"Debt Cures They Do Not Want You to Know About" - A Review of Kevin Trudeau's Book

‘Debt Cures They Do Not Want You To Know About’ a book by Kevin Trudeau, is claiming to expose the lies the financial industry is afraid you will find out. This book is a sequel to a book about another mysterious industry, the pharmaceutical industry and medical practitioners. In his award winning book titled ‘Natural Cures They Do Not Want You To Know About’, Kevin claims there are known simple natural treatments for many illnesses where medicines are prescribed routinely. It is easy to get the impression that medical practitioners want you to become physically dependent on the drugs the pharmaceutical industry sells.

‘Debt Cures’ follows the same vane of thought. Kevin claims that the financial institutions work together to maximize your debt, so they can earn all they can in interest from you. It would be easy to surmise, they want you to become their slaves for life.

Kevin claims that the blame should fall on the shoulders of the financial institutions and not the individuals. It does not surprise me that an author would write such a statement, since our society is moving away from any form of personal responsibility. However, I do admit that the forces from the financial industry are quite a formidable foe and they do have some responsibility in this matter.

Everyone has to incur some sort of debt, such as a mortgage. The financial industry has taught us over the years that being in debt is just a way of life – it is evident in the phrase I owe, I owe it is off to work I go. Recently our country has had some brave souls step up to the battle like Kevin is trying to do here and offer a better solution.

"Debt Cures They Do Not Want You to Know About" - A Review of Kevin Trudeau's Book

Business Audio Books to Download

Do you need help with your business but just can’t find the time (or don’t have eyes) to read helpful books? If you need tips or brilliant ideas on the go, why don’t you try audio books?

Audio books are great aids for those who are too busy to read, not inclined to read, or are visually impaired.

They are produced in different media – CDs, cassette tapes, preloaded digital formats, and downloadable digital formats (MP3 or WMA Audio Book Format). Listening can be exciting as you learn many new and unique ideas from your audio book library!

These are not necessarily audio versions of the written books that are simply read and recorded word for word (unabridged audio books). They can also be recorded spoken programs.

They cover a lot of categories such as fiction, comic, war, and other interesting genres of the users’ choice. For the business-minded people, there are plenty to download.

Business audio books, as the term implies, deal on a very wide range of business related issues such as economics, biography of the business world, finance and investment, internet, leadership, real estate, marketing aids, management, starting a business, becoming a successful salesmen, strategies and business development audio books, etc.

All you have to do is download your best choice from the internet and listen conveniently at home, in transit, or while having a break from work.

If you wish to download several of these books, discounts are available. Some bookstores even offer free audio books apart from the titles they sell. You can download any of these freebies anytime.

Audio Book Stores can offer a wide range of downloadable options from their collections, including the business-related ones.

Isn’t it great having these resources at hand? You are not just having fun listening to the recordings; you are also updated on the latest ideas you need for your business. You learn fast from the best.

Business Audio Books to Download

The Last Surgeon Written by Michael Palmer

A killer that is contracted for non-kill killing? Sounds strange, but that is what someone is doing to seemingly unrelated people in different locations. Belle Coates is a beautiful top nurse and can’t believe or realize that someone that has kept her mind working but refusing to allow her body to react has placed her in a dazed condition. “This can’t be happening to me” goes through Belle’s mind. The story is recreated in several more that also thought it couldn’t be occurring to them; but it was. On the surface there seemed to be no connection to any of these deaths. The authorities didn’t even connect any of them and the cause of death generally was termed to be suicide.

Nick Gerrity is one of many veterans that came home with P.T.S.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) from war and was battling the bodily and mental disturbances it caused, usually when stress is involved but sometimes just on its own. Nick was an excellent surgeon but his life was not fulfilled just working in a hospital and, besides, his P.T.S.D. was telling him he needed to find a way to help others medically and other veterans attempt to regain a near normal life. Nick joined with a top nurse, Junie, who had been raised in the projects of Baltimore and wished to also help those less fortunate than she had been. They started a traveling RV when the foundation that Junie had worked for went under. She formed a corporation with Nick as CEO and Junie as Chair of the Board. She also arranged to purchase the RV for $1.00 so they could help unfortunates that needed medical attention. When Nick’s best friend disappeared, his mind wondered and Junie did all she could to help Nick search for Umberto and still keep his mind on the traveling hospital.

The first person that we know of that was killed, Belle Coates, had an older sister, Jillian, who was devastated by the death of her sister and questioned how Belle could ever commit suicide. Nick and Jillian eventually get together and fell for each other. They also work together trying to solve the increasing murders that now seem to be connected by a few threads. Thus lays the groundwork for Michael Palmer’s “The Last Surgeon” that is a very riveting suspense story containing many facets of medical conditions, care, research, and all working on finding those affected with P.T.S. D. and helping them, along with the poor and still keep the traveling hospital above ground financially.

If the minute description of this book above doesn’t make you want to read this excellent story, nothing will move you to do much of anything! I have read several of Michael Palmer’s books and enjoyed them very much but this one tops them all. He has put together so many subjects while keeping the reader informed so they do not get lost. Thank you Michael Palmer.

The Last Surgeon Written by Michael Palmer

The Minimum You Need to know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer - Book Review

Do you want to be an OpenVMS Application Developer? If you don’t know what that is, then you probably don’t need this book, but if you do, you’ve found the seemingly most comprehensive and readable guide to doing so. Roland Hughes’ offering, “The Minimum You Need to know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer” is an abundance of information that you cannot afford to be without.

Here’s some background: “OpenVMS (Open Virtual Memory System) is a high-end computer server operating system. As a multi-user, multiprocessing virtual memory-based operating system (OS), it is designed for use in time-sharing, batch processing, real time, and transaction processing. It offers high system availability through clustering and distributes the system over many machines.” In other words, you need to know this!

This isn’t a beginner’s guide, to be sure. However, those in the IT industry will be thankful to Hughes as he describes uses of: the MMS and CMS tools from the widely used DECSET OpenVMS software development toolkit CDD FMS the RDB and MySQL databases. He describes other tools found in OpenVMS application development such as VMSMAIL, and PHONE. The book works readers through and around a single application which is developed in each of DEC BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, C and C++ using a variety of tools. On the accompanying CD, full source code is provided.

Hughes’ language is easy to understand. He doesn’t speak over the heads of the readers, nor talk down, and his tome is not the dry textbook form you may be used to. He uses humor and easy going guidance, making this likely one of the most readable IT guides out there.

Drawing on his vast experience and knowledge, Hughes rewards himself and the reader with a final chapter on the IT field. His guidance here is not so technical but rather personal when deciding where a developer wishes to work. His attention to company restrooms is something I did not expect to read about but is likely very valuable information. If you want to be an OpenVMS Application Developer, this is the book you need.

“The Minimum You Need to know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer”

By Roland Hughes

ISBN-10: 0977086607

Review by Heather Froeschl

The Minimum You Need to know to be an OpenVMS Application Developer - Book Review

Is the Lord of the Rings Audio Book Suitable For Tolkien Purists?

The Lord of the Rings trilogy has taken the world by storm over the last few years. J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic stories have been given a new lease of life thanks to the fantastic cinematic world of Peter Jackson. His film adaptations captured the spirit of the original novels and created a whole new army of Tolkien fans. They were released in three installments as The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003). As an aside, in 1978 the animator Ralph Bakshi created an animated version of the story, attracting more fans to the world of the Shire and Middle Earth (though not to the same degree as Jackson’s creation).

However, despite the popularity of the novels and the films, many people are unaware of the wonderful Lord of the Rings audio book. The audio book is attracting a sizeable fan base, although purists might sneer at the idea of an audio book version of the novel. However, the classic text read aloud brings a whole new dimension to the story and may even provide new insights into the plot. Also, consider the convenience of being able to listen to the novels whilst on the move: in the car, on the train or plane, for example. Maybe you’d like some entertainment whilst sunning yourself on the beach but can’t stand the glare of the sun on the white pages of a book!

Are there different versions of the Lord of the Rings Audio Book?

Yes, there are several versions of the story, but perhaps the best known is read by actor Robert Inglis. This is a mammoth work which runs to forty six CDs! The recording is first rate and is completely uncut, which means that you’re going to need quite a few days to get through the entire collection! For LOTR devotees this could be the first choice, especially if authenticity is your primary concern.

However, there is another extremely popular Lord of the Rings audio book produced by the BBC. You need to be aware that BBC audio books are usually in a radio-theater style rather than a simple, straightforward reading of the novel. This might be preferable if you are seeking a more entertaining, or fun, experience. The choice between the two styles of audio book is ultimately up to you and your personal preferences.

How much will all this cost me?

As you can imagine, forty six CDs is going to cost quite a bit of money. Think of it, though, as an investment in your future entertainment. In fact, the CDs could cost you up to $100 if bought brand new in the high street. However, thanks to the marvel that is the internet, it is possible to locate discounted, used copies from a number of suppliers. If cost is an issue for you then it would certainly pay to shop around on the web and locate a number of suppliers to compare prices.

Even die-hard Tolkien fans will find the Lord of the Rings audio book an entertaining experience.

Is the Lord of the Rings Audio Book Suitable For Tolkien Purists?

Pee Wee in a Nutshell - Book Review

Pee Wee’s Family In a Nutshell (ISBN# 0969788320) is the third installment in the series of children’s books written by Larraine Roulston. The series is based on the character Pee Wee Worman – who teaches readers about vermiculture, or composting with worms. Larraine shares a powerful quote from Charles Darwin on the inside cover followed by a statement on the next page where the author makes it clear that she sees compost as “more then a fertilizer, more than a soil conditioner – it is a symbol of continuing life”.

Pee Wee’s Family In a Nutshell opens with a new song (by Fay Herridge, Sabrina Wall, Sarah Wall and Michael Wall) written for the main character, P.W. Worman. The book begins where the second in the series left off. After reminiscing to his friends about the worm bin where he was born, Pee Wee realized how much he missed his cousins and other dear friends from the past. His new pals noticed his gloomy mood and they set out on another adventure to reunite Pee Wee with his family. Ironically, the worm bin at school needed a caretaker. Nancy and her brother Scott won the contest for the right to care for the bin over the summer and they proudly toted it home right after school. Too tired to anything else for the bin at the moment, they rested it by the backyard apple tree. Suddenly, Vanessa – the magical and beautiful butterfly, visits Nancy, Scott and their friends Mathieu and Naseem one more time. With her special powers, Vanessa shrinks the children down to the size of bugs. Pee Wee was thrilled to visit with his family – and share the adventure with his dear friends – but the compost pile will always be “home” for him.

The book is illustrated by artist Kate Sawatsky, and features curly vines swooping around the pages, back yard scenes, composting ingredients and lots of fruit and flowers.

International Compost Awareness Week occurs in early May every year – this is a perfect time to use the Pee Wee Worman series to read to groups of children at the various events held during this week. Retailing at only $6.95 (Canadian), this paperback book is a bargain for frugal minded educators, parents and caregivers. The final four pages provide a short glossary of composting terms, information on indoor worm bins and outside compost piles and a list of resources including books and websites that will lead readers to much more information on composting.

Larraine Roulston, the author of this series of worm compost books for children, has been involved with Recycling Council of Ontario for a number of years and wrote a newspaper column for 15 years called ‘Recycler’s Report’. Her series of Pee Wee books has inspired the Recycling Council of Ontario to provide a 30 minute P.W. Worman puppet show that is performed at schools, libraries and environmental fairs. Larraine is a loving and enthusiastic grandmother who hopes to spread knowledge of the benefits and importance of composting.

Be sure to visit Larraine’s website:

Pee Wee in a Nutshell - Book Review

Journey of the White Robes: An Aquarian Adventure by Fred Jenning Rogers

This is story of visiting other dimensions by a young couple who is being trained to help back on earth. They learn to orb and travel, assuming any shape while becoming comfortable on other levels.

Anyone drawn to this book will find something of importance in the training, in specific events or in the reminder that we are all here to counteract the dangers of the darkness and negativity spreading throughout the world.

The awakening of many will counteract those dangers. We know this but need to be reminded so that each does her part to be positive, and to do so in all aspects of our daily lives. Do we turn off negative or dark TV programs or Ads, knowing that the insidious and underlying message is influencing us without our realizing until some surprising anger erupts within? Do we remove ourselves from situations when acquaintances or others make us feel uncomfortable, or do we sit and endure without remembering that the energy is impacting us and drawing away our light?

We want to protect who we are, and that is easy to do when we think about it; it is the forgetting or neglect that is the problem.

The training of this couple could be what is happening to anyone of us in our dreams or unconsciousness, until some chance encounter triggers a memory and an action. Many are receiving encoded messages that provide the tools necessary to help the earth transition to the next phase. Know that. Trust that, and do not be afraid to believe such an occurrence for yourself. If you resonate with the idea, it is happening on some level to you. Awaken to the possibility. This book opens that next world to us and makes it real so that we can see one possible scenario.

Do we accept Rogers’ vision as real? Reality becomes such a complex question. I believe that we can accept his vision as possible, and that makes the difference. If you’re like me, you want to see some description of another dimension to relate to, to focus on and to look to beyond this life on earth. If there are other dimensions, what could be happening there? Is it totally different from here, or is it just another version of training to connect with the divine and help others to see the light? “Yes,” is the answer to both. Find a vision that “feels” right to you. If so moved, read this book and walk through the doors that open. It is time, and you know that.

Journey of the White Robes: An Aquarian Adventure by Fred Jenning Rogers

The Red Fairy Book - A Victorian Children's Classic

IN gleaning the fields of Fairy Land, Andrew Lang hoped that some of the tales in the Red Fairy Book may have the attraction of being as familiar as old friends. The tales have been translated, or adapted, from the originals originally written in old Norse, French, German, Romanian and many other European languages – he had a large field to choose from.

The popularity of Andrew Lang’s books, and similar books from other folklorists of the day, did not rest well with some in the Folklore Society whose president believed it was not acceptable for the then prominent folklorists to be publishing fairy tales. Messers Lang, Jacobs and Campbell disagreed and opted to “Put themselves on their country and be tried by a jury of children” – and they were certainly not found wanting. So high was the demand that Andrew Lang followed the Red Fairy Book with the Blue Fairy Book and intended the third in the sequence, the Green Fairy Book, to be last. But so popular were these books that he published no less than 12 – almost running out of the colours that were available on the Victorian palette.

But why call them FAIRY TALES? One cannot imagine a child saying, ‘Tell me a folk-tale’, or ‘Another nursery tale, please, grandma’. Fairy tales are stories in which something ‘fairy’ occurs, something extraordinary — fairies, giants, dwarfs, speaking animals, or the remarkable stupidity of some of the characters. nd what better way to bring a gleam into a child’s eye and put a smile on their face than by reading them a fairy tale. And just when you think you’ve finished, don’t be surprised if you feel a tug at your sleeve and a request for “‘nuther fairy tale please” for you have to remember that this is where good always wins over evil, where the Prince always gets his Princess and where the common man is allowed to best Knights, Princes and Kings.

In this volume, the first of many compiled by the late Andrew Lang, you will find the familiar fairytales and stories of the Pied Piper, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and The Golden Goose and less familiar tales of Sigurd, Drakestail, Little Golden Hood, The Six Sillies, Snowdrop and many others. With the exception of a few perennial favourites most will have not been seen, read nor heard for over a century thereby re-introducing children and young parents of today to a library of “new” material.

This book has been published to raise funds for The Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Children’s Charity. In buying this book you will be donating to this great charity that does so much good and enables families to stay together in times of crisis. And what better way to help bring a sunbeam of joy into an ill child’s life than to read them a fairytale and help them, albeit for a moment, to escape their reality.

33% of the Publisher’s profit from the sale of this book will be donated to the GOSH Children’s Charity.

For more information, a table of contents or to view a sample of the interior, go to /redfairybook.html.

The Red Fairy Book - A Victorian Children's Classic

Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century - Book Review

Dr. Malphurs believes that the most successful and proficient way to reach non-believers is to plant new churches. In his book, he used the analogy of child-bearing to illustrate the process including, conception, birth, growth, maturation, and reproduction.

He divides his book in three essential parts. The first part concerns the preparation for church planting and everything that encompasses. In the first chapter, the author defined the definition of church planting “as an exhausting but exiting venture of faith that involves the planned process of beginning and growing new local churches, based on Jesus’ promise and in obedience to his Great Commission” (p. 19). Dr. Malphurs believes church planters are makers not maintainers of the common status quo. He believes the day of maintenance ministry has already passed. The job of the church planter is not an easy work; it demands more mental, emotional, and physical effort than maintaining a church ministry. The process of church planting requires a lot of faith in God. It involves a process like that of giving birth to a new child. It requires a careful plan. It involves both beginning and growing churches. It is a call in a response to the Great Commission.

There is need for church planting, for studies show that many of the churches in North American are either plateau or declining. There are a number of increased cults and non-Christian faiths all across North America. The church cannot keep up with the increase of these cults and the great decline and plateau churches unless it gets involves in church planting.

The author also provides financial information on how to raise funds to plant a church. He divides them in four facts; it begins with trust in God as provider. He also identified three ways on which a local congregation can grow. The first one, he identified as biological growth, which is the kind that take places when couples in the church have children, who then becomes members of the parents’ church. The second kind of growth is transfer growth, which is the result of church members moving from one church to another. The third kind of growth is numerically which is through conversion of lost people. It is estimated that a conversion rate of twenty 25% is necessary in order to make in impact in the world.

The second part concerns the personnel involve in church planting. It helps make a wise assessment to determine who can be a church planter and how effective those in the core group need to be for the work. He introduces the values of assessment, which involves knowing, liking, and being the person God designed to be. Everyone has a divine given design which was given to him/her at their birth and which characteristics have been modified in positive and negative way throughout the span of a lifetime. These assessments help in discovering the weakness, strengths, and limitations of the person being appraise. He also helps determines if the person involved in church planting is the kind of leader required to be a leading church planting. Church planters are to be strong leaders, as well as strong servant-leaders.

The third part examines the actual process involved in church plant. It contains essential chapters that are designed to help church planters understand the six stages that a new church go through and what essentially takes place in each of them. The stages are the conception, development (prenatal stage), birth, growth, maturity, and reproduction stage. The conception stage starts with the nucleus of the ideal of birthing a church. The way a baby is conceived in its mother’s womb, so the idea of starting a new church is conceived in the person’s mind. “Every church has its own DNA (its values, mission, vision, strategy, and so on) that guides its life and growth” (p. 118). The first step to consider is prayer, before any attempt is given to planting a church; it is recommended to put together an intercessory team throughout the process.

The author believes it is important to put together a core-group during the conception stage to discover the church’s core organizational values, which are to be the church’s planter’s core values. Dr. Malphurs describe the core values as “its constant, passionate, biblical core beliefs that drive it ministry (p. 119).” After that a mission statement most be develop to dictate the direction the ministry is to take. The mission most includes all the church is attempting to accomplish for God. The next point is to communicate the mission statement to the people been minister.

A strategy also needs to be conceived. The strategies will determine the process of accomplishing the vision and mission of the new church. The developmental stage begins by gathering an initial core group of people who are interested in forming part of the new church. Dr. Malphurs also explains the primary purpose of the birth stage, is to provide an opportunity to reach out the geographical community for Christ.

The book also includes a Church Planter’s Word-book, which is found in the last part of the book before the appendix. It has a lot of surveys to help in the process of church planting.

The author’s intended purpose is to encourage and equip individuals and churches to take a risk at becoming a vital part of this vision-to start church-planting churches. Malphurs is clear in his thesis as well as in the development of his book. He addressed every issue that tackle the church today and gives direction that if follow can greatly benefits those who search for his wisdom and experience in church planting. The author addressed the issues of planting churches in a modern and postmodern manner.

The author believes that the most effective and efficient way to reach out to lost people is through planting new churches. He examines the case from pediatrician point of view leading the reader through the basics steps of conception, birth, growth, maturation, and reproduction stage. Malphurs believes that hardly any churches have visualization for reproducing themselves through starting others churches. He believes that there is more emphasis in maintenance than in planting new churches. He based his assumption on survey and studies conducted throughout the North American churches. He gives three reasons for reproduction to start taking place through the states; there are very few churches that are reaching the cities, but if the vision is embrace there will be hope for Christianity in America. These three arguments that the author gives are well research and confirmed to be the way American Christianity is going. It is imperative and important to change the tides by embracing church planting method given by Malphurs.

Malphurs book is very detailed oriented for those who want to follow a step by step guide to planting churches. It has given me a clearer vision to implement in the process of church planting, his book is not just a theory is based upon practicality and easy to follow guide. Malphurs explained that the success of the church was based upon the vision they embrace of creating church planting churches. He believes that should be the way to go for the American Division also, it if wants to change the way things are going.

The book should be read by all church planter, seminary student and pastor who want to embrace a better vision for the future of their churches. Implementing the concepts in this book is not difficult, because Malphurs is clear in the concepts that he wants to get across. He also included in his book a church planter’s work-book to help in the most difficult task in church planting, and a very complete index. Malphurs has given me a clearer vision of the ministry of church planting along with useful tools to implement his most practical theory.

Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century - Book Review

Magnetic Sponsoring Unbiased Review

Anyways, I just finished reading through Mike Dillard’s magnetic sponsoring book and I wanted to lend my review.

Mike’s book is all about learning how to magnetically sponsor new reps, primarily targeting the multi-level and network marketing arena. What initially caught my attention, being in the network marketing industry myself, was Mike’s bold claim, “Learn how to magnetically sponsor hundreds of new reps for free!”

Now, obviously, this is going to entice me; I’m always looking for ways to increase my bottom line in this industry. As you guys know, I’m working with Carbon Copy Pro and as much as I’ve been enjoying it, generating quality leads is a difficult business indeed!

So, I picked up Mike’s book for a whopping $35 bucks. It’s not a long book at all and took me just under two hours to read through and perhaps another hour to fully absorb. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at Mike’s candor and ability to 110% over deliver on his promise. Let me explain what I was able to learn from Magnetic Sponsoring.

First of all, Mike dedicates his first chapter to unveiling the characteristics of achievers in this world, of the people who everybody looks up to. He then explains how to assimilate these characteristics into your own personal profile and business, and therefore become what he describes, an Alpha; the Donald Trumps, Perry Marshalls, Warren Buffets of this world.

As much as this information may seem common knowledge, after employing and attempting to exude these characteristics, I realized that my phone leads became much more responsive and I was able to weed out the truly interested prospects much easier. In my mind, this was it, and as worth it as it would have been for this simple information, Mike goes on.

He goes on to explain why it’s important to sell yourself rather than your business and unveils the reasons why when you sell your business, you should be selling your system rather than simply your product. I won’t give too much away, because Mike probably wouldn’t like that, but in his finale, Mike unequivocally delivers on his promise to show you his method for attracting new sponsors effortlessly by employing a rather genius system that is going to attract people who are already in the network marketing industry (i.e you, since if you are reading this, you are probably contemplating buying Mike’s book to sponsor new reps) and sell those who are already interested in purchasing!

In finale, all I can say is that I can truly recommend this book for anybody who is in the network marketing industry and looking for a way to generate small profits while in the mean time, introducing your primary opportunity to truly interested prospects, instead of having to chase people down with a phone or email…

Magnetic Sponsoring Unbiased Review

A Prize-Winning Courtroom Drama

What would you do, what would run through your head if you were charged with the crime of rape and didn’t do it? America has one of the world’s best justice systems, but even in America, the justice system can, and sometimes does, fail, and the innocent sometimes get sent to prison for years, decades, or longer. We all hear the stories on the radio or the news, or watch similar dramas play out on television programs or movies, or read about the wrongfully imprisoned in potboilers by authors like John Grisham. The Nobel Prizener by Herman Franck, Esq., is a similar novel, about a man who gets falsely accused of rape, and receives a lengthy sentence when certain evidence that should have exonerated him is given little weight by the jury in comparison with the alleged victim’s testimony. The man, John Carver, is a brilliant economist who is honored with the Noble Prize in Economics while in prison for his valuable and important theories and how they lead to the world’s countries coming out of a global recession.

But, how did he get to prison in the first place? What series of horrendous and inexplicable events could have led one of the most promising and insightful economists in America to being imprisoned for a rape he didn’t commit? Why would a woman (Gloria Fithe) lie in open court about being raped, knowing it could potentially ruin someone’s life? There should have been no way that John Carver’s life should have taken the unforeseen twist and turns that it did, and as I was reading it, I couldn’t help but to think: “There but for the grace of God go I,” because, sadly, given the wrong chain of unlucky circumstances, anyone could be railroaded much like Carver was, if not for rape then for some other crime.

The novel begins with the very dramatic deliberations of the Swedish Academy of Sciences to determine if John Carver is worthy of receiving a Nobel Prize in Economics. Two of the members are engaged in a long-standing debate over the matter, to try to sway the other members to vote for or against awarding the prize to Carver, despite his conviction and sentence of sixty- four years for rape. Olav Swenson takes the strongly vociferous stance against Carver being awarded the medal, and Erik Jarlsborg supports the view that John Carver was convicted wrongly and evidence that could have exonerated him was ignored by the jury, so Carver deserves to win the Nobel Prize. Carver, by a vote of six to three, is warded the Nobel Prize. As Herman Franck, Esq. Writes about the decision:

Dr. John Carver, a Ph.D in Economics from Stanford University, residing in Folsum State Prison in California, serving out his sixty-four-year sentence for the highly questionable rape of a woman just became the first prisoner to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Following this opening chapter are a few giving background information about Craver’s life and academic history. Then, in the fourth chapter, “The Romance of the Economist,” John meets Gloria Fithe for the first time, the woman who he would date and have consensual sex with twice before she finally accuses him of rape when confronted by her boyfriend, Karl Bramsworth. She does not tell Carver she has a boyfriend, so it’s a definite shock to him when Gloria stops at Stanford’s Tresseder Student Union building and he’s yanked out of her Porsche by Karl accompanied by her screams that he had raped her. Bramsworth starts punching and kicking Carver, and yells at one of his friends to go get the police.

This, as you might be able to tell, is the point in the novel where things go steadily from bad to worse for Carver. Being wrongfully accused of rape is bad enough, but then one of the cops roughs him up on the way to prison, hitting him in the stomach, and telling him he has no rights except ones like the right to confess and to not say otherwise, and then to rot in prison for the rest of his life. Also, his bail gets set at a quarter of a million dollars, which he can’t afford to pay, so he’s forced to wait in his prison cell until his trial. His Public Defender lawyer advises him to plea bargain to a lesser charge, but he refuses to, because he’s innocent. Pleading guilty to the lesser charge might have ended with him being sentenced to a year, but able to get out in eight months. When he eventually does try to plea bargain, a little later, it gets rejected.

The Noble Prizener is a dramatic depiction of some of the injustices that prevail in our judicial system. It’s a novel of one man’s heroic fight to stand up and proclaim his innocence despite being given a lengthy sentence for the crime of rape based on circumstantial evidence and largely the testimony of one woman, the alleged victim. I won’t give anything else away, but it’s a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting to find out about John Carver’s ultimate fate. Herman Franck, Esq., is a lawyer himself, and his expertise at writing about America’s judicial system and the chapters involving Carver’s trial help to make the novel be very realistic and dramatic at the same time. I recommend you check out The Nobel Prizener, and add it to your reading lists, today!

A Prize-Winning Courtroom Drama

Life by Keith Richards

I don’t often read biographies but this one did appeal to me – primarily because my husband is probably on the biggest Stones fans ever! I of course knew who they were but never really listened to their music. By the time I was a teenager they had already done a lot of their ‘bad boy’ stuff and their image was already set in stone. Interestingly enough I just received a tweet last night reporting that Richard’s oldest daughter with Patti was arrested on drug and graffiti charges. Hmm apple doesn’t fall far or something like that.

This is a very honest and quite fun read especially if you are into music. Keith is obviously into music. I am sure he loves his lifestyle but he was quite content when they had enough to replace guitar strings and be able to eat as well. That is quite refreshing in this day and age I think. He is not the dog one is made to believe he is either. He tries very hard to keep relationships going when I would have bailed ages before, especially considering kids are involved. He stays with the mother of his oldest kids when she was on a major path to destruction and the fall out is the kids were exposed to a lot of damage. Keith did have a lot of good blokes around him who tried to help take care of them though. Like I said I would have been dust and taken the kids far away but he kept on trying.

Life is about his entire life so it is over 500 pages and that was probably cut down. What you see if what you get with Mr. Richards, I do believe that. He has no axe to grind, doesn’t slag anyone off and truly loves his friends – even though he is quite clear when things have happened that annoyed him. The drug years are quite desperate and he doesn’t glamorize them too much, in fact he talks very frankly about getting off them and that should be enough to scare anyone. As a parent one of the most disturbing things was the behavior around his kids when they were growing up and throughout the book there are letters and notes he had other people write of their experiences at different times. One of these notes is from his son who is also his oldest, Marlon. Marlon writes about how sporadic his schooling was but he asks to go back to England to go back to school and even reports his results. Very entertaining and I’m sure those kids have a lot of great stories too.

Life by Keith Richards

Book Review - Medieval Siege Warfare by Christoper Gravett

This book takes a good look at the evolving and changing world of siege warfare during the Middle Ages. But it is not a dry and scholarly look at the subject. It is clearly written in a normal tone and aimed at the average reader. And it comes complete with around 50 drawings and photographs of sieges, castles, siege engines and more.

The title of the book in this review is “Medieval Siege Warfare”. It is written by Christoper Gravett and the color plates were drawn by Richard and Christa Hook.

Siege warfare is a fascinating topic because during the Middle Ages a real arms race was going on. It was the race between castle builders, weapon builders, and siege engineers. Technology and engineering changed dramatically during medieval times and castles had to change and adapt in order to cope with this growth and keep their inhabitants safe. Both siege engineers and castle builders used many ingenious means and devices to achieve their goals. This book takes a good look at these tactics and techniques and how they changed and evolved over a several hundred year period.

The art of the siege was more than just ladders and catapults. It was a whole science with an arsenal of weapons for attack and methods for defense; and the book takes a good look at all these variations from tunnel digging to the building of moats and gatehouses and even diplomacy and biological warfare. And it gives solid examples, with pictures, of real castles and how they were built and attacked. It also has many DaVinci like drawings of siege weapons and tactics.

Some of the best parts of the book are the references to real sieges of real castles throughout history. It gives you short looks at how the sieges occurred and what happened. Some of the famous sieges covered are the first siege of Le Puiset in 1111, the sea-borne attack on Acre in 1189, and the siege of Chateau Gaillard in 1203.

This book is written for an audience of teens to adults and if you are looking for a good introductory book about the whole subject of the sieging of castles during the Middle Ages this is the perfect choice. It is not too scholarly, has lots of pictures and illustrations, and takes a complete look at the whole subject area.

Book Review - Medieval Siege Warfare by Christoper Gravett

Health Is Internal Beauty

Excerpted from the book “Your Right to Be Beautiful: How to Halt the Train of Aging and Meet the Most Beautiful You” by Tonya Zavasta. The book is available at:

Jean Kerr, American author and playwright wrote: “I’m tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That’s deep enough. What do you want an adorable pancreas?”–

Jean Kerr was closer to the truth than she might have realized. Every outside organ of the human body is eligible to be called beautiful, but because internal organs are ordinarily seen only by surgeons, they get excluded from the beauty contest. If our internal organs were observed, we would describe them in terms of attractiveness, and normal color and shape would be considered beautiful. You need only compare pictures of normal healthy internal organs with pictures of their infected and diseased counterparts in the medical books to convince yourself that health and beauty are synonymous.

A healthy colon looks like evenly braided muscles. On the other hand, unhealthy colons are deformed: twisted and looped in some parts, ballooned and engorged in others, as revealed by barium X-rays. Visit a colon therapist, if only to observe the pictures of unhealthy colons and see for yourself how ugly one can be on the inside.

The blood of a healthy person is also beautiful. The red blood cells are uniformly round. The blood of a body full of toxins is contaminated with pathological bacteria, abnormal proteins, and parasites. When red blood corpuscles clump together, the condition is called Rouleau or “sticky” blood. Rouleau, this clumpy, unattractive blood, appears 5 to 20 years before symptoms of illness present themselves. It is an early messenger of hundreds of degenerative diseases. Conglomerates of red blood cells cannot access the fine capillaries of the body. Rouleau is particularly damaging to the organs of the head, in particular the eyes, ears, and scalp. A diet high in meat and dairy products increases the stickiness of your platelets. Blood that becomes sticky is a sure precursor of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.

The arterial pipelines in a healthy circulatory system are clean and clear from obstructions. In healthy arteries, the inner lining, called the intima, is smooth, supple, and without cracks. A cross-section of a normal coronary artery shows no arterial thickening or blood-blocking plaque deposits.

An unhealthy circulatory system paints an entirely different picture. The middle muscular layer of the artery can no longer fully recoil after a pulse wave has expanded the vessel. Elasticity of the artery walls is reduced, and cracks and hollows appear. They catch calcium, cholesterol deposits, fat accumulations, and clusters of platelets. Cholesterol deposits roughen the inner surfaces and damage the walls of the arteries. At first, plaque build-up does not cause discomfort–it is just ugly. But later, thick, clogged bloodstream results in coronary arteries becoming occluded with fatty buildup, which effects circulation and causes deterioration of the connective tissues. Deterioration and abnormal hardening of the arteries result in a process called arteriosclerosis and may cause heart disease, stroke, and hypertension.

The body often displays real ingenuity faced with substances it cannot metabolize or eliminate. It breaks them down and distributes them to remote areas of the body away from vital organs to minimize harm. The body takes the poisons out-of-the-way but not necessarily out of sight. The toxic wastes are pushed towards the peripheral organs, which happen to be the skin and every other organ that we can see on the outside.

External deformities are direct manifestations of internal pathologies. Ugly ropes of varicose veins, puffy faces, and cellulite are telling tales about your inside condition. Every pimple, psoriasis, or pigment change on your skin is in fact a reflection of some organ struggling to do its job. Every bulge, boil, or swelling is a sign that the body is pushing out some toxins in its effort to protect itself.

The term “natural beauty” has been misused and abused beyond restoration. Because there is no natural beauty without 100% natural food, the beauty that will emerge on the raw food diet I call Rawsome Beauty. Our external beauty is at its best when our internal organs are in the best possible shape, form, and color. Beautiful is not something extra the body needs: to be beautiful both inside and out is the natural state of one’s body.

The vitality of internal organs, working properly, transcends your skin and brings a radiance to your face. This is when beauty does penetrate the skin. So when we admire sparkling eyes, fabulous skin, and lustrous hair, in a way we are admiring the teamwork of a healthy liver, colon, kidneys, etc. How profound the direct meaning of the phrase “beauty comes from within” really is.

Health and beauty are considered to be chronological losses. In my books I will convince you they don’t have to be. It is biologically possible to look beautiful at any age. I intend to prove that beauty is not an accident; beauty is your birthright, it can be yours through the right daily choices, food you put in your mouth being the most important one. You can dramatically improve your appearance and do it 100 percent on your own without expensive products, plastic surgery or costly cosmetics.

“This article may be freely reprinted as long as the entire article and byline are included.”

Health Is Internal Beauty

Rich Dad, Poor Dad Book Review

Robert Kiyosaki’s best selling book Rich Dad, Poor Dad has been read by millions worldwide. If you haven’t read this book then your missing out. Robert Kiyosaki had a rich dad and a poor dad, the poor dad had a stable job but didn’t manage money well and therefore was poor, the rich dad built an empire and managed his money like a rich person even though at the start he was poor. He teaches about financial intelligence. What’s financial intelligence? Financial intelligence is knowing how to make money, how to money can make money. Here’s some of the key points in the book:

Acquire assets, reduce liabilities
One of the main points in the book that made a lot of sense to me is to acquire assets and reduce liabilities. This seems like a simple idea that a lot of people try to do, but Kiyosaki explains that there are millions of people doing it wrong! Your house and car is not a asset, if you have a mortgage it eats away at your money. Assets are things that make you money such as stocks, real estate that you acquire to sell on for a profit, or a business that you own.

Cash Flow
Robert Kiyosaki designed a simple diagram of the cashflow of a poor person, middle class person, and the rich. The poor and middle class’s money comes in and out. The rich circulate their money to make more money.

Wealth
Some of the “middle class ” consider themselves wealthy due to the fact they they have a nice car, house and are enjoying the luxuries in life. But Robert Kiyosaki thinks differently, he measures true wealth from how long you can survive if you lose your job or retire. Robert Kiyosaki retired in his mid 30′s, cause he felt like had enough wealth and could continue his lifestyle with what his assets were giving him, and decided to work only when he needed more money or felt like it, when he said work, that just meant actually doing something to make money, not getting a job and working for someone else. Wealth is measured by the ability to be financially independent without doing much work, he explains how this is possible through his asset/liabilities ideas.

This book is not a get rich quick scam, this book is just a guidance on the basics of how to think about money.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad Book Review

Rich Dad, Poor Dad Book Review

Robert Kiyosaki’s best selling book Rich Dad, Poor Dad has been read by millions worldwide. If you haven’t read this book then your missing out. Robert Kiyosaki had a rich dad and a poor dad, the poor dad had a stable job but didn’t manage money well and therefore was poor, the rich dad built an empire and managed his money like a rich person even though at the start he was poor. He teaches about financial intelligence. What’s financial intelligence? Financial intelligence is knowing how to make money, how to money can make money. Here’s some of the key points in the book:

Acquire assets, reduce liabilities
One of the main points in the book that made a lot of sense to me is to acquire assets and reduce liabilities. This seems like a simple idea that a lot of people try to do, but Kiyosaki explains that there are millions of people doing it wrong! Your house and car is not a asset, if you have a mortgage it eats away at your money. Assets are things that make you money such as stocks, real estate that you acquire to sell on for a profit, or a business that you own.

Cash Flow
Robert Kiyosaki designed a simple diagram of the cashflow of a poor person, middle class person, and the rich. The poor and middle class’s money comes in and out. The rich circulate their money to make more money.

Wealth
Some of the “middle class ” consider themselves wealthy due to the fact they they have a nice car, house and are enjoying the luxuries in life. But Robert Kiyosaki thinks differently, he measures true wealth from how long you can survive if you lose your job or retire. Robert Kiyosaki retired in his mid 30′s, cause he felt like had enough wealth and could continue his lifestyle with what his assets were giving him, and decided to work only when he needed more money or felt like it, when he said work, that just meant actually doing something to make money, not getting a job and working for someone else. Wealth is measured by the ability to be financially independent without doing much work, he explains how this is possible through his asset/liabilities ideas.

This book is not a get rich quick scam, this book is just a guidance on the basics of how to think about money.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad Book Review

Positive Deviants: "Unlikely Innovators" Solving Tough Problems

I’m a believer in the ability of positive deviants to lead their organizations forward, to promote change that sticks, and to improve workplaces. In their terrific new book, The Power of Positive Deviance: How Unlikely Innovators Solve the World’s Toughest Problems, Richard Pascale, Jerry Sternin and Monique Sternin show how positive deviants have brought about real and lasting change in foreign countries and cultures, including meeting challenges of starvation in Vietnam, female genital cutting in Egypt, and sex trafficking in Indonesia.

WHAT IS A POSITIVE DEVIANT? No doubt you are familiar with the term “deviant.” Merriam-Webster defines it as someone who “departs from an established course or norm.” Most people think of a deviant as someone who does bad things – someone who disrupts the natural flow of society. However, there are also positive deviants. These people are at the other end of the performance spectrum; they are the very top performers. The term “positive deviant” was first used by Richard Pascale and Jerry Sternin to describe people who, with exactly the same resources and circumstances as everyone else, are consistently and significantly more successful than the norm.

Positive deviants are a great source of innovation. What makes positive deviants such an extraordinary source of innovation? Unlike most people, positive deviants transcend the conventional wisdom, discovering new and innovative ways to function without creating conflict.

The Sternins and Pascale make a convincing argument for positive deviants – respected members of their communities – being not just the best, but the only, way to solve ingrained social problems. If the impetus for change comes from within, and from respected members of a community or organization, the change is much more likely to be accepted and adopted.

The Sternins and Pascale dislike the term “best practices” because it implies an outside force which can somehow change an organization or its way of doing things. Instead, they reason, change that comes from inside the organization is the change that will stick. A persistent problem, though, is scaling: it’s sometimes difficult to ensure mass change.

We at Cerebyte have discovered some accelerators for change that might complement their theory, and this would be interesting to discuss with the authors of this excellent book.

Positive Deviants: "Unlikely Innovators" Solving Tough Problems

Magazine Subscription Offers - Just to Help You

You can be an avid reader but finding time to pick magazines up in the rush of life can be a difficult task. This is particularly bad for magazines as their sale is affected and the persistent income generated from the sale of magazine drops. Other than this a reader might miss out on one or the other subscription and miss out on the valuable information which can be a reason of irritation for any reader. This is the reason why magazine subscription offers are there. This is a business strategy that ensures that the magazine reaches its regular reader on time.

Benefits of Subscription Offers

The first good thing about the magazine subscription offer is that the tenure varies largely, starting from half-yearly to annually to two years and sometimes even five years. The most fascinating part of this is the available magazine subscription discounts. But you should be aware that you can avail these discounts only if you utilize the offers.

The magazine subscriptions offers saves you from the hassle of paying for the monthly issue and stop worrying that you have to fetch a magazine each time. Once the subscription is done you get the magazine right at your doorsteps for that stipulated amount of time. So even if you forget everything about the world the magazine is still there at your doorstep waiting for you. They even have easy payment procedures.

The cost of subscription is always much less that what you pay for each magazine for each of the stipulated time. This does save you the headache of bearing the cost every month. You are also saved from the burden of recurring expenditure. But this way you pay a much lesser toll.

The subscription offers works best with the regular readers of a particular magazine. However, the variety of discounts available can make you really lightheaded. For all those who remain glued to their favorite piece of magazine should be aware of the fact that magazine subscription offers are a way of making them reach you without any hurdles or delays.

The subscription offers are dotted with special packs which include special gifts only for the coveted readers. DVD packs, holiday package and even cosmetics come as free gifts.

Each time you buy a magazine, you have to get out of your home and buy it from a shop. However, with a subscription the hassle is done with, the entire subscription process and the purchase can be completed right from your room. All you have to do is fill out the subscription form available online and make a payment with a credit card. Then on you will receive your issue every month without any break.

So, if you consider subscribing to a magazine offer, opt for the magazine subscription discount. This is one of the best things that can happen to any passionate and regular reader. So rush, before that special offer runs out.

Magazine Subscription Offers - Just to Help You

Book Review: Where She Went By Gayle Forman

Where She Went is the sequel to If I Stay, and this time we listen to Adam’s voice. It’s quite sometime since that fatal accident that killed Mia’s parents and her little brother, Denny. Mia entered Juilliard and is a fast rising popular cellist. Adam, on the other hand, is having the time of his life living the life of a famous rock star. Or so it seems. Because Adam Wilde is wallowing in depression and despair. What happened after Mia woke up? Why did Adam and Mia separate? More important, what happened to Adam after Mia woke up? Where She Went answers these questions and picks up the story three years after If I Stay ended.

For all of its 272 pages (my copy is in PDF), Where She Went is heavy, emotionally. I can feel Adam’s pain right from the moment I started the first chapter. A few pages towards the ending, I was literally sobbing. If If I Stay is tragic, Where She Went is downright heart-breaking. If I Stay is more metaphysical, Where She Went is more realistic. These two good books is a perfect pair – after reading the first you cannot wait to continue with the sequel. Gayle Forman writes with such passion and raw emotion, and I like how she perfectly shifts from flashback to the present, and vice versa.

Letting go. Closure. These are the central themes in this book. Who wouldn’t get emotional with these kind of things? What I also love about this book (and If I Stay, too) is how music played a major part in the lives of the characters. Although I am not too familiar with most of the songs and singers mentioned (I’m neither a punk rock chick nor a classical music gal), I am fascinated with how Adam and Mia are brought together and are torn apart by their passion for music.

I especially love this part:

“Concert doesn’t mean standing up like a target in front of thousands of strangers. It means coming together. It means harmony.” (p.243)

Where She Went ends perfectly, for me that is, and for a moment before I reached the final chapter, I was fervently hoping that I can handle the ending. Which fortunately I did because Gayle Forman wasn’t that cruel enough to totally break my heart into pieces and make me suffer from rhinitis due to excessive crying (exaggerated, I know, but that was how emotional this book is). This has been one of my best reads for this year, and I strongly recommend this to everyone.

—————

“You know, I thought about that a lot these last couple of years,” she says in a choked voice. “About who was there for you. Who held your hand while you grieved for all that you‘d lost?” (p.254).

Oh, tears.

5 stars.

Book Review: Where She Went By Gayle Forman

The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan - A Review

Is your best friend perfect? Probably not. Evidently you love her anyway or you would have abandoned the friendship long ago. The Art of Forgetting explores the twists and turns in a friendship that is less than harmonious, yet essential for one’s well-being. Self-deprecating Marissa and self-centered Julia have been friends since they were fourteen. Although they show their love for each other in very different ways, Julia and Marissa need each other to the extent that their friendship becomes an addiction. Both women are flawed, yet they remain bonded. An accident leaves Julia, a dancer, with Traumatic Brain Injury. While she recuperates their solidarity is tested and strengthened in ways neither Julia nor Marissa understands.

The book is aptly titled. New and long-held hurts are best forgotten. Julia punches Marissa with unflinching, hurtful honesty (a side effect of a frontal lobe injury). Both have issues over a man they tangled with in the past. The sheen on their friendship has been tarnished by the past and tested by the accident, but they manage to move past the old issues and form a new bond. Marissa, who suffered from a need to be rescued and buoyed up by her friends, uncovers a positive self-image that can’t be taught. The plot element of coaching an after-school running team comes out of the blue, but is well-utilized in Marissa’s discovery that she is the only one who can help her believe in herself.

Author Camille Noe Pagán regularly publishes features about women’s health in various national publications. The Art of Forgetting marks her debut in fiction. Pagán admits that fiction is a great departure from journalism. After a day of writing articles dealing with hard science, she spent her nights writing her novel. Writing fiction felt to her “like a wonderful escape; I loved sitting down and digging into my characters’ lives.” A specialist in scientific inquiry, the author consulted medical journals, physicians specializing in brain injury and entered chat rooms for first-hand perspectives from people with Traumatic Brain Injury. She provides resources for TBI at the end of the book.

Readers looking for perfect characters to emulate may be disappointed by The Art of Forgetting. The book will appeal to those who have worked hard to earn personal growth and forge strong relationships. The book is a courageous examination of flawed human beings coping with a disturbed equilibrium.

The jacket cover is luminous. Are we looking at a dancer taking her last bow due to her brain injury? Or, perhaps, the image is that of one woman or two attempting to hold themselves together against all odds.

The Penguin Group provided the advance review copy. The opinions expressed in the review are unbiased and wholly those of the reviewer.

The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan - A Review

Coping With Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet (Second Edition) - Book Review

Author of seven books, Moira Allen is also an accomplished article writer and columnist. During her long career, she has held a variety of writing-related positions, including a past editor of Dog Fancy Magazine.

Her book, Coping With Sorrow On The Loss Of Your Pet, has been in production for 20 years and has been embraced by humane societies, veterinary schools and pet cemeteries. This support comes with good reason…

Coping With Sorrow On The Loss Of Your Pet is an exceptionally well planned and thoroughly researched, 182-page non-fiction self-help book. Moira displays excellent organizations skills and clearly shows a compassion and dedication to the concept of preparedness for the death of a loved one.

This 13-chapter book opens with some lovely poems that, frankly, meant so much more to me after I finished the book and returned to read them once more. The author covers every aspect of losing a pet and closes with a lovely write-up about her life as a writer.

While I have not yet experienced the death of a pet, I have had the experience of finding homes for three beloved cats in the past due to circumstances beyond my control, and I have lost two cats in a city I once lived in. Her chapter dealing with missing pets was absolutely dead on in regards to the emotional process, which Moira so accurately describes as a cross between a death and a divorce.

My husband and I have the pleasure of sharing our home with three friends. Our eldest is a female cat, who is showing her age; she has been with us for 13-years. Through this book, I learned what to expect during the aging and letting go stages – and I was also awakened to our lack of preparedness for our four-legged family members in the event of our death or prolonged injury/illness. This new knowledge arrived with perfect timing as we are currently updating our little Will.

Another aspect that we had not yet considered was what we planned to do for our four-legged friends when they pass on to the next plane. This was brought to the discussion table at once.

Moira also discusses aspects of dealing with the death on an emotional level. For instance, each member of the family, even those of the four-legged variety, will grieve differently according to the relationship they had with the deceased. The ways we all will be able to show our emotions will vary just as much and I think it is helpful for pet-owners to be aware of these differences in order to avoid misunderstandings. The author also shows us some social barriers, such as people who cannot comprehend the grief over the loss of an animal, and she shows us how to deal with this hurtful event.

This book was so helpful! The new discussions that were brought into our home over these important issues, made me so very grateful for having had the opportunity to read this book.

Coping With Sorrow On The Loss Of Your Pet is currently available by clicking on the Amazon link “new & used” (ISBN: 0-931866-97-9) or by visiting the authors site: This site is very informative and offers articles, tips, links and many other resources for pet owners. Be sure to check it out when you have time!

Coping With Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet (Second Edition) - Book Review

Wright on Time - Arizona, a Family Values Chapter Book

Wright on Time: Arizona is a chapter book about an RV-living, homeschooling family of four. It is the first book of a great series of books for any kid. They are full of big words- I underlined at least one or two per page- and it’s definitely not talking down to anyone. These characters were well-developed and respectful of each other and eager to learn more about the world around them.

The writing was clear and descriptive, and the adventures were exciting but not scary. I really liked how the author, a homeschool mom of two named Lisa Cotrell-Bentley, created an enjoyable but realistic family dynamic. The kids have things in common with their parents, and the kids are their own people, but they are a family unit. The book treats being together as a family, cohesive and content, as a normal thing to be. No child in this book is sitting on a rock, focused inward on his iTunes, casting condescending looks at a parent who is cajoling him to participate in the family trip.

It was surely an educational lesson on caving and geology. I was initially expecting the family to have multiple little adventures in the course of the book, especially after seeing the word RV in the description, and opening the book to see a beautiful, hand-drawn map of Arizona, complete with state bird and flower. However, the RV wasn’t mentioned until the very end, and the entire book was about one caving adventure. I initially thought as I closed the book that a lot of loose ends were left dangling- then I saw the logo on the cover. Without trying to ruin anything for anyone, it appears to me that each new state’s adventure will have trailings of prior adventures. The teaser sentence for the second book, set in Utah, asks if they will learn about “the mysterious device” they found in Arizona.

Additionally on the website we are reassured that each book can stand alone, and the author envisions homeschoolers using the books as resources for their own travels or state studies, or in the case of Wright on Time: Arizona, a unit study on caves.

Wright on Time - Arizona, a Family Values Chapter Book

Personal Finance Book Review - Financial Insider Tips on Saving Money

The recession has been rather tough on American consumers, but luckily the recession is now over and the customers are coming out of the woodwork to buy during the Christmas season. That’s all well and good, however, the smartest consumers are still a little sketchy, and they are saving their dollars, and shopping for discounts, and opportunity buys. Who can blame them right?

What if I told you there was a book that can help you save money on nearly everything you buy in every category that you’re shopping for? It’s true, in fact in this book nearly everything you could think of, that you’ve ever purchased is listed. And there are one or two paragraphs giving you a secret techniques and tips to getting the best deal. Everything from shopping for the best bank account with the best services, and lowest fees, to finding the best service plan for your cell phone.

“More Secrets and More inside Information,” By Boardroom Reports

The authors of this collaborative work and the editors have done a fine job searching out all the things that you might buy. Perhaps, you wish to negotiate the price on cleaning your pool, or want to save money on your auto insurance, or maybe you want to find a way to get a better deal on dog grooming. Would you like to know when the best time to go grocery shopping is?

All these things and more are listed in this book. It is literally the personal finance insider tips guide to saving money. And, right now everybody wants to save money, and make their dollar stretch as far as possible. This is something you should always do whether the economy is flying, or still submerged. Indeed, I hope you will please consider this and perhaps, get this book for your personal library so you can start saving money today.

Personal Finance Book Review - Financial Insider Tips on Saving Money

Help for the Harried Homeschooler

Are you harried? What is the definition of “harried” anyway? After looking it up in the dictionary, it reads, “troubled persistently especially by petty annoyances.” So what can we surmise by this title? Are you a homeschooling parent who is dealing with petty annoyances? Things like, chaos, discipline problems, finding balance in your home school, sane socialization… So what can we do to fix these petty annoyances? Maybe one thing that could be a great benefit to us all is to learn to say one simple word…no.

We, as homeschooling mothers, have an actual ministry. The ministry of motherhood. As Shari, a mother who homeschools in Illinois, agrees. She says, “Once I grasped what God has called me to do, it made saying no a lot easier.” Staying focused on her mission, “the ministry of motherhood and teaching,” keeps her content with her life as a homeschooling mom.

And as Christine Field, author, shares the wisdom of Dr. Richard Swenson, “We cry out to God, ‘Help!’ But God replies, ‘When you come back to where you belong, then I will help you. Remember: You are the creature. I am God. Use my power, not your own.’” If we could remember this as we walk through our motherhood journey, wouldn’t we all be so much better off? Wouldn’t we all be less harried? Less annoyed?

These are some pearls that Christine has gained from homeschooling and she’d like to share with you in her book. They are:

P-peace
E-endurance
A-acceptance
R-restoration
L-lasting love
S-satisfaction with servanthood

“Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Galatians 6:9, KJV

It’s a must read!

Help for the Harried Homeschooler

A Book Review - Pox Ameicana

About the Authors:

John Bellamy Foster is an American journalist, sociologist, essayist and eco-sociologist. He is also editor of Monthly Review, which is a prominent Marxist magazine. He is also a professor of sociology at the University of Oregon.

Robert W.McChesney is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois. He has written and edited sixteen books and some journal articles and book reviews. Mc Chesney is also the president and co-founder of Free-Press, which is a national media reform organization.

Synopsis

U.S. current wars makes the observer to wonder whether there exist any similarity and link between new imperialism and the old one in19 century in the U.S. history. In 1898, with Spanish-American war and seizure of Spanish colonies in Caribbean, America emerged as a world power. By refusing to accept the existence of the new Philippine Republic, United – States publicly announced its intention to annex it entirely, and declare it a holy mission.

This part, the “Imperial Ambition” opens with an interview with Noam Chomsky and his opinion about American use of military force which is declared as “The national Security Strategy of the United Sates of America, which permits the use of force in the world. In this way U.S. would rule the world by force, and if there is a challenge against it U.S. will have the right to destroy the challenge before it becomes a treat; Chomsky calls this doctrine preventive war and not preemptive war and makes distinction between thee two:
preventive war begins with no grounds in international law. The challenge, the treat can be invented or imagined and is not proven or evident. The point is that America calls it a new norm; to do this America has to select a defenseless target e.g. Afghanistan and Latter Iraq; and to prepare the stage for such wars they had to frighten American people that Bin laden or Saddam Hussein are a treat to their existence.

American imperialism has deep roots in its history and has close relationship with perception of white supremacy and racism. This ideology can be traced back to Christian Crusades, latter colonization of African countries and Latin America. The Declaration of Independence and latter the American constitution confirms this supremacy. Regarding U.S. -Indian treaties, white supremacy was the rationalization and ideology behind theft of Native American lands. So, the very origins of the United States are imperialistic.

Imperialism is an integral part of the capitalist world economy. In 1945 U.S. nation state became so strong and hegemonic and had military force which was unparalleled; as a result of the hegemonic power America also became culturally the center of the world. But around 1968 with the rise of economic rivals, U.S. defeat in Vietnam and world revolution, America’s power and hegemony over the world began to decline. So, in order to keep their hegemony over the world, American leaders had two approaches: to persuade Western Europe, Japan and others they can have an alliance of semi- equal with the U.S. though America is the leader of them all; the second approach was called Washington Consensus: to substituted developmenalism with globalization and set out to impose this on the world. America at that period had three objectives: 1. The Counteroffensive of neoliberalism, 2. To deal with military treats and 3. To stop the European Union. After 9/11, which showed that U.S. was vulnerable the hawks entered the scene and diplomatic, multicultural approach was put aside. The war on Iraq was not for overthrowing a dictator or even for oil but to show that American could do it and intimidate both the people of the third world countries not to engage in nuclear proliferation and Europeans.

The imperialism practiced by few rich capitalist had dividend the world into rich and poor nations. The rich countries become richer by using poor counties resources. At the same time the imperialist nations of the world are competing with each other to extend their power over these resources; this completion is called geopolitics. These imperialist nations are not homogenous in their power and their completion some times leads to war. Out of this an imperial power will arise that will dictate and impose its own rule over other nations. America has been the hegemonic power since the Second World War. America’s supremacy is partly due to possessing the world’s primary currency. United States is willing to use its military force to keep its global hegemony whenever it is needed. But a global left, most of whom are socialist, are opposing American global program.

European countries and their Japanese counter parts are tiring to find ways to catch up with United States. The assumption is that U.S. economy more energetic and successful for its free enterprise nature and Europe’s and Japan’s old ways can not survive in the new order. But this assumption is not true. They fail to see that U.S. growth in 1990s was financed by borrowing from overseas (as America is the world’s largest multicultural conglomerates). Despite this foreigners continue lend money to Americans because it is so productive. Anyhow Americans have a relative dominance over world’s economy due to this flow of capital from Europe itself and the rest of the world. The reason why European nations were against the war in Iraq is that in this America will expand its domination over oil fields and intends to grant gigantic tax cuts to the richest of fellow Americans and at the same time boost governmental spending through defense budget.

But there is always struggle and resistance against imperialism in the history. The most significant movement against imperialism has taken place in the poor countries and the third world. The resistant groups are also active in America: a broad antiwar movement led to ending war in Vietnam. Though the term “war on terrorism” has persuaded many people that the war in Iraq is for defending American’s right, nevertheless justice movement are still active and alive; these movements are a sort of mass social phenomenon which can lay the foundation for an anti-imperialist movement. But there must be an organized left presence to tie different movements and strands together.

For organizing an anti-war movement there is a need to gather all the help from contradictory objectives. So the movement needs to mobilize and combine the organizational resources and strategic potential of the labor movement, particularly the new generation of global justice activist; but the paradox here is that this goal is universal and internationalist while class power is reproduced nationally. To solve the problem a left movement should locate itself within both labor movement and other movements in the first world and to understand the old issue of state power in a new internationalist way in order to help to third world struggle.

*****

This book contains 15 essays on different aspects of American Imperialism which contains the leading left-wing and leading Marxist annalist of imperialism to examine the nature and prospects of U.S policy. Each essay is written by important figures that are critical toward Bush administration. In part one, US imperialism has long History: Noam Chomsky, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, John Bellamy Foster, Harry Magdoff, Robert McChesney and Immanuel Wallerstien have contributed to the part. Part two, Geopolitics and Political Economy of US Imperialism is written by William K Tabb, Klare and others. Part three, Resistance are written by samir Amin, Barbara Epstien, Bernardine Dohhen and… Although the book is written by many writers and contributors, yet the editors were able to gather all essays together without losing the coherence. The essays are organized in a way that gives the reader an understandable view about the history of imperialism in U.S. The book tries to be comprehensive but it has its own shortcomings: the solutions given by writers for confronting imperialism are superficial and simplistic and it has its roots in Marxist ideology of the essayists; Pox Americana puts so much emphasize on the role of labor movement and working class.

A Book Review - Pox Ameicana

David De Angelo - Double Your Dating - Review

I always thought that the secret to women was the things one said, or the amount of money one had to show off… boy was I wrong!

And it cost me a lot of money to understand that I was doing all the wrong things thinking I was doing all the right things.

I know it might sound confusing, but what I am trying to say is that I have done everything I was taught by my family, friends, and TV – that I needed to do in order to be with the women I liked.

I also always approached love and dating as a game of chance, either I was “lucky” or I was not.

So I would be the good guy, who always respected (idolized would be the proper term) women

When I would go out on a date I would make sure to be showered and dressed nice, I would make sure to look appealing and to wear nice clothes and cologne.

I would sometimes buy some flowers to pick up my blind date and I would take her to a nice restaurant to impress her.

I would then talk and say all the wonderful things about me, and show her that I was the “logical” best choice and that she could not find a better “provider” (in other words, life partner or husband) if she just chose me.

I would make sure to point my degree, the languages I speak, the work I do and I would try to make evident how choosing me would be the best choice she could ever take.

If you have done any of the above mentioned things I can immediately predict the kind of relationships you have had, and let me tell you, it is a really bad one.

You see, all those things are NOT what make a woman find you attractive.

I always thought that I was supposed to do all those things and that since I was such a “catch” women would naturally find me attractive and if I was “Lucky” enough – the woman that I liked would also like me.

This, I am sorry to say, was never the case.

I would end up with women that would start the relationship with me (they would be the ones to kiss me first) and I would consider myself “lucky” to finally have found someone who would value and appreciate me (I know that this would sound pathetic to many, but trust me, the great majority of men on earth feel and act in exactly the exact same way).

And much to my surprise, they never actually fell in love with me, found me attractive, and they all ended up destroying me in some way or another.

And I would then again fall back to the “luck” part and try to find someone who would see what all the others were not seeing in me.

So I eventually married one of them, and again I thought that I was being very “lucky” to be with a beautiful woman that was smart and so and so.

But you see, since I was already on that mindset, I allowed for things to happen that a person that knows what is in Double Your Dating would not have accepted. And instead of “knowing” that I should have ended the relationship right there and then, I was afraid that I might lose such a “wonderful” woman and I let those things pass.

But one should never compromise on an important decision such as marriage, and since I was not following the rules (I did not know them then) my relationship was doomed to fail no matter what.

You see, when a woman chooses you because you are the “logical” choice to make, you are doomed to a lifetime of misery, or to a really nasty divorce.

There is no “I will fall in love with him” clause, that is a fallacy.

A woman that does not find you attractive will never find you attractive, and marring her would be a terrible choice.

So how then, do you manage to find someone that loves you and finds you attractive for real?

Well, here is the fun part, and this is what made me fall in love with the “Double your Dating” course by David Deangelo:

You can practically make every woman you choose to fall in love with you and find you irresistible and extremely attractive.

And no, it is not in the clothes you wear, nor the shoes… it doesn’t even have to do with the amount of money you make or how much you spend (actually it is very much the opposite of that).

It doesn’t even have to do with how skinny or good looking you are.

This is why I have to say that this course is an absolute must for ALL men, single and married, from all ages and all nationalities.

Why?

Because it teaches you exactly how to be so attractive that women chase you instead of you chasing them!

It gives you the edge to compete with all the “wannabees” that lurk the bars with their Armani suits and their credit cards that allow them to buy champagne for every one in the bar…

They will spend the money alright, but you will get the girl.

I do not want to say that every time, there will be the odd times where you will not be as attractive, but with time you will become better and better and then you will see how much this information is worth.

The good things about “Double your Dating” and David Deangelo, is that the course that he gives and the way he talks are always in a nice way.

He is not a chauvinistic p*g, and he is not rude or obnoxious like other people.

He is also not sleazy.

You will not have to be sneaky or do any “dirty” mind tricks to achieve your goals.

You will find this course to be very well done and with so much valuable information that it will keep you wanting to study and practice more and more each day.

After my divorce I ended up really in a bad shape, both emotionally and mostly economically.

I was basically unemployed and without a dime to my name… but I was lucky enough to get the course before I reached that low point in my life.

And like charm, the things I learned allowed me to find an amazing woman.

And she was so attracted to me despite all my shortcomings, I know for sure that she is not a gold digger, and that she has nothing to gain but to be with me.

And I have this to thank to the amazing “Double your Dating” course.

Now I know that being attractive is not a choice, and that a woman that find you attractive will do and accept absolutely anything as long as you are with her (and keep doing what you learned).

But here is the greatest thing of all:

It is not only for singles. You heard right!

Being attractive is very much necessary for when you are in a relationship already, and the information is just as useful.

There is no greater sensation on earth (and I know because I have been on both sides of the fence) than the one you get from knowing that you “know” what you are doing and that your relationship gets stronger and better with each day that passes by.

You see, the same principles apply to your marriage or your relationship. Your woman has to find you attractive in order for the relationship to be a good one. And if you are not careful and avoid doing the common mistakes that most men do, then you are in danger of being on a downhill fall without any means of support.

Women refer to the “attractiveness” as chemistry, and they expect to feel it in every relationship they have at every single moment.

When the “spark” is not there, they will in most cases look for it elsewhere. Women are very adaptable and they can tell you that they would day for you one day, and tell you to drop dead the next if the “spark” or “chemistry” is gone.

So knowing how to keep the spark alive is a very important thing.

These are some of the reasons as to why I recommend the course so much, it really changed my life and made me the man I always wanted to be with women.

If you want to be attractive, or if you want to take control of your love life and not leave it to “luck” and suffer the consequences, then you must get this course and start applying the information as soon as possible.

Who knows, you might end up dating that gorgeous woman that you always wanted but never dared to approach. Or you might save your marriage from catastrophe.

It doesn’t matter if you are single, married, divorced or in any other situation – you want to give this course a look and find for yourself how it can benefit you and your love life now!

Nathan Romano

David De Angelo - Double Your Dating - Review

Book Review-The Chocolate Cat Caper

The Chocolate Cat Caper

by JoAnna Carl

Category: Fiction / Mystery

231 pages; ISBN: 0451205561

Mysteries involving some aspect of the food industry are always popular among fans of cozies. In the past I have received numerous e-mails singing the praises of Diane Mott Davidson and Ellen Hart, among other mystery ladies with a taste for the culinary. Perhaps this was why, while scouting a Florida bookshop for a title to hold me on the plane ride home, my hand involuntarily reached for The Chocolate Cat Caper. Either that, or maybe I was just feeling too cheap to plunk down the twenty-six bucks for Janet’s latest.

Or maybe my inner Lady Godiva was offering some unconscious input. I do love chocolate. It’s the only thing that has comforted me since Paul McCartney remarried. Not even my husband can console me, but I’m getting offtrack here.

Whatever the reason I had for selecting Carl’s novel, I don’t regret the decision. Carl (a pseudonym for author Eve K. Sandstrom) has created in this debut series a charming Michigan town where everybody takes turns being mayor, talks like the people in Fargo, and loves chocolate. Only these people don’t settle for foil-wrapped kisses – Aunt Nettie TenHuis has the corner on the sweets market here. She makes the goodies while her niece, former trophy wife Lee McKinney, handles the books.

Caper opens with a delicious delivery that turns soon turns deadly. When high-powered attorney Clementine Ripley (think F. Lee Bailey in heels) falls dead after biting into one of Aunt Nettie’s concoctions, Lee decides to sleuth on her own to find out who framed the family business by spiking the candy with an extra, unwanted ingredient. Finding the culprit, she discovers, is not easy, even in a small town. The residents do like each other, yes, and they also agree upon one thing: Clementine deserved her just desserts.

For a light and at-times humorous read, The Chocolate Cat Caper delivers; this promises to be an entertaining series, one that needs not wait until after dinner to enjoy.

Book Review-The Chocolate Cat Caper

A Breakthrough For the Blind - Audio Books For the Blind

Technology is so widely available that we hardly ever stop to consider how our lives would be different without it. When a new product comes on the market we, as consumers, are so jaded that we even view breakthroughs with an “hmmm”.

If a life changing invention was to show up on shelves tomorrow, how long before it would become boring or passé?

In 1952 a life changing product did come on the market and a whole community stood up and took notice. A small publishing company in England published the first audio book. A quaint little Christmas story, read by Dylan Thomas, opened the pages of books for the blind.

The first audio books were recorded on albums. Cassette audio books did not arrive on the scene until the 1950′s. They are now widely available in several formats including CDs and MP3s. With the widespread use and accessibility of technology, and the availability of thousands of titles, audio books have become a growing niche market.
Audio books were first created for the blind.

The recordings were able to open up a whole new world for people with disabilities. As the desire for more books increased, many kinds of recordings began to be published. What started as a book for the entertainment and enjoyment of the blind has led to the availability of textbook audio books, class notes on tape, and countless books of every genre.

Audio books are easy to use, do not require expensive equipment, and are inexpensive.

You will also find audio books for free, especially on the internet where you can download the recorded book for no cost. Publishers are adding different elements to the audio books to make them interesting such as music, sound effects, and even multiple readers to give the story depth.

The benefits of audio books are too numerous to list.

The blind are no longer required to have a reading partner. They do not have to lug around heavy Braille books. They have faster access to new books as the audio books are released in conjunction with physical books. Most importantly they now have the option to enjoy books wherever and whenever they desire.

Thinking of the sweeping changes audio books made in the lives of the blind gives one a renewed appreciation of technology. Yes, technology makes our life easier. And there is a lot of technology available. But we must forget that technology has the power to revolutionize lives.

A Breakthrough For the Blind - Audio Books For the Blind

Best Trading and Investing Books of All Time

What follows are some of the best trading and investing books of all time – in my humble opinion.

• Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre.

First published in 1923, this book has stood the test of time. This book as more solid trading advice than many other books combined. Written well, and an easy enjoyable read, the book offers many insights. Written in a novel format the book allows you to really learn from the mistakes and triumphs of the characters. A must read for any trader.

• The Investors Quotient by Jake Bernstein

The most thorough book on market psychology that I have read. This book should be read by anyone who is involved in the markets. Even for those that are not active in the markets, the book delves into our common natures and is a fantastic journey into the psychological – why we do some of the things we do.

• Beyond Greed and Fear by Hersh Shefrin

Also on investing psychology, this books draws on tons of studies and exposes some major flaws which are common in trading. Certain myths, often accepted as truth are also exposed. It looks into how decisions are actually made and how bias and overconfidence can easily creep into our “objective” analysis if we are not careful. This is as applicable to the markets as it is to everyday life. A very interesting read.

• Technical Analysis for the Trading Professional by Constance Brown

Definitely for a well educated audience (hence the name of the book), this book offers many insights in to some commonly used indicators and methods which can be used in very different ways for excellent results. If you are beginning investor, this would not be the book to start reading first. But if you are experienced in the markets and would like to gain more of a edge, this book is a must.

• Trading for a Living by Dr. Alexander Elder

Covering many topics within trading and investing, this is an excellent book for experienced traders and novices alike. With many reminders and loads of insights into how the markets actually work – and more importantly how we can profit from that – most everyone could do themselves some good by reading (or rereading) this book.

This of course is by no means an exhaustive list of all the great books published on the financial markets. But, after reading these books, it is very likely you will have a greater understanding of what it takes to be successful in the markets, and how you can get there.

Best Trading and Investing Books of All Time

The Affiliate Conspiracy Review - Stop - Do Nothing Until You Read This

Released on May 22nd “The Affiliate Conspiracy” is set to make some serious waves in the world of affiliate marketing. Many are trying to say that this book is nothing but a bunch of hype and are trying to label it as a scam already. I guarantee most of them are just con-artists who haven’t even purchased the book and are just saying that so you will be more inclined to buy the product they are telling you works better. Well I have purchased the book and am writing this article “The Affiliate Conspiracy Review” as someone who is in the know.

I have been doing affiliate marketing for several years now and am by no means an advanced ppc marketer. I use it sometimes but I have had much more success with blogging, writing articles and other free marketing methods. I know there are guys out there raking in millions with ppc strategies but I just never really had the funds or the time to explore this further.

Eric Rockfeller, creator of “The Affiliate Conspiracy” is definitely a ppc genius. Many of the techniques and methods he discusses are so cutting edge that I don’t think 90% of the ppc market have even heard of them yet. I know I hadn’t.

The best thing about this product and my inspiration for writing The Affiliate Conspiracy review is the fact that it is not just a manual on how to make money online with no real examples or guidelines on how to apply the techniques. Eric has taken a considerable amount of time to put together numerous videos that let you watch over his shoulder as he sets up a profitable ad campaign from start to finish. And these aren’t just hypothetical examples. They are real niches that he is making a killing on right now.

So while others are giving this system a bad rap in hopes of getting you to purchase whatever else it is they are trying to shove down your throat I am giving you The Affiliate Conspiracy review straight up with no fluff or frills. The videos alone are worth the cost and even if you truly decide it is not for you, remember there is a 60 day money back guarantee.

The Affiliate Conspiracy Review - Stop - Do Nothing Until You Read This