If you want to learn about blogging, "Create Your Own Blog: 6 Easy Projects to Start Blogging Like a Pro" by Tris Hussey is a great resource. For the new blogger, it is fantastic. For the experienced blogger, I bet you'll still learn a thing or two. But it really is aimed at the beginner and maybe intermediate blogger.The thing I really liked was Hussey provides a lot of detail and information. This book really helped me with the two websites/blogs I just created, and I'm going to use it as a reference if I decide to add some different things like video and audio to my blogs.Hussey admits that he favors WordPress and the book has more about WordPress than other blogging platforms. With this said, he does mention some of the others such as Blogger or TypePad. Hussey says he's tried all the different blogging platforms and prefers and recommends WordPress, so most of the information refers to this platform for creating a blog, but many concepts and ideas will work if you choose
another. This is another thing I like about the book, Hussey shares many resources, and many are free, to help you with what you want to do.There is a quick introduction about how to use the book, and then a brief history of blogs and how to start your own. There is a basic chapter on installing and setting up your first blog. This is very basic and walks the novice through the setup. Don't know what a plugin or widget is? This chapter will tell you.Chapter three focuses on writing and creating a conversation, while chapter four is on building community. Chapter five is the first of the 6 projects. The six are: Creating a personal blog; Creating a business blog; Creating a podcast blog; Video blogging; Creating a portfolio blog; Creating your online lifestream; and a bonus chapter on Making money through your blog.In these chapters, Hussey really does walk you through doing all the things you'll want to do with your blog. He covers the basics, but also how to record, edit a
nd post audio and video, as well as topics like twitter, Cliqset, and ways to pull all your posting and content together. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of information and detail provided. The last chapter, which was a bonus, probably had the least amount of information, but he did cover the basic ways people are making money with their blogs.I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to start blogging, or for the person who wants to improve their blog presence or take their blogging to the next level with audio or video. Great blogging reference.
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Monday, December 31, 2012
Bob Grant's "The Women Men Adore and Never Want to Leave" - Might Not Be For Every Woman
As great as The Women Men Adore and Never Want to Leave may be, the honest truth is that it may not be for everyone. Bob Grant wrote The Women That Men Adore and Never Want to Leave based upon his experience as a certified counselor. As a result, much of the content is based upon the crisis' and troubles that women who typically might seek out the help of a counselor. Women who are married or in serious relationships are usually those that one might find talking with a counselor on a regular basis about the troubles they are having in their relationship.This is not to say that the information is weak or that The Women That Men Adore and Never Want to Leave targets middle class housewives or that the advice will only work on the men that these women love. But it does stand to reason that some of the information might not be relevant to those in relationships that are less than serious.On the other hand, men are men, right? Men are flesh and bone no matter what their position i
n society and thus they have the same needs, wants and desires. No different than the fact that most dogs like to be petted and have their bellies rubbed, most men like and appreciate the same attributes in women that all men find attractive and desirable.One thing that The Women That Men Adore and Never Want to Leave is not is a book on how to get your ex back by using deceitful or underhanded tactics. Although the advice given by Mr. Grant is helpful in rekindling the passion and romance in your relationship, it is not some cheesy step by step plan on how to get your ex back in 7 days or the like.Yes, it might be easy to see how the information in The Women That Men Adore and Never Want to Leave could be used to rebuild a relationship that has been severed due to breakup or divorce. It also might be helpful even for single women who want some insight into what men do find desirable in a woman and how a woman can be herself and bring out the passionate and romantic side in
a man. That is the premise of this book in a nutshell, actually. There is no trickery or pretending to be something that you're not, which you should find both refreshing and easy to do, right? You want him to love you for you and not because you are pretending to be something that you're not.Of course, there are bits and pieces of advice that Mr. Grant offers in his book that you can use word for word to bring about a desired reaction in a man and different tactics that may be considered a bit deceitful because you are doing something in hopes of bringing about a desired outcome. But we are not talking about lying or hurting anyone and you goal is to make your man happy so how can that be wrong? Once you know what makes him happy his natural response will be to want to make you happy.To sum it up, Bob Grant's The Women That Men Adore and Never Want to Leave isn't a get him back book in the traditional sense. If that is what you're looking for then this book may not be the r
ight choice for you. If you are a woman in a relationship that has lost it's passion and fire and you want to know what has worked for other women then you might be on the right track. If you have tried just about everything to win your man's heart and he just doesn't seem to be interested in you any longer this book might help you understand what might help move your man to fall in love with you all over again. If you are a single woman and you want some insight into what might make you more desirable to men it might be worth checking out.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/bob-grants-the-women-men-adore-and-never-want-to-leave-might-not-be-for-every-woman.html
n society and thus they have the same needs, wants and desires. No different than the fact that most dogs like to be petted and have their bellies rubbed, most men like and appreciate the same attributes in women that all men find attractive and desirable.One thing that The Women That Men Adore and Never Want to Leave is not is a book on how to get your ex back by using deceitful or underhanded tactics. Although the advice given by Mr. Grant is helpful in rekindling the passion and romance in your relationship, it is not some cheesy step by step plan on how to get your ex back in 7 days or the like.Yes, it might be easy to see how the information in The Women That Men Adore and Never Want to Leave could be used to rebuild a relationship that has been severed due to breakup or divorce. It also might be helpful even for single women who want some insight into what men do find desirable in a woman and how a woman can be herself and bring out the passionate and romantic side in
a man. That is the premise of this book in a nutshell, actually. There is no trickery or pretending to be something that you're not, which you should find both refreshing and easy to do, right? You want him to love you for you and not because you are pretending to be something that you're not.Of course, there are bits and pieces of advice that Mr. Grant offers in his book that you can use word for word to bring about a desired reaction in a man and different tactics that may be considered a bit deceitful because you are doing something in hopes of bringing about a desired outcome. But we are not talking about lying or hurting anyone and you goal is to make your man happy so how can that be wrong? Once you know what makes him happy his natural response will be to want to make you happy.To sum it up, Bob Grant's The Women That Men Adore and Never Want to Leave isn't a get him back book in the traditional sense. If that is what you're looking for then this book may not be the r
ight choice for you. If you are a woman in a relationship that has lost it's passion and fire and you want to know what has worked for other women then you might be on the right track. If you have tried just about everything to win your man's heart and he just doesn't seem to be interested in you any longer this book might help you understand what might help move your man to fall in love with you all over again. If you are a single woman and you want some insight into what might make you more desirable to men it might be worth checking out.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/bob-grants-the-women-men-adore-and-never-want-to-leave-might-not-be-for-every-woman.html
Book Review For Dawn of a Viking Sunrise
Book Review for "Dawn of a Viking Sunrise"Written by: Tami DeeDesert Breeze PublishingISBN: 1-936000-37-7Ebook Format$5.995 StarsDee crafts a tale full of excitement, adventure, and love with "Dawn of a Viking Sunrise." Rosie Chan and her cousin, Singlee, are accidentally sent back through time, but after being stranded in the past, will they still want to go back to their time in 2009 San Francisco?The novel starts with Rosie in possession of one of the time traveling pendants. Her old archeology professor, Fisher, has the other pendant. Fisher wants Rosie's pendant. An exciting pursuit ensues as Rosie and Fisher travel back in time to Denmark, to modern day San Francisco, then back to 904 A.D. Scotland, where they are trapped in time.While in Scotland, Rosie gets to know Davyn Nabborson, Leif's brother. (from Book 1 in the Mists of Time Series, "Under a Viking Moon") Davyn is convinced Rosie is his soulmate after talking to Rosie's friend, Kat, who married Leif. Rosie's not
so convinced.Davyn wants to learn more about Rosie's time and uses the pendants to go to the future. While in San Francisco, he meets Rosie's cousin, Singlee. The police are investigating the disappearance of the pendants and seek out Singlee and Davyn. They use the pendants to escape by going back into time, only Singlee gets separated and lands in 904 A.D. China.Davyn gets to Scotland and wins over Rosie's heart. After he marries her, he tells her about Singlee. Rosie and Davyn have an argument. When Rosie goes to cool down, Fisher kidnaps her. The kidnapping tests the newfound love between Davyn and Rosie. When Davyn finds Rosie locked in a dungeon, he promises her he will do everything in his power to go to China and save her cousin.Dee's writing grabs the reader's attention immediately and doesn't let go. The plot moves fast and transitions well.The characters are compelling. Rosie has been spoiled her whole life, and when she's kidnapped, she learns what it means to b
e truly humble and thankful for the gifts in her life. Davyn also has some things to learn. When he finds his wife half starved to death in a neighboring Laird's dungeon, he pushes aside his "alpha" personality to give her what she needs to survive. Singlee also has to face his problems. He doesn't take things as seriously as he should. How these characters grow are a delight to the reader.Dee's descriptions are vivid using a good economy of words. It's easy to picture her novel's settings. The story is "sophisticated" for romance readers with a love scene between Rosie and Davyn. "Dawn of a Viking Sunrise" is an action packed thrill ride filled with heartache, loss, and love.
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so convinced.Davyn wants to learn more about Rosie's time and uses the pendants to go to the future. While in San Francisco, he meets Rosie's cousin, Singlee. The police are investigating the disappearance of the pendants and seek out Singlee and Davyn. They use the pendants to escape by going back into time, only Singlee gets separated and lands in 904 A.D. China.Davyn gets to Scotland and wins over Rosie's heart. After he marries her, he tells her about Singlee. Rosie and Davyn have an argument. When Rosie goes to cool down, Fisher kidnaps her. The kidnapping tests the newfound love between Davyn and Rosie. When Davyn finds Rosie locked in a dungeon, he promises her he will do everything in his power to go to China and save her cousin.Dee's writing grabs the reader's attention immediately and doesn't let go. The plot moves fast and transitions well.The characters are compelling. Rosie has been spoiled her whole life, and when she's kidnapped, she learns what it means to b
e truly humble and thankful for the gifts in her life. Davyn also has some things to learn. When he finds his wife half starved to death in a neighboring Laird's dungeon, he pushes aside his "alpha" personality to give her what she needs to survive. Singlee also has to face his problems. He doesn't take things as seriously as he should. How these characters grow are a delight to the reader.Dee's descriptions are vivid using a good economy of words. It's easy to picture her novel's settings. The story is "sophisticated" for romance readers with a love scene between Rosie and Davyn. "Dawn of a Viking Sunrise" is an action packed thrill ride filled with heartache, loss, and love.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/book-review-for-dawn-of-a-viking-sunrise.html
The Door By Magda Szabo
The Door by Magda Szabo is a detailed, intimate account of a relationship between two women. Paradoxically, it was the distance between them that generated the intimacy. Presented with behaviour and attitudes she could not identify with or recognise, a young writer tries to analyse her maid's motives, to rationalise her strangeness, to explain her unconventional behaviour.It is clear from the start that the new maid, Emerence, has had a fundamentally different kind of life from her employer. And, as the relationship develops, details of that life are slowly unearthed to be shared. Memories and reflections unfold like a gently opening flower, each minuscule change adding to what has gone before. Eventually these individually small incremental revelations complete a picture of a life that even the imagination of a writer could not have created.The Door is rarely a vivid book. Its tone and style are always measured. Details are picked apart and analysed, their consequences exami
ned under a microscope that seeks out motive, honesty and guilt. Paradoxically - perhaps as a consequence of this concentration on the psychological - there is no greats sense of place or setting. In fact, so deeply do the characters enter into the psychological aspects of their lives that they sometimes appear to have their gaze directed inwards on themselves. And eventually, an enduring reaction to the book is its constant consciousness of the distance between people, despite both intimacy and proximity.The book's style is quite dense. There is very little dialogue, and what is offered is often stunted and awkward. Magda Szabo employs longs long paragraphs, whose content often meanders through different strands of the character's emotions. It is not a stream of consciousness form, however, and always avoids the poetic, never obfuscates, does not try to cloud issues to create a false sense of significance. In some ways, this is a criticism of the book, since the overall eff
ect tends to be somewhat one-paced, with the different characters' perspectives inconclusively delineated.Magda Szabo's book is still a rewarding read, especially if taken slowly, when the nuances of character and their relationships can be savoured. There are grand events between its covers, but they remain mainly domestic. It's the detail that counts.
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ned under a microscope that seeks out motive, honesty and guilt. Paradoxically - perhaps as a consequence of this concentration on the psychological - there is no greats sense of place or setting. In fact, so deeply do the characters enter into the psychological aspects of their lives that they sometimes appear to have their gaze directed inwards on themselves. And eventually, an enduring reaction to the book is its constant consciousness of the distance between people, despite both intimacy and proximity.The book's style is quite dense. There is very little dialogue, and what is offered is often stunted and awkward. Magda Szabo employs longs long paragraphs, whose content often meanders through different strands of the character's emotions. It is not a stream of consciousness form, however, and always avoids the poetic, never obfuscates, does not try to cloud issues to create a false sense of significance. In some ways, this is a criticism of the book, since the overall eff
ect tends to be somewhat one-paced, with the different characters' perspectives inconclusively delineated.Magda Szabo's book is still a rewarding read, especially if taken slowly, when the nuances of character and their relationships can be savoured. There are grand events between its covers, but they remain mainly domestic. It's the detail that counts.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/the-door-by-magda-szabo.html
Facing Demons Ain't Easy
What do you do, where do you turn, when you have no hope, when you think that you have nowhere to turn? Facing Demons by Ashley Sanders is a fascinating, page-turning YA novel which explores the turmoil-filled, tumultuous lives of four teenage individuals who face tragic and desperate situations, and the often self-destructive decisions they make, that lead them to the brink of wanting to end it all. It's also about how they all wind up at the Anchor Beach Rehabilitation Clinic, ran by Blake Solomon, and how their lives are changed for the better. As the title suggests, they each have to face their demons before they can conquer them. We get to learn very dramatically about the four people's lives because each one tells their tales in the first-person, present tense. The stories of Jason (a gang member), Rebecca (a drug addict and child prostitute forced into it by thugs who keep her doped up), Matthew (a homeless African refugee living on the streets), and Felicity (a reckle
ss, high-risk taking, rich kid who cuts herself), will live with you long after you finish the book.Blake Solomon gets a second chance at life when his metastatic cancer goes into remission in the prologue of Facing Demons. That's a big reason behind why he wants to give other people a chance, also. He's a great character, because though he has doubts like all people do, he keeps his resolve strong, despite some setbacks he experiences with the four other main characters. He deals with their problems in a kind, concerned, attentive manner, and it's apparent he deeply cares for his patients and wants to help them succeed on their road to recovery. Blake is described as looking "a bit like George Clooney, even has the stubble, but with a few more streaks of grey in his hair."The stories of the characters Rebecca, Jason, Felicity, and Matthew are introduced in the novel's first chapter, "Their Stories." They present their lives in stark and honest vignettes that are powerful an
d moving, and the author makes them come alive for the reader. I feel fortunate that my two kids, one now seventeen and one who will be twenty-one soon, have not had to handle the problems and face the terrible situations that the teens of Facing Demons are forced to confront.Rebecca, for instance, realizes as she's being used by criminal figures as a prostitute that she's heavily addicted to drugs. Though doing without them causes her to experience withdrawal symptoms, she decides to do just that, and hide the hypodermic syringes full of drugs that are given to her, until she has enough to carry out her plan of "escaping" from them through injecting several syringes full of drugs into her scarred veins, one after another, hoping to die from an overdose. She passes out, and doesn't remember much after that.Jason is a violent gang member who beats up any rival gang members who infringe on his gang's territory. He has scars from several past battles, and many tattoos he displa
ys proudly. He tells us that he was not always like he now is, but that he became a gang member "when my family was murdered by a vicious Negro gang." Since that time, he says that he has hunted the killers down, and that: "They are now all in jail, two of them paraplegic." He wouldn't likely have ever wound up at the Anchor Beach Rehabilitation Clinic, if it hadn't been for eventually meeting up with someone who shoots him.I won't get into the reasons why the other two teens who are the focus of Facing Demons wind up at the clinic; I don't want to reveal any further information that might spoil your enjoyment of this finely crafted novel. When you read their stories, you'll wonder how the teens managed to last as long as they have, before they fall under the care and guidance of Blake Solomon. It's lucky or by God's good will and grace that they end up at the Anchor Beach Rehabilitation Clinic, for if they hadn't have made it there, they likely would have become casualties
of their fates, their lifestyles, their poor decision making skills, and their backgrounds.Facing Demons is an inspirational novel about teens facing some very desperate circumstances, of their own making, and much that is beyond their control. It is a great book that will move you profoundly as you read it, pull at your heartstrings, and perhaps jerk a few tears from your eyes. It's a novel that I recommend for any teens, though perhaps specifically for any teenager who is going through similar problems in his/her own life. Facing Demons is also a perfect novel for parents to read, along with their teens, and then use it as a tool to open up meaningful dialogue with them. If you like reading page-turning, touching stories of hope in spite of sometimes having to manage with the crappy hand that life has dealt you, I would highly recommend that you check out Facing Demons by Ashley Sanders today!
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/facing-demons-aint-easy.html
ss, high-risk taking, rich kid who cuts herself), will live with you long after you finish the book.Blake Solomon gets a second chance at life when his metastatic cancer goes into remission in the prologue of Facing Demons. That's a big reason behind why he wants to give other people a chance, also. He's a great character, because though he has doubts like all people do, he keeps his resolve strong, despite some setbacks he experiences with the four other main characters. He deals with their problems in a kind, concerned, attentive manner, and it's apparent he deeply cares for his patients and wants to help them succeed on their road to recovery. Blake is described as looking "a bit like George Clooney, even has the stubble, but with a few more streaks of grey in his hair."The stories of the characters Rebecca, Jason, Felicity, and Matthew are introduced in the novel's first chapter, "Their Stories." They present their lives in stark and honest vignettes that are powerful an
d moving, and the author makes them come alive for the reader. I feel fortunate that my two kids, one now seventeen and one who will be twenty-one soon, have not had to handle the problems and face the terrible situations that the teens of Facing Demons are forced to confront.Rebecca, for instance, realizes as she's being used by criminal figures as a prostitute that she's heavily addicted to drugs. Though doing without them causes her to experience withdrawal symptoms, she decides to do just that, and hide the hypodermic syringes full of drugs that are given to her, until she has enough to carry out her plan of "escaping" from them through injecting several syringes full of drugs into her scarred veins, one after another, hoping to die from an overdose. She passes out, and doesn't remember much after that.Jason is a violent gang member who beats up any rival gang members who infringe on his gang's territory. He has scars from several past battles, and many tattoos he displa
ys proudly. He tells us that he was not always like he now is, but that he became a gang member "when my family was murdered by a vicious Negro gang." Since that time, he says that he has hunted the killers down, and that: "They are now all in jail, two of them paraplegic." He wouldn't likely have ever wound up at the Anchor Beach Rehabilitation Clinic, if it hadn't been for eventually meeting up with someone who shoots him.I won't get into the reasons why the other two teens who are the focus of Facing Demons wind up at the clinic; I don't want to reveal any further information that might spoil your enjoyment of this finely crafted novel. When you read their stories, you'll wonder how the teens managed to last as long as they have, before they fall under the care and guidance of Blake Solomon. It's lucky or by God's good will and grace that they end up at the Anchor Beach Rehabilitation Clinic, for if they hadn't have made it there, they likely would have become casualties
of their fates, their lifestyles, their poor decision making skills, and their backgrounds.Facing Demons is an inspirational novel about teens facing some very desperate circumstances, of their own making, and much that is beyond their control. It is a great book that will move you profoundly as you read it, pull at your heartstrings, and perhaps jerk a few tears from your eyes. It's a novel that I recommend for any teens, though perhaps specifically for any teenager who is going through similar problems in his/her own life. Facing Demons is also a perfect novel for parents to read, along with their teens, and then use it as a tool to open up meaningful dialogue with them. If you like reading page-turning, touching stories of hope in spite of sometimes having to manage with the crappy hand that life has dealt you, I would highly recommend that you check out Facing Demons by Ashley Sanders today!
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/facing-demons-aint-easy.html
Tired of the Global Warming Myth? Book Review For You
It seems as though every time we turn around we are being warned about the potential impacts of global warming. In the 1970s scientist claimed and they swore up and down that we were going into an Ice Age. That never happened, but they sure got a lot of people fearful, and were able to promote their agenda. If you are getting tired of the climate change fear mongering and global warming myth, then boy, do I have a good book for you to read, the book is called;"The Real Global Warming Disaster: Is the Obsession with "Climate Change" Turning Out to Be the Most Costly Scientific Blunder in History?" By Christopher Booker; Continuum Publishers; New York, NY; (2009); 358 pages; ISBN: 144111056In this book the author is quite concerned about all the misinformation, which has been purported in the media as scientific fact. He is also concerned how the politicians are moving their agendas, and making moves that will triple the cost of our energy, and inevitably make our businesses un
able to compete in global markets due to the cost of energy to manufacture products in our country.He also explains how the unions got behind global warming, as a way to put the pressure and tariffs on Chinese goods coming into the US, hoping that they would be able to manufacture more products to compete under the new legislation. One thing I enjoyed about Booker's book was that he was willing to expose the United Nations and the inter-governmental panel on climate change.The reality is as Booker states; is that the real disaster of global CO2 warming will not come from the atmosphere, but rather mankind's response to the global climate warming propaganda and myths that are being purported. The author also suggests that the recent economic global crisis will be nothing compared to the calamity that will be caused through bad legislation such as the Cap and Trade Bill. And he believes we are headed off of a cliff, not a climate cliff, but an economic one. Please consider all
this.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/tired-of-the-global-warming-myth-book-review-for-you.html
able to compete in global markets due to the cost of energy to manufacture products in our country.He also explains how the unions got behind global warming, as a way to put the pressure and tariffs on Chinese goods coming into the US, hoping that they would be able to manufacture more products to compete under the new legislation. One thing I enjoyed about Booker's book was that he was willing to expose the United Nations and the inter-governmental panel on climate change.The reality is as Booker states; is that the real disaster of global CO2 warming will not come from the atmosphere, but rather mankind's response to the global climate warming propaganda and myths that are being purported. The author also suggests that the recent economic global crisis will be nothing compared to the calamity that will be caused through bad legislation such as the Cap and Trade Bill. And he believes we are headed off of a cliff, not a climate cliff, but an economic one. Please consider all
this.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/tired-of-the-global-warming-myth-book-review-for-you.html
What Would Google Do? - An Audio Book Review
What Would Google Do?, by Jeff Jarvis, talks a lot about Google and what he believes makes it so successful. He draws on these ideas to form several hypotheses about the future rules of business, such as "give the people control and we will use it", "You don't create communities, but you can provide elegant organization", "the mass market is being replaced by masses of niche markets" and a number of other similar "Google Rules".Jarvis examines these rules throughout the first half of the book, discussing how they apply to Google and how other companies are using these rules for success. And how if not followed these rules can lead to big problems.I truly enjoyed the first half of the book, often stopping the audio book to take notes on a particularly interesting insight from Jarvis.However, after a great first half filled with real examples, the second half of the book explores a hypothetical world of businesses running on "Google Rules." It stretches the imagination and in s
ome places credibility. It's too bad he could not draw on more real examples to prove his point, which leads to concerns about the rigor of his analysis. He may have extrapolated correctly, but then again he may not.He also fails to incorporate Google's massive scale into how these "Rules" apply to the rest of us. For example, only about 1 percentage of people in any community are really big contributors and another 9 percent of people add on to that contribution. The rest of the people watch passively. This means that the wisdom of crowds works when there are lots and lots of people involved. The same cannot be said for a restaurant with hundreds of customers, which is one of Jarvis's hypothetical businesses.Still, I recommend listening to What Would Google Do?, with a particular emphasis on the first half. To audio books is chock full of insights that will make you think. As for the second half, find your industry and give it a listen. Maybe it will make you think differen
tly.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/what-would-google-do-an-audio-book-review.html
ome places credibility. It's too bad he could not draw on more real examples to prove his point, which leads to concerns about the rigor of his analysis. He may have extrapolated correctly, but then again he may not.He also fails to incorporate Google's massive scale into how these "Rules" apply to the rest of us. For example, only about 1 percentage of people in any community are really big contributors and another 9 percent of people add on to that contribution. The rest of the people watch passively. This means that the wisdom of crowds works when there are lots and lots of people involved. The same cannot be said for a restaurant with hundreds of customers, which is one of Jarvis's hypothetical businesses.Still, I recommend listening to What Would Google Do?, with a particular emphasis on the first half. To audio books is chock full of insights that will make you think. As for the second half, find your industry and give it a listen. Maybe it will make you think differen
tly.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/what-would-google-do-an-audio-book-review.html
Ministry or Monument?
Human beings have an "edifice" complex-an urge to build something permanent. When Peter went with Jesus to the Mount of Transfiguration, he felt compelled to build a shrine, but that was not Jesus' plan. The meeting had served its purpose when Moses and Elijah returned to heaven. It was time to move on.When the disciples marveled at the architecture of the Temple, Jesus contrasted its ephemeral nature with the glory of His resurrected body, the eternal temple of God. He could make the same comparison with any of the imposing structures that serve as churches today.I once got involved with a ministry to soldiers in Iraq. We packaged gifts and sent them to the field with personal notes and words of encouragement. The program was so successful that Gary Sinise of CSI New York fame threw a concert every July to help us raise funds. When the war began to wind down, the leader said she would find another reason to keep the program going. Why the need to continue? It had served its
purpose admirably. She just felt the need to memorialize the ministry.Programs can easily become monuments to their founders. Perhaps they met a very real need at one time though that need has ceased to exist. Some needs may not be large enough to organize into a program or they may not be a priority for leadership. Some people are not joiners and will not voluntarily participate in a church program. Some people are shy about sharing their needs. Nonetheless, once a program has become part of the church schedule, it takes on a life of its own. Mere activity gives the impression of progress. Rarely does anyone stop to ask whether a program is actually achieving its purpose.There should be an avenue of service for every believer, but church programs built around specific agendas seldom provide a ministry role for everyone. What is to be done for the person whom God has called to some other role or for whom the need doesn't fit the agenda? A better approach, in many cases, woul
d be to form a ministry task force. The job of the task force would be to identify individual needs and allocate the resources to meet them. Rather than formalize a response with a one size fits all program, the ministry task force would be able to tailor its response to each individual need. Once the need gets met, it could move on rather than institutionalize the program.The Apostle Paul's Ministry Partners*Paul had some thirty seven different ministry partners. Some of these partners worked alongside him, others supported him, and still others served jail time with him, but they all united with him to reach those who had never heard the gospel. Each partner or combination of partners performed different roles depending on the nature of the ministry. The fact that Paul had so many partners indicates that his ministry was constantly changing with the needs on the ground. No church program or formal agenda handcuffed him.The early church made a practice of caring for needs w
e entrust to the government and social welfare agencies today. Providing meals for widows was one such ministry. The Apostles chose a committee of seven men to ensure that both the Hebraic widows and the Greek-speaking widows in Jerusalem got their fair share of food. Paul took up a collection from the Asian churches to meet the needs of the suffering saints in Jerusalem, and believers of the church at Jerusalem sold their possessions to provide for the needs of the less fortunate among them.Due to the affluence of our American society, needs may not be so apparent as they were even fifty years ago, but individuals still experience misfortune, families still suffer loss, and the elderly still struggle with loneliness and disability. Just because the modern church has gotten out of the practice of meeting practical needs does not mean there are no needs. The church may not be able to manage all of these needs but they can encourage their members to root out the needs and mini
ster to one another in practical ways. The Internet allows people to make their needs known from the comfort of their own homes even if they cannot get to church. Given the sophistication of modern communications, there is no excuse for overlooking the needs of the church family. Church leaders just need to be flexible enough to adapt their ministries to the changing needs of society and their own members.* Paul's Ministry Partners:Aquilla, Luke, Lucius, Tychicus, Apphia, Andonichus, Marcus, Urbane, Aristarchus, Archippus, Nymphus, Onesiphorus, Carpus, Barnabus, Phebe, Philemon, Epaphras, Demus, Priscilla, Secundus, Erastus, Epaphroditus, Silas, Sopater, Jason, Gaius, Tertius, Timothy, Justus, Junia, Titus, Trophimus, TyrannusMinistry Task Forces Posted by Craig on Feb 25, 2012
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/ministry-or-monument.html
purpose admirably. She just felt the need to memorialize the ministry.Programs can easily become monuments to their founders. Perhaps they met a very real need at one time though that need has ceased to exist. Some needs may not be large enough to organize into a program or they may not be a priority for leadership. Some people are not joiners and will not voluntarily participate in a church program. Some people are shy about sharing their needs. Nonetheless, once a program has become part of the church schedule, it takes on a life of its own. Mere activity gives the impression of progress. Rarely does anyone stop to ask whether a program is actually achieving its purpose.There should be an avenue of service for every believer, but church programs built around specific agendas seldom provide a ministry role for everyone. What is to be done for the person whom God has called to some other role or for whom the need doesn't fit the agenda? A better approach, in many cases, woul
d be to form a ministry task force. The job of the task force would be to identify individual needs and allocate the resources to meet them. Rather than formalize a response with a one size fits all program, the ministry task force would be able to tailor its response to each individual need. Once the need gets met, it could move on rather than institutionalize the program.The Apostle Paul's Ministry Partners*Paul had some thirty seven different ministry partners. Some of these partners worked alongside him, others supported him, and still others served jail time with him, but they all united with him to reach those who had never heard the gospel. Each partner or combination of partners performed different roles depending on the nature of the ministry. The fact that Paul had so many partners indicates that his ministry was constantly changing with the needs on the ground. No church program or formal agenda handcuffed him.The early church made a practice of caring for needs w
e entrust to the government and social welfare agencies today. Providing meals for widows was one such ministry. The Apostles chose a committee of seven men to ensure that both the Hebraic widows and the Greek-speaking widows in Jerusalem got their fair share of food. Paul took up a collection from the Asian churches to meet the needs of the suffering saints in Jerusalem, and believers of the church at Jerusalem sold their possessions to provide for the needs of the less fortunate among them.Due to the affluence of our American society, needs may not be so apparent as they were even fifty years ago, but individuals still experience misfortune, families still suffer loss, and the elderly still struggle with loneliness and disability. Just because the modern church has gotten out of the practice of meeting practical needs does not mean there are no needs. The church may not be able to manage all of these needs but they can encourage their members to root out the needs and mini
ster to one another in practical ways. The Internet allows people to make their needs known from the comfort of their own homes even if they cannot get to church. Given the sophistication of modern communications, there is no excuse for overlooking the needs of the church family. Church leaders just need to be flexible enough to adapt their ministries to the changing needs of society and their own members.* Paul's Ministry Partners:Aquilla, Luke, Lucius, Tychicus, Apphia, Andonichus, Marcus, Urbane, Aristarchus, Archippus, Nymphus, Onesiphorus, Carpus, Barnabus, Phebe, Philemon, Epaphras, Demus, Priscilla, Secundus, Erastus, Epaphroditus, Silas, Sopater, Jason, Gaius, Tertius, Timothy, Justus, Junia, Titus, Trophimus, TyrannusMinistry Task Forces Posted by Craig on Feb 25, 2012
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/ministry-or-monument.html
Learn To Earn - Book Review
Learn to Earn is written by Peter Lynch who is without much argument the best mutual fund manager of all time. In 1977, Lynch was named head of Magellan Fund which had $18 million in assets. From 1977 until his retirement in 1990, the Magellan Fund grew to more than $14 billion in assets. In those 13 years, the fund averaged a 29.2% average annual compound interest.Peter Lynch has written three books on investing - One up on Wall Street, Beating The Street and Learn To Earn, to help people become more educated and financially free.What Is In This Book For You?Learn to Earn book is written for those people who are in the beginning days of their investing. This book will provide you the basics of the stock market investing in a very simple and entertaining language. If you are looking to start investing in the stock market and want to learn more about investing then this is an ideal book to start.Invest Your Money: What Are You Waiting For?You should start saving and investing
early if you want to live a rich and happy life when you retire. Majority of the people think that government will take care of them once they retire. But nowadays it is difficult to live a happy life with your monthly retirement income.Many people wait until they are in their thirties, forties and fifties to start saving money. The trouble is, by the time they realize they ought to be investing; they have lost valuable years when their money could have grown faster with the effect of compound interest. If you want to save money then you have to remind yourself the basic rule of saving that says that to save money you need to spend less than you earn.You need to save some money every month so that you can invest that money. But often people spend all the money they earn and in their retirement years they blame politicians and tax laws. If you don't want to remain without money when you become old, you should save and invest you money in your working years.Nowadays you can no
longer depend on government for pensions. You have to take responsibility of your retirement as you can no longer depend on social security. The money you will get from your retirement will not be sufficient to survive.One of the best ways to become self-dependent is to begin saving money as soon as possible when you have no children and you are living in your parent's home. Whether it's $10 a month or $100 a month, save whatever amount you can each month.Putting Your Money To WorkMoney is a great servant, it will work happily for you once you send it off to work. It can put extra money in your pocket without you having to lift a finger. For example if you deposit $1000 in the bank that pays 5% interest, you can get extra $50 without doing any work.If you invest $1000 in stock market instead of putting in bank, your money can grow faster. On average you will double your money every seven years if you invest your money in stocks.Instead of spending money on buying a larger T
V set or expensive car, you can invest that money and sooner your money will start supporting you. It will be like having a rich uncle or aunt who sends you all the cash you need for the rest of your life.The Pros and Cons of the Five Basic Investments1. Saving AccountsThere are five major basic investment where you can invest your money and get the annual return. The most conservative investments are saving accounts, these are known as short-term investments, they pay you interest and you can get back your money whenever you want.The big disadvantage is that they pay you the lowest rate of interest and you actually lose the value of your money by saving your money in the bank due to the inflation.2. CollectiblesCollectibles can be anything from antique cars to stamps, ancient coins, baseball cards, or any other precious thing. You buy these things in the hope that you may sell them at a profit in the future.The big disadvantage is that these things can get lost, stolen, war
ped or damaged. Yes! You can get insurance on collectibles but Insurance is often very expensive. Before buying collectibles remind yourself that the age of these things will raise its price but the bad condition of these things will lower it.3. Houses Or ApartmentsBuying a house or apartment is the most profitable investment if you can find a house at a good location and at a bargain price. The advantages are that you can live in it while waiting the price to go up and you can buy it with borrowed money.Before starting investing your money in the stock market, you need to save money for the down payment of your house. Buy a house and get a mortgage for no more than 15 years. After you have bought your house, you can start investing in the stock market.4. BondsBond is an investment where you have loaned your money to someone for a specific time period at a specific interest rate. You are simply providing a loan to somebody usually to big companies and governments.Many big co
mpanies and governments borrow money from investors in the form of bonds to enlarge their businesses. The bonds pay a higher rate of interest than saving accounts but you can't withdraw your money before a specific time period.The disadvantage of the bonds is that you often don't get enough interest rate. The interest you receive from bonds hardly beat the inflation. The junk bonds give you a higher rate of interest but they are risky. If the issuer of the bond goes bankrupt, you will not receive your money back.5. StocksStocks are the second best investment you can make after you have bought your house. When you buy a stock, you are actually buying a piece of the company. If the company prospers, your money will grow. The company will divide its profit with you in the form of dividends and stock price value.You have heard that stocks are risky but they are risky only if you buy them at their peak without getting enough financial knowledge. 99% of the investors, who loses an
y money in the stock market, don't have essential financial education.People lose money because they do not create any investing plan. They buy at high prices when the market is at its peak and they sell at a lower price when the market goes down.Final Thoughts On This BookThis book is very informative and gives you a lot of information about how to pick good stocks. The book is clearly written for the teenagers who want to invest their money in the stock market while they are young. This book is very encouraging and well written. If you want to start saving and investing your money in the stock market, you should read this excellent book.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/learn-to-earn-book-review.html
early if you want to live a rich and happy life when you retire. Majority of the people think that government will take care of them once they retire. But nowadays it is difficult to live a happy life with your monthly retirement income.Many people wait until they are in their thirties, forties and fifties to start saving money. The trouble is, by the time they realize they ought to be investing; they have lost valuable years when their money could have grown faster with the effect of compound interest. If you want to save money then you have to remind yourself the basic rule of saving that says that to save money you need to spend less than you earn.You need to save some money every month so that you can invest that money. But often people spend all the money they earn and in their retirement years they blame politicians and tax laws. If you don't want to remain without money when you become old, you should save and invest you money in your working years.Nowadays you can no
longer depend on government for pensions. You have to take responsibility of your retirement as you can no longer depend on social security. The money you will get from your retirement will not be sufficient to survive.One of the best ways to become self-dependent is to begin saving money as soon as possible when you have no children and you are living in your parent's home. Whether it's $10 a month or $100 a month, save whatever amount you can each month.Putting Your Money To WorkMoney is a great servant, it will work happily for you once you send it off to work. It can put extra money in your pocket without you having to lift a finger. For example if you deposit $1000 in the bank that pays 5% interest, you can get extra $50 without doing any work.If you invest $1000 in stock market instead of putting in bank, your money can grow faster. On average you will double your money every seven years if you invest your money in stocks.Instead of spending money on buying a larger T
V set or expensive car, you can invest that money and sooner your money will start supporting you. It will be like having a rich uncle or aunt who sends you all the cash you need for the rest of your life.The Pros and Cons of the Five Basic Investments1. Saving AccountsThere are five major basic investment where you can invest your money and get the annual return. The most conservative investments are saving accounts, these are known as short-term investments, they pay you interest and you can get back your money whenever you want.The big disadvantage is that they pay you the lowest rate of interest and you actually lose the value of your money by saving your money in the bank due to the inflation.2. CollectiblesCollectibles can be anything from antique cars to stamps, ancient coins, baseball cards, or any other precious thing. You buy these things in the hope that you may sell them at a profit in the future.The big disadvantage is that these things can get lost, stolen, war
ped or damaged. Yes! You can get insurance on collectibles but Insurance is often very expensive. Before buying collectibles remind yourself that the age of these things will raise its price but the bad condition of these things will lower it.3. Houses Or ApartmentsBuying a house or apartment is the most profitable investment if you can find a house at a good location and at a bargain price. The advantages are that you can live in it while waiting the price to go up and you can buy it with borrowed money.Before starting investing your money in the stock market, you need to save money for the down payment of your house. Buy a house and get a mortgage for no more than 15 years. After you have bought your house, you can start investing in the stock market.4. BondsBond is an investment where you have loaned your money to someone for a specific time period at a specific interest rate. You are simply providing a loan to somebody usually to big companies and governments.Many big co
mpanies and governments borrow money from investors in the form of bonds to enlarge their businesses. The bonds pay a higher rate of interest than saving accounts but you can't withdraw your money before a specific time period.The disadvantage of the bonds is that you often don't get enough interest rate. The interest you receive from bonds hardly beat the inflation. The junk bonds give you a higher rate of interest but they are risky. If the issuer of the bond goes bankrupt, you will not receive your money back.5. StocksStocks are the second best investment you can make after you have bought your house. When you buy a stock, you are actually buying a piece of the company. If the company prospers, your money will grow. The company will divide its profit with you in the form of dividends and stock price value.You have heard that stocks are risky but they are risky only if you buy them at their peak without getting enough financial knowledge. 99% of the investors, who loses an
y money in the stock market, don't have essential financial education.People lose money because they do not create any investing plan. They buy at high prices when the market is at its peak and they sell at a lower price when the market goes down.Final Thoughts On This BookThis book is very informative and gives you a lot of information about how to pick good stocks. The book is clearly written for the teenagers who want to invest their money in the stock market while they are young. This book is very encouraging and well written. If you want to start saving and investing your money in the stock market, you should read this excellent book.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/learn-to-earn-book-review.html
Top 5 Selling Manchester City Football Club Books Reviewed
1. Colin Bell - Reluctant Hero: The Autobiography of a Manchester City and England LegendMost Manchester City supporters regard Colin Bell as their club's best ever player. He graced the midfield during their greatest years as they won all domestic and European honours, and represented England 48 times before a serious knee injury ended his career prematurely when he was just 29. Now, in this revealing autobiography, 'King Colin' has opened up.He talks about never knowing his mother, who died when he was a baby, and of being brought up by his aunt and then his father and older sister.He then leads us through the glory years, singles out his greatest opponents and compares the modern game with the era he dominated, before sharing his views on the infamous tackle in a Manchester derby that ended his footballing dreams. In a remarkable development, he reveals for the first time his private battle against cancer and explains how this book has helped to save his life.2. Manchest
er City: The Mercer-Allison YearsManchester City's first home game of 1964-65 was a resounding success - a 6-0 win over Leyton Orient. But by the time Swindon Town arrived at Maine Road in January 1965, City's fortunes had taken an alarming tumble. At Easter, manager George Poyser resigned and the rest of the season City were managerless as they finished 11th. In July 1965, City announced their new man: Joe Mercer, former England, Everton and Arsenal wing-half who had been out of the game for 12 months after suffering a stroke while managing Aston Villa.Mercer needed a younger man to work with the players on the training pitch and he chose Malcolm Allison, the former West Ham defender who had himself suffered bad health, his playing career ended when he lost a lung to TB.No-one in their wildest dreams could imagine the success these two would bring to Maine Road. Within 12 months City had won the championship of the Second Division. Two years later they were league champions
of England and by 1971 had added the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup-winners' Cup.This, then is the story of the most successful period in Manchester City's history.3. Manchester City's Cult Heroes"Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy" - F Scott Fitzgerald. Who is your favourite Manchester City Cult Hero? Goater, Lee, Bell, Kinkladze, Dickov or Wright-Phillips? David Clayton's book, "Man City's Cult Heroes", tells the story of the club through the careers of its 20 greatest icons - the men who made fans' pulses race. The likes of Frank Swift, Paul Lake, Dennis Tueart, Bert Trautmann, Ian Bishop, Andy Morrison and Niall Quinn all join the illustrious cast list as David searches for the very heartbeat of a club obsessed with the way the game is played, but bereft of trophies for so long.Each player's career is analysed to discover what made him tick and why he was so idolised by the fans, including their foibles, quirks and misdemeanours. Controversy and heated
debate will follow around Manchester as City fans place their bets on who is the greatest icon - and who is left out of this definitive list of fans' favourites.Featured players are: Billy Meredith; Frank Swift; Peter Doherty; Bert Trautmann; Bobby Johnstone; Roy Paul; Mike Summerbee; Rodney Marsh; Dennis Tueart; Joe Corrigan; Gerry Gow; Paul Lake; Ian Bishop; Andy Morrison; Niall Quinn; Giorgi Kinkladze; Uwe Rosler; Shaun Goater; Paul Dickov; and, Shaun Wright-Phillips. This is a rocky ride at times. But then, if you're a City fan, you're used to it.4. Please May I Have My Football Back: My Life at Manchester City"Please May I Have My Football Back?" is the story of the Alexander family and how they helped run Manchester City football club from its foundation in 1880 until the club was sold to Peter Swales a century later. Written by Eric Alexander, former Chairman and current Honorary President of the club and board member throughout the glorious 60s and 70s, it contains
wonderful behind-the-scenes stories detailing what it was like running one of the world's biggest football clubs at that time.Crammed full of stories about players such as Rodney Marsh, Colin Bell, Franny Lee, Mike Doyle and Mike Summerbee, this book also tells many boardroom stories of the kind of shenanigans that go on in negotiations between clubs, how Eric's grandfather, then Chairman of Manchester City was asked to drive the victorious Manchester United team on their tour of the city following the 1909 FA Cup final victory, his dealings with football's administrators and referees, which would often leave him incredulous and how City won bundles of silverware throughout that successful era.5. Manchester City 1967-1968: A Season to RememberWow, what an excellent book. Well worth a purchase for any Man City fans or anyone interested in football generally.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/top-5-selling-manchester-city-football-club-books-reviewed.html
er City: The Mercer-Allison YearsManchester City's first home game of 1964-65 was a resounding success - a 6-0 win over Leyton Orient. But by the time Swindon Town arrived at Maine Road in January 1965, City's fortunes had taken an alarming tumble. At Easter, manager George Poyser resigned and the rest of the season City were managerless as they finished 11th. In July 1965, City announced their new man: Joe Mercer, former England, Everton and Arsenal wing-half who had been out of the game for 12 months after suffering a stroke while managing Aston Villa.Mercer needed a younger man to work with the players on the training pitch and he chose Malcolm Allison, the former West Ham defender who had himself suffered bad health, his playing career ended when he lost a lung to TB.No-one in their wildest dreams could imagine the success these two would bring to Maine Road. Within 12 months City had won the championship of the Second Division. Two years later they were league champions
of England and by 1971 had added the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup-winners' Cup.This, then is the story of the most successful period in Manchester City's history.3. Manchester City's Cult Heroes"Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy" - F Scott Fitzgerald. Who is your favourite Manchester City Cult Hero? Goater, Lee, Bell, Kinkladze, Dickov or Wright-Phillips? David Clayton's book, "Man City's Cult Heroes", tells the story of the club through the careers of its 20 greatest icons - the men who made fans' pulses race. The likes of Frank Swift, Paul Lake, Dennis Tueart, Bert Trautmann, Ian Bishop, Andy Morrison and Niall Quinn all join the illustrious cast list as David searches for the very heartbeat of a club obsessed with the way the game is played, but bereft of trophies for so long.Each player's career is analysed to discover what made him tick and why he was so idolised by the fans, including their foibles, quirks and misdemeanours. Controversy and heated
debate will follow around Manchester as City fans place their bets on who is the greatest icon - and who is left out of this definitive list of fans' favourites.Featured players are: Billy Meredith; Frank Swift; Peter Doherty; Bert Trautmann; Bobby Johnstone; Roy Paul; Mike Summerbee; Rodney Marsh; Dennis Tueart; Joe Corrigan; Gerry Gow; Paul Lake; Ian Bishop; Andy Morrison; Niall Quinn; Giorgi Kinkladze; Uwe Rosler; Shaun Goater; Paul Dickov; and, Shaun Wright-Phillips. This is a rocky ride at times. But then, if you're a City fan, you're used to it.4. Please May I Have My Football Back: My Life at Manchester City"Please May I Have My Football Back?" is the story of the Alexander family and how they helped run Manchester City football club from its foundation in 1880 until the club was sold to Peter Swales a century later. Written by Eric Alexander, former Chairman and current Honorary President of the club and board member throughout the glorious 60s and 70s, it contains
wonderful behind-the-scenes stories detailing what it was like running one of the world's biggest football clubs at that time.Crammed full of stories about players such as Rodney Marsh, Colin Bell, Franny Lee, Mike Doyle and Mike Summerbee, this book also tells many boardroom stories of the kind of shenanigans that go on in negotiations between clubs, how Eric's grandfather, then Chairman of Manchester City was asked to drive the victorious Manchester United team on their tour of the city following the 1909 FA Cup final victory, his dealings with football's administrators and referees, which would often leave him incredulous and how City won bundles of silverware throughout that successful era.5. Manchester City 1967-1968: A Season to RememberWow, what an excellent book. Well worth a purchase for any Man City fans or anyone interested in football generally.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/top-5-selling-manchester-city-football-club-books-reviewed.html
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Releasing God's Life Through the Hearts of Men by David Case
A Model for Ministering to and Transforming a Self-indulgent Generation"Releasing God's Life" is intended to develop the ground-work for a "one on one" nurturing ministry. It is a model for evangelizing in today's culture. Author David Case begins by establishing an understanding of the relationship of the forces at work in the spiritual realm that impact our daily living and our communion with God.David uses illustrations from present-day life which clearly reinforce the scriptural truths relevant to spiritual transformation and a connection with God. He also discusses the role of our attitude, our expressions, and our deeds in relation to spiritual transformation. He offers insights into the war being waged between spiritual presence and spiritual substance.Other subjects Case discusses deal with man in the image of God, brokenness, humbleness, closeness to God, talents and gifts, disappointment, obedience, and the process of spiritual maturity.An appendix at the end of the
book includes a detailed summary list of areas of sin, their related core values, and an alternate potential for releasing God's life through your heart. This list is meant to be a source of help for the reader to develop vision and to recognize the value of the individuals being ministered too.Each chapter ends with a moving personal prayer, based a scripture passage taken from the theme of the chapter. An excellent study guide is provided made up of thought provoking questions designed to help the reader assimilate the material and to motivate a resolve and action. This feature augments the book as a valuable resource tool. The prayer and study guide became important elements to my enjoyment of the book."Releasing God's Life through the Hearts of Men" provides a model for transforming a self-indulgent generation into men and women of God. David Case is articulate, and relevant. He writes with fervor, clarity and conviction.Creation House, 978-1559793283As Reviewed for Mid
west Book Review
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/releasing-gods-life-through-the-hearts-of-men-by-david-case-2.html
book includes a detailed summary list of areas of sin, their related core values, and an alternate potential for releasing God's life through your heart. This list is meant to be a source of help for the reader to develop vision and to recognize the value of the individuals being ministered too.Each chapter ends with a moving personal prayer, based a scripture passage taken from the theme of the chapter. An excellent study guide is provided made up of thought provoking questions designed to help the reader assimilate the material and to motivate a resolve and action. This feature augments the book as a valuable resource tool. The prayer and study guide became important elements to my enjoyment of the book."Releasing God's Life through the Hearts of Men" provides a model for transforming a self-indulgent generation into men and women of God. David Case is articulate, and relevant. He writes with fervor, clarity and conviction.Creation House, 978-1559793283As Reviewed for Mid
west Book Review
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/releasing-gods-life-through-the-hearts-of-men-by-david-case-2.html
Vicious Circle by Mike Carey
Vicious Circle by Mike Carey is the second outing for Felix Castor, ghostbuster extraordinaire. It's another wicked blend of supernatural mayhem and hard-boiled detective story set in a dark and gritty London where the dead walk among the living.Felix Castor, London exorcist, solved a tough case at the Bonnington Archive and now he's doing some consulting for the local constabulary. When a couple wants to hire him to find the ghost of their young daughter he's reluctant to take the case but unfortunately money is still tight and unpaid bills force him to change his mind. He should have followed his instincts because nothing is as it seems. The girl was taken by another exorcist. While Felix follows the disreputable kidnapper, a pair of werewolves follows him. What he thought was a simple case immerses him into a horrific plot to raise one of Hell's fiercest demons. This time St. Michael's Church is the center of demonic activity. The abundant twists and turns keep readers on
their toes but once again Carey manages to pull together several intriguing plotlines and come up with a satisfying conclusion.The characters are offbeat. Castor's old friend, Rafi, is still possessed by a demon and his love interest is Juliet, a succubus. The loup-garous and zombies are back, as well as a group of excommunicated Catholics. Felix still has his quick tongue and his sarcastic wit makes the first person narrative a hugely entertaining read. Sometimes description slows the pace but there's still plenty of action and quite a bit of violence as Felix manages to survive numerous beatings.If you're a fan of the "The Dresden Files" by Jim Butcher you should give this series a try. It's another paranormal - gumshoe mix, very entertaining and very much worth a read.Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (July 28, 2008)ISBN: 978-0-446-58031-1Pages: 448Price: $24.99
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/vicious-circle-by-mike-carey.html
their toes but once again Carey manages to pull together several intriguing plotlines and come up with a satisfying conclusion.The characters are offbeat. Castor's old friend, Rafi, is still possessed by a demon and his love interest is Juliet, a succubus. The loup-garous and zombies are back, as well as a group of excommunicated Catholics. Felix still has his quick tongue and his sarcastic wit makes the first person narrative a hugely entertaining read. Sometimes description slows the pace but there's still plenty of action and quite a bit of violence as Felix manages to survive numerous beatings.If you're a fan of the "The Dresden Files" by Jim Butcher you should give this series a try. It's another paranormal - gumshoe mix, very entertaining and very much worth a read.Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (July 28, 2008)ISBN: 978-0-446-58031-1Pages: 448Price: $24.99
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/vicious-circle-by-mike-carey.html
Christian Fantasy Book - Arana's Visitor
Arana's Visitor by Julie Rollins, a reviewBook 1 of the Vadelah ChroniclesSelf-published in 2005, 288 pagesWorldview: Christian. This book will appeal mostly to Christians.David Decker, a college student, and his roommate Todd are driving on a country road one night when they see a red-hot plane make an emergency landing. On a hunch, they rescue the pilot, an alien, hide him from authorities at a roadblock, and take him home.At first they don't trust him. But they decide to shelter him from bad guys in the government who know of the crash and are looking for the alien. This is Gyra, a very intelligent being who looks a lot like a bird and has both wings and arms.Once the bad guys figure out who is sheltering Gyra, David and Todd take Gyra and leave town.They teach Gyra English and disguise him as a man in a chicken costume advertising a local restaurant, a scenario with comic moments. At the same time, David, a Christian, witnesses to Gyra and shows him his Bible. Gyra is cap
tivated.David and Todd help Gyra get the metals he needs to repair his ship. In Gyra's hair-raising escape, David on the spur of the moment decides to come along, because Gyra is injured. And so in a switcheroo, David becomes the alien on Gyra's planet Arana learning Gyra's language. Gyra is out of the picture, in a coma from his injuries, and so Gyra's people suspect David of having hurt Gyra.David learns that his home planet is the first place that the Lord made life, but not the last. These gentle bird-aliens have sophisticated space travel but fear Earth and have marked it off-limits because of the evil that comes from there. Naturally they suspect David of being evil too. But they are looking for fulfillment of a prophecy involving someone bringing news from Earth.This book is very well told and well edited. The pacing is good. Rollins is able to grab your emotions and tell a tale of good and evil on a galactic scale. I really enjoyed reading it. You will too.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/christian-fantasy-book-aranas-visitor.html
tivated.David and Todd help Gyra get the metals he needs to repair his ship. In Gyra's hair-raising escape, David on the spur of the moment decides to come along, because Gyra is injured. And so in a switcheroo, David becomes the alien on Gyra's planet Arana learning Gyra's language. Gyra is out of the picture, in a coma from his injuries, and so Gyra's people suspect David of having hurt Gyra.David learns that his home planet is the first place that the Lord made life, but not the last. These gentle bird-aliens have sophisticated space travel but fear Earth and have marked it off-limits because of the evil that comes from there. Naturally they suspect David of being evil too. But they are looking for fulfillment of a prophecy involving someone bringing news from Earth.This book is very well told and well edited. The pacing is good. Rollins is able to grab your emotions and tell a tale of good and evil on a galactic scale. I really enjoyed reading it. You will too.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/christian-fantasy-book-aranas-visitor.html
Freakonomics, a Book Review
If the thought of a book on economics is about as exciting as watching your toenails grow, or you are under-whelmed with statistics and number crunching theory, then the bestselling book Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything just might be the book to make you wake up without that extra cup of Starbucks' best. Actually, Freakonomics is an engaging read because it seems to be more about sociology and psychology than boring numerical analysis. With its well-paced and easy reading style, this book shows how the resulting correlation and causality of data impacts our lives and definitely makes us think differently about facts and figures. The authors, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, contend, "What this book is about is stripping a layer or two from modern life and seeing what is happening underneath," exposing why conventional wisdom is so often wrong. In effect, there are real tangible benefits in thinking laterally. To be sure, their seemingl
y off-the-wall comparisons are definitely attention grabbers. Who would have ever thought to make the unlikely comparison of teachers and sumo wrestlers to show that economics is, in essence, the study of incentives. But for those of you who desire a smooth flowing book, with multiple concepts building to an ultimate conclusion, you might be disappointed. Actually, the book presents six wholly different topics, with no unifying theme. And while Freakonomics does jump seemingly randomly from question to question, there are some lessons to be learned. For example, the book demonstrates that the most obvious reason why something happens is not always the real reason. To be sure, sometimes the real reason doesn't even make the list of possibilities. Or, as is often true in the case studies given in Freakonomics, the cause turns out not to be the cause at all, but the effect.Perhaps the most hard-hitting and controversial riddle tackled by Freakonomics explores the cause of the d
ramatic drop in the U.S. crime rate in the chapter "Where Have All the Criminals Gone?" The book explains that by the 1990s violent crime had grown to epic proportions in the United States. Experts everywhere, from law enforcement to government agencies could only predict that it would get worse. The American way had somehow produced and coined the term "superpredator." "Death by gunfire", intentional and otherwise, had become commonplace. And then, instead of going up, the crime rate suddenly started to drop profoundly- by over 40 percent in just a few years. By studying crime statistics from all over the country in comparison with abortion statistics in the era after the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, Freakonomics arrives at a startling conclusion. The book submits that the highly publicized drop in America's violent crime rate since 1990 is due almost entirely to legalized abortion, rather than better police work, new gun laws, or any of a number of other fac
tors put forward by agencies of all stripes eager to take credit for it. Although the authors concede they have "managed to offend just about everyone," from conservatives, (because "abortion could be construed as a crime-fighting tool") to liberals, (because "the poor and black women were singled out"), they stick strictly to the evidence, admitting that this view "should not be misinterpreted as either an endorsement of abortion or a call for intervention by the state in the fertility decisions of women." The book verifies its conclusion by consistently dismantling argument after argument for the other touted factors and keeps returning to the cause and effect of evidence at hand. After all, the "truth" as the authors see it, is not always convenient.The other topics explored in Freakonomics, while not as controversial, are equally interesting. In fact, some could be considered amusing. If you are looking to spruce up you intellect for the next cocktail party, or widen yo
ur eyes to the world around you, then this book is a necessary read. However, what might be considered a turnoff by some is the annoying insertion of quotations from external sources about how innovative or creative the authors are as a precursor to every chapter. That being said, it is refreshing to have an odd economist, or at least an economist who ask odd questions to tease out the most fascinating facts concerning the mysteries of the world around us.One word of advice: don't buy this book in paperback. At the list price of $25.00, it rings up at only 95 cents cheaper than the hardback book, which is a much more attractive and sturdy volume. Plus, because the hardback has been available for much longer, you can actually find the hardback for significantly cheaper (more than $7) if you search a few bookstores.After almost a year in publication, Freakonomics continues to make the bestseller lists, currently holding (at the time of writing this review) the much vaunted Ama
zon #1 seller position. If nothing else, that is an important statistic to keep in mind.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/freakonomics-a-book-review.html
y off-the-wall comparisons are definitely attention grabbers. Who would have ever thought to make the unlikely comparison of teachers and sumo wrestlers to show that economics is, in essence, the study of incentives. But for those of you who desire a smooth flowing book, with multiple concepts building to an ultimate conclusion, you might be disappointed. Actually, the book presents six wholly different topics, with no unifying theme. And while Freakonomics does jump seemingly randomly from question to question, there are some lessons to be learned. For example, the book demonstrates that the most obvious reason why something happens is not always the real reason. To be sure, sometimes the real reason doesn't even make the list of possibilities. Or, as is often true in the case studies given in Freakonomics, the cause turns out not to be the cause at all, but the effect.Perhaps the most hard-hitting and controversial riddle tackled by Freakonomics explores the cause of the d
ramatic drop in the U.S. crime rate in the chapter "Where Have All the Criminals Gone?" The book explains that by the 1990s violent crime had grown to epic proportions in the United States. Experts everywhere, from law enforcement to government agencies could only predict that it would get worse. The American way had somehow produced and coined the term "superpredator." "Death by gunfire", intentional and otherwise, had become commonplace. And then, instead of going up, the crime rate suddenly started to drop profoundly- by over 40 percent in just a few years. By studying crime statistics from all over the country in comparison with abortion statistics in the era after the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, Freakonomics arrives at a startling conclusion. The book submits that the highly publicized drop in America's violent crime rate since 1990 is due almost entirely to legalized abortion, rather than better police work, new gun laws, or any of a number of other fac
tors put forward by agencies of all stripes eager to take credit for it. Although the authors concede they have "managed to offend just about everyone," from conservatives, (because "abortion could be construed as a crime-fighting tool") to liberals, (because "the poor and black women were singled out"), they stick strictly to the evidence, admitting that this view "should not be misinterpreted as either an endorsement of abortion or a call for intervention by the state in the fertility decisions of women." The book verifies its conclusion by consistently dismantling argument after argument for the other touted factors and keeps returning to the cause and effect of evidence at hand. After all, the "truth" as the authors see it, is not always convenient.The other topics explored in Freakonomics, while not as controversial, are equally interesting. In fact, some could be considered amusing. If you are looking to spruce up you intellect for the next cocktail party, or widen yo
ur eyes to the world around you, then this book is a necessary read. However, what might be considered a turnoff by some is the annoying insertion of quotations from external sources about how innovative or creative the authors are as a precursor to every chapter. That being said, it is refreshing to have an odd economist, or at least an economist who ask odd questions to tease out the most fascinating facts concerning the mysteries of the world around us.One word of advice: don't buy this book in paperback. At the list price of $25.00, it rings up at only 95 cents cheaper than the hardback book, which is a much more attractive and sturdy volume. Plus, because the hardback has been available for much longer, you can actually find the hardback for significantly cheaper (more than $7) if you search a few bookstores.After almost a year in publication, Freakonomics continues to make the bestseller lists, currently holding (at the time of writing this review) the much vaunted Ama
zon #1 seller position. If nothing else, that is an important statistic to keep in mind.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/freakonomics-a-book-review.html
Book Review For Men Only - Single Guy Tricks For Cooking Considered
Hey, being a single guy is not easy, and eating right is hard if you cannot cook well, still, there is a solution for everything. Let me explain; the other day I ran across an extremely great book to help single guys get all they can eat and have healthy meals that are completely tasty for the rest of their lives. Okay, let me solve this problem once and for all, by recommending an excellent book to you;"Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's" by Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati; published by Brown Bag Publishing LLC, Monrovia, CA; 2007; ISBN-10: 0979938406 or ISBN-13: 978-0979938405 (depending on paperback or hard bound edition).This book is cool because it is fully illustrated, some 60-pages, with simple instructions too. And best of all the sponsors of this book have all the ingredients available in their store. Wondering the best type of wine to go with your meal, no problem, there are suggestions for that too. And if you find an ingredient too costly or something you do not wan
t to buy, well they have substitutions as well.TraderJoe's also has the Fearless Flyer, every other month with fifteen recipes for free, and it is set up for the single guy or gal that wants to eat right, organic, and healthy. If you are on a budget or want to eat great on the cheap, then I highly recommend the TraderJoe's cookbook, but also want you to know about the "Fearless Flyer" which is available at all trader joe markets at the counter.The book claims "Mortal beings can now create the stuff of chefs, in minutes, using ingredients all from Trader Joe's. Use TraderJoe's as your "prep kitchen" to make delicious home-cooked meals in just minutes. From quinoa to capers, Marsala to Masala, tofu to turkey, it's all here. Each recipe features Trader Joe's products, easy steps, and mouth-watering photos."If you are a single guy, let me tell you, you will love this book, and you can eat like a king! Please consider all this.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/book-review-for-men-only-single-guy-tricks-for-cooking-considered.html
t to buy, well they have substitutions as well.TraderJoe's also has the Fearless Flyer, every other month with fifteen recipes for free, and it is set up for the single guy or gal that wants to eat right, organic, and healthy. If you are on a budget or want to eat great on the cheap, then I highly recommend the TraderJoe's cookbook, but also want you to know about the "Fearless Flyer" which is available at all trader joe markets at the counter.The book claims "Mortal beings can now create the stuff of chefs, in minutes, using ingredients all from Trader Joe's. Use TraderJoe's as your "prep kitchen" to make delicious home-cooked meals in just minutes. From quinoa to capers, Marsala to Masala, tofu to turkey, it's all here. Each recipe features Trader Joe's products, easy steps, and mouth-watering photos."If you are a single guy, let me tell you, you will love this book, and you can eat like a king! Please consider all this.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/book-review-for-men-only-single-guy-tricks-for-cooking-considered.html
The Finer Points of a Literature Review
Generally speaking there are two kinds of literature reviews. The first type is the more informal one, it is a review of a written piece of work, a summary and an evaluation of it. A perfect example is a review of a new book. The first type of literature review has a wider readership because it is more popular, while the second type is the scholarly resource. It is written as a review of a book or textbook but also has some points of reference in a synthesized format.The casual literature review is supposed to include emotional, intuitive, aesthetic or intellectual responses and discussions concerning credibility, creative worth and literature value of the written pieces of work. Literature reviews which are more academic should contain an evaluation which is more intellectually based and focused or they should have analysis and a list of research done. Academic literature reviews should give details about the original research report. For instance, a literature review for th
e masses, a book review may contain some of the following phrases:"...if someone is certain that you should read The Celestial Jukebox then read it for sure. Of course, you can also wait for the movie, it would follow soon. The Celestial Jukebox reminds about Fried Green Tomatoes, Magnolia and even bears some resemblance to Gone with the wind in the making."The second type of literature review, the scholarly review might sound like this: "... Some studies have taken a different approach on concentrating on how same-sex groups produce different types of interaction as opposed to mixed-sex interactions. Maltz and Borker conducted a typical study of this sort in 1982 developing lists of what they considered as men's and women's features of language..."If you are considering writing a literature review of the second type, the scholarly resource, according to professors at University of California, Santa Cruz then it is good to include the following: 1) a subject/topic/theory ove
rview; 2) objects of the literature review; 3) a categorizing of the works under review; 4) a comparison of the inner workings of each source being reviewed; and a conclusion which draws the attention to the source with the more valid and more valuable arguments or positions.In case you should write an alternative literature review, a book review or a report, then make sure you cover the several points listed: 1) a summary of the book; 2) examples of characters, plots, setting; 3) your own opinion what was the most interesting moment, what did you not like about the book, your advice whether people should read it or not.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/the-finer-points-of-a-literature-review.html
e masses, a book review may contain some of the following phrases:"...if someone is certain that you should read The Celestial Jukebox then read it for sure. Of course, you can also wait for the movie, it would follow soon. The Celestial Jukebox reminds about Fried Green Tomatoes, Magnolia and even bears some resemblance to Gone with the wind in the making."The second type of literature review, the scholarly review might sound like this: "... Some studies have taken a different approach on concentrating on how same-sex groups produce different types of interaction as opposed to mixed-sex interactions. Maltz and Borker conducted a typical study of this sort in 1982 developing lists of what they considered as men's and women's features of language..."If you are considering writing a literature review of the second type, the scholarly resource, according to professors at University of California, Santa Cruz then it is good to include the following: 1) a subject/topic/theory ove
rview; 2) objects of the literature review; 3) a categorizing of the works under review; 4) a comparison of the inner workings of each source being reviewed; and a conclusion which draws the attention to the source with the more valid and more valuable arguments or positions.In case you should write an alternative literature review, a book review or a report, then make sure you cover the several points listed: 1) a summary of the book; 2) examples of characters, plots, setting; 3) your own opinion what was the most interesting moment, what did you not like about the book, your advice whether people should read it or not.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/the-finer-points-of-a-literature-review.html
Seperating the Fact From Fiction Within Dan Brown's Work
The Da Vinci Code mastermind, Dan Brown, is no newcomer to the genres of mysteries and thrillers. Dan Brown is the novelist of four mystery-thriller novels. Each of his works includes a combination of, "extensive research, complex, intricate plotting, and intriguing conspiracy theories with breathless, edge-of-the-seat action." Brown's four novels include Digital Fortress (1998), Angels and Demons (200), Deception Point (2001), and The Da Vinci Code (2003). In each of Brown's novels the reader is met with a prologue in which a corpse is found in an extremely awkward position. In each case the homicide victim embodies a riddle that becomes the plot or layout for the rest of the novel. In Digital Fortress, the beginning of the book informs readers of successive murders, and Deception Point kicks off with a "Canadian geologist being hurled from a helicopter to his death." Angles and Demons also follows suit when a scientist, Leonardo Vetra, is discovered dead in his lab, as well
as in The Da Vinci Code when Jacques Sauniere, the curator at the Louvre Museum in Paris is found murdered. Brown's four novels also "conclude with an epilogue that brings each novel full circle." The epilogue is always present after a tryst between hero and heroine has occurred.This can be seen in Digital Fortress, when there is a romantic encounter that was postponed since the beginning of the opening chapter. This encounter in the Smoky Mountains precedes an epilogue linking Tankado to his alienated father who is in existence on the other side of the earth. Deception Point closes in a similar fashion in that its female and male protagonists, Rachel Sexton and Michael Tolland complete a tryst. This precedes an epilogue in which, "Ekstrom, NASA's administrator, consigns his fake meteorite to the ocean whence it cam." Angles and Demons follows this pattern with a tryst between Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra, which constitutes the epilogue of the novel, and in The Da Vinc
i Code, the epilogue "brings Langdon back to the prologue's setting of the Louvre, where Langdon is at last able to solve the final riddle posed by Sophie's grandfather, Jacques Sauniere" (Eder, L. Doris). Therefore proving that in each of Brown's unique novels he focuses on different subject matter, however he continually uses an almost identical narrative framework.Dan Brown's novels include nefarious plots that center on an abundance of puzzles and conspiracy theories that give way to controversy and criticism. In Contemporary Authors online, critics attributed the appeal of The Da Vinci Code, to its plot related codes and cryptograms that unconsciously force the reader into brainstorming for answers. However some critics claim that Dan Brown loaded his 2003 novel with too much religious history, "at the expense of pacing," however this novel has been regarded and accepted with open arms by both conspiracy buffs and thriller addicts (Contemporary Authors). Brown includes
a skeletal history of a real society that among its members included icons of Western Culture such as Leonardo Da Vinci. This history can be seen in the preface of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code: FACT:The Priory of Sion--a European secret society founded in 1099--is a realOrganization. 1975 Paris's Bibliotheque Nationale discovered parchments knowas Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticellie, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci.The Vatican Prelature known as Opus Dei is a deeply devout Catholic sect that has been the topic of recent controversy due to reports of brainwashing, coercion, and a dangerous practice known as "corporal mortification." Opus Dei has just completed construction of a $47 million National Headquarters at 243 Lexington Avenue in New York City. All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate. (Brown 1)The first two statements by Brown a
bout the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei are for the most part valid, but some of the actions Brown claims that these groups carry out in the book are questionable. The real issue with this quote from the book lies in the last line about "[All] descriptions..." because this statement is very unprofessional considering the interpretations that he yields about the "artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals..." cannot be backed up or supported by any substantial facts. The book begins with the acknowledgement of the existence of a secret society called the Priory of Sion, and the existence of devout Catholic sect Opus Dei. The plot begins when a disciple of Opus Dei murders the grand master of the Priory of Sion, however in the mists of death he manages to arrange clues around his body to point the conspiracy surrounding Opus Dei (Newsmaker). After his body is found Robert Langdon, a professor of religious symbology, at Harvard University is called to the seen to dissect
the clues (Brown 7). Langdon works alongside Sauniere's granddaughter Sophi, who is a police cryptologist. This results in the basic plot of the book which includes these two trying to solve the murder of Sauniere and using there talents to move through "a maze of artistic, linguistic, and mathematical codes, and puzzles" (Newsmaker). These clues lead to his murderer and the true identity of Sauniere as the grand master of the Priory of Sion, whose sole purpose is to protect the secrets of Christianity and its origins by concealing the truth and mystery surrounding the Holy Grail. The book also has an anti-catholic sentiment that portrays the church in a darker fashion. The plot is "complete with secret codes, anagrams, elaborate technology, pagan sex orgies, sudden reversals, age-old conspiracies, pre-Christian fertility cults, Knights Templar, Gnostic gospels, corrupt cops, brutal murders, feminist theory, and frantic midnight rides through Paris" (Greeley, Andrew). The no
vel forces readers to scrutinize over Leonardo Da Vinci's works including, Mona Lisa, Madonna of the Rockets, and The Last Supper. These mixtures of art history, mathematics, and medieval mysticism, all formulate the debate and controversy present in this book. Therefore in Dan Brown's hit novel The Da Vinci Code, his theories on the Holy Grail, Renaissance art symbology, and the representation of the Catholic Church consist for the most part of fiction rather than substantial fact.There has been an abundance of controversy surrounding the origins of the Holy Grail in The Da Vinci Code. When a person is questioned, "what is the Holy Grail," their first thought, in most cases, is the chalice that Jesus Drank out of at the last supper. This cup was supposedly filled with the blood of Christ, and was passed around that table to be consumed by each of the twelve disciples. The most popular lore surrounding the Grail states that whoever finds the Grail and drinks from it will be
rewarded with eternal life. The Grail is thought to posses healing powers for those who come in contact with it. This is the modern and most well known documentation of the Grail. In The Da Vinci Code, Brown has a much different interpretation of the Grail. Brown's interpretation of the Holy Grail in the book states: The Grail is literally the ancient symbol for woman hood, and the Holy Grail represents the sacred feminine and the goddess, which of course has now been lost, virtually eliminated by the Church. The power of the female and her ability to produce life was once very sacred, but it posed a threat to the rise of the predominantly male Church, and so the sacred feminine was demonized and called unclean. It was man, not God, who created the concept of 'original sin,' whereby Eve tasted of the apple and caused the downfall of the human race. Woman, once the sacred giver of life, was now the enemy. (Brown 238)Brown also explains the Holy Grail to have symbolic roots po
rtraying a women's body as a container or vessel that held the bloodline of Jesus Christ. In this interpretation Brown is eluding to Mary Magdalene, who he believes made love to Jesus Christ and bore his daughter. According to Brown the Priory of Sion were Grail keepers that vowed to guard the truth about the Holy Grail, which included the knowledge of the royal bloodline and the resting place of Mary Magdalene. In The Da Vinci Code, the basis of the plot revolves around the race between Opus Dei and Sophi and Langdon to find the Holy Grail. Opus Dei wishes to find the Holy Grail for the sole purpose to erase its history of the royal bloodline forever, and Langdon and Sophi wish to find the Grail so they can keep the truth alive. Therefore the Holy Grail is symbolic of the lost goddess Mary Magdalene (Miesel, Sandra). Brown backs up his beliefs of the Holy Grail as being the lineage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene through a truly creative theory of fiction. He explains that Magd
alene was not a prostitute, but rather a close companion of Jesus.Her real identity was according to Brown, concealed by the early church clergy, because they feared the truth would undermine the church teachings on celibacy. In order to defend itself against the power of Magdalene, the church persecuted her and made her out to be a whore. The church buried the evidence of Christ's marriage to her, and this therefore crushed any potential claims that there was any surviving bloodline of Jesus Christ (Reidy, Maurice Timothy). In The Da Vinci Code, Brown also translates the French term Sangraal, which truly means Holy Grail into sang or blood, and raal or royal, into royal blood (Brown 250). Brown's play on the term Sangraal does not hold any credibility outside the realm of his book. These facts are implemented to further undermine Brown's interpretation of the Holy Grail and to reveal his true lack of credibility.Another area of error in Brown's The Da Vinci Code, rests in t
he misinterpretations of the art symbology in Leonardo da Vinci's artwork. Brown's interpretations relate secret codes in Leonardo da Vinci's artwork, to hints and secrets surrounding the Holy Grail:For this reason, Grail enthusiasts still pored over Da Vinci's art and diaries in hopes of unearthing a hidden clue as to the Grail's current location. Some claimed the mountainous backdrop in Madonna of the Rocks matched the topography of a series of cave-ridden hills in Scotland. Others insisted that the suspicious placement of disciples in The Last Supper was some kind of code. Still others claimed that X rays of the Mona Lisa revealed she originally had been painted wearing a lapis lazuli pendant of Isis--a detail Da Vinci purportedly later decided to paint over. (Brown 169)Brown's portrayal of these three Da Vinci pieces is very questionable and often regarded as false, or unable of being determined. In the book Brown breaks the name Mona Lisa, into the anagram "Amon L'isa."
He proceeds to explain to readers that Amon is the name of the Egyptian God of masculine fertility, and the ancient pictogram "L'isa," is the Egyptian goddess of fertility. He then explains that the Mona Lisa's name in an anagram is actually representative of the divine union of male and female (Brown 121). According to Sandra Miesel, the novel's interpretation of the Mona Lisa is undoubtedly false because, "it's widely know to portray a real woman, Madonna Lisa, wife of Francesco di Bartolomeo del Giocondo." Therefore the name is definitely not a mocking anagram of the twoEgyptian fertility deities (Miesel, Sandra). Brown also believes Da Vinci's The Last Supper is coded with messages that reveals the truth about Jesus and the Holy Grail. Brown claims that in the painting each disciple has his own wine glass indicating that there is no one cup that could be called the Holy Grail. He also claims that not all of the twelve disciples are men. Upon further review, Brown points
out that the disciple directly to Jesus' left who is thought to be St. John, is actually a woman. This woman is supposedly Mary Magdalene (Brown 243-246) Brown's second theory attributed the lack of a central chalice on the Table as proof that the Holy Grail is a sacred cup proves that Da Vinci is trying to tell onlookers that the grail is actually Mary Magdalene (Miesel, Sandra). However this is inconceivable, and Brown's view is merely a matter of opinion. The person directly to Jesus' right in the painting of The Last Supper has no resemblance of a woman at all. In addition to Brown's theory of Mary Magdalene being present at the right had of god, he also manages to find fictional hidden symbols elsewhere in the painting. Brown claims that there is an "indisputable V shape at the focal point of the painting," which represents the female womb (Brown 244). Brown also proclaims the "unquestionable outline of an enormous, flawlessly formed letter M" (Brown 245). This secret
clue supposedly hints that the M stands for Magdalene, However Brown's arguments that Leonardo da Vinci coded his paintings with messages cannot be sustained (Miesel, Sandra). It has been said by some historians that Leonardo da Vinci did not load his work with secret messages, however he was guilty of playing around with words and numbers (Schorow Stephanie). Brown's confusion with art from fact can be attributed to his heavy reliance on Gnostic Gospels, which are incredibly simplistic reading of both history and theology (Reidy, Timothy Maurice).In addition to Brown's multitude of errors surrounding the Holy Grail and Renaissance art symbology, he is also guilty of offering false claims about the Catholic Church. In The Da Vinci Code, it is evident that Brown has strong anti-catholic biases throughout the novel. Brown is guilty of taking novelistic jabs at the church and Vatican. This can be seen in Andrew M. Greeley's analysis where he found "several factual errors and te
rmed it merely the latest in a long list of slightly veiled novelistic jabs at the church and Vatican hierarchy over the decades." Brown portrays the Roman curia as smooth, sophisticated schemers who will stop at nothing to preserve the power of the church (Greeley, Andrew). According to Sandra Miesel, "Brown misses no opportunity to criticize Christianity and its pitiable adherents." Brown also portrays the Catholic Church as a villain, who will stop at nothing to uphold its power. He is also incorrect according to Miesel because, "he routinely and anachronistically refers to the church as "the Vatican" even when popes [weren't] in residence there." The Da Vinci Code also portrays the church as, "deceitful, power-crazed, crafty, and murderous" (Miesel, Sandra). Another historical inaccuracy under Brown's belt is his use of the term Vatican. He depicts the Vatican as, "conspiring with Constantine to suppress the Gnostic gospels in early fourth century. The only problem with
this is that the Vatican Hill was a disorderly cemetery at that time.Brown is also inaccurate in his discussion regarding someone he calls the Secretariat Vaticana who supposedly has control of papal finances. This is incorrect because the secretary of state is actually the one who is in control of Vatican finances (Greeley, Andrew). Another aspect of the book that simply will not hold up according to Greeley is the incident involving a murder plotted by Opus Dei. In addition to that, it would be inconceivable to think that the Vatican would ever pay for this act of murder. These aspects of the book are solely fantasy and would not be possible in Brown's wildest dreams. Other false claims include that "Christ did not die on the cross, Mary Magdalene was pregnant with Jesus' child, and that the descendents of Mary Magdalene and Jesus created "France's early Medieval Merovingian dynasty" (Newsmakers). Therefore Brown's false claims against the Catholic Church, were a result of
his anti-catholic biases, novelistic jabs, wrong use of the term "Vatican", and the unrealistic situations presented in the book.Thus The Da Vinci Code is a skillfully written read, complete with secret codes, anagrams, age-old conspiracies, brutal murders, and Feminist theory, presented through adventures in Paris. All of these aspects of the book open for a wide array of debate. Brown was able to wrap almost all the conspiracy theories revolving around the Holy Grail, Renaissance art, and the Catholic Church, into one masterpiece of false claims. For the most part all of Brown's theories are dead end falsehoods. In The Da Vinci Code, Brown portrays the Holy Grail in a fashion unfamiliar to the masses. The public views the Holy Grail as a chalice or cup that held the blood of Jesus Christ at the last supper. This sacred cup was thought to avail eternal life and healing powers to those who possessed it. Brown's interpretation of the Grail was that of the ""Sacred Feminine,"
Mary Magdalene. According to Brown, the Holy Grail is actually the truth about the union of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene, and their royal bloodline. However this interpretation cannot hold true because there are no substantial facts to back up his theory. His second flaw in the magnitude of errors present in this novel, involves his portrayals of the Renaissance artwork done by Leonardo da Vinci. The pieces of art that Brown analyses in the book are that of the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and The Madonna of Rocks. In each of these works he claims that they possess secret clues and codes that lead to the true proximity of the Holy Grail.These assumptions are also not valid because art is simply an interpretation. Each viewer may see different things in different pieces of artwork, and each person may have different interpretations also. These assumptions are also unsubstantial because it is a known fact that Da Vinci did not load his work with secrets and codes, however h
e did like to play around with numbers. Brown's last topic for debate attacks the issue of his representation of the Catholic Church. In the code Brown expresses an anti-catholic sentiment that portrays the church as crafty, shifty, and willing to stop at nothing to preserve their power. These inferences involving the church are not new, however they are greatly exaggerated. Thus Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code uses a mixture of blurs of historical fact and an abundance of historical speculation to deliver readers a truly mind boggling puzzle of secret codes and anagrams, mixed with art history, mathematics, and medieval mysticism.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/seperating-the-fact-from-fiction-within-dan-browns-work.html
as in The Da Vinci Code when Jacques Sauniere, the curator at the Louvre Museum in Paris is found murdered. Brown's four novels also "conclude with an epilogue that brings each novel full circle." The epilogue is always present after a tryst between hero and heroine has occurred.This can be seen in Digital Fortress, when there is a romantic encounter that was postponed since the beginning of the opening chapter. This encounter in the Smoky Mountains precedes an epilogue linking Tankado to his alienated father who is in existence on the other side of the earth. Deception Point closes in a similar fashion in that its female and male protagonists, Rachel Sexton and Michael Tolland complete a tryst. This precedes an epilogue in which, "Ekstrom, NASA's administrator, consigns his fake meteorite to the ocean whence it cam." Angles and Demons follows this pattern with a tryst between Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra, which constitutes the epilogue of the novel, and in The Da Vinc
i Code, the epilogue "brings Langdon back to the prologue's setting of the Louvre, where Langdon is at last able to solve the final riddle posed by Sophie's grandfather, Jacques Sauniere" (Eder, L. Doris). Therefore proving that in each of Brown's unique novels he focuses on different subject matter, however he continually uses an almost identical narrative framework.Dan Brown's novels include nefarious plots that center on an abundance of puzzles and conspiracy theories that give way to controversy and criticism. In Contemporary Authors online, critics attributed the appeal of The Da Vinci Code, to its plot related codes and cryptograms that unconsciously force the reader into brainstorming for answers. However some critics claim that Dan Brown loaded his 2003 novel with too much religious history, "at the expense of pacing," however this novel has been regarded and accepted with open arms by both conspiracy buffs and thriller addicts (Contemporary Authors). Brown includes
a skeletal history of a real society that among its members included icons of Western Culture such as Leonardo Da Vinci. This history can be seen in the preface of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code: FACT:The Priory of Sion--a European secret society founded in 1099--is a realOrganization. 1975 Paris's Bibliotheque Nationale discovered parchments knowas Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticellie, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci.The Vatican Prelature known as Opus Dei is a deeply devout Catholic sect that has been the topic of recent controversy due to reports of brainwashing, coercion, and a dangerous practice known as "corporal mortification." Opus Dei has just completed construction of a $47 million National Headquarters at 243 Lexington Avenue in New York City. All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate. (Brown 1)The first two statements by Brown a
bout the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei are for the most part valid, but some of the actions Brown claims that these groups carry out in the book are questionable. The real issue with this quote from the book lies in the last line about "[All] descriptions..." because this statement is very unprofessional considering the interpretations that he yields about the "artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals..." cannot be backed up or supported by any substantial facts. The book begins with the acknowledgement of the existence of a secret society called the Priory of Sion, and the existence of devout Catholic sect Opus Dei. The plot begins when a disciple of Opus Dei murders the grand master of the Priory of Sion, however in the mists of death he manages to arrange clues around his body to point the conspiracy surrounding Opus Dei (Newsmaker). After his body is found Robert Langdon, a professor of religious symbology, at Harvard University is called to the seen to dissect
the clues (Brown 7). Langdon works alongside Sauniere's granddaughter Sophi, who is a police cryptologist. This results in the basic plot of the book which includes these two trying to solve the murder of Sauniere and using there talents to move through "a maze of artistic, linguistic, and mathematical codes, and puzzles" (Newsmaker). These clues lead to his murderer and the true identity of Sauniere as the grand master of the Priory of Sion, whose sole purpose is to protect the secrets of Christianity and its origins by concealing the truth and mystery surrounding the Holy Grail. The book also has an anti-catholic sentiment that portrays the church in a darker fashion. The plot is "complete with secret codes, anagrams, elaborate technology, pagan sex orgies, sudden reversals, age-old conspiracies, pre-Christian fertility cults, Knights Templar, Gnostic gospels, corrupt cops, brutal murders, feminist theory, and frantic midnight rides through Paris" (Greeley, Andrew). The no
vel forces readers to scrutinize over Leonardo Da Vinci's works including, Mona Lisa, Madonna of the Rockets, and The Last Supper. These mixtures of art history, mathematics, and medieval mysticism, all formulate the debate and controversy present in this book. Therefore in Dan Brown's hit novel The Da Vinci Code, his theories on the Holy Grail, Renaissance art symbology, and the representation of the Catholic Church consist for the most part of fiction rather than substantial fact.There has been an abundance of controversy surrounding the origins of the Holy Grail in The Da Vinci Code. When a person is questioned, "what is the Holy Grail," their first thought, in most cases, is the chalice that Jesus Drank out of at the last supper. This cup was supposedly filled with the blood of Christ, and was passed around that table to be consumed by each of the twelve disciples. The most popular lore surrounding the Grail states that whoever finds the Grail and drinks from it will be
rewarded with eternal life. The Grail is thought to posses healing powers for those who come in contact with it. This is the modern and most well known documentation of the Grail. In The Da Vinci Code, Brown has a much different interpretation of the Grail. Brown's interpretation of the Holy Grail in the book states: The Grail is literally the ancient symbol for woman hood, and the Holy Grail represents the sacred feminine and the goddess, which of course has now been lost, virtually eliminated by the Church. The power of the female and her ability to produce life was once very sacred, but it posed a threat to the rise of the predominantly male Church, and so the sacred feminine was demonized and called unclean. It was man, not God, who created the concept of 'original sin,' whereby Eve tasted of the apple and caused the downfall of the human race. Woman, once the sacred giver of life, was now the enemy. (Brown 238)Brown also explains the Holy Grail to have symbolic roots po
rtraying a women's body as a container or vessel that held the bloodline of Jesus Christ. In this interpretation Brown is eluding to Mary Magdalene, who he believes made love to Jesus Christ and bore his daughter. According to Brown the Priory of Sion were Grail keepers that vowed to guard the truth about the Holy Grail, which included the knowledge of the royal bloodline and the resting place of Mary Magdalene. In The Da Vinci Code, the basis of the plot revolves around the race between Opus Dei and Sophi and Langdon to find the Holy Grail. Opus Dei wishes to find the Holy Grail for the sole purpose to erase its history of the royal bloodline forever, and Langdon and Sophi wish to find the Grail so they can keep the truth alive. Therefore the Holy Grail is symbolic of the lost goddess Mary Magdalene (Miesel, Sandra). Brown backs up his beliefs of the Holy Grail as being the lineage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene through a truly creative theory of fiction. He explains that Magd
alene was not a prostitute, but rather a close companion of Jesus.Her real identity was according to Brown, concealed by the early church clergy, because they feared the truth would undermine the church teachings on celibacy. In order to defend itself against the power of Magdalene, the church persecuted her and made her out to be a whore. The church buried the evidence of Christ's marriage to her, and this therefore crushed any potential claims that there was any surviving bloodline of Jesus Christ (Reidy, Maurice Timothy). In The Da Vinci Code, Brown also translates the French term Sangraal, which truly means Holy Grail into sang or blood, and raal or royal, into royal blood (Brown 250). Brown's play on the term Sangraal does not hold any credibility outside the realm of his book. These facts are implemented to further undermine Brown's interpretation of the Holy Grail and to reveal his true lack of credibility.Another area of error in Brown's The Da Vinci Code, rests in t
he misinterpretations of the art symbology in Leonardo da Vinci's artwork. Brown's interpretations relate secret codes in Leonardo da Vinci's artwork, to hints and secrets surrounding the Holy Grail:For this reason, Grail enthusiasts still pored over Da Vinci's art and diaries in hopes of unearthing a hidden clue as to the Grail's current location. Some claimed the mountainous backdrop in Madonna of the Rocks matched the topography of a series of cave-ridden hills in Scotland. Others insisted that the suspicious placement of disciples in The Last Supper was some kind of code. Still others claimed that X rays of the Mona Lisa revealed she originally had been painted wearing a lapis lazuli pendant of Isis--a detail Da Vinci purportedly later decided to paint over. (Brown 169)Brown's portrayal of these three Da Vinci pieces is very questionable and often regarded as false, or unable of being determined. In the book Brown breaks the name Mona Lisa, into the anagram "Amon L'isa."
He proceeds to explain to readers that Amon is the name of the Egyptian God of masculine fertility, and the ancient pictogram "L'isa," is the Egyptian goddess of fertility. He then explains that the Mona Lisa's name in an anagram is actually representative of the divine union of male and female (Brown 121). According to Sandra Miesel, the novel's interpretation of the Mona Lisa is undoubtedly false because, "it's widely know to portray a real woman, Madonna Lisa, wife of Francesco di Bartolomeo del Giocondo." Therefore the name is definitely not a mocking anagram of the twoEgyptian fertility deities (Miesel, Sandra). Brown also believes Da Vinci's The Last Supper is coded with messages that reveals the truth about Jesus and the Holy Grail. Brown claims that in the painting each disciple has his own wine glass indicating that there is no one cup that could be called the Holy Grail. He also claims that not all of the twelve disciples are men. Upon further review, Brown points
out that the disciple directly to Jesus' left who is thought to be St. John, is actually a woman. This woman is supposedly Mary Magdalene (Brown 243-246) Brown's second theory attributed the lack of a central chalice on the Table as proof that the Holy Grail is a sacred cup proves that Da Vinci is trying to tell onlookers that the grail is actually Mary Magdalene (Miesel, Sandra). However this is inconceivable, and Brown's view is merely a matter of opinion. The person directly to Jesus' right in the painting of The Last Supper has no resemblance of a woman at all. In addition to Brown's theory of Mary Magdalene being present at the right had of god, he also manages to find fictional hidden symbols elsewhere in the painting. Brown claims that there is an "indisputable V shape at the focal point of the painting," which represents the female womb (Brown 244). Brown also proclaims the "unquestionable outline of an enormous, flawlessly formed letter M" (Brown 245). This secret
clue supposedly hints that the M stands for Magdalene, However Brown's arguments that Leonardo da Vinci coded his paintings with messages cannot be sustained (Miesel, Sandra). It has been said by some historians that Leonardo da Vinci did not load his work with secret messages, however he was guilty of playing around with words and numbers (Schorow Stephanie). Brown's confusion with art from fact can be attributed to his heavy reliance on Gnostic Gospels, which are incredibly simplistic reading of both history and theology (Reidy, Timothy Maurice).In addition to Brown's multitude of errors surrounding the Holy Grail and Renaissance art symbology, he is also guilty of offering false claims about the Catholic Church. In The Da Vinci Code, it is evident that Brown has strong anti-catholic biases throughout the novel. Brown is guilty of taking novelistic jabs at the church and Vatican. This can be seen in Andrew M. Greeley's analysis where he found "several factual errors and te
rmed it merely the latest in a long list of slightly veiled novelistic jabs at the church and Vatican hierarchy over the decades." Brown portrays the Roman curia as smooth, sophisticated schemers who will stop at nothing to preserve the power of the church (Greeley, Andrew). According to Sandra Miesel, "Brown misses no opportunity to criticize Christianity and its pitiable adherents." Brown also portrays the Catholic Church as a villain, who will stop at nothing to uphold its power. He is also incorrect according to Miesel because, "he routinely and anachronistically refers to the church as "the Vatican" even when popes [weren't] in residence there." The Da Vinci Code also portrays the church as, "deceitful, power-crazed, crafty, and murderous" (Miesel, Sandra). Another historical inaccuracy under Brown's belt is his use of the term Vatican. He depicts the Vatican as, "conspiring with Constantine to suppress the Gnostic gospels in early fourth century. The only problem with
this is that the Vatican Hill was a disorderly cemetery at that time.Brown is also inaccurate in his discussion regarding someone he calls the Secretariat Vaticana who supposedly has control of papal finances. This is incorrect because the secretary of state is actually the one who is in control of Vatican finances (Greeley, Andrew). Another aspect of the book that simply will not hold up according to Greeley is the incident involving a murder plotted by Opus Dei. In addition to that, it would be inconceivable to think that the Vatican would ever pay for this act of murder. These aspects of the book are solely fantasy and would not be possible in Brown's wildest dreams. Other false claims include that "Christ did not die on the cross, Mary Magdalene was pregnant with Jesus' child, and that the descendents of Mary Magdalene and Jesus created "France's early Medieval Merovingian dynasty" (Newsmakers). Therefore Brown's false claims against the Catholic Church, were a result of
his anti-catholic biases, novelistic jabs, wrong use of the term "Vatican", and the unrealistic situations presented in the book.Thus The Da Vinci Code is a skillfully written read, complete with secret codes, anagrams, age-old conspiracies, brutal murders, and Feminist theory, presented through adventures in Paris. All of these aspects of the book open for a wide array of debate. Brown was able to wrap almost all the conspiracy theories revolving around the Holy Grail, Renaissance art, and the Catholic Church, into one masterpiece of false claims. For the most part all of Brown's theories are dead end falsehoods. In The Da Vinci Code, Brown portrays the Holy Grail in a fashion unfamiliar to the masses. The public views the Holy Grail as a chalice or cup that held the blood of Jesus Christ at the last supper. This sacred cup was thought to avail eternal life and healing powers to those who possessed it. Brown's interpretation of the Grail was that of the ""Sacred Feminine,"
Mary Magdalene. According to Brown, the Holy Grail is actually the truth about the union of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene, and their royal bloodline. However this interpretation cannot hold true because there are no substantial facts to back up his theory. His second flaw in the magnitude of errors present in this novel, involves his portrayals of the Renaissance artwork done by Leonardo da Vinci. The pieces of art that Brown analyses in the book are that of the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and The Madonna of Rocks. In each of these works he claims that they possess secret clues and codes that lead to the true proximity of the Holy Grail.These assumptions are also not valid because art is simply an interpretation. Each viewer may see different things in different pieces of artwork, and each person may have different interpretations also. These assumptions are also unsubstantial because it is a known fact that Da Vinci did not load his work with secrets and codes, however h
e did like to play around with numbers. Brown's last topic for debate attacks the issue of his representation of the Catholic Church. In the code Brown expresses an anti-catholic sentiment that portrays the church as crafty, shifty, and willing to stop at nothing to preserve their power. These inferences involving the church are not new, however they are greatly exaggerated. Thus Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code uses a mixture of blurs of historical fact and an abundance of historical speculation to deliver readers a truly mind boggling puzzle of secret codes and anagrams, mixed with art history, mathematics, and medieval mysticism.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/seperating-the-fact-from-fiction-within-dan-browns-work.html
Book Review of "Into Thick Air - Biking to the Bellybutton of Six Continents"
On the surface, Into Thick Air appears to be an interesting book about a guy who rides his bike to the lowest points on earth, writing descriptions of what he observes along the way. But, only a few pages into the book you suddenly realize that this book mines much deeper ore. This is a book where you can glean keen insights into the human condition and learn things that could completely change your view of the world.As Jim Malusa rides through some of the most isolated areas of earth, and we meet the people he encounters along the way, he sheds remarkable insight and light on their lives and their culture. Frankly, it made me care about people in remote areas of the world that previously I had never given a second thought to. Malusa made them real people, sometimes amazingly caring people, who I came to care about as I learned how they lived normal lives under uniquely difficult living conditions.I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras and I appreciate Malusa's ability to
ingratiate himself into the culture. Living on the edge of life and at the mercy of the elements necessitates that you rely on local people for help. Camping in the wrong place can result in uncomfortable meetings with alligators, venomous snakes, or worse! Getting information on where to camp, and where not to camp, is more than a passing concern, it is a matter of life and death. On several occasions, Malusa was rescued from a thorny situation through the kindness of strangers.Beyond the cultural insights and description of landscape and wildlife, Malusa's thrilling experiences and narrow escapes from disaster makes the book read like an adventure story. I often found myself thinking, Jim, don't camp there, there might be alligators, or don't try to outrace that storm on your bike, just look for cover. I flipped back and forth between the text and the map for each trip, so I could follow his progress from town to town. I always felt a sense of unease and impending doom as
he doggedly rode on to his final destination. Often, I wanted him to hurry up and finish his quest, before some disaster could befall him.Add to this, the font of witty, sometimes hilarious, and always thoughtful observations on the human foibles and unique situations that the author encounters, and you have a book that hits a home run.Malusa rides, he camps, he runs into obstacles. For each of his six odysseys to the lowest places on earth, the sights, sounds, and people of each trip present an entirely different challenge than the last. As he camps one night on the way to Death Valley, he reflects that he is master of a minor universe. Jim Malusa's universe is one of being stoned by kids at refugee camps, attacked by dogs, following the path of Moses to the Red Sea, welcomed into the homes of complete strangers, and many other incidents that force you to keep reading until he is safely home again. Yet, again and again, Malusa proves that he is truly master of his universe
by his reflective response to all that befalls him.Grab some sunscreen and a cold beer and join Jim Malusa on some unforgettable adventures.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/book-review-of-into-thick-air-biking-to-the-bellybutton-of-six-continents.html
ingratiate himself into the culture. Living on the edge of life and at the mercy of the elements necessitates that you rely on local people for help. Camping in the wrong place can result in uncomfortable meetings with alligators, venomous snakes, or worse! Getting information on where to camp, and where not to camp, is more than a passing concern, it is a matter of life and death. On several occasions, Malusa was rescued from a thorny situation through the kindness of strangers.Beyond the cultural insights and description of landscape and wildlife, Malusa's thrilling experiences and narrow escapes from disaster makes the book read like an adventure story. I often found myself thinking, Jim, don't camp there, there might be alligators, or don't try to outrace that storm on your bike, just look for cover. I flipped back and forth between the text and the map for each trip, so I could follow his progress from town to town. I always felt a sense of unease and impending doom as
he doggedly rode on to his final destination. Often, I wanted him to hurry up and finish his quest, before some disaster could befall him.Add to this, the font of witty, sometimes hilarious, and always thoughtful observations on the human foibles and unique situations that the author encounters, and you have a book that hits a home run.Malusa rides, he camps, he runs into obstacles. For each of his six odysseys to the lowest places on earth, the sights, sounds, and people of each trip present an entirely different challenge than the last. As he camps one night on the way to Death Valley, he reflects that he is master of a minor universe. Jim Malusa's universe is one of being stoned by kids at refugee camps, attacked by dogs, following the path of Moses to the Red Sea, welcomed into the homes of complete strangers, and many other incidents that force you to keep reading until he is safely home again. Yet, again and again, Malusa proves that he is truly master of his universe
by his reflective response to all that befalls him.Grab some sunscreen and a cold beer and join Jim Malusa on some unforgettable adventures.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/book-review-of-into-thick-air-biking-to-the-bellybutton-of-six-continents.html
Mark is Missing and Julie Kramer is the Author to Help Find Him
In the second book with television news reporter Riley Spartz as the engaging main character, Julie Kramer gives us MISSING MARK, a wonderful little mystery just right for summer. This story opens as Riley finds an ad that says "Wedding Dress for Sale: Never Worn" that catches her attention. Riley wants to see if there is possibly a story behind the dress that she could produce as a feature for the upcoming sweeps month for her station. As they say, be careful what you wish for, as Riley certainly does find a story.What appears to first be a jilted bride and mother left with a red face and 300 angry guests at one of the high society weddings of the year, the groom doesn't show up and nobody seems to care. Well, nobody except the bride and her mother it seems. As Riley investigates where Mark, the would be groom, might be, she becomes dangerously involved in a case that before never even made a spot on the news. She finds that missing men are not quite as interesting for news
hounds as when a woman goes missing.Along with this case, Riley becomes involved with a K-9 dog with a strong sense of smell when it comes to drugs and a strong way of getting Riley involved with some major drug gangsters. As Riley deals with a missing groom, the dog and the drugs, and a neighbor who is as quirky as they come it would seem at first because of his frequent yard sales at all hours, she finds more than she can report on let alone handle.Riley gets closer to a solution to a MISSING MARK and a high ratings story, but also to the danger it involves. Will she find Mark....dead or alive, or at all? Does the fact that a rare fish from the Mall of America that is stolen really mean bigger ratings than what she is working on? Struggling with her boss on what she knows is important for the news almost gets Riley in the news more than she cares to be. The story is full of page-turning killing and chaos, along with love mixed in with deceit, that all come together to crea
te a fun and fast read...just what you would want in a summer book! If you missed STALKING SUSAN, the first in the series, you can still read this as a stand alone novel, but may want to check it out first and read the series in order.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/mark-is-missing-and-julie-kramer-is-the-author-to-help-find-him.html
hounds as when a woman goes missing.Along with this case, Riley becomes involved with a K-9 dog with a strong sense of smell when it comes to drugs and a strong way of getting Riley involved with some major drug gangsters. As Riley deals with a missing groom, the dog and the drugs, and a neighbor who is as quirky as they come it would seem at first because of his frequent yard sales at all hours, she finds more than she can report on let alone handle.Riley gets closer to a solution to a MISSING MARK and a high ratings story, but also to the danger it involves. Will she find Mark....dead or alive, or at all? Does the fact that a rare fish from the Mall of America that is stolen really mean bigger ratings than what she is working on? Struggling with her boss on what she knows is important for the news almost gets Riley in the news more than she cares to be. The story is full of page-turning killing and chaos, along with love mixed in with deceit, that all come together to crea
te a fun and fast read...just what you would want in a summer book! If you missed STALKING SUSAN, the first in the series, you can still read this as a stand alone novel, but may want to check it out first and read the series in order.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/mark-is-missing-and-julie-kramer-is-the-author-to-help-find-him.html
Building Muscle Quickly - Does Vince DelMonte's No Nonsense Muscle Building Bear Fruit?
I'm never usually too convinced by the outlandish claims made by most build muscle fast products. Usually - and I speak from bitter experience here - most are simply after making a quick buck by rehashing tired old techniques that you've probably tried anyway.Vince Delmonte's No Nonsense Muscle building doesn't fit into this category. He attempts to shatter the myths perpetrated by bodybuilding magazines and nutritional supplement companies, both of whom have a vested interest in seeing you buy their products and as a result may be economical with the truth.DelMonte realizes that the vast majority of men simply wish to look good on the beach or in a tight fitting shirt; they want to lose fat without weight loss and they want to know how to build a six pack fast. What most DON'T want is to have a neck that's wider than their head, or biceps comparable with a soccer player's thighs. Therefore, he concentrates on training you accordingly for this goal, rather than giving you rid
iculously complicated, intense workouts designed for professional bodybuilders.The author has a nickname for his No Nonsense Muscle Building Program - the "Skinny Guy Secret". This is not to mean that only skinny guys will benefit from the program; rather, it means that the traditional downfall of the skinny person is difficulty in gaining muscle mass/mass building, which he addresses in great detail here. Rather than blaming your body's natural genetic make-up for your lack of muscle gain and advising you not to expect too much, Vince explains comprehensively how your genetics are only partially responsible for your body shape; he shows how YOU are responsible for your body shape, both in the manner you exercise and nutritionally.Nutrition is a huge part of the program. Vince emphasizes the importance of eating both sufficiently and often, and of course, eating the right foods. He downplays the importance of supplements, stating that the vast majority of what your body need
s can come from a controlled diet, and at a fraction of the price of expensive powders and bars.There are, of course, uncontrollable factors such as your metabolism which play a part in your ability to make muscle gains; however, DelMonte is insistent that positive thinking coupled with hard work will produce the results you desire, and shows you in detail how simple building muscle is when you know how to train your body correctly.The core of the program is Vince's "Nine Growth Principles" - basically, the 9 most important points you will need to follow to succeed. These are:Top 14 Mistakes To Avoid Before You Even Begin Training - designed to prevent you immediately falling into any beginner bad habits.The Top 12 Bodybuilding Myths - including the reasons why you should not worry about your genes.How To Build Muscle - Heart of the entire program. Recovery Methods - Accelerate Recovery - So that you can train more without wasting too much time recovering Maximizing Hormones
For Maximal Muscle Building & Fat Loss - This is one of the sections where No Nonsense muscle building scores more highly than other programs.Massive Eating & Nutrition - a hugely important part of the program.Making Sense of Supplementation - Use Them Wisely- To save you from wasting money on supplements. Injury Prevention & Avoiding The Causes - self explanatory.No Nonsense Maximum Muscle Growth Program - The complete training program.In spite of all the excellent benefits there is still certainly a downside to the program (isn't there always?!?!) For instance, I found the amount of time spent preparing the meals for Vince's very important (and integral to the program) food regime was quite restrictive. Calories are carefully measured and everything takes time, which some people simply don't have a lot of. I can't really see a lawyer who works 10 or 12 hour days being able to follow the in-depth and detailed eating plans AND working out while simultaneously ha
ving some kind of a life!In saying that however, it really is a minor quibble. The eating plans, if you can put the effort in, are fantastic. They show - brilliantly in my opinion - just how important diet is to building your perfect beach body. The system DOES work, and works well. I can attest to that personally, having packed on around 25 pounds of lean muscle myself since I bought the program; I can also confess that I haven't followed it as rigidly as advised due to work constraints, so clearly, my results would be even better had I followed the program more strictly. It has helped me gain strength, showed me how to lose stomach fat, basically, all the things necessary to look how I want to look.In addition, (and just in case you need some kind of proof) there are photos to document Vince's transformation from a "scrawny 149 pound twerp" (his own words) to a ripped, muscular and lean 190 pound fitness model. He must be doing something right!Overall, I think Vince DelMon
te's No Nonsense Muscle Building is a workable, achievable program that yields noticeable and rapid results, as long as you are prepared to put a reasonable amount of effort into it. It's not simply a moneymaker for the author, unlike many other programs I have seen and tried; this program produces real results and is well worth trying. To my mind, the only thing you can lose is the body you're not happy with, while saying hello to the body you want.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/building-muscle-quickly-does-vince-delmontes-no-nonsense-muscle-building-bear-fruit.html
iculously complicated, intense workouts designed for professional bodybuilders.The author has a nickname for his No Nonsense Muscle Building Program - the "Skinny Guy Secret". This is not to mean that only skinny guys will benefit from the program; rather, it means that the traditional downfall of the skinny person is difficulty in gaining muscle mass/mass building, which he addresses in great detail here. Rather than blaming your body's natural genetic make-up for your lack of muscle gain and advising you not to expect too much, Vince explains comprehensively how your genetics are only partially responsible for your body shape; he shows how YOU are responsible for your body shape, both in the manner you exercise and nutritionally.Nutrition is a huge part of the program. Vince emphasizes the importance of eating both sufficiently and often, and of course, eating the right foods. He downplays the importance of supplements, stating that the vast majority of what your body need
s can come from a controlled diet, and at a fraction of the price of expensive powders and bars.There are, of course, uncontrollable factors such as your metabolism which play a part in your ability to make muscle gains; however, DelMonte is insistent that positive thinking coupled with hard work will produce the results you desire, and shows you in detail how simple building muscle is when you know how to train your body correctly.The core of the program is Vince's "Nine Growth Principles" - basically, the 9 most important points you will need to follow to succeed. These are:Top 14 Mistakes To Avoid Before You Even Begin Training - designed to prevent you immediately falling into any beginner bad habits.The Top 12 Bodybuilding Myths - including the reasons why you should not worry about your genes.How To Build Muscle - Heart of the entire program. Recovery Methods - Accelerate Recovery - So that you can train more without wasting too much time recovering Maximizing Hormones
For Maximal Muscle Building & Fat Loss - This is one of the sections where No Nonsense muscle building scores more highly than other programs.Massive Eating & Nutrition - a hugely important part of the program.Making Sense of Supplementation - Use Them Wisely- To save you from wasting money on supplements. Injury Prevention & Avoiding The Causes - self explanatory.No Nonsense Maximum Muscle Growth Program - The complete training program.In spite of all the excellent benefits there is still certainly a downside to the program (isn't there always?!?!) For instance, I found the amount of time spent preparing the meals for Vince's very important (and integral to the program) food regime was quite restrictive. Calories are carefully measured and everything takes time, which some people simply don't have a lot of. I can't really see a lawyer who works 10 or 12 hour days being able to follow the in-depth and detailed eating plans AND working out while simultaneously ha
ving some kind of a life!In saying that however, it really is a minor quibble. The eating plans, if you can put the effort in, are fantastic. They show - brilliantly in my opinion - just how important diet is to building your perfect beach body. The system DOES work, and works well. I can attest to that personally, having packed on around 25 pounds of lean muscle myself since I bought the program; I can also confess that I haven't followed it as rigidly as advised due to work constraints, so clearly, my results would be even better had I followed the program more strictly. It has helped me gain strength, showed me how to lose stomach fat, basically, all the things necessary to look how I want to look.In addition, (and just in case you need some kind of proof) there are photos to document Vince's transformation from a "scrawny 149 pound twerp" (his own words) to a ripped, muscular and lean 190 pound fitness model. He must be doing something right!Overall, I think Vince DelMon
te's No Nonsense Muscle Building is a workable, achievable program that yields noticeable and rapid results, as long as you are prepared to put a reasonable amount of effort into it. It's not simply a moneymaker for the author, unlike many other programs I have seen and tried; this program produces real results and is well worth trying. To my mind, the only thing you can lose is the body you're not happy with, while saying hello to the body you want.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/building-muscle-quickly-does-vince-delmontes-no-nonsense-muscle-building-bear-fruit.html
Saturday, December 29, 2012
The Legend of Juggin' Joe - Review
The Legend of Juggin' Joe is a fiction based on a few historical family members that is written with a light, entertaining feel and a twinge of humor. This book is certain to take you away from your reality, back in time and into the shaded mountains where moonshine is made!Young Joe is a hillbilly-like character who was raised in the days when stills were an important source of income for many mountain folk. Known as the boy who's antics kept the mountain people talking, Joe certainly stood out in a crowd. Purely by accident, it was discovered that Joe had been endowed with a natural talent for "juggin"; or playing a very difficult musical instrument known as a jug. Few had the talent to play this instrument - fewer still could master it. Joe came by it naturally, and fortunately, song writing was somehow included in his gifts. His talent took him to stardom but his heart remained in the mountains where his soul mate waited.This fiction uses real events that actually happene
d to members of the Yakel family. Author Joseph Yakel brings the story alive through the narration by a friend of the family. The use of the local idiom took a little getting used to; it is very hillbilly sounding.Anyone interested in the author (Joseph Yakel) and his book (ISBN# 1411625889) can find plenty of information by an internet search on the publisher: Lulu Publishing. Alternatively they can order his book in from most online and retail bookstores, or ask their local library to bring it in for them.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/the-legend-of-juggin-joe-review.html
d to members of the Yakel family. Author Joseph Yakel brings the story alive through the narration by a friend of the family. The use of the local idiom took a little getting used to; it is very hillbilly sounding.Anyone interested in the author (Joseph Yakel) and his book (ISBN# 1411625889) can find plenty of information by an internet search on the publisher: Lulu Publishing. Alternatively they can order his book in from most online and retail bookstores, or ask their local library to bring it in for them.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/the-legend-of-juggin-joe-review.html
Book Review For "Twilight"
At "Twilight" those paranormal forces beyond our control come out, and Isabella Swan (Bella) must suspend all reasonable belief to accept those forces exist - and to fall in love. Meyer's writing is brisk, easy to read, and readers will discover they've turned over more pages then they've realized.The story actually starts a bit slowly as seventeen-year-old Bella moves to Forks, Washington, to live with her father. As she establishes her routines, she notices a strange family of teenagers, the Cullens. They are all beautiful with pale skin and chameleon-like eyes. They also tend to stick to themselves. Bella is surprised by Edward's initial cold treatment of her. She doesn't know what to make of it - or him. It's only when he saves her life with his lightening quick reflexes and unexpected strength does she begin to think there might be something unusual with him. When her Indian friend, Jacob, tells her about the "cold ones," his story inspires her to do some research. With
all the evidence in front of her, Bella concludes Edward is a vampire.When Bella confronts him, he admits it. He's fallen in love with her and tried to push her away, but he can't fight the attraction anymore. Edward gives into his love for her and Bella gives into her love for him as well. There's no physical consummation of their love, it's a love cultivated through feelings and emotions which provides an intense high for both.Edward discusses some myths and truths about the vampire world with Bella. He tells her how Carlisle created him during the Flu outbreak in 1917. Carlisle, Edward, and the vampires who live with them have learned to curb their blood lust for human blood, but some vampire covens and families haven't. To that end, Edward's family meets three vampire strangers while playing a game of baseball and one, James, decides to track Bella. Edward and his family try their best to protect her, but James tracks Bella to Phoenix, Arizona. James does bite Bella, but
Edward draws the venom out of her. The book ends with Edward taking Bella to the prom. Bella asks for the bite of immortality from Edward who refuses to give it.The book is written in the first person from Bella's perspective. Meyer does a great job staying in perspective, but there are times when Bella's determination crosses the line to irritating whininess, and it's hard to understand how Edward finds this trait of hers attractive.Edward is "tempted" over and over again to taste Bella's blood and he does an admirable job holding his temptation in check. In that regard, that aspect of his character wrestling with temptation seemed a non-issue since temptation really wasn't an issue.The book is geared for a young adult audience. The plot comes together well. It's easy to read and a page-turner. While there are some suspenseful elements, especially with James on the hunt for Bella, toward the end they are overshadowed by the melodrama teen angst that emotes throughout. Meye
r does create an original world and gives her vampires twists and nuances of their own. "Twilight" is an interesting read just to devour Meyer's creative spin on the vampire world.Book Review for "Twilight"Written by: Stephenie MeyerHachette Book GroupISBN: 0-316-03838-5498 pages$10.994 Stars
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/book-review-for-twilight.html
all the evidence in front of her, Bella concludes Edward is a vampire.When Bella confronts him, he admits it. He's fallen in love with her and tried to push her away, but he can't fight the attraction anymore. Edward gives into his love for her and Bella gives into her love for him as well. There's no physical consummation of their love, it's a love cultivated through feelings and emotions which provides an intense high for both.Edward discusses some myths and truths about the vampire world with Bella. He tells her how Carlisle created him during the Flu outbreak in 1917. Carlisle, Edward, and the vampires who live with them have learned to curb their blood lust for human blood, but some vampire covens and families haven't. To that end, Edward's family meets three vampire strangers while playing a game of baseball and one, James, decides to track Bella. Edward and his family try their best to protect her, but James tracks Bella to Phoenix, Arizona. James does bite Bella, but
Edward draws the venom out of her. The book ends with Edward taking Bella to the prom. Bella asks for the bite of immortality from Edward who refuses to give it.The book is written in the first person from Bella's perspective. Meyer does a great job staying in perspective, but there are times when Bella's determination crosses the line to irritating whininess, and it's hard to understand how Edward finds this trait of hers attractive.Edward is "tempted" over and over again to taste Bella's blood and he does an admirable job holding his temptation in check. In that regard, that aspect of his character wrestling with temptation seemed a non-issue since temptation really wasn't an issue.The book is geared for a young adult audience. The plot comes together well. It's easy to read and a page-turner. While there are some suspenseful elements, especially with James on the hunt for Bella, toward the end they are overshadowed by the melodrama teen angst that emotes throughout. Meye
r does create an original world and gives her vampires twists and nuances of their own. "Twilight" is an interesting read just to devour Meyer's creative spin on the vampire world.Book Review for "Twilight"Written by: Stephenie MeyerHachette Book GroupISBN: 0-316-03838-5498 pages$10.994 Stars
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/book-review-for-twilight.html
Female Stereotypes in Great Gatsby, Macbeth, and to Kill a Mockingbird
Jane Austen's Persuasion contains a famous debate over whether men or women are more constant in love. On behalf of his sex, Captain Harville argues "that all histories are against [women]-all stories, prose and verse," to which Anne replies, "Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands."Through Anne Elliot - and her female protagonists in general - Austen draws attention to the huge under- / misrepresentation of women in literary history; whether helpless victims, wicked villains, or altogether absent entities, they get very few breaks prior to the modern era. In case your memory needs refreshing, let's take a look at two of the most classic female villain archetypes.Archetype One: The Nag. She scolds, she nitpicks, and she emasculates. Before you know it, you're losing touch with old friends, questioning your manhood, and murdering a dozen or so co-workers. This is the n
ag of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and she ain't pretty. Okay, so she's actually probably very pretty, which is partly why her criticisms are so effective, but we'll get to that later.How it all goes down: After receiving a prediction from three old hags - ugly, female hags, mind you - His Highness, Thane Macbeth, is convinced that he will soon become King of Scots. Which is problematic because the Scots already have one - and Macbeth seems like a fairly decent, non-regicidal fellow. Enter Lady Macbeth. Upon hearing that her husband has a shot at the big time, Lady Macbeth shamelessly insists that he murder the king and take his place. When he objects, she begins hitting below the belt, saying that only a real man stabs an old guy in his sleep. You know, after inviting him to be a guest in your home.Seeing that Macbeth still feels hesitant, the Lady then pulls out the big guns. "I have given suck, and know / How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me." Uh oh... "I would, while
it was smiling in my face, / Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums / And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn." Crazily enough, this motivational speech works, which explains that whole theory about Lady Macbeth being pretty.Archetype Two: The Tease. She's beautiful, she's unattainable, and she could buy and sell you with the loose change she finds in her sofa cushions. This is the tease of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and she has ruining lives down to a beautiful, strawberry-smelling tee.How it all goes down: Gatsby has his first encounter with Daisy Buchanan in high school, where they enjoy a passionate romance before he ships out to WWI. In his absence, Daisy marries a fabulously wealthy Harvard boy who's built like steak and practices adultery in his free time. In order to draw Daisy's attention away from the abusive man-bear and back toward the loyal worshipper, Gatsby spends years bootlegging liquor, evading the police, and saving up his money in o
rder to impress her.At first, Daisy smiles and bats her eyes at all the right moments, promising that they'll be together soon. However, once her husband publicly reveals that Gatsby actually worked for his fortune rather than inheriting it (the horror!), she backs out of the whole thing. Then she recklessly drives Gatsby's car into another woman and kills her. Oh yeah, and then she lets him take the blame for it. Did we mention that when the dead woman's husband kills Gatsby, Daisy doesn't even wait until after the funeral before skipping town with the abusive man-bear?Female characters like these beg the question as to why there aren't more protagonists like Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. "I felt the starched walls of a pink cotton penitentiary closing in on me," the gender-(stereotype)-bending Scout laments. "For the second time in my life I thought of running away. Immediately."Get in line.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/female-stereotypes-in-great-gatsby-macbeth-and-to-kill-a-mockingbird.html
ag of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and she ain't pretty. Okay, so she's actually probably very pretty, which is partly why her criticisms are so effective, but we'll get to that later.How it all goes down: After receiving a prediction from three old hags - ugly, female hags, mind you - His Highness, Thane Macbeth, is convinced that he will soon become King of Scots. Which is problematic because the Scots already have one - and Macbeth seems like a fairly decent, non-regicidal fellow. Enter Lady Macbeth. Upon hearing that her husband has a shot at the big time, Lady Macbeth shamelessly insists that he murder the king and take his place. When he objects, she begins hitting below the belt, saying that only a real man stabs an old guy in his sleep. You know, after inviting him to be a guest in your home.Seeing that Macbeth still feels hesitant, the Lady then pulls out the big guns. "I have given suck, and know / How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me." Uh oh... "I would, while
it was smiling in my face, / Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums / And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn." Crazily enough, this motivational speech works, which explains that whole theory about Lady Macbeth being pretty.Archetype Two: The Tease. She's beautiful, she's unattainable, and she could buy and sell you with the loose change she finds in her sofa cushions. This is the tease of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and she has ruining lives down to a beautiful, strawberry-smelling tee.How it all goes down: Gatsby has his first encounter with Daisy Buchanan in high school, where they enjoy a passionate romance before he ships out to WWI. In his absence, Daisy marries a fabulously wealthy Harvard boy who's built like steak and practices adultery in his free time. In order to draw Daisy's attention away from the abusive man-bear and back toward the loyal worshipper, Gatsby spends years bootlegging liquor, evading the police, and saving up his money in o
rder to impress her.At first, Daisy smiles and bats her eyes at all the right moments, promising that they'll be together soon. However, once her husband publicly reveals that Gatsby actually worked for his fortune rather than inheriting it (the horror!), she backs out of the whole thing. Then she recklessly drives Gatsby's car into another woman and kills her. Oh yeah, and then she lets him take the blame for it. Did we mention that when the dead woman's husband kills Gatsby, Daisy doesn't even wait until after the funeral before skipping town with the abusive man-bear?Female characters like these beg the question as to why there aren't more protagonists like Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. "I felt the starched walls of a pink cotton penitentiary closing in on me," the gender-(stereotype)-bending Scout laments. "For the second time in my life I thought of running away. Immediately."Get in line.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/female-stereotypes-in-great-gatsby-macbeth-and-to-kill-a-mockingbird.html
"Baking at High Altitude: The Muffin Lady's Old Fashioned Recipes" by Randi L. Levin: Book Review
Baking at High Altitude: The Muffin Lady's Old-Fashioned Recipesby Randi LevinThe Muffin Lady Inc. (2003)ISBN 097450081XReviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (9/06)Randi Levin, better known as The Muffin Lady, has written a unique cookbook with an extensive variety of baked goods adjusted for baking at high altitude. All the recipes are tried and true, old-fashioned, and have been handed down and enjoyed for several generations. Many of the recipes have been used for professional preparation over several years. The distinction of this cookbook is that it is written for scratch baking at a minimum of 4,000 feet above sea level.The Muffin Lady shares recipes with us and gives tips on how we can adjust almost any recipe to high altitude baking. With her book, successful alterations to almost any recipe can be quite simple and fairly easy. The recipes found here can also be adapted to meet dietary needs that are sugar-free and low in fat."Baking at High Altitude" offers
a superb variety of recipes including cakes, cookies, mountain muffins, sweet breads, fruit-filled treats, brownies, pies and strudels. Inspiring quotes are mingled throughout, and a personal note of each recipe's origin is included with each recipe. A color picture is encompassed in each chapter showcasing what the finished treats will look like when prepared, and attractive pencil drawings make the pages eye-appealing. The book also stays open nicely to a particular page so that a specific recipe can be followed and prepared.The Muffin Lady hails from Evergreen, Colorado, which is where she was nicknamed "The Muffin Lady" by the United States Postal Employees. She frequently delivered muffins and other baked goods to the local shops in the area, and it was these individuals who helped her realize just how successful her recipes and baked goods could be. The Muffin Lady has since served such customers as the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver, Colorado and the Wild Oat
s Natural Marketplace.I recommend "Baking at High Altitude" to everyone who lives at or above 4,000 feet above sea level and who enjoys baking. If success from the oven is what you desire, your needs should be met here, for The Muffin Lady says all the recipes have been tested and perfected to insure great results. All the recipes are eye-catching and will entice you to give them a try. The Muffin Lady offers a unique quality of cookbook unlike any other I am familiar with. I encourage high altitude bakers to give it a try. I will begin by trying the recipe for Fresh Peach Cake!* Best First Cookbook in the World 2004, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards * 1st Place EVVY Awards 2004, Colorado Independent Publishers Association
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/baking-at-high-altitude-the-muffin-ladys-old-fashioned-recipes-by-randi-l-levin-book-review.html
a superb variety of recipes including cakes, cookies, mountain muffins, sweet breads, fruit-filled treats, brownies, pies and strudels. Inspiring quotes are mingled throughout, and a personal note of each recipe's origin is included with each recipe. A color picture is encompassed in each chapter showcasing what the finished treats will look like when prepared, and attractive pencil drawings make the pages eye-appealing. The book also stays open nicely to a particular page so that a specific recipe can be followed and prepared.The Muffin Lady hails from Evergreen, Colorado, which is where she was nicknamed "The Muffin Lady" by the United States Postal Employees. She frequently delivered muffins and other baked goods to the local shops in the area, and it was these individuals who helped her realize just how successful her recipes and baked goods could be. The Muffin Lady has since served such customers as the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver, Colorado and the Wild Oat
s Natural Marketplace.I recommend "Baking at High Altitude" to everyone who lives at or above 4,000 feet above sea level and who enjoys baking. If success from the oven is what you desire, your needs should be met here, for The Muffin Lady says all the recipes have been tested and perfected to insure great results. All the recipes are eye-catching and will entice you to give them a try. The Muffin Lady offers a unique quality of cookbook unlike any other I am familiar with. I encourage high altitude bakers to give it a try. I will begin by trying the recipe for Fresh Peach Cake!* Best First Cookbook in the World 2004, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards * 1st Place EVVY Awards 2004, Colorado Independent Publishers Association
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/baking-at-high-altitude-the-muffin-ladys-old-fashioned-recipes-by-randi-l-levin-book-review.html
Drive by Daniel Pink - Book Review
Most people don't understand what makes me tick at work. I'll spend untold hours writing articles or my newsletter. Or I'll be Twittering away, connecting with potential clients, business partners, and just plain interesting "tweeple." And then there's a continuous round of in-person networking meetings and events. "Don't you ever sleep?" is a common comment I hear. Why am I so driven? Because I'm having a blast!Apparently my work situation is not unique as we learn in Daniel H. Pink's book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.As Pink explains, the first human drive, like all other animals, is for survival. Our second drive, what he calls Motivation 2.0 which is determined by both rewards and punishment, is also shared by the animal kingdom. But only humans have been able to channel that motivation to build buildings, organizations, and so much more. Motivation 2.0 has been in place for a very long time, so long, that it is just a part of who we are. But that s
ystem is breaking.Extrinsic, classical rewards and punishment such as money, benefits and fear of losing our jobs are no longer working as before. People are clamoring to participate, without pay, in open source projects such as online encyclopaedia Wikipedia and operating system Linux. Some states now offer entrepreneurs the ability to set up an L3C (low-profit, limited liability corporation) organization which operates as a for-profit business, but with modest profits, whose main goal is to provide social benefits. Granted, Wikipedia and Linux contributors may add to these projects to build their reputation or public relations efforts. L3C organizations may be trying to do the same. But at the heart of all is their desire to add something to the world or to do something for the sheer enjoyment of it, or "flow." Welcome to the world of Motivation 3.0, the world in which intrinsic rewards rule what we do and what we get out of what we do. We have become, what Pink calls Theo
ry I--for intrinsically motivated--workers.As a Theory I worker myself, I definitely appreciate this new paradigm. However, many of my clients and friends are in trades and industries for which Motivation 3.0 is a distant future. How do you find an intrinsically motivated plumber, garbage collector or cafeteria worker? Even more tricky is how do you serve your customers who are expecting someone to fix their leaking toilet, pick up the trash, or collect payment for lunch if your workers are doing only what allows them to experience flow?To answer some of these questions, Pink suggests that for some mundane tasks, classical carrots-and-sticks rewards may be necessary if the work cannot be outsourced or automated. This is going to be key for some industries. More and more tasks, even complex mechanical ones, can be automated. I see this as the way that many blue collar and laborer type jobs may be able to transition to a Motivation 3.0 future, freeing up time for these workers
to pursue tasks that afford them creativity, freedom, challenge, purpose, and novelty.Quoting Richard Ryan, Pink also suggests providing these transitioning employees "scaffolding" to help them find their place in the Motivation 3.0 future which combines autonomy with accountability. This is a massive shift in mindset and it will take years, maybe decades, to realize in my opinion. The reason it will is because training to be a Theory I worker begins in school, and, as Pink notes, our schools are woefully bad at engaging and motivating our next generations, instead concentrating on test scores and rote learning without relevance. Additionally, schools are continuing to cut programs such as art, music and gym which can give students the opportunity to expand their horizons and find activities that bring more intrinsic rewards.While Pink's outlook on moving toward Motivation 3.0 seems optimistic, though not without challenges, I think the reality of moving toward this ideal i
s going to seem almost impossible for industries where creativity is not valued. My fear is that like empowerment initiatives which can lapse into shifting of responsibility and blame to employees who truly have no power or ability to affect outcomes, Motivation 3.0 initiatives could become the next much maligned business concept.But it all needs to start somewhere. Asking questions of yourself and your company is where it begins. Drive offers readers an excellent list of questions to help both individuals and employers start thinking about a Motivation 3.0 future. Thought it amusing that one of Pink's questions asks if you think his view is too rosy and utopian. But it is a fair question that you really do need to ask in relation to how this concept fits into your organization.Implementation of Motivation 3.0 principles will be challenging in many organizations, particularly those which have organized labor. Any intrinsic reward tasks and developmental activities will have
to become a part of the labor contract. But then does that defeat the purpose of these tasks and just add more issues to arbitrate?Drive is sure to become a significant addition to the enlightened employment literature and is recommended reading for anyone in leadership roles or those who want to get more enjoyment out of their life and work.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/drive-by-daniel-pink-book-review.html
ystem is breaking.Extrinsic, classical rewards and punishment such as money, benefits and fear of losing our jobs are no longer working as before. People are clamoring to participate, without pay, in open source projects such as online encyclopaedia Wikipedia and operating system Linux. Some states now offer entrepreneurs the ability to set up an L3C (low-profit, limited liability corporation) organization which operates as a for-profit business, but with modest profits, whose main goal is to provide social benefits. Granted, Wikipedia and Linux contributors may add to these projects to build their reputation or public relations efforts. L3C organizations may be trying to do the same. But at the heart of all is their desire to add something to the world or to do something for the sheer enjoyment of it, or "flow." Welcome to the world of Motivation 3.0, the world in which intrinsic rewards rule what we do and what we get out of what we do. We have become, what Pink calls Theo
ry I--for intrinsically motivated--workers.As a Theory I worker myself, I definitely appreciate this new paradigm. However, many of my clients and friends are in trades and industries for which Motivation 3.0 is a distant future. How do you find an intrinsically motivated plumber, garbage collector or cafeteria worker? Even more tricky is how do you serve your customers who are expecting someone to fix their leaking toilet, pick up the trash, or collect payment for lunch if your workers are doing only what allows them to experience flow?To answer some of these questions, Pink suggests that for some mundane tasks, classical carrots-and-sticks rewards may be necessary if the work cannot be outsourced or automated. This is going to be key for some industries. More and more tasks, even complex mechanical ones, can be automated. I see this as the way that many blue collar and laborer type jobs may be able to transition to a Motivation 3.0 future, freeing up time for these workers
to pursue tasks that afford them creativity, freedom, challenge, purpose, and novelty.Quoting Richard Ryan, Pink also suggests providing these transitioning employees "scaffolding" to help them find their place in the Motivation 3.0 future which combines autonomy with accountability. This is a massive shift in mindset and it will take years, maybe decades, to realize in my opinion. The reason it will is because training to be a Theory I worker begins in school, and, as Pink notes, our schools are woefully bad at engaging and motivating our next generations, instead concentrating on test scores and rote learning without relevance. Additionally, schools are continuing to cut programs such as art, music and gym which can give students the opportunity to expand their horizons and find activities that bring more intrinsic rewards.While Pink's outlook on moving toward Motivation 3.0 seems optimistic, though not without challenges, I think the reality of moving toward this ideal i
s going to seem almost impossible for industries where creativity is not valued. My fear is that like empowerment initiatives which can lapse into shifting of responsibility and blame to employees who truly have no power or ability to affect outcomes, Motivation 3.0 initiatives could become the next much maligned business concept.But it all needs to start somewhere. Asking questions of yourself and your company is where it begins. Drive offers readers an excellent list of questions to help both individuals and employers start thinking about a Motivation 3.0 future. Thought it amusing that one of Pink's questions asks if you think his view is too rosy and utopian. But it is a fair question that you really do need to ask in relation to how this concept fits into your organization.Implementation of Motivation 3.0 principles will be challenging in many organizations, particularly those which have organized labor. Any intrinsic reward tasks and developmental activities will have
to become a part of the labor contract. But then does that defeat the purpose of these tasks and just add more issues to arbitrate?Drive is sure to become a significant addition to the enlightened employment literature and is recommended reading for anyone in leadership roles or those who want to get more enjoyment out of their life and work.
View this post on my blog: http://www.yourgamebook.com/drive-by-daniel-pink-book-review.html
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