work and therapy mix well with her teaching skills, providing a concise GET TO THE POINT
approach, that keeps the chapters short and simple making for an easy read. The Here's
How-To-Fix-It, as in the problem or issue, is not so much a software patch but a well scripted
lesson
plan.
Bullet points carry the reader through the logical progression, including a time frame for the
process
and the anticipated results. When discussing the concept of risk taking, Adrienne offers a list of
steps and suggestions beginning with the age old Ben Franklin list. She then adds; "Talk to others
you trust who have your best interest at heart " and "Be certain to the best of your knowledge
that
you are making decisions based on strong facts and being in the best mindset, rather than out of
desperation, anger or fear. You want to feel good as you change the course of your life, or even
(as
you) decide to keep things the same." She avoids the obvious: Don't Panic, Listen to your Inner
Spirit, the new age platitudes that often leave one Ohmmming in hopes of a handwritten note
from
the other side.
The concepts Adrienne imparts are steeped in common sense, and professional coaching. I learned
to slowdown and pay attention to my feelings. First by understanding that not accepting all the
responsibility was permission-based and I needed to give myself permission to slow down. Once I
had made the time to listen by reducing my work load, I was better equipped to focus on my plan
for
change. Writing down thoughts, lists, ideas and issues as a way to sort through the noise, is a big
part of the "Staying Sane " program.
This book is a keeper for your reference shelf of life.
A Journey of Work-Life Renewal: The Power to Recharge and Rekindle Passion in your Life
Bonnie Michaels and Michael Seef
Managing Work & Family, Inc.
912 Crain Street, Evanston, IL 60202
ISBN 0972811508 $13.95
Roger E. Herman
Reviewer
Educational, Inspiring
Ever wish you could just take some time off? I mean, real time off. Like a year. Just travel with
your
spouse, another loved one, a friend or even by yourself? A year-long sabbatical could be a
fascinating, rewarding, and renewing experience. If we were honest with each other, we'd
probably
all admit that we'd love to live this way. It's possible - and practical for the right kinds of
people.
To learn if this is right for you, it's wise to do some exploring - into what others have done.
Bonnie
and Michael, husband and wife, took the Big Leap. Most of the year they spent together, but they
did separate for a while to pursue their own needs, their own dreams. Their time was spent
volunteering, sightseeing, learning, and renewing. This book tells their story - the good, the bad,
and
the ugly. It's a captivating read that draws you in and makes you want to read more while you
dream about what you might do.
Your imagination will be stimulated, your curiosity piqued.
A lot of your questions will be answered as you read the story of Bonnie and Michael's
adventures.
The rest of your questions, about resources and all the specifics, will be answered in the
comprehensive resource listing in the back of the book. Everything you ever wanted to
know detailed information about what was referred to in the book, and even more.
There are all sorts of things to consider if you want to take off for a year, a few months, a month,
a
couple of weeks, or even two years. The authors will take you through the process, even
providing a
planning guide for your convenience. Anticipate challenges the unexpected. You'll learn about the
kind of things that could happen in the frank discussion in the text. Upon completion of this
reading,
you'll be much more ready than you were before especially for international travel.
Added bonus: throughout the book there are quotes from other writings in the field of life-work
balance and sabbaticals. These references are enlightening, thought-provoking, and stimulating -
to
read the other books, too.
Ready to take some time off, to renew? Prepare well; start with this book.
Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way To Personalize Sales And Achieve Astounding
Results
Jack Mitchell
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023
www.HugYourCustomers.com
ISBN 1401300340 $19.95
Peter Hupalo
Reviewer
Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way To Personalize Sales And Achieve Astounding Results by
Jack Mitchell is a great book for entrepreneurs who operate service businesses and, especially, for
business owners who operate retail operations.
Jack Mitchell is co-owner and CEO of Mitchells/Richards, the upper-end clothing retailer. Today,
Mitchells/Richards sells $65 million in apparel annually. Mitchells/Richards dresses many Fortune
500 executives. However, the store began as a modest family business, started by Jack's dad in
1958.
Mitchell writes: "When the store opened, there were a few dozen shirts, some socks, a couple of
sweaters, and a few ties. Plus, exactly three Doncaster suits, the brand Dad created for the store,
priced at $65 apiece. A size 40 banker's stripe. A 42 navy blue. And a 42 charcoal gray....
Nowadays
we stock over three thousand suits - for men and women."
Mitchell credits his family store's success to making the store a home, where customers feel
welcome. Mitchell says his parents: "...understood that customers wanted five things more than
they
wanted a great location or enormous inventory:
1. A friendly greeting
2. Personal interest
3. A business that makes them feel special
4. A 'no problem' attitude
5. Forward thinking"
Mitchell says that to be successful in the service industry, you must build a customer centric
organization - one that hugs the customer. It's not enough to have satisfied customers. You need
extremely satisfied customers.
Mitchell writes: "When you have strong relationships, customers will do more of their buying
from
you. They'll refer other customers. They'll communicate with you better and tell you what they
like
and what they don't like, in turn making your business more efficient and effective."
Mitchell points out that hugging is difficult to quantify, and many companies ignore customer
satisfaction and customer profiling altogether. While inventory is recorded on the balance sheet,
Mitchell tells us that a company's greatest asset - repeat customers - doesn't appear on any
financial
statements.
Further, while companies invest significant amounts in computer systems, they rarely develop
computer systems that support a hugging culture.
Mitchell writes: "What's amazing is that although personal relationships are absolutely crucial to
any
company's success, they are rarely tracked by any system. Hotels don't know who likes
queen-sized
beds and who wants extra pillows. Airlines don't know who prefers aisle seats and who prefers the
window."
Mitchell is a big fan of profiling customers to provide more personal service. He likes his sales
associates to know which customers like M&M's and what nicknames they prefer.
With over 115,000 customers, knowing personal information about each customer is nearly
impossible without a database to support this information. When a customer visits
Mitchells/Richards, the customer's sales associate can pull up the customer information easily
allowing the associate to recall information about the individual.
Hug Your Customers also contains solid advice about running a family business.
A Humanist in the Bible Belt
William Harwood
lstBooks
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403
ISBN 141070985X $13.50 www.1stbooks.com.
Norman Pridmore
Reviewer
First published in Freethinker, August 2003.
If something can be clearly thought, then it can be clearly stated. Flannel and gobbledygook
(components of what A C Grayling elegantly calls "the perfumed smokescreen") are far too often
simply an attempt to conceal the illucidity of a writer's ideas. It is no coincidence that flannel and
gobbledygook constitute the essence of theology.
Dr William Harwood will have no truck with vagueness, and this makes his writing consistently
stimulating and urgent. He also largely eschews nuance and ornament. His directness is at times
almost supercharged. This means that when confronted with a Harwood essay, letter, article or
review the reader is able to deal without distraction with what is being said. His latest book, the
imposing A Humanist in the Bible Belt, brings together a large number of Harwood pieces that
were
previously widely scattered and available only in newspapers and periodicals. In addition, readers
will find in this volume substantial chunks of his fine (if strange) novel The Autobiography of God
(reviewed in the January 2003 Freethinker). In producing this book the publisher 1stBooks has
performed a very useful and undoubtedly important service.
This collection has many virtues. However, a word of warning is in order. Because what lies
between the covers is such highly concentrated stuff it is perhaps advisable not to imbibe too
much
at a single sitting lest an overdose ensues. The material is best read, in my experience at least, a
few
items at a time. This method also reduces one's occasional sense of deja vu. Dr Harwood has a
number of favoured pithy phrases that pop up in different places, and to read too many of these
too
often is sometimes disconcerting. Another virtue of the "little at a time" method is that the best of
the points that Dr Harwood does repeat fold more easily into the memory. This is entirely to the
good, as they are well worth remembering.
The term "polymath" is frequently misused. In Dr Harwood's' case, it is probably an accurate
description. He knows a great many things, and knows about a great many things (there is a
difference). In an age of intense specialisation there are very few who can or are prepared to
venture
with confidence beyond a relatively narrow field of expertise. Dr Harwood is not one of these.
The
fact that he is not a university academic (though eminently qualified to be one) may have some
bearing on this.
He knows the languages of the Bible well enough to have undertaken a scholarly translation of
significant portions of it (copiously annotated). He is at home in history, myth, and textual
analysis.
He is well acquainted (as anyone on the editorial board of that excellent magazine Free Inquiry
should be) with modem secular humanist thinking over a wide range of issues. He is a
contributing
editor of American Rationalist. And he seems to know in mind-bending detail the whole spectrum
of
kooks and kookiness, from Ayurveda and alien abductions to Zero Point Energy. Oh, and don't
get
him onto hypnotism. He was an advertising manager for hypnotic stage shows and will tell you
very
definitely that there's no such thing - not as understood by most folk, anyway. He's right, by the
way.
The earliest piece in the book dates from 1974 and concerns the quality of education given to
Canada's future teachers. He deprecates the quality of the training they are given, and roundly'
castigates the intellectual standard of what is on offer. It is "puerile balderdash" and "unintelligible
gibberish," he says. Dr Harwood should know: himself an educator (in the widest sense of that
word) he is well placed to make such an assessment.
From this robust beginning, Dr Harwood covers a vast amount of territory. Some readers may
find
his ideas about sex rather challenging, and any religious persons perusing the book will be
appalled
at these (and at much else besides). Religion, he believes, has twisted and depraved our normal
human impulses to a degree that is not only scarcely believable but certainly unacceptable. A
rational
ethics, he suggests, would not place an arbitrary boundary around sexual behaviour and impose
consequent limits, but would recognise and accept the legitimacy and importance of sexual
experimentation and relations between young people (by which he means those presently
considered
to be below the "age of consent"). Those disturbed by his proposals will probably not be mollified
by
his carefully delineated scheme for ensuring that exploitation does not take place. In his ideas
about
sex Dr Harwood gets very close to saying the unsayable. Bravely and consistently, however, he
follows the dictum that in the realm of ideas, there should be no holds barred. He ridicules
"accepted" notions such as the innate harmfulness of "adultery" too. Unsurprisingly, he is not a
fan
of the Pope's teachings concerning contraception. His anger is at times palpable.
Nor is he a fan of President George W Bush. Not only does he consider him an illegitimate
usurper
(he's in the excellent company of Michael Moore and Gore Vidal here) - he also considers him to
be
one of history's biggest mass murderers. This is based of course upon Bush's record as Governor
of
Texas, during which time he had power to prevent, but did not prevent, the murder by the state of
around 150 fellow humans. (Executions on this scale smack of human sacrifice, surely?).
In reading his analyses of what the Bible actually says (an extraordinary self-imposed task for
someone who rates the book as being ethically on a par with Hitler's Mein Kampf and De Sade's
Justine), I began to entertain a plausible but mildly disturbing fantasy. Certain pieces in this book
would lend themselves to photocopying and to sending at suitable intervals to the professionally
religious. For most of the time these paragons of dissimulation go about their ghostly trade
unopposed. A few Harwood "anti-tracts" sent in their direction could be just the thing they need
to
awaken their dormant critical faculties. It would probably be far too optimistic to expect that any
would seriously alter their opinions, but any offer of food for thought to the mentally starved
would
be an act of charity. The confused Rowan Wilson, author of a recent sermon in which he
"challenged" secularism to explain and justify itself, might he a worthy recipient of a Harwood
sandwich.
When getting to grips with Dr Harwood's biblical interpretations and analyses, I did have
something
of a problem. It's not that I doubt his competence as a translator or analyst - it's simply that I am
not
qualified to make any assessment based on the primary sources that he uses.
I fell to wondering as a consequence of this whether his ideas really did stand up to scrutiny. With
this in mind I turned to that very useful and subversive book The Unauthorised Version by
historian
Robin Lane Fox (author of the equally useful Pagans and Christians). I was surprised at the extent
to
which Fox and Harwood supported each other - if not in detail, then at least in the general tenor
of
many of their conclusions. Any lingering doubts were removed when I turned to the work of M A
Screech, classical scholar, Fellow of the British Academy, Emeritus Fellow of All Souls, Oxford,
and, since 1993, Anglican priest. He describes most revealingly how even in the 16th Century the
internal inconsistencies and self-contradictions in the Bible were so well known that John Calvin
(amongst others) felt obliged to cobble together so-called "harmonies" in order to explain and
justify
the anomalies - and how they ceased to explain them (surprise, surprise!) as the work of critics
became ever more sophisticated. I strongly suspect, as a result of this and a few other careful
comparisons, that Dr Harwood is right. I turned also to Dr Harwood's own very impressive
Mythology's Last Gods. It was reassuring to discover that where alternative points of view to
those
Dr Harwood posits are possible, he explicitly recognises the fact in the abundance of footnotes he
offers. In this and in many other ways his work is lifted beyond the suspicion of being less than
thoroughly scholarly.
Rationalism is not just for Christmas, but for life. In other words, everything is fair game. With
this
in mind Dr Harwood sets about UFOs, the alien abduction craze (as exemplified in the work of
Harvard professor John "The Wack" Mack), and "psychics." He also reflects with pungency on
matters like "recovered memory" and "multiple personality disorder" (curiously enough, a little
problem that the Christian god seems much affected by).
A little under half the book is composed of a collection of book reviews. This might sound like
thin
gruel, but in Dr Harwood's hands a review is not simply a review. Instead, it frequently becomes
an
argument - or an expos‚ of some unfortunate's dismal research or linguistic incapacity. Readers
put
off by the thought of ploughing through 200 pages of reviews should be assured that all are
readable, many are witty, and that in a good number a very entertaining display of fireworks is on
offer. Some of his comments may be thought by some to be rude. All I can suggest to those who
object is that they should perhaps re-read their Swift and Pope (Alexander. that is - not the
fanatical
bigot referred to earlier fading slowly away amidst the splendours of the Vatican).
If it is true (which it is) that in the realm of ideas there should be complete freedom of speech,
then it
is reasonable to insist that all ideas should be subject to criticism. Dr Harwood has no time for
those
who believe that ignoring the questionable and imbecilic is a sensible or reasonable strategy. This
is
an important point to remember when the argument is proposed that to debate such and such an
idea
only "gives it credibility." Dr Harwood rightly will have none of this. He points out several times
in
various places that the effect of such a refusal is to lend credibility to the fatuous, malicious or
devious by giving the (entirely false) impression that their claims cannot he countered. Those who
believe, for example, that creationism or holocaust denial will be conquered or that they will
somehow lose their power, appeal and influence by ignoring them should pay careful heed.
Dr Harwood's aims are not trivial. He wants to change minds. And he goes about trying to do this
in
a very thorough way. He offers facts - especially the facts of history. He offers evidence in spades
taken from the holy writings of the religious themselves. But he recognises too that, for some
minds
at least, this is not enough. So he brings in the artillery of logic. Those wanting a flavour of how
he
does this should take a look at section seven of this book - the one called "Is Religiosity a Form of
Unsanity?". It's just one of many sections likely to give the deluded pious a few nasty moments -
before they remember and head for that convenient refuge known as the Mystery of God....
And in case anyone is wondering about the use of the word "unsanity," Dr Harwood gives some
excellent reasons as to why it might be preferred to the more pejorative "insanity" when
discussing
religious beliefs. He also makes a good case for adopting the use of "non-theist" as opposed to
"atheist," on the grounds of both clarity and strict accuracy.
As I do with any author, I sought hard to disagree with Dr Harwood. Thirty years ago this would
have been easy: I would have disagreed quite effortlessly with just about everything he said. Now
older and wiser, for me to discover any bones of contention meant some hard digging. I finally
found
one bone in the form of his antipathy to what is loosely termed "sociobiology." This came as
rather a
shock. He seems not only dismissive of, but hostile to, many of the ideas of Richard Dawkins and
(especially) E O Wilson (the two he mentions by name). Surprisingly he offers little by way of
argument in defence of his position. At one time the opinion was widely held that any acceptance
of
the conclusions of sociobiology must result in the acceptance of the imposition of an illiberal
social
policy, this being the inevitable result of sociobiology's implicit assertion of strong genetic
determinism. This always was something of a straw-man argument, and is one which today simply
cannot stand up to scrutiny. Given Dr Harwood's commitment to the reality of the body and his
acceptance of a completely non-transcendental naturalism, I would have expected a greater
degree
of sympathy to the "sociobiology project" - which at its simplest is about asserting the primacy
and
interconnectedness of the natural world. Perhaps any misunderstanding is mine. I feel sure,
anyway,
that should he choose to, he could provide a very cogent defence of his position. That said, it is
astonishing (given his remarkable productivity) that there is even room for sociobiology on his
radar.
The second bone of contention turned out not to be a bone at all. When I first read Dr Harwood's
brief article "Is This 1984 - Or What!" I did a double take when I read that 1984 was really about
Anglicanism. Dr Harwood writes of "Orwell's fictionalized Anglican religion (disguised as Russian
communism) " Whoops - my mistake. It's not about Anglicanism at all, and Dr Harwood knows it.
He was making a point about the persistence of "The Big Lie" as propounded by religion - the lie
that "religion, specifically Christianity, is on the increase." It's typical of Dr Harwood that he's able
to illuminate an issue by drawing on an example that is apparently so remote. After the shock
wears
off, one realises that the "Big Lie" to which he refers really is thoroughly Orwellian in its
insistence
that, despite all the evidence, black is white, two and two really do make five, and that there really
are two billion Christians in the world.
Inevitably, the experience of reading a collection such as this is ultimately less satisfying than
reading
a complete work would be. One is often left wanting more, to see how Dr Harwood might
develop
this or that idea, or to see better how various of his assertions fit together in a larger pattern.
Nevertheless, given that Dr Harwood frequently manages to say in just a few pages what many
other
writers say (or fail to say, as Nietzsche said of his own work) in an entire book, the satisfactions
that
do remain are very considerable.
The work of William Harwood stands in a great tradition of rationalist writing. His is not,
thankfully,
a lone voice. But it is without doubt one of the strongest and most individual voices speaking
today,
and it is one well worth attending to.
Wish Come True
Eileen Goudge
Viking Press
c/o Penguin Putnam, Inc.
375 Hudson St, NYC, 10014
ISBN:0670032166, 384 pp., $24.95, www.penguinputnam.com
Melissa Parcel
Reviewer
Paraplegic and former movie actress Monica Vincent is dead. Her sister, Anna Vincenzi, is
arrested
for murder. The residents of Carson Springs are shocked--not because of Monica's death; she was
a
cruel, vindictive woman who played the pity card to manipulate others. Anna's friends are shocked
because they don't believe she is capable of such a heinous crime. WISH COME TRUE, the third
book in the Carson Springs trilogy, begins with Anna's arrest, then takes the reader back six
months
to view the events that led up to the murder.
Anna cares for her Alzheimer's-afflicted mother, Betty, as well as assists Monica many hours each
day. Monica is an alcoholic and makes Anna's life a living hell. Things finally reach a breaking
point,
and Anna and her other sister Liz convince Monica to enter rehab. During family week, Anna gets
to
know Marc, a counselor with troubles of his own. The two grow closer, and over the next few
months forge a relationship. Marc joins Anna in the search for Monica's killer. Will they fall in
love
or just remain close friends? Will they find Monica's true murderer, or will Anna go to jail?
WISH COME TRUE also revisits some favorite characters from Eileen Goudge's previous novels.
Finch is on a mission to find out more about her birth family. Laura and Hector proceed with the
adoption of a baby. Sam, Claire, Gerry, and many others are also featured. Who is the mysterious
woman with the same name as Finch, are they related?
Eileen Goudge has a talent for creating believable characters who overcome obstacles for love. I
enjoyed getting to know Anna in the previous two novels in which she was a peripheral character.
In
WISH COME TRUE, she has a voice and comes to find herself in the midst of the needs of
others.
Marc is an ideal match for Anna, although he is not without faults. The cracks in his armor are
what
make him a believable and interesting person. Ms. Goudge writes in such a way that the
transitions
between past and present flow smoothly. In the end, she paints a seamless picture with a
conclusion
that even most mystery lovers will not figure out in advance.
One issue that really bothers me about this book is the treatment of the characters from past
books.
The previous novel, TASTE OF HONEY, featured Gerry finding the daughter, Claire, she had
given
up for adoption thirty years before. Most of that book is a struggle of choices for Claire--between
Gerry and her adoptive parents, between her new love in Carson Springs and her hometown
boyfriend. In WISH COME TRUE, it is mentioned almost as an aside that Claire is now married,
and that Claire's mother had passed away. I felt cheated that this was only worthy of one sentence
when I had grown to know and care for these people.
I hate to see this trilogy end. There are so many more stories to tell in Carson Springs, hopefully
Ms.
Goudge will revisit it again someday. Although WISH COME TRUE is the third in a series, Ms.
Goudge gives the reader enough background that it can stand alone. I recommend reading all
three
books: STRANGER IN PARADISE, TASTE OF HONEY, and now WISH COME TRUE, to
get
to know the special people of Carson Springs. The idyllic scenery and warm residents will make
you
wish to live in this corner of heaven on earth, or at least visit for a little while.
Pharaohs and Kings: A Biblical Quest
David M. Rohl
Crown Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 0517703157 $135.00
Maurice A. Williams
Reviewer
Ancient Egyptian names, like Raamses, Tutankhamun, and Nefertiti are familiar to everyone.
Egypt
is mentioned often in Scripture along with Joseph and Moses. Champollion's deciphering of
ancient
hieroglyphics from the Rosetta Stone was the key that opened a storehouse of Egyptian history as
the Egyptians themselves experienced it. Scholars were surprised to see very little confirmation of
Biblical accounts in the original Egyptian texts. The city and place names, persons and their titles
are
so different in ancient Egyptian and Hebrew that scholars, with great difficulty, could match only
four events to known dates. Based on these four dates, historians tried to intermesh all the other
events mentioned in Egyptian history. They then tried to match the dates with events in Biblical
history. So little affirmation with Biblical events caused many historians to view the Biblical
accounts as myths rather than history. Debates arose challenging the intermeshing of dates. In
1952,
Immanuel Velikovsky in his "Ages in Chaos" proposed that Egyptian history is mismatched with
biblical history by almost six centuries. He tried to show that some Egyptian history is repeated:
that
the same pharaohs appear with different names twice in Egyptian history.
Forty-three years later, David Rohl published "Pharaohs and Kings." Rohl, an eminent
Egyptologist,
spent twenty years examining the basis for the four pillars (or known dates) in Egyptian history.
Benefitted by recent archaeological research on a catch of mummified Apis bulls, which were
considered the sacred dwelling place of gods by the ancient Egyptians, Rohl and others
constructed
an unbroken line of dates intermeshing when the bulls were alive with the pharaohs who reigned
when the bulls lived.
Rohl also found misdating in Egyptian history, some dynasties being parallel rather than
sequential,
some being repeated. Of the four "known" pillars, only one is correct. The misdating amounted to
several centuries. The reason Biblical events do not match Egyptian events is because of the
misdating. Examining a steep rocky cliff housing the Nile where the yearly crests of the river were
inscribed and dated with the reign of certain pharaohs, Rohl saw that there were indeed seven
years
of plenty (because the Nile crested high) and seven years of famine because the Nile crested low,
bringing too little water and rich loam into the Nile valley where crops were grown. This
happened
in 1682-1668 B.C. Rohl was, therefore, able to date when Joseph arrived in Egypt to around
1662
B.C. when Amenenhat III was pharaoh. Amenenhat III empowered Joseph to be magistrate or
vizier
administering the storage and distribution of grain. Amenenhat III had a palace built for Joseph at
Tel-el-Daba, Area F. Rohl found the tomb of Joseph from which the Israelites took Joseph's bones
when they fled Egypt. Rohl also found a statue of Joseph at the tomb, but the statue was defaced
by
angry Egyptians during the Exodus. Finding a solid date for Joseph, Rohl concluded that the
Exodus
occurred around 1417 or 1450 B.C. when Dudimose was pharaoh.
This intriguing book by David Rohl has many illustrations, photos, and charts that take the reader
step-by-step through the evidence as Rohl, himself, sorted out the evidence. Thought written by a
highly qualified scientist, the book is very easy to understand and fascinating from cover to cover.
A
"must read" for anyone interested in ancient Egypt and the sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt.
Tribal Bible
Kajira Djoumahna
P.O. Box 14926, Santa Rosa, CA 95402-6926
ISBN 0972848606, $40.00, http://blacksheepbellydance.com
Laura Giles
Reviewer
Webster's dictionary defines "bible" as "any book regarded as authoritative or official." Thus, The
Tribal Bible is aptly named. It contains everything that an enthusiast of American Tribal (ATS)
style
belly dance would ever want.
It appropriately starts at the beginning, telling the story of how this new and unique dance
evolved.
Personal accounts from people who were there make this an interesting read. You can feel the
tension and excitement from both the dance and the dancers. It has all the expected drama of the
birth of a new phenomenon.
Djoumahna progresses by exploring the influences that continue its evolution today. She
acknowledges the closely associated styles that resemble ATS and respects their position in the
dance world, while pointing out their differences. She covers the globe in search of ATS hot spots
and contributors to the ongoing creation. It's a fascinating blend of east and west, traditional and
modern.
The book goes on to visit costuming, movements, music and more. Peppered throughout the
book
are practitioners' comments on why they dance, how it has enriched their lives, and their thoughts
on
a wide variety of dance related subjects. Through these comments, Djoumahna paints a spiritually
uplifting picture of womanhood and sisterhood that personifies the whole tribal spirit. While
non-dancers may not connect to many explanations of movement or music, this quality expands
the
audience from dancers to all women interested in connecting with the divine feminine and
releasing
the goddess within.
The reader will appreciate the abundance of photographs. There are pages of women from all
over
the world in various costumes and from different places in time. Tattoos, jewelry, make-up,
movement, and the beauty of the dancers could not be adequately described without these photos.
The photographs alone are worth the price of the book.
Djoumahna's conversational tone makes The Tribal Bible an easy and entertaining read. I applaud
the liberal crediting of her sources. It is particularly important in the creation of an authoritative
reference book such as this; however, the way in which credit is written sometimes interrupts the
flow of the book. I would have preferred footnotes where possible. With all the book has to offer,
this is a small thing worth overlooking. I highly recommend this book to Middle Eastern dancers,
dancers of other forms, women interested in exploring their inner goddess, collectors of Orientale
art, and the curious. The Tribal Bible is a book you will return to again and again for inspiration
and
wonder.
None of Our Business: Why Business Models Don't Work in Schools
Crystal M. England
Heinemann
361 Hanover Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801-3912
0325004447 $14.00 www.heinemann.com
Kristen Tucker
Reviewer
None of Our Business: Why Business Models Don't Work in Schools by Crystal M. England (a
former teacher and administrator and current publications editor for the Wisconsin Association of
Middle Level Education) is an honest and at times shocking look at the failure of the factory
model
in the current system of education. Ms. England denounces the use of high-stakes testing as the
sole
measure of learning and paints a bleak picture of socio-economic segregation as a result of
vouchers
for school choice. She points out the faults of the No Child Left Behind Act and the impact that
societal changes such as homelessness, poverty, and divorce have had on children who must come
to
school each day and try to learn. With research and anecdotal evidence that comes from actually
being an educator for many years, Ms. England's provides an accurate description of what takes
place in the classroom and the enormous needs of students, teachers, and schools that must be
addressed by society. This book should be read by anyone looking for reasons that schools are
failing, but especially by legislators and policymakers who created the atmosphere of failure, and
who hopefully, one day, will be able and willing to fix it.
A Working Stiff's Manifesto
Iain Levison
Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN 0812967941 $11.95 164 pages
John T. Walbaum
Reviewer
The world is full of successful people admonishing their lessers to do as they did, go forth boldly
into the unknown and achieve their destinies. Iain Levison isn't buying it. After serial failures as an
employee in everything from stevedoring to trawler fishing, he has settled into a state of blissful,
hand-to-mouth mediocrity. Short-term employment is his lot in life, and he is okay with that.
Besides, for Levison not having any ambitions beyond paying the rent is liberating: It allows him
to
train his razor-sharp wit on the heartless companies, impossible bosses and inept co-workers that
populate the American economic underbelly.
Levison's book, A Working Stiff's Manifesto (Random House, 2003) is billed as "A Memoir of
Thirty Jobs I Quit, Nine That Fired Me, and Three I Can't Remember." There are actually far
fewer
in the book (12, by my count), and his adventures on the "slime line" at two Alaskan crab-packing
plants account for about one-third of the slim book. Despite its Marxist-sounding title, this is no
screed about economic injustice, and Levison is not a poseur like Barbara Ehrenreich, who did a
George Plimpton-style tour of a few low-paying jobs for her best-selling book Nickel and Dimed
before pronouncing capitalism broken. This is simply a man in a deep but very funny rut.
You can't always tell how long Levison spends in each stint, but six months would be a long time.
Each position offers a new form of physical or psychological torture, though he handles both with
aplomb; it's the lack of a steady income he can't stand. Levison frequently blames his major in
college for his condition: "...if you advertise for people who have English degrees, you're reaching
a
great demographic: people who are frustrated and gullible, with a proven track-record for poor
decision-making." Levison, however, is far from a typical college graduate. He has, we quickly
learn, some issues apart from his education. In short order we find him lying about his
background,
feeding alcohol to a minor, stealing cable television, talking back to his boss and filching food.
Still,
Levison is model employee compared to the miscreants he works with, especially in the nearly
lawless, no-questions-asked world of Alaskan seafood.
Levison delivers his career lowlights with excruciatingly humorous anecdotes, like blowing the
head
off a concrete donkey by attempting to fill it with heating oil, discovering naked pictures of the
woman whose possessions he is moving across the country, and having tons of spiny perch
dumped
on him, leaving Levison looking like a "giant red porcupine." One of the best vignettes is not a job
at
all, but an attempted con to where he is goaded to pay money to be trained to sell water filters.
Levison, the ultimate cynic, quickly figures it out: "Ohmygod, they've stocked the audience. This
is a
sales seminar, and they've put salespeople in the audience to make the meeting go smoothly, like
B-girls in a New Orleans dive bar. You can't tell the customers from the employees." If you've
ever
fallen for one of these scams yourself, you know how accurate this account is.
His jobs are so demeaning, so unfulfilling and pay so poorly that Levison is a world-class stoic if
you
take the book at face value. But could anyone be this much of a glutton for punishment? There
are a
number of situations where a little brotherly advice would have come in handy - such as when he
starts stuffing Chilean sea bass down his pants at the local market where he works to make up for
being mistreated - that might have saved his very thick skin. Yet he accepts his inevitable firings
with
such detached humor that one can't help but wonder if this book was in the back of his mind all
along: a three-martini daydream to help him get through the day.
A Writer's Reference, 5th Edition
Diana Hacker
Bedford/St. Martin's Press
33 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003
ISBN 0312397674, $46.15 US, 2003, xxii + 466
Janis Butler Holm
Reviewer
What can a college textbook offer those outside the classroom? Since its initial publication in
1989,
Diana Hacker's A WRITER'S REFERENCE has found a place on many a writer's shelf. The fact
that it is the best-selling composition textbook in the U.S. (used by over a million students) has in
no
way lessened the appeal of this well-designed and user-friendly handbook.
What A WRITER'S REFERENCE offers is a clear and unpretentious guide to standard
English--its
uses and abuses. Hacker is concise and readable, and the book's tidy, systematic layout pleases the
eye. Tabbed dividers make access to topics such as "Word Choice," "Punctuation," and
"Mechanics"
quick and easy. Each tabbed page includes a menu of the items addressed in that section,
organized
in outline form. And the coverage is thorough. Rare is the writing predicament that is not
addressed
within this book's covers.
Particularly helpful is the "glossary of usage" included in the section on word choice. There one
can
learn when to use "lie" or "lay," "like" or "as," "due to" or "because of." Hacker distinguishes
between standard (e.g., "enthusiastic") and dialect (e.g., "enthused") forms and helps the reader
sort
out sound-alike words (e.g., "sometime," "some time," and "sometimes"). Throughout, she
provides
explanation in simple, direct language.
Is A WRITER'S REFERENCE worth the price it commands as a best-selling textbook? Yes.
Given
what this manual offers, most consider it a bargain.
Heartbeat - George Bush in His Own Words
Jim McGrath, ed
Scribner
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0743224795, $24.00, 224 pages, 1-800-223-2336
Clint Hunter
Reviewer
"Heartbeat" is a collection of excerpts from the speeches and writing of President George H. W.
Bush.
The compilation delineates those core values that defined the policies and personal goals of Bush's
presidency. The book is organized into chapters corresponding to his presidential years
(1989-1992)
with an additional chapter concentrating on his post-presidency.
The writing which characterize the core values appears in sub-sections in each chapter. These are:
Faith,
Family, and Friends; The Vision Thing; A Legacy of Service; and In the Arena. This is a
convenient
organizational tool which allows the reader, should he/she choose, to follow a particular thread
through
each of the four years of the presidents term. Of course one may choose the conventional method
of a
chapter by chapter reading. Some may actually do both, occasionally flipping back and forth
through
the chapters to remind themselves of a particular point previously made.
The book provides absorbing and entertaining reading. Readers who have previously visited the
Bush
Library in College Station, Texas, will not be surprised by the sense of honor, duty and love of
country
that permeates the text nor the wonderful rather self-deprecating sense of humor that pops up in
sometimes unexpected places.
All-in-all this is an effortless way to get an elementary grasp of the issues and complexities which
confronted America at a time when events leading to The World Trade Center atrocity were
already
continuing to build.
The Ultimate Astrologer
Nicholas Campion
Random House Australia
20 Alfred Street, Milsons Point, SYDNEY NSW 2061 AUSTRALIA
ISBN: 0712610200 $AUD 34.95 http://www.randomhouse.com.au/
Rose Glavas
Reviewer
"A simple guide to calculating and interpreting birth charts for effective application in daily life",
is what
is says on the cover of this book. I found that this statement, in my opinion, is true.
Nicholas Campion is a well-respected astrologer who has written several other astrology titles -
Mundane Astrology: the astrology of nations and organisations (with Michael Baigent and
Charles
Harvey), The Book of World Horoscopes, The New Astrology: the art and science of the stars
(with
Steve Eddy), and Zodiac: enhance your life through astrology. He is also an award winning,
internationally authority on astrology as well as past President of the Astrological Association of
Great
Britain and the Astrological Lodge of London.
The author has taught astrology around the world since 1980 and helped to devise the first ever
BA
course in astrology in the western world. His articles have appeared in a variety of newspapers
and
magazines. Nicholas Campion is also on the web at www.NickCampion.com.
The Ultimate Astrologer is divided into 17 Chapters covering everything from the planets to
becoming
a professional astrologer. Also included are the necessary tables for calculating a birth chart so
that you
don't need to go and buy extra books if you want to have a go at working out your own birth
chart. The
tables provided are aimed for the reader in the UK and USA and include the tables of houses,
ephemeris
(from 1960 - 2010) and daylight savings times.
From the beginner to the more experienced astrologer, this title has something to offer readers
with a
wide variety of knowledge. The chapters start off with the basics, such as the meaning of the
planets,
zodiac signs and houses. It was good to see Chiron included with the other planets/points, since it
is a
relative newcomer to the astrological scene. There is a comprehensive chapter devoted to
calculating
a birth chart as well.
For the more experienced reader there are several chapters introducing prediction, relationship
charts,
horary, electional and financial astrology as well as several other branches of specialised topics
that
come under astrology
Overall, this is a worthwhile investment for the student of astrology that includes nearly
everything you
need to draw up a birth chart. While you are exploring astrology this is a perfect book because it
will
save you from having to buy an ephemeris, book of tables and daylight savings book - in a sense
The
Ultimate Astrologer pays for itself. That in itself is an achievement! I would recommend this title
for the
beginner/intermediate astrology student.
Horses By Email
Staci Layne Wilson
Amber Quill Press, LLC
www.amberquill.com
ISBN 1592791247 (electronic) $5.50
ISBN 1592799140 (paperback) $12.50
Franci McMahon
Reviewer
"My name is Melaina," the letter began, "and I live in Norfolk, England. I have two matched
dapple
ponies, and both are Connemara geldings---I live and breathe horses, and want a key pal who
does the
same. If you are mad about horses and ponies, email me as soon as possible!"
How could you not?
The cover image of a horse leaping out of a computer screen urged me to ask for this book to
review.
Horses have been central to my life, as an equestrian and teacher of young riders. I wasn't
disappointed.
The book is rich in horses, dapple-grays, chestnuts, and bays. Staci Layne Wilson is a competent
writer,
crafting interesting characters in a believable setting. The novel is suitable for teen/Young Adult
with
an age range of twelve to eighteen, containing no violence, sex, or alcohol and only a hint of
romance.
The two fifteen year old girls are Mariana, an experienced horsewoman, and Karen, a horseless
dreamer
meet across an ocean. Email is an interesting and probable way for two horse crazy girls to meet,
exchange information and grow. By the story's exciting and suspense filled conclusion, both girls
are
eighteen and come together under the most exciting circumstances.
The story line is not predictable and lots of horse information is sprinkled between the pages. At
times
this information becomes over-teaching, but for the most part readers will devour it. There are
many
other characters in the novel, a few too many to keep sorted out, both equine and human. They
are
however, distinct. Colleen, a woman in a wheelchair resulting from a horse related accident, is an
interesting player who could have been more developed, internally. Colleen is Karen's mentor,
vicariously riding the horse both women love. Sky, a stallion takes Karen to the top of her riding
world.
In her next horse adventure, which I will look forward to, I would like to see Ms. Wilson use
dialog
effectively throughout the book, not just in the last third. Every writer benefits from careful and
thoughtful editing. Amber Quill's lack of care let down not only Ms. Wilson, but their own press,
as
well. There are many missing words, time line problems and basic research could have been
better. I will
recommend this book and hope that by print press-time many of the problems have been dealt
with, as
this book deserves.
Long For This World
Michael Byers
Houghton Mifflin
039589171X $24.00 432 pages
Diane Payne
Reviewer
Unlike Byers's first book, a collection of rapid paced realistic short stories titled The Coast of
Good
Intentions, his first novel travels at a much slower pace. By the time we reach the third chapter,
we're
finally in Dr. Henry Moss's lab learning necessary details about the fictional medical condition
Byers
calls the Hickman Syndrome, which resembles the Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (U.S.
and
French scientists linked a genetic defect to progeria in April 2003, and like the novel, may be on
the path
for finding drugs to treat this disorder), a genetic disorder that causes young children to
deteriorate
through the aging process, and most end up dead by heart failure or effects of old age by the time
they're
nineteen. Byers is such a talented writer one will trod through this tedious beginning about how
the
parents fell in love at a medical conference and the details about the gymnasium where their
daughter
plays basketball to follow the author's fascinating story.
Byers's father is a geneticist who specializes with people whose lives are shortened because of
their
medical conditions, and to some degree, Henry's character is a reflection of Byers' father. Henry is
deeply attached to one of his patients who lives in Seattle, a rarity, like the disease.
Fourteen-year-old
William Durbin has lost all his hair, his head is swollen like an alien, body crumpled, but his mind
is
sharp, and he loves science and keeping up with the stock market. Henry has a son the same age,
Darren, who develops a secret friendship over the phone with William, and never reveals this
relationship to his father. Ever. Henry introduces the boys when they visit a planetarium together
and
the father is constantly feeling plagued by guilt thinking his son feels jealous over the affection he
feels
for William. Byers's writing is brilliant when he shows these intricate relationships between his
characters.
The miraculous medical breakthrough occurs after Henry completes the routine blood work on
the
family of three-year-old Giles Benhamouda, who is also inflicted with the disease. Henry
discovers that
Giles' seventeen-year-old brother, Thomas, has the Hickman gene, and is his first asymptomatic
positive.
Henry marvels over Thomas' incredibly good looks and health and starts conjuring fantasies about
patenting a cure for Hickman's, and an even more profitable cure for longevity. Not only does
Henry
see himself living to be two hundred, but also he foresees a life of wealth and good health.
Throughout
the book, we hear characters talking about their great success with their dot.com fortunes. Henry
jeopardizes his career and bypasses the normal protocol of utilizing mandated research and starts
injecting William with Thomas' enzyme, believing it's both William's last chance for survival, and
his only
chance for personal success.
Watching Henry secretively inject William is compelling because of the nature of their
conversations.
The parents are always in the background, and they remain in the background. William's father is
a
high-powered attorney who is Henry's partner with the patent. The conversations with his son
usually
involve the stock market, whereas the good-natured joking and disturbing discussions regarding
death
remain between Henry and William. Oddly enough, we know more about the athletic build of
William's
mother than how she feels as a mother. Thomas, the boy with the wonder gene, is a saucy
character
who's always worried the doctors aren't telling him something and that he too may die, though he
has
unnaturally good health. Like William and Darren, Henry's seventeen-year-old daughter Sandra
develops
a heavy petting relationship with Thomas, much to her father's horror since Thomas has been
rather
blunt about his past sexual conquerors. Unfortunately, we don't hear much about the Benhamouda
family, though they relocated to Seattle to be a part of this experiment, and we rarely see Giles
and
Thomas together. It's Thomas's embarrassment over his brother's appearance, his coldness toward
him
that helps readers understand the fragility of the disease and Thomas' vulnerable position. Nothing
is said
about why Henry doesn't secretly inject Giles since he's much younger and in better health than
William.
It is Giles's brother, after all, with the miraculous enzyme. Like the disappearance of Giles'
importance
in this study, Thomas also disappears from the novel when Sandra meets another boy at basketball
camp. Thomas is the character that lends this book the realistic, cynical edge. The Moss family
keep
everything a secret and are too even keyed to make us appreciate the darkness alluded to Henry's
nightmares. The family joke about their father's nocturnal gibberish, and he moves to another
room so
everyone can have a good night's sleep, and that's that, even though the nightmares are mentioned
throughout the novel.
At times, the novel seems to be straining to reach a large audience. We have a long series of fart
jokes
between William and Darren, we hear more than necessary about the Sandra's love life, and we
get fairly
lengthy descriptions about a neighbor's continuous remodeling projects, which Ilse condemns. Ilse
suffers a midlife crisis and gives up her hospital administration job so she can do something more
useful
for the Asians downtown. After her neighbor buys an expensive Suburban, Ilse buys an old Vespa
so
she can scoot around town. The more her neighbor remodels, the more Ilse makes trips to
Goodwill to
decorate her new office. The differences between these women are too obvious, making their
conversations tedious and predictable.
Another character who receives an unusual amount of attention is a neighbor who commits
suicide.
Henry and his teenaged daughter seem to obsess over this death, though no one in the
neighborhood
really knew this man, including them, and nothing really comes of it. Perhaps it's something that
happened in the author's neighborhood, something authentic to him, but it serves as a muddling
distraction in the novel. Even though the pace of the book is hampered by the lengthy
descriptions, and
the audience appeal seemed to grovel for universal and Universal Studio's appeal, the novel will
be
recognized as another family social novel, one that Oprah would have grabbed for her old book
club.
It's hard to put the book down because of William's relationship with Henry and Darren, and the
allure
of the deception and secrets. When Byers is seriously writing, he's seriously intriguing.
The Man from Shenandoah
Marsha Ward
Writers Club Press/iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595263089, $14.95, www.TheManfromShenandoah.com, www.iuniverse.com
Cindy Lynn
Reviewer
Carl Owens thought that his fighting days were over when he made his way home after
Appomattox.
A solider for the now disbanding Confederate Army, he finds he has very few rights...not even the
right
to keep the buttons on his uniform, which a group of trouble making Yankee solders cut off of
him.
When he gets home he finds that one of his brothers is dead, the farm destroyed, and it is only
thanks
to his mother's quick thinking that they have any food at all. His father decides that he has the
perfect
plan to solve their woes...sell the farm and move to Colorado, where he is certain that he'll be able
to
start a prosperous cattle ranch. He gathers others from the area to go with him, a store owner, a
blacksmith and their families begin packing for the long trip. He engages two of his sons to girls in
the
group, as if forming alliances. This would have worked perfectly save for a few things: James,
Carl's
brother, is in love with someone his father doesn't want him to marry, and so is engaged to Ellen
Bates.
Ellen knows that she can't replace James's true love in his thoughts, and besides, she's in love with
Carl.
Carl tries to ignore this attraction, determined to do right by the flirty and beautiful (if
manipulative) Ida,
but Ellen, who is everything Ida is not, makes it harder just by breathing. One day they stop in
town,
and Berto Acosta starts to attack the girls in the troupe...only to be stopped by Carl. This chance
encounter with Acosta may ruin everything...an outlaw whose taste for blood rivals with his pride
and
greed, he will stop at nothing to get the Owens family back for this perceived slight.
Whatever happened to good, old fashioned westerns? If you've ever gazed over the shelves
wondering
this, then Ms. Ward has a definite book for you. It recaptures the simpler, more genteel times that
used
to be essential to the Hollywood Westerns starring people like Henry Fonda and Gary Cooper. It
has
all the elements. Most of the characters, especially Carl, are straightforward, hard working people
who
don't have time for nonsense. They live very hard, unforgiving lives, where a sense of honor, such
as
Carl has, is not core to just being a decent human, but to survival. Ellen is very sweet...she's also
more
fit to live the type of life Carl is planning, because she isn't a town girl, she's a woman who knows
about
things like caring for wounds and child birth and caring for animals. This makes Ellen a more
logical
choice, and also her sort of wistful long distance affection for Carl makes the reader root for her
all the
more. This is particularly true when we meet Ida, whose manipulative, but strangely naive way of
dealing with Carl, not to mention her clueless nature, shows how miserable both she and Carl
would be
if they married.
The setting is very well done, capturing the flavor of pioneering. The many setbacks the group
have,
including one where the very cattle meant to sustain them are killed by an unexpectedly bad
winter,
make the triumphs they share all the more uplifting. This book is a pleasant journey indeed.
Across The Plains In The Donner Party
Karen Zeinert
Synergebooks
www.synergebooks.com, synergebooks@aol.com
$5.00 EBook
Michael Bogert
Reviewer
Across the Plains in the Donner Party is a true account of the trials and tragedies several families
faced
on the trek to California. The Donner family and others began the journey in 1846 to find good
land and
better weather conditions in California, which at the time was still under Mexican authority. Using
the
diaries and notes from those who endured the hardships, Karen Zeinert has compiled a
comprehensive
account of what exactly happened during the long months in the wild, and raises old questions
that are
still being debated today.
I found Across the Plains a very detailed and accurate book. Karen has done her homework in
research
for this book, including some exciting photographs and artwork from the time. The story will pull
you
in; especially considering the events actually took place. One can truly appreciate modern travel
and
conveniences after reading about these brave people.
For those who enjoy tales of yesterday, I would recommend this book. In fact, I believe anyone
who
loves stories (especially true stories) to read Across the Plains. Great job!
Westering Home
Audrey McClellan
Beaver's Pond Press
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 216, Edina, MN 55439
www.BeaversPondPress.com
1592980147 $17.95 1-952-829-8818
Robert O. Barclay
Reviewer
Westering Home is a standard genre romance novel. Jean, the heroine, has run away from a
philandering
husband. She shows up on a remote island off the coast of Scotland in the Middle Hebrides called
Eileen
Dubh. Here she meets and falls in love with Darroch Mac an Righ, a popular local actor and laird
of the
island. Jean comes from Milwaukee. Her husband Russ has been very successful in the computer
business, and has provided well for his wife and children. Up to now, she sees her life as almost
idyllic;
but when her husband admits to an affair then tells her it is one of many affairs, she takes off to
the other
side of the world to try and sort things out.
This could have turned out to be one of those soppy romantic romps, where a couple of rich
spoiled
characters climb all over each other and have wild frenzied sex whenever the mood strikes them.
Not
generally my sort of reading. But it isn't like that. In fact, the writing is sharp and punchy, the
characters
are well drawn, the story is interesting and engaging and the author has done a marvelous job of
adding
a special insight and depth mixing in Scottish history and culture, and lacing the plot with
powerful
details of a world where tradition and fidelity mean everything.
The supporting characters are smart and talented, multi-layered, with complicated lives of their
own and
that complexity helps to make this work highly believable. There were a couple of areas that
personally
bothered me, but I wouldn't be doing my job as reviewer, I wouldn't be able to hold on to my
professional objectivity, if I were to allow those silly foibles to cloud my judgement.
No book is perfect. But this certainly qualifies as one of those that comes close. I have to admit
this is
not the sort of book that I would normally pick up to read, but it only took me a few pages before
I was
hooked. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader constantly off guard, and I felt a
genuine
urgency to read one more chapter and then another before I could finally set the book aside for
the
evening. Congratulations to the author for creating the kind of characters and setting that make
me care.
In the past, I have used stars as a measure of excellence. Generally, four stars is as high as I'm
willing
to go, but Westering House has made me feel very generous. I don't know if it rates a perfect five,
but
it definitely warrants high praise, two thumbs up, grade A, first rate. Whatever your particular
likes or
dislikes in fiction, Westering House is a novel that is well worth checking out.
Enjoy.
Vicki's Bookshelf
Robin Hood
Paul Crestwick
N.C. Wyeth, illustrator
Antheneum Books for Young Readers
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689854676 $18.95 www.SimonSaysKids.com
Those men in tights are back in this slick reissue of the "Scribner Storybook Classic: Robin
Hood." The
new edition the tall tales of Robin Hood, Little John Friar Tuck, Will Scarlett, Maid Marian and
the
dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham, based on the vintage Paul Creswick retelling. The story also
draws on
the rich lore surroundint the beloved outlaw as he takes to Sherwood Forest and begins his
campaign
to free the English people from tyranny and oppression. The book's crowning achievement is the
beautifully reproduced artwork by the prolific illustrator N.C. Wyeth. The book contains just 11
paintings in all, but each is a masterpiece, particularly a scarlet beauty of Marian flirting with
"Robin o'
th' Hood." Abridged for younger readers, this is the fourth addition to the Scribner Storybook
Classics
line, joining "The Last of The Mohicans," "Treasure Island" and "Robinson Crusoe" in fine
form.
Where Wild Horses Run Free
Joy Cowley
Layne Johnson, illustrator
Boyds Mills Press
815 Church St., Honesdale, Penn. 18431
ISBN 1590780620 $15.95, www.boydsmillspress
Subtitled "A Dream for the American Mustang," Joy Cowley's newest picture book is a romantic
ode
to the last of the wild mustangs, and their struggle to survive. Specifically, "Where Wild Horses
Run
Free" is a tipping-of-the-hat to Dayton O. Hyde, an American rancher who established the Black
Hills
Wild Horse Sanctuary of South Dakota, where wild horse continues to run thanks largely to his
efforts. "Once the wild horse ran free, across the open plains," begins the book's somber narration.
"But
then the settlers came. They built fences that divided the land and the horses had nowhere to go."
Squeezed out of their last natural habitat, the beleaguered horses were relocated to overcrowded
corrals
much like Native American tribes were thrust into undesirable reservations; a poignant parallel
the
story seems unaware of and are repeatedly cast aside as "useless animals." The story doesn't do
much
to dispel that repeated thought, unfortunately, creating a less-than-satisfying conclusion.
Bus-A-Saurus Bop
Diane Z. Shore
David Clark, illustrator
Bloomsbury
175 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10010
ISBN 1582348502 $15.95, www.bloomsbury.com/usa/childrens
All aboard the silliest school bus of all time. "Bus-A-Saurus Bop" is a wild ride of a picture book,
told
in singsong verse that virtually screams to be read aloud. Its rhythms and rhymes delightfully
invite
readers to c-r-e-e-e-k and s-q-e-e-e-k along, and to stomp their feet as the story's kids "STOMP!
STOMP! STOMP!" up the steps of the monstrously alive bus-a-saurus. Uh, rather, up the tongue
of the
bus-a-saurus, right past the teeth and bulging eyes/headlights, and into the stomach. The
bus-a-saurus
keeps a-truckin' along its route, to chomp-chomp-chomp up kids one by one. Once his tummy's
full of
school-bound kids, he pulls up to their destination and burps 'em out. Despite or because of its
gross-out factor, "Bus-A-Saurus-Bop" is all fun and games, a terrific read-aloud sure to put grins
on
the faces of pre-readers. Parents and caregivers will find it a nice choice for young children
suffering the
back-to-school blues.
The Nine Lives of Aristotle
Dick King-Smith
Bob Graham, illustrator
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763622605 $14.99, www.candlewick.com
The immensely-popular author of such children's books as "Babe: The Gallant Pig" and "Lady
Lollipop"
has come up with a light little tale for younger readers, as sweet and innocent as its tiny, fluff ball
of a
protagonist. Aristotle is an adventurous kitten who is adopted by a kindly witch, Bella Donna,
who
always seems to be around when the kitty gets into a mess. Not a day seems to pass without
curious
Aristotle getting into one mishap or another. He tumbles down a chimney, is chased by a train,
and
nearly drowns in a pitcher of milk one day and in a stream the next. But Bella Donna is always
there in
a flash, helping him escape unscathed and letting Aristotle know that his nine-lives countdown is
fast
diminishing. The simple text and plot is surprisingly elementary, giving one the impression that it
was
written as a lark between more substantial projects. Still, it's a pleasant chapter book for
self-readers
and, thanks to Bob Graham's delightful pen-and-ink sketches on every spread, a fun and enjoyable
romp.
The DK Children's World Atlas
Editor Consultant: Dr. David Green
Simon Adams, Mary Atkinson & Sarah Phillips
DK Publishing
375 Hudson St., NY, NY, 10014
ISBN 0789492768 $24.99, www.dk.com
"The DK Children's World Atlas" does a wonderful job introducing young readers to the many
different
societies, cultures, histories and landscapes of our changing world. Geared expressly for children
age
8 and up, the lavishly illustrated book provides hundreds of photographs, illustrations and
diagrams,
making this more extensive a reference than a simple atlas. Vivid, fact-filled descriptions focus on
key
social, cultural, historical and climatic features of countries and continents. Fact boxes and
information-packed captions reveal each country's cultural traditions, while large full-color maps
reveal
detailed physical geometry. These maps, naturally enough, are the book's primary focus. There are
more
than 50 large-scale maps in all, each generated from satellite photography; the result clearly shows
each
nation's major rivers, lakes, mountains, and cities. The arresting visuals make this a fascinating
book for
browsing, while a comprehensive gazetteer and index make information retrieval simple.
Moominvalley in November
Tove Jansson, translated by Kingsley Hart
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 0374350132 $17.00, www.fsgbooks.com
Tove Jansson's magical 1940s novels about a family of trolls had a bigger influence my early
childhood
than any other children's books --- more fantastic than "Alice In Wonderland," more compelling
than
"Charlotte's Web," and more mysterious than Nancy Drew. Yet the Moomin family of creatures
became
faded memories as I grew older and the worn books were retired from library shelves. Were they
aliens?
Elves? Only a vague recollection of their fascinatingly quaint, alternate-universe remained.
Thankfully,
decades later, Farrar, Straus and Giroux began reissuing the Finnish books starting in 1989 and
now
FSG completes the series republication with the final chapter saga of the Moomin family,
"Moominvalley in November." Funny enough, the 1971 book (poetically translated into English
by
Kingsley Hart) only features a glimpse Moomin family themselves, though it does take place at
their
house. That's where familiar secondary characters converge Snufkin, the Hemulen, Fillyjonk and
other
musically exotic names -- seeking out the Moomins, only to find them missing. Like them, I found
myself nostalgically missing my old literary friends for years, and am thankful to be reunited with
them
again.
How I Became A Pirate
Melinda Long
David Shannon, illustrator
Harcourt Inc.
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
15 E. 26th St., NY, NY 10010
ISBN 0152018484 $16.00, www.HarcourtBooks.com
Shiver me timbers! Little landlubbers around the world have been waiting for a picture book like
"How
I Became A Pirate." In this terrific new picture book by Melinda Long ("Hiccup Snickup" and
"When
Papa Snores") and illustrated by the irrepressible David Shannon ("No, David!" and "The Ballad
of the
Pirate Queens"), young Jeremy Jacob is innocently minding his own business building sand castles
at
the beach, when a ship of jolly pirates admire his digging skills, so enlist him to join the crew to
bury
a treasure chest. Soon Jeremy has learned how to sing sea chanteys and "talk pirate," and decides
to
teach them a little something too: how to play soccer until a shark eats the ball. Except for
swabbing
the decks, our little hero decides it's the pirate life for him because "no one tells pirates to go to
bed, to
take a bath, or to brush their teeth. (Maybe that's why their teeth are green.)." There's no spinach
or
carrots either, so its no wonder he wants to be a pirate forever. Until, that is, he discovers that at
bedtime there' s no tucking in, kissing or story. Curses! How can Jeremy escape his pirate clan
and get
home again? The satisfying conclusion winds up a thoroughly fun adventure, cleverly told from a
kids-point of view. And when it comes to all the bells and whistles of pirate legend, Long and
Shannon
don't miss a thing here: all the catch phrases are strewn about with wild abandon, as are parrots,
Jolly
Rogers, eye-patches, hooks for hands, and all the other fantasy elements of a swashbuckling good
time.
Bicycle Madness
Jane Kurtz
Beth Peck, illustrator
Henry Holt & Co.
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 080506981X $15.95, www.henry.holt.com
Set in the late 1880's "Bicycle Madness" tells a personal come-of-age tale set against the backdrop
of
American women's history. In Jane Kurtz's ("I'm Sorry, Almira Ann") latest middle-grade novel,
its
young protagonist, Lillie, is experiencing a difficult year. She is still struggling with her mother's
recent
death, and now her father has uprooted the family by moving them to the other side of town. But
when
Lillie's new neighbor decides to learn how to ride a bicycle, Lille finds promising change all
around her.
Although her father disapproves of their modern neighbor, Lillie and the neighbor become fast
friends.
Not only does she teach Lillie about such newfangled inventions as the bicycle, but also about the
struggle for women' s rights, child-labor laws and better conditions for American workers.
Together the
two take on the challenges a bike, a spelling bee and social politics and find the will to meet
them
head-on. "Bicycle Madness" is a compelling historical novel that will do wonders to put pivotal
social
history into context for young readers age 8 through 12.
My Pony
Susan Jeffers
Hyperion
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786819952 $15.99, www.hyperionchildrensbooks.com
In the first picture book illustrated and written by Caldecott honoree Susan Jeffers ("Three Jovial
Huntsmen"), she ponders the imaginings of a young girl who wants a horse more than anything in
the
world. "My Pony" takes readers inside the bedtime dreams of a girl who like thousands and
thousands
of other just like her longs for the companionship of her very own horse. For practical reasons,
her
parents explain that owning a horse is simply not possible, so the story's nameless protagonist
contents
herself with fantasies of riding, and even flying, on the back of a dappled gray mare named Silver.
Jeffers' realistic illustrations beautifully capture each scenario, but never quite manage to make the
minimal text's emotions soar. Readers will find it easy to relate to the protagonist's desires, but
difficult
to connect personally to the spare story. More engaging storytelling could have provided the key
to
Jeffers timelessly appealing idea.
Eleanor, Ellatony, Ellencake, and Me
C.M. Rubin
Christopher Fowler, illustrator
McGraw-Hill Children's Publishing
8787 Orion Place, Columbus, Ohio 43240-4027
ISBN 1577684125 $14.95, www.Mhkids.com
Shirley Ellis' hit song "The Name Game" comes to mind while reading this rollicking new picture
book.
See, little Eleanor has a problem. Everyone in her family has a different nickname for her and
insists
that's how she be known. There's "Ellatony," mom's "little elbow mararoni," "Eleanora" for the
superstar
with so much "mora," "Elle" for short, and "E" for even shorter. All the inventive name-calling is
driving
Eleanor up the wall. She tries on each name like a hat, imagining herself adopting the different
personas,
but, naturally, each one is a disastrous flop. When she gets up the nerve to tackle the problem, she
rings
up her Great Aunt Bertie "who changed her name when she was thirty. She says she's glad
because she
had the longest name she's ever seen: Begonia Eucalyptus Rose Tulip Iris Evergreen." Cute?
Sure, but
also an unfortunate example of the book's sometimes-wonky rhyming scheme. Most of the ample
rhyming text is right on the money, however, and the tender subject of unwanted nicknames
should be
a popular subject for many young readers.
Alice In Pop-Up Wonderland
Lewis Carroll
J. Otto Seibold, illustrator
Orchard Books
c/o Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 043941184X $19.95, www.scholastic.com
Alice's mind-bending adventures become even more hallucinogenic with this novelty adaptation by
illustrator J. Otto Seibold. The artist's wild style is employed here in full-effect to illustrate six
scenes
from the classic "Alice In Wonderland": Alice's decent into the rabbit hole; meeting the caterpillar;
the
Duchess and the pig-baby; the Mad Hatter's tea party; the Queen's croquet game; and the
courtroom
verdict. Characterized by boldly disfigured characters, we've seen Seibold's visual, satirical slant
before
when he gave a similar pop-modern twist to such iconic figures as Santa's reindeer (Olive: The
Other
Reindeer") and classic forest elves ("Gluey: A Snail's Tale"). This time, however, he sticks with
the
original "Allice In Wonderland" text by Lewis Carroll, condensing it drastically to just six spreads.
It
gives a postcard view of the great work, of course, dispensing with cohesive storytelling to
concentrate
instead on the sheer novelty of creating a handful of pop-up paper construction pieces,
lift-the-flaps,
pull-tabs and a cacophony of hand-lettered text fragments. It's a dizzying and discordant mix that
oftentimes confounds. The pop-ups in particular are a disappointment, leaving viewers wanting
for more
complex designs and, frankly, for more structurally-sound constructions that work as they should
upon
each page turn. The timing of the release couldn't have been worse, coming just one month ahead
of the
exceptional "Alice's Adventure's In Wonderland" (Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
0-689-84743-2) by
Robert Sabuda, the best pop-art artist in the business.
Late For School
Mike Reiss
Michael Austin, illustrator
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Ave., Atlanta, GA 30318-2112
ISBN 1561451460 $16.95, www.peachtree-online.com
Smitty is having a really, really bad morning in this rollicking story by "The Simpson's"
screenwriter
Mike Reiss in his picture book debut. See, Smitty's just a normal kid who's never late for school,
but
on this ill-fated day his shoes suddenly stick like glue in a sea of thick, black tar. Then the sky
rains
snowmen on the crowded city streets. And if that's not enough, he's swallowed by a whale,
attacked by
a Martian, and chased by a hungry T-Rex. Vividly imaginative, the surreal scenarios of "Late For
School" strike just the right chord with children age 4 through 8, and give caregivers plenty to
laugh at
too. Kids will love the lively, rhyming language, the ridiculous plot escalation of calamites, and
the
funny, exaggerated illustrations by Michael Austin ("13 Monsters Who Show Be Avoided"). One
caution: be prepared for kids newly-armed with a wealth of new tardiness excuses.
How Can You Say That?
Amy Lynch with Dr. Linda Ashford
Pleasant Company
8400 Fairway Place, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562
ISBN 1584857706 $12.95, www.americangirl.com
Words are the most powerful weapons on earth: they can hurt or heal. "How Can You Say That?:
What
To Say To You Daughter When One Of You Just Said Something Awful" is a parenting guide
that
attempts to provide the right words to improve communication between parents and their
adolescent
daughters. Written by the founding editor of "Daughters" newsletter, and a psychologist on the
pediatrics faculty at Vanderbilt University, this straightforward guide explores scenarios in which
harsh
words are said, and provides real-life advice to ease communication, promote forgiveness and
build
healthy parent-daughter relationships. Numerous scenes are clearly presented on each topic, and a
number of articulate responses are provided to send parents on the right path. Recommended for
parents
of girls age 8 through 14.
The Sisters Club
Megan McDonald
Pleasant Company
8400 Fairway Place, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562
ISBN 158485782X $12.95, www.americangirl.com
From the best-selling author of the Judy Moody books, comes a hilarious, heartwarming story of
three
memorable sisters. Stevie, Alex and Joey are "The Sisters Club," a top-secret trio who stick
together
to survive the Tuna Noodle Fiasco, kissing rules, and daily life in a family of eccentric actors. Like
all
sisters, sometimes they agree, sometimes they don't, but no matter what, they're friends to the
end.
Megan McDonald (who also releases her new "Judy Moody Predicts The Future Book" this
season,
published by Candlewick Press) has a flair for honest girl-speak, and is a whiz at creating scenes
both
entertaining and touching. She creatively chooses to alter the story's point-of-view to reflect the
internal
thoughts and anxieties of all three sisters, through journal entries, dialogue snatches, poems,
homework
assignments and rough sketches. It maintains the slap-stick pace beautifully and makes "The
Sisters
Club" a breezy read and a solid launching pad for a new series.
Gregor The Overlander
Suzanne Collins
Scholastic Press
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439435366 $16.95, www.scholastic.com
When eleven-year-old Gregor follows his little sister, Boots, through a grate in the laundry room
of their
New York apartment building, he hurtles after her into the dark Underland beneath the city. In
this
parallel universe humans coexist uneasily with giant spiders, rats, bats and cockroaches but soon
the
fragile peace is about to shatter. Against his will, Gregor is drawn into the conflict between these
creepy
creatures. He just wants to get back home, until he learns that he might find his missing father if
he goes
along with a strange prophecy that names him as a future leader of the Underland. Gregor begins
his
dangerous quest with only his wits, an old hard hat, and a dusty can of root beer. The journey
ahead will
change him and Underland forever. First time novelist Suzanne Collins does a lovely job
creating
and sustaining suspense in this middle grade fantasy. Like many classic fantasies before it, "Gregor
The
Overlander" takes place in a harrowing alternate world located in our own backyard, making the
drama
all the more exciting and believable. The first in a new fantasy trilogy, perhaps? Let's hope
so.
Little Vampire Does Kung Fu!
Joann Sfar
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689857691 $12.95, www.SimonSaysKids.com
So this is why they call them graphic novels. On just the first page of this sequel to "Little
Vampire Goes
To School," the widow-peaked little "hero" rants about flies on poop, his dead parents, taking his
pants
off in front of a girl, and responding to bullies by taking "a shotgun and kill(ing) every last one of
them!"
Bedtime reading this is not. Does the publisher really feel this is suitable for elementary school
kids
age"10 and up" as their recommendation says? Then something must be lost in the translation of
this
French comic book, particularly post-Columbine. Sure graphic novels are a tough breed, filled
with sex,
drugs and violence that Archie and his gang never experienced. But when the story premise is
about
seeking revenge through violent means, maybe it's not kid stuff anymore, and shouldn't be
misguidedly
packaged in the standard picture book format.
I.Q. Goes To The Library
Mary Ann Fraser
Walker & Co.
435 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0802788777 $15.95, www.walkerbooks.com
The American Library Association has declared September "Library Card Sign-Up Month,"
making it
perfect timing that I.Q. the mouse returns in a picture book story "I.Q. Goes To The Library." In
this
sequel to the delightful "I.Q. Goes To School" picture book, the smart rodent sinks his teeth into
a few
good books. In his first visit to the library, he discovers, in fact, that books are not the only
treasures
there. During Library Week he joins his human classmates for a Reading Corner presentation that
made
him "laugh until his eyes watered and his tail curled." After further exploration he discovered
books of
all kinds, of course. But to his surprise there were also rows and rows of videos, CDs, DVDs,
audiocassettes, magazines, puppets and newspapers. Only one thing was preventing I.Q. from
checking
out all the wonderful items available to borrow: a library card. What's a little mouse to do? In his
marvelously inventive way, I.Q. meets the challenge, encouraging young readers to do the same.
"I.Q.
Goes To The Library" is a delightful addition to what appears to be a growing series.
Vicki Arkoff
Reviewer
Sullivan's Bookshelf
Anything Goes Notes on My Inadequate Life and Yours
Roger Rosenblatt
Harcourt, Inc.
ISBN # 0151008663 $l8.00
This is a book of snappy essays. They're all brief, funny, and/or think pieces. Some are only a
sentence
long; others are half a page; and the longest are merely a few pages. The whole book can easily be
read
in a couple of brief sittings. And after dipping into it, you'll come away feeling like you've had a
pleasant
time.
An example of the foregoing: In an essay entitled "Twenty Things One Would Like to See in
Movies
1. The Amish family is extremely nasty and abusive., 2. The African-American cop is not the first
one
killed., 3. No dances, no wolves., 4. The central male figure is not an architect., 5. No one says:
'Get
our butt in here (or out of here)., 6. The serial killer leaves no clues, does not get in touch with
the
pursuing detective, and does not want to be caught., 7. We enter a black inner-city neighborhood
and
no boom box is playing rap...," and much more.
Rosenblatt is a writing professor at Long Island University. Besides having written several books,
the
author is a regular guest essayist on THE NEWSHOUR WITH JIM LEHRER presented on PBS
television. The author lives in New York.
Recommended.
A Round-heeled Woman My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance
Jane Juska
Villard
ISBN # 1400060117 $23.95
Juska is a gentle, refined, single woman in her upper sixties. Thanks to years of therapy, she
knows what
she wants and has the gumption and courage to go after it, regardless of the consequencs or what
others
might think.
Being human, of course, she had moments of doubt, but then who doesn't? Mostly, she remained
resolved in her decision. Specifically, she opted to advertise for a male sexual partner. As a
well-read
person, she placed her ad in a literary periodical. Juska wanted a man to not only be her lover but
to love
books as well. And she was partial to those who enjoyed the novelist Anthony Trollope, or at
least knew
who he was.
Her 'sex ad' netted, amazingly, over 60 responses. Most of the men were totally unsuitable. But
several
sounded interessting enough to meet, and so she wrote back to them.
That took real guts bcause it brought condemnation, not from any of those men, but from family
and
friends, though she had a few supporters. This follow-up correspondence, even after she told the
men
some of her not-so-glamorous personal details, brought further reply.
To meet potential lovers found through her want ad, she had to travel across the U.S. Careful to
arrange
liaisons in public places, usually during daylight hours, she found soom of these male respondents
rich,
well educated, suave, urbane, erudite, and others rude,poor, crude, two-timing, and lying. As to
their
ages, most were older, some close to her age, and one, who worked out quite nicely, was half her
age.
Sexually capable, many were sophisticated in the art of love. She came to really like, perhaps to
adore,
a few of these men.
"A few months ago," writes the author, "I turned sixty-seven. My hair is mostly white, with glints
of
what once was blond, brown, gray; my face is lined--with wisdom, ahem; my eyes--blue as ever
they
were--are bifocaled. My teeth, not as sparkling as they used to be, remain American sturdy,
straight and
made to last. Signs of age notwithstanding, dressed--with all my clothes on--I look pretty good.
Undressed is a different matter: my body is not twenty-five or forty-five; it's not even fifty-five;
and,
because it has never been interferred with by plastic surgery, what once was firm is loose, what
once
went up goes down. Intimations of mortality are all about. [....]"
This memoir is hard to put down. It's not obscene, yet it is titillating, engaging, poignant, and
funny.
Recommended!
Jim Sullivan
Reviewer
Stephanie's Bookshelf
Watchers: The Coming of the King
William Meikle
Black Death Books
PO Box 588, Effort, PA 18330
http://www.khpindustries.com/
ISBN: 0967922046 $16.00
The year was 1649. Charles Stuart, the King of both England and Scotland sat in his cell waiting
to be
executed, not for being the King, but also for being the Vampire other known as The Blood King.
At
dawn, he was put to horrible death by stake.
Almost 100 years later, rumor has it that a new Blood King, a young Charles Stuart, is on his way
to
claim his throne, but first he must go through what William refers to as 'Watchers", those chosen
to
stand guard on 'Hadrian's Wall', for the day the new Blood King emerged. Unfortunately, the
Watchers
have been waiting so long for this feared Blood King, that they are out of practice and unprepared
for
his arrival.
A strange visitor from the North by the name of Campbell comes to Milecastle with his bitten yet
oddly
unturned daughter, Mary, who is wanted by The Blood King, and news that the Blood King is
coming
along with an army of blood suckers and mortal men. Shawn, one of the Watchers, takes Mary on
a
journey to a healer, becoming smitten with the young blue-eyed girl. Mary remains in her own
little
world, quiet, still and starring. When she does speak, it is in a dream Shawn has, only it wasn't her
voice,
but the voice of the evil that desires her.
Campbell accompanies another Watcher, Martin, over Hadrian's Wall to spy on The Blood King's
army
and find out what horrors they have in store for England. During this time, they meet with a
magical
woodsman, who gives them insight on what lies ahead and saves the life of Martin.
When The Blood King finally comes to England, his need for Mary Campbell seems to be much
more
important than his throne. She could be the one who was chosen to keep the bloodline
thriving.
The interesting twist of Vampire romance intertwined with historic battles makes William Meikel's
book
an absolute masterpiece. This is a lot coming from me, I'm not the historic battle type of person,
but this
book had pizzazz, wonderful characters and an array of gory moments. I also liked the way
William used
dreams to explain some points in the book. It gave it a magical and whimsical feel, although some
of
the dreams were what I would classify as nightmares. The ending leaves you dieing to dig into the
next
book in the series, 'The Battle for the Throne'.
'Watchers: The Coming of the King', has proved to be a book for any horror lover, no matter the
time
or place in which the book takes place. Being part Scottish myself, it was nice to see a familiar a
favorite
creature of mine from the horror genre brought to life in such a terrifically different type of
Vampire
tale.
Black Moon Rising
Damien Ashton
Publish America
P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN: 1592862578 $16.95 (240) 529-1031
'Black Moon Rising' is your not-so-basic werewolf tale which includes all of the great horror
elements:
blood, sex, more blood, drugs, even more blood and college youth at their finest. I loved it!
Damien
Ashton is not an author for the timid, that's for sure.
He reaches out to today's horror fans with a clever, grotesque story about your bad boy, gone
even
worse, Chris Jansen, a college student and resident of Sheridan Heights, who is known for his
rudeness
and his yearly shit-bomb escapades which take place on the porch of old man Willard's house.
This year
was like any other. Sheriff Daren Griggs once again got the familiar call from old man Willard
who had
again been tricked by Chris and his friends, except this year, he threatens to kill whoever was
responsible.
Unaware that Mr. Willard had his number, Chris and his best friend, Kevin Sheppard take their
girlfriends out to a secluded cabin for the weekend, hoping to relax and have a good time, but
they
barley make it through their first night alive. Chris is violently attacked by a strange, wild beast
and
rushed to a nearby hospital.
Back in Sheridan Heights, Sheriff Griggs and his men discover a body of a local resident in the
woods,
a body barley recognizable because it had been torn limb from limb and left half devoured by
whatever
had killed it. When Kevin calls the Sheriff and tells him about Chris' misfortune, he rushes up to
the
hospital and realizes that whatever it was that killed the gentleman in the woods had also attacked
Chris.
The question was, how did it get from point A to point B in such a short time?
The next day, Chris is released from the hospital, his ghastly wounds healing magically over night.
When
he thinks life is some-what back to normal, he is plagued by dreams, horrible, gut wrenching
dreams that
are placed upon him by the creature that had assaulted him. The creature was not happy, not at all
about
the fact that he had escaped and was now like him. Chris didn't deserve the gift that the animal
had
unintentionally bestowed upon him. Now it was up to the werewolf to hunt him down and destroy
his
mistake as well as his friend who had saved him.
Chris ends up staying at Kevin's house, his dreams getting worse and sometimes causing him to
black
out. While he is at Kevin's, Mr. Willard camps out at his house waiting for him to return so he can
get
revenge for the years of torment he had been subjected to. He had lost his marbles, gone crazy,
killed
his wife and hungered for Chris' death. To his surprise, the police stop by to question Chris and
end up
in a shoot out with old man Willard.
"The whole town has gone crazy!" Sheriff Griggs says at one point in the book, and indeed it
had.
They had 4 deaths, a shitty porch and what they thought to be a rabid bear who had gone insane
and
craved human flesh, as Ashton comically describes it.
Racking his brain and searching for anything remotely like the creature that stalked Sheridan
Heights,
Sheriff Griggs stumbles upon a Website containing information about a similar creature in another
part
of the country. When the deformed webmaster of the site gets an e-mail from the Sheriff
explaining what
had been going on, he rushes to Sheridan Heights to destroy the creature, the same kind of
creature that
had ruined him and killed his family when he was a young boy, ending up caught in the middle of
a face
off between the Werewolf, Kevin, the Sheriff and a new addition to the Werewolf family, Chris
Jenson.
Damien Ashton describes his characters with a clever pen and the tragic deaths of the victims with
bloody ink. 'Black Moon' rising is a viscous book with a tight story line and a fresh perspective
which
will catch the eye of both werewolf fans and those who have recently discovered the horror genre.
Damien's writing style is blunt, vulgar and at times will make you bust out into laughter, all
together
leaving you gutted at the end. Oh, and did I mention that it was bloody?
Stephanie Simpson-Woods
Reviewer
Rick's Bookshelf
Curt Swan: A Life in Comics
Eddy Zeno
Vanguard Productions
59-A Philhower Rd. Lebanon N.J. 08833
www.creativemix.com/vanguard
Hardcover - ISBN # 1887591379 $34.95
Limited Edition Deluxe S/N Hardcover - ISBN # 1887591451 $49.95
Trade Paperback Edition - ISBN # 1887591400 $19.95 (Copy Reviewed)
If I ask you to picture Superman, what image comes to mind? To most, I'm sure it is Christopher
Reeve,
star of four movies in the 70's and 80's. To others, George Reeves (no relation) who played him in
the
1950's TV series; or maybe even Kirk Alyn from the early movie serials, Dean Cain from Lois and
Clark,
or any of the numerous animated versions stretching from the Fleischer cartoons in the 40's up to
The
Justice League currently airing on Cartoon Network. However, for me, it is, and always will be,
the
image of the Man of Steel from the comics, and that of the one artist whose interpretation will
always
be the definitive version for many fans-Curt Swan.
Curt Swan: A Life in Comics by Eddy Zeno is a beautifully packaged tribute to not only the artist
who
drew Superman and his many assorted cast of characters for over 30 years in a parade of different
titles,
but the man behind the pencil as well.
We follow him from his early days in the Army working for Stars and Stripes as a staff cartoonist
during
World War 2, through his burgeoning career working on different characters for National
Periodical
Publications (later to become DC Comics) and on to his several decades long stint on Superman
and
related characters, to his eventual semi-retirement and passing. As a testament to the talent of one
of
the most respected artists in the business, this book has been crafted with love and respect for the
man
and his ability, and it shows on each page and with each illustration.
And what illustrations they are! If you have ever read a DC comic, even if has been more years
than you
would care to admit, you'll be surprised of the memories that will coming flooding back with each
page
turned. Don't be surprised if you find yourself transported back to the days of comics sold at drug
stories
and Mom and Pop grocery stores all over the country, not just at specialty shops. When they were
meant to be rolled up and stuffed in your back pocket, not put into a plastic bag with a backing
board
and taped shut, never to be opened again. Page after page filled with images of not only the Last
Son
of Krypton, but including, and in no way limited to; Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Batman, Robin, as
well
as The Legion of Super-Heroes. This book even has, what in my opinion was one of the weirdest,
yet
neatest villain ever created: The Composite Superman-half Superman on one side, half Batman on
the
other, and with all the powers of the previously mentioned Legion of Super Heroes.
I'm glad to see the life and art of Curt Swan get the respect it is due. Raves from colleagues in the
industry accompany the many illustrations, adding a depth to how his work was admired not only
by the
fans, but also by other professionals. What could have been a boring textbook of the man ends up
being
a glorious celebration of his life and career.
Whither you get this book because you are a comic fan like me, or because you remember the
days of
sipping a cold soda on the front porch with the latest four-color adventures of Superman and his
'family',
this is the kind of book that will make you appreciate the art as you get to know the man. Who
could
ask for any greater biography than that-you should be very proud of the work you have done here
Mr.
Zeno, and I think Mr. Swan would be as well.
Recompense
Joyce Morgan Hammock
Writers Showcase
c/o iUniverse
5220 South 16th Street, Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
ISBN # 0595221750 352 pgs $18.95
Recompense: from the Latin word 'recompensare' meaning to return in kind. Or, if we want to use
a
modern term-payback. Moreover, we all know what the infamous 'they' say about what payback
is,
right? This is a story about deserved payback against one of most vile man I have read about in a
while.
Eddie had it rough growing up. At the age of six, he was taken from his drug abusing negligent
mother.
Once placed into foster care, he came to live at the home of Elliot Bowers, a well-respected
member
of the Baltimore Police Department, working as a narcotics detective; his wife Marian, and their
daughter Caroline.
Time passes and eventually he is accepted as one of the family. Until, now seventeen, Eddie
decides to
skip school one day. He heads back to the house, thinking it deserted since everyone was at either
work
or school. However, what he finds completely devastates him as he walks in on Caroline being
raped
by her father. He threatens the older man, but all that does is just make him angry. He asks Eddie
just
who he thinks would believe the word of some foster kid that had some trouble with the law
against an
upstanding member of the Police Department. Eddie, seeing he would really have no chance, says
he
will not mention anything as long as it never happens again, and Bowers agrees.
Eddie thought that would be it, until three days later and he is greeted by police cruisers when he
gets
home. The officers are there to arrest him for the rape of Caroline, and Detective Bowers is the
one that
filed the charges. Now arrested for a crime he didn't commit, Eddie needs all the help he can get
from
even the most unexpected places. Detective Bowers, on the other hand, begins to lose his grip on
reality,
causing him to spin further and further into a realm of violence and hatred that is far beyond his
control.
Part of what makes this story riveting are that the things author Joyce Hammock writes about
could
happen to anyone. In this country, it seems the days of innocent until proven guilty have fallen by
the
wayside, especially with the circus that the media has devolved into, and the all to often arrest of
someone who has sworn to uphold the public trust being found guilty of corruption on some level.
I
think the phrase should be changed to read, 'innocent until proven guilty unless you have enough
money
or influence, and then it doesn't matter'. That would be, unfortunately, much more realistic.
This is a hard book to stop reading since Ms. Hammock has created a story that is both
compelling and
terrifying at the same time. The characters and storyline drag you along page after page as you
feel with
Eddie, and what he is going through, and watch Detective Bowers descend deeper and deeper
into the
abyss of lies, hatred, and rage. This real page-turner will keep you guessing as to the outcome
until the
very end. She shows the system at work, both the good and bad, and not pulling any punches in
the
process. Bravo to you Ms. Hammock on a story well told, but I don't think I could read another
like it
anytime soon; emotionally this one wore me out.
"The One Who Would Be King"
Gareth Blackmore
Author's Publishing
104 Lake June Road NW, Lake Placid FL 33852
ISBN # 0972890211 368 pgs $14.95
Fantasy epics are a unique type of book. Not only does the author have to create an entire
universe, but
also he has to inhabit it with creatures set in an environment that is conducive for their existence,
and
still tell a story that will keep the reader enthralled. In the novel, The One Who Would Be King,
author
Gareth Blackmore has managed to do exactly that.
This is the story of Djar and his companion, a sprite named Cookie (I loved the interplay of the
names
by the way) and their adventures in the land of Mahhrain, a kingdom once ruled by Djar's father,
yet now
torn apart by the unjust and evil rule of Captain Karn and his hordes of goblins. Djar, with a
reluctant
Cookie in tow flee, to travel to the home of Dymorla, a witch that exists as a legend, to see if she
can
help restore peace in the lands, and the return of the rightful ruler. However, as with all of these
type
stories, nothing ever goes as simply as planned, and as their party grows larger, they find there is
one
needed ingredient to help them in their trials.
Dymorla tells them of a prophecy that records the appearance of a young man from earth that will
help
them. They magically pluck one from our world, a boy named Zack. In a unique twist to most of
these
types of tales, he is no savior in waiting, or granted with hidden magical powers, he is just a kid
that they
use to fulfill a prophecy they don't even believe in, but figure that it can't hurt and might get them
some
help from other factions for the battles to come. This really helps add to the reader's viewpoint,
allowing
the character of Zack to ask any questions that they might have, or explaining a viewpoint or
situation
clearly to him (he being a stranger) without it sounding like some thrown in necessary evil that
can all
to often bring a story to a grinding halt.
I want to compliment author Blackmore for something else he does, which I have been seeing
with a
lot more frequency lately, and this is one trend I really enjoy. It is clear that he has a story to tell,
and
he does it well, yet he is not bogged down with descriptive nuances or long boring narratives,
taking
the time instead to move the story along. I don't need to have a suit of armor described to me in
excruciating detail. It is a suit of armor. Same goes for a horse, a castle, a tree, all of the standard
accouterments. Now of course, if there is something special about something, then yes, there is
time
taken to stop and tell the unique qualities, then back to the tale. Too many times, I have read
stories that
have spent pages describing a tree, and you want to know what I do when I hit those? Probably
the
same that I'm sure every other reader does-skips past them to get to the story. So what is the
point Mr.
and Ms. Author, just to show us you can describe a leaf ad nausea, or are you being paid per
word? Tell
the story, describe what you need to; I can manage the rest myself, thank you, and get on with the
story.
But I have digressed, sorry.
The One Who Would Be King by Gareth Blackmore is a refreshingly told tale of fantasy with epic
proportions that would make any fan of this genre pleased that they have taken the time to get to
know
the wonderful world that has been crafted between these covers. Pick up this book and find
yourself
transported to a world where magic is real, adventure is afoot, and righteousness can still prevail,
providing you have a sword that glows of course. This was a fun read Mr. Blackmore, and I thank
you
for allowing me to share in the adventure.
Rick Mohr
Reviewer
Pogo's Bookshelf
Robert Hartwell Fiske
The Dictionary of Concise Writing
Marion Street Press, Inc
Oak Park IL
http://www.marionstreetpress.com
http://www.vocabula.com
ISBN 0966517660 $19.95
"Be parsimonious," Dr Chisholm exhorted students, discouraging padding and flabby writing. "Be
terse." Sections, chapters and books are dedicated to improving language usage and excising
extraneous
words by restricting redundancies and tightening tautologies. Certainly writing CIP for the title
verso
requires skilful ellipsis in contrast to the sprawling verbosities that bloom and flourish in the
bureaucrat's
or marketing agent's weedpatch of speech, befuddling the already confused mind.
Creating the snappy summary and keywords to synposize a book's content borders between acute
intelligence and profound insanity too arcane for average brains. However, repetition is a boring
business, recalling scenes of Charlie Chaplin employed in the factory, a small cog in the
impersonal
industrialized complex churning out identical products with slightly different serial numbers,
canned hash
that is recycled twice for the consumer to ingest. Fiske argues that we become what we read and
write
just as food faddists and doctors warn patients of becoming what they eat. Too much fat, you get
fat
on the brain. Similarly, the headlines and articles duplicated and cloned repeatedly on the internet
add
little or no new news, but fill cyberspace with the same banalities. Repeating an incorrect scale
three
thousand time ingrains the habit of singing off-pitch so that the deluded singer believes he's
correct, but
the listener truly suffers.
Joining the Outspoken Minority Against Language Abuse, Fiske provides a weapon for defending
the
integrity of English usage with trenchant diligence, cutting through the sprawling vines of
verbiage to
expose the roots of recondite thoughts. "Illiterate" and "illiteracy" are chiefly associated now with
the
definition used by the Department of Census or Education, disregarding the broader
understanding that
intimates ignorance of letters or unread. It is not whether the person can read, but what he reads
or
writes. Although Mark Twain's formal education ended when he was twelve, shortly after his
father's
death, he is the paragon of American writing with a proclivity for wordcraft. Opening Fiske's
book, an
anecdote is cited, regarding Twain's advice to a twelve-year-old boy:
"I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words, and brief setences. That is the way to
write
English - it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and
verbosity
creep in." (p11)
Twain, the wordwright, defies the Census definition of illiterate, because officially he is. He had
approximately five years of formal education when he apprenticed himself to a printer. Many
other
recognized writers are also officially unlearned. Although Kipling studied in England, he left the
school
just prior to his final examinations. Dickens is another - yet they did not allow formal education to
restrict their abilities. Anyone struggling through "The Notorious (Celebrated) Jumping Frog of
Calaveras County", knows that Twain is not renown for his short sentences or for limited,
repetitious
vocabulary. The sentences stretch nearly as long as his name. He recognized the relationship
between
vocabulary and characterization to indicate intellectual level. He did not restrict his children's
stories to
a boring 12000 word vocabulary for the convenience of the student or the teacher. Yet a long
sentence
can wrap around the throat with the tenacious grip of a ravenous boa constrictor, paralyzing the
reader.
The brain freezes, the reader rendered helpless, is unable to comprehend the tangled sentence
choking
him and desperately struggles to survive to the end.
Fiske presents three basic tenets for good communication. They are:
Wordiness is an obstacle to success.
Wordiness is an obstacle to companionship.
and
Wordiness is an obstacle to self-knowledge.
We hide behind words, hoping for acceptance, desperate to be a jackdaw in peacock feathers. In
adding
plummage, we sharpen the quill, feathering the sentence with fuzzy down as a nest for laying
eggs.
Easily recognized, abuses hatch like cuckoos and propagate as we write Journalists, limited by
word
counts and column sizes, write inarticulately.
The art of deletion is learned through applied personal discipline with the careful study of
examples for
revision. Fiske presents ways of clipping the overgrown verbiage sprouting like hedges that create
barriers to effective communication. The maze is better kept in the garden than scrawled on the
page.
"A society is as lax as its language," he warns. Why such wordiness? Such shoddiness among
generations of high-tech people having access to information, education and literature that never
existed
in Twain's day. It's impossible to blame on the Educational Department or the school system.
Language
is learned first through imitation, but to be articulate-- discipline and study is needed. Can I really
blame
it on a teacher? Fiske adduces that habit, ignorance and imitation contribute to the profusion of
wordiness that exists in daily reading, writing and speech today. Habitual slovenliness is difficult
to
eliminate, demanding concentrated effort, regimented like a diabetic on a strictly controlled diet.
Ignorance can be overcome, but not passively. Requiring personal application and effort, the
writer must
study outstanding examples of literature and criticize himself. Imitation is the most difficult to
correct,
for even a bird can parrot, but original thought always risks rejection.
Writing skill has long been attributed to the direct influence of literature upon the reader. Crack a
writer's handbook or style manual to find paragraphs and chapters dedicated to the proposition
that not
all writing is equal. Some is definitely terrible and some admirable. Hours are spent analyzing
what
makes one "good" and the other "bad" while boring is usually self-evident. Teachers intone, "Use
one
word for three; the precise over the obtuse; the concrete over the abstract," to each new crop of
students. The desiderata continues to deaf ears with the never-ending refrains that resonate of the
Litany
of All Saints.
The frustrated editor tips another overweight manuscript into the gaping trapdoor yawning at his
feet.
"James Bond survived, but he won't" he mutters, coolly signing the rejection slip for the aspiring
author's
death warrant. Nor is it an editor's exaggeration to remind the budding writer of the contact scene
in
the Marx Brothers' film, "A Night at the Opera" while wishing to tap Chico's shoulder to pass on
his
scissors. Film producers delight in announcing the miles of cuts curling on the editing floor, but
why
can't writers, politicians and copywriters make the same claim? Why don't they imitate this
singular
Hollywood trait to make cuts? Eliminate redundancies to articulate concisely? To exercise the
brain,
take the Dictionary of Concise Writing off the shelf and challenge yourself with improving the
examples
and expanding your dreary, dull vocabulary. A weighty volume, made for customized grip, it fits
neatly
besides the Roget's Thesaurus when inserted vertically on your bookshelf. A more practical tool
than
being a doorstop. Use it.
The Dimwit's Dictionary: 5000 overused words and phrases and alterntives to them
Robert Hartwell Fiske
Marion Street press, Inc
Chicago IL
http://www.marionstreetpress.com
http://www.vocabula.com
ISBN 0966517679 $19.95
Robert Hartwell Fiske joins the League Against Language Abuse to preserve the intergrity of
English.
Muddled thinking produces muddled writing and muddled writing produces muddled thinking can
be
sung to "There's a hole in the bucket, oh Henry." Try it, repeat the first "muddled writing" thrice
and
you'll have caught the tune that Fowler and Fowler were singing decades before from the
trenches.
Naturally, you won't mind that we slip out while you rehearse this ditty?
More directly, a grade school teacher used to announce regularly, "The brain is a muscle -
exercise it"
intimating that we were flabby thinkers. Just as slouching in the chair deforms the spine, so
slovenly
writing corrodes the brain and distorts communication, rendering the effort ineffective.
Stylebooks and manuals are produced by gross tonnage to lift the writer into better literary habits,
but
without routine application, writing slides into slipshod performance like a fishtailing Cadillac with
bald
tires on black ice. Fiske identifies Dimwitticisms a foreign, ineffectual and infantile phrases,
grammatical
gimmicks, moribund metaphors, topid terms, withered words and quack equations; but in doing
so, he's
also guilty of offensive alliteration to create such terms.
Although the terminology is unique, the problems are not. By Grammatical Gimmicks, Fiske
indicates
unnecessary parenthesis or unwanted interjections that add nothing to the meaning, but break the
flow
of communication. Ineffectual phrases are all those windy additions that lengthen but do not
strengthen--
it is important to realize; the writer wishes to inform you - being nothing more than undesirable
wordiness or replicating useless verbs.
The litany of sins continues with Insipid Similes and Plebian Sentiments, Popular Prescriptions
and
Withered Words. Guilty I now stand before My Maker awaiting the Day of Judgment: mea culpa,
confiteor ideor; I have failed in what I have done and left undone; Alvinu malchenu. Unrepentant,
I
delight in humongous chunks of chocolate fudge cake with aromatic coffee spiced with cinnamon,
allspice and badyan and search about high and low for the whippinhg cream. Moreover, a plebe, I
am
gulity of plebian sentiments as never attained the snobbishness of aristocracy. I'm not stupid you
know,
just low-brain. And frequently, I am in a bad mood, but Gates was in a black one which blew the
software out on Sunday night. An electrifying experience. Humongous isn't just an Infantile
phrase, but
permament Infantile Phase.
However, from my bad example of low-brain, plebian sentiments and infantile phrases, you can
recognize the true need of this book to educate me-- a book reviewer with a regular roost on the
Midwest Book Review --until they realize that I am neither articulate nor intellectual; but dismally
illiterate.
Written in a practical A-Z form, crack the book open to examine your state of illiteracy. Each
entry is
identified by classification and given an example and form of revision, making it a practical
thesaurus
for avoiding overused words and redundant phrases. A Handbook of Moribund Metaphors, it
offers
unlimited creativity for next year's Wergle Flomp Poetry Contest. Imagine creating a sonnet with
nothing but Moribund Metaphors and Wretched Redundancies! The National Library of Poetry
will
surely honor your courageous literary forays with a plaque that will cost you only 125 USD.
And truly, I stand guilty of sowing Withered Words amongst the rows of sentences with optimism
that
they will regenerate and sprout yet another crop. My childhood education recalls the Parable of
the
Sower. It was not the seed, but the barren ground that hindered growth. Words flourish in varied
envronments, and Europeans staunchly use vocabulary that Fiske does not, but has nothing to do
with
the level of education or sophistication. They are differences of preference in usage.
Certainly, a worthy dictionary to add to your reference shelf for broadening vocabulary usage and
exercising the brain to become fitter and quicker for revising text.
Pogo
Reviewer
Paul's Bookshelf
The Ugly Princess
Elizabeth K. Burton
Zumaya Publications
P.O. Box 44062, Burnaby, BC V5B 4Y2 Canada
http://www.zumayapublications.com
ISBN 1894942094, 207 pages, $14.00
King Edrick of Nadwich chokes to death on a chicken bone on his wedding night (not his first
wedding).
It's bad enough that the person next in line to the throne is his daughter, Jahmelle; she is said to be
so
ugly that she has spent her entire life locked away in a faraway castle with only trolls as
company.
Jahmelle is the product of a very brief marriage between Edrick and the daughter of the chief of
the
Moldori. They are a race of fearsome warriors who fight like alley cats when insulted (which
happens
very easily) and are into ritual face scarring. It's up to the King's Champion, Sir Christopher
Evergild,
to bring Jahmelle back to assume power, and to keep her from suffering an "accident" along the
way.
Meantime, back at the castle, the throne is not empty. Benifaz, one of the King's Ministers, has
declared
himself Regent, charged Evergild with treason and called Jahmelle an impostor. He has also
stripped
the Ruford Seneschal, a senior member of the castle staff, of his position and put him on the
equivalent
of Death Row. He escapes with much help from Dagger Jack Tarragent, a former noble and kin
of
Edrick, until he was forced into a life of crime. Jack is an expert at getting into places where he is
not
welcome, then getting out with no one the wiser.
Knowing that they are being sought by Benifaz's men, Evergild begins to look on his escorting of
Princess Jahmelle as more than just a duty. Even though she remains veiled through the entire trip,
Evergild begins to fall in love with her. The thought of marriage between a person of royal blood,
like
Jahmelle, and someone not of royal blood, like Evergild, is very rare, but not impossible.
I really liked this story. It's good, lighter, summertime-type reading that also has a few things to
say. It's
very much worth reading.
Mother of Kings
Poul Anderson
Tor Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
http://www.tor.com
ISBN 0312874480, $27.95, 444 pages
Set in the tenth century, this is the story of Gunnhild, Queen of Norway and England (a real
person).
This was the waning days of the Age of Vikings.
As a child, Gunnhild learns the ways of withcraft from a Finnish concubine of her father, a
powerful
Norse chieftain. She also notices Eirik, son of their king. Growing up, Gunnhild keeps her eyes
open
and learns the relationship between the powerful and the weak. But she doesn't want to stop
there. She
becomes a spaewife, a master in witchcraft and sorcery, a knower of the Gods.
She marries Eirik, and things are wonderful for a while. She gives him seven sons, all of whom
become
great warriors, and one daughter, Ragnhild. Forced into a political marriage, Ragnhild gets a
reputation
as someone whose husbands tend to die before their time. Eirik's strength and Gunnhild's
craftiness and
knowledge of sorcery make them formidable foes.
Haakon, another son of Eirik's father, has an equally strong claim as Eirik to be King of Norway.
This
is a time of building alliances for both men among the groups in that part of the world. The
fortunes of
Eirik and Gunnhild start taking a turn for the worst. They are forced to flee Norway and live for a
time
in York, England. Anotherv time they flee to the Orkney Islands, part of present-day Scotland.
Eirik dies
in battle, as do his sons, one by one. Meantime, Christianity comes to that part of the world.
Haakon
embraces this new religion, partly because his best friend becomes a priest. He expects those in
aliiance
with him to do the same. But, there are those, including powerful people, who are not happy with
the
old gods being tossed aside.
This is a great novel. It's a big novel, both in size and in scope, so it is not easy or quick reading.
Once
again, Anderson shows why he was a master of the genre. The style of writing gives the
impression that
it was actually written a thousand years ago. Recently translated, it was mispackaged as Fiction
instead
of History. I know of no other contemporary writer in the field who can consistently do that like
Anderson.
This book will take some patience, but it is highly recommended.
Working the Hard Side of the Street
Kirk Alex
Tucumcari Press
P.O. Box 40998, Tucson, AZ 85717-0998
tucumcaripress@earthlink.net
ISBN 0939122251, $14.95, 366 pages
This is a group of short stories and poems about life in present-day Hollywood, as seen from the
bottom
looking up.
Alex is a native of Sarajevo who found himself in Los Angeles by way of Brussels and Chicago
(plus
an Army stint in Vietnam). He had writing in his blood, and figured L.A. was the place to go.
While
amassing rejection slips, he worked a variety of jobs, including furniture moving, painting
apartments,
TV repos and delivering phone books door-to-door.
Much of the book concerns his experiences behind the wheel of a taxi. Some of those he meets
are
decent, reasonable people; others can be described in terms much less complimentary. One day, an
older
woman gets into his cab and says that she is Maria Callas, the international opera star. The only
problem
is that Maria Callas died several months previously. When apprised of the fact, "Ms. Callas" gets
very
angry and belligerent and refuses to pay her fare. She is taken away by the police.
Later in the book, Alex sells his cab and goes in with some friends on the making of a horror film
to
break into the video market. Called Bloodsucking Geeks (written by Alex), the budget can best be
described as tiny. All of the video distributors are either not interested, or they want total control
on a
vague promise of future payment. After several months, with no job and no money to buy a cab
and
return to the streets, Alex finds himself experiencing involuntary dieting (also called
starvation).
City of Angels? Maybe for that couple of percent of people who get anywhere near that thing
called
"fame and fortune." Everyone else is just trying to get by in a place where, if you don't have the
right
job and a flashy car, the odds are very much stacked against you.
This book is excellent. It's full of honest, heartfelt writing that certainly shows a very different
view of
Hollywood. It's also highly recommended
Truth From the Source
Ann West
Avalon Publishing
P.O. Box 1359, Kilauea, HI 96754
http://www.drannwest.com
ISBN 0970818122, $19.95, 286 pages
This is the true story of one person's search for spiritual fulfillment. By the age of 30, Ann West,
was
a former fashion model and gossip column fixture living the "good life" in Southern California.
Meantime, she was feeling more and more dissatisfied on the inside. One day, she gets a very
strong
psychic or emotional message telling her to go to India-now. A friend tells her that she must visit
Swami
Sharosh at an ashram in a place called Achaala, way up in the Himalayas. Despite her husband not
believing that she's actually going to do it, even while saying goodbye at the airport, Ann gets on
a plane
to India.
On the way, she just happens to meet people who are most able to help her get to Achaala, despit
there
being no available places to stay because of a major religious festival going on at the time. Is it
coincidence, or Spirit giving her a hand? She gets to Achaala, and meets Swamis Ji and Sharosh,
and
their followers. She is overwhelmed by the amount and intensity of unconditional love that she
receives.
Everyone seeks that undefinable IT that would make their lives spiritually complete. If the love,
and
instruction, that she received at the ashram wasn't IT for Ann, it was very close.
Eventually, the time came to leave the ashram. Ann decided to spend a few days on the beaches of
Goa,
in the south of India. It's as if Spirit isn't finished with her, continuing to open her eyes to new
ways of
looking at the world around her. Back in California, she realizes that things have changed, not
least of
which is getting a divorce (she and her husband were moving in different emotional
directions).
For anyone seeking spiritual fulfillment in their lives (isn't that most or all of us?), this book is a
must
read. Everyone will take different paths to reach IT, this is one person's journey. It's more than
just a
book on Eastern religion. It's well done, interesting, and on more than one level, it's really
recommended.
Holy Land, Whose Land? Modern Dilemma, Ancient Roots
Dorothy Drummond
Educare Press
2208 MW Market Street, #308, Seattle, WA 98107
http://www.educarepress.com
ISBN 0944638309, $19.95, 326 pages
This book attempts to make some sense of the seemingly intractable Arab-Israel conflict. The first
part
looks at present conditions in Israel and the Occupied Territories. There is a look at the wars
Israel has
fought since independence. Also explored are Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights,
occupied
since 1967 by Israel. Maps show the number of Jewish settlements, and, in the Golan Heights, the
number of depopulated Syrian villages. For instance, in Gaza, less than 7,000 Israelis live among
1.2
million Palestinians (mostly refugees), comprising less than 1 percent of the population, but Israel
controls one-third of the land.
Most of the book is taken up with the history of the region since Abraham, almost 4,000 years
ago. In
brief chapters, the author talks about Abraham being the father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The
Exodus took the Israelites out of Egypt and into the desert before they reached the Promised
Land. It
talks about the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Persians, all of whom ruled the area at one time
or
another. It certainly talks about the time of Christ. Also considered are the destruction of the
Temple,
the coming of Islam, the Crusades, the Turks, the Ottoman Empire, the years of the UN Mandate,
all
the way to Yasser Arafat and Ariel Sharon.
The author, a teacher of physical and political geography at the university level for many years,
says that
the only way out of the never-ending violence is for both sides to negotiate a settlement. It
certainly
won't be easy, but there is no alternative.
This one is well worth reading. Some will say that the subjects in this book are covered much too
briefly; it isn't meant to be a detailed reference book. Combining history, politics and travel, the
author
also does an excellent job of not taking sides in what is a very divisive issue. To get an idea of the
history of the Middle East before Israel's independence and even before Zionism, this book is the
place
to start.
The Tenth Muse
Lily G. Stephen
Blooming Rose Press
P.O. Box 1211, Mount Shasta, CA 96067-1211
http://www.bloomingrosepress.com
ISBN 0971265909, 280 pages, $14.95
This is the story of two young girls on the brink of maturity. Opal Courtright is a citizen of
present-day
Earth, and Sapphire Deland is a citizen of Planet Zamora, a place which is, and isn't, a lot like
Earth.
Unaware of each other's existence, the connection between them grows stronger. Sapphire does
some
rock climbing, and Opal has a dream about rock climbing, something she has never done before.
Both
girls are very much into art, the sort of art that is far beyond the abilities of the average teenager.
Sapphire takes private lessons from Mr. Sukosi, who recently lost his only child, Sandra (also
Sapphire's
bext friend), in a bus accident. Both girls have their paintings shown in local art galleries. They
deal with
the usual growing-up issues, like friends, parents and school. Opal is being stalked by a couple of
older
people (rumors of a satanic cult), and Sapphire has attracted the attention of Ben, a young man of
dubious reputation. Both girls go to the same place (on their respective worlds), a set of cliffs
high
above the ocean, for some seashore painting. Unfortunate things happen, and Opal and Sapphire
both
fall off the cliffs, but they don't die. While still in the air, and in front of witnesses, both girls
disintegrate
into nothingness.
Their souls (essences?) are taken to a higher state of consciousness on a planet called Lamartine.
They
are combined into one being, along with a famous figure from Greek history called Sappho.
Another
being from Lamartine, a former human called Branicor, is sent to Earth and Zamora to reassure
both
sets of loved ones that their daughters aren't exactly gone, but that their terrestrial existence is
over.
An openness to New Age thinking, like crystals and Eastern philosophy, is a requirement when
reading
this book. For those people, this is a special story and a must read. Part one of a trilogy, it is a
very
heartwarming piece of writing.
Confessions of Shameless Self Promoters
Debbie Allen, editor
Success Showcase Publishing
P.O. Box 27946, Scottsdale, AZ 85255-0149
http://www.confessionsofshameless.com
ISBN 0965096556, 239 pages, $14.95
Are you a small business owner that's not exactly a whiz at marketing? Do you know the sort of
person
who is so good at marketing that they could sell ice to eskimos? This book is full of tips from
entrepreneurs and motivational speakers that can turn anyone into a marketing expert.
One of the first rules is to keep a positive attitude. Everyone has heard of the *Chicken Soup for
the
Soul* book series. Over 130 different publishers rejected the first book. Most people would have
given
up long before this point. The editors stuck with it until someone finally said Yes. The series has
now
reached 37 books, all bestsellers, and has sold 68 million copies.
Seek out opportunities and act on them. Always carry business cards, because a new client will
show
up in the least likely place. Do at least five marketing actions every day (making phone calls,
amiling
postcards, etc). Build a strong group of alliances. Use the internet. Apply for and win awards;
mak up
your own awards and publicize them. Keep in front of your target audience on a regular basis, and
never
let them forget that you exist. If you're an author promoting your book (even if it is self
published), do
your own book tour. If you're new in town, get to know people by volunteering. Make your piece
of
direct mail the one that gets opened, while the others get trashed. Last but not least: network,
network,
network!
This book is not meant just for entrepreneurs or other business people. One of the stories is about
a
married couple who shamelessly promoted themselves as a childless couple willing to adopt, a
campaign
that was ultimately successful.
No matter who, or what, is being promoted, this book is a must. It is full of tips that anyone, even
beginners, can do to create financial and business success. To those who are nervous about taking
that
first marketing step, reading this book should be your first step.
What Parents Need to Know About Sibling Abuse
Vernon R. Wiehe
Bonneville Books
http://www.cedarfort.com
925 North Main Street, Springville, UT 84663
ISBN 1555175864, $12.95, 191 pages
This book talks about a seldom-discussed issue in present-day America, that of physical and
emotional
abuse by a member of the family, usually an older brother or sister. There is a strong tendency to
keep
internal family issues behind closed doors. It's also very easy to dismiss as sibling rivalry, not
abuse, or
boys will be boys.
Abuse can take many different forms, from name-calling to hitting, all the way to rape. The
victims are
left with feelings of shame, low self-esteem into adulthood and worthlessness. They are threatened
by
the perpetrator with grievous bodily harm or the breakup of the family if they tell.
There are a number of causes of sibling abuse. The usual cause is violence in the media that
children see
every day. Another major reason for sibling abuse is the model presented by the parents. Do they
constantly belittle or try to injure each other? In such a household, how can abuse not be
transferred
from the parents to the children? How can a child, having been abused by an older sibling, not
turn
around and do it to a younger sibling?
Parental reaction is most important. When confronted with an accusation of abuse, one reaction is
to
say that the victim must have deserved it. If the accusation is one of sexual abuse, the victim must
have
enjoyed it. Other parental reactions include ignoring the abuse, responding inconsistently or
inappropriately, indifference or even joining in the abuse. No wonder victims frequently don't talk
about
their abuse for many years.
The best thing parents can do is listen to their children. Only a small percentage of abuse
allegations turn
out to be false. The author also advocates the SAFE method (Stop the abuse; Assess the
situation, both
facts and feelings; Find out what will keep the abuse from happening again; Evaluate the solution
and
alter it if necessary).
Perhaps one of the causes of the epidemic of violence in America is discussed in this book. Read it
if
you're a parent who thinks that abuse is happening in your home. Read it if you think you're an
abuse
survivor, then give this book to your parents. Everyone else should also read this book.
The Evolution of Behavior
Edmond Odescalchi
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041-1413
http://www.buybooksontheweb.com
ISBN 0741411512, $14.95, 105 pages
The author asserts that many parts of human behavior are not just aspects of human, or even
Western,
culture, but are programmed into our species. Behaviors like sexuality, aggression and dominance
can
be found in our animal ancestors and all over human society. Such things are therefore more part
of
evolution than of culture. It all starts with the chimpanzee, with whom humans share over 98
percent
of the same DNA.
Humans and chimps have many behavioral similarities, among them, organization by group,
territorial
defense, xenophobia toward strangers and the ability to experience pain and fear. Human behavior
reflects general primate behavior, which goes along with general evolutionary theory.
If every case of aggression between two individuals, of any species, led to the death of one of the
aggressors, that species would quickly disappear. Many species have found less dangerous ways
to show
aggression, like ritualized fighting, threat behavior and remotivating displays. The human
equivalent is
things like a show of military strength and Us vs Them (anyone not part of the "group" is an
outsider,
and therefore subhuman). Under the stresses of war, the veneer of civilization leaves our
consciences,
so even the most cultured individuals are capable of committing atrocities.
It could be thought that concepts like a pecking order in society, or dominance and submission are
products of our modern world, especially the 1980s yuppie days. All over the animal kingdom,
there
are examples of a dominant individual heading a group. Did you know that human forms of
greeting and
the offering of food and drinks to guests are acts of appeasement to inhibit aggression?
Why do women wear lipstick, and why is it red (not blue or orange)? The reader can find out the
answer
for themselves, but it has to do with the rear end of a female chimp.
This book is surprisingly good. It's short, and it presents science and human behavior in very easy
to
understand terms. It's even recommended for those who think that they hate science. This is well
worth
reading.
Gen 13: Version 2.0
Sholly Fisch
Ace Books
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
http://www.penguinputnam.com
ISBN 0441009468, $5.99, 231 pages
Based on a comic book series, this novel is about five young people, recruited by the US
Government
into a secret program. Going through very specialized training, including genetic engineering to
bring
out their talents, they became part of an organization called I.O. (International Operations) and
travelled
the world, working for America. That is, until the day they left I.O. with the help of a renegade
agent
and went out on their own.
Sarah, also known as Rainmaker, is able to manipulate the weather. Bobby, aka Burnout, is able
to turn
himself into a ball of flame. Roxy (Freefall) can manipulate gravity. Grunge's ability is to
temporarily
take on the physical characteristics of whatever he touches, be it metal, water or rubber. Fairchild,
the
"leader" of the group (first name Caitlin), is impervious to things like bullets fired at her.
Halfway to a Bachelor's degree in computers from Princeton when I.O. came calling, Fairchild
finds
herself at an emotional crossroads. Is this all there is to life? She yearns for a more normal life,
like a
regular job and a place in the suburbs. She is not the only one with personal stuff going on. Sort
of
leaving the group, Fairchild goes on a bunch of job interviews. She is disgusted to find that people
are
more interested in her body than her brain.
Around this time, Gen 13 is attacked by someone who knows them inside and out. A devious plan
is
hatched to take over the world, with help from a stolen Trident nuclear missile. This individual
has
created a new group of seemingly indestructible genetically engineered people with strange
abilities
called Gen 14. With Fairchild temporarily absent, things are not looking good for Gen 13 in the
battle
with their "descendants."
Obviously, fans of the Gen 13 series and comic book fans in general need this novel. For everyone
else,
this is lighter summertime-type reading that is perfect for the beach or pool. It's very much worth
it.
Mediscams
Chuck Whitlock
St. Martin's Griffin
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
http://www.stmartins.com
ISBN 0312306024, 304 pages, $13.95
This book looks at the surprisingly large number of ways that medical con men separate us from
our
money when we are at our most vulnerable. These "scientifically proven", but ultimately
worthless, cures
and therapies cost Americans billions of dollars each year.
Snake oil salesmen have been selling all sorts of "cures" for many, many years, even up to the
present.
HMOs get their share of criticism. More than once, the author, an investigative reporter, has set
up a
table in a local shopping mall selling some very fake medical treatment. Wearing a white coat and
with
a stethoscope around his neck, people are more than happy to pay. He gives back their money
when he
tells them his real identity.
When a hospital decides that a doctor is really incompetent, the tendency is to let the doctor leave
quietly rather than tell the state medical authorities (fearing the bad publicity). The same state
authorities
are also less than diligent in disciplining bad doctors (fearing the same bad publicity). For those
doctors
who know the system, Medicare and Medicaid fraud can represent a huge windfall.
Did you know that a license to practice plastic surgery is not required to do procedures like
liposuction?
It's legal to advertise as a plastic surgeon (for instance) with your only training being a weekend
seminar.
Fraud can happen even in dentist's offices and in the offices of "respected" doctors. The Food and
Drug
Administration (FDA) and Federal rade Commission (FTC) have had some success in closing
down
fraud operations, but in these days of the internet, it's easier than ever to move somewhere else,
and
resume selling, For instance, diet pills without exercise.
There are two caveats to this book. The first is that the author makes it clear that he does not
think
much of "alternative" medicine. The second is that the first chapter, the story of a really
incompetent
doctor, is pretty graphic and hard to read. Stick with it.
The author's recommendations can best be reduced to Don't Be Afraid To Ask Questions. Ask the
state
medical board if the doctor is licensed in your state. Ask the doctor at what hospital(s) do they
have
privileges; call the hospital to be sure. Ask the Better Business Bureau about the doctor. If the
doctor
asks for money upfront, or asks you to sign a confidentiality agreement, or says that his treatment
is
being "suppressed" by the medical establishment, run, do not walk, out of that office. Also run
away if
the doctor says that an incurable disease is now curable with this treatment.
Despite the caveats, this book is a keeper. Read it before having to make use of the medical
profession.
It's better to be initiated into medical realities this way than the hard way. It's well worth the
reader's
time.
Homeschooling for Excellence
David and Micki Colfax
Warner Books
Time Warner Bookmark
1271 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10020
http://www.twbookmark.com
ISBN 0446389862, $11.99, 142 pages
In the early 1970s, the Colfaxes decided to homeschool their four children. Therefore, they found
themselves considered to be pioneers in the growing homeschooling movement, though they are
the last
people to consider themselves as such. This book chronicles their experiences and gives
suggestions for
parents.
The reason for homeschooling was part philosophical and part logistical. He is a college sociology
professor, and she teaches high school, so they have seen American education from the inside, and
were
not impressed. Living on an isolated hillside in northern California, with no neighbors or TV,
getting
them to and from the local schools (which had a mediocre reputation) would have occupied too
much
of the day.
First comes things like providing "appropriate learning materials and opportunities." What is
appropriate
for one child will not work for another. Then comes exposing them to the outside world (art,
science,
history, etc). An appreciation for reading is more important than making sure that the child can
read by
a certain age. What about television? If it can be removed from the household completely, do it. If
not,
then limit the child's viewing time as much as possible.
Lots of time was spent evaluating textbooks. The Colfaxes found a few that were pretty good,
but, in
various ways, most of the textbooks they read stunk.
Is homeschooling any good when college time comes around? The authors recount the time of
SAT's
and college admissions for three of their sons (at the time this book was published, the fourth
child was
too young). All three of them were accepted to, and attended, Harvard University.
The only criticism I have of this book is that having been published 15 years ago, it very much
needs
updating. Aside from that, this book is excellent. It's written in a very easy to read style, from one
parent
to another. Any parent even thinking of homeschooling their child would do very well to start
right
here.
Mission
Margaret Wyman
Idyllwild Publishing Co
P.O. Box 355 Idyllwild, CA 92549
http://www.wildink.com
ISBN 1931857008 $16.95
Subtitled "The Birth of California, The Death of a Nation," this novel tells the story of a Native
American tribe who were losing their freedom at the same time that the United States was gaining
its
freedom.
A young woman named Web (because of her webbed fingers) is a member of the Kumeyaay, a
tribe
living near present-day San Diego. It's marriage time, and Web is taken to another Kumeyaay
band,
several days journey away, to meet her new husband, Shadow Dancer. Because of her webbed
fingers,
the reception is not pleasant. In the beginning, Shadow Dancer wants nothing to do with Web.
Another
woman in the band, Crooked Basket, who can't deal with not becoming Mrs. Shadow Dancer,
makes
Web's life as difficult as possible. One day, Web catches Shadow Dancer and Crooked Basket
having
an affair. Casts No Shadow, the band's shaman, and Shadow Dancer's father, makes it clear that
the
affair shall stop-now.
Around this time, the paleskins (Spanish) arrive in their giant canoes. Some of the other
Kumeyaay
bands advocate ignoring the Spanish, figuring that they'll leave, while others say Attack Now. An
attack
is launched, which turns into a disaster for the Kumeyaay. Shadow Dancer decides that he must
go to
a nearby Spanish mission, and learn their magic to bring back to his people. Casts No Shadow
wants
him to stay and continue his shaman training. The Kumeyaay who visit the mission to see what
this new
thing is all about are taught that their culture and religious beliefs are wrong, and the only way to
clean
out their "heathenism" is to be forbidden to go back to their band.
Later, after another disastrous Kumeyaay attack, Spanish troops arrest Casts No Shadow and
throw him
into a "dungeon." Web is able to regularly bring him native food. Separated from his sacred herbs
and
from nature, Casts No Shadow turns into an old man practically right before Web's eyes. Shadow
Dancer, back with the Kumeyaay by this time, offers himself in exchange for his father. He is
forced into
slave labor by the Spanish, and is released months later, almost worked to death. The growing
string
of bad happenings is blamed on Web, because of her webbed fingers.
In a way, this is not pleasant reading. It's highly recommended because this is a well-researched,
interesting novel that helps put to rest the perception that Spanish imperialism in the American
Southwest was run by kind, benevolent people whose only motivation was love for all of God's
children.
It's very much worth reading.
Bioterror: Manufacturing Wars the American Way
Ellen Ray and William H. Schaap, editors
Ocean Press
P.O. Box 1186, Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10113-1186
http://www.oceanbooks.com.au
ISBN 1876175648, $9.95, 82 pages
One of the official reasons for the invasion of Iraq and the creation of the "Axis of Evil" is
because of
their supposed stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction. This short book, composed of
previously
published articles from CovertAction magazine, shows that America has the world's biggest
stocks of
such weapons, and has used them many times in the past.
America is a signatory to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, but the first Bush
Administration
refused to go along with the 1997 protocol on verification of compliance. While other countries
with
CBW capability were expected, by the US, to allow foreign inspectors access to their facilities,
the US
refused to grant such access. The fear was that legitimate commercial and military secrets would
be
exposed.
Officially, there has been a worldwide ban, since 1969, on the development of chemical and
biological
weapons. A loophole demanded by America allows for research on "defensive" bioweapons.
There is
a tiny difference between "defensive" and "offensive" bioweapons research.
Over the years, the US military has tested CBW techniques on American citizens a number of
times. In
1950, a cloud of bacteria was sprayed over San Francisco by the US Navy, resulting in many
cases of
pneumonia-like symptoms. In 1955, the Tampa Bay, Florida area experienced a huge rise in cases
of
whooping cough after a still-secret CIA biowar test. In 1932, the US Public Health Service
started a
study of untreated syphilis using 400 poor black men (who were never told of their sickness) in
Tuskegee, Alabama. Another US policy has been the forced sterilization of women in the Third
World.
The purpose has been to protect US business interests from the threat of revolutions brought
about by
chronic unemployment.
After the "ban" on CBW research, many researchers simply continued their work under the guise
of
fighting cancer. Also covered in this book is the story of a widespread epidemic in Cuba in 1981
introduced by the US. Thousands of veterans returned from Vietnam and Iraq with the growing
degenerative effects inside them of Agent Orange and depleted uranium. They have spent years
fighting
the US Government for any recognition or recompense for their illnesses.
My only criticism of this book is that the articles reprinted here were first published between 1982
and
1993. The editors couldn't have found anything more recent? This is a short book, but it says a
lot. It's
interesting, easy to read, more than a little sickening and shows what the US Government really
does
with taxpayer money. It's recommended.
I Need a Man's Pants to Wash
Lorie Kleiner Eckert
Pelican Publishing Co
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053
http://www.pelicanpub.com;
ISBN 1589800184 $12.95
This book consists of a group of essays on life and the singles scene written by an over-40 Jewish
divorcee from Ohio. They were first published in a number of Jewish newspapers from coast to
coast.
A woman can be a superwoman in most areas, able to juggle kids, parents and/or a career without
even
breaking a sweat, but still be a complete klutz when it comes to even simple home improvement
jobs.
The book's title comes from a Jewish way of asking why a woman needs a man to feel complete
and
fulfilled. You can tell a lot about a man by his cappuccino habit. If he goes to the local gas station,
instead of the local coffee bar, he likes sweets, he's frugal and he probably lives nearby.
There is much talk about men; how to get them, how to keep them and what makes them tick.
The
author talks about some of the men she has dated since her divorce. In most cases, they look like
they
escaped from the local insane asylum, or there is a big difference between what they say they look
like
and what they really look like. If there is nothing but sex in a relationship, things will be wonderful
for
a while. But when the sex fizzles, the relationship will, too.
The author's plan for running a personal ad in a local monthly magazine is to run it for three
consecutive
months, but slightly alter the ad each month. That will help remove the perception of desperation.
Of
course, there are safety rules for dating, like arranging to meet him somewhere public, and letting
friends
know where you're going.
The author also looks at mail-order catalogs, spending a day volunteering at an organic farm run
by a
group of nuns, the fact that women can learn home repair if they are so inclined, a trip with her
youngest
daughter, now a teenager, to the local Chuck E. Cheese pizza parlor, the TV show "Sex and the
City"
and why not start your own holiday traditions? The book also includes an introduction to the
Yiddish
language, with more than 100 words used throughout the book defined in the back of the
book.
This one is quite good. It concerns subjects near and dear to everyone (life in general, and
relationships
in particular) and it's written in a very easy-to-read style, as if the reader is sitting across a kitchen
table
from Eckert. You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate it. It's very much worth reading.
Paul Lappen
Reviewer
Magdalena's Bookshelf
Stress Free Foods
Lee Gold
Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 0330363999, Aug 2003, A$16.95
If there is a buzzword for the 21st Century it has to be "stress." If you are anything like me, you
tend
to eat thoughtlessly from a single bowl while simultaneously feeding a hoard of demanding
children,
washing up, and checking e-mails. Mealtime is anything but relaxing. Stress is no lightweight
complaint
either. According to nutritionist/chef/home economist Lee Gold prolonged stress can lead to
significant
health problems from heart disease to stroke, ulcers, depression, cancer, diabetes, and more. It is
a
vicious cycle. The more stressed you get, the more you will develop problems like teeth grinding,
weight
gain, headaches, and bad eating habits, which in turn stress you out even more. Gold's eleventh
book
provides the antidote.
Stress Free Foods, is more than a cookbook, but it does contain, at its heart, 100 very nourishing,
easy
to prepare recipes. These include relaxing drinks to help you sleep, soups full of fibre and flavour,
high
protein low fat main courses, smoothies, salads, and some delectable desserts. Every recipe
includes
information on the specific vitamins and minerals it contains, along with a little history. I
especially liked
the very simple Steamed Date Pudding (though can't confirm the aphrodisiac effects
unfortunately), the
Thai Chicken Curry soup, and the cauliflower patties with spicy mango chutney. Despite being
unanimously healthy the recipes are mostly child friendly - important to keeping stress levels
down, and
are generally what you would call comfort foods - sweet, flavour and texture rich foods with a
hint of
what you might have had as a child. Mashed potatoes, barbecued chicken, banana bread, oatmeal
scones
- but all with a unique twist, and an eye for health.
In addition to the recipes, the book contains information on the nature of stress, and some good
strategies for dealing with it, including a 14 day de-stress strategy with affirmations, and a sample
day's
program. I though that this last chapter was a little brief to do justice to a 14 day plan. This is
made up
for somewhat though in the chapter on dealing with stress, which provides practical ideas on
tackling
stress such as changing our perspective (cup half full...), increasing our support network,
re-prioritising
our time, exercising, drinking more water, and improving the quality of our sleep (if you have a
baby,
just skip this paragraph and re-read the one on changing perspectives...). There are also a number
of
deep breathing exercises and meditation instructions, and although I'm not one for affirmations,
and real
meditation is as much of a long shot for me as a full night's sleep, I can strongly vouch for the
effectiveness of deep breathing.
The books also provides stretches for the desk bound, information on supplements, and some
holistic
relaxation techniques, such as aromatherapy, feng shui, the importance of humour, and the
importance
of good nutrition. The stress relief sections are well written, clear and jargon free, and fun - like
reading
a good magazine, or watching an episode of Body and Soul, but It is the recipes which really
make this
book shine. Gold's culinary training shows in her simple but delicious and even innovative recipes.
Serve
these healthy meals to your family, and replace your coffee with her lime flavoured green tea, and
the
stress relief will be obvious.
Good Faith
Jane Smiley
Faber & Faber
ISBN 057121844X A$29.95
The laid back narrator sets the tone for Jane Smiley's latest novel Good Faith right from the start.
Joe
Stratford is 40 years old, divorced, and although he describes himself as the perfect man, good
looking,
muscled, trustworthy, he is a passive recipient of his life - a obsessively tidy spectator. "This
would be
'82" he begins, allowing even the date of his narrative to seem like something randomly chosen for
him
by the gods. Stratford is an interesting narrator, and his passive acceptance, even in the worst of
situations keeps the tone of the book light. In typical Smiley style, Good Faith is a tight, fast
paced, and
carefully set out novel full of rich detail and delicate twists.
It is the heady 80s, Reaganism is in its heyday, and anything is possible. Financial paradigms are
changing, people are getting rich quickly without capital, and Joe's simple but successful formula
of
selling honest houses to local buyers is about to become obsolete. His boring bachelor existence is
also
troubled by an affair with his boss's daughter Felicity:
My problem with Felicity had several aspects, which I had organized in my mind. One was that we
had
gone too far. The trip to New York had been too much fun and too intimate. If I hadn't
experienced
that, I might not now be ruminating obsessively about some way into the future for us both, in a
manner
that allowed not just sex but conversation, companionship, long hours together.(191)
Despite the impetus to act, Joe lets it all ride over him, pulling back despite the pain, and
immersing
himself in his "business." The book's good guy, Joe empathises with his buyers and sellers, smiling
at
their quirks and taking a commission cut to get the sale and keep everyone happy. Joe's
characterisation
is set off by those around him - the beautiful and impulsive Felicity, the outrageous Marcus Burns,
whose charisma and greed begin to infect Joe, the big hearted and disorganised developer
Gordon, and
his son and Joe's partner, the accident prone childlike Bobby. The ex-IRS man Burns is perfectly
drawn.
His impeccable clothing, and the way he draws on Joe's honesty to support his deals makes him
the
perfect antagonist. He isn't all bad either. Even with a heart the "size of a walnut," Burns helps Joe
and
Gordon break out of their comfort zones into what is perhaps, after all, a better life. Joe's
infatuation
for the Baldwin family is an important underlying theme. His own fundamentalist Christian
"familial
cocoon" provides a nice contrast to the racy alcohol swigging late night hijinks of the
Baldwins.
Smiley's setting is pure middle-America. Portsmouth New Jersey is too obscure to conjure any
preconceptions, but close enough to New York City to attract the big boys of finance, and small
enough
itself to be surburban. Joe's eye is realistically attuned to the real estate market and when we look
at a
place we see its potential along with him in the little details:
The front yard sloped down to Maple Glen Road, and the backyard sloped somewhat less to a
little rill
that ran off the hump of a good-sized hill to the north. There was a good view down the long
valley of
the Blue River, a tributary of the Nut. A series of hills crowned with maples receded into the
purple
distance. One neighbor, across the road, was visible, though the windows of his house were
hidden by
foliage. The other neighbors, who really weren't too far away, could not be seen, and a small
shopping
centre at the crossroads of Highway 12 and Maple Glen Road was hidden by a curve, though it
was less
than half a mile distant. (58)
This paragraph provides setting, characterisation, and an underlying hint at Joe's own fairly
pedestrian
desires in a single hit. Much of the novel is like that - powerful without ever being overt.
Another thing which makes Good Faith such a pleasure to read is it wry humour. At one point Joe
looks
at Marcus with obvious pleasure and tells him that he is full of shit, and then proceeds to do his
every
bidding. It is all good fun though, like the time they get into an exclusive golf club by telling the
gatekeeper that they are meeting Paul Newman, and by the liberal use of obscure acronyms. There
are
plenty of clues along the way too such as Burns' use of the word "unrealestate" for the thousand
acre
ranch which gives Joe such confidence. There are other forms of comic relief too, from the campy
home
renovators The Davids, to the obsession of George Sloan with a run down house, and his ultimate
rise
as successful gold trader. There is also the larger than life Gottfried Nuelle, with his perfect
houses, his
obsession for detail, his reliance on his live in designer, and his temper. The sexual romping,
bitchiness,
and backbiting are also funny - including Joe's unseen ex-wife Sherry, with her penchance for
shopping
and pretentious restaurant, and the pert, pretty coke snorting Susan. No matter how low the novel
goes,
both in terms of financial ugliness, or sexual slapstick, Joe's aura of relaxed spectator, and the
classy
veneer remain until the last page. And after all, money isn't everything.
If the ending is a tad predictable, it really doesn't hurt the novel, which reads quickly and leaves
the
reader feeling positive and relaxed, despite its heft and shady dealings. The denouement is
satisfying
enough - a happy ending perhaps, but open ended enough to only hint at a transformation.
Magdalena Ball, Reviewer
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html
Lori's Bookshelf
And Then They Were Nuns
Susan J. Leonhardi
Firebrand Books
2232 S. Main St. #272, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
www.firebrandbooks.com
ISBN: 1563411261 $14.95
The women living at Julian Pines, a monastic abbey out in the sticks of California, lead
contemplative
lives, help the surrounding community, take in "strays," and exist communally in as much serenity
as
possible, that is, in "silence, order, peace, prayer, and simple pleasures." Except when someone is
having
internal struggles or two women are at odds or the summer is too hot or the winter too cold or
any
number of amusing intrusions from the outside world occur, which is to say, most of the time. In
other
words, Julian Pines, for all its rustic beauty, hard work, and peacefulness is also a place full of
excitement and change. "(T)he essence of life at Julian Pines was the blank pageness of it, the way
you
had to invent life every day and eschew the hierarchical assumption that peace and passion were
mutually exclusive" (p. 109). At the heart of these beautiful and wonderful stories, it is peace and
passion that many of the women struggle to reconcile most - and often with very wry
consequences.
From a variety of points of view, author Susan Leonardi tells a series of interlocking stories, each
of
which could probably stand on its own. Taken together, however, they are rich and eloquent and
full
of surprises. By the end of the book, you feel you know these characters very well. My favorites
were
Karen, who loves Anne and is the resident priest (despite loud objections from an estranged sister
convent and no approval from Rome); Bernadette, whose childhood set her up to be a "helper" to
others, a state of mind from which I was very glad she finally escaped; Beatrice, the abbess, who
shares
a calm, accepting - and sometimes breathtaking - wisdom in many of her encounters; Donna, a
veterinarian who relates better to animals than people and actually "sees" people as various animal
types;
Sharon, the school teacher who came for a brief visit, wrote a series of letters to her fianc‚ and
friends
extending the visit, then eventually stayed on permanently; Sierra, the youngster who, at the end
of the
book, reflects back both the goodness and the quirkiness of the place; and lastly, Anne, the writer,
who
loves everyone and is so filled with passion and life that I wish I knew her in the real world.
One of the cleverest chapters (besides the humorous one entitled "Anne's List of Sixty-Five Good
Reasons for Being a Nun at Julian Pines Abbey and One Bad One") has a befuddled Theresa
trying to
understand the purpose and intent of Anne's fiction writing. Anne has taken the bare bones of one
of
Theresa's experiences and embellished extravagantly until the story has theme, purpose, and depth
- but
isn't Theresa's experience anymore. Theresa tells Anne she can't just go and make up things like
this, that
it's not accurate, that it didn't happen that way, and besides, things have been left out. Anne has a
great
comeback: "(N)ow you're complaining about my sins of omission. A writer has to be able to leave
out
whatever she wants. Otherwise, we'd still be stuck on our morning pee" (p. 50). Leonardi is an
author
who knows what to include and what to leave out. The prose is lean, but feels lush; the stories
spare,
but are always enough.
AND THEN THEY WERE NUNS turns out to be a most amazing look at the lives of women
outside
the pale, women who are unusual, but also just like you and me. It is about the way, over time,
they
manage to weave a life together through all the ups and downs of their unusual existence and how
they
reconstitute when someone departs, leaving a crack in the community that must be repaired. The
language, the cadence of the narratives, the humor, and the brokenness healed make Julian Pines a
fictional place I wish I could visit. Highly recommended!
Nail & Other Stories
Laura Hird
Rebel, Inc.
Canongate Books, Ltd.
14 High Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 1TE
ISBN: 086241850X $10.95 http://www.laurahird.com/
From "Nail," the first Kafkaesque story in Laura Hird's ambitious collection to the final cruel
realizations
of the last story, "There Was A Soldier," the reader is by turns shocked, horrified, saddened, and
amused. These ten stories have in common a certain grimness as they illuminate the sordid and
dysfunctional world bubbling near the surface at the end of the 20th century in Scotland. Despite
the
use, at times, of Scottish dialect, I had no problem hearing the voices of these various characters:
the
sexual predator disguised as a teacher; the woman whose husband tries to talk her into swinging;
the
angry, stalking ex; the cruel girls subtly torturing a retarded boy. Their voices were clear - and
often
angry, nasty, or hopeless.
Two stories particularly impressed me. In "The Last Supper," the lively, opinionated first person
narrator, Darren, is helping his friend Dave move from his flat. Dave's rapacious landlord cheats
him out
of his deposit, and when Dave gets his revenge, I almost wanted to cheer. The tension of the story
is
well-done, and I loved this line: "Why do lonely people feel they have to inflict their misery on
everyone
else? Don't they realize that's why they're lonely in the first place?" (p. 49).
The other story, "Routes," tells of a meandering bus ride taken by an unloved 12-year-old boy.
The
narrative is rich, the story full of insight, and in the conclusion, the character is the only soul in the
whole
collection who might possibly be redeemed by his ability to love something in the abstract. That
was a
knockout story.
NAIL AND OTHER STORIES is not for the faint of heart, but the stories resonate, and the
characters
and images are surprising and unsettling. Hard-hitting and clever, Hird's stories will make you
think -
and they'll come back to haunt you later.
A Departure from the Script
Rochelle Hollander Schwab
Orlando Place Press
3617 Orlando Place, Alexandria, VA., 22305
ISBN: 0964365014 $14.95
Using amusing, often unexpected humor, Rochelle Hollander Schwab's latest is a delightful novel
about
family, marriage, and the process of growing comfortable with all shades of the rainbow. Jewish
mother/wife/amateur actress Sheila Katz, married for over thirty years, is stunned from
complacency
when she learns her daughter Jenny is getting married to a woman named Tamara. Dan, her
husband,
doesn't take the news well and thinks that given time, Jenny will pass through the phase. He's
already
suffered enough criticism because his son married a Catholic girl - and converted! - and he refuses
to
acknowledge his daughter's sexual orientation. This pushes Sheila and Dan's marriage to the edge
and
contributes to the uproar over Jenny's lifestyle.
Sheila is a survivor, though, and she definitely does not want to lose her daughter, so she chooses
the
"if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" tactic. She starts attending PFLAG meetings, works at readjusting
her
thinking, and helps to plan the Jewish wedding ceremony behind Dan's back. Little does she know
that
meeting an attractive lesbian artist will have such an affect her. If her life wasn't turned upside
down
before, it truly is now.
The story of how Sheila and the Katz family deals with this very topical issue is engrossing,
endearing,
and entertaining, while also sometimes sobering. Schwab uses a smooth and highly readable style
to
write a novel for the new millennium. With the legalization of marriage in Canada in 2003 and the
ongoing social arguments about fair treatment of gays and lesbians, including marriage, this book
is
timely and fascinating. It's a book all parents - and non-parents - should read. In Schwab's skillful
and
sensitive hands, A DEPARTURE FROM THE SCRIPT is funny and true to life, but poses no
easy
answers. Highly recommended.
How to Write Killer Fiction: The Funhouse of Mystery & Rollercoaster of Suspense
Carolyn Wheat
Perseverance Press
P.O. Box 21922, Santa Barbara, CA. 93121
ISBN: 1880284626 $13.95
Carolyn Wheat, an accomplished mystery author, has written one of the best books about genre
writing
that I have ever read. Using compelling examples, she provides a clear and concise overview of
the
elements of effective mystery and suspense. After giving valuable information about the history of
the
two related genres, she devotes special attention to each and shows where and how they overlap.
In
addition to a strong focus upon the structure of the work, she addresses beginnings and middles,
the arc
of the story, genre formats, and scene and style. She gives special emphasis to effective endings
for both
suspense novels and mysteries. Wheat covers all the bases and takes it one step further by
discussing
writing process, the difference between "Outliners" and "Blank Pagers," and what to do when the
piece
is finished. Her three page summary of "The Writing Process: Tools to Help You Finish" is worth
the
price of the book. Also provided is a bibliography of useful books to learn theory, for research, or
to
find good examples to emulate. HOW TO WRITE KILLER FICTION is an excellent reference
and
how-to book. All writers who wish to infuse mystery, suspense, or simply a tighter, punchier style
to
their writing should get this book.
Lori L. Lake
Reviewer
Leonhardt's Bookshelf
All Work & No Say
Jody Urquhart
Individual Development Organization
www.idoinspire.com
ISBN: 0973250208 $14.00
I was recently interviewed for a book on entrepreneurs, and I was asked about the mentality of an
entrepreneur versus an employee. The main difference, I replied, was in the ownership. A great
employee mentality takes some ownership, whereas a poor employee mentality takes none.
All Work & No Say helps employers create a great employee mentality. Jody Urquhart puts
together
a collection of ideas, tips and action plans managers can use to boost employee morale. The
collection
is impressive in its size and scope and in the small package into which it is crammed. As a
syndicated
columnist "The Joy of Work" Urquhart knows how to be concise and drive to the core of the
issue.
Although the title of the book would lead one to believe it is about giving employees a greater say
in
their work environments, Urquhart coverts such issues as dealing with cranky co-workers and
clients,
delegation, and creating a fun workplace.
On the macro level, there is nothing particularly new about this book. It brings forward respected
and
effective management techniques. However, it is packed full of so many little tips and tricks, that
even
a well-read manager will find plenty of useful ideas he has not heard of before. My favorite? Play
mini-golf at the office.
The reviewer is David Leonhardt, author of Climb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of
maximum
happiness at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/happiness-self-help-book.html, and Don't Get
Banned by
the Search Engines at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/SEO.html .
Forget Me Knots from the Front Porch
Helen Kay Polaski
Obadiah Press
www.obadiahpress.com
ISBN: 0971326681 $15.95
It's not quite "Chicken Soup for the Porch-lover's Soul", but it comes close. Forget Me Knots
from
the Front Porch is a collection of memories, all taking place on the front porch. Helen Kay Polaski
assembled and edited this collection of memories. They are not her memories, but rather those of
about
40 different individuals.
Unlike the better-known "Chicken Soup" series, these stories do not necessarily have a specific
lesson,
inspiration or motivation behind them. These are heart-warming, "fuzzy" tales that feel even more
like
chicken soup than the "Chicken Soup" series does.
What is the appeal of these "Forget Me Knot" tales? It is best stated on page 16: "When you were
12,
politics was a foreign word and you had no need to worry about things like bombs and
Khrushchev.
Whoever he was." These are little snippets of memories to when we all were younger and more
innocent.
This is a true anthology, with each story written in the unique style of its author, making it as
well-suited
for bathroom reading as for enjoying on the front porch swing.
David Leonhardt
Reviewer
Jodi's Bookshelf
Life & Times of a Mountaineer
Coleman Reese
A Cappela Publishing/Advocate House
P.O. Box 3691, Sarasota, FL 34230-3691
www.acappela.com/AH.htm
0972497943 $15.00
"TO LIVE AN ADVENTUROUS LIFE, JUST USE YOUR GOD-GIVEN GIFTS"
So says Coleman Reese about his book, The Life & Times of a Mountaineer.
More than a memoir (though it covers The Great Depression, mountain-style; World War II from
the
trenches; and post-war growth in Florida), this book sings with the spirit of America as it was
lived from
the 1920s until today. Coleman Reese shows the good and the bad of each era and chronicles the
changes that have taken place. He remembers what it was like before these changes and makes a
few
predictions about where the world is heading
This is a charming history of the era, told through the eyes and experiences of a man who has
"been
there/done that" from the 1920s into this first decade of the 21st Century.
At the age of 14 he bought his first car -- a 1921 Model T Ford with balloon tires, a racer body,
bucket
seats and no windshield -- for five dollars! He knew the moonshiners, the card players and the
churchgoers in his community. He knew how to milk a cow and catch a fish, and how to find his
way
around in the mountains.
Coleman Reese has been no angel, but he has been honest, hard-working and adventurous. He's
seen
pleasure and pain, security and fear, love and loss, but he has never lost his optimism nor his faith.
Life
& Times of a Mountaineer should interest anyone curious about history in general or particularly
in the
history of North Carolina and Florida where Reese has lived, worked and struggled to make the
world
a better place.
This is highly recommended reading for every American.
A Tenant Farmer's Daughter
Leone Rowland
A Cappela Publishing/Advocate House
P.O. Box 3691, Sarasota, FL 34230-3691
www.acappela.com/AH.htm
0972497951 $15.00
WHEN TOBACCO WAS KING
Today the great debate over tobacco focuses on its use, but did you ever wonder about its
cultivation?
If so, you'll want to read A Tenant Farmer's Daughter, Rhonda Rowland's memoir about growing
up
in the early part of the 20th century. Ms. Rowland shares with readers the daily rituals, joys and
hardships of growing up in a large poor family in North Carolina, where tobacco and cotton were
king
and everyone worked, often from before sun up to long after sun down.
Though there were many hardships in the lives of tenant farmers and their families, many aspects
of that
life held more authenticity than life does today. In this memoir we learn how food was grown
before
the widespread use of machinery and technology; how hogs were butchered; butter churned; and
tobacco grown and cured. We share the innocent entertainments of making one's own music,
church
socials and dances, barn raisings, and just plain fishing.
This charming first person account of rural life is a wonderful reminder of the creative,
enterprising spirit
that made America strong. It is told be a woman who, even as a young child, had a keen mind of
her
own and some strong opinions on such issues as health and women's rights.
Anyone interested in history -- particularly the history of the south -- cannot fail to be intrigued by
the
rich details offered here. And anyone looking for background information on the Raleigh area in
the
early 20th century will want this gem of a book, which paints delicious pictures of life fully
lived.
Jodi Greene
Reviewer
Jennifer's Bookshelf
Young Cousins Mysteries: the Flying Pigs Mystery
Elspeth Campbell Murphy
Bethany Backyard
http://www.bethanyhouse.com
ISBN: 0764224999 $4.99
Titus, Timothy, and Sarah-Jane are cousins. They like to solve mysteries. When two soft piggy
banks
fly into their tree house, they can't believe it-a new mystery has begun. They open the piggy banks
and
find two notes, one in each, along with one thousand dollars! They try to figure out who the pigs
belong
to when they hear bickering below. Readers won't believe why the pigs flew into the tree house,
and
how they got there!
This children's series book was fun to read. It makes a great read-aloud story for children ages
6-8; it's
ideal for early readers, as the large font, and familiar wording makes it easy-to-read. The full-color
illustrations are charming, and the text teaches children valuable life-lessons.
Winter Shaker
Louise Ulmer
ebooksonthe.net
ISBN: 1931207313 $TBA
Set in the late 1800s, Louise Ulmer's didactic book for middle grade readers tells the story of
Daisy
Webb. Readers find out what her life consists of after her mother dies, and her father leaves to
fight in
Mr. Lincoln's army. Ulmer uses historic places, descriptive scenery, and realistic characters, while
educating her readers about freedom, God, Family, and American history. This book, by an author
book
enthusiasts should keep their eye on, comes highly recommended.
The Thing That Bothered Farmer Brown
Teri Sloat
Orchard Books
http://www.terisloat.com/books/thething.html
ISBN: 0531071839 $5.95 32 pages
Stars out of 5: 5
After Farmer Brown finished the chores around his farm, he ate dinner, and went to bed. But
something
tiny, and whiny few round and round bothering Farmer Brown. His sudden reaction to the flying
pest
caused something to bump, clang, or crack, which then bothered the animals on the farm one by
one.
THE THING THAT BOTHERED FARMER BROWN by Teri Sloat is full of comical antics
when one
little bug causes chaotic mischief. Told in rhyme, this story is sure to be a hit for small
children.
From Sloat's book, children will learn rhyming words, names of farm animals and their sounds, as
well
as familiar words learned in kindergarten. This book is fun, it's entertaining, and it's a fast and
pleasant
read.
The delightful illustrations by Nadine Bernard Westcott captures the hilarious antics perfectly.
They're
sure to send a giggle bug through its readers.
This text refers to the soft cover edition available in the school market.
The Butterfly Garden
Denise Gasta and Gregory Michel
Writer's Exchange Epublishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing/denise.htm
ISBN: 1876962003 $TBA
Nettie is a curious little girl who decides to search for the butterfly garden. Nettie grew up
believing that
the secret garden full of butterflies was just a myth. Despite that, a born-explorer and lover of
butterflies
and nature, she could not help but explore this so-called-fable. With her journal kit and lunch in
hand,
Nettie walked towards the woods near her house. Beautiful Monarch butterflies lined the edge of
the
woods. They appeared to be waiting, summoning her to follow them. As they flew, Nettie
followed.
This book was a delight to read. My children loved it, and they were full of questions about
butterflies
afterwards.
Ms. Gasta and Mr. Michel write, draw, paint, and develop websites together:
http://home.earthlink.net-~lectrcwolf/index.html.
This reviewer will certainly keep her eye open for all future publications by these two talented
individuals.
The Bucket
Nell Duvall
Sprite Press
http://members.aol.com/spritepress
ISBN: 0970665415 $TBA
Kicked out of the only home she ever knew, young Eulalie and her cat Ugly followed a road
going
nowhere. By the end of the evening, she was lost. A sharp crack sound woke her from a deep
sleep,
noticing a flickering light from a far off cottage; cold and tired she followed the light.
A lonely old woman let Eulalie and Ugly come inside to feast on hot porridge and to warm
herself.
Later the old woman gave Eulalie a task. Using an old worn-out bucket, she was to retrieve water
from
the stream, carry it to the top of a steep bare hill, and fill a trough to the top. Day after day and
bucket
after bucket, Eulalie hauled the water to the top in exchange for food and a place to sleep.
When she finally filled the trough to the tiptop, she rejoiced. She learned a lesson.
This wonderful story has several lessons that young Eulalie did not realize at first that is until the
old
woman pointed them out to her. What are they? Find out. Read the award-winning book, THE
BUCKET by Nell DuVall to learn the marvelous lessons for yourself. This children's book comes
highly
recommended by this reviewer.
The Little Dragon Without Fire
Laraine Anne Barker
DiskUs Publishing.com
$TBA
If you're looking for a children's story that is fun, magical, and leaves children with a positive
message,
then you will love THE LITTLE DRAGON WITHOUT FIRE by Laraine Anne Barker.
Firetongue is
a young dragon who cannot breathe fire. He feels sad because he is not like all the other dragons,
and
he is unable to play fire games with his friends. However, Uncle Inferno, known in the dragon
community as being a good listener, tells Firetongue of the dangerous mission he must encounter
in
order to breathe fire. Firetongue listens and soon sets off on his remarkable adventure where he
meets
a fantastic creature named Firegoddess.
Sir Henry: The Knight In Space
Wendy Laing
Wendave
http://wendave.com/wendaveaudiobooks.html
ISBN: 0958081417 $TBA
When twins beam Sir Henry from 14th Century Scotland into their father's space ship by accident,
the
entertaining adventure begins. Sir Henry teams up with Roto the robot to find his way home
through
time. Children 7-12 will enjoy this story as they read Laing's creative version of joining the past
with the
future. This book is available as a CD ROM audio book.
Never Try To Trick A Tengu
Alistair Scott
StoryPlus.com
In Scott's retelling of an old folk tale, Kiko, a mischievous little Japanese boy, trades his
pea-shooter
for a magic cloak that makes him invisible. With his newfound ability, he causes trouble all over
town,
but when his mother finds the filthy looking rice cloak, the trouble really begins! This splendid
story is
well-written, teaches children honesty, and is available as an interactive e-book at
StoryPlus.com.
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl: Book Two
Evelyn Horan
Publish America
http://www.publishamerica.com
ISBN: 1591297508 $14.95
This reviewer has had the privilege of reading Evelyn Horan's first Jeannie adventure book and
immediately fell in love book two. Her writing style is unique, clear, and fun. Horan fills each of
her
books with detail, making it easy for readers to visualize the characters and scenery. Young
Jeannie is
your average little frontier girl from the 1800s. She likes to train her horses, cook, sew, play with
her
school friends, and of course, she loves to go on adventures.
This book is a real page-turner! Young readers will enjoy the fun and excitement this book
provides.
Bravo!
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl
Evelyn Horan
AmErica House
c/o Publish America
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN: 1588517055 $12.95 133 Pages
Stars out of 5: 5
Based on a historical fact, JEANNIE, A TEXAS FRONTIER GIRL is set in the Eastland/Ranger,
Texas
area during the 1880s. Jeannie is a strong willed twelve-year-old tomboy who moved to West
Texas a
short time ago with her horse, Diamond, hound dog, Ole Blue and her friend, Helga from
Germany. The
book joins young Jeannie and her brother Henry, as well as Helga and her friend Billy Joe on an
animated adventure. Throughout this marvelous book, their strength and inner will is tested as
they deal
with threatening tornados after Diamond the horse is stolen. Even though there's a time
difference,
children will be able to relate to Jeannie and her friends. Perfect for youngsters age nine and up,
the
chapters are short and are easy-to-read. The rich descriptions, along with the lively text teach
children
how to learn from their errors, as well as putting their trust in God.
Horan fills the book with detailed scenery. Her characters are well written and come to life. The
book,
from beginning to end, is spectacular. It flows well, and the dialogue is intriguing. This is Horan's
first
novel.
Foster Care People
Lauretta Ali
Electric eBook Publishing
http://www.electricebookpublishing.com
Soft Cover, and as ebook in PDF, and HTML
ISBN: 155253053X $TBA 92 pages
Stars out of 5: 4
FOSTER CARE PEOPLE by remarkable author Lauretta Ali is about a little girl who grew up in
a
foster care. It tells how her life started out in the system, and how it impaired life for her and her
brother
instead of giving them the same benefits as they would for white children in the system. Nonstop
abuse
gets worse as the child grows, and at the same time, strengthening her to be the woman she grows
up
to be. Not only does the reader follow the young girl through daily schedule, it goes much deeper
than
that, readers will learn how just delicate our little ones are.
This reviewer thoroughly enjoyed reading about this young girl-even though it was terribly
heart-wrenching at times-however, the need to find out what happens to her is strong as the read
pages
flew past my fingertips. This book is perfect for young adults. It is would be a great read for
children
who are going through some or all of the same things that the young character in the book is
going
through.
FOSTER CARE PEOPLE should be in all libraries-public, at school, and at home. It would also
be
wonderful as required reading, or suggested reading for those in school training to become a
psychologist, psychiatrist, or sociologist.
Give a child this wonderful offering so they may read about the emotional, self-growth, and
heart-felt
tale of this little determined girl. They will remember it forever!
Danny
Denise Gasta
Writer's Exchange E-Publishing
www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing
ISBN: 1876962070 $TBA
A lonely dandelion named Danny watched all the happy flowers bunched together in a flower
garden
by a house. Danny stood all alone in the middle of the huge lawn...sad.
One day a little boy named Kai sat down beside him. They talked. Danny got confused because
Kai kept
insisting that Danny was indeed a flower and NOT a weed as Danny had told him. Weeds aren't
pretty,
bright and yellow like Danny, they are supposed to be prickly and ugly! Kai was lonely too.
Quickly they
became friends. Everyday they talked. One day a loud machine cut Danny down, Kai cried. His
daddy
didn't understand how pretty, soft and friendly Danny the dandelion actually was. Luckily, Kai's
tears
brought Danny back, as they soaked into the ground where he used to stand.
Could dandelions live forever? Do they need love too? Kai loved Danny even though no one else
did.
Denise Gasta has written an adorable story for children. DANNY is a winner in my heart. My
children
absolutely loved it! Immediately they ran outside to search for dandelions in our yard!
Cody Knows
Karen Sue Wiesner with Linda Derkez
Writer's Exchange EPublishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing
ISBN: 192074147X $TBA
Karen Sue Wiesner captures the pure innocence that thrives within every young child in her
wonderful
children's book CODY KNOWS.
This book is a beautiful, heart-felt story about a little boy named Cody who knows how to test his
parent's limits. Even though the devil comes out in him during the day, the angel soothingly
appears
while he is sleeping.
CODY KNOWS would make a delightful and inspiring bedtime story. The message of love and
understanding adorns every page. Children and those blessed by them are sure to enjoy this
fantastic
book.
This reviewer thoroughly enjoyed reading CODY KNOWS to her children.
Christmas Is For Me
Christine Tangvald
Bethany House Publishers
http://www.bethanyhouse.com
ISBN: 0764223372 Price: $3.99 24 pages
With rhyming text and rebus pictures, CHRISTMAS IS FOR ME is a delightful story for children.
It
tells of the special time of year when Jesus was born.
In this adorable storybook, children can find true meaning of Christmas. The story is told through
a
child's point of view as the child talks about all the things he or she loves about Christmas. Talk of
bells,
happy sounds, love, decorations, candles, wreaths, presents, angels, friends, and so much more
adorn
the thick, child-perfect pages.
Young children will find this book easy-to-read and fun as they learn new words, fun facts about
the
Christmas season, and many symbols that Christians use during the holiday. Throughout the
pages, there
are quoted Bible verses, and vivid full-color illustrations that are sure to delight little ones. Parents
will
love the positive message, fun layout, and the quality of the book, as well as the holiday
story.
Christine Tangvald holds a B. S. in Elementary Education and is the author of more than
seventy-two
books for children, with over two million in print. She and her husband live in Washington Sate,
where
they enjoy spending time with their adult children, and five grandchildren.
CHRISTMAS IS FOR ME comes highly recommended by this reviewer.
Berber: A Lamb's Tale
Margaret Anderson Johnson
Water Oak Publishing
ISBN: 0966317009 $15.95 64 pages
This adorable children's book is one to be cherished. The spiritual messages taught in BERBER
are told
without being too preachy-just my kind of book for children.
Berber is an orphaned lamb that soon finds himself in the loving arms of a human mother. He
noticed
the physical differences, but he didn't care. Her white wool (hair) on the top of her head and her
loving
touch was all he needed to feel comfortable and safe. She teaches him all he needs to know, like
how
to get a drink from the pond without falling in, and which green foliage was good to eat.
Johnson tells the adorable story from Berber's point-of-view, giving the reader a better feel or the
story
and its characters.
Berber's adventures will enlighten you as he meets other farm animals and creatures, all while
teaching
that all God's creations deserve love and that they should be grateful to God for what he has
created
them to be. Not many lessons can be taught without a little heartache, and that's just what little
Berber
deals with as he finds his place as a lamb on a farm.
This reviewer highly recommends BERBER, A Lamb's Tale by Margaret A. Johnson, and I look
forward to reading and reviewing more works by this seventy-two-year-old talented author that
has
nurtured all types of animals in her lifetime.
Being Kind To George
Jo Dunningham
http://www.dunningham.be
Writers Exchange EPublishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing
Format: Ebook in PDF, HTML, RTF, CD
Price: Electronic download: $4.95, CD: $9.95 39 pages
Oliver, a dog with long legs, overly large feet, and scared of every little thing, wandered into the
reeds
he came across a honking noise that caused him to run frantically towards his owner, Greg.
Seeing that
he was terrified of something, Greg investigated and found that the honking sound was a little
scrawny
and undernourished white goose. Oliver and Greg befriended the goose and decided to take care
of him
and feed him since it was winter time and the goose would find little to eat. Every morning, they
took
food to the goose and watched as he gobbled them all up. In no time, the goose grew stronger
and
fatter. Greg led his newly named goose George to the clean pond in the park across from his caf‚
and
hoped that George would be happy there. George was, but as time grew on, spring and summer
turned
into winter, George noticed that not everyone was like his summer friends, and he grew very
sad.
People thought he was a threat was he? Find out by reading Jo Dunningham's delightful book
BEING
KIND TO GEORGE.
Based on a true story, this book is a beautiful tribute to wild animals everywhere. Moreover, it is
a great
tool to teach children the meaning of a goose's honk and why people shouldn't try to befriend wild
animals. The story is well written, and children any age will enjoy the charming goose and his
friends.
It teaches children the importance of kindness, friendship, and helping your environment to
thrive.
Jo Dunningham is the author and illustrator of this wonderful children's book. She has been telling
stories and drawing pictures to amuse her children for over twenty years. With a fresh approach
to life,
she now finds the time for the things she most enjoys-her family, and her writing. Dunningham
lives in
Wiltshire, England with her husband, three of their five children, and their youngest
granddaughter.
BEING KIND TO GEORGE by Jo Dunningham comes highly recommended by this reviewer and
her
children. Look for more of her work, "Why Does the Tooth Fairy Want My Teeth?" which she is
currently working on. You can check out her personal website at http://www.dunningham.be and
view
"real-life" pictures of George. Readers will also be able to download George's illustrations from
the
actual book to color.
Aiko by Kim Bundy
Sprite Press
http://members.aol.com/spritepress
ISBN: 0970665407 $TBA
Ms. Bundy's book AIKO is an inspirational read that any child will love to read repeatedly.
Toshihiro is a man who loves to hunt, but as he gets older, he finds it exhausting. Never blessed
with
children of their own to do the hunting for their dinners, he and his wife Kimiki of many years,
depend
on Toshihiro's trapping skills for meat purposes.
One day after hunting, Toshihiro walked home with his empty satchel. Out of nowhere, he heard
the
desperate cries of what sounded like a small child. Frightened that one of his traps had caught a
child,
he followed the sound, but to his amazement, stuck in tangled weeds was a beautiful, tall white
crane
with a bright, red crown. With a little hesitancy, he released it from its imprisonment.
That evening a young woman named Aiko showed up at the hut. In rags, except for a bright red
ribbon
that held up her silken black hair, she shivered in the cold. She asked to come inside, to get warm
and
to sleep. Gladly he and his wife allowed the woman to sleep on an extra straw mat.
Toshihiro asked Aiko to stay for as long as she wanted. Her weaving skills allowed Toshihiro to
sell
what she made to purchase things for their home, as well as a little extra. Life was good.
I don't want to ruin this wonderful story, so I won't tell any more as it will only spoil the splendid
ending. However, I will say that you will be extremely delighted. At the end of the book is a cut
out
pattern to make your own origami crane.
I highly recommend AIKO by Kim Bundy.
Where Does God Live?
Holly Bea
HJ Kramer: Starseed Press
ISBN: 0915811731 $15.00 32 Pages
Stars out of 5: 5
Hope is a little girl who likes to ask questions. She asks one right after the other and usually finds
the
answer quickly. After asking her mother WHERE DOES GOD LIVE, her mother tells her in
Heaven,
way up in the sky. Hope then decides to ask a bird friend, figuring that she should know because
she
flies in the sky's all the time, but her bird friend doesn't know for sure. Then Hope asks a little
green
frog, and he tells her that he thinks that God lives on earth with us. Now terribly confused, Hope
goes
to her grandmother, Rose, who delightfully explains her beliefs of God.
Of course, I won't tell you what she explained to Hope, but I will tell you that when I read it to
my
children, they understood-even though they had questions-they understood, and they liked how it
was
told. Now in order for that statement to have any credibility, you'd have to understand that my
husband
and I DO believe in God, but we do not believe in religion. Therefore, we are raising our children
to
believe in what we believe, as most families do, but we are giving our children the right to choose
their
own religion, if they feel that they need one to be accepted by God. As such, my husband and I
have
searched for the right way to teach our children about our Creator without adding religion to it,
and
with the help of Ms. Weaver's book WHERE DOES GOD LIVE I believe I have found a way to
do
this.
The colorful and charismatic illustrations compliment the heart-felt words told by a talented
author.
Parents and children everywhere will love the way Bea tells of our Creator (in a non-religious
manner).
Holly Bea Weaver is a graduate of Texas Tech University who is a freelance writer for advertising
agencies, and after a spiritual awakening in 1991, she started writing inspirational children's
books. She
is also a community volunteer and devoted aunt. Her book is receiving the Bock Book Award in
October for promoting high moral values through children's literature--it has won in a field of
over 180
books. She resides in Tampa, Florida.
Talented illustrator, Kim Howard lives in Ketchum, Idaho with her daughter Amelia Ruby. She
has
illustrated over 15 children's books. She has been a Merit Scholar at the Academy of Art College,
a
textile designer, a greeting card designer, and a freelance product designer.
WHERE DOES GOD LIVE by Holly Bea comes highly recommended.
Bobby And Mandee's Too Safe For Strangers
Robert Kahn
http://robertkahn.freeservers.com
$TBA
is a wonderfully thorough instruction book written to help children understand and recognize
what a
stranger is. The book gives examples of how children are often tricked into running off with a
stranger.
It also includes a list of people to go to in case of an emergency such as fire fighters and teachers.
A Q
& A, at the end of the book, summarizes the book's contents, while refreshing children's memories
of
what they had just read. This book is highly recommended by this reviewer and her children. Get a
copy
at http://robertkahn.freeservers.com. While you're at it, get a copy of BOBBY and MANDEE'S
TOO
SMART FOR BULLIES.
The Princess And The Pekinese
Trisha Adelena Howell
Howell Canyon Press
http://www.howellcanyonpress.com
ISBN: 1931210039 $15.95
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEKINESE concerns a snobbish "princess" who decides to run
away from
home after learning her true life form. However, she soon learns a few hard lessons while away
from
the ones who love her. Fearful of how her family will react when she returns home messy and
smelly,
she welcomes kisses and hugs from everyone-including the new rambunctious Pekinese.
Children of all ages will surely enjoy this adventurous and surprising story. Along with adorable,
full-color illustrations, THE PRINCESS AND THE PEKINESE is sure to be a favorite for many.
Its
folk tale appearance will draw you in, but the delightful take will keep you enchanted until the
very last
page.
Join the "princess" on an exhausting journey by getting a copy for your children's library, due out
July
15, 2003.
The Bluebird and the Sparrow
Janette Oke
Bethany House
http://www.bethanyhouse.com
ISBN: 0764227122 $9.99
THE BLUEBIRD AND THE SPARROW is one of several Classics for Girls books by Janette
Oke.
Oke's characters are realistic and well defined. This reviewer found her book charming and well
worth
the read. I enjoyed every word, and looked forward to each and every new chapter.
In this book, Berta Berdette finds it hard to discover exactly who she is. Starting from the
moment her
younger sister, Glenna, was born, Berta found herself competing for attention. Not only that,
Berta feels
plain an ordinary compared to beautiful and outgoing Glenna. All through her life, and into
adulthood,
Berta feels alone, dissatisfied, and as if she is missing something only the beautiful people receive.
Because of this, she often pretends not to care.
Believing that she is a product of her childhood and teenage years, Berta learns who she is, what
her
life means to herself and to others around her, through heart-wrenching circumstances only she
can
control. Does Berta find love? Can she become the person everyone knows she is? Find out by
getting
Oke's coming-of-age story for girls today.
No Lobster, Please
Robyn Rogers
Heartstone Publishing
http://www.nolobsterplease.com
ISBN: 0972640800 $19.99
After a severe reaction to seafood, James finds that not only can he NOT eat seafood he can't
even go
near it! If he does, he swells up like a big balloon, and then someone rushes him to the
hospital.
The author clearly explains the seafood allergy in terms that young children can understand. The
colorful
illustrations, drawn by Ms. Fazio's first grade class at the H. Olive Day School, are a delightful
addition
to this extraordinary book.
This book would be a wonderful add-on to any library, and is a great resource for teaching
children
about such allergies.
Master Stitchum and the Moon
Mickle Maher
Bollix Books
http://www.bollixbooks.com
ISBN: 1932188010 $19.99
Filled with vivid color illustrations and an accompanying musical CD, MASTER STITCHUM
AND
THE MOON is far from ordinary.
It is the story of a tailor who does not tailor. He spends his time telling others what to do. He
likes it
so much-he even tells butterflies how to flitter their wings when they fly. Readers can follow
Stitchum,
his sister, and his brother as they search for moonlight. Their fascinating journey leads them
through
forests with strange creatures, and through fields full of pricker bushes. They sing giants to sleep,
and
they even meet an angel with a big black boot.
MASTER STITCHUM AND THE MOON is funny. MASTER STITCHUM AND THE MOON
is
bizarre. MASTER STITCHUM AND THE MOON is a book this reviewer found utterly
remarkable.
Children of all ages will surely enjoy Maher's magical and thought-provoking children's book an
absolute
delight.
Johnny Jingle
Thomas Zarraonandia
Anne Zarraonandia
http://members.aol.com/johnnyjinglebook
ISBN: 097410700X $15.00
Sitting on a shelf for over forty years, JOHNNY JINGLE is now available in soft cover. Written
for his
children, Thomas Zarraonandia wrote a delightful story about a boy with a mischievous and lively
shadow. His daughter, Anne, had this book published so children everywhere could enjoy her
father's
wonderful tale.
Everywhere Johnny goes, his shadow goes. Everything Johnny does, his shadow does. However,
Johnny
gets terribly confused one overcast day when he cannot find his shadow. Days go by. Johnny asks
nursery rhyme characters to help him find his shadow.
The colorful illustrations, also by the author Thomas Zarraonandia, go well with the rhyming and
playful
text. This reviewer can clearly see this enchanting book on every shelf in every library. Teachers
could
easily work this book into their early-reader lesson plans.
For your own copy, follow the "Purchase URL" link included with this review. Trust me your
children
will love it.
I Don't Want to Be Lunch!
Michael Ambrosio
Bob Langan, illustrator
LionX Publishing, Inc.
http://www.lionxpublishing.com
ISBN: 0971608504 $16.95
Nutsy is a playful, carefree squirrel. One day, before going out to play, his mother warns him of a
bear
in the woods and tells him not to leave the tree.
Nutsy obeys his mother and has a great time surfing on his tail, traveling from limb to limb, but
when
he spots one of the biggest acorns he has ever seen, he has to make a huge decision. Should he
listen
to his mother and not leave the tree, or should he leave the tree, only for a few seconds, to gather
the
nut?
I won't spoil the ending by telling you what Nutsy decided, but I will tell you that you'll be
satisfied by
the time you get to the end of this riveting book.
What do you think Nutsy should do? Find out what he chooses by reading Michael Ambrosio's
delightful
book I DON'T WANT TO BE LUNCH!
I DON'T WANT TO BE LUNCH is a story that helps children realize that they aren't the only
ones that
have problems to solve. Michael Ambrosio has written a charming story that will encourage
children
to make the right decision when they are faced with such a problem.
As a reviewer, author and mother to three children, I found the encouraging lessons taught in I
DON'T
WANT TO BE LUNCH are an important and valuable trait to install in children today.
I enjoyed reading the adventure of Nutsy the squirrel to my children, and by their wide eyes and
smiling
faces, I assume they enjoyed it, as well.
Michael Ambrosio has written the "I Don't " series of children's picture books after having several
near-lunch experiences himself. Using playful creatures, his message is clear, and the tale is
enhanced
by the comical illustrations by Bob Langan.
Michael lives with his wife and five children in Folsom, California.
Hark! The Aardvark Angels Sing
Teri Sloat
Scholastic, Inc.
http://www.scholastic.com
ISBN: 0399233717 $15.99 32 pages
Stars out of 5: 3
Teri Sloat's book HARK! THE AARDVARK ANGELS SING is an amusing twist to the old
Christmas
tune "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". In Sloat's tale, aardvark angels become helpful mail carriers
during Christmastime. Everyone knows that the Christmas season is a hectic time of year
packages,
mail, boxes, and cards are being delivered to houses everywhere who helps the mail get to where
it
needs to go? Harold Aardvark Angel and his angel friends that's who! They fly, swim, drive, and
sail
mail all over the world.
Many Christmas tunes are contagious, now readers have a new one to sing around their Christmas
tree.
Included in the back of the book is a sheet of music for readers who want to sing the story instead
of
read.
The exquisite drawings enhance the storyline by allowing the reader to follow letters sent by one
little
boy. A stamp, from different cities, states, and countries are included on every page, adding a
special
touch to the all ready pleasant book.
Parents and children are sure to enjoy this seasonal picture book that is perfect for any age
child.
Teri Sloat and her family enjoy the art. Her son, Matt, is a fish biologist and painter. Her
daughter,
Carrie, is a graphic designer and painter, and her other daughter, Becky, is in high school and just
designed her first Bluegrass poster and CD cover. Sloat's husband is an artist, and they have
illustrated
two books together. She resides in Sebastopol, California with her husband and daughter,
Becky.
Good Night God
Holly Bea
HJ Kramer: Starseed Press
ISBN: 0915811847 $15.00 32 Pages
Stars out of 5: 5
GOOD NIGHT GOD by Holly Bea is an adorable rhyming story of a little boy who says good
night to
everything he sees while walking home with his father early one evening. In the beginning, the
beautiful
illustrations show the setting of the sun and as the story unfolds it leads to the night. Choosing an
Autumn scene for the book was a clever move on the illustrator's part, as it adds warmth and
peace to
the storyline.
The little boy says good night to birds, squirrels, the sky, the moon, and to many other familiar
things
around him.
Holly Bea's rhyming is soothing, clear, and is a sure delight-sure to make one smile. Her ease, and
graceful words come to life, and are enhanced by the jewel-tone paintings that adorn every page.
GOOD
NIGHT GOD was a pleasure to read. A graduate of Texas Tech University, Holly Bea is a
community
volunteer, devoted aunt, and freelance advertising writer who likes to golf (poorly she says) and
she
likes to scuba dive.
Her illustrating partner, Kim Howard, studied art and drama in California, and she has illustrated
over
15 children's books. Howard loves circuses, puppet shows, hiking, riding, and talking to animals.
She
lives with her daughter, Amelia in Ketchum, Idaho when they aren't traveling.
GOOD NIGHT GOD by Holly Bea is a wonderful book and the author has quickly become a
favorite
in the Leese household; it comes highly recommended.
Fun Foods for Kids & Grownups
Linda Davis Kyle
Blueberry Press.com
ISBN: 0967365112 $17.95
If you are looking for delicious, nutritious food recipes presented in a fun, kid-friendly manner,
then you
would enjoy FUN FOODS FOR KIDS & GROWNUPS by Linda Davis Kyle.
It is the ideal handbook for helping parents, teachers, and day care providers introduce children to
cooking. Kyle presents to her readers, a way to enjoy healthy and nutritional foods. Her recipes,
tips,
and ideas are jam-packed with techniques of how to use the colors and textures of foods to draw
attention to your meal presentation. The vivid pictures allow the reader to see what Kyle's recipes
create.
This book is well-written, informative, and easy-to-follow. Readers will love the easy-to-use,
lay-flat
book design. Anyone, any age will enjoy Kyle's delightful children's cookbook. Children will enjoy
taking responsibility in creating fun foods for their family. Parents, teachers, and day care
providers will
enjoy the dietary facts, fun-spirited recipes and an amusing approach to food preparation.
This reviewer and her children, ages 12, 5, and 6, highly recommend FUN FOODS FOR KIDS &
GROWNUPS by Linda Davis Kyle.
Jennifer LB Leese
Reviewer
Hodgins' Bookshelf
The Penguin Man
Harvey Sawler
General Store Publishing House
Box 28, 1694B Burnstown Road, Burnstown, ON, K0J 1G0 Canada
ISBN 1894263413 Can.$24.95 291 pp.
This third-person story, although chiefly set in Massachusetts, USA, was written and published by
Canadians. As there seems no compelling sociological or literary reason for that split, my guess is
that
economics had something to do with it. In raw statistical terms, and disregarding contrasts in
reading
habits or the like, the US market is about nine times the Canadian one; hence, I presume, the pitch
for
American interest. I may however be quite mistaken, given that no US price is stated on the
book.
Author Sawler often mentions Canada or things Canadian in this work. To do so is most
un-American,
but it may help broaden the thoughts of people needing it.
"The Penguin Man" isn't divided into formally labelled chapters, but rather by boldface subtitles
scattered through the text. Perhaps the technique may be called "experimental writing" - often
considered a Good Thing - but I find it no improvement. It's easy to know which direction to turn
pages,
when you know you want Chapter 14 but find you're at Chapter 12. How does it help you reach
the
"Pee Stains" section, though, if you find yourself at "A Kitchen Party"? Nor is there a Table of
Contents.
For a time I wondered whether "The Penguin Man" (no relation to the publisher) might be
classifiable
as capital-L Literature, but in my admittedly inexpert opinion it misses out, at first owing to a
slow
accumulation in memory of minor errors and infelicitous phrases, and later owing to a rather
humdrum
style as Sawler lapses into a journalistic mode of just "telling us", rather than drawing word
pictures to
"show us".
It takes a rather long time for the title Penguin Man character to appear. Meantime we are
entertained
by people not connected with penguins, but with a specific address: 4 Fenwick Terrace, Lowell,
Mass.
Sawler writes, "Fenwick Terrace occupied half a city block, a long, two-story, ten-unit shared
wall brick
structure, one in a series of plain row tenements that were built at the heart of `God's Holy Acre,'
as it
was known, serving originally as boarding houses for mid-nineteenth- century Irish labourers, who
were
among the first to work in Lowell's mills."
That complex sentence is part of a six-page Prologue featuring a working-class family of
McCarthys
who inhabited that dwelling until the witty, but drink sodden, ultimately hopeless pater familias
runs
away from his wife and children in December 1941. The date places the described events about
two
weeks after Pearl Harbor, although that notable attack isn't mentioned. (This and such Canadian
spellings as "labourers" seem the chief factors revealing the story as not fully American; by Pearl
Harbor
we had been at war for 2 1/4 long years, and bad war news was "normal".)
In retrospect I wonder whether the Prologue was tacked on after the book's completion, to add
human
interest? Only one of the McCarthys plays any part beyond the Prologue, and his part is not of
first-rank
importance; one would think a wholly other character, Aidan Cassidy, would be the one singled
out for
such treatment. Perhaps, though, the McCarthys figured in an unpublished short story that could
easily
be converted to a Prologue, and thus made use of? Otherwise, I simply am puzzled.
Then comes Part I - 1974, a far longer (80 pages) narrative. A different but again dismal Roman
Catholic Irish family now lives at the given address, although fairly soon the scene shifts to a
neighbouring town of Dracut, at the edge of which grandmother C.J. runs a tumbledown
speakeasy,
where nearly anything violent and/or illegal may occur.
Again there are some very rough edges. The new story is generally reminiscent of the late Al
Capp's
cartoon series, "Li'l Abner", which was set in hillbilly Dogpatch. The tale's bootlegging,
speakeasy-owning, boozy grandmother C.J. is compared in the book itself to Capp's "Mammy
Yokum"
character, but without the hat and corncob pipe (C.J. favours cigarettes.) Under her influence
there's
entirely too much boozing, mayhem, and unprotected non-marital sex - her excuse being that, as a
young
girl, she'd been extensively abused for sex by her own father.
We meet three "Yokum"-style generations, most of them more or less promiscuous women
although
with the exception of sweetly innocent, tragic, five-year old Kathleen who, nonetheless, is
subjected to
endless foul (that is, obscene - there's little profanity) language by her elders.
The male exceptions are Myles, a pre-adolescent boy who is C.J.'s grandson and Kathleen's
brother; and
his Uncle Sully (short for Sullivan), again a heavy drinker who calls his '67 luxury car "Jack the
Cadillac". Sully is rather a ne'er-do-well, an ex-con who likes nothing better than swilling multiple
beers
while driving. Nonetheless he is a kindly soul, probably the best of the bad lot of adults whom
Sawler
imagines in Part I.
Myles chances to earn the enmity of his wild-eyed, sadistic, often drunken, and supposedly crazed
but
above all crafty and violent grandmother; he experiences such punishments by her as being driven
to the
other end of town, forced out into the night wearing only a t-shirt, and left to fend for himself;
being
thrust into an unfamiliar, horrifyingly pitch-dark cellar under threats that "the man under the
stairs"
would come and get him; and having his balls squeezed to enforce compliance with the hag's
orders (her
favourite tactic against women being hair-pulling, whereas ear-pinching/pulling works for her on
both
genders).
Thus the boy is dreadfully - in fact criminally, were it not for the grand-dame's probable success in
entering an insanity plea - abused, and his sisters fare little better, but somehow C.J. gets away
with that
behaviour as well as with her illicit alcohol-centred enterprise.
It's unclear to me why there should have been "bootlegging", in view of the dictionary definitions
that
it is (a) the smuggling of alcohol, or (b) its illegal production and sale. Prohibition had not
returned to
the States; there was no shortage of domestic alcohol. What granny C.J. in fact did suits neither of
the
foregoing definitions, for she was legally buying booze at a local outlet, and reselling it - no doubt
at
marked up prices - from and within her rackety, rickety, smoky, often overcrowded, always
unsavoury
kitchen.
Given that legal saloons also existed, why on earth would anyone choose to hoist the same drinks
in
C.J.'s filthy kitchen? Possibly for the ambience and the company or, in some cases, to get service
outside
the legal drinking hours; perhaps also to escape detection by concerned family members; even to
enjoy
the self-destructive feeling of dangerous living. The freedom to drink, smoke, and curse as hard as
you
liked, to be as dissipated as you might wish, must have attracted some. Many combinations of
such
factors were possible, indeed likely, among a diverse clientele.
At all events, C.J. finally pushed Myles a step too far, and the story takes a disastrous turn as Part
I
draws to an end.
Amid the foregoing horror there has however been a flickering portent of better things to come. A
potential love interest has developed for Myles, still too young for deep emotional attachments
though
both he and his lonely young miss now are. His present life could scarcely be worse, but here at
least
shines a ray of hope for the future. It seems however to disappear, like so much else, in the
disaster
mentioned above. Myles will eventually succumb to infatuation ... but with someone else.
Part II - 1977 begins with Myles as an inmate of the Massachusetts Correctional Institute (MCI)
Shirley
Complex. He is sometimes visited by a priest, but little good does that do a boy whose past
experiences
have taught him to loathe priests on sight. At the age of 12, then, Myles seems a hardened jailbird.
Even
kindly Uncle Sully has trouble drawing him out.
I've been trying not to reveal key aspects of the story, but the ice is growing thinner and thinner
under
me. As we're not yet one-third through the book, though, ending my summation here should
indicate
the sort of book this is, while leaving the greater part of it untold.
No, I have not suppressed identification of the title "Penguin Man". He simply has not yet been
introduced by the novel's author.
About Sawler, we learn at the back of this book that he "began as a writer and journalist". Given
the
absence of references to other Sawler books, "The Penguin Man" would appear to be his first
(published) novel. This work proves he can bring it off with considerable style, at times. However,
here
he has concocted a long and complex story which he seems unable to sustain indefinitely with
really
evocative writing; for I'd say he lapses instead into simple, quasi-historical narration rather than,
say,
dramatic or piquant word pictures.
Nonetheless, getting one's first book published can be among the most difficult achievements
imaginable,
and this feat Sawler has achieved - with the likelihood that we'll hear from him again and again,
hereafter. It's an eye-opener to see a quasi-American work being published by General Store
Publishing
House, which I'd mistakenly thought still to be a regional Ottawa Valley publisher, albeit with
additional
lines of military works and publications on other topics, including even cookbooks. Neither
Massachusetts nor Sawler's home turf of Atlantic Canada lies near Ottawa Valley territory, after
all; I
place Burnstown, Ont. and Lowell, Mass. about 520 km or 325 mi. apart, as the crow flies.
One needs to keep up to date, though. In its Website, GSPH now clearly states it has transcended
its
former limits, with something like 500 works now published. My error!
Beyond Crazy / Journeys through Mental Illness
Julia Nunes & Scott Simmie
McClelland & Stewart Ltd.
481 University Avenue, Suite 900, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2E9
ISBN 0771080689 Can.$34.99, US$27.95 294(+) pages;
Is "crazy" a politically correct word these days? I doubt it, but some p.c. issues have been taken
too far,
occasionally to the point of absurdity; consider, for example, `Negro', which simply means `black'
in
Spanish, yet is taboo in English - while `Black' is the term of choice, even for people whose skin
may
be light brown. Personally, I find that one weird! P.c. or not, though, adjusting the name of the
book
now in hand lies far beyond a reviewer's powers. "Beyond Crazy" it will no doubt stay.
This work states the remarkable fact that one in five people, at least in its native Canada, is
touched by
some form or another of mental problem. Yet that's rather like saying that such-and-such a
proportion
- in this case, likely 100% - of the population has experienced a fever; while many different
infections
and viral or bacterial diseases produce fever, there's a great difference in severity between
something
on the order of the common cold and, say, plague or ebola fever. Well, likewise with mental
disorders;
a person may be mildly obsessive-compulsive, or may suffer anything up to, or possibly even
beyond,
raging schizophrenia.
What do they mean by "touched", though? Does it mean you fit the mould if only someone else in
your
family actually has a neurosis or something? Such words need to be carefully used, to avoid
misconstruction. Perhaps mental problems aren't as prevalent as they sound if the tally includes
persons
"touched" purely by proxy, not in person.
As to any appearance that this book is of interest and/or value "only" to Canadians, such a notion
is
spurious and, if taken seriously, it could deny a fine source of insight and of help to people living
elsewhere. Whatever the variance of external circumstances from place to place, a given malady
almost
certainly will be nearly constant in its real essentials, whether in Kangiqsualujjuak or in
Rarotonga.
While some mental illnesses may be too debilitating to allow their sufferers to describe them well
on
paper, and while other may be too rare to allow many separate cases to be described, others are
both
relatively common and conducive to lucid description. All in all, while I haven't closely studied
this
book's statistical makeup, it appears that multiple first-person descriptions are published here to
describe
most individual disorders. For instance, simple ("clinical"?) depression and bipolar disorder, also
called
manic depression, are described again and again by different people, using differing, personal
imagery
and words. Even schizophrenia has several witnesses including American Diane F., who
contributes six
pages. Most accounts are shorter, often very much shorter.
Let's also note the self-inflicted nature of certain mental ailments, especially addictions. These are
surely
avoidable, except under duress or in the case of secondhand tobacco smoke one can't avoid. I see
them
largely as social problems created by peer pressure, mistaken ideas of what is cool/hip under the
influence of advertising, etc.
Many other conditions derive from "nature or nurture"; from genetic causes, and/or from
unavoidable
or unrecognized adverse conditions encountered in the course of simply going through one's
life.
"Beyond Crazy" lacks a glossary and provides few definitions, perhaps because this is the second
volume by the same pair of authors and they may, erroneously in my case, assume we have
previously
read their first work. At the least, advice to read baseline definitions before starting in on this
work
would probably have been helpful.
Nor is there an alphabetic index. I'd like to use it to seek out references to "cognitive dissonance",
as
mentioned below, but "no can do".
If the assumption has been made that all readers of this book are amply familiar with its field, that
premise seems very dubious indeed. "Beyond Crazy" could potentially be used as a handy
reference
guide, but such use would be very UN-handy in the absence of both glossary and index.
Sometimes, unexplained cultural points may perplex "Beyond Crazy" readers who lack Canadian
backgrounds, even while the "crazy" people represented include Americans, British, and perhaps
others.
Specifically concerning Canada, the acronym NDP, used without explanation on pages 24-25 in
Chapter
One, stands for the New Democratic [a left-of-centre, political] Party. Also, "Queen's Park" may
be little
understood outside Ontario, or perhaps beyond Toronto where the said "park" is located; it is the
site
of Ontario's provincial government buildings.
No doubt other such information deficiencies could be cited as well, although in general these
have little
if any direct bearing on the various clinical conditions involved.
Are self-deception, cognitive dissonance, and/or "being in denial" severe enough disorders to be
called
mental disturbances at all? These three terms may or may not have somewhat different meanings -
I am
no expert - but each seems to refer to an inability to face and acknowledge certain facts or whole
truths.
For instance, there are people who say E. Presley still lives. Perhaps those are the same folk who
refuse
to acknowledge that no weapons of mass destruction were found in, and none was used by, Iraq
in
2003. Sufferers of that delusion have therefore been tagged with "cognitive dissonance" by the
American
social scientist whose opinion surveys revealed the statistical fact; what they see and know is at
odds
with what they prefer to believe.
Is a real mental illness involved? I don't know, unless delusion grows to "mania" which, I think, is
generally agreed to be an illness. Again, is eccentricity a real disturbance? It would take a better
versed
person than I to decide this, too, but it does seem evident that a long, sliding scale runs from very
mild
mental conditions up to those of extreme virulence.
What IS "eccentricity", as to that? If it includes being left-handed/footed and right-brained, then I
for
one am "eccentric" - if that is how you see and define such matters.
For thinking beyond anyone else in the field of nuclear physics, for not getting regular haircuts,
and of
course for being a lefty, was Einstein eccentric? Was he in any degree "crazy", as a result? (I'd say
"no".)
Likewise, was Jesus "mad" for his highly original teachings, which were gentle in an age of
brutality?
Have a care, here; if your knee-jerk reaction is to answer "Yes," you may help make the world a
little
less safe for original thought, progress, freedom, and compassion.
Anyhow, again my answer is "no". To be eccentric is simply to march to the beat of a different
drummer,
and who knows? That drummer may be the one who leads the parade, while the ones far astern
have
got the rhythm hopelessly muddled. "Eccentric" doesn't equate to "wrong".
The distinction between psychology and psychiatry also may usefully be emphasized here. The
former
is the study of the mind and how it works, while the latter is the study and treatment of mental
disease.
In this perspective it seems fair to characterize "Beyond Crazy" as a lay person's introduction to
aspects
of psychiatry - a grasp of normal psychology being taken more or less for granted, it seems. The
patients
and other personalities studied here are, or have been, in general quite disturbed, and their lives as
well
as those of people around them tend to be deeply affected; they are/were not merely misled or
"wrong-headed", but truly ill and in need of psychiatric/medical treatment, whether or not it
is/was
available. (It was not, until the 20th century.)
On the other hand, those described in "Beyond Crazy" are not in general "raving maniacs" - or
morons,
either. Most commonly of all, they may suffer inwardly as (possibly manic) depressives or victims
of
addiction. It is notable that some of these persons are, underneath it all, exceedingly bright,
bearing out
the saying that genius and madness are but a step apart.
On that theme, the top marks-scorer of my highschool year, whose father was a teacher and who
was
rumoured to spend each summer studying while we others worked toward job-experience credits,
was
certainly a fine scholar ... until a nervous breakdown intervened. I've heard not a word either from
or
about that individual in the 50-odd years since; never an editorial letter published, for
instance.
Suppose, now, we leave all gray areas and puzzles behind, so that we may at least pretend we
know
what we're talking about and get on with considering this book, per se.
The work contains a great many quotations from sufferers of mental disturbances, generally of the
"victim" type or class. We gain less insight into how the world looks to sociopaths and/or to
sadistic
victimizers who may be anything from rotten bosses to mass murderers.
One can however victimize oneself, as would seem to be the case for numerous addicts,
anorexics,
self-torturers, and the like, a category that seems adequately represented in this Nunes-Simmie
study.
The brave present-day witnesses of both sexes who have knowingly contributed their experienced
of
mental disorders to this book, usually revealing their real names, are numerous. In addition, letters
from
bygone times have been pillaged, so to speak, to demonstrate that the phenomena described are of
far
from recent origin. Internationally known celebrities sometimes form a strong majority, depending
on
who does the counting, and on what criteria of fame or infamy are used; for one must attract
readers,
and these days readers seem addicted to celebrity - yet another sort of mental illness or anyway
mental
weakness, in my admittedly jaundiced view.
"Chapter One: Who's Affected", leads off in considerable detail with a story of renowned, but
sometimes
severely troubled, Ottawa figure skater Elizabeth Manley.
On pages 15-19 her story is followed, under a "GOING PUBLIC" header, by a baker's dozen of
shorter,
boxed items attributed to Rosie O'Donnell, Geri Halliwell, Shayne Corson, Marie Osmond, Carrie
Fisher, Winona Ryder, Mike Wallace, the late Princess Diana, Elton John, Roseanne Barr, Rod
Steiger,
Drew Barrymore, and Buzz Aldrin. Of this elite group, to my knowledge only hockey player
Corson
is Canadian.
Ch. 1 next switches back to longer personal stories by/about five additional, somewhat less
prominent
persons.
Finally within this chapter, under "PAST LIVES" a further boxed section contains short bits in the
preserved words of Virginia Woolf, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Abraham Lincoln, Edgar Allan Poe, Lord
Byron, Leo Tolstoy, Robert Schumann, Vincent van Gogh, Robbie Burns, and Sir Isaac Newton -
all
of them historical, non-Canadian celebrities.
It would be surprising if words of vast antiquity - say, from the time of Homer, circa 700 BC -
couldn't
also be unearthed to demonstrate that mental infirmities have "always" plagued mankind. Perhaps,
though, this work's authors consider their point made without going to that extreme.
From a very different source, last evening I caught a TV programme outlining what has now been
learned through a new ability to translate and even pronounce the ancient Mayan system of
writing
based on carved glyphs. At the beautiful site of Palenque, which I've been privileged to see, alas
it's been
found that much stonework was devoted to propaganda. More to the point for us, it also proves
that
pain and bloodshed played major roles in Mayan rituals, 1300 years ago. Sadomasochism ruled - a
mental aberration played out on a grand scale. Can one call it "aberration" when it was so
prevalent,
though? Is it "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"? Search me.
A few paragraphs above, what was meant by "somewhat less prominent persons"? Typically, they
seem
to be of those essential but less trumpeted folk who help keep society's wheels turning, but who
haven't
(yet) been hyped by The World's Loudest Celebrity Machine, if you understand me.
There is for example David Reville, whose formative years Nunes & Simmie describe in part as
follows,
on page 20: "On the racetrack and the football field, [his] high school years are a blur of activity.
He
plays Hamlet, presides over the glee club, is picked as school delegate to the United Nations, wins
the
Headmaster's Trophy ... At eighteen ... He's also leaving town, taking his overachieving self to the
University of Toronto, where, within two years, he will gain early entrance to the country's most
prestigious law school ..."
Entrance doesn't mean staying power, let alone graduation, though. At law school he ingloriously
crashed and burned, as the saying has it.
The more we read of Reville up to that critical point, the more impressed we become - but
because the
hype wasn't there, "David Reville" didn't become a celebrated name comparable to others I've
mentioned. Yet as Milton reminds us, "They also serve who only stand and wait," - and as Gray
may
be said to have added, "Let not ambition mock their useful toil, / Their homely joys, and destiny
obscure
..."
The five whom Reville represents are "less prominent", then, but not necessarily less worthy than
those
who own high celebrity factors.
The case of Reville himself seems analogous to that of the overly studious classmate mentioned
earlier,
who was said to have suffered a "nervous breakdown". Little do I know of diagnoses, particularly
on
such slender evidence and in such a specialized field; yet if I'm right, it seems that the rough and
ready
term "crazy" may apply to my classmate when last heard from - hardhearted though it seems,
when you
consider how deeply the victim was wounded.
The book goes on past David Reville, of course; that portion is not yet even at the end of Chapter
One.
It would be a disservice to fail to note that the same chapter's other four personal accounts are
also well
worth reading.
For instance, Katherine Best (a pseudonym) writes, "My story is simple to tell. Forty-seven years
of
madness and five years of stability;" and, "I grew up really poor in a dysfunctional and abusive
family."
(What a pity that psychological testing isn't required for marriage licences! Yet people nowadays
would
just shack up, if licences were hard to get.)
The wonderful news here is that Ms. "Best" went on to gain the title of Health Care Administrator
- far
better than many of us achieve in full lifetimes of perfect sanity.
"Chapter Two: What It Feels Like" is a strong effort to describe mental illnesses from the inside -
that
is, from sufferers' perspectives. It too makes fascinating and informative reading, but in the
process it
may help us understand how unreliable some of the affected people can be as witnesses, given
their often
distorted perceptions and inconsistencies.
In writing on bipolar disorder (manic depression) on page 66, Andrea Woodside, who nonetheless
is
an expressive and engaging writer well above the "Beyond Crazy" average, describes herself thus:
"For
me, a rapid cycler, mood changes are like gunfire in the trenches - bang, bang, bang. Light, dark,
light,
dark. I don't know if it's possible to switch a light on and off as quickly ..."
Yet on page 67 she describes some very slow cycling as if that were her norm, e.g., "I wake up -
maybe
weeks, sometimes months later -". Some "bang, bang, bang" trench warfare!
Once their mental ailments are corrected by medical treatment, sufferers may rejoin life outside
the
institutions and even make considerable successes of themselves, as in the cases of Ms. Best and
Ms.
Woodside. Yet they may never be able to lead normally candid lives because of stigmas attached
to
mental disorders.
Ms. Woodside recalls how a colleague noticed valproic acid medication in her office, and realized
what
it was. "Silence hung in the air," she writes. "I coughed ... I told him that is was for seizures ... I
wondered if he bought it, and spent days avoiding him ..."
Sometimes, I suppose, society's infliction of stigmas must hurt as much as the actual ailments
do.
Discoveries are still being made in this field. One wonders how the oldfashioned "shellshock", a
term
coined in World War I (wasn't it?), relates to the very recently recognized "posttraumatic stress
disorder". PTDS is now known to affect persons such as Canadian Lt.-General Dallaire, who
retired
after a particularly bloody and frustrating, essentially impossible U.N. military assignment to quell
civil
warfare in Rwanda. He is quoted in "The Toronto Star", and thence in "Beyond Crazy", as saying,
among other things, "You become very leery of the dark ... silence is intolerable ... [you may be]
sitting
there with nothing else moving and suddenly, you're back there ... Sometimes a word, a statement,
a
smell, an action, literally throws you into an uncontrolled state ..."
Think that soldiers might once have been executed for "cowardice" for showing such symptoms!
Perhaps they still are, too, in benighted parts of the world where life is cheap and warfare is a
usual state
of affairs.
"Beyond Crazy" is unusually easy to pick up for a quick read and to put down again, because of
its very
numerous natural divisions into brief and independent memoirs recorded by a great many tellers.
For
instance, General Dallaire's boxed contribution on page 75, from opening to closing quotation
marks,
fills just over five lines and uses fewer than 80 words - although Andrea Woodside has filled 4 1/2
pages, and other writers even more. Putting the matter another way, if this series of tales were
fiction
rather than non-fiction, it would qualify as a short-story anthology.
One imagines the work's being of great value to the medical world, and also both enlightening and
comforting to patients, their families, and their friends. It may be "comforting", firstly, by showing
that
a great majority of mental sufferers are not alone in their trials, or subject to conditions previously
unknown to mankind; and secondly, in mentioning treatments that are now proving effective, as
well
as in unmasking some that were, or are, not.
On that last point, a bipolar acquaintance has long been on a lithium compound which, not entirely
incidentally, has the side effect of fostering a bloated, overweight condition that doesn't help the
sufferer's self-esteem or social life. Thanks to "Beyond Crazy", I now am aware of valproic acid
and will
suggest that this person discuss it with the superintending doctor at the next opportunity.
There's much to be commended, then, in such an informative book on such an important subject
area.
Despite certain shortcomings I've flagged, "Beyond Crazy" is well worth reading or even keeping
on
hand for quick reference, depending on just how pressing the need may be.
After all, at one person in five, mental disorders may well figure somehow in your life!
Pete Hodgins, Sr.
Reviewer
Harold's Bookshelf
Easy Healthy Cooking with 4 Ingredients
Sally N. Hunt, Ph.D.
Cookbook Resources, LLC
541 Doubletree Drive, Highland Village, TX 75077
ISBN: 1931294249 $TBA
With the focus on healthier meals these days it is easy enough to find cookbooks that have recipes
with
tofu, seeds, and a multitude of other healthy ingredients. Finding one that has healthy recipes,
common
ingredients, and still tastes good is a little more difficult. Of course everyone seems to have their
idea
of what constitutes "healthy". For purposes of this book "healthy" is defined as a food that is "low
in
fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, simple sugars, sodium and overall calories, yet provides a balance of
nutrients.
The book is conveniently divided into several sections including: Appetizers, Beverages, Breads,
Salads,
Salad Dressings, Soups, Vegetables, Pasta & Rice, Eggs & Cheese, Beef & Pork, Chicken &
Turkey,
Seafood, Sauces, Cakes, Pies & Desserts. If you are expecting each of the recipes to use four
ingredients then you will be wrong. Although most of them have four ingredients, some contain
three
ingredients and some just two. All are made with easy to find ingredients and don't require any
special
pieces of cookware that you are unlikely to have at home.
A few of my personal favorites include the Waldorf Salad, Easy French Onion Soup, Risotto,
Chicken
Medley Stir-Fry, and a delightful Peach Crisp. This is a recommended cookbook for people
looking to
put something together without much fuss or mess that still tastes great.
The Present
Spencer Johnson
Doubleday
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN: 0385509308 $19.95
In his newest work author "Spencer Johnson" provides a small, thin book with a big, powerful
message.
This version builds on the book "The Precious Present" originally published by him in 1984. The
insights, the simple power of putting them in a parable format, and the easy style of the author all
combine to make this a powerful book for those who take the time to actually internalize the
concepts.
A book of inspiration and guidance, it is a recommended read.
Poor Richard's Website Marketing Makeover
Marcia Yudkin
Top Floor Publishing
8790 W. Colfax #107, Lakewood, CO 80215
ISBN: 1930082169 $29.95
There are so many books on designing websites available today that it is easy to be overwhelmed
by the
sheer volume. Among these it is rare to find one that really stands out from the crowd. Marcia
Yudkin's
"Website Marketing Makeover" is an exception to this rule. She avoids a lot of the fluff that tends
to
be in other books and gets right down to the nitty-gritty of website design. One of the things that
I
particularly liked about the book is that she not only provides advice but also provides the means
to
actually accomplish the goal. For example, most of the website design books discus the need to
see what
your website looks like using different browsers. Marcia's book also makes this very important
point.
However, she not only makes the point but also points the reader to software and websites that
can help
determine what your website looks like in different browsers. When other books are saying what
to do
without telling you how to do it, Marcia is showing you how.
From beginning to end, Marcia lucidly explains what works, what doesn't work, and why.
Although it
is predominantly focused on how to "turn visitors into buyers" and so is most appropriate for a
site that
sells something, there is a lot of information that is also appropriate for any site including purely
informational ones. "Poor Richard's Website Marketing Makeover" is a highly recommended read
for
anyone looking to create or improve their website.
Jubilee Journal: A Journal and Devotional for Young Prayer Warriors
Kathy Barrett
Selah Publishing Group, LLC
16238 West Young St., Surprise, AZ 85374
ISBN: 1589300653 $13.95
"Jubilee Journal" is a journalizing system and Bible study aid for children. Each page starts with
the date
at the top followed by a place to put your prayer requests, a Bible verse, an activity related to the
Bible
verse, and a place to put how God answered the prayer. This is a wonderful system for children to
develop faith in their prayer life. It gives the parent an opportunity to discuss the prayers and why
some
may not have been answered the way the child expected (such as why the prayer to win the soccer
game
did not work). Journalizing gives the child the opportunity to go back and see how prayers were
answered, how they may have been answered in an unexpected way, and when they were
answered. It
also gives them the opportunity to reexamine their prayers as they grow and learn how to pray
effectively. To teach your child to pray, to teach them how to pray, to teach them how God
answers
prayer, and to see the world again through the eyes of a child, I cannot think of a better
book.
Inner Security and Infinite Wealth
Stuart Zimmerman, Jared Rosen
SelectBooks, Inc.
One Union Square West, Suite 909, New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 1590790553 $19.95
Just about everyone seeks out some sense of security and wealth in order to lead a fulfilled and
happy
life. The problem lies in how we define security and wealth. We all have various concepts of
security
and wealth that have been defined by our culture, our parents, our friends, and our experiences.
This
is a shaky foundation on which to base your happiness.
In "Inner Security and Infinite Wealth" the authors examine the concepts of will, inheritance,
ownership,
value, trust, allowance, investment, appreciation, and exchange and redefine them into deeper
concepts
instead of being only related to money. They recognize that money is an important part of net
worth,
but reframing the above concepts can change an individual's relationship with money.
Enlightening, well
written, and powerful, this is easily one of the best books of the year in the area of self-worth and
a
highly recommended purchase.
I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye
Brook Noel, Pamela D. Blair, Ph.D.
Champion Press, Ltd.
4308 Blueberry Road, Fredonia, WI 53021
ISBN: 1891400274 $14.95
The death of a loved one is always an emotionally difficult experience. When it comes suddenly
and
unexpectedly it is even more difficult. In "I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye" the authors take you
through
the grieving process as well as learning how to deal with such a tragic loss. The first part of the
book
deals with issues from how to survive the first few weeks to understanding the emotional and
physical
aspects of grief to dispelling myths about the grieving process.
The second part is mainly the sharing of the stories of various people who have experienced the
sudden
loss of a loved one. The stories include the loss of a friend, a parent, a child, a partner, and a
sibling.
This section examines the various related problems that sometimes exist as a result of a loss. For
example, losing a partner but having surviving children, dealing with a suicide, and the difficulties
of
couples surviving the loss of a child are all discussed.
The third section discusses some of the pathways that people take through grief. Of particular
importance is that is clearly dispels the myth that we all have a particular pathway that we use to
move
on past a loss. Each one of us is different and we all have our ways of dealing with grief. What
may take
one person six months to recover from may take another ten years, some may cry, some may not,
some
may experience forgetfulness, some may not, we are all different.
Throughout the book the authors discuss how to be a helpful friend for those who are going
through
the grieving process. The book finishes with a listing of support and resource contacts. For those
dealing
with the loss of a loved one, or for those who want to help someone who is, this is a highly
recommended read.
Hug Your Customers
Jack Mitchell
Hyperion
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
ISBN: 1401300340 $19.95
Jack Mitchell, CEO of Mitchells/Richards, runs a high-end clothing store in a highly competitive
market.
Yet when other retailers were speaking of the difficulties of the apparel market and referring to it
as
"Apparel's Black-Hole" his business was not only surviving, but thriving. What made it unique?
How
has Mitchells/Richards continued to develop customer loyalty and sales no matter what the
market? Why
would a customer come to a store and pay more for a suit than they would have to pay
elsewhere? The
reason is simple, they make their customers feel important.
Jack Mitchell shares the secret to his success and what he expects of all employees of
Mitchells/Richards
in his book "Hug Your Customers". Many businesses say that the customer is always right, or the
customer is king, but Jack Mitchell shares how he shows the customer they are special. It is one
of the
very few books that define the specifics of a customer relationship philosophy instead of just
speaking
generically about customer satisfaction. He also points out how he "hugs" his employees so they
feel
important and the effect this has on moral, customers, and overall business success. Filled with
practical
advice and specific examples, "Hug Your Customers" should be required reading for anyone
going into
business.
Cookie Dough Secrets: 1 Basic Dough for 70 Scrumptious Cookie Recipes
Lia Roessner Wilson
Cookbook Resources, LLC
541 Doubletree Drive, Highland Village, TX 75077
ISBN: 1931294275 $TBA
"Cookie Dough Secrets" is exactly what the title promises. First is a recipe for a basic cookie
dough.
Master this dough and you can appear to be a cooking baking genius. Just add a few ingredients
to the
already prepared dough and you have pfeffernuesse (one of my favorites), add a couple of
different
ingredients and you have crispy pecan thins, different ingredients and you get spicy cinnamon
sugar
twists, orange slices, nutty lemon rounds, pineapple pinwheels, or even chocolate peanut butter
sandwich cookies. Totally different flavors, totally different cookies, same basic recipe; it's
amazing the
variety of cookies a good baker can create with simple additions from a single recipe. Now with
Lia
Wilson's book you too can create almost any kind of cookie from this same basic recipe. A highly
recommended read, the results are simply delicious.
The American Dream: An Immigrant's True Life Story of Winning Against All Odds
Geela
Global Vision Books
31515 Germaine, Westlake Village, CA 91361
ISBN: 0974229024 $TBA
"The American Dream" is the autobiographical story of Geela, a woman born in a small town in
the
Iranian desert who eventually came to America and pursued the "American Dream". It did not
come
easy and there were many times it seemed like it was not to be, but Geela shares her experiences
and
the wisdom she gained over the years. Geela shares her innermost turmoil as she seeks and almost
gives
up on her dream. Then, after a tragic car accident she travels a different path as she gives up the
pursuit
of materialistic goals and acquires a new goal of seeking unity and peace. This is a personal look
inside
her life and an inspirational story to others who are going through difficult times. "The American
Dream" is a recommended, encouraging read.
The United States and the Middle East: 1914 to 9/11
Professor Salim Yaqub
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
Lectures: 24
Format: CD, Audio, DVD, VHS
The interests of the United States in the Middle East have changed drastically over the last ninety
years.
Initially it had little interest in the affairs of the area except for missionary, philanthropic,
educational,
and some commercial matters. With this series of lectures Professor Salim Yaqub walks the
listener
through the history of the United States involvement in the Middle East. The lectures are for the
most
part in chronological order and very clearly explain how and why the U.S. moved from this
minimal
interest to the position we are in now.
More than just a history of what happened, the lectures cover how the different political and
religious
agendas of the Arabs, Iranians, Turks, Jews, Kurds and other groups have affected the
relationships
between them and with the United States. Professor Yaqub also discusses how conflicting U.S.
activities
have aided feelings of lack of trust between Middle Eastern groups and the United States. For
example,
three of the major political interests of the Unites States in the area have been access to oil,
preventing
the Soviet Union from having a cold weather military port, and ensuring Israel's security. Yet the
close
relationship with Israel often alienated Arab countries, which then affected our access to oil and
encouraged their establishing relationships with the Soviet Union to obtain military supplies. Even
with
the Soviet Union not as much of a concern as it once was, the relationship between Arab oil and
Israel
support is a tricky tightrope to walk and no matter what you do one group or the other will feel
alienated.
If you really want to understand the growing animosity between the United States and the Middle
East
and the relationship between the different groups then this is a series you will want to have.
"Understand" is the key word here. By examining all sides of the issues and how they came about
you
will come to truly understand the situation in the Middle East. This is a very highly recommended
series
of lectures for anyone interested in the complete picture.
Trace Your Genes To Health
Chris Reading, M.D.
Vital Health Publishing
PO Box 152, Ridgefield, CT 06877
ISBN: 1890612235 $15.95
"Trace Your Genes to Health" is more than anything else an examination of the current state of
the
study of heredity and medicine. The author, Chris Reading, is a physician in Australia. After
graduating
from medical school he became qualified in psychiatry and specialized in organic psychiatry. From
this
point he began to notice the relationships between vitamin-mineral deficiencies, food allergies, and
genetics as they affect neuropsychiatric disorders. Soon he was able to compile data to show that
there
are genetic factors in many, many problems that are not generally thought to be genetic in nature.
Dr.
Reading has distilled his years of experience and knowledge into this book.
It is not a book designed for self-diagnosis of problems and that is good. The book does an
excellent
job of explaining the basics of genetics and how the various types of dominant/recessive,
autosomal, and
X-linked factors work together to create a genetic pattern of inheritance. Throughout the book
Dr.
Reading builds a persuasive case for examining the family tree as part of a more holistic approach
to
health than just treating a symptom that occurs in your generation. Looking at the family history
may
reveal many clues as to how to treat a problem as well as how to avoid it altogether.
After discussing genetics and how it works Dr. Reading goes into the details of how to make a
medical
family tree. It includes the information you should be looking for, how to get the information,
how to
diagram it, and even how to approach your doctor with your findings. This is followed with a
section
on various illnesses and how they might have a genetic factor. The multiple appendices include
information on Illnesses, categorized for family trees, symptoms and signs, congenital defects,
phenotypes, sociological data, and recommendations to help you deal with problems.
"Trace Your Genes to Health" is a guide to help you take control of your health through
investigating
avenues that are generally overlooked. This would be a recommended book for anyone who has
noticed
a pattern of medical problems in their family and wants to know what can be done to help their
doctor
treat them. If you suspect that your family has had a pattern of medical problems and want to deal
with
it before it becomes a problem for you then this book will help you build the information
necessary to
determine if you need to be concerned or not.
This Day: Diaries from American Women
Joni B. Cole, Rebecca Joffrey, B. K. Rakhra, compilers
Beyond Words Publishing, Inc.
20827 N. W. Cornell Road, Suite 500, Hillsboro, OR 97124
ISBN: 1582701024 $15.95
"This Day: Diaries from American Women" is the product of a unique idea. What if you asked
women
all over America to write down their experiences on a particular day? What you would have is a
book
of the experiences of women from all walks of life sharing their day. That is exactly the premise to
this
book. Over five hundred women participated and shared their experiences of October 15. Of these
"day
diaries" thirty-five are reproduced in their entirety and over a hundred excerpts come from other
ones.
The range of occupations include business managers, retirees, teachers, a Mennonite woman, an
actress,
a professional basketball player, a lawyer, and an inmate as well as women who don't work
outside the
home.
This book provides an inside look at the lives of many, many women around the United States, If
you
ever wanted to know what goes on in other women's lives, if you ever wanted to know if you are
alone
with your problems or joys, if you ever wanted to just know about someone else's lifestyle then
you will
enjoy this book. An inside look at how we are all different and yet all the same, "This Day" is a
recommended read.
Security+ Study Guide & DVD Training System
Robert Shimonski, Debra Shinder, Michael Cross, Norris Johnson, Tony Piltzecker
Syngress Publishing, Inc.
800 Hingham Street, Rockland, MA 02370
ISBN: 1931836728 $59.95
I've always liked Syngress books and found them refreshingly thorough. The "Security+ Study
Guide"
is no exception. If you are looking for a book that will give you a very thorough education in
computer
security you can't go wrong with this book. Some of the areas covered include access control,
authentication, active attacks, passive attacks, malicious code attacks, remote access security,
protocols
and their vulnerabilities, e-mail security, PGP, hoaxes, wireless vulnerabilities, site problems, web
server
lockdown, instant messaging, Java, Active-X, CGI, FTP, LDAP, device based security, firewalls,
routers, modems, IDS, servers, coax cable, fiber optics, removable media, topologies, tunneling,
system
hardening, updates, configuration issues, application hardening, data repositories, cryptography,
public
key certificates and management, forensics, risk identification and assessment, security policies,
privilege
management, documentation, and disaster recovery. This is a very small sampling of the areas
covered
in this massive book of over 700 pages.
One of the things that I generally have not liked about other study guides is that they tend to give
the
student the information to pass the exam without them really learning anything. Like the other
Syngress
books that I have reviewed, this one provides a thorough and useful education along with the
information necessary to pass the certification exam. If you want to pass the certification exam
and get
a valuable education in the process this is the book for you.
The Personal Travel Safety Manual: Security for Business People Traveling Overseas
Christopher P. P. Barnes
Tally Ho Consulting
PO Box 127, Nicasio, CA 94946
ISBN: 0974084026 $18.95 www.TallyHoConsulting.com
One thing that can be said of all international travel these days is that there is much more risk
involved
than any time in the recent past. From common crimes like pickpockets, thieves, muggers, and
robbers
to terrorists, kidnappers, and even murderers, the travel climate has changed drastically.
What can you do about it? The best thing you can do is be as informed and prepared as possible.
That
way you can avoid as many difficult situations as possible. "The Personal Travel Safety Manual"
comes
to the rescue of the concerned traveler with a concise primer on everything you need to know.
Some
of the suggested information includes the obvious such as learning about the background,
geography,
politics and people of the country, checking with the State Department about travel advisories,
and
learning the relevant laws. Others are just as important, if not more so, but are easily missed. For
example, medical preparations, making flights as non-stop as possible, and selecting a secure
hotel. The
author goes into detail on how to select a secure hotel, things you can do to make yourself appear
to
be less of a prime target, what to do at home before you leave, how to deal with communications,
how
to think defensively, dealing with banks, secure vehicles, trains, buses, laptop computers, special
concerns for women, and traveling with children.
The final section of the book covers what you can do when things do go wrong. It includes what
to do
in the event of sickness or injury, if you are arrested, or if you have a traffic accident. The author
also
covers much more severe situations such as kidnapping or hijacking. Finally, the appendices
include
suggested items in a first aid kit, duplicate copies of documents that should be kept at home in
case
yours are lost or stolen, a thorough pre-travel checklist, and other miscellaneous items.
Given the current international political situation and the normal dangers of international travel
this book
should be in the hands of anyone planning a trip out of the country. A highly recommended read
for
international travelers, I can't imagine planning a trip out of the country without consulting it first
and
following the detailed advice inside.
Our Children's Health
Bonnie C. Minsky
Vital Health Publishing
PO Box 152, Ridgefield, CT 06877
ISBN: 1890612278 $15.95
I've read a few books on nutrition as it relates to health but few compare with this one. In "Our
Children's Health" author Bonnie Minsky details the "nutritional crisis" of America's children. She
does
an excellent job of discussing allergies, food intolerances, asthma, immune system dysfunction,
ADD
and other learning and behavior disorders, autism spectrum disorders, vaccines, osteoporosis,
eating
disorders, depression, and violence and how each of these may be affected by nutritional or
environmental factors. With lots of charts, descriptions, suggestions, and other detailed
information this
first section is easy to follow and use.
The second section of the book covers how you can ensure that your child can have optimum
health by
discovering environmental and nutritional problems and fixing them. The section on a diet that can
be
used to determine your child's food and chemical sensitivities was especially useful. Using it
anyone can
work through the system to determine what he or she and their children should be avoiding. It
also
includes nutritional support regimens for athletes and children. Finally, the appendix details some
safe
household product alternatives to ones with more toxic chemicals.
"Our Children's Health" is a recommended read for anyone concerned about nutritional health of
their
self or their children. It is also recommended for those who want to seek alternative holistic
approaches
to some common problems of childhood.
Gifts for the Cookie Jar: Cookie Recipes for Ingredients in a Jar
Lia Roessner Wilson
Cookbook Resources, LLC
541 Doubletree Drive, Highland Village, TX 75077
ISBN: 1931294313 $TBA
When you have an urge for cookies the easiest way to satisfy it is to grab a pack at the store. Of
course,
they taste better if you get a roll of cookie dough and bake them. Then again they taste even
better if
you get all the ingredients and actually make them from scratch, but who has time for that?
Wouldn't
it be great if you could just grab a box or jar with all the dry ingredients already measured so all
you had
to do is pour it into a bowl, add the egg and butter, mix and bake? "Gifts for the Cookie Jar" is a
collection of cookie recipes that are appropriate for just this sort of gift. Each recipe has complete
instructions for the correct measurement of the ingredients, the size of the jar needed and an
appropriate
layering order so you end up with an attractive and unique gift. After layering the ingredients into
the
jar, you add a decorative lid, and a small tag with the baking instructions (tags with the
instructions are
included in the book). Decorative and yet practical, all the gift recipient has to do is take the lid
off, pour
the ingredients into a mixing bowl, add the appropriate egg, butter, vanilla, or other perishable
ingredient, mix and bake. Quick, easy, no searching for the recipe, no searching for ingredients,
no quick
trip to the store for a forgotten ingredient, and delicious homemade cookies; it's the perfect gift to
give
or keep available for yourself for that day when you want fresh cookies without the hassle.
Recipes include oatmeal-raisin cookies, orange sugar cookies, date and walnut cookies, malted
milk
crunchies, butterscotch snaps, toffee chocolate chippers, and butter pecan delights. These are
really
good recipes and an absolutely delightful idea. A highly recommended book, the recipes,
instructions,
the baking instructions tags, and the ideas for decorations make it a delight to read and
create.
Life is a Gift: Sixty Years of Medical Practice
Edwin Parker, M.D.
Lost Coast Press
155 Cypress Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
ISBN: 1882897765 $14.95
Basically the memoirs of a physician, "Life is a Gift: Sixty Years of Medical Practice" is a
collection of
the experiences of Dr. Edwin Parker over his career as a doctor. Each of the 45 short chapters is
an
interesting read and brings an appreciation for some of the unique difficulties, blessings, and
humorous
incidents that come along with being a physician. Laugh along with him as he discusses his first
circumcision at the home of a large, drunk man who threatened the doctor if he should "spill any
of my
son's blood". Feel for him as he tells of the time he could do nothing but keep a patient
comfortable for
a few days while he died. Learn some fascinating history about medicine when he discusses the
fear
women used to have of having childbirth in a hospital.
The range of patients and their attitudes that have been included in the book makes it an excellent
study
for learning about people. Anyone involved in the business of helping others, whether medically,
spiritually, financially, or other, should read this book to understand the different types of people
they
will be encountering. A very interesting read with each of the chapters standing on its own, it is
easy to
read a chapter or two whenever you just have a couple of minutes to spare. The final 13 chapters
are
a break from the memoir style chapters before them. With seven chapters on how life is a gift and
how
to create happiness in your life and the final six on drugs and how they lead to emotional and
physical
slavery, "Life is a Gift" is a recommended read.
Who You Callin' a Cheetah?
Lloyd Leifer
Tour de Farce Publishing
1874 S. Pacific Coast Hwy, PMB #705, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
ISBN: 0972246339 $TBA
If you appreciate a good pun, then get ready to laugh. "Who You Callin' a Cheetah?" is a
humorous
collection of illustrated puns done somewhat in a style similar to Far Side. Some were so funny
that I
just had to share them right away, and others were only mildly humorous. Then when I shared the
book
with someone else they thought some of the other ones even more humorous. Well I guess that
has
always been the case with puns, everyone has their idea of what is funniest. It is a fairly short
book and
can be read through in about fifteen minutes or so at the most. I would say that it makes a nice
short
diversion on a busy day to pick it up and enjoy one or two of the puns except I found I couldn't
put it
down until I had read them all.
Easy Gournet-Style Cooking With 5 Ingredients
Deborah Anderson
Cookbook Resources, LLC
541 Doubletree Drive, Highland Village, TX 75077
ISBN: 1931294410 $19.95
Sometimes it is absolutely amazing what a good cook can pull together. You will be amazed at
the
things you can create with "Easy Gourmet-Style Cooking With 5 Ingredients" at your side. Each
recipe
may only have five ingredients but you may find it a little more difficult to find some of them at
the local
grocery store. Of the recipes that I tried I had no problem finding the ingredients for all but two of
them
and those ingredients were still easily found by going to a local health food store. The book starts
with
an excellent educational section on the differences between various species of mushrooms, olives,
cooking oils, cheeses, pears, etc. This section is a good place to turn when you are looking at a
recipe
that has an ingredient you are not sure about. The rest of the book is divided into the usual
categories
- appetizers, salads, accompaniments, main dishes, desserts - and several final pages with food
equivalents, pan volumes, and a fine section on herbs.
For each recipe there is a page of "Chef's Notes" that includes optional ingredients, cooking tips,
variations, and information on special ingredients as appropriate. All the recipes that I tried not
only
used only a few ingredients but also were easy to make and absolutely delicious. Some of my
favorites
were Lightly Battered Portobello Fries, Phyllo Sticks with Roasted Red Peppers and Provolone
Cheese,
Wild Rice with Toasted Pine Nuts and Cranberries, Seared Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper
Sauce,
Gorgonzola-Apple Stuffed Cornish Hens, and White Chocolate Cheesecake Bites. If you want to
prepare a gourmet meal from no-fail recipes that are a minimum of fuss then you can't go wrong
with
this book. "Easy Gourmet-Style Cooking with 5 Ingredients" is sure to become a favorite in any
kitchen
and is a highly recommended book.
Crowd Breakers and Mixers 2
Rick Marschall and Linda Bannan, editors
Zondervan Publishing
Youth Specialties Books Imprint
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN: 031025051X $19.99
If you are a youth worker and need a book of tested and workable crowd breakers and mixers you
will
want to pick up a copy of this book. "Crowd Breakers and Mixers 2" is divided into sections on
Mixers,
Meeting Opener Games, Food Games, Word Games and Quizzes, Stunts and Wide Games, and
Whole
Group Participation. Each one of these sections has literally dozens if ideas and instructions to get
teenagers thinking and working together. I've used some of the ideas presented here and they have
worked flawlessly. Perhaps the thing that makes this book more useful than most "mixer" type
idea
books is that the suggestions are not just ideas someone thought up but are actually contributed
from
youth workers around the country and represent those ideas that have worked best for them. So,
it is
a collection of what has already proven successful instead of a collection of unproven ideas. The
bottom
line here is if you are looking for something that works then this is the book you will want. It is a
highly
recommended purchase for anyone dealing with youth groups.
Who Made God? And Other Things We Wonder About
Larry Libby
Zonderkidz
Zondervan Publishing
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN: 0310702801 $12.99
One of my favorite pairs of writers and illustrators for Christian children's books is Larry Libby
and
Corbert Gauthier. Larry seems to really have a gift for how to communicate with a child. Corbert,
on
the other hand, has a wonderful gift for illustration using bold colors, light and shadow in a way
that
draws the child and the parent into the illustration. "Who Made God?" is a children's book that
discusses
a lot of the normal questions that kids ask (and sometimes grownups too). Questions include "If
God
Made Everything, Then Who Made God?", "What Does God Look Like?", "Why Did God Make
People?", "How Much Does God Love Me?", "What Does God Do All Day?", and "How Can I
Know
for Sure that I'll Go to Heaven?". For Christian families this is a highly recommended book that
should
be at hand once a child gets old enough to start asking questions like this.
3-2-1 Penguins! Family Adventures
Linda Hartzler, Renae Johnson, Cindy Kenney, Mary Murray
Zonderkidz
Zondervan Publishing
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN: 0310706947 $9.99
Looking for a series of story adventures for your children and you to share? If your child is
between four
and about eight years old "3-2-1 Penguins" provides a complete storyline, activities, problems,
discussion questions, crafts, Bible verses, coloring pages, and games. There are ten adventures in
all,
each of which stands on its own and so can be completed on whatever schedule works best for
your
family. Designed as a full family participation program for those with small children, it is a
recommended
method to teach some basic Biblical principles.
NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible
Luder D. Whitlock, Richard L. Pratt, Jr.
Zondervan Publishing
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN: 031092362X $69.99
The new "Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible" from Zondervan represents a major revision and
expansion of the "New Geneva Study Bible" (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995). Many people
found
the "New Geneva Study Bible" lacking in terms of ease of understanding and clarity. In this Bible
the
same information has been retained but completely rewritten to be much more approachable by
the
average person. The study notes and articles are true to the spirit of the Reformation starting and
built
on the basic doctrine of Sola Scriptura - that the Bible is infallible and inerrant as originally given
by
divine inspiration.
One of the things that is really nice about this version is all the in-text maps, charts and graphs.
Instead
of turning to the back of the book to look at a set of maps so you can follow along with what is
happening the maps are right there as you need them (although there are also map sets in the back
of
this Bible). The study notes are quite extensive and make this one of the best study Bibles
available. It
contains over 20,000 detailed study notes, 66 in-text articles on topics significant to Reformed
theology,
a complete set of Reformed doctrinal standards including, Westminster Confession, Westminster
Shorter
Catechism, Westminster Larger Catechism, Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, and the
Canons
of Dort. Each of the books of the Bible has a detailed introduction including a section on how
Christ
is represented in the book. The book is designed for the knowledgeable reader.
While I found no problems in the New International Version text, the notes are not quite as
perfect in
the proofing process. For example, I was surprised to see that God "reigns in heave" on page
1549.
Because Bibles are generally one of the most carefully checked books such spelling errors are
extremely
rare. Eventhough not perfect, it is a significant improvement on the earlier "Geneva" Bible and a
highly
recommended Study Bible that I will be sure to consult and recommend regularly.
NIV Quest Study Bible, Revised
Christianity Today International
Zondervan Publishing
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN: 0310928109 $69.99
This newly updated version of the Quest Study Bible is the version I would suggest to anyone
who
wants to understand the Bible but has a minimum of Bible knowledge. Based on the New
International
Version it has over 7,000 sidebar notes written in a clear, comprehensible style. As a result it is
easy to
understand the background of the different passages. In addition to the sidebar notes it has almost
350
articles including many brand new ones since the last edition. Multiple timelines, charts, maps,
book
introductions, a dictionary, a concordance, and a reading plan add even more benefit to this
book.
If you are into Hebrew and Greek word studies or other really detailed, in-depth studies then this
book
is probably not what you are looking for. On the other hand, this is one of the best versions
available
for the young Christian or anyone else wanting to gain a good, meaningful understanding of the
Bible.
Probably the best way to explain how this Bible works is to give an example or two. If you open it
to
Joshua 18 the sidebars have the following questions and the answers to them: "What was the
purpose
of the Tent of Meeting", "What were these seven tribes waiting for", "Why cast lots to divide the
land",
"Was this an advantageous placement for Benjamin". An example from the New Testament might
be
Acts 17 where it has the following questions: "What did the Epicureans believe", "What did the
Stoics
believe", "Why did the philosophers call Paul a babbler", "What was the Areopagus" and others.
This
is also an excellent resource for Sunday School teachers because it poses and answers all the most
common (and many unusual) questions that people are likely to have.
This is simply the best version available for young Christians seeking to gain an understanding of
the
Bible, but it is also recommended for teachers and anyone else dealing with young Christians.
Troubled House
Daniel Schwabauer
Clear Water Press
PO Box 62, Olathe, KS 66051
ISBN: 0974297208 $TBA
"Troubled House" is a play in three acts that examines the issue of evolution being presented as an
exact
science. What would happen in today's scholastic environment if a professor decided that
evolution is
just one of the possibilities for the existence of mankind and that there may be others. This play
deals
with this issue in that particular environment. Professor Keyes decides that it is wrong to teach as
fact
something that is not proven, but that he should keep an open mind and view evolution as a likely
event,
but not the only explanation for mankind. The play deftly points out how an entrenched belief can
appear to be fact to those who hold it. It also points out that there are often severe consequences
to
those who might take a stand against the accepted norm. But it also shows how freeing it can be
to take
that stand even with the anticipated consequences. "Troubled House" is a recommended
read.
Till We Eat Again: Confessions of a Diet Dropout
Judy Gruen
Champion Press, Ltd.
4308 Blueberry Road, Fredonia, WI 53021
ISBN: 1891400924 $13.95
Nothing is funnier than someone who can take real life and look at it through the lens of humor.
Judy
Gruen does this skillfully in her new book "Till We Eat Again: Confessions of a Diet Dropout".
Judy
touches a resonating chord in everyone who has ever tried to diet as you read through her diary
style
collection of secret thoughts, frustrations, and even occasional victories. Throughout the book
you find
Judy trying everything she can think of to try to drop fifteen pounds before her 20-year college
reunion.
Every kind of diet, every kind of exercise, anything else she can find as she works. Although her
writing
style is so crisp and quick-witted that anyone will find it humorous, it is really written from a
woman's
point of view and women are more likely to find it laugh-out-loud funny. To test my theory I
handed
the book to two different women and left the room. Sure enough it wasn't ten minutes before I
heard
snickering and the occasional laugh floating down the hallway. "Till We Eat Again" is a highly
recommended book for anyone who has tried to lose weight and can relate to the hysterical things
we
do to ourselves in the name of losing a few pounds. Pick up a copy and have a great laugh.
Teacher Talk! The Art of Effective Communication
Cheli Cerra, M.Ed., Ruth Jacoby, Ed.D.
School-Talk, LLC
PO Box 8405, Coral Springs, FL 33178
ISBN: 0972211861 $29.95
The sad thing about this book is that our educational system is in such a state that a book like this
is
necessary. In "Teacher Talk!" the authors detail all the most common situations you are likely to
find
while teaching and how to use effective communication to handle it. The coverage is extensive
and
includes situations like dealing with the overzealous parent at open house, the parent who wants
to talk
daily just before school, the parent who gossips about the child or about you, the parent who
mistakenly
believes their child is gifted, the child who is gifted, the child whose performance is declining,
habitually
truant children, bullies, the student caught cheating or stealing, parental questions on testing and
test
results, and dozens of other situations. The book is laid out in a workbook style full of notes,
reminder
lists, examples of various written communications, self-evaluations, sign-in forms, forms for a
parent
to request a conference, forms for a teacher to request a conference, guidelines sheets, phone
logs,
behavior observation charts, and just about anything else that you could possible ask for or
anticipate
needing. By having established policies that are clear and easy to understand the teacher keeps
control
not only of her students, but also of his or her time. Anyone just starting to teach in the
educational
system or trying to create an effective communication system between students, parents and the
teacher
will find a lot of valuable information and forms in this book.
The Invasion of Planet Wampetter
Samuel H. Pillsbury
Perspective Publishing
2528 Sleepy Hollow Dr., #A, Glendale, CA 91206
ISBN: 1930085052 $8.95
The first book in the series of adventures on planet Wampetter, "The Invasion of Planet
Wampetter"
introduces the reader to the planet's residents - the wampetters. Planet Wampetter has always
been a
particularly easy place to travel to for a visit. You don't need any special shots, passports, or
anything
else you might need to visit other planets. So, when humans come for a visit they are welcomed
and the
wampetters are happy to make them welcome. Soon they begin to realize all the implications of
helping
the humans develop planet Wampetter into the first theme planet and try to stop the process. Will
they
be successful? "The Invasion of Planet Wampetter" is an exciting adventure with the wampetters,
which
simultaneously teaches several valuable ethical lessons to the reader. A fun and adventurous read
for
the pre-teen or early teen reader, it is a recommended read.
Look Who's Laughing
Compiler: Ann Spangler, Shari MacDonald
Zondervan Publishing
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN: 031024692X $12.99
While I enjoy a good humorous read, it is rare that I find a book that makes me laugh out loud
and finds
me snickering well after putting the book down. "Look Who's Laughing" is one of those very few
books
that do exactly that. Easily one of the best humor books of the year it is hard to conceive how
anyone
could read it without having their day suddenly brighten up.
I guess it is obvious that I recommend this book very highly to anyone looking for a good laugh.
However, a word of caution is advisable here. Read this book when you are alone or you might
not be
able to finish it. A single story, a slight snicker, and all of a sudden it is moving through other
people's
hands so fast you'll find yourself chasing it down to get it back. Luckily, it is easy to track
down.... just
follow the laughter.
Mission to California
Samuel H. Pillsbury
Perspective Publishing
2528 Sleepy Hollow Dr., #A, Glendale, CA 91206
ISBN: 1930085036 $8.95
It all started with a late night phone call. Albert Tub, a short, orange family man from planet
Wampetter
answered the phone and was told he had just won second place in a contest. And what a prize it is
- two
weeks in California on planet Earth. The Tub family is in a strange enough situation on such an
alien
planet as Earth but when they find a wampetter sacred text in California everything really gets out
of
hand. Follow along with them on their rollicking misadventure that also teaches family values as
well
as toleration for others. "Mission to California" is an adventurous, fun read for pre-teen and early
teen
readers.
Remove Pain: Physical and Emotional with Energy Psychology
Robert Elias Najemy
Holistic Harmony Network
21 Dartmouth Street, Worcester, MA 01604
ISBN: 1403380368 $16.50
Energy Field Therapy (EFT) as represented in this book is a treatment plan for dealing both with
physical pain and emotional pain that may be keeping you from reaching your full potential. EFT
draws
heavily from the field of acupuncture and acupressure as it discusses the various energy meridians
and
how energy can be trapped or otherwise not flowing correctly at certain critical points. Based on
this
information and the location of the points most important and effective in removing emotional and
physical pain. The particular points are well described and easy to locate in order to apply the
principles.
The procedures are clearly explained in a step-by-step manner that makes them easy to follow
without
error. Several case histories are included as well as instructions for several specific problems such
as
lack of self-esteem, codependency, inner conflicts, and many others. The author takes the wise
position
and specifically states that while EFT is effective, if you are using it for a physical ailment then
you
should continue to see your doctor in addition to the EFT treatment. EFT treatment seems to be
picking
up more and more endorsements by professionals and is at least an interesting aspect of
non-traditional
medicine. "Remove Pain: Physical and Emotional with Energy Psychology" explains the principles
of
EFT very well and this fact alone makes it a recommended read for anyone interested in the
possibilities
of EFT.
The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 9th Edition
Carla Emery
Sasquatch Books
119 South Main Street, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104
ISBN: 157061377X $29.95
"The Encyclopedia of Country Living" is an expansive volume of collected wisdom, techniques,
recipes,
and other information for living in the country. To a great extent it is a volume on self-sufficiency
without harming the environment in any substantial way. The only assumption that seems to be
made
is that the land you purchase will have a house on it or you will have one built. Everything else,
from
buying the land, to what plants to plant, when to plant them, where to get them, how to grow
them, and
how to harvest them to what animals to raise, how to raise them, how to use them for food and
dairy
to how to deal with child birthing in the wilderness (where you may be alone when it happens),
dealing
with pollution, enriching your soil, and even worm farming. This is an exhaustive study in country
living
with very detailed and thorough sections on farming. In addition the author includes page after
page of
other sources of information, where to purchase things, catalogue sources, websites, and just
about
every other conceivable way to get the items mentioned in the text. If there was a way to take all
the
old-timers in the country, get them all together, draw out all the skills they have learned over the
years
and distill it into a book this is the book that you would create. "The Encyclopedia of Country
Living,
9th Edition" is a very highly recommended read not only for those looking to move to the country
after
a lifetime in the city, but also for those who, like me, have that backyard garden and could use the
extensive information presented here to make it even more successful and fun.
Carpool Tunnel Syndrome: Motherhood as Shuttle Diplomacy
Judy Gruen
Champion Press, Ltd.
4308 Blueberry Road, Fredonia, WI 53021
ISBN: 1891400312 $13.95
When you are a parent you can be sure that there will be many important, serious, life-changing
situations as you and your child grow together. On the other hand, if you can laugh at your own
foibles,
there are even more humorous events that occur on an almost daily basis. Changing your
perspective
so you can see the humor in everyday life is the forte of author Judy Gruen. In her book "Carpool
Tunnel Syndrome" she demonstrates the ability to see humor in life with children and with deftly
turns
words and phrases on their ear to provide a truly funny look at motherhood. Any mother is sure
to
immediately recognize the situations she is addressing as she discusses things like "Why your sons
play
Cain and Abel while your daughters play house", "Travel turbulence", and stretch marks. A book
that
is hard to put down without picking it up again only minutes later, it is a highly recommended title
for
any mother looking to have a good laugh at life.
A History of Christian Doctrine, Volume 2
William G. T. Shedd
Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401
ISBN: 1579101852 $65.00
This is the second volume in William G. T. Shedd monumental work on the history of Christian
Doctrine. Following the format of volume one it is divided into several sections and starts with a
section
labeled Book Fourth (the first three sections being in the first volume). As he noted in the first
volume,
one of the best defenses of Christian doctrine is found through examining how various theological
concepts have come about and changed over time. This history is the story of how our
understanding
of God, ourselves, and the relationship between God and us has grown.
The first section in this volume is the history of anthropology. The first part of this section
discusses
theories on the origin of the soul. This was a great concern for early Christians and still evokes
some
debate today. Were all souls pre-existing and placed into human bodies? Are souls created out of
nothing when a new person is born? Are the soul and body both propagated (tranducianism)? The
section continues into the doctrinal history of sin, free will, whether infants that die do so in a
sinful
state, and regeneration. Even today the debate continues over whether newborn children inherit
evil or
whether they inherit guilt.
The second section is the history of soteriology. How has the Christian doctrine of atonement
developed
into the way we believe today? Perhaps no other doctrine is more critical to the Christian than that
of
vicarious substitution, or the substitution of Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins. What is the
role,
if any, of penance?
The third section is the history of eschatology. One of the hottest topics seems to always be
studying
the end times according to the Bible. William Shedd covers all the most common concerns from
Millenarianism, to the Second Advent, to resurrection, Purgatory, and the final state of Christians
and
non-Christians after the resurrection.
The fourth and final section is the history of symbols. This section includes an examination of the
various
creeds and other statements of faith through Christian history. Included are the following creeds
and
confessions as well as many others: The Apostles' Creed, Athanasian Creed, Lutheran
Confessions,
Reformed Confessions, Papal Confessions, Confessions of the Greek Church, Arminian
Confessions,
and Socinian Confessions.
This second volume is an excellent work for those who want to examine the history of Christian
doctrine
over the ages and is a highly recommended purchase for all serious students.
The Humpty Dumpty Syndrome: Lift Yourself from Back Pain Without Drugs or Surgery
Harry S. Oxenhandler, M.D.
Master's Plan Publishing, LLC
2727 NW Ninth Street, Corvallis, OR 97330
ISBN: 0972773606 $23.95
One of the most common medical complaints today is about back problems. From people who
just suffer
through the pain to those who visit the chiropractor weekly to those who try to resolve the
problems
through physical therapy or surgery. In "The Humpty Dumpty Syndrome" author Harry
Oxenhandler
points out that many lower back pain problems are related to pelvic tilt. The book goes over
pelvic tilt
in great detail. Chapters cover the types of x-rays used to diagnose it, how to read the x-rays, how
lift
therapy helps the condition, exercises that can help alleviate the problem, and many other aspects
of
pelvic tilt. The focus of the book seems to be a combination of teaching the reader about pelvic
tilt and
preparing the reader to be able to discuss it with their doctor. If you are experiencing problems
with
your back you may find a solution to your problems in this book. "The Humpty Dumpty
Syndrome" is
a highly recommended read for its educational value in helping people understand lower back
problems.
A History of Christian Doctrine, Volume 1
William G. T. Shedd
Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401
ISBN: 1579101852 $65.00
William G. T. Shedd starts his monumental work by pointing out that one of the strongest
defenses of
Christian doctrine is found through examining how various theological concepts have come about
and
changed over time. This history is the story of how our understanding of God, ourselves, and the
relationship between God and us has grown.
The book is divided into several sections. The first is the influence of philosophical systems on
Christian
doctrine. This examination includes the effect of the teachings of individuals such as Plato,
Aristotle,
and Cicero as well as the teachings of particular schools and movements like the Mystics,
Scholastics,
and Reformers.
The second section is the history of apologies. This is the history of the Christian reply to
objections
raised by skeptics throughout the ages. The Christian church first faced attacks from Judaism and
paganism in the form of Ebionites, Gnostics and Pagans. It had to deal with the problems of the
relationship between faith and science and examination of Biblical and ecclesiastical miracles.
Apologetics is always an interesting area to deal with as we examine the various objections to the
Gospel raised by different groups in different periods of time. The text includes the apologetics of
individuals like Anselm, Aquinas, Bernard, Hume, and Kant as well as movements like deism and
rationalism.
The third section is the history of theology and Christology. This is the one that I found to be the
most
interesting. First he covers the arguments for the evidence of the existence of God and examines
the
thoughts of people like Tertullian, and Anselm. Of course any section on the existence of God
would
not be complete without an examination of the ontological argument, which he covers well.
One of the most divisive problems of the early church was the concept of the Trinity and
Christology.
How do you resolve the idea of a God who is God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit
while
still believing in only one God? How do you resolve Christ's relationship with God? Was he fully
human? Was he fully divine? Was he two persons in one body or one person that had divine and
human
natures? As the church wrestled with this many different ideas arose and gained converts. Mr.
Shedd
does an excellent job of examining these different schools of thought and how they differed from
mainstream thought. Although such issues were predominantly put to rest with the Council of
Nicene,
they still affect the church today.
This first volume is an excellent work for those who want to examine the history of Christian
doctrine
over the ages and is a highly recommended purchase for the serious student.
The Backyard Playground: Recreational Landscapes & Play Structures
Bryan Trandem, editor
Creative Publishing International
18705 Lake Drive East, Chanhassen, MN 55317
ISBN: 1589230590 $16.95
In an unusual departure from books of this type the first thirteen pages discuss what children like
to do,
the type of play different ages are interested in, and how to match an appropriate play area to the
child.
With that foundation firmly laid, "The Backyard Playground: Recreational Landscapes & Play
Structures" then proceeds Landscaping for Playgrounds, Large Play Projects, and Small Play
Projects.
For each project there are multiple illustrations, materials lists, tools lists, and detailed
step-by-step
instructions to walk you through the entire project. No steps are left out of the project. I have
seen
several books that detail how to build a swing set but never discuss the appropriate ground
coverings
or how to correctly anchor it into the ground so it is safe. "The Backyard Playground" makes no
assumptions that you would already know things like this. This text assumes that you are starting
with
bare ground and covers all the steps to build your project from scratch. The illustrations are so
well
done that anyone can easily follow along and create a playground area rivaling the best
commercial
projects. "The Backyard Playground" is a highly recommended book for anyone wanting to build
their
own children's play area and the only one I have ever reviewed that I would feel comfortable
recommending to the novice handyman.
Harold McFarland
Reviewer
Gorden's Bookshelf
Diuturnity's Dawn Book Three of the Founding of the Commonwealth
Alan Dean Foster
Del Rey Books/Ballantine Books
A division of Random House, Inc.
New York, NY
ISBN: 0345418662 $6.99
Foster continues building detail to his Humanx Commonwealth worlds with' Diuturnity's Dawn.'
This
is in many ways the best of the 'Founding of the Commonwealth' series. Foster's Commonwealth
was
brought to life with the Flinx novels. The rich history told in the stories begged to be expanded
upon.
'Diuturnity's Dawn' is a complex story of the signing of the Commonwealth unification. Humans
and
thranx try to understand each other while extremists and the AAnn try to keep them apart. The
story
focuses around the human diplomat, Fanielle Anjou, working on the thranx home world, the
exploration
of the planet Comagrave, and a cultural fair on the planet Dawn. Terrorists from the human and
thranx
worlds conspire to keep the worlds apart even if it means murder and destruction. The AAnn
Empire,
which is based on deceit and killing, slips easily into a support role for both the terrorists and the
storyline. The success or failure of the schemes to keep humans and thranx apart rests on the
actions
of just a few individuals. Fanielle is possibly the least likely person to have the future of billions of
beings
balanced on her petite shoulders.
'Diuturnity's Dawn' is a joy for anyone who has read any of Foster's Commonwealth stories. The
story
solidifies the rich history Foster created for his humanx worlds.
Unfit to Practice
Perri O'Shaughnessy
Delacourte Press
A division of Random House, Inc.
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN: 0385334842 $24.95
Perri is the pen name for Pamela and Mary O'Shaughnessy. They have written a great series of
lawyer
mysteries about the attorney Nina Reilly. The storyline sometimes gets a little too manufactured
but you
love the characters and the legal actions have a sense of reality.
On a stormy night, Nina's truck is stolen. In back of the Bronco are files containing the intake
notes for
three cases. Within hours, information from the files starts appearing. The legal system is seldom
fair.
Nina is thrown into the meat grinder of a disbarment hearing as complaints from her clients are
sent to
the California State Bar. Someone is orchestrating the end of her legal career without a thought to
the
damage those private files becoming public might cause.
'Unfit to Practice' follows the pattern of the other Nina Reilly legal mysteries. With strong
characters
and realistic courtroom knowledge, 'Unfit' is an easy to recommend mystery.
Inside Man & Other Stories Science Fiction on the Gold Standard
H.L. Gold
Renaissance E Books
P.O. Box 1432, Northampton, MA 01060
www.renebooks.com
ISBN: 1588731812 $4.00 electronic download
H.L. Gold is a science fiction writer's writer. He takes a standard story and twists it with a
surprise you
wouldn't expect. You have the feel that Gold learned his satirical skills reading O. Henry.
'Inside Man' is a story about Lester Shay, an average man in a personal
crisis. His doctor recommends a hobby and he purchases an Erector set. No
one expects what the hobby unlocks within Lester.
'In Personnel Problem', a mining operation on the asteroid Ceres has a staffing problem. The
miners just
can't seem to keep an engineer.
'The Riches of Embarrassment' is about a floor in an apartment building and the new tenant next
door.
What is actually going on when the only time you meet someone you feel like a fool?
'Someone to Watch Over Me' - Len Mattern is the captain of an interstellar/inter-universe cargo
ship
and in love with a woman he met years ago. The only way he thinks he can win his love is with
the help
of someone watching over him.
'Grifter's Asteroid' is the easiest story to see the ending. The premise is simple. What happens
when
inter-planetary con men meet?
'What Price Wings?' Is a tale that asks and answers, "If angels are good and grow wings, why are
there
no good people with wings on Earth?"
'The Transmogrification of Wamba's Revenge' is a cautionary tale of not pissing off the little
people or
the pigmies will inherit the world.
'INSIDE MAN & OTHER STORIES Science Fiction on the Gold Standard' is a must read for
any
serious science fiction reader.
S.A. Gorden
Reviewer
Fortenberry's Bookshelf
Strong Woman: Unshrouding the Secrets of the Soul
M. Sue Benford
Source Books
P.O. Box 292231, Nashville, TN 37229-2231
ISBN: 0966531221 $17.95 www.sacredspaces.org
Sue Benford is a remarkable woman who has had a remarkable life. Furthermore, she deals today
with
remarkable subjects in quite remarkable ways. Strong Woman: Unshrouding the Secrets of the
Soul is
her autobiographical, or rather autospiritugraphical, account of her life and current mission.
Reader be
warned, this one is a doozy. In fact, it is such a doozy that it took me quite a while to decide if I
should
even write this review. Basically, we're talking about a woman who believes she communicates
with
God and Jesus and his disciples -- via voices (maybe supplemented by prayers and dreams) -- and
of
course their current incarnations on earth. Now, I am a long time lover of all things and all
subjects,
have studied philosophy and religions worldwide quite extensively, so have no problem with
"religion"
per se. I study and review books all the time on just about any topic. But there are those books
that
make you laugh or shake your head, like wild anal-probing UFO abductees, Atlantis rediscovered
in the
author's backyard because he is the reincarnation of its last high priest, or the New Agers with
their
reencarnated or Mu, Egyptian, Atlantean, etc. shaman power of the month club. Very much a part
of
the New Age movement is the neo-evangelical and neo-Southern Baptist-style books on angels,
Christ,
hearing voices and talking in tongues, demonic possession, and the bestselling yet never occurring
endtime apocalypse, all of which seem so en vogue in certain parts of America today. Hey
whatever
floats your boat, but usually with the bulk of this junk I simply don't waste time reviewing it. A lot
of
it really is too psychotic or poorly written to warrant a review. But I digress, so we return to Mrs.
Benford. And her voices.
Yes, the things she says and promotes are at times wild and utterly unbelievable. However, there
is a
difference. She was a skeptic and self-proclaimed unbeliever in the mystical and in God, and now
adamantly believes in what she is saying, clearly states it, and attempts to seriously back up
everything
she claims not just with logic but with science (which already excludes about 90% of the usual
New Age
crap). Furthermore, from a literary standpoint, she writes extremely well, with lucid, interesting,
and
even exciting prose. To be blunt, she can tell a story. She thereby lifts herself out of the herd and
into
a very unique position. Her work is a joy to read, professionally presented, and just profound
enough
to make you pause and consider it on its merits. This is utterly unlike most of the books along
similar
topics I have read (usually with characters/powers/dieties that have mishmash names and powers,
most
likely derived derived from pulp era impressions of "lost civilizations" like Mayans or Incans or
Egyptians). It is also the reason I write this review. Her work is profound and intriguing and
deserves
a review, despite the "wildness" of her claims.
There are two distinct parts of this book. One, the biography. This is interesting and rather
profound.
She has had a hard, dramatic life with disfiguring and life-threatening illness. She has also
accomplished
things beyond the norm, such as defying medicine and odds to become a three-time World
Powerlifting
Champion who set all the world records in her weight class. Strong woman indeed! That in and
off itself
could have been a book or movie. Secondly, there is her mysticism and interest in mysticism.
Now, if
she just heard voices and thought she was in touch with God, um, well, whatever. But she
questions and
acts. She investigates. She has accomplished a few major discoveries in the science of the
metaphysical,
especially dealing with the Shroud of Turin. She is the lady who validly questioned and proved
scientific
discrepancies in the dating of the shroud, despite not being a scientist. She has done much more
work
in this area, some of which is detailed in this book, including an intriguing section on the potential
of
what she calls QuantaGraphs better known as DelaWarr images. There are some fascinating
theories
and scientific queries occurring here. One wonders if they would get more attention and merit if
hey
were shrouded in "voices." But, she claims this is how her ideas arise, so who are we to judge.
She
seems to be telling the truth.
I realize this book is a spiritual growth guidebook and a chronicle of someone's spiritual
awakening.
However, I feel it could have equally been a biography or a book of scientific inquiry. This is both
a
testament of her writing ability, and a statement on how fragmented or diverse is the point of the
book.
It seems to try to capture the entire spectrum, instead of being one color. Is that a strength or a
weakness? I don't know. At least she pulls no punches, makes no apologies, speaks up loudly and
stands
up to the world for what she believes in. That makes her a strong woman in every sense of the
word.
Bottom line, she has written a very fascinating, very unique book here. It'll have something for
everyone
and something to chase everyone away too. But hey, when you unshroud a soul, you reveal a
maelstrom, now don't you? Definitely worth a read for any number of reasons.
What Would Aristotle Do? Self-Control Through the Power of Reason
Eliot D. Cohen
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY, 14228-2197
ISBN: 1591020700 $21.00 www.prometheusbooks.com
Thank God for Eliot D. Cohen! He has returned the almost lost art of Reason to America. For too
long
we have wallowed in the twilight of culture and danced in the aisles foaming at the mouths over
the
latest WWJD bumpersticker fad. It has been a long, dark night and now, finally, the brilliance of
dawn.
What Would Aristotle Do? Self-Control Through the Power of Reason is a breath of fresh air
(sadly,
since we forget everything older than a twenty-second soundbite, it is so ancient it is fresh again).
This
light book-- it is short and easy to read and, even more importantly, easy to comprehend-- should
be
required reading for everyone in America. Put down the ignorant hysteria and pick up a little
empowering Reason.
I suppose it is truly a sign of the End Time so perpetually popular amongst some segments of
society
that we even need a book like this. But there you have it. We work with what we are given. Dr.
Cohen,
one of those Renaissance types who feels compelled to succeed in multiple areas like teaching,
writing,
counseling, directing, and being a philosopher, is well known in counseling circles worldwide as
the man
who is reuniting psychology with philosophy, that is using hands-on, applied philosophy in the
same way
we are familiar with psychological counseling. Or to sum it all up, he is also the director of the
Institute
of Critical Thinking. I think that about solves everything. If we used a little critical thinking in life,
we'd
probably find we were suddenly bereft of problems. It is all a matter of clarity. Rule number one:
Thou
shalt not confuse thyself.
Confusion is rampant in our society and so is its side effect anxiety. No one understands what is
happening, what they could do, and what they should do, and so they become more and more
anxious
to the point of breaking down. And then we become so depressed we start bumpersticker fads to
feel
that somehow we connect with each other. It's cyclical ignorance. This book cuts through all the
hooplah like a laser beam. Very succinctly and quietly Dr. Cohen tells us how we might be
confusing
ourselves, lists numerous impediments to growth and solutions, such as faulty thinking, and how
all of
this causes us emotional distress. Best of all, for the average man, he does it in common language
with
common examples of real life cases involving real life people. It is all so crystal clear it can
accidentally
cut off your emotional turmoil and leave you smiling and well adjusted. Can you imagine being
uplifted,
forgiven, happy, satisfied, fortified, excited, confident, and ready to conquer the world with a
laugh?
Well this book allows you to do just that, and with your own mind, your own reason, and your
own self
confidence. You don't have to feel guilty or borrow anyone else's blessing to succeed. You can do
it all
yourself. It's amazing.
I love this book. It couldn't have come out at a better time, either, what with the current state of
fads
and crises in the world. We seem to be spiraling downward at a pretty good clip. Culture wars
and other
forms of public stupidity do not a successful, happy family make. But here comes some reasonable
wings
to lift us up. Ahhhh. The comfort of it all. Thank you, Dr. Cohen, and of course Mr. Aristotle
himself
for offering the antidote to today's ills. You refute our frustrations and flaws and empower us to
employ
the rationality of our own willpower. You return the world to balance by showing us the
importance
of the middle path. We need not be excessive pro or con, prone to outbursts of emotion or
indecision.
When we weigh the world with our mind, the choice is obvious and we no longer fret. We can
simply
act, in peace and pleasure. Or to sum up, Aristotle says, "That which is proper to each thing is by
nature
best and most pleasant for each thing; for man, therefore, the life according to reason is best and
pleasantest, since reason more than anything else is man. This life, therefore, is also the happiest."
I'm
a happy man.
Facing East From Indian Country: A Native History of Early America
Daniel K. Richter
Harvard University Press
79 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
ISBN: 0674006380 $26.00 1-800-448-2242
Daniel Richter is not only an innovator, he is something of a genius. Somehow, he has managed to
turn
the whole world around backwards, yet done it so smoothly it doesn't disrupt and seems quite
natural.
Facing East From Indian Country turns the "known world" inside out and tells us our history in a
whole
new way, from the perspective of the Native Americans. He does a fantastic job though this is no
easy
task. Richter knows the task is tough, and gently eases us into it with an introduction that
smoothly
transitions us from today looking eastward through the great Gateway Arch in St. Louis into the
past
looking eastward from this continent as the European colonists arrive and settle the continent.
This
book, like that monument, is indeed a gateway.
We find the usual suspects, the Spanish, French, and English who are busily gobbling up land, but
even
more so, fighting amongst themselves. It is fascinating to read of the Indians watching the
Europeans
with a mixture of confusion, disgust, pity, or simple compassion as they endless squabble and
murder
each other, and of course the Indians themselves. The Native Americans are both observers and
reluctant participants as more and more frequently they are attacked, pushed off their lands, given
worthless treaties, and massacred. The begin to defend themselves with growing vigor and fright,
as
their hold on their own lands loosens. It is, we know now, ultimately a sad tale of defeat, but
within
these pages are some heroic moments and some valiant last stands. I was particularly moved by
scenes
of Indian leaders lay siege or outright seizing European forts or settlements, only to let the people
go
unharmed or make them promise to simply honor their treaties. The results were always the same,
when
the European armies finally arrived (sometimes months later) they massacred all the Indians they
could
find. There is no begging for understanding and cohabitation when one party has a gun, I
suppose.
Richter covers numerous aspects of Early American life, from community, trade, and
communication,
to religion and politics. A complicated world emerges full of ancient and evolving cultures. This
civilization is in flux when documented, already in contact and absorption by European cultures.
We see
the Native Americans changing, some adopting the strange new ways, some mixing new and old,
and
some resisting all change and crying out for the long lost past. Much of the conflict, confusion,
and
problems arise from these various positions. The course a leader or tribe chooses directly
determines
its fate, whether it was relocated, absorbed, or wiped out. These are phenomenally complex times
and
ultimately tragic.
There is a lot recorded in this book, and yet we know it is only the tip of the iceberg. So much has
been
lost in the tides of history it is incalculable. Yet also, so much more is to be discovered, explored,
and
documented that we realize this book is but a first step. It is, however, a step in the right
direction. We
have traveled West for centuries and worn those paths smooth. Now, finally, we are facing East
and
have a brand new journey ahead of us. We should thank Daniel Richter for being one of our new
trailblazers.
A Philistine's Journal: An Average Guy Tackles the Classics
Wayne Turmel
New Leaf Books: Division of Wigwam Publishing
P.O. Box 6992, Villa Park, IL, 60181, USA
ISBN: 1930076134 $12.95 www.newleafbooks.net
Wayne Turmel is my new hero. I laughed, I cried, then I blew my nose. A Philistine's Journal has
to be
one of the funniest books I've read in years. And, as if that weren't enough, it's educational,
philosophical, fascinating, enlightening, and, above all else, honest. How the heck did he pull that
trick
shot off?
A Philistine's Journal: An Average Guy Tackles the Classics is exactly what it says it is. Midlife
crisis
meets the down and out comedian cum corporate faceplate who realizes he's never read the "great
books" of our civilization. That Turmel decided to better himself and put himself to the test is
amazing
and already sets him apart from the herd. But the fact that he had the foresight and ability to keep
a
journal of notes on his literary journey through the classics and then transform it into this modern
day
masterpiece for the common man is simply a wee bit of ye olde genius at work. My hat is off to
Mr.
Turmel.
What saves this book from being one of those drearily academic Why You Should Read The
Complete
Works of Chryssipus and Like It, You Heathen tomes that clouds the room with mummy dust
whenever
you crack its acclaimed, gilt-edged leather cover, is its humor. Turmel, despite his "average
40-year-old
suburbanite" cover, is still a rib-cracking comic who exhibits flawless timing and a perfect voice
throughout this volume. Just biting enough to make you cheer with the plebes in the coliseum as
the
scholars get mauled and just humble enough to make you realize we should all still stand up, hats
in
hand, in awe and the sheer genius on display. There is a perfect balance in this book, not only
between
the comedy and the serious, but also between the literary commentary and the personal anecdotes
and
observations on his life. In this way it serves as both literary criticism and offhand autobiography.
We're
taking a few journeys here, and all of them are worthwhile. But don't forget that humor. Just
when he
sucks you into complacency and misty-eyed mewing over his sweet, down home sensibilities
(even
though he married into royalty with the Duchess and their daughter Her Serene Highness), he'll
kick out
your teeth with a leftfielder that leaves you in stitches. Basically, it's a slapshot to the head and so
in
your face truthful that it happily hurts like a good gap-toothed hockey game. What else can you
say?
It's a fantastic read that has it all.
Leaving aside his humor and personal life, the best thing about this book is its honest critique of
the
classics. He isn't intimidated by the mighty Greeks or any other Classical rubble and doesn't try
and
shade his opinions. He doesn't try to like anything that sucks, simply because he "should." Turmel
tells
it like it is. Of Lucretius' scientific discourse, he sums it up perfectly: "Imagine, if you will, the
longest,
most out of date science text book you ever had thrust upon you, only now it's in the form of a
poem
that goes on for 300 pages. That's essentially what On the Nature of Things is. While I stand in
awe of
the degree of difficulty involved, I'd rather bludgeon myself with a sack of wolverines than go
through
that again." (p 177) What more could ever be said about this text? But he is fair and honest and
when
he reads something good, he praises it. On his list of loves at the end of this book are Homer,
Epictetus,
Marcus Aurelius, Francis Bacon, Balzac, Defoe, Emerson, Omar Khayyam, and Turgenev, among
others. Who could ever hate the Rubaiyat? Drinking songs are immortal. Just ask Beowulf. He
also
provides handy lists of "take it and leave its" and "I wouldn't read it again with your eyes."
All in all I'm thrilled with this book. So much so that I actually called my brother to recommend it.
That
I do not do lightly. We understand each other well and one thing we never kid about is good
reading.
Thou shalt not waste my time, is a valued commandment. A Philistine's Journal is not only a great
use
of time, it should become required reading in schools everywhere. Not only will it tell it like it is,
but
it'll make students laugh and love the Classics for all the right reasons. Anything that helps interest
new
readers in the Great Books is well worth it. And let's face it, the way the future of civilization is
looking
right now, we need all the help, and laughter, we can get.
The Complete Internet Car Buying Guide
Sarah Lee Marks
Car Chat LLC
Henderson, Nevada
ISBN: 0972539506 $9.99 www.carchatonline.com
If you are interested in purchasing automobiles (online or off), you will have to put this handy
little
reference book at the top of the list. The Complete Internet Car Buying Guide is just what it
claims to
be, an easy, step-by-step process to purchasing quality cars in the least amount of time with the
greatest
amount of savings. I love that Marks has boiled down the entire process to under 50 pages. Thank
you!
There is nothing worse than trying to save time and accidentally stumbling into the vast virtual
swamp
of websites and conflicting reports, reviews, and advertisements online. Even when not looking,
we
often find ourselves inundated on a daily basis by various banking-loan-products spammers. The
infinite
multitude of opportunities and scams online is enough to make anyone cease and desist in the
search
for a product. But, as she tells us on the cover, "Don't get lost on the web!" This guide cuts
through it
all and drives straight to the heart of the issue. She urges us to ignore all the blinking banner ads,
mumbojumbo language, and distractions to go simply for the meat.
Brief (she's a master of outlines) and to the point, Marks takes us through the entire field: new,
used,
and lemon cars, web dealers versus dealerships, test drives, pricing, purchasing for first or nth
time
buyers, leases, financing and credit, contracts and warranties, trade-ins and selling, safety and
insurance,
etc. She answers frequently asked questions, explains all the basics, and points the way out of
traps,
problems, and cheats. All in all, she distills the industry down into a quick point-by-point
reference.
If they offered awards in the car industry for clarity and simplicity, Marks should win it. But I
imagine
that's the last thing they want to encourage. Luckily for us, she has saved us all the time and
trouble and
done the work for us. So cut the hassles and haggling and pick up this user-friendly car buying
guide.
Or to be more poetic in our jaunt down the superhighway, just sit back and let her do the driving
on this
one.
Thomas Fortenberry
Reviewer
Diana's Bookshelf
Evilution
Shaun Jeffrey
The Invisible College Press
P.O. Box 209, Woodbridge VA 22194-0294
www.invispress.com
ISBN # 1931468133 $14.95
Some people are just not lucky. Chase Black is one of those people. Perhaps she should have
asked
more questions when she suddenly won a cottage in a contest she couldn't even remember
entering.
Then again if someone offered you a free home it sure would be hard to question them.
It appeared to her to be a joke until the limo pulled up to whisk her away to her new home. This
is
where things start to get strange. Apparently there is no way to drive to Paradise where here
cottage
is located, as a dense fog seems to be surrounding the village.
Once they land in the village the real fun begins. Jane, Chases' best friend has come along for the
ride
and can immediately tell something is just not right. And who couldn't, what an eerie and quirky
bunch
the townsfolk are, except perhaps the handsome and charming Dr. White. When Chase wakes up
to find
Jane and all of her belongings gone she starts to ask questions. Questions, which have deeply
disturbing
answers.
Ratty knows better than to go into the fog as does his friend Izzy, but quite by accident they find
themselves wandering helplessly with almost zero visibility. Who are the strange men they
narrowly
escape an encounter with? They manage to follow a large pipe that worms its way across the
ground
until they come to a point where a decision needs to be made. The road sign before them is
familiar to
Ratty and he knows that if they follow it they will get home, but there is still the question of just
what
is going on, and motivated by the need to know what has happened to his granddad, a resident of
Paradise that has not been heard from since the fog descended, almost two years ago, the only
way to
answer that is to follow the sign toward the village, where the real horror lurks.
In his debut novel, Evilution, Shaun Jeffrey has shown the reading population that he is more than
capable of telling a disturbing tale. This is a first novel that reads like a longtime master of horror
wrote
it. It is deeply disturbing and totally engrossing, rich and creepy as Hell.
Add Shaun Jeffrey to my list of authors who are going to shake up the horror genre in a dark and
delightful manner.
A Stranger Dead
A. P. Fuchs
1st Books Library
www.1stbooks.com
ISBN # 1403352607 (e-book)
ISBN # 1403352615 (Paperback)
ISBN # 1403356939 (Dust Jacket)
$15.50 Paperback
Some decisions are not easy and not all gifts are a blessing. Harry Thomas, seeking shelter from a
storm, which occurs while paying respects as promised to his wife, wanders into a crypt. When
he
wakes up he is in a room without a door and for twenty years is forced to watch the sins of the
world.
Released at the same time as the anti-Christ is born he now has a choice to make. From his new
home,
Hans Memorial Hospital, he begins to send telepathic messages to Gwen Reeves. At first these
messages scare her but then she finds a story about Harry and it causes her to contact him and go
visit
him in the hospital. From there they begin their collaboration to execute Harry's plan to kill the
anti-Christ.
In the midst of all this there is Sherman Gray who is there to protect the child, Calvin, and to stop
Harry
and Gwen from accomplishing their mission. Not only is he an obstacle he begins to act as a
mentor,
showing the child what he is and will be capable of as he grows older.
Adding even more to the mix is a third party who is intent on showing that what was predicted in
the
bible can be changed.
In A Stranger Dead author, A. P. Fuchs poses to his readers a hard question and presents an old
theme
in a new way. If you knew who the anti-Christ was, could you kill him? Could you still do it even
if he
was a seemingly innocent child? And just exactly what would you give up along the way?
Boyfriend?
Friends?
The style of Fuchs is rich in character detail as well as the detail of the world they inhabit making
it easy
for his readers to join his characters and feel for them as each new obstacle is thrown their
way.
If you are looking for a wonderfully rich piece of fiction that also has the capability to challenge
your
concepts of theology, I must recommend A Stranger Dead by A. P. Fuchs. Sit back, relax, open
your
mind, and join Harry, Gwen and numerous other characters on their individual quests for
purpose.
Jack Frost
Darren Franz
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suit 100, Lincoln NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN # 0595096417 $11.95
There comes a time in all of our lives when we have to sit back and reflect on the type of person
we
have become. For Jack Dobson, that time is now.
Jack isn't exactly what one would consider a nice person. He is a ruthless businessman who takes
joy
in degrading his employees, he's unfaithful to his loving wife, and if that's not enough, he's a
cocaine
addict. He also has a skeleton in his closet so bad he has locked it away tight. He is the type of
man
who none of this would have bothered under normal circumstances.
An act of fate causes Jack to deal with his personal demons and take a hard look at the life he has
led.
Lying to his wife, telling her he is going away on business, he and Lisa, his new business partner
and
mistress, spend a weekend at a cabin on a remote Alaskan mountainside.
Sex and drugs were the plan. However, the plan changes when Jack decides to go skiing alone
down
an unauthorized slope. After taking a tumble, he finds himself alone and severely injured. He
knows
Lisa won't come to his aid due to the way she has handled herself in a past event. He also knows
that
if he can't get back up the slope to his backpack, he will die.
Faced with death, a severe and crippling injury, and the threat of death from exposure, Jack finds
that
his mind now demands him to come to grips with his past. His internal dialogue is relentless as he
struggles with both his current and childhood deeds.
Jack is by no means a likable character, which is why I am so impressed with author Darren Franz
for
making me care about him. Jack Frost is a moving and compelling novel, masterfully crafted to
be
spellbinding from cover to cover. The tale is crisp and well paced with no narrative interruptions.
The
internal dialogue is perfect, so perfect you can actually imagine how your own mind would react
in a
similar situation.
This is the book for you if you are looking for a compelling drama and when you have finished
reading
it, pass it along to the coldest person you know. I have a feeling it may just warm them up.
Thorn of the Snow Rose
Jeanne Lamsam
Dynasty Press
13246 Middleton Farm Lane Oak Hill, VA 20171
ISBN # 0971021201 $7.99 Paperback
Ever get the feeling something is just not right-that things just seem sort of off kilter? That is the
feeling
Nola Crocker, and then later her partner Vale Ching have when they travel to the home of Nola's
recently deceased Aunt Haley to not only put things in order, but to also investigate the suspicious
deaths of two husbands of the local beauty pageant winner Terri Henrun.
The moment Nola walks into the house she senses something is not quite right, and from there,
her
suspicions continue to grow. Her aunt's death is labeled an overdose of prescription medication,
but
both Nola and Vale find that theory has more holes than a block of Swiss cheese. Everything that
occurred before Haley's death seem very peculiar and out of character, suggesting that something
was
amiss with the old woman.
The question is; if not an accident or suicide, then just who is it that is responsible? Terri Henrun,
the
woman they are already investigating for having two husbands who died shortly after marring her?
On
the other hand, could it be the neighbor Dr. Greg Broadcliff, who not only has Nola's attention,
but also
has a vested interest in her late Aunt's property, or someone else? Could the person responsible be
a
danger to Nola and Vale? There seems to be more at stake than just finding out the truth, but they
will,
even if it kills them.
In Thorn of the Snow Rose, author Jeanne Lamsam, provides her readers with a great mystery
and one
that will leave them guessing until the end, as all great mysteries should. I don't think you will
have the
ending figured out before it is revealed, I know I didn't. I would be amiss if I did not add that
amid the
enthralling story line are bits of humor that add a unique touch and style to the writing, making for
a
very enjoyable read.
Both the main and the supporting case of characters are so well rounded that the entire town
springs
to life as the words flow naturally with no narrative intrusion.
For a first novel, this is by far as deep and compelling of a mystery as any I have read before, and
I am
delighted at the thought of future novels. Mystery lovers, lovers of a good drama, and those who
just
love a good book should pick up a copy of Thorn of the Snow Rose and be prepared to spend
some
time with it, as once you become intertwined in the mystery you won't want to stop reading until
it has
fully unraveled. Try to guess the resolution before it is revealed-I'll bet you'll be wrong.
Diana Bennett
Reviewer
Christy's Bookshelf
A Buried Lie
Roberta Isleib
Berkley Prime Crime
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN# 0425189961 $5.99 US
Author Roberta Isleib is a clinical psychologist residing in Connecticut. Her debut novel Six
Strokes
Under was nominated for a Malice Domestic Agatha award for Best First Mystery and an
Anthony for
Best Paperback Original.
A Buried Lie is the second in the series featuring Cassie Burdette, a golfer who has survived
LPGA
qualifying school and in this outing finds herself playing in the ShopRite LPGA Classic
professional-amateur tournament in Atlantic City. Cassie's first day, she is placed on a team with
four
scientists from Meditron, a pharmaceutical company on the brink of releasing what they claim will
be
a miracle drug for patients suffering from Alzheimer's. Of the four scientists, Erica LeBoutillier
seems
to be the only one who has doubts about the effectiveness of the drug. When she is found dead in
her
hotel room, the police assume Erica committed suicide. Cassie suspects otherwise and, between
rounds
of golf, engages in her own investigation into what actually happened to Erica, much to the
investigating
detective's constant consternation.
It is interesting to note that the author paid to play in the Shoprite LPGA Classic's pro-am
tournament
in Atlantic City in order to do research for A Buried Lie. Isleib has a vast knowledge of the game
of
golf and helps those readers not so familiar with the sport by inserting a glossary at the beginning
of the
book describing golfing terms.
Cassie is a fresh face in the mystery world: an athlete with a self-deprecating sense of humor who
is
slightly reckless and impulsive. The subtle chemistry between Cassie and her friend and
psychological
consultant Joe Lancaster is teasing and fun. Cassie's relationship with her mother, whom she calls
"the
human weed-whacker", although convoluted and filled with resentment on Cassie's part, is one
that
reads humorously real.
Isleib throws red herrings throughout the book as she leads the reader through Cassie's somewhat
bungling amateur sleuthing to a climatic ending, ingeniously weaving the game of golf into the
storyline.
A fast-paced book that mystery, as well as golf, lovers will enjoy.
Artifacts
Mary Anna Evans
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Avenue #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
ISBN# 1590580567 $24.95 1-800-421-3976
Author Mary Anna Evans holds degrees in physics and chemical engineering, and her professional
background includes, among others, environmental consulting, university administration and
community
college instruction. Evans' debut novel, Artifacts, reveals the author also possesses a good deal of
knowledge about archeology.
Protagonist Faye Longchamp is an archaeology student living in her ancestral home, Joyeuse, on
an
island along the Florida coast. Faye inherited the dilapidated mansion from her
great-great-grandmother, Cally, a former slave, and is trying desperately to hold on to the family
home.
In order to pay the ever-rising property taxes, Faye resorts to illegally engaging in pot-hunting on
her
property and the surrounding National Wildlife Refuge. While digging, she discovers a shattered
human
skull and an earring in a style from the '60's, revealing to her that the deceased may have been
murdered
during that time. Faye is caught in a dilemma. If she reports her unlawful findings, she will risk
going
to jail and possibly losing her family home. When two of Faye's colleagues are killed the following
day,
she begins to suspect the murderer of the body that had lain on the island for over 40 years is still
at
work. Faye begins to investigate on her own the identity of the person in the grave and what
happened
to them, which leads to a climatic, suspense-filled revelation that takes place during a
hurricane.
Artifacts offers the reader more than an entertaining mystery. The premise is grand: an amateur
archeological sleuth with a unique lifestyle. Evans weaves past and present together through a
diary
Faye discovers which reveals through its entries how a former slave came to be the owner of
Joyeuse.
The author's portrayal of the archeological digs taking place on the islands is factual and
interesting.
Faye Longchamp is a woman of mixed heritage who is trying to hold on to the only steadfast
thing in
her life: the family plantation. Her friend and island-mate Joe is an endearing character, a man of
physical strength who is mentally weak. The innovative manner in which the two manage to live
without electricity or running water adds a greater dimension to the storyline. The locale is
wonderfully
described and beautifully etched for the reader. A compelling read that holds the reader's
attention
throughout.
Dead For Life
Ethan Black
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
http://resources.simonsays.com
ISBN# 0743244001 $24.00 212-698-7527
Ethan Black is the pseudonym for a bestselling New York-based journalist who has written a
dozen
novels and books of nonfiction. Dead for Life is the author's fourth book in the series featuring
New
York City police detective Conrad Voort.
Voort is handsome, wealthy, and a highly decorated detective with the New York City Police
Department. Voort's plans for celebrating his 33rd birthday are thwarted when a note left for him
by
the killer at the scene of a homicide tells him that there will be three more murders by that
evening, and
all are Voort's fault.
In order to try to solve who the killer is, Voort begins to investigate his own past, trying to
ascertain
if he had made a mistake that would wreak such terrible vengeance on the present. Voort learns
that
on the same day several years before, he failed to investigate an assault on Wendall Nye, a former
teacher who stumbled onto a system of gaft in the New York public education system. Nye was
beaten
severely and warned not to divulge what he had learned and, through his fear for his family's
safety, lost
his wife and son and their comfortable, happy lifestyle. When Nye's son dies in an accident as a
consequence of the negligence of the New York public education system, Nye begins his
systematically
planned killing spree, leaving notes and tape-recordings for Voort at each scene. The media
begins to
call for Voort's dismissal and he is looked upon with disdain by his fellow officers, but this doesn't
stop
Voort from diligently tracking Nye and trying to put an end to his murderous revenge.
Black manages to convey Nye as a compelling character who has suffered great losses and is in
terrible
pain. His notes and recordings are chilling as well as sad and reveal Nye's tragic past as well as
his love
for his lost wife and son. At times, Voort seems almost secondary to the long-suffering Nye, but
his
diligence in finding Nye, as well as his compassion for the murderer, add more dimension to this
multifaceted character. A compelling read that is fast-paced and holds the reader's attention
throughout.
Christy Tillery French
Reviewer
Brenda's Bookshelf
Whispers
Lisa Jackson
Zebra Books
Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Ave, New York NY 10022-6222
ISBN 0821773067 $6.99/$9.99 212-407-1500 (fax)
Sixteen years ago, the murder of Harley Taggert became an unsolved mystery. Now with time on
his
journalist hands, Kane Moran was going to expose Harley's killer for one and for all.
Exasperated, Dutch Holland had to admit he was relieved when the investigation closed years
ago. It
was not that he did not care about the victim. But he was certain one of his daughters had been
involved. Nothing had been said. No clues left behind. Yet Dutch's instinct shouted of an
impending
disaster in his bid for governor.
The past was unraveling before their eyes. They had all been sworn to secrecy. But someone
decided
to learn the truth. And they were terrified.
Three sisters make up this group. The oldest, Miranda, is a lawyer in the District Attorney's
office.
Claire is the middle child caught in an adulterous marriage and trying to make her children
understand
why they are moving to Oregon. Lastly is Tessa. She is the rebel. But all have secrets they would
rather
not share. Not even with each other.
On the other side of the fence, Kane was the typical bad boy during his teenage years. He was the
town
troublemaker. He knew Claire was too good for him but that did not stop him from wanting her
by his
side. Now that sixteen years have passed, the feeling has not subsided and he decides to go after
the girl
he wants. However, Kane still wants Claire to talk to him about the night of Harley's murder. She
believes that his friendship is only to get her to talk. And she has no desire for Kane to learn the
truth
of her past deeds.
Then there are the unsuspecting children Claire has raised. Her oldest, Sean, is the spitting image
of
Kane but she is too scared to tell either of the men in her life the truth. Claire's daughter simply
does not
want anything to do with her biological father and claims Kane as her own. While the children had
nothing to do with the night in question, Kane is sure Claire did. But Kane does not want to cause
problems. He just wants to tell the truth.
He did not count on the killer wanting final vengeance.
Jackson sets the mystery in such as way that foretells of the killer's entrance back into the fray.
Yet still
holds the web of deceit tight allowing the reader to wonder who really killed Harley Taggert. As
the tale
unfolds, another realization comes to play for about the time of Harley's death, a man fell to his
death
and another disappeared without a trace. Only one benefitted from their deaths. But could they all
be
related?
In this new edition of WHISPERS, Jackson had added more tension and a new ending to the
original
released back in 1999. It features the same characters with the same backgrounds and feelings.
The
characterization is superb as each feeling expressed is noticeable. Readers will want to pluck poor
Claire
from the disaster waiting to happen as Kane gets ready to put his journalistic pen to paper.
WHISPERS
will take a small part of your soul allowing the venture to the dark side of life. Snap this up!
Jackson
has a winning suspense here.
Dancing in the Rain
Amanda Harte
Avalon Books
Thomas Bouregy & Co., Inc.
160 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
ISBN 0803496060 $19.95 http://www.avalonbooks.com
Inspirational historical romance
Carolyn Wentworth volunteered to go to France for all the wrong reasons. At the time, she
believed she
could help the wounded. She quickly realized that part of their recovery depended on laughter.
Because
her grandmother was a wise old woman with many tales, Carolyn shared her stories with the men
in her
ward. She believed laughter was like medicine. By making the soldiers laugh and forget their
worries,
Carolyn believed she was doing her part as she performed her regular duties.
Thankfully, Carolyn had never had the opportunity to meet the most brilliant physician. He spent
most
of his free time to himself. And he never laughed or cracked a smile. Until Carolyn rushed into the
operating theater to take the place of her sick friend, Helen. Although Carolyn was not trained,
she did
her best to make everyone relax while trying to stay one step ahead of the Doctor called Hollow
Heart.
His one passion in life had always been to be a doctor. His father wished otherwise but Dwight
Hollins
would not be swayed. He knew he was meant to be a doctor and nothing would detour him from
that
path. But Dwight was tired of the many nurses who simply tolerated him. Unfortunately, because
they
could not see past his demeanor, the nurses were nervous and did not perform as expected. Until
Carolyn came into his life. So while Dwight was still perplexed about the nurse's behavior in the
operating theater and the fact that the men called her Clothespin Carolyn, Dwight knew she was
the best
assistant he had ever had. So he went to the head nurse and demanded Carolyn to be scheduled to
him.
This leads to a bizarre scene where Carolyn can do nothing but tell the truth. As she tells the
reason of
her presence that fateful day, Carolyn sees a tug of a smile on old Hollow Heart's face. In the end,
Dwight gets his way and is doubly pleased with the performance they muster daily. Even the rest
of the
staff notices that he is becoming somewhat human. Through it all, he never realizes that Carolyn
has a
self-confidence problem because she is always bubbly and bright. Then he asks her a personal
question
and finds out there is more to Carolyn than her outward demeanor suggests.
Set during World War I, Harte journeys into the difficulties facing any soldier far from home. In
Carolyn's case, Harte tells of an insecure butterfly who is more into the social scene than worrying
about
someone else. But when Carolyn overhears her lack of virtue being discussed, she immediately
volunteers to be a nurse's aid stationed in France to show everyone that she can do more than
shop or
flirt.
Meanwhile, Dwight believes he cannot show emotion. He cares so deeply for the patients he
treats. Yet
at the same time, Dwight feels he must remain dispassionate in order to be the very best. Then he
meets
wild Carolyn over the operating table and again later in the ward wearing a clothespin on her nose
while
emptying the bedpans. His mind whirls as he steadfastly attempts to stop her antics while
internally, he
smiles at the joy she brings the wounded.
Now while the patients have come to expect Carolyn's precarious attitude, they are taken aback
by
Dwight and his easy carefree manner while Carolyn is about. So the men begin teasing them about
an
upcoming wedding going so far as to hum the wedding march every time they come near. While
Dwight
sees the humor and allows the charade to continue, Carolyn is embarrassed for she has no desire
to
marry anyone other than her childhood friend, Ed.
As many may wonder in a romance, Harte does not pull punches regarding the horrors of war.
She tells
it like it is whether the outcome is good or bad. The sights and sounds are muted, however, as the
major
portion of this tale takes place far behind the lines of fire.
There are not many novels based on or around World War I available. Until recently, this era was
a
taboo subject for it fell between the lines of traditional historical romances and contemporary
romances.
Ironically, many of the novels based during wartime were also not acceptable either because
conditions
did not warrant romance. In this, Harte brings about a new generation of tales for many did find
love
during these times and in the harshest of conditions.
Two thumbs up! DANCING IN THE RAIN is required reading for those end of summer
blues.
Montana Bride
Barbara Clark
Wings ePress, Inc
403 Wallace Court, Richmond KY 40475
http://www.wingsepress.com
ISBN 1590881885 $TBA 859-625-5629 (fax)
contemporary romance
Megan O'Connor was determined to provide a real home for her brother's children. They did not
need
to be shipped to boarding school as their grandfather wanted. They needed a family. Truth be
told,
Megan never really had the closeness she wanted in her youth. Neither did her brother. So
according
to her brother's wishes, she wanted to give Ryan and Katie everything she had of herself that she
never
received as a child. Whether her father agreed or not.
She had been in Montana at the Silvertip Ranch for a month. Megan loved it. The kids enjoyed
the
outdoors. And she was far away from her father. Or so she thought. Megan had used nearly all of
her
money to purchase the ranch. Although she held stocks, her father had control and refused to
hand them
over to her. Unfortunately, he wanted her married. So he bribed men of his acquaintance to ask
for her
hand. He did not think of Megan's feelings though. He believed he knew what was right for her
and
would not take no for an answer. However, Megan wanted nothing to do with her father's choices
so
she turned them all down.
But she still had major problems.
On paper, she looked wealthy. In reality, Megan was poor because she did not have control of any
assets except for the ranch. This was not desirable to the social worker because it was possible
Megan
would not be able to provide a decent home for the children. Besides she was single. So Megan
did what
her father, Burke O'Connor, expected. She got married.
Travis Knight was not wealthy like his boss. He was a poor cowboy with dreams. This did not
stop him
from falling in love with another rich woman. Like his past love, Travis believed Megan would
eventually leave him to return to her roots. Then there were the children who tugged at his
heartstrings.
He could not help but love them. So while his heart told him one thing, his mind said differently.
Of
course, he did not know Megan very well either.
This is a fun energetic story that plays heavily on emotions. While the character's moods and
personalities are thought out well, they seem superficial in the subconscious mind. Especially
when
Travis decides to go back to Rainbow Valley. His reasons did not ring true nor was there ever a
mention
as to why he left in the first place. Then there is the fact that Travis may not have been welcomed
back
at Rainbow Valley and given a job. In a sense, Travis came to Montana to help out his aunt. Yet
there
is nary a mention of how she would cope without his assistance.
This is a story based on telling. The reader must flow within the preset guidelines to ride the
storms of
the apprehension present in Megan's fight for Ryan and Katie. Even knowing this, MONTANA
BRIDE
hits the spot for an enjoyable read. And it's quite reasonable to believe that Clark will continue to
define
her voice to bring forth true-to-life tales readers will clamor to the bookstores to find.
Brenda Ramsbacher
Reviewer
Alyice's Bookshelf
The Father's Guide
Jim Hoehn
Parent's Guide Press
c/o Mars Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 461730, Los Angeles, California 90046
ISBN: 1931199221, $12.95, 134 pages, http://store.yahoo.com/marspub/
Alyice Edrich
Reviewer
The Father's Guide to Birth, Babies, and Loud Children is a fun and entertaining book! You've
heard
of the "What to expect when your expecting" book series for women, haven't you? This is the
"real-world" version of what you can realistically expect life to be like with toddlers under foot for
men! But it's so funny that women can't help but read it in one sitting! I know I did. Hoehn
hilariously
takes you through the eyes of man...from childbirthing classes and homes that look as though a
tornado
swept through the living room to realizing that with children come chaos, hard work, genuine
love, and
tons of laughter!
Homeschooling Moments and Child-Friendly Recipes
Sharon Schnupp Kuepfer
Privately Published
ISBN: 0973041609, $6.95, 49 pages, http://skuepfer.com/
Have you ever considered homeschooling your children? What about taking time out of the day to
play
in the kitchen with your children, making fun, simple recipes? Then you'll love Sharon's book!
Each page
is vividly descriptive. As I read her heartfelt, and often humorous stories, I couldn't help but
visualize
myself in her home, experiencing the very same event! Each story makes for a good modern-day
"Laura
Ingalls Wilder" bedtime story. And each recipe is so simple, even the smallest of hands or the
most
impatient child can spend a few minutes bonding with mom in the kitchen!
Alyice Edrich
Reviewer
Taylor's Bookshelf
Light From The East
Alexei V. Nesteruk
Fortress Press
100 Fifth Street, Suite 700, Minneapolis, MN 55402-1210
0800634993 $22.00 www.fortresspress.com
Light From The East: Theology, Science, And The Eastern Orthodox Tradition by Alexei V.
Nesteruk
(a researcher in cosmology and quantum physics), presents a new perspective on the conflicts
between
science and religion. Revealing unique contributions from the Orthodox tradition of Greek
Patristic
thought that apply to human understanding of God in our world in a way that Western traditions
do
perceive as adroitly, Light From The East persuasively addresses a vision of harmony between
Orthodox
vision and cosmology that incorporates the irreversibility of Time, humanity as universal
hypostasis, and
more. A highly erudite and complex discussion, Light From The East is a welcome and
recommended
addition to Religious Studies collections and Christian Theology reading lists.
Stop Digging!
Cliff Goins IV, CPA
Adelphos Publishing Group
PO Box 198630, Chicago, IL 60619
0972741801 $14.95 1-866-484-0316 www.StopStartBooks.com
Cliff Goins is a CPA experienced in financial services. In Stop Digging! A Spiritual Guide To
Financial
Freedom And Sound Stewardship, Goins presents a financial investing guide which is written
especially
for Christians seeking to developing a personal investing plan for their financial security, while
keeping
their financial actions within an accordance with God's word and His will. Offering basic, practical
advice about avoiding debt; the importance of planning and preparation; the virtue of prudence,
and
more, Stop Digging! is a sound, basic planner with solid advice for readers of all faiths, though
those
of Christian beliefs can most readily relate to the author's perception of what God would want
most for
His children. Also very highly recommended is the a companion volume from the Adelphos
Publishing
Group: Shundrawn A. Thomas' Start Planting!: A Spiritual Guide To Wealth Creation And
Successful
Investing (097274181X, $14.95).
The Vision Of Thomas Merton
Patrick F. O'Connell
Ave Maria Press, Inc.
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
0877939918 $14.95 www.avemariapress.com
Compiled and edited by Patrick F. O'Connell (Associate Professor of English and Theology,
Gannon
University Erie, Pennsylvania), The Vision Of Thomas Merton brings together the memories and
writings from a variety of individuals who knew the poetry and experienced the spiritual searching
and
teaching of Thomas Merton. Exploring this influential man and his quest for truth; Merton's
amalgamation of knowledge and religious vision; and his unforgettable poetic works of insight
and
inspiration, The Vision Of Thomas Merton is a diverse and strongly recommended enhancement
for
those exploring the complex nuances of this memorable figure and his diverse writings ranging
from the
Hebrew prophets, to the peace movement, to the Desert Fathers, to Buddhism, science, and
literature.
Early Christian Mystics
Bernard McGinn and Patricia Ferris McGinn
The Crossroad Publishing Company
481 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1550, New York, NY 10001
0824521064 $18.95 1-800-395-0690 www.crossroadpublishing.com
Bernard McGinn, dubbed "the world's greatest interpreter of Western mysticism" (Choice),
combines
his talent and insight with licensed professional counselor Patricia Ferris McGinn in Early
Christian
Mystics: The Divine Vision Of The Spiritual Masters. An accessible and informative study of the
uplifting words and wisdom of Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine of Hippo, Dionysius, Hildegard of
Bingen,
and many others, Early Christian Mystics is an intense, spiritual study striving to better understand
the
depths of metaphysical Christian wisdom, wholeness, and the love of these teachings that have
endured
the centuries through their innate strength and inherent virtue.
To Live A Truer Life
Lynn Gordon Hughes & Lindro
Blackstone Editions
60 12th Street, Providence, RI 02906
097250172X $20.00 www.adinballou.org
To Live A Truer Life is the true story of the Hopedale Community, founded in 1841 by Adin and
Lucy
Ballou, and others who sought to understand the teachings of Jesus, and called themselves
"Practical
Christians" because they sought to practice their religion in daily life. Rejecting all authority based
on
force (to the extent that they did not vote, participate in government, or use the police or courts)
the
people of this unique and utopian community tested their religious principles by sheltering
escaping
slaves, guaranteeing jobs to all able-bodied members, and even showing charity to a burglar who
tried
to rob them. A strong testimony with simple color illustrations by Lindro, To Live A Truer Life
was
written by Lynn Gordon Hughes as a strong effort to be as accurate as possible in its depiction of
history
and of the community for young readers.
No God But God
A. Christian van Gorder
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
1570754640 $25.00 orbisbooks.com
A. Christian van Gorder is the Professor of Religious and Intercultural Studies at Messiah College
in
Grantham, Pennsylvania. In No God But God: A Path To Muslim-Christian Dialogue On God's
Nature
Professor van Gorder meticulously studies the basics for a potential dialogue between Christians
and
Muslims, and identifies the grounds for frequent misunderstandings between sincere Christians
and
devout Muslims. Noting that many books exist expressly to explain one faith to members of the
other
faith, No God But God seeks a more balanced path to better establish understanding between
members
of both faiths. A straightforward, evenhanded, and astutely written trailblazing volume, No God
But
God is as timely as it is invaluable in view of today's global conflicts arising from religiously
driven
cultural clashes and the pressing need for Christian/Muslim dialogues in order to resolve disputes
and
accommodate diverse world views between Christian and Muslim communities.
Biblical Pacifism
Dale W. Brown
Evangel Publishing House
2000 Evangel Way, PO Box 189, Nappanee, Indiana 46550
www.evangelpublishing.com
1928915507 $16.95 1-800-253-9315
Former professor of theology at Bethany Theological Seminary Dale W. Brown presents a
powerful
ethical discourse in this revised and expanded second edition of Biblical Pacifism. Professor
Brown
scrutinizes crucial biblical passages about peace and offers answers to disturbing questions for
peace-loving Christians. A strong, well-reasoned, thought-provoking and versed account, Biblical
Pacifism is highly recommended reading for devout Christian pacifists, as well as those seeking to
come
to grips with a Christian perspective of the relationship of war and religion.
John Taylor
Reviewer
Bethany's Bookshelf
The Wonderful Life In Christ Jesus
Jon Be Mae Davis
The Christopher Publishing House
Commerce Green, 24 Rockland Street, Hanover, MA 02339
0815805489 $9.95 1-781-826-7474 www.atigroupinc.com
The Wonderful Life In Christ Jesus is the direct transliteration of author Johnnie Mae Davis'
communication with the Savior Lord Jesus Christ. The powerful and frank testimony of the
author's life,
her fervent faith and interaction with God, and her wary mistrust of Satan are combined to create
an
impressive work of inspiring, passionate, and reverent personal testimony. The Wonderful Life In
Christ
Jesus is rewarding and recommended reading for Christians of all denominational
backgrounds.
Living The Words Of Jesus
Rosemary Jensen
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501
0825429439 $12.99 1-800-733-2607
Author Rosemary Jensen (who has served as Executive Director of Bible Study Fellowship
International
for twenty years), originally compiled Living The Words Of Jesus: Meditations On 96 Crucial
Topics
Of The Christian Life for her personal use. These gentle thoughts on, and quotes of, the teachings
of
Christ are arranged in an alphabetic study, organized by principle and theme, and offer Christians
of all
denominational backgrounds with an effective means to reflect upon their faith, and better
embrace the
words and intent of the Savior. Living The Words Of Jesus is confidently recommended reading
and a
welcome addition to personal Christian Studies reading lists.
How Each Child Learns
Bernadette T. Stankard
Twenty-Third Publications
185 Willow Street, PO Box 180, Mystic, CT 06355
1585952699 $10.95 1-800-321-0411 www.twentythirdpublications.com
Bernadette T. Stankard is a Christian minister with over thirty years' experience. In How Each
Child
Learns: Using Multiple Intelligence In Faith Formation, Bernadette has specifically written a book
for
Christian parents and religious educators that explores how theories of multiple intelligence can be
applied to creatively teach religion to children. Highly recommended reading for Christian parents
and
educators regardless of their denominational affiliation or background, and offering practical
methods
for the home and the parish, How Each Child Learns is a respectful tribute to the Christian faith
and the
search to better understand how young minds can come to learn about God's love.
Thankful Together
Holly Davis & Valerie Sokolova
Standard Publishing
8121 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45231
0784714363 $14.99 1-800-543-1301 www.standardpub.com
Thankful Together is a reverent Christian picture book that combines Holly Davis' narrative story
with
inviting color illustrations by Valerie Sokolova. Very highly recommended for young children,
Thankful
Together is the engaging story of a faithful squirrel family underscored with simple verse to
express
praise and thankfulness to God for His loving care. Squirrel mother and child celebrate playtime,
bath
time, and bedtime with prayers expressing love and gratitude to God in the delightful and
warmhearted
read.
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Anne Wilson
Eerdmans Books for Young Reader
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
255 Jefferson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503
0802852505 $16.00 1-800-253-7521
The Lord Is My Shepherd presents the hallowed words of Psalm Twenty-Three enhanced with
powerful
color illustrations of semi-abstract art by Anne Wilson. A vivid and attention provoking picture
book,
The Lord Is My Shepherd creates a strong and contemporary feel which is particularly
recommended
for children of all ages and denominational backgrounds.
For The Love Of A Child
Wilburta Arrowood
Publishing Designs, Inc.
PO Box 3241, Huntsville Alabama 35810
0929540352 $10.95 1-256-533-4301 www.publishingdesigns.com
For The Love Of A Child is an emotional novel, deftly written by Wilburta Arrowood, a devout
Christian and foster mother to thirty-four children. This is the compelling story of a woman who
burns
with rage and bitterness over the death of her daughter, but who slowly comes to grips with the
inescapable truth that vengeance for her daughter's untimely death belongs to God. An emotional
and
devoted tale of faith, For The Love Of A Child showcases the importance of Christians
transcending
their inner demons and opening themselves to love of one another, and to accept love and justice
of
God.
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Burroughs' Bookshelf
Islam Under Siege
Akbar S. Ahmed
Polity Press
c/o Blackwell Publishing Inc.
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
0745622100 $19.95 www.polity.co.uk
Expertly written by Akbar S. Ahmed (Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University,
Washington, DC), Islam Under Siege is a ground breaking examination of critical issues
surrounding
Islam, the West, and how the two diverse cultures view one another. Ranging down the last few
centuries of history, and into the post-modern world of globalization, and now in the wake of the
September 11 attacks, Islam Under Siege ranges from such central issues of controversy as the
Islamic
treatment of women, the failings of Muslim leadership, the quest for Muslim ideals and a global
paradigm, and more. Islam Under Siege is a quite sober analysis and a very strongly
recommended
addition to Islamic Studies reference shelves and reading lists.
Islamic Administration Under Omar Ibn Al-Khattab
Farouk S. Majdalawi
Majdalawi Masterpieces Publications
c/o Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13244-5160
9957030132 $22.00 1-800-365-8929
Some crucial documents concerning the history of Islam are presented in English for the first time,
in
Islamic Administration Under Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, a scholarly study by Farouk S. Majdalawi of
the
achievements and legacy of the reign of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, the second Caliph after Prophet
Muhammad. Examining the creation of post office, judiciary and police of the era, the
construction
projects carried out, the growth of the Islamic army, and much more, Islamic Administration
Under
Omar Ibn Al-Khattab offers readers a kind of "window in time" revealing a most remarkable time
and
place of great change and growth in Islamic history.
The Heart Of Kendo
Darrell Max Craig
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
1590300149 $18.95 shambhala.com
Authoritatively written by Darrell Max Craig (a Japanese sword and ritual expert with black belts
in ten
martial arts, and who has earned the title of Shihan or "master teacher" in Japan), The Heart Of
Kendo:
A Comprehensive Introduction To The Philosophy And Practice Of The Art Of The Sword is an
informed and informative guide to the Japanese discipline of the sword, starting with the basics of
the
equipment and its care and then moving on to the spiritual virtues of respect and restraint;
exercises,
grips, stances, strikes, positioning; seven long-sword forms (kata) that form the foundation of
kendo
practice; and more. An excellent introduction and resource to the physical and spiritual depth of
this
challenging martial art, The Heart Of Kendo is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended
addition
to personal, professional, and academic Martial Arts reference collections.
The Film Director's Intuition
Judith Weston
Michael Wiese Productions
1209 West Howe St, Seattle, WA 98119
0941188787 $26.95 1-800-833-5738
Expertly written by Judith Weston (the teacher of the successful Acting for Directors workshop,
which
has been presented for fifteen years in the U.S., Canada, and Europe), The Film Director's
Intuition:
Script Analysis And Rehearsal Techniques is an in-depth study of the professional craft of
directing at
a deeper level than simply following the blocking. From learning to read and internalize the
impulses and
feelings of the actors; making the most of a director's imagination and instinct; to maximizing
creativity
on both sides of the camera, and so much more, The Film Director's Intuition is a truly excellent
guide
which is especially recommended for both the novice director as well as experienced directors
seeking
to advance and realize their film making, story-telling potential.
Set Lighting Technician's Handbook
Harry C. Box
Focal Press
200 Wheeler Road, 6th floor, Burlington, MA 01803
0240804953 $46.95 focalpress.com
Knowledgeably written by Hollywood-based gaffer and director of photography Harry C. Box,
this
newly revised and expanded third edition of Set Lighting Technician's Handbook authoritatively
covers
the equipment, electrical distribution, and techniques of film lighting. From a basic overview of
who
does what job on the lighting crew; to descriptions of how to use a wide variety of light fixtures
ranging
from tungsten to HMI to fluorescent lights; to safely handling electric power sources, Set
Lighting
Technician's Handbook is an excellent reference tool, instructional refresher course, and
quick-lookup
resource for set lighting technicians of all skill and experience levels.
Politics By Principle, Not Interest
James M. Buchanan and Roger D. Congleton
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
0865972346 $12.00 1-800-955-8335 www.libertyfund.org
Volume 11 of the collected works of James M. Buchanan, Politics By Principle, Not Interest:
Toward
Nondiscriminatory Democracy is a visionary discourse of the often unfair means by which politics
shapes human affairs, and ways to improve the system so that it better and more accurately
represents
the needs of humanity. Discussing the strengths and weaknesses of majoritarian democracy, the
political
efficiency of general taxation, the generality without uniformity that is federalism and much more,
Politics By Principle, Not Interest (collaboratively edited by Buchanan and Roger D. Congleton)
is
thought-provoking contribution to Political Science Studies and very highly recommended
reading.
John Buroughs
Reviewer
Carson's Bookshelf
Simple Living
Frank Levering and Wanda Urbanska
John F. Blair, Publisher
1406 Plaza Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
0895872897 $12.95 www.blairpub.com
Simple Living is the true story of Frank Levering and Wanda Urbanska, a couple whose constant
craving for more of the trappings of materialism while living life in the fast lane encroached upon
their
sanity and well-being -- until they chose to revert to a simpler life running a family orchard on the
Blue
Ridge mountains. An inspirational guide to taking charge of one's life and prioritizing what truly
matters,
Simple Living is thoughtful and occasionally inspiring reading which is heartily commended to the
attention of anyone feeling that there contemporary lifestyle is disadvantageous to their truly
livingk and
are looking for something better -- something simpler.
Minding Animals
Marc Bekoff
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
0195163370 $15.95 www.oup.com
Expertly written by Marc Bekoff (Professor of Biology, University of Colorado - Boulder and the
man
who co-founded the "Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" with Jane Goodall),
Minding
Animals: Awareness, Emotion, And Heart presents amazing anecdotes of animal behavior as well
as
both the science and informed speculations concerning animal cognition, consciousness, and
passions.
Urging respect and compassion for all animals, Minding Animals: Awareness, Emotion, and Heart
is an
engaging, fascinating, informative and thought-provoking read which is especially recommended
for
animal rights activists.
People Vs. Profits
Victor Perlo
International Publishers
PO Box 3042, NY, NY 10116
0717807363 $18.00 www.intpubnyc.com
People Vs. Profits: The Home Front is volume one of a series compiling the published columns by
notable economist Victor Perlo. Thoughts concerning Marxism, labor and industry, big business
and
profiteering, militarism, taxes, racism, social security, income differential, and more, People Vs.
Profits
presents the observations and analysis of Victor Perlo in a down-to-earth and highly readable
fashion
ideal for the non-specialist general reader. An absorbing read that presents difficult issues in a
practical
and accessible manner that readers of all ages and backgrounds can appreciate, People Vs. Profit
is a
welcome and recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Economic
Studies
collection.
Michael J. Carson
Reviewer
Buhle's Bookshelf
Genuine Risk
Hallie McEvoy
Eclipse Press
c/o Blood-Horse Publications
PO Box 4038, Lexington, KY 40544
1581500920 $24.95 1-859-278-2361 www.eclipsepress.com
Written by experienced equestrian journalist Hallie McEvoy as part of the Eclipse Press
"Thoroughbred
Legends" series, Genuine Risk is the fascinating and informative story of an exceptional
thoroughbred
racehorse who became the second filly to win the Kentucky Derby. An inset section of
black-and-white
photographs enhance the narrative tale of an exceptional filly -- who interestingly enough did not
produce any foals until she was 13 years old and who then gave birth to a colt named Genuine
Reward.
Genuine Risk is confidently recommended to the attention of all thoroughbred horse racing
enthusiasts.
Painting The Dream
David Chethlahe Paladin
Bear & Company/Inner Tradition
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
1591430135 $24.95 InnerTraditions.com
Painting The Dream: The Shamanic Life And Art Of David Chethlahe Paladin is a vividly
presented
artbook showcasing the work of visionary artist and activist David Chethlahe Paladin (1926-1984)
in
full color. Paladin grew up on a Navajo reservation, was a student at the Chicago Art Institute,
and left
a longstanding legacy of brilliant color shapes and patterns of undying imagery. Painting The
Dream is
a welcome and commended addition to any personal or academic American Art History , Native
American Studies, or Metaphysical Studies collection.
The Capitol Inside & Out
Jim Berard
EPM Publications, Inc.
8482-A, West Main Street, Marshall, Virginia 20115
1889324248 $24.95 1-800-289-2339
The Capitol Inside & Out by Jim Berard (a Capitol Hill Press secretary since 1987) is a highly
readable
history of the people and noted historical events surrounding the creation and history of America's
capitol building in Washington, D.C.. Black-and-white and color photographs enhance a
"reader-friendly" text which provides an amazing wealth of fascinating trivia distinguishing this
most
informative and enjoyable specialized history of the nation's most important and deeply symbolic
building. The Capitol Inside & Out is an enthusiastically recommended addition to school and
community library collections.
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
Greenspan's Bookshelf
Start-To-Finish Paths & Walkways
Meredith Books
1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50336
www.meredithbooks.com
089721479X $11.95 1-800-678-8091
Start-To-Finish Paths & Walkways is a straightforward how-to guide to designing, planning, and
building functional and decorative brick, stone, wood, concrete, grass, or natural materials paths
and
walkways as part of a planned landscaping of the home. Step-by-step instructions, full color
illustrations,
tips, tricks, techniques, exacting measurements, guidelines on tool usage and much more fill the
pages
of this excellent and highly recommended guide specifically designed for do-it-yourself projects by
the
non-specialist general reader.
Haunted Lake Superior
Hugh E. Bishop
Lake Superior Port Cities Inc.
PO Box 16417, Duluth, Minnesota 55816-0417
094223555X $14.95 1-888-244-5253 www.lakesuperior.com
Compiled and edited by Hugh E. Bishop, Haunted Lake Superior showcases tales and legends of
the
supernatural and unexplained phenomena associated with Lake Superior. Ranging from ghosts
and
UFOs, to lighthouse hauntings, divine interventions, hidden forces within the lake itself, and more,
each
incident is discussed in fascinating detail in this informed and informative resource recommended
for
anyone with interest in paranormal studies, or who are regional folklore enthusiasts.
Dance Of Days
Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins
Akashic Books
PO Box 1456, New York, NY 10009
1888451440 $19.95 www.akashicbooks.com
The collaborative effort of Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins, Dance Of Days: Two Decades Of
Punk
In The Nation's Capital is an engaging and informative survey of the Washington DC's punk scene
over
the past twenty years. The authors expertly examine the music, the influential artists and
entertainers,
the grassroots rock revolution that had a lasting effect on mainstream culture, and more.
Black-and-white photographs nicely enhanced the "reader friendly", down-to-earth writing style in
this
insightful "window" into popular American culture and modern American music history.
Able Greenspan
Reviewer
Vogel's Bookshelf
Pueblo Indian Wisdom
Teresa Pijoan
Sunstone Press
PO Box 2321, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2321
0865343195 $12.95 1-800-243-5644
Pueblo Indian Wisdom: Native American Legends And Mythology is a collection by Teresa Pijoan
of
the legends, folktales, and myths which were passed down orally for generations among the
Pueblo
Indians of the American Southwest. Powerfully rendered, the recorded drafts of each individual
story
was shown to multiple storytellers, with their comments taken into account for the final draft. An
absorbing and thought-provoking assemblage of folklore, Pueblo Indian Wisdom is a welcome
and
commended addition to any personal, academic, or community library Native American Studies
collection.
Heartfelt Expressions
Deborah Carpenter-Ishmael
American Literary Press, Inc.
c/o Five Star Special Edition
8019 Belair Road, Suite 10, Baltimore, Maryland 21236
1561677876 $7.95
Heartfelt Expressions presents brief, simple free-verse poems by Deborah Carpenter-Ishmael
celebrating
everyday life, the importance of the mother's role in the family, the need for love, meditations of
the
soul, and more. A powerful work that reads quickly yet leaving lingering impressions in the mind
and
spirit. Somewhere: "Somewhere there's someone just like me/Someone who cares for all
humanity/Someone just like me/Some place where love is not measured,/But for all mankind to
treasure"...
Vintage San Francisco
Moulin Studios
Welcome Books
6 West 18 Street, New York, NY 10011
0941807312 $16.95 1-212-989-3200 www.welcomebooks.biz
Compiled and edited by Peter Bernen, Vintage San Francisco is an absorbing presentation of
black-and-white historical photographs of San Francisco taken by members of Moulin Studios,
especially California's premier photographer Gabriel Moulin (1872-1945). These images range
from the
ruin left by the Great Quake of 1906, to images of the glorious Golden Gate. A few simple quotes
about
this grand city embellish the captivating images. Vintage San Francisco is an excellent and
inspirational
photographic tribute to one of California's most historically important and influential cities.
Paul T. Vogel
Reviewer
Betsy's Bookshelf
Athena And Kain
Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr.
Solving Light Books
727 Mount Alban Drive, Annapolis, Maryland 21401
0970543824 $14.95 www.solvinglight.com
Adeptly written by a Greek art interpreter and Parthenon iconographer Robert Bowie Johnson Jr.,
Athena And Kain: The True Meaning Of Greek Myth is an informative and inherently fascinating
exploration of Greek mythology and art. Interpreting the victory of Zeus and the gods over the
giants
as a triumph over the Yahweh-believing sons of Noah, and with it the demise of Greek humanity's
faith
in God, Athena And Kain offers a controversal, iconoclastic, yet compelling and deftly presented
interpretation. Athena And Kain is especially commended to students of Antiquarian Studies in
general,
and Greek Mythology in particular.
Early To Rise
Michael Stahl
Silver Lake Publishing
2025 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027
1563437392 $19.95 1-888-663-3091 www.silverlakepub.com
Early To Rise: A Young Adult's Guide To Investing And Financial Decisions That Can Shape
Your Life
by Michael Stahl is a solid and thoroughly "reader friendly" guide to investing and personal
financial
matters written especially for young adults. From the basics of mutual funds, to investment clubs,
stocks
and bonds, getting to know the market, using personal youth as an investment advantage, and
more,
Early To Rise offers a wealth of invaluable information and practical investment wisdom for teens
and
young adults determined to make their money work for them.
Betsy L. Hogan
Reviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
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