Lois Wells Santalo embellishes character development to a fine art in her novel, "Dorothea in the Mirror: A Jill Szekely Mystery." With extraordinary skill, Santalo brings the reader into the post-war era of New York, in the predominately Jewish community comprised of refugees from the Nazi regime takeover of Eastern Europe.She introduces and describes her characters with the conversational techniques so ever present in discussing people of that time and place. People then talked about a person by bringing into the picture their family, their profession or skill, and their age pursuant to goals of raising a family. Integrity and honesty of the Jewish immigrants were commonplace characteristics, and for a talented pianist, Zoltan Szekely to be the prime suspect of a murder, things didn't add up.However the evidence did. The unraveling of the mystery leads a path through events and clandestine motives, a journey including a psychic vision, and brings to life the sensations of a generation of people scared from the carnage overseas.What struck me most impressively is Lois Santalo's clarity with her characters. Her talent as an author to bring her people to life, using superbly appropriate dialog, embellishing each with a sober background of where the person came from, made me truly believe in the reality of the characters. In fact, at times I thought she was writing about people she knew and the story was real!That's how well she carried me into her book. Whereas many novels tend to rely on action, location, or even sex to maintain interest, I believe Lois Santalo's depth of character development is truly her forte. Her writing has more than intelligence; she interlaces wisdom throughout the pages. In the unpretentious lives of people renting rooms and sharing common areas, amidst the modesty of working people always on time and respectful of their roles, people back then barely filled their basic needs however kept their mental development unrestrained.Never yielding determination and adhering to their intrinsic values, her characters formed indelible memories in my mind. This may be the best compliment I can say about a book - something that makes me very pleased to have had the wonderful opportunity to get to know Lois Santalo through her writing of her fictional deceased character Dorothea, and all that followed in the wake of her murder.For those who love mysteries, this book is a must. The classical assumptions of a police investigation are juxtaposed against the unique and unconventional characters resulting in a true page turner. Clad in a cover photo of a magnifying glass focusing on a corpse with a toe tag, implying a "Sherlock Holmes" type of thought provoking mystery, this artfully done work is a polished gem. Once you then begin to know Lois Wells Santalo, and learn of her cancer survival and love for writing, you thank heaven for her being able to achieve such a masterful accomplishment.Title: Dorothea in the Mirror: A Jill Szekely Mystery
Author: Lois Wells Santalo dr seuss cat in hat quotes
marți, 30 martie 2010
Buried Alive - The True Story of Kidnapping, Captivity, and a Dramatic Rescue by Roy Hallums
Buried Alive - The True Story of Kidnapping, Captivity, and a Dramatic Rescue by Roy Hallums is the compelling story of a man's will to survive. It's a white knuckle ride as you follow the author's unrelenting physical and psychological torment at the hands of Iraqi insurgents. Roy Hallums book provides a behind-the-scenes look at what it means to be kidnapped in Iraq and forced to suffer imprisonment and beatings.It was November 2004 and contractor, Roy Hallums was working late at his office in Iraq at the Saudi Arabian Trading and Construction Company. The office was supposedly well-protected by armed security guards but four kidnappers broke in and hauled him and a co-worker away at gunpoint. For three hundred and eleven days, the men were held hostage and moved frequently. Eventually they were taken to a farmhouse and thrown into a concrete pit under the floor with only a pipe in the ceiling to provide oxygen. They were forced to wear masks and endured hunger, heat and cold. The confinement is described in chilling detail including beatings and psychological torture. His family dealt with the nightmare back home and they never gave up on him. When his location was finally verified, he was successfully rescued by the US Military.Roy Hallums story is captivating. I was hooked on page one and could not put it down. He will amaze you with his perseverance, hope and survival skills. The first person narrative is very well written. The fast pace keeps the pages turning. It's a gripping tale that will give you insight to events in the Middle East. I highly recommend it.Disclaimer: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. The opinions are my own.Publisher: Thomas NelsonISBN: 978-1595551702Hardcover: 256 PagesPrice: $25.99 dr seuss cat in hat history
Fanny and Johnnie Cradock - The Pioneer TV Cookery Experts
I've recently had a lot to say about the therapeutic effect of laughter. A few days ago I wrote about the memorable occasions on radio and television when performers like Peter Cook and Dudley Moore have been convulsed with fits of uncontrollable laughter. Many of these corpsing attacks have been triggered by unintentional double entendres. One of these oft-repeated howlers relates to my friendFanny Cradock. At this point I've got to be very careful, because while I'm glad to be able to honour Fanny's memory, I don't want to be accused of name dropping. This I've always regarded as a form of self aggrandisement, rather like the highbrow pedants who litter their speech with Latin or German quotations, even though they know they'll be never be understood by most of their audience.These thoughts came to mind recently when I re-read Time to Remember, the autobiography of Johnny and Fanny Cradock, the Bon Viveur cookery team. Here was the flamboyant Fanny to a tee, name dropping as outrageously as she did throughout her life. Every page of these memoirs is filled with recollections of her adventures with 'Willy', 'Monty' and 'Normie', whom lesser mortals know as Somerset Maugham, Sir Compton MacKenzie and Sir Norman Hartnell. Here were accounts of her epicurean adventures around the globe. A meal she had on the terrace of Cipriani's in Venice, lingering over a desert of Paste à l'Armagnac teamed with a priceless bottle of Chateau d'Yquem 1926. But for me the most poignant parts of the book are those which relate to events I actually shared. These include the televised show at the Albert Hall, when a packed house of 7,000 fans looked down on a cookery demonstration given in a flood-lit boxing ring decked out to look like a typical French bistro. During the morning rehearsals Fanny lost her voice, through a mixture of nerves and abuse of her voice as she barked out increasingly frantic instructions to her team of helpers. Then, a few hours before the performance, she was finally overcome by a fit of panic and ran out of the hall, hailing a taxi to take her to a church where she hoped to find escape from her mental agony. She was rescued by the ever-dependable Johnny, who far from being a drunken wimp, as he was often portrayed by the media, was in fact the quiet strength of the partnership.Later the book recounts the splendid New Year's Eve parties that Johnny and Fanny gave for eighty or more friends and A-list celebrities at their delightful Georgian Dower House in Hertfordshire. On these splendid occasions the driveway would be lit with flaming torches. Guests, on entering the festively decorated house, would be greeted by carols sung by a choir standing one above the other on the steps of the foyer's spiral staircase. At one of these parties Fanny introduced me to an attractive young fellow who had just come down from university where he had been President of the Oxford Union. This man, she assured me, would one day be Prime Minister of Great Britain. His name was Gyles Brandreth, who has certainly had an illustrious career but seems unlikely now to take over the leadership of the country. All this, of course, is idle gossip, but it does give me an excuse to recall the famous gaffe made by David Coleman, when he was introducing Match of the Day immediately after the Cradock's had been demonstrating the making of cakes and pastries. To provide a bridging link between tarts and tackles Coleman came out with the classic comment: 'And for those of you who watched the last programme. I hope all your doughnuts will turn out like Fanny's'. dr seuss cat in hat book
The South African Fact Book - By Pat Hopkins, Denise Slabbert, & Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya
A fantastic little A5-sized book, listing all sorts of information about South Africa, from info on the government and economy or famous places and people, and World Heritage Sites, interesting towns, and lots of snippets of cool facts.For instance, did you know that the first motion picture footage ever recorded was in South Africa? Or did you know that our first post office was a tree, now a national monument known as the Post Office Tree in Mossel Bay? Or did you know that with 5 million objects, the National Cultural History Museum in Pretoria has the largest collection or artifacts and records in South Africa or that the Voortrekkker Monument's granite frieze depicting the heroics of the trekkers on 27 bas relief panels, is the largest in the world? Or that the kori bustard found in South Africa is the world largest flying bird?The book makes suggestions on what to eat, drink, and where to visit. And it suggests what not to do. Under beer it tells us that Gilroy's Brewery in Johannesburg which produces the Gilroy Serious dark ale was judged the best beer in the Southern Hemisphere and the second best in the world at a blind tasting. And under disappointing it lists Castle Lager stating "nearly as bad as the best American beer".Under best places to chill it lists Long Street in Cape Town, 4th avenue Parkhurst, Florida Road Durban, and Beach Road in Port Elizabeth amongst others. It also says don't bother with East London, "Unless you are looking for a hooker in a grimy port city", Melville, "Unless you are looking for drugs", Durban beachfront "unless you like crowds and hobos asking for cash" or Bloemfontein "Unless you like being bored out of your skull, other than for the fabulous Mystic Boer".From museums, monuments, battlefields, heritage sites, arts and crafts, music, dance, theatre, literature, animals, beaches, cities and towns: this book has an opinion, cool fact and a rating for them all. dr seuss book collection
I Am Ozzy - by Ozzy Osbourn, Published by Penguin Books
I read this book through the night until dawn. Perhaps I was just incredulous that Ozzy actually can read and write, let alone remember any of his psycho maniac life! But if even half of what he says is true, he has had an incredibly interesting life, mostly all in a constant state of madness; from pauper to multi millionaire, from abattoir worker to rock God.Ozzy is the epitome of the ultimate rock star, everything your mother warned you about and more. The book is extremely well written, it is funny, and it's ludicrous in places, outrageous in others and sometimes downright unbelievable. He's been a complete bastard, a coward, a drug addict, a wife beater, an alcoholic and more. I can't believe that he is still alive after all the drugs he has taken and for such a length of time.He is the ultimate bad rocker. But he has a huge heart and small things touch him and he has a tremendous amount of love and respect for his wife and family. Through all of the bad things that he has done, there is the constant shine of humanity weaving through the pages and you just end up loving him too.Read the truth about biting the heads off bats and doves, trashing hotel rooms, his HIV scare, the dreadful death of guitarist extraordinaire Randy Rhodes, Satanists, his hundreds of dogs, Sharon's cancer, MTV intrusions on his house, multi platinum selling albums, dodgy managers and meeting the Queen.One of my favourite stories describes how his first wife Thelma buys him chickens and constantly nags him to feed them. Ozzy eventually freaks out; too many drugs, no sleep and bloody chickens that won't lay eggs. In his drug fuelled anger, he takes his shotgun and blows them all up. Then he sets the chicken hoc on fire. Out the corner of his eye he sees a chicken that has escaped and is running to the neighbour's house for safety and Ozzy gives chase in his gown and slippers running down the road with a shotgun after the last remaining chicken!Ozzy is a complete maniac. It's a great read whether you are a Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne fan or not.
Give this book to all wannabe rock stars as an example of how NOT to live your life! seuss book collection sets cat hat
Give this book to all wannabe rock stars as an example of how NOT to live your life! seuss book collection sets cat hat
Leadership Attitude - The Stockdale Paradox
James B. Stockdale was one of the highly respected Vice admiral in the history of United States Navy. He set a remarkable example and won many awards for his high levels of spirit, courage and endurance. He was also Vice Presidential candidate in 1992.James Stockdale was prisoner of war from September 9, 1965 to February 12, 1973 in Vietnam War. Stockdale credited that his stoic nature helped him to survive as a Prisoner of War.Jim Collins included Stockdale philosophy as Stockdale Paradox in his renowned book 'Good to Great' as "confronting the brutal fact of the situation, yet at the same time, never give up hope."When interviewed by Jim Collins about Vietnamese Prisoner of War (POW) camp, Stockdale said "I never lost faith in the end of the story, I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade."And when asked about who didn't make it out, Stockdale replied, "Oh, that's easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart."Stockdale was born in Abingdon, Illinois in 1923. He graduated from Naval Academy in 1947 and joined Naval air station Pensacola, Florida for flight training. He received masters in International relations and Marxist theory from Stanford University and later preferred to be a fighter pilot. He rose through ranks quickly and reached highest position as a fighter squadron commander.Stockdale was held as Prisoner of War in 1965 in North Vietnam while working on a mission in Vietnam War. There he was sent to one of the most infamous Hao Lo prison where he was brutally tortured physically and mentally. In the seven years where he was kept captive as prisoner of war, despite severely beaten, malnourished, asphyxiated, and spent few years in total dark room, he never succumbed to the North Vietnam captors.During his seven years as POW, he resisted to cooperate with the captors, even when he was placed in solitary confinement. He was locked with leg irons in a bath stall, beaten, and whipped. He resisted them using him for propaganda by hurting himself relentlessly. When Stockdale came to know that he was to be paraded in public before foreign journalists by captors, he slashed his scalp with a razor to disfigure himself, so that the captors do not take him and use him for propaganda. When they put a hat, he had beaten his face with a stool to be swollen beyond recognition. When captors told him that other POWs are dying under torture, he slit his wrists to show that he preferred death rather to capitulate.His uncanny determination is widely respected. He received 'Medal of Honor' in 1976, the highest military decoration awarded by the US government along with 26 other personal combat decorations. dr seuss cat in hat quotes
Dawn Garisch - Trespass - Published by Kwela Books - (South African)
Set in 1955, in the Union of South Africa, Trepass is one of the most disturbing books that I have come across and not for any obvious reasons. Garisch is a subtle writer, a talent that forces you to go back and re-read sections just to make sure of what you read.The main character, a 50 plus matron at a boarding school in the Western Cape, is pompous and righteous, lonely and confused with immense self esteem issues. As we meet her we find out that her sick mother has recently passed on and she is starting at the school, in a position that she does not believe she deserves. She begins to keep a daily journal. Her letters to God are tortured in some cases, and unrealistically hopeful in others. She hides a great secret from her teenage days which continues to haunt her and she lives in constant fear of being found out. Despite this fear, she keeps the journal in her room, even though journal writing is what got her into the trouble so many years ago and the school has a policy of no locks on doors. This journal chronicles her fears and hopes; it touches on her past, the death of her mother, her teenage secret, and her dislike for her sister and it's through this journal that she cries to God for clarity. One of my favourite lines in the journal is, "I am certain that an autopsy would reveal that my heart has become a ruined nest of scars."Trespass cleverly interweaves South African war history, Black Sash demonstrations and racist attitudes of the times but never allows our history to detract from the story. The book also touches on the psychological effects of boarding school on young boys but all of these are just subtle background themes and never overwhelm the matron's story.Nothing in the world could have prepared me for the ending of this book. In the short 188 pages, Garisch settles you in for a relaxing, gentle but sad story and then just as you are comfortable, she smacks you over the back of the head with a baseball bat. I am not sure if I am shocked, horrified or just over reacting. I may just have to read this book again and again. dr seuss cat in hat history
Black Diamond - Zakes Mda - Published by Penguin
Black Diamond is a fantastic work of fiction by South African author, painter, composer and film maker Zakes Mda.The book involves Kristin Uys, the tough magistrate spinster from Roodepoort who is on a crusade to knock out prostitution in the West Rand. She manages to put away Stevo, one of the evil Visagie brothers, on a contempt of court charge but this makes her very unpopular with the evil Visagie brothers, their mother and housekeeper. The Visagie crowd embarks on a crusade of terror and menace to threaten Uys and her cat and to try to get Stevo released from Diepkloof prison through mismanaged walks and protests resulting in the chief magistrate insisting on around the clock security for Kristin.Don Mateza is a security guard on the verge of promotion and patiently waiting for his opportunity to rise up the ranks. He was overlooked for BEE rewards for his struggle days which is a bone of contention for his girlfriend, Tumi. When the firm is hired to protect Kristin Uys, Don is dispatched to move into her home; despite Kristin's protests and the Tumi's upset. Tumi will do anything in her power to transform Don into her Black Diamond, including arranging annoying meetings with other successful black people and buying him bright yellow designer clothing and she doesn't understand why he has to accept these menial security jobs when he should be rich and powerful. Kirstin Uys is furious that a black man has been stationed inside her house and the complications weaving through all these lives and relationships get increasing complicated and unexpected (and most times very funny) as you turn the pages.It would make a pretty awesome local movie, but it would have to be local as only South Africans would really understand the intricacies of all of these cultures mashed together. But then again, the rest of the world loved District 9, so perhaps they could embrace this too. dr seuss cat in hat book
Yours Magazine - For the Women of Today
Most magazines that target women are similar in content. They do not meet the readers' expectations and requirements. Magazines must be in line with the current times and must have articles on the topics that are of interest to the readers. Some of the popular woman's magazines like Yours magazine do, otherwise most of them fail to do so.It is difficult for readers to unsubscribe certain magazine which they have been following for years. The readers grow but the magazines fail to do so. Sometimes, the focus of the editor changes to something absolutely different than what the magazine was originally famous for. This disappoints the readers. The magazines must try to retain their customers by doing a lot of research on what they want to read and what are the hot topics of today's times.Yours magazine publishes everything that an average women would want to read. All magazines must publish articles on issues which are related to the women of today. Here are a list of things that must be covered in a ladies magazine.Investigative Stories and Reports related to WomenGenerally, women care a lot about the latest trends in case of clothes and accessories and also a lot about what is going on in famous people's lives; there is also a section of women who would like to keep abreast with relevant issues plaguing our times. Most magazines, however, have a very shallow perspective on what interests women.Women, in fact, love to read about the diseases that are nowadays prevalent, career options and advices on these topics. Nowadays, more women go for higher studies than before. So, these women will obviously want to read things that are related to their life. So concentrating only on fashion and accessories would be a suicide attempt in these times.Real Women on the Cover PageMagazines having models and movie celebrities on their cover page are bought by men and not by women. Women of today will buy those magazines that have real men who are on top of their career and fields. The aspirations of women of today has undergone a sea change. They would like to read stories on women whose footsteps they would like to follow.Promotion of Women with Realistic BodiesAnorexic models aspire only teenagers. A real woman is well aware of the issues related to being overweight and underweight. She would instead like to read about women who are like them. A story on how to remain healthy would be read by more women that a story on having a size zero figure.The women of today have tried it all and know very well that those kind of figures are difficult to attain and even more difficult to sustain with their kind of lifestyle.This is what some good magazines write about. dr seuss book collection
One of the Leading Magazines of Australia - OK! Magazine
The magazine tends to feature special interviews and personal experiences of celebrities which includes engagements and pregnancies. In 2005, celebrity pregnancies which were covered were those of Peter and Jordan, Alex Curran and Steven Gerrard. Stars like Liberty X singer, Andy Scott-Lee and Michelle Heaton announced their engagement with special deals with OK! magazine.The magazine has a common policy of publishing only optimistic celebrity profiles, but in a 2007 interview with Britney Spears, Spears' actions were so erratic that OK! decided to break this rule. Along with Britney, OK! also talked to her mother, Lynne Spears and her younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, on the subject of Jamie Lynn's pregnancy. This was the best selling copy of 2007.Just recently, in August 2008, Britney Spears did an interview with OK! at her residence and it was observed that Britney's old unpredictable behaviour was behind her, and she conversed during the interview that she is 'happy, healthy and eager for the future'. The interview also had pictures which showed Britney and her children.OK! is most well-known for its reporting of celebrity nuptials. OK! is also one of the most liked magazines with details that talk about the most recent celebrity gossips. Its largest scoops were Catherine Michael Douglas and Zeta-Jones, Jordan and Peter André, David and Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline and Ashley and Cheryl Cole.Recently, OK! was honoured with £1,033,156 in a court case. OK! had special rights to the wedding of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, but its opponent Hello! magazine printed pictures as well, which led OK! to sue its competitor.In October 2005, three superstar weddings toOK! place on the very same day-Jordan and Peter, Samia Ghadie and property developer Matthew Smith, and Kate Garraway and Derek Draper. OK! covered them all over separate issues. The biggest wedding of the three (which was of Jordan and Peter) was covered over two profuse issues.The same occurred for the wedding of Ashley and Cheryl Cole and also for Christina Aguilera's wedding. OK! also published an issue with photos of Eva Longoria's wedding to Tony Parker.Jade Goody was a well-liked celebrity for the magazine from 2002-2009 with many interviews and photo shoots, including her fight with cancer shown often in 2008.She holds the record for being on the cover for all the weeks throughout 2009 with subjects of her wedding, her christening and a compliment special, plus a special issue after her death and then again with her widow on the front cover.Prior to Jade Goody's death in March 2009, OK! flashed controversy by issuing an 'Official Tribute Issue' with front-page slogans stating 'In Loving Memory' and '1981-2009', even as Goody was alive at the time.Several months later in June 2009, OK! again caused indignation by running another tribute issue, this time for Michael Jackson exhibiting a front cover image which the magazine insiders claim was 'his lifeless body'; additional images inside showed scenes of his attempted recovery, with Jackson's mouth covered by an oxygen mask and impoverished to a hospital stretcher. seuss book collection sets cat hat
A Review of the Week Magazine
The week magazine was founded by Jolyon Connell in the United Kingdom in 1995. In April 2001, the magazine began to publish an American edition; an Australian publication followed in October 2008. Dennis Publishing publishes the UK edition while The Week Publications publishes the US edition.The various publications of the magazine provide a digest of the week's news and editorial observations from worldwide media that offers readers numerous political viewpoints. In addition to opinion and news, the magazine also covers news related to science, arts and business. In September 2007, the magazine's US version launched a daily website. While the daily website carries the undertaking of the print magazine over to the internet, it also publishes unique commentaries from writers like David Frum,Will Wilkinson, Robert Shrum and Brad Delong.The Week magazine is also the title of an influential literary magazine in Canada and two other weekly news magazines established in the UK. These publications are not associated with the current magazines.
The Week(1883-1896)
This publication was Canada's primary political and literary periodical. Famous contributors included journalist and novelist Sara Jeannette Duncan, poet Charles G.D. Roberts and political critic and intellectual Goldwin Smith.
The Week(1933-1941)
Marxist journalist, Claud Cockburn started the first British magazine known as The Week as a newsletter in the spring of 1933, after he had come back from reporting on Germany. It focused on the increase of fascism, anticipated Private Eye and won a large readership, according to Cockburn's son. Jessica Mitford accredited the journal's influence to its use of undercover sources. However, it stopped the publication in 1941.
The Week(pre 1965-1968)
Pat Jordan and Ken Coates re-founded The Week some time prior to 1965. They were Marxist members of the British Labour Party and were connected to the New Left Review to which Cockburn sporadically contributed. Their version of The Week provided a collective critique of Harold Wilson's government, particularly over its failure to resist the Vietnam War. Jordan edited the paper until 1968, when he cooperated with Tariq Ali in beginning of The Black Dwarf. At that time, The Week became a monthly periodical called International, which was printed by the International Marxist Group. dr seuss cat in hat quotes
The Week(1883-1896)
This publication was Canada's primary political and literary periodical. Famous contributors included journalist and novelist Sara Jeannette Duncan, poet Charles G.D. Roberts and political critic and intellectual Goldwin Smith.
The Week(1933-1941)
Marxist journalist, Claud Cockburn started the first British magazine known as The Week as a newsletter in the spring of 1933, after he had come back from reporting on Germany. It focused on the increase of fascism, anticipated Private Eye and won a large readership, according to Cockburn's son. Jessica Mitford accredited the journal's influence to its use of undercover sources. However, it stopped the publication in 1941.
The Week(pre 1965-1968)
Pat Jordan and Ken Coates re-founded The Week some time prior to 1965. They were Marxist members of the British Labour Party and were connected to the New Left Review to which Cockburn sporadically contributed. Their version of The Week provided a collective critique of Harold Wilson's government, particularly over its failure to resist the Vietnam War. Jordan edited the paper until 1968, when he cooperated with Tariq Ali in beginning of The Black Dwarf. At that time, The Week became a monthly periodical called International, which was printed by the International Marxist Group. dr seuss cat in hat quotes
Review of a New Relationship Repair Book by Ashley Kay
Ex Recovery SystemThe Ex Recovery System is an e-book created by Ashley Kay, and is a recent entry in the relationship repair field. It is available for download 24 hours a day.Ashley Kay has an interesting background, like a lot of other authors she has been through a traumatic breakup herself, which happened while she was still in college. After the breakup she switched to studying relationship dynamics and human psychology.In fact in this modern information era there have been a lot of studies on relationships and breakups, and there is a wealth of knowledge available to people who really study this. Ashley Kay seems to have a knack for simplifying all this information, and then presenting it in a surprisingly easy to read and understand manner.It is unlike other relationship manuals that have a one size fits all approach, although the Ex Recovery System is suitable for both men and women, it takes into account that there are differences. The things a man requires in a relationship are not the same as what a woman requires in a relationship. The opposite sexes not only have different wants and needs they also have different psychological triggers.The Ex Recovery System shows you how to fully understand why your ex left in the first place, and then offers varying systematic techniques designed to attract your ex back. It is based on human psychology and is one of the few books that goes deeply into all aspects of your breakup and relationships.The Ex Recovery System is very comprehensive manual, around twice the size of many others, and does have a complete plan on what to do, how to behave, and what to say to get your ex boyfriend or ex girlfriends attention. One of the key points in the book is learning how to fully understand why your ex left in the first place, and how to correct the problems that you had in your relationship.Then you can devise a plan tailored to your own needs with the knowledge you have gained. After all this you will be ready to take action to get your ex back into your life. The Ex Recovery System is based on solid relationship psychology, and it can teach you what you need to know and do to win your ex back.In fact it is one of the few books that also takes into consideration what your ex feels about you, something other manuals of this type do not cover at all. The cost is $39 for the basic system and it claims a high success rate. My own feeling is that this book could become the gold standard on which all the others will be judged.There is another option to get an even more comprehensive package that costs more and has a lot of extras, but whichever option you choose you come out a winner in the end if you can have your ex back by your side again. dr seuss cat in hat history
A Conventional Corpse - A Claire Malloy Mystery by Joan Hess
Claire is an interesting bookshop owner who has been coerced into helping with a mystery book convention. I must say I tend to be in awe of authors and can totally relate to some of the hero worship that goes along on these pages. What is hilarious is the authors here not only put on their trousers the same way we do, they are narcissistic, self-absorbed and ego-maniacal. Editors seem to be worse.I will one day be published - just need the right people along the way I guess. The writers in question have all been brought to a sleepy little town in Arkansas to speak and sign their books when on the first night tragedy strikes. And to a seemingly innocuous character to boot. To make matters worse, our sleuth has been in a relationship with the lead investigator but they haven't even seen each other for months due to his ex-wife ergo, Claire is not happy with him.As the weekend progresses things actually worsen and the authors bicker constantly. Jealousy overwhelms any respect they have for each other. Claire has to get to the bottom of the source of the animosity between all the characters and figure out who would have reason to kill the victim and of course, why. This book is immediately interesting and never slows down and it really got me! I love figuring these out and enjoy it even more when I get it wrong - I will read more of her books! dr seuss cat in hat book
The House of Night Series
The House of night series is written by a mother and daughter team. P.C.Cast and Kristin Cast. The main character is Zoey Redbird and she's 16 years old. The first book, Marked. Tells of Zoey getting marked and the things she goes through. Heath her ex-boyfriend and Zoey become imprinted to each other after her strange thing concerning human blood. Aphrodite isn't a very nice girl and tries to play a very deadly game, when she summons spirits of past vampires. But, those spirits aren't what she had thought and they attact Heath and Erik.Zoey had found out that she can control the elements, fire, wind, water, spirit and earth. It was something that the vampire Goddess Nyx gave her. When she first got to the school she met Neferet the high Preistess of Nyx. Too, Zoey's eyes, Neferet is one of the most beautiful vampire she has seen yet.Because Zoey saves Heath and Erik from the vampire spirits her mark becomes darker and bigger. In the second book, Betrayed. Zoey still has to deal with a lot. Now, she's head of the Dark Daughters and has to do her first ritual. She has know idea how to do it. She also meets a very handsome male vampire. A poet by the name of Loren Blake. He starts to make Zoey feel like he's wanting more then just wanting to be friends.Zoey goes and does some research to help her with her first ritual. When it's time, Loren Blake asked her if he can introduce her by resiting a poem. Just before the start of her first ritual Neferet shows up to talk to everyone. In doing so, Zoey notices that Neferet is trying to take control over the ideas she has for the Dark Daughters. Zoey also has a bad feeling in her stomach that there is something wrong with Neferet. Her new best friend Stevie Ray ends up dying. But, something ends up happening to make Zoey see her alive.In the third book, Chosen. Zoey starts getting closer to Erik. But, because of Loren Blake and what ends up happening between them. Erik and her end up getting into a fight. Zoey starts having feelings for Loren and him and her end up making love. Which is the first time Zoey has ever had sex. A little time passes and something ends up happening and Zoey runs looking for Loren but only ends up finding him with Neferet. She finds out that she was being used by him to inform Neferet about what she's up to.Too, make things worse, Loren and her had imprinted with one another which caused Heath pain because Zoey's and Heath's imprinting bacame no more. Now, to Zoey she feels really alone and she can't tell anyone about it. During the ritual that is for everyone in the school Neferet tells everyone that Loren Blake was found dead. Zoey knew there was going to be pain but, she never knew that the pain was going to hurt this much. Not even her friends can help her. Plus, they end up loosing trust in her.Damien, Erin and Shaunee are her three friends that each have a special gift of one of the elements. Stevie Ray becomes an undead dead vampire with a red mark on her forehead.In the fourth book, Untamed. Zoey finds out exactly how evil Neferet has become. Going up against a high Priestess like she is won't be easy. Though first, she needs to get her friends to trust her again. Zoey knows that it won't be easy. Zoey had made an attempt and for the moment it worked. She needed to come clean with everything that is going on. She also needs to worn them that Neferet is evil and that they need to try to figure out what is going on.There is so much going on in these books that it would be easier if you pick them up and read them yourself. Too me, this series about vampires, and high school, finishing school for vampires is more then worth it. I will say that the time line in the books are slow. But, the story line is great. dr seuss book collection
Reality and Fiction Butt Heads in Newest LMLA-Ink Story, "The Guy"
Readers of John Reyer Afamasaga's multi-faceted etfiction stories that include "Lazoo" and the "GUIOPERA" will little anticipate the extremes of playing with reality and fiction that occur in "The Guy."The story begins when The Guy and Ms. Ish, aka "The Girl" flee to Neon City, or are they there to serve a higher purpose? The Guy is a Conceptualizer for John Reyer Afamasaga's storytelling crew LMLA-ink. The Girl is his muse, whom he cannot inspire with his work here on planet earth, so he escapes with her to a place not so factual, not dissimilar to a dream-the SenFenide Dimension, where the gravitational pull of ideals, is less weighty, and where he manages to see the entity Ish, the divine being, who actually drew him to her in reality.The Girl has a dream, in which she is required to become a prostitute. Her action sets the scene for a battle between the wickedly unparalleled Country, and the Guy.The plot is likened to a parody where the cast takes control of the storyline, dragging it to wherever it suits them when they enter into a scene. The scene is similar to a video game, but one where the players reprogram the game as they play it. "The Guy" is not only fast-paced but full of zany and sometimes irreverent humor; its plot has multiple twists and turns, yet the reader is never quite lost, but rather left stunned by looking back to where its masterful crafting began.The novel appears to introduce a host of new characters, but several old ones are masquerading as someone else. Afamasaga's use of "scenes"-far more than the "scenes" we expect in a novel, create almost a time-warp style, a sort of quantum physics feel to his fiction, that is difficult to explain and only to be experienced by reading-or should I say-being sucked into the story or scene. Readers of Afamasaga's earlier works will agree that "The Guy" is the most complicated, yet fascinating play with reality yet by the creator of ET Fiction. Book 2 of the story especially excels in revisiting earlier scenes in Book 1, as if we are watching a rewound story simultaneously with a new one. Again, the story simply has to be experienced.Afamasaga never forgets he is playing a literary game, and he obviously has a great deal of fun doing so. From a diner where the patrons gather although there is no cook, to a whorehouse where the prostitutes are mistreated but still like what they do, and finally to characters whose deaths reflect their just deserves, there is no lack of irony or humor.The novel's visual aspects would lend the story well to film. Afamasaga also is a great fan of contemporary music, which inspires him, and he is not afraid to credit that influence and how the soundtrack of our lives can affect people. Songs such as "One Headlight" by the Wallflowers, "To Really Love a Woman" by Bryan Adams, and music by Amy Winehouse are continually heard by the characters, toying with and illuminating their thoughts as if they are in a music video or even a contemporary rock opera.While Afamasaga demands close attention from his readers and some reading between the lines, the stories grow upon the reader until he gives himself up to the dizzying, head-spinning flow of multiple characters whose lives and worlds overlap, and the reader is left questioning his or her own concept of reality. I would not be surprised if first time readers go on to read "Lazoo," "WIPE," and Afamasaga's many other works to gain the full flavor of the characters, their multiple appearances, and the masterly intertextual maze of John Reyer Afamasaga's work. seuss book collection sets cat hat
iReckon - Greg Heywood
iReckon is Greg Heywood's first novel. The story is set in the midst of the credit crunch. The story explores many different stages of Tane Wood and Trevor Hoarys lives.It opens at the later stages of Tane's life. We find him frustrated with life and people ignorance. We meet Helen, his loyal partner appears which exudes a vision of beauty we can only associate with a movie star. As the story progresses you realize the ordeal that Tane has been through and you start to excuse him for the damage he has also done. A charismatic character, one which you can only imagine sybolises a part of the Author's life.Behind the tsunami, Trevor Hoary who has orchestrated many of the events, to achieve his goals. His adversary, Tane, who has been ruined by the credit crunch, seeks to re-establish himself with a vision. The world will become a better place. Those who are damaged can be repaired. These two men acknowledge that a platform of great influence is the only medium by which their views will be differentiated from all the noise.Both men strive to deliver a purpose for mankind and acknowledge that few today and in history have ever seen such a vision. They battle to gain credibility and influence, each becoming aware of the others presence.As both adversaries are about to reach the finishing line and deliver the stage from which they will be heard, Tane is satisfied that his existence has no further meaning. His job is done and his ambition has turned towards a greater goal..Trevor Hoary is tripped up in the final hour by the residing behaviour that consistently trips mankind up in its drive for a better world. He has hidden his intent fully aware of what his intent has been and hence he has condones this behaviour which is tolerated and enacted by those in his closest council; the ability to kill and remain elusive to the call for forgiveness. Repentant, Hoary seeks forgiveness for his folly from Father Thomas - a man committed to God but rejects by the church.'We wait for the chosen one forgetting all the time that we have the choice. I don't know what you are waiting for but I no longer can.' Tane wood, Kill All The Christians, Sunday 5th October 2008.iReckon is basically a new view of who man really is, why we are here and what is the purpose of mankind? It asserts that there are a number of social influence which shape our culture. Being aware of these will aid mankind to shape a better future. dr seuss cat in hat quotes
What Fitzgerald's Short Stories Teach Us About the Man Behind the Great Gatsby
Although it's often said that the best writers write from personal experience, when you're a gifted alcoholic bumming around Europe during the Jazz Age with Ernest Hemingway and a schizophrenic wife, it's almost like cheating. The fact that F. Scott Fitzgerald was very much a man of his time certainly didn't hurt his portraying the era so brilliantly - or so tragically; in addition to the pervading sense of intoxicated irresponsibility that flows through his stories, much of Fitzgerald's best work is sprinkled with thinly-veiled references to his own troubled life.Fitzgerald is of course best known for writing The Great Gatsby, but his 1931 short story "Babylon Revisited" is often considered the finest example of his immense talent. The story takes place in the aftermath of the decade-long party that was the 1920's, and like any good hangover, it's a complicated mix of guilty nostalgia and even guiltier regrets - especially when compounded by the fact that Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda, was committed to an asylum in this same year.The story's main character, Charlie Wales, is visiting Paris (one of Fitzgerald's old watering holes) in an attempt to regain custody of his nine-year old daughter (Fitzgerald's own daughter was nine at the time) from his sister-in law, Marion; because Charlie was being treated for alcoholism during the time of his wife's death, he wasn't considered fit to be a father - and Marion couldn't have agreed more. The task now falls to Charlie to convince Marion that he has changed. This tense family dynamic was inspired by Fitzgerald's real-life sister-in-law, who loathed his alcoholism and tried to get custody of his daughter in Zelda's absence.Seeing Paris brings back vivid memories of the very escapades that would later separate Charlie from his daughter, including an incident involving a drunken night tour of the city on a stolen tricycle (another gem from Fitzgerald's personal memory bank). Although Charlie "lost a lot in the crash" of '29, returning to the scene of his past recklessness drives home the fact that he "lost everything [he] wanted in the boom."Two years after Zelda's hospitalization, Fitzgerald wrote the novel Tender is the Night, which follows a charismatic Dick Diver struggling not to live down to his character name by having an affair with an 18-year-old movie star; in addition to the obvious pain and suffering it would cause, Dick fears that an affair would actually disrupt his wife's mental health, as she suffers from - you guessed it - schizophrenia. (And since Fitzgerald had had an affair with a young starlet only a few years earlier, we're pretty sure Dick's intuition is right.) The novel also has a character named Tommy Barban, a callous mercenary who is widely considered to be based on Ernest Hemingway. (Suffice it to say that the Fitzgerald-Hemingway friendship had soured by this time.) Tender is the Night shares several themes with Babylon Revisited, including being set primarily in France (particularly in the Ritz bar in Paris) and featuring an overprotective sister-in-law (this time called Baby). More telling than the similarities between the stories, however, is the critical difference: while Charlie Wales's story ends on a note of hope, Dick Diver continues on a downward spiral that suggests a change for the worse in Fitzgerald's emotional state. dr seuss cat in hat history
Lessons About Race and Gender From the Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird
Part of what makes Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird such an important American classic is that it deals unflinchingly with the theme of social convention - which packs an extra punch as seen through the eyes of an unconventional young girl. One of Scout's major epiphanies is discovering that her housekeeper, Calpurnia, not only has a life beyond simply raising Scout and her brother, but also switches into the African-American lingo of her peers whenever she's in their company. This strikes Scout as totally disingenuous, but when she asks Calpurnia why she talks in a way that she knows is "not right," Calpurnia explains that her friends and family would think she were "puttin' on airs" if they knew she spoke like a white person.The fact that Calpurnia leads "a modest double life" not only hints at the total unacceptability of social blending between the white and black communities in Maycomb, but also serves to contrast against Atticus's absolute constancy; he has the rare quality of behaving exactly the same way around everyone he meets regardless of race or social status - or even age. (Seriously, how many adults resisted the urge to raise their voice an octave to you when you were a kid?) This discrepancy begs the question as to why Calpurnia is expected to conform to her racial environment while Atticus has the freedom to behave as he pleases - and even though race would seem to be the obvious x-factor, the answer isn't actually that simple.Take Scout Finch, for example. Although she is astonished by the existence of Calpurnia's linguistic alter-ego, she forgets that she herself performs a very similar act at school; since her English teacher worries that any outside studies will interfere with the learning process, Scout has to pretend that Atticus doesn't teach her at home (and that it hasn't helped her read or write at an advanced level, by the way). And then there's the transformation that happens every time Scout's prim and prissy aunt comes to visit, and Scout suddenly trades in her fistfights and overalls for teacakes and pink cotton. If being white isn't what gives people in To Kill a Mockingbird the liberty to be themselves, perhaps it's being male that does the trick?Once again, no. Just consider the Tom Robinson trial: although it's obvious that Tom will be condemned to death regardless of his testimony or Atticus's defense, one of the major mistakes he makes on the stand is admitting that he feels "sorry" for Mayella Ewell, the woman he is accused of raping. In forgetting that a black man should under no circumstances act superior to a white woman in 1930's Alabama, Tom drops a lot of jaws in the courthouse, helping the jury justify the fact that they reached a guilty verdict long before Tom ever opened his mouth.Looking at these and other To Kill a Mockingbird characters suggests that the magic combination in Maycomb doesn't have to do with race or gender alone; Atticus has the luxury of being himself in every situation because he happens to be both white AND male at the same time. But don't let this convince you that his principles are any less praiseworthy; after all, among the many other white males in the story, Atticus still stands alone. dr seuss cat in hat book
Universal Themes and Family in Faulkners "Barn Burning" and "The Diary of Anne Frank"
Despite being only some one hundred paragraphs long, William Faulkner's 1938 short story "Barn Burning" pals around in quite the variety of literary circles. Since its protagonist, Sarty, is a ten-year-old boy who breaks away from his family to forge his own identity, it is probably best defined as a coming-of-age tale. Then again, the story's depiction of small-town Southern life, morally-ambiguous characters, suspense, injustice, and insanity have all the characteristics of the Southern Gothic genre. Faulkner's tendency to pop in and out of his main character's thoughts unannounced qualifies the story as modernist, while the fact that the protagonist's father is a psychopathic arsonist also scores it pretty high on the "psychological thriller" scale.Though the story is capable of filling many literary niches, its strange and somewhat demented plot seems to fall short on what you might call real-world relevance. After all, how often do we find ourselves being chased out of town in a two-mule wagon because a certain family member likes to watch his neighbors' buildings burn? While "Barn Burning" might not be the book that comes to mind as you go about your daily life, the underlying themes are actually pretty straightforward and incredibly pertinent. To prove that you don't need to be a impoverished twentieth-century Southern tenant farmer to be able to relate to Sarty's situation, let's compare it to, say, the story of Anne Frank, a 15-year old German Jew who hid behind a bookshelf for two years to escape religious persecution during World War II.At the most basic level, both Barn Burning and The Diary of Anne Frank are about family - and the reality of being stuck with them. Okay, so the forced closeness of being constantly driven from town to town together or sharing a tiny annex nonstop for 760 days is pretty extreme, but this only accelerates the process that some of us spend a lifetime addressing: how to identify yourself not as your father's son or your mother's daughter - or the one who slept with the light on until seventh grade, but as your own, independently developing entity.Taking a stand against the "pull of blood," Sarty honors his inner good guy by alerting people as to his father's latest pyromaniacal target. In the process, he also goes against his entire family, who attempts to stop him from implicating his dad for arson (and probably isn't ready to pack up and move just yet). Anne's struggle, on the other hand, is far less radical, as it largely takes place internally between what she calls the "two Annes": her cheerful, flippant, flirtatious half, which her family doesn't particularly respect, and her more secret, serious, noble half, which they aren't well acquainted with. Because she does not have the liberty of making a grand gesture in a criminal-type situation (let alone LEAVING afterward), she uses the diary itself to build her character and speak her personal truth.This battle for identity is fought not only within the family, but within the community. Sarty discovers that his communal identity is inseparable from his father's actions when, despite having nothing to do with the various fires, he is singled out and personally accused of being a "barn burner." In addition to turning his father in and turning his back on his family, Sarty finishes the ordeal by heading "toward the dark woods," thus symbolically exiting the civilized world to define himself in the absence of others' desires, demands, or opinions.Likewise, Anne is acutely aware of the injustice of her persecution, lamenting that while "What one Christian does is his own responsibility, what one Jew does reflects on all Jews." However, because she doesn't quite have the freedom to embark on a personal vision quest, she cannot separate herself from the relationships that (mis-)define her - or the annoyances that provoke her to live down to their standards. Frustrated, Anne instead finds herself wishing that "there were no other people in the world."While "Barn Burning" and "The Diary of Anne Frank" bear almost no resemblance to each other in terms of plot, setting, character, narration, or those other major literary identifiers, they actually have a lot of common ground in how they apply to us as readers. This is the beauty of stories: when we take a moment to stop thinking of them as literature and start thinking of them as storytelling, the gap between the words and the world closes. dr seuss book collection
Getting to the Bottom of Hamlet's Lovelife With Quotes From Shakespeare's Play
One of the most attention-grabbing debates still being waged over Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is the issue of whether or not Hamlet and Ophelia have slept together. The most famous quote on the matter - Hamlet's angry, repeated "Get thee to a nunnery" - would seem to accuse Ophelia of having rejected his advances... if it weren't for the fact that "nunnery" is also Elizabethan slang for "brothel." The did they / didn't they debate is unusual in that it implies a lot more backstory than most Shakespearean mysteries, and only a few key moments in the play address the issue directly.In Act II, Scene III, Laertes warns Ophelia that although Hamlet's confessions of love may be sincere, the fact that he has kingly responsibilities jeopardizes their chances of having a serious relationship. He then specifically instructs her not to "open" her "chaste treasure" to the guy, and since warnings are usually, you know, preemptory, we get the impression that she hasn't done the deed just yet; after all, if Laertes has no qualms about confronting his kid sister regarding her sex life - in the 1600's - there's a good chance he wouldn't exactly hold back if he thought something was actually going on.Then again, they fact that he broaches the topic in the first place suggests that her relationship is catching people's attention. Even her dim-witted father, Polonius, describes her "audience" with the prince as being "free and bounteous," which is never how you want your dad to describe you with regard to your boyfriend.To complicate things, Ophelia comes back at Laertes with a warning not to preach what he doesn't practice "as some ungracious pastors do." Perhaps she takes this little jab simply so that he can share in her extreme discomfort, but if the name of the game really is polite insinuation, her response strongly suggests that Laertes is just as guilty as she is (and his immediately changing the subject would seem to support the theory). If this is the case, their skirting around the sex issue makes sense, since neither one has the moral leverage necessary to outright accuse the other.Interestingly, the audience doesn't get to see Hamlet and Ophelia interact directly until Act III, Scene I - and by then, Hamlet's putting so much energy into being offensive, antagonizing, and self-contradictory that it's impossible to take anything he rants about at face value. That being said, he does speak honestly in his monologues as asides. For example, at the end of his "To be or not to be" soliloquy, Hamlet notices Ophelia entering the room and remarks to himself, "Nymph, in thy orisons / Be all my sins remembered."Two things:
1) Why does he call her a nymph? Because nymphs are beautiful, or because they run around naked and form the root of the word "nymphomania"? 2) What are these "sins" he mentions - and why is Ophelia privy to them? Since an orison is a prayer and prayer can indicate both piety and guilt, he's either calling her saintly (and hoping that she prays for him) or suggesting she's got some serious forgivin' to ask for. Unfortunately, this double meaning is typical of Hamlet quotes and brings us right back to our original "nunnery" dilemma.Next comes Ophelia and Hamlet's first (onstage) conversation. Ophelia gives back his love notes as per her family's instructions, but rather than simply tell him she's no longer interested or that it isn't a good idea, she says, "Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind." So far, Hamlet's done nothing unkind to her that we know of (just give it a scene or two), and since breaking up with Hamlet is Polonius's idea, it doesn't make sense for Ophelia to embellish with accusations like "you're a jerk" just because she's caught up in the theater of it all.Therefore, since she adds the statement of what is apparently her own accord - and since Hamlet's response isn't even close to "Excuse me??" - the implication is that Hamlet has betrayed her in some secret way that 1) both of them acknowledge, 2) neither one talks about, and 3) William Shakespeare doesn't explicitly write into the play. Not only is this an important moment for the seduction theorists, but it also hints tantalizingly at a storyworld that exists outside Hamlet as a play.After her dad forces her to break up with her boyfriend - who then accidentally murders him, Ophelia finally discovers an outlet for her considerable agitation: going nuts and sing-songing whatever pops into her head. This includes things like, "They say the owl was the baker's daughter" and "la." However, it also includes things about primarily a) her dad's death, and b) unfaithful scumbags.She announces that "Young men will do't if they come to't, / By cock, they are to blame" and then launches into a conversation between a fallen woman and her lover. The woman begins: "before you tumbled me, / You promised me to wed" (translation: before we had sex, you said we'd tie the knot!), to which her lover responds, "so would I ha' done, by yonder sun, / An thou hadst not come to bed" (translation: I would have too, if you hadn't been so trampy). The songs continue much in the same vein until Ophelia's death. While it's impossible to know how much combined sense there is in her ramblings, everything she says about her father's death seems quite lucid, making us more inclined to believe that her jilted lover songs are actually based in fact.After Ophelia drowns, the queen has the final word on her virtue by comparing Ophelia to a "mermaid," the ultimate symbol of female unattainability. (Think about it for a second...) Whether this is Queen Gertrude's final defense of Ophelia's chastity or a flowery attempt to sugarcoat her death (much like, say, claiming that Ophelia fell into the stream accidentally) remains open to debate. seuss book collection sets cat hat
1) Why does he call her a nymph? Because nymphs are beautiful, or because they run around naked and form the root of the word "nymphomania"? 2) What are these "sins" he mentions - and why is Ophelia privy to them? Since an orison is a prayer and prayer can indicate both piety and guilt, he's either calling her saintly (and hoping that she prays for him) or suggesting she's got some serious forgivin' to ask for. Unfortunately, this double meaning is typical of Hamlet quotes and brings us right back to our original "nunnery" dilemma.Next comes Ophelia and Hamlet's first (onstage) conversation. Ophelia gives back his love notes as per her family's instructions, but rather than simply tell him she's no longer interested or that it isn't a good idea, she says, "Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind." So far, Hamlet's done nothing unkind to her that we know of (just give it a scene or two), and since breaking up with Hamlet is Polonius's idea, it doesn't make sense for Ophelia to embellish with accusations like "you're a jerk" just because she's caught up in the theater of it all.Therefore, since she adds the statement of what is apparently her own accord - and since Hamlet's response isn't even close to "Excuse me??" - the implication is that Hamlet has betrayed her in some secret way that 1) both of them acknowledge, 2) neither one talks about, and 3) William Shakespeare doesn't explicitly write into the play. Not only is this an important moment for the seduction theorists, but it also hints tantalizingly at a storyworld that exists outside Hamlet as a play.After her dad forces her to break up with her boyfriend - who then accidentally murders him, Ophelia finally discovers an outlet for her considerable agitation: going nuts and sing-songing whatever pops into her head. This includes things like, "They say the owl was the baker's daughter" and "la." However, it also includes things about primarily a) her dad's death, and b) unfaithful scumbags.She announces that "Young men will do't if they come to't, / By cock, they are to blame" and then launches into a conversation between a fallen woman and her lover. The woman begins: "before you tumbled me, / You promised me to wed" (translation: before we had sex, you said we'd tie the knot!), to which her lover responds, "so would I ha' done, by yonder sun, / An thou hadst not come to bed" (translation: I would have too, if you hadn't been so trampy). The songs continue much in the same vein until Ophelia's death. While it's impossible to know how much combined sense there is in her ramblings, everything she says about her father's death seems quite lucid, making us more inclined to believe that her jilted lover songs are actually based in fact.After Ophelia drowns, the queen has the final word on her virtue by comparing Ophelia to a "mermaid," the ultimate symbol of female unattainability. (Think about it for a second...) Whether this is Queen Gertrude's final defense of Ophelia's chastity or a flowery attempt to sugarcoat her death (much like, say, claiming that Ophelia fell into the stream accidentally) remains open to debate. seuss book collection sets cat hat
Zen and the Art of the Glass Family in JD Salinger's Short Stories
While J.D. Salinger is best known for his 1951 classic The Catcher in the Rye, his own favorite works center on a family of brilliant, reclusive, unorthodox former child prodigies known as the Glasses. (Think Royal Tenenbaums, only with vaudeville performers for parents.) Through these short stories, Salinger not only fleshes out his most cherished creations, but also elaborates on his relationship with Zen Buddhism, which he studied for decades. Following these stories through the years demonstrates a gradual refinement in Salinger's approach to spirituality, which transitions from being highly physical to highly abstract.In "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," which was first published in 1948, Salinger introduces Seymour Glass, the oldest and most likeable of the Glass siblings. While relaxing on a Florida beach for his honeymoon, Seymour befriends a young girl named Sybil, whom he entertains with jokes, conversation, and good ol' fashioned frolicking. On their last day together, Seymour tells her a story about a fantastical, greedy creature called a "bananafish" that lives (in a pineapple?) under the sea. As the story goes, these fish swim into holes, stuff themselves silly with bananas until they're too big to escape, and tragically die of "banana fever." An effective tale for endearing oneself to a four-year old, yes, but the fact that Seymour then goes back to his hotel and shoots himself gives us a bit more pause for thought than if the day ended with, say, a picnic.While the end of A Perfect Day for Bananafish is undeniably jarring, one interpretation of Seymour's bananafish story which seems to clarify matters is that it's an allegory for the rampant post-WWII consumerism to which Seymour is so spiritually opposed. And when Sybil happily exclaims that she does, indeed, see a bananafish in the water,Seymour has an epiphany that he IS the bananafish (goo goo g'joob); realizing that he is just as caught up in the physical world as the next guy, he goes back to his fancy hotel resort to take his own life. What remains open to debate is whether his death represents succumbing to a symbolic banana fever or taking the ultimate stand against the material world by leaving it.When Franny and Zooey was published in 1961, Salinger's spiritual interests figured into his writing much more obviously than in Bananafish, but less viscerally. "Franny" chronicles a spiritually-turbulent weekend with Seymour's youngest sibling, Franny, who, like Seymour, wants to completely redefine her relationship with the physical world. Inspired by a nineteenth-century religious text, Franny loses interest in her studies, her boyfriend, and her basic survival instinct, eventually passing out due to lack of food. This "break" from the physical echoes Seymour's death some years earlier, though to a much lesser extreme.In "Zooey," Salinger's exploration of spirituality becomes still more intangible. After her dramatic fainting spell, Franny returns home in hysterics and refuses to go back to college. Thanks to her older brother Zooey, however, she comes to a place of true clarity: Zooey not only points out her self-righteousness in making a dramatic performance of what should be a deeply personal experience, but also reminds her to appreciate the sanctity of everything around her - including ma's "consecrated chicken soup" - instead of searching for it in the mountaintops.By the time Salinger published Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenter sand Seymour: an Introduction in 1963, his literary approach to Zen Buddhism had become extremely abstract. "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" attempts to recount the day of Seymour's wedding party as narrated by his little brother, Buddy. "Seymour: an Introduction," however, tackles the much more demanding challenge of explaining Seymour himself - not for the reader's benefit, but for Buddy's own. In this sense, the act of writing becomes a discovery process for not only Buddy, but also the reader, whose task it is to figure out just what the hell Buddy is talking about.With criticisms of being pretentious, showy, and "intolerably dull," it's difficult at first to see how "Seymour: an Introduction" is supposed to convey an advanced level of clarity in the overall spiritual trajectory of the Glass novellas. What some people don't know, however, is that Salinger is playing with the idea of the Zen koan, a riddle that must be understood spiritually rather than cerebrally (see also: one hand clapping). Just think back on Seymour's advice that Buddy "try not aiming so much" in a game of marbles; after all, "If you hit when you aim for it, it'll just be luck." Whether this is a cleverly employed literary strategy or simply a convenient out for bad writing remains a matter of personal interpretation. dr seuss cat in hat quotes
God Emperor of Didcot by Toby Frost
Space Captain Smith is back...accept it.Toby Frost's second book, God Emperor of Didcot, re-introduces us to Isambard Smith and the less-than-intrepid crew of the John Pym. Isambard is just as brave, dashing and stupid as before, Suruk still enjoys decapitating his enemies and taking their skulls as trophies and Polly is still a frustrated ex-sex toy with the courage of...well, she has no courage. On top of all this, Gerald the hamster has survived and is still merrily running around in his cage despite Suruk's attempts to eat him.There also some new characters in this insane universe. First up are the Deepspace Operations Group. A unit so elite and gung-ho that there are only five of them and are led by a total nutcase. They are brave, not very good-looking and relatively stupid: ideal characteristics for people who's job is to risk death in impossible military actions. The big surprise is that they have stayed alive so long.We also get to meet Suruk's family, not that Suruk is pleased with the idea. His once proud warrior race have, it seems, settled down as doctors, lawyers and architects amongst other professions. Added to his sense of embarrassment is that the holy table where war councils used to meet and plan their carnage has been turned into a National Trust site run by a jobsworth.The story itself concerns tea, the drink of the British Space Empire and provider of sustenance to the soul of Britain. It turns out that the scientists of this future age proved that the decline of the British Empire in the 20th century was down to a change in British drinking habits. It was fewer cups of tea and the growth of coffee drinking that killed the Empire, not, as we tend to think now, the growth of national movements, a declining British economy and two world wars.In order to keep the British upper lip, among other things, stiff, the planet of Didcot has been turned over entirely to tea production. This is something the Ghast empire wants to destroy and, thereby, win the war against the British Space Empire by depriving them of their sustenance. Naturally they fail, despite an impressive, multi-legged, metallic war machine that appears near the end. Now where have I read about that before...hmmm...can't remember.Needless to say, Suruk's family return to the old ways, even if his brother wears a woollen jumper into battle. There is also a skirmish with some odd looking children with strange eyes that remind of something by John Wyndham...can't think what though.462 continues his sadistic treatment of his minions by eating the pulped remains of those who have failed him. He also raises to power the God-Emperor to rule Didcot at his behest.By the end of the book Polly has been laid by Rick Dreckit (the human-hunting android), Captain Smith has, finally, been laid by Rhianna, Suruk's family have almost returned to their warrior ways and Suruk has added to his impressive skull collection.Most of all, you'll be pleased to hear, Gerald the hamster is still there at the end. dr seuss cat in hat history
Race and Ethnic Relations - American and Global Perspectives - Review of Martin N Marger's Book
This book is mostly geared to the college sociology student and the instructor, and starts with chapters on sociological theories on race and ethnicity. Marger thereafter goes on to treat major factors and histories of the major racial groups in the United states (White Ethnic Americans, native Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans and Jewish Americans).Marger comes across as a dedicated and enthusiastic scholar, he balances the prejudices, misconceptions, projections of the races with their histories in the United States. Whites have differential histories, as Irish, Germans, Russians, British, etc. He breaks down their entrance into the United states, the prejudices they have faced, their incomes and power relative to other whites and to other races, how they view themselves. Marger is strong on portraying that the United States has largely been dominated by WASP's (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) though the dynamic has largely changed over the past few decades with the overwhelming influxes of immigrants and access to power.It is amazing how Marger refers to countless hundreds of sources! The bibliography is very extensive. In the third part of the book, Marger examines race, ethnicity, socio-historically by examining the significant examples of South Africa (apartheid and majority rule, etc.), then Brazil, then Canada (notably the Quebec-French issue). The very last chapter (16) gets into salient examples of conflict and change--the notable Rwandan genocide, resurgencies of nationalism, breaking up of Yugoslavia, the Iraq conflict, and the issue of Northern Ireland. The magnitude of information packed in this 600-page book is unimaginable. The world is presented as one of stereotypes, of discrimination, of assimilation; race and ethnic relationships are fluid and change everyday.How Arab-Americans, Hispanics, Jews, etc., are portrayed and treated is all dealt with in this book. Marger walks you through easily readable details of the socio-histories, establishments, encounters, challenges, and privileges of the social groups in the United States and other notable regions of the world. This book is bound to be an enduring one, and should be upheld not only by the academic student and instructor, but by anyone who wants to walk through comprehensive theories and sociohistories of peoples all over the world from the past to the present.The reader attains a commendable grasp of what is happening in the world right now, as related to what had happened in the past! Once you start reading this book, your eyes will become opened to aspects you had never thought about, and that you had only heard of, naively. This is an exciting volume on global perspectives and reality, one that is hard to put down after you start reading it. This is bound to be an enduring text, and Marger likely revises it every couple of years so as for it to be in tune with what is happening today... though he does not deprive us of what happened in the past! dr seuss cat in hat book
Comics For Kids Who Don't Like to Read
Comics have been around for kids and it is often thought that they are primarily intended for kids. A stroll through a specialised comics store would alleviate anyone of that notion. Not only do kids rarely visit comic stores, the main audience for mainstream comics is boys from 14 and up. Finding comics that aren't violent or sexually explicit these days can be quite a challenge. So here is a list of some of the best new comics available.In regards to modern incarnations of kids comics you need to look no further than Boon Studios. Boom Studios used to be known as a small independent comic publisher whose main library consisted of zombie, horror and superhero comics. In 2007 they announced their ZOOM! Imprint which would grow over the next three years to include such licences as The Muppets and Disney/Pixar giants like Wall-e, Finding Nemo and Toy Story.These are, not surprisingly, highly popular and Boom have done an amazing job with the comics. Boom Studios have also bought the rights to produce comics for the Disney characters Uncle Scrooge, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse so their studio accounts for a significant percentage of the total comics produced for kids each month.Marvel and DC have their own imprints directed at kids. Titles like Tiny Titans and Mini Marvels are versions of the world's greatest superheroes reinterpreted for kids. In these stories instead of super-villains that threaten the world the costumed heroes encounter bullies in the schoolyard and parents that substitute teach in their classroom! Aimed at grades 2 and up these comics are entertaining for new readers and established fans alike.Popular books and franchises like Geronimo stilton and the Disney Fairies have also recently appeared in comic form, this time from publishing company Papercutz. These hardcover comics are a great read and highly durable so recommended for school and library collections. Both franchises crossover readily into comics, being highly visual stories already.Now that parents, schools and libraries have decided comics are ok for kids again, publishers have realized comics can sell well so it's heartening to see the increase in comics becoming available aimed solely at young readers (and kids at heart as well). Hopefully the trend will continue into 2011. dr seuss book collection
Great Books - How-To Wisdom Resides in Books
Learning how to do things is the way we all grow and develop as humans. Using guidebooks helps shorten the learning curve of acquiring knowledge.With the amount of information available today, you can learn and do just about anything- from how to build a deck to finding your dream home in another country.How-to books teach you with the printed word, pictures, graphs and give you the option to return to the page before if your memory is failing you in a moment of need.Shopping for these printed knowledge volumes is easy and available in a number of ways for purchase. Checking through thrift stores, garage sales, and online for new and used books is a great way to start. Some projects are timeless and even nostalgic and for this one of the old how to books will be filled with information in the old ways and sometimes the best ways to complete a project.Be sure to choose wisely for your project. If updated information and material is available with the progress of technology and information, you will need to buy a newer book. With updated information you will find the healthiest, easiest and best way to grow plants, paint, or do your own medical research.Information is continually changing and improving. As the books and learning tools become available you can begin a new project with the right look for you or the best way to construct something new in your life. Book stores carry the newest books available and if they do not have one you need they are willing to special order in most any category.Some topics are classics. How to sing, or make soap, or darn a sock can be learned from older books.If you are looking for lessons on car repair and maintenance, check with your local auto parts dealer or online for information about your model of vehicle. You will need to know the model, make, year and many time engine size and design. Once you find the book you need you can order it online or place a special order at the parts department.For information regarding gardening, plants, herbs and sustainable living some book stores will have a special section. Updated information and old ways are now combined in many newer books. You can choose from larger farming income projects to specialized growing techniques for a certain flower such as roses or iris.Books for herbal medicine are written for the local grower for raising herbs in pots or small gardening areas to promote good health. You can learn how to mix herbs for best results or what each herb by itself is good for. Herbs can be used to fight headaches, stomach problems and improve general health.These DIY (do it yourself) books are a great way to learn something new. Don't be afraid to teach yourself. You have many teachers who have gone before you and now impart their wisdom in the form of how-to books. seuss book collection sets cat hat
Reading Material - Books About Self-Help Do Help Lots!
Have you ever wondered why self-help hardbacks and paperbacks are able to assist people with bettering themselves?They work because they allow the reader to go at their own pace, in the comfort of their own home or wherever they may choose to read. Some volumes are an easy read and offer a quick fix, while others are more extensive and involved.If you are looking for some guidance without the need for hiring an expensive professional expert then self-work booklets and texts may be the way to go. There is advice on almost any topic and coming at a price range to fit every budget.Authors may be authorities with advanced degrees, or just Joe Average on the street who has experience with the problem. You don't have to be a doctor to dispense advice, just knowledgeable and experienced in a particular subject. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because not every situation requires the opinion of a so-called "expert". Personal experience can give a first-hand account with real-life knowledge, actual emotional impact and subsequent consequences or results. Not every topic is so serious as to require the expertise of a professional.However, if you do want help with a more serious issue then the studied knowledge of an educated professional can indeed be a great help. Often, these are the longer, more in-depth books. They require more work on the part of the reader. Sometimes it is necessary to delve more deeply into a problem in order to reach a more rewarding conclusion.You can choose one topic and explore it in great detail, learning everything there is to know on the subject so you can make the best choices for your particular needs or situation. You can also choose to explore many different topics at the same time providing a variety of results across the board. Also, many authors will write more than one book on a subject so when you find an author you like, one that you can really relate to, you can read all of their books for maximum impact.The most important thing about self-improvement books is they give you ideas to promote change. Sometimes they can even inspire you to change something you didn't think needed improvement. By keeping your mind open to new ideas anything is possible.What it boils down to is this: everyone can always find improvement in anything they do. It doesn't matter if you are looking for a small change or a total transformation, self-improvement books come in such a vast array of topics, prices, and detail that there truly is something for everyone. dr seuss cat in hat quotes
Book Review - The Power of Passionate Intention - The Elisha Principle by Mark Chironna
A Time of Historic Transition in Today's ChurchDr. Mark Chironna passionately appeals to the modern-day church to usher in an era of double-portion anointing which he calls the "Elisha Principle" in his book "The Power of Passionate Intention."Chironna calls for the Christian to recognize that the world is in transition, amidst global shifts, changes in politics, finance, and international relations. These changes demand that a Christian establish a world view in light of the churches role in evangelism, meeting the needs of world crisis, and impacting the world with the Kingdom message.I found the thought provoking "Points to Ponder" insightful, purpose driven filled with relevant action steps to set in motion my own personal potential for implementing practical life transforming activities to minister in these days of religious tumult in the church, in a climate of cultural bigotry in society, and in face of the economic uncertainty throughout the world.Some very helpful suggestions I discovered in these powerful points included establishing a time to "sit at the feet of Jesus" to empower me to meet the world's distractions coming through "mass entertainment, the influence of the media, advancing technologies, and shifting social structures."Chironna combines a balance of Kingdom Living, emotional feelings, and the intelligence throughout the book. His writing is engaging, energizing, and enriching. Mark's impact as a certified life coach, public speaker, author, and pastor is recognized and highly endorsed by his peers, internationally known Christian leaders, pastors, profession counselors, and educationalists.Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 978-0768431568As reviewed for Midwest Book Review dr seuss cat in hat history
Paulo Coehlo - The Alchemist
I bought The Alchemist after watching an interview with the great American actor and comedian Will Smith touted it as one of the best books he has ever read. After reading The Alchemist myself, I can now state that it is one of the best books I have ever read.Paulo Coehlo is a mysterious Brazilian author, who writes predominantly in Spanish, before having his books translated into English (for the Western world to read and enjoy). This mystery is brought into the book and into the way that it is written, and is one of the things that captivated me from the start.If you're looking for a book to read before bedtime to relax you and to set your mind at rest (while being so thoroughly entertaining that you don't want to put it down) then The Alchemist is the perfect book for you.What I like most about the way Coehlo writes is the way that he only focused on what matters on the story, and all the other unnecessary 'waffle' is removed. The book is only about 130 pages in length (which can be both be a good or a bad thing, depending on your opinion). Most writers would have written this book to be 300 pages because they think that books 'should' be that long. Luckily Coehlo does not play by the same rules as these other writers!This way of writing does have its price, however, and I was left at the end wondering about a few of the things that were never explained (such as what happened to various characters). dr seuss cat in hat book
Trading Book Review - "The Little Book That Beats the Market"
Big Stock Market Tips in a Small Package.I recently read Joel Greenblatt's "The Little Book That Beats the Market" and I am quite pleased with how much information Joel was able to condense into such a small book. Written like a fairy-tale, plenty of financial heroes and villains emerge and in parables of lessons that last ages.Just kidding...Actually, this book lays out a simplified view of what the stock market is and how it works, as explained by the author to his young son. For most investors, this introduction to the market will be too elementary. However, further along he gets into some basic and then more advanced principles of corporate valuation and offer a set of rules for selecting strong, fundamentally sound companies.Later in the book, Mr. Greenblatt introduces us to his proprietary stock strategy along with a simple method for buying and selling stocks (which basically consists of buying the top ranked stocks each year based on earnings and growth and selling off the losers every year, to be replaced by a new list of top ranked stocks). His stock strategy tends to include blue chips that pay dividends such as Lockheed Martin, Time Warner, Microsoft, and Pfizer.These names may be better suited for your IRA account rather than your active day-trading account since these large-cap stocks tend to be big, solid slow movers. But that's really what this book is all about. The stocks may seem be little boring, but their strong corporate fundamentals provide some protection against risk as compared to other companies and they definitely should find a role somewhere in your diversified investment portfolio, either directly through stocks or through ETF's or mutual funds.For advanced day-traders and investors, at the end of the book Mr. Greenblatt offers a more technical explanation of how to calculate company valuation from a variety of perspectives. I recommend you read through this section and think about it for a little while as a mental exercise. If you have the time, you can even open up a blank Excel spreadsheet and plug in some of the formulas along with some company fundamentals data from Yahoo or Google. Besides the geek factor, it really helps to understand how companies operate and how important earnings are to stock values. Microsoft made how much??? Wow, look at all those zeroes.Joel Greenblatt's The Little Book That Beats the Market offers a quick lesson in stock market valuation, bundled up in a small, easy-to-read package. The best thing about a small book like this one is that it can be quickly read by friends and loved ones, who will hopefully learn a bit about how the stock market works and become smarter investors while doing it.Since it only takes a few hours to read, I think it's also helpful to dust off this book every few years for a quick read-through. This book may be small, but it definitely gives the reader some valuable lessons for doing proper stock market research. We all know that it's easy to get caught up in the exciting hustle and bustle of different stock market trading strategies, but every now and then it pays to take a few steps back and re-consider some of the more basic principles of company valuation.As for Joel's trading system, it is very sound. By investing in companies with low P/E's (good value) and a high return on capital (good business model), you nearly guarantee a solid fundamental basis. He also provides excellent advice by recommending to hold stocks for at least one year so you can improve your after-tax return by only paying the long-term capital gains rate. Overall, this book provides invaluable advice and it's easy to finish in one or two sittings. dr seuss book collection
"Blood Thirsty" by Marshall Karp
"Blood Thirsty" is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. I sat down on Sunday, started reading and...literally could not put the book down. I would have read it straight through but I had to take care of pesky little thing like feeding my husband, feeding and walking the dogs and sleeping. This is exactly the kind of book I love.All the action in the book takes place in and around Los Angeles. The story starts out from the bad guys point of view and it's disturbing. A man and woman have just slit the throat of a Hispanic teenager and watched him bleed out and die. The man admits he perfected his technique by slaughtering a couple of pigs. Now both of them are ready....and you know that's not going to be good for someone.Next we switch to the POV of Mike Lomax, an LAPD homicide detective, who narrates most of the book. He and his partner, Terry Biggs are in the process of going to a Hollywood film premier. They've been offered money and a contract by a big producer to tell the story of one of their famous cases. The producer invited them to the premier so they could meet, Barry Gerber, one of the most powerful and most hated men in the movie business. When Barry doesn't show, you just know something bad has happened to him.Yup, he's found dead the next day, stuffed in a garbage bin, naked. Biggs and Lomax are assigned to the case and neither they nor anyone in forensics has ever seen anything like it before. Two days later, the prime suspect, another despised show-business bad boy, is found murdered in the same sadistic manner. In spite of the gruesome nature of the crimes, this is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. Biggs has opinions, hysterical opinions, about everything and everyone in Hollywood, and is not shy about expressing them. I found myself laughing out loud several times.There are plenty of twists and turns in the books that keep me guessing. Just when you think you know who and why the couple is killing Hollywood insiders, there's another twist and you're left guessing again. I did have one picky - and it's not really a plot spoiler. Toward the end, we find out that a character had his throat cut, but managed to call and leave a message on someones answering machine. Hm, I don't think so. When you're throat is cut, so are your vocal cords and you cannot speak. However, I let that pass because of the overall excellence of the book."Blood Thirsty" is only one is a series of Biggs & Lomax mysteries by Marshall Karp. You can bet I'll be looking for all the others to read. seuss book collection sets cat hat
Ageless Marketing Principals For Start Up, Entrepreneurial Types
I Just finished Robert G. Allen's Multiple Streams of Internet Income, and am feeling very inspired to keep working at my network marketing business and looking for ways apply all of this training in multiple ways.Some of his ideas are quite simple, using resources you probably already have, in the form of local businesses you already have relationships with, computer/internet resources, hobbies and professional expertise gathered over your work life.He also talks about a few marketing parlor tricks. My favorite is him landing in San Francisco, giving his wallet to the TV reporter recording the whole thing, holding onto $100, and successfully buying 7 properties in 24 hours.There are also great case studies of regular people (and some not so regular) who go on to have grand success after telling themselves, "surely there is something better I can do with my life."Being of a creative bent myself, I was particularly struck with the wonderfully creative spirit behind all of Allen's recommendations.Allen's is a strategy that would appeal to those looking for another creative outlet. His use of basic marketing principals as the medium to create wealth as an artist creates a new piece. The successful completion of some of his examples can provide you the financial cushion you need to take that extra class, take more time off from your teaching gig so you can spend uninterrupted time on your latest project, to tide you over until the funding comes through.While these techniques would be profitable for everyone, artists and other free lancers would do themselves a huge favor by experimenting with some of Allen's techniques.Another of the income streams suggested is affiliate marketing, MLM and network marketing. His suggestions regarding how to leverage success in one MLM opportunity into your other projects and income streams in ways that are respectful to your customers and team members are most compelling.All in all, this and any of Robert G. Allen's books are great additions to the library of anyone interested in establishing multiple income streams and effectively leveraging all of the resources by fully understanding the full value of all your offerings, be they in the form of products, services, and expertise.Multiple Streams of Internet Income
By Robert G. Allen
254 pages
© 2001, published by John Wiley & Sons
Currently $16.47 on Amazon dr seuss cat in hat quotes
By Robert G. Allen
254 pages
© 2001, published by John Wiley & Sons
Currently $16.47 on Amazon dr seuss cat in hat quotes
Beautifully Written With Stories That Make You Believe
I instantly fell in love with this book's beautiful cover - which was a sure sign that I was going to love the short stories. With this book, I did, indeed, up finding some wonderful stories covering such topics as romance, love sadness. The author has a beautiful way with words - making them feel as though they simply flow gracefully through the story. It made each short story incredibly touching and an absolute joy to read.What I was not expecting, however, was to actually read a book that would make me stop and think about my life and exactly how I view the things that happen to me. In Sadness, for example, the story starts off with such unhappiness and lethargy and even anger, only to be completely turned around by the things that happen in life - the message being clear - never think that nothing good can come along - always believe. It really is all about how you view a situation and how you react to it. You are, in most cases, your own worst enemy and your biggest supporter.This book made me think and made me find a willingness to not believe that everything is always bad. There can be goodness and wonder. You know that a book has touched you when you can't stop thinking about it after you have read it and Wonders by Kevin Hollingsworth is definitely one of those. This book is a keeper that I will re-read again - especially when I feel the need for inspiration. dr seuss cat in hat history
Think Twice Written by Lisa Scottoline
The ever humorous and exciting character of Bennie Rosato is back in an adventure that could cost her life when her much kept-away-from twin sister, Alice Connelly, physically and mentally enters Bennie's life. Bennie is the head of a successful Philadelphia law firm that has many good lawyers, most of who are employees Bennie considers good friends, not just employees. The twins were separated when they were born because their parents couldn't raise one much less two children. When Bennie found out she had a twin sister and also discovered that Alice was a no good tramp, she avoided her at all costs.So when Alice showed up at Bennie's house, Bennie tried to get rid of her but thought she would give Alice a chance again. Wrong move! Before long, Alice had slipped Bennie a drug to knock her out and knock Bennie out it did. When Bennie started to come back to realization, she found herself in a confined space of some sort and could not move much at all and had NO air. She discovered the top of the box, or whatever it was, was made of wood. She clawed, scraped, kicked, threw her arms, legs, and whatever she could to move or get oxygen without much success. Then she heard strange sounds coming from above that sounded as though an animal was digging from the top trying to get to the "food" that was under that wood.Meanwhile, the completely different personality and life style twin sister was quickly learning how to become Bennie so she could obtain all of Bennie's money and live her life in such a better lifestyle than she always had. Alice was a slut so it took much changing and not just in appearance to run Bennie's law firm and how to learn how to treat all the employees. Mary DiNunzio was one of the firms' best lawyers and one of Bennies best friends. Mary and Bennie had discussed the possibility that she might become partner in the firm soon.Alice, acting as Bennie, took over Bennie's home, money, old boyfriend, and undertook her total takeover of Bennie's life but really entered a ton of problems when dealing with Bennie's family, Mary's family, and Judy Carrier and her family. Judy was a best buddy of Bennie and Mary. The Italian family was one Alice avoided when she could. When Bennie, all banged up and broken, finally escaped the box Alice had buried her in, the problems really began for Bennie. Alice had arranged to financially take over Bennie's life so she could have a rich life after she got away from all that knew her. Even the law authorities didn't know which twin was Bennie.There is much humor, love, disputes of all kinds, even some law (Bennie is a lawyer!) gets worked in with Alice being involved in cases she faintly knew about. The battle between right and evil is brought out in "Think Twice" all the way through the book and it will have you laughing, crying, moving your legs trying to run while reading, and never knowing what the next page will bring. An excellent story. Thanks Lisa. Keep them coming. dr seuss cat in hat book
Talking Drums of Belize
Talking Drums of Belize is set in Belize. It is a Romantic Thriller and tells the story of a young female journalist who is sent to the Central American country to do research for a Community Development Foundation. En route she meets a young American Special Forces soldier who has recently left the forces after serving ten years almost continually in both Iraq and Afghanistan.She is a young, inexperienced Journalist from a provincial newspaper in England. She meets the head of a Community Development Foundation based in Australia when she is in London seeking a position of a national newspaper.He is a battle weary veteran from the United States of America. Who is trying to establish a new home and a new way of life in a peaceful country that is a far cry from the theaters of war he has been used to.At first glance she appears unfit for the tasks assigned her. The book explains how two people from diverse backgrounds can find common ground and can change their philosophy when living in the right environment.The book also explores the history of a fascinating country, its hopes and aspirations and the social problems that are inhibiting its growth. Having researched the history of Belize and the attitude of many of its peoples to visitors from other countries, especially those from the United States and Canada I was able to identify with the local characters portrayed in the book. For example, in the book Americans and Canadians as well as British and European visitors and even expatriates that have been in the country for many years are called "Gringos." and this I found is a term that is used constantly in Belize.I found that this book is told from an indigenous peoples point of view. As such it does show a side of the country that is probably missed by the tourist who is there for only a short time. It also shows the pressures that they are subject to with economics and drug traffic.A worthwhile read. dr seuss book collection
A Fantastic Hang Gliding Novel - Magic Wings - Flying Story
Magic Wings is a wonderful insight into the world of hang gliding. It offers a new view of the process of learning to fly, from the first steps off the training hill to harrowing flights suspended thousands of feet in the sky! And there's nothing but your perseverance, wits, guts, a polyester sail and a rope to hold you to it. Follow the author through outragesly beautiful scenery, tedious cliff launches, hours waiting on launch for the wind to come in right, and just a plain fun story. In the easy 154 page read, author Alden Moffatt takes you on an adventure through a largely uncharted world -- that which begins just above the ground. He even describes his experience flying a new launch site never before tried and the tensions and uncertainty that go along with it.In this novel, Moffatt doesn't write of catastrophe and disaster as seems to be the norm for people talking about these flying machines; instead, he expresses the greatness of living life to the fullest, taking risks as you do so, and looking back on the moments you wish you'd done things different. He discusses action and adventure, scandal and gossip, and everything else that goes with the experience. And not only does Moffatt talk about hang gliding, he talks about the community of people, the philosophy of life, and the funny - even hilarious - stories that go along with it all.The entire story is a fun and easy read, and the pages really do fly by like rails on a giant roller coaster ride. The printed edition is 154 pages. seuss book collection sets cat hat
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