MBR Bookwatch.
Synopsis: Most people have fantasized about stepping into the future, if only for a moment. Will there be flying cars? Will buildings be sleek, "smart," and clean, or will they be just one more dysfunctional component of a decaying infrastructure? Will there be robots everywhere? Will we have clean energy and clear skies or polluted air and water?
The evolution of buildings, transportation and power will determine how our future looks and feels. An impressive study, in the pages of "The Future of Buildings, Transportation and Power", co-authors Roger Duncan and Michael Webber argue the Energy Efficiency Megatrend will shape our future technology. Buildings and vehicles will evolve into sentient-appearing machines such that we will be living, working and moving about inside robots. Buildings may develop personalities and the transportation system will have any manner of vehicle available at a moment's notice. This complex, interconnected system will be powered by the clean and efficient conversion of fuels and energy flows that surround us.
Critique: An inherently interesting, informative and engaging study that is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, thirty-two pages of Notes, and a seventeen page Index, "The Future of Buildings, Transportation and Power" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, governmental, college and university library Urban Sociology, Energy Production & Extraction, and Transportation collections and supplemental studies curriculum lists. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental policy makers, environmental activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Future of Buildings, Transportation and Power" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781734429008, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.55).
Editorial Note: Roger Duncan is a former Austin City Council member and former General Manager of Austin Energy, the city's municipal electric utility. Michael E. Webber is the Josey Centennial Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas, and Chief Science and Technology Officer at ENGIE, a multi-national energy services and infrastructure company.
Whoa Dude! Kevin G. Becker, author Ned Hopkins, illustrator Independently Published https://whoadude-the-book.com 9781736752104, $16.99, PB, 222pp.
Synopsis: With the rush to legalize marijuana for recreational and/or medicinal use, it has been lost in the haze that marijuana is a psychoactive drug. A drug that can lead to serious health problems, in some people. Most vulnerable are adolescents, young adults, and pregnant women, but heavy or chronic use of Weed can also lead to dependence and health complications for people at all ages. The scientific evidence clearly shows effects of Cannabis and Cannabis products on Cognition, Memory, and IQ as well as influencing Psychosis, Anxiety, Depression, Cardiovascular problems, and other health and behavioral problems.
"Whoa Dude!Think on these things before getting too deep into smoking Weed*: *or what the science of marijuana is telling us about the harmful effects for you, your friends, or your kids." by Kevin Becker leads the reader directly to and through the science of Marijuana and the deleterious medical effects on our health.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Whoa Dude!" is an impressively informed and informative contribution to our current national discussion concerning the use and legalization of marijuana -- making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to highschool, community, college and university library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Marijuana supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Whoa Dude!" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.49).
Editorial Note: Kevin G. Becker received a Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1989 in Molecular Biology and Genetics. He spent 30 years as a scientist in the Intramural Research Program of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. This included postdoctoral fellowships at the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, Neurological Diseases and Stroke, and The National Human Genome Research Institute. He was a Staff Scientist at the National Institute on Aging for over 20 years. He has published on a broad range of topics including aging, autoimmune disease including multiple sclerosis, autism, bioinformatics, gene expression, genetics, immunity, metabolism and neuroscience. He is an author or co-author on over 300 peer reviewed scientific publications.
Able Greenspan Reviewer.
Diane Donovan's Bookshelf.
The Essence of Nathan Biddle J. William Lewis Greenleaf Book Group Press PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709 www.greenleafbookgroup.com 9781626348462, $27.95 HC, $8.69 Kindle, 440pp.
The Essence of Nathan Biddle follows a Southern boy's coming of age and search for meaning, and is recommended for mature teen to adult audiences looking for a powerful blend of mystery, philosophy, and psychological inspection.
Of these elements, perhaps an appreciation of philosophy will be the biggest prerequisite for readers of this novel. The story is introduced with a reference to Kierkegaard and continues to weave elements of various philosophies into Nathan Biddle's story as it opens, surprisingly, not with a piece of his life, but a reflection about his death: "On the first anniversary of Nathan's death, we went to the sea. We may have been looking for the ungraspable image that Melville said is visible in all rivers and oceans, but I didn't see it. Maybe I wouldn't have recognized it if it were floating like flotsam on the surface of the water. In any case, I didn't see the image and I didn't find the key to it all."
His death is inconceivable to the first-person narrator, the ocean offers comfort, and as Nathan's story unfolds, it's evident that the brooding narrator's foray into Existentialism offers some means of special understanding of these unique matters.
As Kit reflects on his uncle's demise and tragic life and faces his own confrontation with death, he begins to lose track of a deeper meaning: "I was so intent on finding an explanation of the meaning of existence that I couldn't understand the point of the discussion. I struggled with it for several hours before giving up. I don't know how long it took me to figure it out, but I finally realized that existentialism doesn't give answers; it just gives a person a theory for superimposing meaning on his existence. That wasn't what I was looking for."
Readers follow Kit's slow enlightenment process to receive keys to understanding not just philosophy's connection to life, but his family ties with his mother and his 'not quite friends' relationship with Anna, which is mercurial and as puzzling as his uncle's influence.
J. William Lewis excels at twists of language that lead readers to think about understated meanings and unexpected revelations: "Are you awake, Kit?" my mother asked sweetly. I had opened my eyes and I was looking directly at her, so she had to know perfectly well that I was awake. What she really meant was, "Are you ready for a bomb, Kit?"
Kit's ability to grasp nuances of these relationships and life's meaning leads readers into the satisfyingly complex story of a young man's proclivity for trouble, getting fired, and skirting on the edge of existential enlightenment.
Kit questions his identity, relationships, and trajectory, bringing readers a satisfying story steeped in Southern lingo, atmosphere, and a touch of intrigue within the overlay of a coming of age story that keeps readers engaged and guessing to the end.
His search for a better place, a different reality, and answers to life's meaning make for an engrossing, involving story that's hard to put down as his unique version of reality traverses questions and new insights.
The Seeds of Eden: Privileged Secrets Harper Woods Independently Published 9798636635604, $18.98 Paper/$.99 Kindle.
Book One in the Seeds of Eden series, Privileged Secrets, is a strong political thriller set in a world where a new religious order, The Society of Truth, is taking over. Thousands of people are being brainwashed daily by this cult, which professes to know secrets about achieving immortality. But its members and these secrets are about to be challenged by an underground organization whose sole purpose is to expose and contradict corrupt groups.
Erica Pfeiffer is the best agent working on this alternate force. She is going undercover as a Society of Truth member to gain access to the mysterious artifacts that have given them this power. While on assignment as a spy, she also discovers a deplorable and sinister practice being conducted in the name of religion.
As Privileged Secrets evolves into a tense series of encounters that explores social and political challenges, it pairs action-packed scenarios with extraordinary forces reminiscent of Indiana Jones with a dangerous investigation of influences of the past in the manner of The Davinci Code. However, this story also examines the personalities and interests of cult members who have gotten involved and over their heads in the group's secrets and relationships.
"We have to be prepared for this inevitability. I'm sure God is. He probably inspired us to have this discussion."
With its premise backed by mystery and religious precedent, the Society seems invincible; its lure impossible to question or break. Erica is charged with gathering her evidence and ammunition from the beginning of time itself. This feels like an impossible situation as she confronts forces beyond even her own vast experience.
Will a new generation come to the rescue with a special brand of kindness and a secret strength from a Higher Power?
Readers who enjoy social, political, and spiritual overlays that bring characters and cults to life will appreciate how Harper Woods brings all these facets together in a tense thriller filled with many unexpected twists and turns.
When values of good and evil are turned upside down and a new cohort rises, can real free will change everything? A new movement within a movement, based on different values, emerges. but, perhaps not in time to save everyone.
Privileged Secrets proves a powerful force in both its characters and story line. It's thoroughly engrossing, psychologically gripping, and difficult to put down.
Political thriller readers are in for a treat!
The Dreamsinger Edward Myers https://edwardmyerswriter.net Montemayor Press www.MontemayorPress.com 9781932727432, $16.95 PB.
In the Realm of Siir, teenage Allu's world, all music is forbidden. It's a power possessed only by the Masters who rule over everyone else. Despite this edict, Allu is by nature musically gifted, and her abilities are recognized by these Masters, who decide to hone her craft for their own purposes.
As The Dreamsinger unfolds, Allu finds her gift and its perceived value at odds with her innate inclination to employ it for a different purpose. Complicating matters is a romance which presents Allu with additional questions, challenges, and dangerous decisions.
Allu's unique voice threatens and promises to change everything. This likeable young protagonist is especially compelling and nicely drawn as Allu faces an evil that defies defeat, romance, and her growing powers as a novice musician in a world where music is strictly regulated. Allu feels she's been betrayed by her family. Will she be betrayed by her own emotions and her love, as well?
As she creates forbidden music with her would-be lover, Ned, she comes to question the Masters and their purposes, as well as her role in exploring her gifts in a different manner than she was raised to believe. Allu uncovers how the power of music can risk the Masters' rage and reign, and she finds out why they are so controlling and so afraid of her music being released into the world.
Edward Myers embeds The Dreamsinger with lovely, evocative reflections as Allu faces important decisions and finds her loyalties becoming fluid: "The Song Guards started singing the Anthem Against Evil. The tune took Allu by surprise. She forced herself to pay attention, took a deep breath, and joined in. The Guards' voices rose like startled pigeons. Allu couldn't help but smile to herself: so much for those traitors!"
Allu soon finds within herself the courage to identify who is the real traitor, who remains true to music and the harmony of good in her world, and what path she should choose for herself and her community.
Edward Myers creates a bold and strange new world where a young woman is at the heart of social and artistic transformation--changes that are intrinsically linked in this book.
The Dreamsinger will appeal to fantasy readers--both young adults and adults--who seek a tale that is evocative, absorbing, and powered by a young woman who comes into her own various talents as a composer and singer.
A Collection of Words Sea Gudinski seagudinski.com Art of Telling Publications 9781734844702, $10.00.
A Collection of Words gathers poetry and short prose representing the extent of Sea Gudinski's literary career, and is loosely arranged by the themes of birth, death, and rejuvenation.
Poetry and prose are presented in separate sections - an excellent way for literary readers to absorb each in their turn, allowing for an immersive experience unsullied by having to move in and out of very different literary forms presented back-to-back.
Poetry opens this collection with the title poem 'A Collection of Words', which reflects on the intention of the written word and its impact on a reader. Closely following this free verse assessment is 'Words and Their Worth', which considers why word choices and language can be fluid and meaningful between readers, and how they can lend to a "scintillating life."
As the subjects and poems progress, it's evident that this collection, more so than other poetry books, encourages a literary dance between reader and writer. The stage is set for new doors of perception to open as Gudinski examines the reckless joys of music, love, life, and, eventually, decline and death.
The prose section incorporates some of the heady rush of the poems, but adds more philosophical introspection and questions. It opens with 'Prometheus', a piece about the rise of man and his place in the universe, reflecting on ". this quaint little Eden and the man who accidentally happened upon a chance to possess the divine. "
These aren't just philosophical/spiritual/ethereal observations, as is evident in 'A Curt Rant About the Evils of the World'. This piece, in contrast, rails against the waste of the limitless power modern man holds in his hand but ill- considers: "We're walking around with little Pandora's Boxes in our pockets and we use them to entertain - and even worse - to control, to manipulate, and to bully one another."
Each poem and prose piece is a succinct examination of life, man's place in it, and the folly and fancies of changing the world. Embedded with poetic flair (even the prose pieces) and a sense of irony as they examine man's meaning and existence against the backdrop of the universe, A Collection of Words will especially delight philosophy and spirituality readers seeking more than just effervescent words from their literary works.
The Journey to Max - An Adoption Story Christopher & Alejandro Garcia-Halenar, authors Lea Embeli, illustrator XanMaxBooks www.xanmaxbooks.com 9781732604438, $9.99.
Young picture book readers interested in the subject of adoption will find The Journey to Max - An Adoption Story a lovely journey narrated by Xander, whose little brother Max did not arrive to the family via the usual delivery vehicle.
Max was adopted; and finding him was an arduous affair. Xander and his two dads embark on cross-country road trips to meet potential surrogates and birth mothers who might be willing to add to their family, but are faced with disappointment each time.
This lively picture book story chronicles that journey from Xander's perspective, charting the course between their family's heart (which "never reached a full beat" without a sibling) to a young woman determined to find a family "who would love Max as much as she did."
These heartfelt moments inject emotion and caring into the journey and celebrate not only the new bonds created by the adoption, but the expansion of love into their extended family, including Max's birth mother.
The Journey to Max is a lovely adoption chronicle that stands out from other picture books on the subject. It embraces the journey, the results, and the wider range of love that evolves from the quest, as well as the loving relationship between two men and their children.
Lovely illustrations by Lea Embeli color the journey and create a memorable, involving tale highly recommended for picture book readers and adults seeking wider-ranging, positive stories of diverse family choices and relationships.
The Way of Miracles Mark D. Mincolla, PhD Beyond Words Publishing www.beyondword.com 9781582708287, $21.00.
The Way of Miracles: Accessing Your Superconscious comes from a holistic practitioner who maintains that we create miracles via our super conscious minds, and that developing that mind and its spiritual connections is what generates the miracle itself.
Documented research into health 'miracles' (including his own self-cure of a life-threatening illness), consciousness-raising exercises to strengthen self-healing capabilities, and discussions of the science and energy of the human brain and mind power a title which will especially appeal to readers interested in health, new age, and self-healing.
His survey also adds philosophical insights into the mix: "We know that stress triggers emotional tension, which causes dis-ease and ultimately disease. This is a sequence of events evolving from energy to manifest as matter. It is our tendency to see life solely from a matter-based perspective; thus, our current Newtonian understanding of medicine is, for the most part, based on our knowledge of cells, tissues, organs, and organisms. Moreover, here in the West, when it comes to establishing the causal root of disease, the prospect of energy remains curiously absent."
As Dr. Mincolla shares his experiences, techniques, and insights, practitioners and patients alike receive the rare opportunity to understand how applied self-help and healing techniques alter the body and mind.
More than many other books about healing energy, self-help, and transcendence, The Way of Miracles combines insights on empowerment and enlightenment with the mental and physical energy that accompanies chosen paths to health.
It's highly recommended for new age, spirituality, philosophy, and health readers alike, and is strengthened by a blend of science and applied new age thinking that stands out from the crowd.
The Sower Rob Jung https://www.robjungwriter.com Hawk Hill Literary, LLC 9781736610800, $15.95.
The Sower is Book Two of the Chimera Chronicles, and continues the story introduced in its prequel, The Reaper. In that first story, Catalan artist Joan Miro's painting, popularly known as 'The Reaper', disappears after the 1937 Paris World Exposition. The last week of that exposition was captured by the experiences of security guard Francois Picard and freight hauler Antoine Lipp in a historical piece that brings the time and the painting's fate to life.
The Sower continues the saga, and will best be read by those who have enjoyed The Reaper. It carries on the story of what happened after the painting was recovered and a murder mystery investigation begun in 2014, calling into question the recovered art's authenticity and introducing a multifaceted new character in transgender Minnesota P.I. and ex-Marine Veronica "Ronni" Brilliant.
Ronnie is charged with solving the murder of Lorraine Blethen, Magnolia Kanaranzi's mother (introduced in the first story), but battles her own trauma and past as she struggles to do her job. At first Magnolia is disturbed about what Ronnie might uncover, but she's admonished that "I have it on good authority that a sex change operation takes their backbone as well as their balls."
Aaron Feldman, Kanaranzi's chief policy adviser, thinks the investigation won't get in the way of Magnolia's political ambitions and plans, but he's wrong. Veronica exhibits tenacity irregardless of her gender, and proves to be a bulldog that can't let go of a lead. even if it threatens her life.
As conflicts escalate between Kanaranzi and her estranged son and a secret campaign to intimidate Ronni comes to light, Ronni's determination not to become embroiled in a political race is overturned by her increasing involvement in a plot that holds many surprising twists.
Far more than the usual murder mystery or thriller approach, the historical and psychological elements of The Sower are outstanding. The true history is so realistically woven into the story line that readers who usually eschew the tendency of historical fiction to impart too many dry facts will find the combination of Ronni's intrigue, problem-solving, and social struggles make for a compelling piece that's hard to put down.
More than a whodunit mystery, it's a story of redemption, growth, subterfuge, politics, and a determined investigator's pursuit of the truth not only about Magnolia and her family, but her own psyche.
Set in the political and social milieu of Boston, Minneapolis and St. Paul and including fine details on Ronni's personal relationships and conundrums, The Sower proves every bit as compelling as its predecessor. It will attract an audience of historical mystery readers looking for more psychological depth than the usual murder mystery offers.
Where I Live Some of the Time Barry Vitcov Finishing Line Press www.finishinglinepress.com 9781646624331, $19.99.
The poetry in Where I Live Some of the Time is about life connections, aging, and change. It traces the evolution of poet and educator Barry Vitcov's life as he reviews the "predictive surprise" life brings.
These are evocative free verse pieces often grounded in a sense of place and time, setting the stage for transformative moments as in 'Old Friend Calls': "No ocean view from this sprawling Carmel house/Above the village and below the highway/Situated like a bride's maid/Waiting for another's adventures to begin/Surrounded by art and randomness."
Vitcov seeks to "embrace the uncertainty and the burden/Of cyclical change and expectation" and looks for surprise and insight even in the weather, captured in 'Sousa the March King': "March arrived in late February/Snow softly tiptoeing like a sleepy housecat/The wind roaring like lions."
Under his observational pen, even a dog walk is cause for reflection, as in 'Poodle Walk': "Poodles never seem to notice/The changes I observe/Empty houses where seniors once lived/Or their own mortality."
Pets, people, and portraits of angels and man permeate a fine gathering of life reflections highly recommended for poetry readers who look for free verse that captures both the moment, a sense of place, and a timeline of aging.
Where I Live Some of the Time is a lovely collection that lingers in the mind longer after the last poem is imbibed.
Conduit: The Beginning James Alexander J&A Publishing ASIN: B007CLQIHY, $2.99.
Conduit: The Beginning is an alien invasion story about the destruction of mankind from within and outside, reflecting the evolution of hope in the birth of a baby who hones extraordinary abilities after his mother is shot in a mall.
For Marc, placed in foster care after this event and forced to grow up in a challenging social system, these abilities have both plagued and supported him, but they seem pointless until aliens come to town.
When he learns of these beings' special interest in and deadly purpose for humanity, and the truth about his own origins, Marc comes to believe he may be the only one to save the world, even broken as he is.
A new day is dawning, for both Marc and humanity. But first, both must accept a revised vision of the world and their place in it, in order to survive the aliens' intentions.
From a president who becomes involved in the seeming peaceful relationship between races, but who faces treachery from his wife, to Jack and Adrianna Connor's handling of Marc after the shooting and years later, when Marc returns to date their daughter, Conduit: The Beginning excels in many satisfying twists and turns of plot that introduces a host of characters.
As lives become entwined and threats move from political to personal circles, Conduit: The Beginning builds a different kind of alien story that is as much about alienation and heroism on different levels as it is about a world-changing invasion.
Marc is an experiment from the past with the sole key to change the present. but only if he can survive the invasion to fulfill his potential.
James Alexander does an excellent job of depicting Marc's changing life, his uncertain progression through childhood into an adulthood that itself suffers a sea change, and the motivations and psychology of characters around him, who also evolve in different directions as they age.
Tension is well done and the story's unexpected progression places it above and beyond most (too-predictable) alien invasion scenarios.
The result is a sci-fi read covering the ends of some worlds and the beginnings of others. Conduit: The Beginning's ability to draw readers with a fine anti-hero flawed by his own mystery and uncertainties, yet able to step up to an unbelievable role, creates a read that's hard to put down.
Magical Mia - Kindness is Contagious Julie Cassetta Grow Good Publishing https://growgoodpublishing.com 9781736420812, $11.99 Paper, $18.95 Hardback, $4.99 Kindle.
Magical Mia - Kindness is Contagious presents a picture book recipe for kindness and joy with the life perspective of Mia, who maintains that magic lies within, and in one's choices about reacting to new things: "Magic isn't something outside of yourself./Look at that girl sitting all by herself./Sometimes I get scared to meet someone new./But I trust the magic, and she looks scared too."
When one puts oneself into the world in an enthusiastic, accepting manner by taking risks, "the magic begins." In this case, it revolves around a new friend and Mia's act of kindness, which builds bridges instead of barriers.
Elena Taranenko's appealing drawing captures this blossoming friendship, illustrating how the magic Mia begins spreads from friend to friend, with new opportunities and positive results.
However, giving is a two-way street. When Mia encounters difficulty in math, her friend's help adds another building block to this special magic: "Noah's magic grew bigger that day,/because he cared enough to show me the way."
Kids and read-aloud adults will delight in an uplifting story of the real magic of kindness and how it spreads, and will appreciate the opportunity to relate this perspective and its lessons to daily life events. Magical Mia - Kindness is Contagious is highly recommended reading as an early formula for success.
Clarity: A Memoir Diana Estill https://dianaestillauthor.com Corncob Press 9780990644231, $14.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle.
At age four, author Diana Estill was largely parenting herself, managing the family finances and shopping for groceries while her father chased women and her mother checked out. Clarity: A Memoir mines these early memories for important insights about abuse and its lasting impact on families.
Clarity is about the process of growing up virtually alone, without guidance, and falling into the trap of manipulation. From having to confront childhood monsters without the comfort of caregivers, to handling frightening adult responses to life, Estill reveals how emotionally abused children navigate their world to survive. When her volatile father drives dangerously, raging at a sputtering auto engine, she intuits his message: Perform or perish. "Never would I disobey my dad, I resolved. When he raged, even his car feared him." That singular thought readies her for a lifetime of people pleasing.
From coping with her father's sexual fixations, to an abrupt move from an urban to a rural lifestyle, Estill searches for an ever-elusive normalcy. Even after she marries, she's still trapped with her crazy family and looking for a way out: ". my marriage had not extinguished the need to escape home. All I had gained was a cellmate."
As her story moves into spiritual realms, Estill finds a level of acceptance and a different kind of love that changes her perspective. "Reluctantly I accepted what I'd spent a lifetime denying. I would never have the relationship I craved with my mom or dad.
Filled with moments of self-discovery that will especially resonate with fans of The Glass Castle and The Liar's Club, Clarity is more than just a memoir. This personal narrative told in a fictional style traces the path from abuse to recovery and forgiveness.
Readers interested in stories replete with psychological and emotional depth will welcome this engaging read.
Exploring Other Lifetimes Patty Paul www.23brightfuture.wixsite.com/patty-paul IMdex Publishing 9780964272706, $16.99.
Exploring Other Lifetimes: Memoir of a Soul's Journey presents some thirty of Patty Paul's other lifetimes, which she visited in self-guided meditations in order to understand how they connect with her current incarnation. Paul is especially astute at describing what she discovered and experienced and how it impacts her present-day world.
If this sounds like just another past life or reincarnation approach, be advised that Patty Paul's perspective is very different. It is based on the premise that these other lifetimes are all happening at once, at various levels of consciousness, and have influence on her current life for specific reasons.
As they simultaneously unfold and intersect, they hold lessons, spiritual relationships, and opportunities for self-discovery that are accessible through meditation and other techniques, which Paul describes at the end of her book.
Another way in which Paul's book diverges from the new age norm is its ability to provide not just reviews of these other lives, but summations of their impact, like this one in Chapter 6: "This is the bigger picture of Mignon's lifetime: Mignon's is a beautiful and powerful key lifetime. It is another moment in the continuum of spiritual growth that began with Maya's first directional lifetime - the one in which certain primary positive and negative influences were established which are present, to one degree or another, in all my lifetimes."
From various issues such as trust, leadership, and decision-making to how learning about these lifetimes changed her reality, Paul provides readers with a unique memoir that is as much a path to personal empowerment as it is an exploration of her individual soul's journey.
Her ability to be specific about these lifetimes and their lessons sets this book apart from others, offering a vivid memoir filled with thought-provoking insights and opportunities for transformation, growth, and a revised purpose in considering life's spiritual roots and choices.
While new age readers will be the most likely audience willing to pick up and absorb Exploring Other Lifetimes, ideally it will also be found in spirituality and self-help libraries, offering open-minded, growth-oriented self-help readers an unusual blueprint to a realizing a revised, more perceptive and effective life.
Stronghold Kesha Bakunin https://www.keshabakunin.com Atmosphere Press https://atmospherepress.com 9781637529379, $23.99 paperback.
Readers of political parables and fiction that hold familiar settings and thought-provoking insights into the origins of repression and tyranny will find Stronghold a frightening read. This is even more significant because it was banned in Kesha Bakunin's home country, a Soviet satellite where Bakunin observed firsthand the fall of his homeland into dangerous patterns of authoritarianism, social conformity, and religious orthodoxy.
In this world, even a cautionary tale can be viewed as seditious and dangerous, and can be banned such as Stronghold was. This fact makes Bakunin's determination to spend years seeing its incarnation in English to warn the wider world even more admirable.
Stronghold opens with Erik Mortensson's acceptance of an orb that makes him a Keeper doomed to death by his obsessed cousin. The next scene moves to Lord Untu Va'aldek, a man of science in possession of dangerous information.
Nobody has ever made it into the Stronghold, which has existed as leaders and regimes rose and fell. Keepers and would-be claimants of its mysteries, whether they are learned men or tribal members, tend to die.
But as the story unfolds in all its complexity, the real truth and meaning of the Stronghold and its promises and challenges come to light.
It should be noted that despite its political power and ability to disturb, Stronghold holds a mercurial, fluid story line with many changing viewpoints, timelines, and social and political insights. Readers who anticipate a straightforward tale of repression or discovery may often find themselves lost and wondering as the story moves between past and present, different peoples and political systems, and stark contrasts between princesses, judges, astute observers of and participants in clashing political processes, and more.
The language is often passionate, revealing, and filled with insights that embrace not just political and social strife but family relationships changed by them: "You describe my father as the basest of scum. I'm afraid he is. Not only - and even not mainly - because of what he did to you. In his life, the man I've been calling the Seer hurt many people. And the fact that they - we, the Hounds - didn't realize it, doesn't change the fact that we've been wronged. He saved our lives but in return he took ownership of them. He taught us a lot, but in exchange we paid with our sight, that strangest of powers I'll never be able to understand which you all take for granted."
The result is both a parable and a warning that demands from its readers an ability to be both intellectual and flexible as the fluid story line moves between examples of transformations both personal and political: "How had he arrived to where he was now? He had turned into a sectarian fanatic, falling prey to the same ideology he had intended to use and renounce. He'd lost his dazzling wife and acquired instead a pack of submissive underage slaves who - if he was being honest with himself - aroused in him fewer carnal desires than a writing desk. And finally, he had come to fear - truly and terribly - his ruler, the self-styled caliph. Duke Rur realized that he had become everything he used to despise."
This process of how systems and people move from ideals to become what they inherently distrust is one of the threads that make this novel so wrenching and idealistically demanding.
Readers interested in a blend of fantasy and political and social inspection will find Stronghold no light discourse, but a powerful statement that lingers in the mind long after its initial reading, demanding multiple rereads to reveal all the gems layered within its complex tale.
Henry and the Gym Monster Ben Lancour Ben Lancour Books benlancourbooks.com 9781736716601, $3.99 Kindle; 12.99 Paper; $16.99 Hardback.
Kids who enjoy physical education will find much familiar in Henry and the Gym Monster, where young Henry confronts a PE teacher and a monster who have different ideas about the importance of physical education class.
Good reading skills will lend further appreciation to the story, which receives creative and colorful illustrations by Emily Bennett as it surveys Henry's confrontation with Manny the Monster, who cannot be seen by the strict gym teacher who penalizes Henry for shouting, ignoring directions, and bullying. all ideas that this evil Monster has given him.
Regulated to the sidelines, Henry struggles with a monster that grows larger the more Henry blames Manny for his choices. How can Henry vanquish an enemy who has grown too large to handle, created through Henry's own choices to do the wrong things?
Ben Lancour creates a fine story in which the traditional monster does not come from an outside threat, but from within. The monster action takes place not at night, but in broad daylight. And Henry's problem-solving efforts and final solution are unexpected, fun events that are unpredictable and appealing.
The sense of humor and pleasing action assure that picture book readers receive a lesson that is as inviting a leisure read as it is an educational lesson about following one's heart and vanquishing inner monsters by choosing the right thing (kindness).
Adults seeking to teach kids about the effects of good and bad choices will find Henry and the Gym Monster offers an excellent lesson on perspective and individual choice.
OOF: An Online Outrage Fiesta for the Ages Strobe Witherspoon Marginal Books 9780578863108, $3.99 Kindle.
OOF combines satire and serious social inspection in a novel format that will intrigue literary, political, and social issues readers alike, and represents a unique inspection that is both fun and sad at the same time.
The story opens with a preface by a FLOTUS who remarks on her role and the irony and insults of those who commented on it: "People always ask me how he smelled. It's an invasive question. And insulting. As if he smelled really bad, and that was evidence I was just with him for the money. Everyone responded to his charm. Even when he was making people do things they didn't want to do. "It's gonna be so good for you. So stop with the hemming, the hawing, and approve da project already," he told people over meals of steak and cake. "Weren't you just arm candy?" people ask."
This special brand of the satirical inspection of modern-day events will especially intrigue literary readers who like various representational devices wound into their stories.
These include Twitter feed comments on social and political ironies and outrageous acts ("Finally. someone took on the important task of representing the struggles of a Slovakian supermodel and her sketchy ass parents as they game the immigration system for their own benefit. That fixes everything. #sarcasm"), articles by followers of the Hellfire Prophecy and the author himself, the certainty that worlds are ending and new ones being re-envisioned, and letters and notes.
Witherspoon includes his own observations and progressions within the course of a spicy story replete in angst, sales pitches, revelations about the foundations of tyranny, and truth in propaganda.
Many of the story's contentions are disturbing as well as eye-opening. If one reads closely, the roots of personal and social survival are also embedded in these attacks and ideas: "I can use that sadness to open up new networks of discovery within myself, which will open me up to others and close me off to the negativity that modern society has brought upon us, with the bureaucrats, the plutocrats, and the kleptocrats, all the crats that have been nibbling away at our essences over time, creating a vicious circle of corruption, deception, and despair."
Readers of social and political satirical literature will appreciate OOF for its full-flavored inspection of social assaults by media and political entities alike.
The fact that these comments are well couched in the media devices of modern times makes them even harder hitting and more absorbing, both mirroring real life and moving into realms of hope and despair. That the author weaves his own saga into his Book of Strobe adds a delightful tone of inspection and tongue-in-cheek intersection between the personal, the literary, and the political in a story that is not linear, but always entertaining and thought-provoking.
Good Night Phobos, Good Night Deimos Tim Baird www.timbaird.com Independently Published 9781087948935, $9.99.
Good Night Phobos, Good Night Deimos celebrates a child's space-roving imagination with a bedtime story that surveys an astronaut's habitat and the process of bidding goodnight to the devices and atmosphere of a world in which Phobos and Deimos occupy the night sky.
Lovely illustrations by Jamie Noble Frier accompany a fun survey of these items, from an airlock and 'meat' which is a reconstituted square to a "little tardigrade" under a looking glass, an astronaut who "still measures in feet," and the sprockets and rockets that occupy a bedroom.
Space-loving children with active imaginations about the planets who would imagine how an astronaut goes to bed in Mars will relish this story, as will read-aloud adults who join them in an exploration that, at times, will require word definitions; but which rewards young nighttime explorers with a very different world of possibilities than the usual bedtime tale offers.
Its fantasy and science blend proves a very satisfying adjunct to read-aloud bedtime books rooted in Earthbound scenarios.
Frankenbots: Sunken City of Scraps Michael Ferrone https://www.frankenbots.co Independently Published 9781734947557, $13.99.
Frankenbots: Sunken City of Scraps is a fun fantasy picture book story that opens with Stu and the Frankenbots reviewing the many different invaders, human and alien, that Earth has experienced over the eons.
Stu and his force are tired of being the sole defenders of the planet. and so they post a town hall meeting notice to invite other mechanical Frankenbots to "learn the nuts and bolts" of beating galactic invaders.
The problem with collaborative thinking is that everyone has a different idea of how best to fight; from force fields and dynamite to lasers. All the ideas have pros and cons and cause the Frankenbots to battle among themselves instead of joining together.
When a rumbling noise leads them to investigate an underground legend, things begin to change.
Michael Ferrone's whimsical attitude about a tired mechanical army, the power of Sunken City, and revelations about how to work together imparts a fine message embedded in a robot-packed story that kids will find intriguingly different and fun.
The main message ("They were there to work as one/But disagreeable bots can get nothing done.") is imparted through a quirky, fun exploration that will delight the very young and read-aloud parents alike.
Adults looking for robot stories that first attract young leisure readers, and then imparts an essential message about tackling life's problems, will find the simple yet powerful story perfect for accomplishing two goals: leisure reading, and understanding the power of cooperative thinking.
Dying for Dominoes Jane Elzey Scorpius Carta Press 9781734642810, $26.99 Hardcover; $13.99 Paper.
Dying for Dominoes is a Cardboard Cottage murder mystery about a group of middle-aged women charged with enjoying the games that draw them together in the Tiddlywinks Players Club, headed by Amy Sparks.
During the course of the game, a confession about a best friend who is tired of her fourth husband leads to an investigation when he's found murdered, leading Amy to believe that perhaps the game served as a warning of impending disaster, imparting information she was privy to.
Charged with supporting her friend and uncovering the truth about her husband's death, Amy becomes a sleuth determined to win a very different game. one which tests the boundaries of friendship.
Jane Elzey's blend of murder mystery and a circle of female friends who get together to play dominoes and talk makes for a cozy, warm story that is as much about evolving interpersonal relationships that change under adversity as it is about whodunit.
Elzey creates warm moments and thoughtful inspections of middle age, sisterhood, and murder that tests and expands friends' perceptions of their lives, heritage, and approaches to problem-solving: "Amy, listen to me," Genna continued, her face flushed. "None of us had a reason to run Zack over. Zip. Nada. Nil. That's the story, no matter who is doing the telling. Or who is doing the asking. Not one of us had a motive nor opportunity to kill Zack. Even if that fat, stinky old copper thinks we did! Got it?" "Except for me." Zelda's voice was barely audible. "I doubled Zack's life insurance policy six months ago. He thought it was a good idea." "Why did you do that?" Amy asked. "Protection against the odds. Zack was a horrible husband."
The blend of sassy, feisty, assertive women who take charge of the situation and a probe that begins to reveal more than a perp wants discovered adds to a story that is replete with strong characters, steeped in the atmosphere of the South and the culture of an Arkansas tourist town.
Dying for Dominoes is a moving story of discovery that tests the fine line between reality and insanity as the women use their game-playing prowess to tackle a real-life series of cat-and-mouse moves.
Cozy mystery readers are in for a delightful treat that engages female mystery readers, presenting a circle of savvy friends dedicated to supporting each other with affection while staying candid and realistic about all the possibilities in an evolving conundrum that threatens their lives, their trust in one another, and their ability to cheat the odds.
Evil Robots, Killer Computers, and Other Myths Steven Shwartz Fast Company Press www.fastcompanypress.com 9781735424538, $19.95 Paper/$9.99 Kindle.
Evil Robots, Killer Computers, and Other Myths offers a rebuttal to those convinced that AI developments are bad, and that human-built artificial minds will take over the world to eliminate the human race. It's a reasoned argument that considers why this can't happen, making a case for the presence of robots, computers, and higher intelligence developments that can aid humankind.
In order to refute these fears, AI researcher and investor Dr. Shwartz presents insights into the latest technology and developments, syncing these scientific studies with the myths that have derived from alternate visions of their applications.
From self-driving cars to computer neural networks and prediction analysis, Dr. Shwartz provides many cautionary notes about AI developments and their pros and cons which are realistic and do not involve dominating or replacing human beings: "We need to educate people about the need to avoid data fundamentalism. Computers are not always right, and their output can be wrong for many opaque reasons. Before we act on an answer or recommendation from a computer system, it is often prudent to investigate how the computer system arrived at the answer. If we are to accept answers and recommendations from deep learning systems that lack interpretability, we at least need guidelines from the vendor on how to evaluate reliability. Another issue is that some predictive algorithms must remain secret."
We are already seeing some of these problems today, as people turn over tasks to automated systems without fully understanding or assessing their output using human analytical abilities.
Discussions eschew the hype and drama of the usual AI environment to consider issues of data bias; strategies for imbuing AI systems with thinking and reasoning capabilities akin to but not the same as human common sense; and understanding the limits and possibilities of machine learning.
Also included are discussions of new legal and social processes that must be put into place to adapt to the presence and possibilities of AI in human society.
The result is a fine introduction to modern AI potential and research which substitutes common sense, history, and science for the hype and drama which normally is injected into AI discussions. Its survey of both narrow AI and artificial general intelligence (AGI) should be required reading as a basic primer for any science and technology student interested in AI development and history.
Changing the Game Craig J. Tomsky Izzard Ink Publishing www.izzardink.com 9781642280470, $37.95 Hardcover.
Many who think of 'game' usually add a 'y' to the mental idea of consuming game dishes, but Changing the Game: Your Guide for Transforming Wild Game into Game-Changing Meals fosters the idea that game cookery need not involve flavors that are challenging for everyday eaters.
Indeed, this cookbook and discussion adds an element of gourmet to the game equation, discussing the basics of how to pair game's unique flavor with embellishments that make it not just palatable, but preferable.
The key involves 'unlocking flavor' and knowing how to prepare and spice different game meats to make the most of their unique qualities, while making the resulting flavor palatable for all.
Chapters review this process, discussing spices, herbs, marinades, and other ways of altering or enhancing the underlying qualities of game meat.
Many recipes, such as that for Savory Breakfast Sausage, are introduced by Craig J. Tomsky's reflections on experiments conducted to arrive at the finished recipe: "I don't even want to tell you how many times I attempted to get a "traditional" breakfast sausage flavor using mostly wild game meat. Lots of venison went into the multiple gyrations that got this recipe to where I wanted it. You can also substitute 7 pounds wild boar meat and 3 pounds fatty pork shoulder in this recipe."
Recipes run the gamut from gourmet (Twice-Cooked Goose Jerky, Waterfowler's Gumbo, or Smoked Breast of Wild Turkey made with Sweet Ginger and Mary Ann Rub) to everyday fare, such as a Sweet Italian Sausage made with venison or large game.
All that's required for success is access to fresh game and a new attitude towards cooking it for optimum crowd-pleasing results. Changing the Game provides the rest. the ingredients and flavors which promise perfection, finished with side dish suggestions and wine pairings for added attraction.
I Am Here: Postcards from My Daughter in Spirit Judith Jones Togher Izzard Ink Publishing www.izzardink.com 9781642280630, $14.95.
I Am Here: Postcards from My Daughter in Spirit is about the after-death communications that mother Judith Jones Togher experienced after the death of her daughter. It provides a story of hope, inspiration, and afterlife possibilities to those who would read about a journey through grief and accept the possibility of a lingering spiritual connection afterwards.
Togher uses dreams, automatic writing, and mediums to reconnect with her daughter. Her process of journeying to new realms of discovery, grieving, and recovery through them will prove especially inspirational to those facing their own grieving process.
The succinct, hard-hitting introduction pulls no punches, laying out the course of this journey in the very first paragraph: "I lost a child. My youngest daughter died and I was so overcome with the darkness of grief that I wanted to die too. It was only when I knew she really was not far from me, and https://Po.cash/ we could still communicate in a different way, that the darkness lifted and I began to heal and live the life I needed to live, in peace and in wonderment. I hope to convey ways for you to learn to recognize messages that your loved one may give you in Spirit, and to discover some techniques to help you through grief and loss toward healing and joy in life."
Togher finds pieces of her daughter in everyday life. postcards, if you will, which serve as healing reminders of past and present connections which last beyond death: "On a day of mixed memories centered on her life and passing, this message was exactly what I needed to hear. It's an example of my daughter's sense of humor and love for her friend."
These serve as reminders of a connection that does not fade, but is living proof of resilience, love, and the lasting power of a faith and opportunities that still exist after the death of a loved one.
As Togher documents these postcard reminders and the healing process they bring, readers will find many insights throughout. Those open to the work of mediums will also discover that the mother/daughter bond is strengthened through messages and perceptions of their continued applications to everyday people and events: ". she wanted me to tell a good friend in San Francisco that she was always there for her. She expressed that her friends were not open to her clues that she was near, and it caused her much frustration!"
Ideally, I Am Here will be chosen by those who struggle with grief after the death of a loved one, who are open to the possibilities of their continued presence in and influence on life after their passing. This audience will have set aside skepticism in favor of seeing opportunities to heal and revise their connections to their loved one, and will find I Am Here a golden opportunity to move ahead and onward, bringing not just the memories but the influence of a loved one through them in life.
Togher explains why this is so important to the recovery process, for her: "Spirit has reassured us of the afterlife. Suzanne has reassured me of her happiness, joy and the fact of her presence when I need her. There is nothing to fear of death, and knowing this, we find our grief from the loss of loved ones here on Earth is eased."
Through her experiences, readers receive keys on how to find, recognize, and use their own 'postcards' to develop a revised worldview and connections to spirit and deceased loved ones. I Am Here's notes about compassion and the accompanying grieving of those who also experienced loss on different levels are signposts to new opportunities and life perspectives.
I Am Here should be included on the reading lists of those recovering from grief and those interested in afterlife stories and how they affect the living.
Sacred Life: Healing from the Virus in Consciousness Bedri Cag Cetin, Ph.D. Independently Published 9798584936259, $9.95 Kindle; $15.00 Paperback.
Sacred Life: Healing from the Virus in Consciousness covers the intersection between miracles and science, giving readers the opportunity to heal not just through discussions of spirituality and consciousness, but through an autobiographical journey that follows Dr. Bedri Cag Cetin's own experiences.
In this case study of consciousness, Cetin juxtaposes notes about the ego and psychological inspection with a spiritual overlay of reflection that has its roots in the pandemic and its threats.
These connections between world experience and threat and the teachings of a spiritual path which encourage adaptation, healing, and revised insights about the world creates a dialogue that draws readers into the possibilities inherent in this approach: "Contrary to my perception at that time, the first dream suggested that all the valuable things I thought I had lost were actually kept safe for me. And the second dream emphasized the importance of keeping my faith in my inner guidance along the lines of what my spiritual teacher had taught me many times."
Even readers relatively less informed about enlightenment and spiritual self-analysis will be able to access these concepts via the clear instructions and reflections Cetin provides: "Conflict is a sign that you have chosen the ego as your guide, which then dictates your thoughts, decisions, and actions. On the other hand, peace is a sign that you are in the company and supervision of your Inner Guide."
His focus on separating ego and spiritual interests and how to make the kinds of choices that lead to and support a sacred life independent of ego provides the specifics lacking in similar-sounding discussions, documenting the promise, process, and pitfalls of learning, using Cetin's experiences and life as a blueprint.
The blend of autobiography and teacher's wisdom is nicely balanced. It provides a simple spiritual message that will reach everyone willing to listen.
Powerful, instructional, and healing, Sacred Life: Healing from the Virus in Consciousness uses the pandemic experience as a starting point for effecting a process of inner transformation that is specific. It's grounded not just in new ideas for personal change, but ultimately the opening approach to creating a "new mind era" that ideally will lead to a shift in consciousness.
Cetin is at the forefront of this movement with a title that outlines a course any open-minded (and especially new age) reader can follow to envision and tap into their own sacred life.
Only Angels Gaze Toward Heaven John Molik https://www.facebook.com/WriterJOHN Independently Published 9780473569723, $11.95 Paper/$2.95 Kindle.
Only Angels Gaze Toward Heaven opens with Jordan Del Cielo's life in a Mexican orphanage, La Casa de Santa Filomena. Replete in poverty and murky family memories, Jordan is rescued by the return of his father, who brings him to America. Armed with Christian faith and a resolution to help others, Jordan becomes involved in Doctors Without Borders and finds his love in Miriam, building a life far from his childhood angst.
It's all perfect until it's not. As Jordan inadvertently becomes involved in international technology smuggling, fueled by threats to his newfound family happiness and adopted son, he and Miriam face moral, ethical, and spiritual challenges that threaten to tear apart everything they have so methodically built on the foundations of their faith and convictions.
Readers who choose Only Angels Gaze Toward Heaven thinking it will be a religious novel about family ties will find that John Molik is just as adept at injecting thriller and suspense elements into this story as he is in presenting the evolving portrait of a family challenged both from within and by outside forces.
His focus on following Jordan from his youth to the promise of his journey to America and the unexpected forces that both bring him a soul mate, then threaten to drive them apart, creates a story line that is filled with satisfyingly unexpected twists and turns.
As soon as readers begin to identify a specific focus or genre (romance, coming of age story, or inspection of beliefs and morals), the plot injects another surprise to keep them involved and guessing about the outcome, which always seems to skirt the edge of tragedy.
From the politics of the DEA and Border Patrol and a criminal conspiracy that embraces everything Jordan loves to Saul Darthe and a cast of characters who harbor their own struggles and special interests, Molik crafts a multifaceted story that will especially appeal to thriller readers looking for complex plots and subplots that defy predictable conclusions.
Keeping all these changing characters and perspectives logical is no light feat, but Molik accomplishes this and more as he embeds a sense of purpose, faith, and conviction into the story lines of many different characters.
The result is a fast-paced romp through a man's changing world that will especially delight Christian readers looking for an intersection between faith, love, and the influences of a big, bad world.
A Collection of US Army Unit Crests SFC William E. Cotter, Ret. Independently Published https://www.facebook.com/usarmyunitcrests 9780578783529, $149.00 + $20.00 shipping.
If one should wonder at the hefty price tag of A Collection of US Army Unit Crests, it should be pointed out that this reference is well worth the cost, and should be considered an essential acquisition for any military library or collectors who have more than casual occasion to look up Army unit crests.
Over 13,000 unit crests appear in full color and embrace the range of crests, from authorized to unauthorized, beercan, and never-issued crests, as well as those strays that don't fit into any neat category.
Furthermore, the crests are presented in branch order and pages are marked by branches, allowing researchers to easily locate the appropriate crest by branch and cross-reference that crest to other units that also used it.
It only takes a comparison between SFC William E. Cotter's approach and the few other competing books on the subject to see the clear difference as to why this reference is so essential. Others are in black and white, or narrow the crest focus to specific branches. Some make it difficult to understand the particular nature of a crest which can be assigned to more than one area.
The last reference that claimed to be somewhat authoritative only covered 3,200 crests. With over 13,000 here, there is simply no comparison (or competitor) to this manual, which adds ROTC and JROTC unit crests to expand a collection that includes crests from artillery units, military intelligence, schools, ordinance, and others in chapters that make it a snap to locate a specific image.
The images of each crest are small, allowing for 30 crests to appear on a given page, max; but are large enough to allow for detail.
While the most likely reader of A Collection of US Army Unit Crests will be the military reference student, it also lends to leisure browsing by collectors, historians, and anybody who holds a special interest in military crest development. This reference is worth every penny, offering a format and scope unprecedented in military crest references and creating a key compilation that should be in all military libraries and on many a personal collector's reference bookshelf.
Where No Man Pursueth Michael E. Jimerson Atmosphere Press www.atmospherepress.com 9781649218667, $15.77 Paper/$4.99 Kindle.
Where No Man Pursueth is a novel of Civil Rights struggles, coming of age, and social and political change. It follows the life of Ray Elliott, who grows up to become a Texas Ranger on the side of a law which is influenced by Jim Crow prejudices and attitudes.
It opens with a child's nightmares and a decision about truth and consequences, then evolves into an adult's perspective on lynching, justice, and the wellsprings of prejudice reflected in a seemingly upstanding community: "Ray Elliott had heard racial slurs yelled out in anger. Although he didn't use such language, it was commonplace. Why did the words take him aback today? It was the source. The source seemed so unlikely. The offending speaker was a handsome man wearing a b