How to Write a Book Review

Writing a quality book reviews sounds simple... until you need to do one. Learn how to write a book review that will seriously promote the book you read, from someone who writes book reviews for a living.

One of my favorite pastimes is reading. I literally devour books, up to 6 per month. As I am reading, I often realize that what the author is sharing is a profound truth that needs to be realized, and implemented, by more people in our world.I do not have enough reading friends (to tell about the book) to feel satisfied that I played my part in spreading this truth. The solution? I write reviews online.When you write a book review online, you are spreading the news about it. You are creating awareness, and promoting the book.

As people see and read your review, they will most probably be enticed to read the book (if it’s a good review) and the message of the book is spread further and wider.The only question that remains is “How do I write a successful, high-quality book review?” I hope to answer that in the rest of this article.Firstly, a set recipe for creating a book review is not necessarily a good idea. Organic is the new way. People like to read something from the heart, something natural and authentic. Something organic. Therefore, let your emotions and your heart be your guide. Write about books that you feel passionate about (why in the world create a buzz about something you dislike?), but also write the review in a way that communicates your strongest emotions on the subject matter.

Secondly, use short, sharp sentences and paragraphs of four or fewer sentences. Reading an online review is something that you are supposed to enjoy. Fancy, difficult-to-grasp words, complicated sentences or paragraphs that look like pages hardly ever contribute to my enjoyment of reading anything online.

I prefer lots of white space, and writing that communicates FAST.
As a third point, I will consider adding a section on how the book read. You will agree with me that some books read easier than others. Is this book long? Did you need to fetch the dictionary once or twice? How long are the pages? What is the font size used?How many footnotes were used? Did that distract you? All these things are factors contributing to the reading experience. And where better to talk about a reading experience than in a book review?Fourthly, I would consider making the main aim of my review to share the main message of the book. What sells a book is its message, or topic. Share with your readers what this is, in your opinion, and share with them why you are excited about this message.

I prefer never to write about books that I am not excited about, or that I would like to criticize. I am not a criticizer… I just want to promote quality, useful books. Books that will make a difference in other people’s lives.Finally, add some structure to your review. Share your main thoughts in the first few paragraphs, while making sure you introduce the book thoroughly. End the review with a Conclusion, maybe right after telling readers what the book meant to you personally.What better proof is there of the fact that a book is life changing than the testimony of someone who read it? Go on, share your story. Tell those readers how and why this book made a positive impact on your life.

Good reviews conform to certain accepted length guidelines. I would call a 300 word review short, an 800 word review solid, and a 1,300 word review long.So, there you have it. My advice for writing an online book review. What do you do once you have completed it? Good question. You can post it on your own blog, or website.If you are going to publish reviews on your own site or blog, consider rating the reviews. Five stars to a good review and four stars to a fair review. If a book deserves less stars than that, I will not write about it.You can also post reviews on the Amazon website.

Or, you can post it at one of the numerous free article directories. Here you are sure to get the word out, as webmasters and newsletter authors will pick up your review publish it.Have fun reading! And then next time you discover one of those real life-changing books, why don’t you take a bit of time to do a review on it? It might just be a blessing to someone who really needs it.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dries Cronje is the Founder and Webmaster of http://www.BookDisciple.com. He reviews and recommends quality Christian books and other media. To read some of his reviews, visit http://www.bookdisciple.com/christian-book-reviews.html.Dries also writes about his life and ministry on his blog, http://carboncopy.typepad.com. You can follow his posts, or subscribe to the blog’s feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/CarbonCopyDriesCronje.

How Not to Review a Book

Dear Mr. Ilesanmi:

Dismayed. Disappointed. That was exactly how I felt after reading your review of Mr. Mike Uzor’s book, How to Buy and Sell Shares in Nigeria, published in Financial Standard of December 20, 2004. I should have said that I was dismayed, but not disappointed. Because that was my first time of reading your “review.” For I do not know if you used to write masterpieces. Perhaps, you wrote the said “review” on your “bad” day.

In one of my published books, How to Write a Best-seller, I wrote that the author that would write an error free manuscript has not been born. That includes myself.

Great writers like Miguel Cervantes who wrote Don Quixote and James Joyce the author of Ulysses made mistakes. Bill Clinton’s book, My Life, is said to be short on editing. And Tom Clancy himself pays an editor $2.50 per word to proof read his works.

So, writers are susceptible to slips, errors. In that review, however, you not only betrayed a shocking ignorance of the rules of English grammar but also an abysmal incompetence about how to review a book. The review reads part biographical and part lazy student’s book summary.

You don’t start a book review by devoting five long opening paragraphs in a twenty paragraph work to announce the degrees and honors garnered by the author. That is not the first thing the reader wants to know. In fact, that blaze of glory biography; that “I hail thee” guitar in hand introduction, passes you off as a paid praise singer, not a book reviewer. Not that I detest paying book reviewers to do reviews. But there must be “a method to the madness” according to the bard, William Shakespeare.

If your method is to first give your readers a long list of the author’s degrees and awards, I think that you will be at a loss if you were to review literary greats like Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, and many others. Because they had no degrees.

One could see how you were desperately reaching your hand into your vocabulary bag to qualify the out of this world author who “bagged his first degree”; was “founding business editor”; reported for “both local and foreign publications”; is “concretely grounded in management consulting”; has “become a renowned financial analyst / investment adviser”; is “a regular commentator on macro-economic policy matters”; and now “managing director / chief executive.” Thank heavens! I thought it wouldn’t end. Even the Nobel Prize winners didn’t get that citation. Ask your brother, Professor Wole Soyinka.

A prose work should be lively, jazzy. But when I finished reading the excellent biography, and went into the “review,” I was confronted in every paragraph by the following sins of literature: repetition (the word sub-concept was mentioned seven times); redundancies ( “According to this author on how to become a shareholder, you can either become a shareholder . . .”); ineffective sentences (“On a how to beat inflation, this author didactically illuminates that with inflation rate rising and interest rate falling under heavy government pressure on banks as we have seen over the past few years, if you are earning less than inflation rate on your money, then you run the risk that the real value of your savings is being washed off by rising consumer prices”); disjointed paragraphs ( one long sentence per paragraph as the one above); meaningless words (“didactically illuminates”); quoting a bad sentence (“For many people who are quite interested in share INVESTTING”); circumlocution (“ In addition to these 15 basic chapters, there is another section, a textual appendage of sort.”)

I was ashamed reading through those sentences. In the name of the muses, what do these mean? “The sub-concepts of what a share is”; “the sub-concepts of what you should know”; “this author nationally x-rays the sub-concepts of the possibility of risk in share-making”; “this financial analyst examines the sub-concepts of the basic nature of unit trusts”; “the concepts of what to consider”; “the sub-concepts of starting to invest”; “the simplicity of conceptual presentation.” You actually have a romantic attachment for that word, sub-concept.

Then toward the end of the “review,” you played smart by trying to correct a few grammatical errors in the book. Like telling us that presently (American) should have been currently or at present (British). That was good editing—straight from the 6th edition Oxford dictionary (page 919 box).

The point is that it is not necessary for a reviewer to make a list of the badly written words of the author and publish it on the pages of a newspaper or magazine. You can do that if the review is for the eyes of the author only.

Not many writers like it—especially if the reviewer has been paid to do the work. He could simply say in his review that the book needs editing. You know the saying about those who live in glass houses that take delight in throwing stones.

That old saying became poignant to me as I read the next sentence explaining the reason for your correction: “to achieve a high level of GRAMMATICALITY.” To tell you the truth, when I read that sentence, I thought that a stray missile had just come from the Middle-East and landed on my desk. I docked. Grammaticality? Where did you get that?

I don’t know what the author of the book must have done after reading the “review.” I guess he must have been full of thanks to you for letting his “great” book appear in your newspaper. If so, he got it all wrong. You did him a great disservice.

The book was about buying and selling of shares. Now, let me answer your question: “Do you aspire to make money through buying and selling of shares?” My answer is yes, but not by reading the book that you have just “reviewed.” You killed it!

There are some things that good editors and reviewers do. First, they cross check facts with other editors. Second, they read good reviews in respected newspapers and magazines. You can find excellent book reviews in London Review of Books and The Spectator.

Those of us who are in the writing business should have the humility to learn. There is more to editing than sitting in swivel editorial chairs behind huge mahogany desks, looking through tinted glasses like mine, and giving deadlines to less privileged reporters. Writers should know that their writings are read by authorities in the language—and that includes the native speakers. So, there is need for us to strive for perfection—to write living, meaningful prose.

In those good old days, students learnt English by reading newspapers and magazines. "Not anymore," according to Raven the bird. These days, everyone is a writer and an editor. I remember a principal lamenting that an English graduate job applicant couldn’t write an application letter. It is as bad as that.

But I am happy that there are a few humble ones. Not long ago, I was discussing editing with the head of the English department of a prestigious university. I was surprised when she admitted to me that she gives her works to a junior lecturer, who she says is good in the language, to edit for her. When I heard that, I thought I was transported to the ideal world of Sir Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis. And my respect for her grew from that day on.

If you like truth, your prose was drab, breathless, dead. Just to tell you how bad it is, you never for once mentioned the title of the book in your "review." What I kept seeing were references like: "According to this author, the production of the book"; "Structure-wise this book is segmented into 15 chapters"; "Chapter two of this book"; "Stylistically speaking, this book is a success." I kept asking myself, Which book is he referring to?

I could only find the book's image, not an existing book title that was being referred to. You just wrote dangling modifiers. The GRAMMATICALITY of the “review,” therefore, is hopelessly wanting.

Writing is not a crossword puzzle. Or a game of charades. Good prose should be clear-- devoid of ambiguities. There should not be sentences like: "The witches said to Macbeth." Because what they told him has two meanings.

There is one thing about truth--it is hurtful. It is not the same as drinking a cup of honey. This letter will test your humility because truth has been a relative “concept” ever since Pontius Pilate asked Jesus Christ, “What is truth?” And I will tell you another truth: you could do better.

Enjoy your writing.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur Zulu.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arthur Zulu is an editor, book reviewer, and author of Chasing Shadows!, How to Write a Best-seller, A Letter to Noah, and many others. For his works and free help for writers, goto:
http://controversialwriter.tripod.com
mailto: controversialwriter@yahoo.com

Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind – Book Review

Wizard’s First Rule is the first Terry Goodkind book in the Sword of Truth series which is also the basis for the ABC television series Legend of the Seeker. This is a review of this remarkable book.

This isn’t your typical epic fantasy book. Yes, it has all of the normal trappings you would expect such as an epic sized quest, plenty of conflict, and of course a dragon or two. This book has all those things but it has significantly more. In Wizard’s First Rule Goodkind shows us more than just an epic adventure story where our hero attempts to save the world from ruin.

Our hero is named Richard Cipher and we adventure with him on a journey to becoming a seeker. A seeker’s role is to find the truth in things and a seeker’s sword has the word “Truth” engraved on it. And it is in this journey to find truth that Goodkind takes this story from just a story to a real exploration of truth and the nature of good and evil. There are many conversations and situations that explore the bipolarity of good versus evil and the grey area that lies between the two. Doesn’t it make sense that even the evilest of men believes that what he is doing is righteous? Yes it does and Goodkind takes a good hard look at this. He raises questions in your mind about the whole nature of truth and the real commitment it takes to find the real truth. This is an intelligently written book that gives you more than just a story. It gives you lots of food for thought.

Unique Twist on the story

A typical and effective tool that a writer will use is to put our hero on a time limit -as time counts down the tension builds. It is very effective writer’s tool and in this novel Goodkind puts a nice spin on this. He puts the evil bad guy on a timer. Our protagonist (Darken Rahl) has a very specific time limit if he is to achieve his personal goals that will bring ruin down on the world. And our hero, along with a small group of companions can foil it all if they can just hold things off long enough for time to run out. It’s a wonderful reversal of the usual time limit based story.

The Story and Writing

The story and writing are superb. There are some interesting and surprising plot twists and things that happen. In other words you go along for quite a wild and exciting ride. And there are some unique fantasy themes and ideas like the Boxes of Orden and the Book of Counted Shadows which are both central to the story and quite unique.

Avoiding some of the Pitfalls of typical epic fantasy

One of the biggest problems I run across with epic fantasy series is the complexity they often contain. Many series of books have enormously complex worlds with a cast of characters that numbers in the scores if not hundreds. This complexity can get very confusing as various factions, lordships, families, and bloodlines partake in the story. In Wizards First Rule there is none of this. We are introduced to the central characters early in the book and as the story progresses we meet a small number of new characters that are central to the story. It all flows very smoothly and it all stays on target. You won’t have to take any notes to keep track of all the characters.

Theme and Reading level

This book is not for children or for the faint of heart. There is some graphic violence and an extended torture scene that you will find unsettling. I found it uncomfortable to read and this is exactly the point that Goodkind was trying to make. If you want to carefully study the ethics and morals of the battle between good and evil you have to fully show both sides of this coin – both the good in all its goodness and the evil in all its dark and unsettling reality. The only real way to defeat evil is to first see it and acknowledge it.

Wizard’s First Rule is an intelligently written and exciting epic fantasy story that goes beyond just a story. It is also an examination of ethics, values, morals, and the perpetual battle between good and evil. It will make you think about the nature of the struggle and the real purpose of the hero.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For a guide to lots of great information about fantasy on the web visit his site at: The Fantasy Guide – Your guide to Fantasy Books

If you want to learn more about the television series Legend of the Seeker which is based on The Sword of Truth: Legend of the Seeker

How to Get Her Back for Good - Review

How to Get Her Back for Good - Review

Nearly everyone has an ex-lover’s story to tell. Right at this moment, you may be going through a painful break up. You have dreamt of spending of spending your entire life with your girlfriend and suddenly you see that dream fading away. The reason for the break up may be that your girlfriend just needs some space. Perhaps, she wants to move on in her life. You may agree with her decision at the time and try to get on with your life too. But some way or another, you are unable to forget her and want her to be back in your life.

You may find many people coming up to you and advising you to get over her. However, you still cannot forget about the relationship that you shared with your ex-girlfriend and are not ready to give up on the bond you’ve shared. For people like you, there is a solution to get your ex-girlfriend back and the solution is in the form of an e-book titled How To Get Her Back For Good.

The author of the book is Dr. George Karanastasis, a physician by profession. He wrote his book based on his own broken relationships. He wanted to teach other people the correct ways to get back their ex-girlfriends back in their lives. How to Get Her Back for Good helps people realize why all the methods that they had used to get back their ex-girlfriends failed. The author also explains that promising to change will not help you bring your partner back.

Dr. Karanastasis also covers the pain that people suffer after losing their lovers for the second time after starting the past relationship afresh. In the e-book How To Get Her Back For Good, Dr Karanastasis shares the secrets of using women psychology along with five different positive ways to get your ex-girlfriend back in your life.

The e-book is based on the author’s personal experiences and knowledge along with some well-researched techniques. Dr. George Karanastasis has made an in-depth study of thousands broken relationships and studied the methods that people used to get their ex-lovers back. By doing so, the author came to know about several common mistakes that men do while trying to get their ex-girlfriends back. How To Get Her Back For Good may help you to get your lover back in your life and put your relationship back on track.

Erin Segarra, an independent reviewer of downloadable products, has reviewed the e-book How to Get Her Back for Good. For more reviews, go to how-to-get-her-back-for-good

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"The Memory Keeper's Daughter", by Kim Edwards, a Book Review

Sometimes you find a book that fits everything you've ever thought a book should be.

No one told me about "The Memory Keeper's Daughter," by Kim Edwards. But I knew I was about to undertake a grueling several days and I wanted a good book to escape to. So I walked into Borders, and strolled right to the book in question and bought it.

My days would be taken up with an Advanced Cardiac Life Support course coupled with oral and written tests, plus having to know things I already knew but needed to feel more confident about knowing, such as the recogniton of cardiac rhythms, knowledge of cardiac drugs in the event of sudden cardiac arrest, stroke or collapse.

The book immediately reveals the story line, most all of the characters, and pulls you in by the end of the very first chapter with poetically beautiful narrative.

Throughout the book, the author brings all five senses and mixes them with nature images and mind dreams to illustrate points, develop the character and story line.

The book begins with a young married couple deeply in love and nine months pregnant, going into labor in the middle of an unexpected and rare snowstorm in Kentucky.

The husband is an Orthopedic doctor. When his wife goes into labor, they arrange to meet the Obstetrician at the husband's Orthopedic clinic. The Ob doctor crashes in the snow storm and the husband must deliver the baby.

His nurse is also present to assist in this momentous occasion.

The first chapter ends dramatically when the mother delivers not one but two babies. One is a healthy baby boy, the other is a girl with Down's, or Trisomy 21.

The year is 1964.

This is a moment that changes the course of everyone's lives; the doctor, his wife and nurse for the doctor decides the baby girl must go and live in an institution and he gives the baby to his nurse to take the baby there.

He tells his wife that the baby is dead.

The nurse cannot follow through with leaving the baby at the institution, so she leaves town with the baby and raises her.

All this in a few short pages.

Much has changed since 1964. Now we perform a marker test for Downs between 16 and 19 weeks. If the baby does have the marker, an amniocentesis is offered. If this is definitive for Downs, the parents have the choice to terminate the pregnancy.

Markers in early pregnancy have also been developed but most health insurance carriers will not pay for this expensive test.

If parents decide to keep the baby, they have time to prepare mentally, spiritually and psychologically for what is sure to be a challenge.

This book is about a secret that hangs like a thunder cloud, following these pivotal characters throughout the book.

Mom knows subliminally but does not know consciously.

Her husband becomes distant and unreachable from the time he tells his wife this lie throughout their entire marriage.

Demons, shadows, nightmares.

I spoke to a former head of Pediatrics who is now retired. He said years ago, when a Downs baby was born, the Pediatrician routinely counseled the family to give the child immediately over to an institution.

Usually the husband made this decision often over the wishes of the mother. My friend said this caused huge conflict in families, and many of these couples eventually divorced, at a time when divorce was not popular.

Conflict, angst, total sadness and great loss.

So our character in The Memory Keeper's Daughter acted as others acted at the time and made a decision that was commonly made.

At this point, we could discuss such ethical issues as eugenics, abortion, and infanticide, but these are beyond the scope of this article.

As a Labor and Delivery nurse, I also serve on what is called the Bereavement Committee, serving those parents whose babies have died.

We have more than our share of pregnancy losses, premature babies who teeter on the edge between life and death, and yes, several Down's babies are born every year, as well.

The main concern is whether a family has the resources to care for these beautiful and loving children.

Do they have the family support, dedication and committment?

Waldorf educational methods are tailor made to help special needs children.

Walforf education was developed by Rudolf Steiner in Europe in the 1920's. There are currently more than 500 Waldorf schools worldwide, and Waldorf has been in North America for 75 years.

Waldorf is based on the view that the human being is a being of body, soul and spirit. The Waldorf approach to education attempts to bring together all elements of a child's development: intellectual, artistic, and spiritual.

Its goal is to produce individuals who are able to function independently and create the meaning for their own lives themselves, and not have to rely on others to do this for them.

Waldorf educational methods are diametrically opposed to those that forms the basis for most public school systems.

Waldorf education is intended to preserve the integrity of the individual student; not to turn them into conformists. Waldorf educational methods are effective for all students but are particularly helpful in the case of special needs children.

Special needs children will have strengths in areas not developed in the standard public educational systems. Waldorf methods will address these strengths, and child will experience significant increases in self-esteem as a result of their success. Special needs children often have very limited experience in being successful in a school environment and respond rapidly and positively when they are given a chance to demonstrate their competence.

But the most profound benefit of using Waldorf educational methods to help special needs children is that they encourage the children to develop as independent, self-reliant individuals, able to function and meet life on their own terms, rather than passively looking to others for guidance.

This paves the way for a lifetime of successful self determination for the special needs child taught by Waldorf educational methods.

On the East Coast, Beaver Run and Spring Valley Waldorf Communities serve Special Needs People from youth to old age and death. What a wonderful alternative to an "Institution."

This is an enlightened alternative to an otherwise bleak life of dependence.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter was alive and wonderful. Read it if you haven't already.

And In-Joy!!


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Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator of the e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover Your Calling and Destiny." Click here to find out how to order the e-book:
http://www.nursingcareertransformation.com Check Out Kate's Blog:
http://www.nursehealers.typepad.com
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Top 5 Books to Learn Magic Tricks

I’m often asked by both adults and kids about where they can learn more about the Art of Magic. In this article, I’ll recommend top 10 magic books a newcomer to the Art of Magic should consider. The good news is the majority of these books are available from Amazon or Barnes and Noble bookstores.

1. Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic by Mark Wilson

Mark Wilson’s book is the modern equivalent of a condensed version of the Tarbell Course in Magic series. Wilson’s book introduces readers to a wide variety of magic ranging from card tricks, coin tricks, rope magic, mental magic, impromptu magic and even stage illusions! It teaches the fundamentals of magic technique and is well illustrated.

2. A Book of Magic for Young Magicians : The Secrets of Alkazar by Allan Zola Kronzek

This is one of the best books on handling key cards and has excellent presentations for classic magic effects. It is written as a kids book but it has a lot of great tips and handling for common magic effects. In one lesson Alkazar demonstrates an entertaining magic trick and a boring magic trick. Both use the same method yet the book explains the importance of presentation.

3. Now You See It, Now You Don’t Lessons in Sleight of Hand by Bill Tarr

Bill Tarr’s book provides a well illustrated introduction to sleight of hand. If you want to learn how to make cards, coins, and silks disappear and reappear, this book provides an excellent introduction. He also wrote a second book called The Second Now You See It, Now You Don't.

4. New Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo

Coin magic is a lot of fun to perform since coins are readily available, fit in your pocket, and can be borrowed to perform mysterious and entertaining feats of prestidigitation. Bobo’s Modern Coin Magic provides an excellent resource on all the key vanishes, retentions, concealments and sleight of hand required to perform coin magic. The book also has several chapters dedicated to various classic effects in Magic such as Coins Across, The Miser’s Dream, and Coin Boxes. Bobo’s Coin Magic a must in any magician’s library!

5. The Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue

The Royal Road to Card Magic is an inexpensive book that is jam packed with card magic. Beginners and experienced magicans can benefit by reading the Royal Road and reviewing the different concepts and ideas on sleight of hand card magic. One of my magic mentors recommends that every magician – experienced and new – should review the Royal Road to Card Magic as it acquaints the reader with the fundamentals of card magic.


These books aren’t the only magic books I’d recommend but for the magic newbie, these are great books to start learning about the art of magic. There are thousands of books, DVDs, and articles available on the Art of Magic. In future articles, I’ll explore a few more useful resources to learn about Magic.

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Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_556832_32.html

In addition to his day job as an IT manager, Andy Makar is a freelance writer, instructor and a life-long Magic enthusiast. He started Learn Magic Tricks at http://www.kapoof.com as resource for parents, kids, and hobbyists to learn more about the art of Magic. He can be reached at andy@kapoof.com

http://www.kapoof.com

Thank you Dr Seuss for Fantastic Children’s Books

Yes, Dr Seuss was a real person though his name was Theodor Seuss Geisel and he was called Ted. He wrote over 40 children’s books and all of them remain popular to this day because he made reading such fun. His success is attributed to his controlled use of vocabulary, simple text, humor, repetition, rhyme, his choice of words, imaginative illustrations and original characters. The books teach the skills that young readers need and inspire them to continue their reading journey.

Theodor Geisel first wrote under the name Seuss when he was a student at Dartmouth College. A party thrown by Ted and his friends resulted in Ted being asked to give up all his extra-curricular activities. He was editor-in-Chief of the College’s humor magazine at the time, so to continue to contribute to the Jack-o-Lantern without the administration’s knowledge, he began signing his work with the pen-name Seuss (which was his mother’s maiden name as well as his middle name).

After Dartmouth, Ted went to Oxford and it was during one of his classes there that his doodling caught the eye of a fellow American student named Helen Palmer and she suggested that he should become an artist instead of a professor. He found that he liked her advice and began to work as a cartoonist. (He liked more than her advise because they later married!)

Ted worked in advertising for 15 years but was a regular contributor to humor magazines, writing under the name Dr Seuss. With the arrival of World War II, Ted sought a commission with naval intelligence where he made animated movies relevant to the war effort.

In the latter years of the war, he began writing children’s stories, beginning with “And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street”.

His turning point came when he was asked to write a children’s primer using 220 new-reader vocabulary words. While schools were reluctant to adopt “The Cat in the Hat” as an official primer, children and adults showed no such restraint and clamored for copies.

The success of “The Cat in the Hat” elevated Dr Seuss from a pioneer in the field of writing and illustrating children’s books to a respected authority, a position he has held ever since. His book “Green Eggs and Ham” came about when his publisher, Bennet Cerf wagered that he couldn’t write a book using 50 words or less! Cerf had the vision to see that Ted was going to turn the children’s book world upside down and he created Beginner Books. His relationship with Dr Seuss as publisher and close friend lasted many years.

Ted, or Dr Seuss as we think of him, enjoyed writing entertaining books that encouraged children to read. However he was also concerned with moral and environmental issues and his book “The Lorax” has the theme of someone building a profitable business for themselves at the expense of a natural resource and those who depended on it for their survival.

Ted loved funny hats. He would wear them when he had writer’s block and often also at dinner parties at his home. If guests didn’t arrive wearing one, they were loaned one from Ted’s collection!

Dr Seuss received many honors for his work, not least a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, given to an author or illustrator whose books have made a substantial contribution to and lasting impact on children’s literature.

Over the course of his long career, Ted Geisel wrote over 40 books, mostly under the name Dr Seuss, but over a dozen as Theo. LeSieg and one as Rosetta Stone. Nearly 30 of his Dr Seuss books have been adapted for television or video.

At the time of his death in September 1991, 200 million copies of his books, translated into 15 different languages had been sold and sales continue to climb as children (and adults) the world over discover and re-discover his delightful tales and at the same time learn important lessons in tolerance because, despite their differences, all of his characters are portrayed as being just as important as any other, as he says “A person’s a person, no matter how small” (from Horton Hears a Who).

Thank you Dr Seuss!

I hope you have found this article of value. Reading to my own children and grandchildren has been one of the bright spots in my life. I firmly believe reading to children helps to create a strong bond between you that lasts for a lifetime.
For more information on the best children's book to read to, and with, your young child, please visit my website at http://www.fabfamilies.net or email me on

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16 Christian Book Reviews

For those of you are who are looking for some good reading covering a wide variety of topics, here is a list of some very good books covering some very interesting topics. Each one of these authors are truly anointed in their teachings and you cannot go wrong with their specific teachings on the subjects they are discussing in each of these books.

1. "Approval Addiction: Overcoming Your Need to Please Everyone" by Joyce Meyer

I believe Joyce Meyer to be one of the very best Bible teachers we have in the Body to-date. In this book, she gives you very good commentary and insight on the problem many of us have today in trying to please anyone and everyone. Many people have been set free from her teachings and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has this particular problem in their thinking and how they relate and interact with others.

2. "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer

Another very solid book from Joyce Meyer. The Bible tells us that we are transformed by the renewing of our "minds." As a result, our minds are the battlefield between God, the devil and our flesh. Each Christian has to learn to how to walk in the Spirit and the ways of our God and stay away from wrong type of thinking that can eventually lead us into trouble that can end up bringing down major misfortune and trouble into our lives.

You are what you think. You can become what you think. That is why the devil and his demons will always try to go after your mind and your thought process - in order to try and seduce you into their dark ways of living in this life as versus the Lord who will try and to lead us into His ways of thinking and living in this life. This is one of the best books she has ever written and she discusses one of the most important areas of spiritual development in a believer's life.

3. "Be Anxious For Nothing: The Art of Casting Your Cares and Resting in God" by Joyce Meyer

In the fast-paced, high-stress world in which we now all live in, many people are having a hard time in finding any true peace. They are worrying about anything and everything. One of the greatest commands given to us by our Lord is to learn how to be anxious for nothing. Joyce does a very good job in covering the appropriate Scripture verses on this command and some of the ways you can learn how to do this in your own personal life.

She gives very good examples of how she learned how to do it for herself as she used to be constantly worrying and complaining about everything. Once she was able to grasp this powerful revelation and truth from God's Word, and then learn how to really get it worked into her mindset and way of thinking and living in this life, she was then able to settle down and enjoy this life much more fully.

4. "Your Best Life Now" by Joel Osteen

This book has become a national bestseller. This man truly flows with knowledge and revelation from the Lord and you cannot go wrong with any of his solid biblical teachings. He has one of the biggest churches in America.

I know some have criticized him as being too seeker-sensitive in some of his sermons, but I believe this man is truly anointed by the Lord and this book will give you much practical, down-to-earth knowledge and wisdom on how to get the most out of your life in the Lord with what He is calling you to do for Him.

5. "God's Generals: Why They Succeeded" by Roberts Liardon

For those of you who would like to learn about some of the saints in the past who have walked with higher levels of the anointing such as Smith Wigglesworth, Kathryn Kuhlmann, Aimee Semple Mcpherson and Marie Woodworth-Etter - this book will give you all of the basic fact of their ministries, how they all got started and some of the incredible things that had occurred in their ministries for the Lord.

This book is a fascinating read into saints who were not afraid to push the envelope with God and how they learned how to walk with some of the highest levels of the anointing that any human has ever walked before. There is much to learn from both their successes and some of their failures. This is the only book I know that goes into very good basic detail into all of these people's lives.

6. "The Holy Spirit" by Billy Graham

A very good, solid book on the Holy Spirit from one of the greatest evangelists of all time. He goes into the 9 gifts and 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit, along with showing you how the Holy Spirit convicts and leads sinners to the Lord for eternal salvation. This book is solid teaching from start to finish covering everything from who the Holy Spirit is and how He will work to lead us into a deeper and closer walk with the Lord. I believe this book to be one of the best teaching books on the Holy Spirit and the personal ministry that He has with each one of us as we journey through this life.

7. "Maximizing the Moment: God's Action Plan for Your Life" by T. D. Jakes

T.D. Jakes is without question one of the greatest teachers and pastors we have in the body to-date. To those of you who have seen him preach and teach on his regular TV show, he is one of the most anointed speakers in the area of motivating the saints to become everything that God is calling them to become in Him in this life. This man is one of the most intense and on-fire teachers you will ever see.

This book goes into very good detail on how to maximize with whatever God is calling you to do for Him in this life. He covers how to get released from your hurtful past and how to face and overcome obstacles and roadblocks that will come your way once you fully submit to God and start to walk in the divine destiny that He has set up for your life.

8. "Loose That Man and Let Him Go!" by T. D. Jakes

Another great book - especially geared for men. Like the book above, he gives very good insight and commentary on how to break free from your past, no matter how bad it may be, into the divine destiny that God has set up for you to follow in Him. Another great motivational book on getting the saints of God out of the dugout and into the real game of life - which is God's call and individual plan for your life.

9 "Called to Be God's Leaders" by Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

A great insightful book into Joshua and how and why he became so successful in everything that he accomplished for the Lord as he was the leader that led the Israelites from the wilderness into the Promised Land. This is a great book for all saints who who called by God to enter into any type of leadership position in the Body. The two subtitles of the book are "Lessons From the Life of Joshua" and "How God Prepares His Servants for Spiritual Leadership." Joshua was one of the greatest men in God with everything that he accomplished in his life and these two authors do a great job in isolating the specific factors that were some of the reasons for his major success in the Lord.

10. "The Devil's Door" by John Bevere

John Bevere is another great author and teacher in the Body today. In this great book, he covers how the saints need to stay out of the dark side of this life and what can happen if we do not stay on our side of the fence with the Lord. He also covers whether or not a Christian can lose his salvation in the Lord. Just because we have been saved does not give us the right or license to keep on sinning. Very good practical insight on living a good and righteous life for the Lord.

11. "Elijah" by Charles Swindoll

This man has written several powerful books on some of the greatest saints of the Bible. This one is on Elijah, who probably walked with one of the greatest anointings that any man has ever walked with in both the OT and NT. Probably one of the best books ever written on Elijah's life and what we can all learn from this saint's amazing journey and adventures with the Lord.

12. "Joseph" by Charles Swindoll

Another great book from Mr. Swindoll, with this one being on the life of Joseph. You have all heard your pastors talking about Joseph going from the pit to the palace. This books goes into very good detail on everything that occurred in this Joseph's life and how we all need to hold fast to the Lord like Joseph did even in the most trying of circumstances - and if we do, then sooner or later we will be rewarded by the Lord.

13. "Paul" by Charles Swindoll

This book from Mr. Swindoll is on the life of Paul. I believe Paul to be the greatest of all of the NT apostles and this book gives you all of the basic facts of this man's journey and adventure with the Lord. Again, there is much to learn from his story in the Lord and much we can incorporate into our own personal walks and journeys with the Lord.

14. "David: A Man of Passion and Destiny" by Charles Swindoll

King David ended up becoming the greatest of all of the kings of Israel. God gave this man two of the highest compliments when He said that David was a man after His own heart and that David was a man who would do all of the will of God for his life. Mr. Swindoll once again goes into very good basic detail on the main parts of this man's life in the Lord and why he ended up becoming one of the greatest saints in the OT.

15. "Handbook of Todays' Religions" by Josh McDowell

This is a fantastic reference book for those of you who would like basic information on not only on all of the major false religions of the world, but also on the many different areas of the occult and New Age Movement. This book even goes into some of the basic secular areas such as atheism, Marxism and secular humanism. Very solid book that provides a wealth of information and knowledge right at your fingertips on all of these different areas. To be forewarned with knowledge is to be properly armed - especially in the type of world we live in with so may people falling into some these heavy demonic areas.

16. "Sparkling Gems From the Greek" by Rick Renner

This book is an excellent daily devotional. Rick Renner is one of the very best teachers in the Body of Christ. In this gem of a book, he has a specific teaching for every day of the week. What is unique in his teaching style is that he will translate words from the original Greek that the New Testament was written in.

In the 365 daily devotions that are in this book are more than 1000 in-depth Greek word studies so as to help you understand the specific words being used in each of the Scripture verses he is teaching on. Rick covers a wide variety of topics in this very anointed book. You simply can't go wrong with any of this man's solid biblical teachings. The Bible tells us to grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord and Savior - and you will definitely grow in the knowledge of God if you meditate on many of this man's and teachings and writings.

Article written by Michael Bradley, where you can get 20% off retail on the above books at his online Christian Bookstore.

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A Review Of The Magnetic Sponsoring Book

Magnetic Sponsoring is a physical book that teaches network marketing distributors how to generate leads and cash flow for network marketing businesses.

Mike Dillard, the founder of the Magnetic Sponsoring series and Better Networker community forum claims that his ‘funded proposal’ system will help network marketers in any business opportunity to build a ‘hands-free’ name list on autopilot and generate cash from those leads even if they do not join you in your downline.

Traditional network marketing prospecting methods are often criticized of being obsolete, filled with flaws and ineffective at best. Prospecting methods such as cold calling strangers and dead beat leads is one of them. Other forms include running expensive opportunity meetings in the hotel and pestering your close friends and relatives to participate in your business by ‘supporting’ you.

People frown upon these prospecting techniques because they fear rejection, are not easily duplicated by the downline in the network and often resort to hard selling methods in order to ‘close’ the prospect. Practitioners of the traditional methods are often faced with insurmountable challenges and often, at the cost of friendships being destroyed in the process.

Mike Dillard uses the Magnetic Sponsoring method differently. As he outlined in his Magnetic Sponsoring book, he believes that by using the principle of attraction marketing, distributors are able to turn the tables by becoming the hunted instead of the hunter. What this means is that distributors will be able to easily attract prospects to them simply by virtue of leveraging on their credibility and expertise without hard selling those prospects at all. The result? Branding the distributor as an expert in the field where they draw prospects to them by getting the prospects to ‘raise their hands’ first.

Dillard also teaches distributors about the execution of the funded proposal system by using the Internet to generate leads into the sales funnel. Most network marketing reps run out of business leads when building their network marketing business after awhile. They write a name list of their friends and family and once their list runs out, they are at a loss what to do next. Magnetic Sponsoring teaches reps how to generate cash flow while building that list and it is a list of targeted, qualified prospects that are genuinely looking for a business opportunity or a way to change their finances.

At the end of the day, the Magnetic Sponsoring book outlines a step-by-step attraction marketing blueprint to change the mindset of typical network marketers to think more like a leader than a sleazy salesperson.

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Author: Kathering Skywalker

Book Reviews on End Times and Revelations

For those of you who are looking for good bottom-line knowledge on end time events as specifically prophesied to occur by our Lord through His Word, here is a list of some of the best books on this hot topic.

All of these authors are true experts in this field and you cannot go wrong with all of their teachings on this subject. Many people have a hard time in understanding the Book of Revelation, but all of these authors will help you interpret and understand this most important book in our Bible.

I believe we are truly living in the end times and each Christian should have some of this bottom-line knowledge under their belts so they can help explain this to both other Christians who do not have much knowledge on this subject, and also to other nonbelievers who are too sensing something in the air with the way many of the end time events are now starting to come to pass. 1. "Are We Living in the End Times?" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins

The co-authors of the best-seller "Left Behind" series have written a very good factual book on all of the main end time events that will be occurring leading up to the visible return of Jesus back to our earth. Tim LaHaye has written several good non-fiction, factual books on end time events and I believe this to be one of his better books. Goes into very good detail on all of these end time events along with all of the Scripture verses to back it all up.

2. "Revelation Unveiled" By Tim LaHaye

Another very good solid book from Tim LaHaye. This book in particular is the best I have seen from him to-date. Besides going into the end time events that will be occurring leading up to Jesus' 2nd coming to our earth, he goes further into all of this showing what is going to happen in the 1000 year millennium kingdom when Jesus will literally rule this earth from the city of Jerusalem - and then what we will get with the final ending to all of it - the New Heaven and New Earth. This is not only the best book he has done to-date, but it is one of the best books on this topic we have to-date in the Body of Christ. I can't recommend this particular book highly enough.

3. "The End Times Controversy" by Tim LaHaye

Tim has written another good book on end times, but this one is to answer some of the critics who have a hard time in interpreting the Bible from more of a literal point of view. There is a big debate whether or not there will be a rapture, whether or not a real antichrist will really come, etc. Tim answers many of these questions in this book. Highly recommend this book if you want answers to some of the debates going on with this topic.

4. "The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy" by Tim Lahaye and Ed Hindson

Another very good solid book from these 2 authors. This is a beautiful hard-bound book that covers specific topics in alphabetical order so you can find what you may looking for at a very fast glance. I would highly recommend this book for those of you who are really wanting to have a firm and solid grasp on all of the basics on this topic. I consider this to be one of the better reference books on this topic. At a very quick glance, you will be able to locate very good Bible commentary on the specific end time events that will be occurring. This book is one of my personal favorites and I refer to it quite often in my studies on end times.

5. "The Late Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey

This book started it all! Written back in the 70's, this book is still considered a classic. I believe Hal Lindsey was one of the first men that God anointed in our day and age to be able to understand and then explain all of these end time events to the rest of the Body. He is one of the most anointed men in the Body of Christ on this topic. 6. "Prince of Darkness" by Grant Jeffrey

Author Grant Jeffrey is another highly anointed man of God in this area. This man is one of the best in this area and this book in particular goes into very good and easy to understand detail on all of these end times events. This book is a paperback, but it is 350 pages in length, and it is LOADED with an incredible amount of knowledge and revelation in this area. This book is also another one of my personal favorites and I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to further their education in this area. He goes into the New World Order that will be coming and some of the things that are occurring right now that will allow the Antichrist a world platform in which to step up on.

7. "The Jerusalem Countdown" by John Hagee

Brand new book from noted pastor, author and Bible teacher John Hagee. As you all know, the country of Iran is emerging as the next major world threat with their intentions of wanting to develop nuclear weaponry. John has ties in with some of higher ranking leaders in Israel and he gives you some very good insight as to what is really going on behind the scenes with Iran and Israel. This book has been flying off the shelves at some of the bookstores I regular frequent where I live. This is a very, very good book bring you real live up-to-date information on this building crisis in the Middle East.

8. "101 Most Asked Questions About the End Times" by Mark Hitchcock

Mark Hitchcock is another solid anointed man of God on being able to understand and teach on end times. This book is a bit different in that he gives you some of his knowledge and expertise in this area by specifically answering some of the most asked questions on this topic. He is another very good author and teacher on this topic and he has a very good way of explaining everything to you so that you can fully understand all of it.

9. "Iran: The Coming Crisis" by Mark Hitchcock

Another very good book just released on the current crisis we now have with Iran. Mark gives you some good historical insight into Iran and how we have got to this point with them now wanting to literally conquer the entire world through their new president. This book, and the above book from John Hagee on this building crisis, are two of the best current books we have to-date on this unfolding dilemma.

Article written by Michael Bradley, where you can get 20% off retail on the above books at Christian bookstore offering a wide selection of bibles and christian books.

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The Finer Points of a Literature Review

Generally speaking there are two kinds of literature reviews. The first type is the more informal one, it is a review of a written piece of work, a summary and an evaluation of it. A perfect example is a review of a new book. The first type of literature review has a wider readership because it is more popular, while the second type is the scholarly resource.

It is written as a review of a book or textbook but also has some points of reference in a synthesized format. The casual literature review is supposed to include emotional, intuitive, aesthetic or intellectual responses and discussions concerning credibility, creative worth and literature value of the written pieces of work. Literature reviews which are more academic should contain an evaluation which is more intellectually based and focused or they should have analysis and a list of research done. Academic literature reviews should give details about the original research report. For instance, a literature review for the masses, a book review may contain some of the following phrases: “…if someone is certain that you should read The Celestial Jukebox then read it for sure. Of course, you can also wait for the movie, it would follow soon. The Celestial Jukebox reminds about Fried Green Tomatoes, Magnolia and even bears some resemblance to Gone with the wind in the making.”

The second type of literature review, the scholarly review might sound like this: “… Some studies have taken a different approach on concentrating on how same-sex groups produce different types of interaction as opposed to mixed-sex interactions. Maltz and Borker conducted a typical study of this sort in 1982 developing lists of what they considered as men’s and women’s features of language…”If you are considering writing a literature review of the second type, the scholarly resource, according to professors at University of California, Santa Cruz then it is good to include the following: 1) a subject/topic/theory overview; 2) objects of the literature review; 3) a categorizing of the works under review; 4) a comparison of the inner workings of each source being reviewed; and a conclusion which draws the attention to the source with the more valid and more valuable arguments or positions. In case you should write an alternative literature review, a book review or a report, then make sure you cover the several points listed: 1) a summary of the book; 2) examples of characters, plots, setting; 3) your own opinion what was the most interesting moment, what did you not like about the book, your advice whether people should read it or not.

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About the Author

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning books. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Literature Review

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The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin – Book Review

The Tombs of Atuan is the second book in LeGuin’s Earthsea series of books. At less than 150 pages in length it is a small yet magical book that is suitable for children and adults. This is a perfect book for bedtime stories or if you want something light that won’t take a year to finish.

The Tombs of Atuan is the second book in LeGuin’s Earthsea series of books. At less than 150 pages in length it is a small yet magical book that is suitable for children and adults. This is a perfect book for bedtime stories or if you want something light that won’t take a year to finish.

The story of this book is pretty straight forward and about a young girl named Tenar who is taken away from her family at the age of five. She has been determined to be a reincarnated priestess and is brought to the tombs of Atuan to fulfill her role as she has supposedly done for a thousand years.

One very remarkable thing about this story is the immense and complex labyrinth that lies under the temple of Atuan. This labyrinth is the central part of the story and holds many secrets and many treasures. Tenar spends much of her time wandering the dark corridors of this labyrinth and as a reader you will find yourself flipping to the map of the labyrinth at the front of the book. You will be drawn into the labyrinth and you will refer to the map often to track Tenar’s progress as she explores the treasure room, the painted room, the room of bones, and much more.

This story starts out gentle and slow and it takes a little time to really get the feel for the main character and for what is happening but after thirty or forty pages you are going to come to the realization that you have come under the influence of quite a remarkable spell of writing that has been cast upon you. This book, and this story is just remarkable in its beauty. If you love fantasy and are looking for something special to read then I recommend this book highly.

About the World of Earthsea

The story takes place on one small island in a large world called the Archipelago of Earthsea. It is a vast array of islands that are populated with many different people and cultures. Some of the islands even have dragons.

Does the story stand alone?

Being the second book in a series of books the question comes up as to whether or not the book can be read alone without reading the other books and the answer to that question is yes. It can be thoroughly enjoyed as a sole reading adventure. Everything in the story ties up very neatly by the last page. But a character in the first novel of the series (A Wizard of Earthsea) plays a central role in this second novel. I do highly recommend you read the Wizard of Earthsea before you read this novel.

The books have been reprinted many times and you can purchase the first three books as a complete set. And there are currently six books in the Earthsea cycle. The Other Wind is the sixth book and it was published in 2003. You will be drawn into the world of the archipelago and Earth Sea because things happen in this book that have an effect o the rest of the world and you are going to want to explore more of the world that LeGuin has masterfully crafted.

Theme and the Story within the Story

The book can be characterized as a young girls coming of age story but it is much more than that. It probes into the questions of reincarnation, balance and harmony in the world, and through the metaphor of the labyrinth it peeks into the mystery of everything. All of this is packed into 150 pages? Yes, and more. The book itself is a perfect example of a central theme of Earthsea – words and names are important. More words don’t mean much. What is really important is the right words, and the right names of things. And LeGuin parallels this perfectly in this novel. It does in 150 pages what is often attempted in 800 pages.

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About the Author

For more reviews and Guides to Fantasy books visit the authors website:

The Fantasy Guide – Your guide to Fantasy Books

Will Kalif is the author of two epic fantasy novels and a fan of all things fantasy and medieval. You can check out his blog on these subjects at: Heroic Dreams – Never Give A Sword to A Man Who Can’t Dance

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Book Review: The Illustrated Guide to Snowboarding

Author: ski987

Kevin Ryan's The Illustrated Guide to Snowboarding offers one of the most useful guides to snowboarding for people from any level, whether beginners wanting to learn more about the sport and get their techniques sharpened, up to instructors and professionals seeking to further hone their skills on the slope.

Reader reviews and feedback on this book showed that it has a lot of useful drills featured that helped them improve their game immensely after repeated practise. The drills are written in a step by step fashion that seems ambiguous at first, but makes complete sense once you actually try them out. Furthermore, the book's coverage is all-encompassing, including tips for beginning, to intermediate, to advanced skill levels.

The approach taken by the author is both humorous and scientific, employing small drawn illustrations to show drills and techniques. While there are few actual pictures involved, these hand drawn illustrations are funny to look at and yet maintain a good degree of accuracy in portraying the skills and techniques being demonstrated. The author uses a lot of jokes and quips interspersed with facts and the illustrations are likewise a mix of serious, factual ones and cute, cartoony renderings of snowboarding stuff.

Most professional instructors in snowboarding who read this book found new drills and skills they could teach their classes inside the beginner sections, so this book's coverage is quite extensive. Furthermore, the author knows that certain skills can ONLY be conveyed though actual practice and demonstration, so he goes out of his way to state when certain skills are best acquired through a snowboarding instructor.

One of the sections that a lot of readers will probably find useful is the chapter on snowboard care and maintenance. Where most how-to books devote footnotes or at best, a few pages to the care and maintenance of equipment, Kevin Ryan actually goes out of his way to write an in depth full chapter on tips for taking proper care of your snowboard.

There is even a section on the ergonomics of skateboarding, covering the proper way to carry and ride a board to minimize the physical strain on the snowboarder. This also includes explanations on the physics and mechanics of snowboarding. While not exactly necessary for most people, this chapter is useful for people who are more technically inclined, like say, industrial designers who might be out to design a new type of snowboard.

Unlike some instructional books, this book does not seek to replace the need for an instructor, but instead seeks to augment and expand on the knowledge gained from working with a good qualified snowboarding instructor. For those who insist on learning everything from a book and doing it themselves, however, the book's attention to detail and exhaustive explanations of the mechanics of snowboarding are actually enough to let them get by and teach themselves through practice and repetition.

This book is 336 pages long, and it's first edition was published by the renowned book company McGraw-Hill back in 1998. Despite being published 8 years ago, to this day it remains one of the most popular and sought after instructional books for snowboarders. No matter what your skill level, it's guaranteed that you will benefit from reading this book that is already considered a classic "encyclopedia" in the sport by avid snowboarding enthusiasts.

Visit Ski Trip Planning to find out more about the best ski resorts and skiing tips.

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Book Review: The Covenant with Black America

Author: John Woolf

The Covenant with Black America is the brainchild of Tavis Smiley. For the past seven years, the talk show host has had his own "State of the Black Union" symposium. Seeing that simply exchanging opinions with the nation's top black leaders was not sufficient, he decided to chart a course for the African American Community. To provide a structured blueprint, The Covenant with Black America have assembled a scholarly collection of 10 short essays by esteemed experts in various disciplines to address the devastating social, political and economic disparities facing many African Americans. Each chapter or "covenant" looks at one pivotal issue and supplies the reader with a list of resources and suggested plans of action that individuals and governments can do to make a difference in their communities. This high-octane approach, as the book indicates on its back cover, is "to shift the conversation from talking about our pain to talking about our plan" for the African American community.

As might be expected, any best-selling book that tackles such a profound and often neglected need in our society is likely to generate some controversy. The proposed formulas for addressing a host of ills, from the skewed criminal justice system to substandard education to toxic waste in poor neighborhoods, to name a few, is not without it's critics. For others The Covenant with Black America did not meet some expectations and go far enough.

Despite the diversity of contributors of the various covenants, the book has a rather monotone character throughout. This is probably due to the consistent format that each essay follows as dictated by the book. Each chapter starts out with an introductory essay identifying the issues at hand. Then there is a treatise of the subject, complete with a table of statistics, followed by shared solutions under the headings of "What the Community Can Do", "What Every Individual Can Do", "What Works Now", and "What Every Leader and Elected Official Can Do." However, the general theme, despite the shared solution topics, seems to be almost always weighted towards heavy governmental intervention. In short, a "fix it with finance" solution to the problems. Critics of this book, both black and white, point out that the Government does not solve problems, it funds them. It could be pointed out, for example, that the past governmental housing projects have in fact created a type of apartheid for much of the African American community, thus isolating and amplifying the negative thought processes of those so confined. The symptomatic results are evidenced in school dropout rates, drugs and gang violence. So dysfunctional has this public policy been, that some cities have started to tear down their projects. Throwing more money at the problem, for them, is not the solution.

In this same vein, the tile "covenant," is perhaps a misnomer for this book. A covenant is a pact. And a pact, as such, requires that both parties perform a specific set of criteria. Although there is a "What every Individual Can Do" section of each chapter, there is not a clear sense of endorsement as to a national plan of action by individuals in addressing these problems. As there are 10 different introductory essays, each written by different individuals, it is difficult to get a comprehensive picture of what is promised by whom and when, with no real teeth of accountability as might be expected in an actual covenant. Equally disappointing, the book does not really explore core self-responsibility issues, such as the need to look at the spiritual, mental and emotional health of the individual as a way of making true progress.

Also, what would be refreshing would be to have each essay focus on setting definitive goals over a specific time period. Such as by 2015, 60 percent of black males will be in college; or that 80 percent of toxic waste in poor neighborhoods will be cleaned up. Without specific goals, many of the suggestions, while well intentioned, seem ineffectual.

Still, the real virtue of this book lies in putting these critical issues before all Americans. Whether you agree with the diagnosis and prescriptions of the essays in The Covenant with Black America is not the issue. The issue is to increase awareness, dialogue and debate in how best to address the needs of those most disenfranchised in our nation.

At 254 pages, this provocative book is well worth the modest retail price of only $12.00. Given the many social challenges we as a nation face, it is a small price to pay to be a party to the trends of a bestseller. All profits from this book are dedicated to Third World Press.

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John Woolf is the founder of several successful Internet technology companies including the Book Price Comparison website CompareBook.com. As a pragmatist of the world around him, he is both a critic and crusader on international politics and energy policy as it relates to our security and our impact on the global environment.

Visit CompareBook.com to read reviews, find similar titles, and search for the lowest possible price for The Covenant with Black America and other great books.

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John Woolf is the founder of several successful Internet technology companies including the Book Price Comparison website CompareBook.com. As a pragmatist of the world around him, he is both a critic and crusader on international politics and energy policy as it relates to our security and our impact on the global environment.

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Book Review: Stop Picturing Your Audience

Author: Bonnie Davis

Author: Scott Ann Setzer
Publisher: Setzer & Associates
Publisher Address: 2580 Sierra Blvd. Suite C , Sacramento, CA 95825, 800-767-6316
Publisher Website Address: http://www.StandUpAndTalk.com
ISBN: 0-9768250-0-7
Price: $12.95 Date: 2005, Page Count: 32

Reviewed by Bonnie Jo Davis

People all over the world, of various ages and different cultures suffer from Glossophobia (the fear of speaking in public.) Seventy-five percent of all Americans including celebrities such as Carly Simon, Antonio Banderas and Nicole Kidman admit to having a fear of speaking in public.

If you type the phrase "fear of public speaking" into a search engine or on Amazon.com you will find thousands of overpriced books, seminars and unbelievably expensive coaching. Chances are that unless you know Scott Ann Setzer you will throw away hundreds of dollars and waste hours of research in the hope of learning to overcome your fear of speaking in public so you can make that sales presentation next Tuesday.

Luckily you can stop throwing away your hard earned money and save yourself valuable time because you are about meet Scott Ann Setzer. Despite her own paralyzing fear of speaking in public, Ms. Setzer built a career giving presentations to thousands of clients both big and small, for profit and not-for-profit. One of her most popular presentations loved by audiences worldwide is "Stop Picturing Your Audience Naked." This presentation has been captured on CDs, DVDs and in a new soft cover book by the same title.

Anyone suffering from a fear of speaking in public (including celebrities) can benefit from reading "Stop Picturing Your Audience Naked." The size of this charming book makes it clear that good things do come in small packages that don't waste your precious time and money. As you open this slender book you immediately realize that overcoming your fear is going to be fun and stress free. Gorgeous colors are used throughout to emphasize text and the hilarious cartoon illustrations. The book opens with facts, figures and anecdotes to educate the reader and help them to realize that they are not alone in their fear.

Clearly laid out throughout the book are the tips, techniques and strategies you need to get ready for your next big presentation. Ms. Setzer covers physical preparation, mental preparation, your voice, body image, your audience, your presentation and more.

This delightful, funny and helpful book should be in every high school, college and public library. Entrepreneurs, business owners, management and employees should have a copy of this book on their desk in order to refresh their memories before they stand up to present. Speaking skills are a critical success factor in the business world and in other places such as churches and clubs. Buy this book, read it from cover to cover, and take it with you when you need to make a speech. You'll find yourself having fun with your audience while you grow your business or promote your cause!

Also available from the publisher is the book combined with a CD of the presentation by the same name for $24.95 or the book combined with a DVD for $32.95. These combination packages would make a great gift idea for a colleague, friend or family member.

(c) 2005, Davis Virtual Assistance. All rights in all media reserved.

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Occupation: Publications Coordinator

Bonnie Jo Davis is an experienced writer and publications coordinator with over ten years of experience submitting articles online and in print. Visit http://www.ArticleSubmissionSites.com today to gain access to her submission list, e-book, newsletter and more!

http://www.DavisVirtualAssistance.com

Book Review: Manners That Sell

Author: Bonnie Davis

About The Book:

Title: Manners That Sell: Adding The Polish That Builds Profits
Author: Lydia Ramsey
Publisher: Longfellow Press, Savannah, GA
Publisher Address: P.O. Box 16545, Savannah, GA 31416, 912-598-9812
ISBN: 0-9670012-0-X
Price: $19.95 Date: 2000, Page Count: 188

This beautifully laid out trade paperback has a gorgeous and practical design both inside and out. I recommend you read this book with a highlighter and a pen and be ready to take copious notes in the blank pages thoughtfully provided between chapters.

Manners That Sell: Adding The Polish That Builds Profits should be required reading for high school and college students and for anyone already in the business environment. Once upon a time, good manners were taught in school and at home, but that time has long since passed. This book provides the perfect refresher course for those of us who were taught manners but no longer remember the finer points of etiquette.

While reading this book I discovered that the author, Lydia Ramsey, covered every conceivable point of etiquette including many that I'd never been taught. Each of the twelve chapters covers one main topic broken down into digestible bite sized chunks of rules and guidelines to enhance credibility and professionalism. Topics include first impressions, greetings and introductions, the art of conversation, dressing for business, telephone courtesy, electronic etiquette, correspondence in business, etiquette in the office, gift-giving in business, etiquette out of the office, dining for profit and doing business internationally.

The author of this delightful book, Lydia Ramsey, is a business etiquette expert with over thirty years of experience working with non-profits, corporations, colleges and universities. She is a frequently published author who presents workshops, seminars and keynotes on all aspects of business etiquette.

I recommend businesses buy this book in bulk and present one to every employee from the frontline up to the top management. In this ever changing world with so many consumer choices, the bottom line is often affected by the simple courtesies that can and should be afforded to customers. You need this book if you want your employees to succeed and your business to thrive.

(c) 2005, Davis Virtual Assistance. Reprinted rights granted to all venues so long as article and byline are reprinted intact and links are made live.

Bonnie Jo Davis is a Virtual Assistant with over twenty years of experience helping small businesses grow. For more information on her marketing and administrative services visit http://www.DavisVirtualAssistance.com

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_2482_22.html

Occupation: Publications Coordinator

Bonnie Jo Davis is an experienced writer and publications coordinator with over ten years of experience submitting articles online and in print. Visit http://www.ArticleSubmissionSites.com today to gain access to her submission list, e-book, newsletter and more!

http://www.DavisVirtualAssistance.com

12 Month Millionaire Book Review

Author: Jeremy Butler
Are you sick and tired of theses Internet Scams claiming to make you a millionaire over night?

Lets be honest it's just not going to happen like that. Who are they kidding, if it was that easy than everyone in the world would be a millionaire?

I've spent a lot of my own time, money and energy trying to find a way to make a legitimate living on the internet. There are so many books, products and programs out there that promise you everything but deliver you very little. They all claim that you can "make money over night" with very little effort. What I've come to find out is that nothing comes with "very little effort". Money isn't going to just come to you. You have to go and get it.

If you are willing to work hard and actually put in some hours on your computer then the
"12 Month Millionaire" is what you've been looking for.

This book contains some of the most powerful direct marketing secrets that I have ever seen revealed! I was amazed that the author would let go of these secrets for the price he was. Don't get me wrong the price is a little steep for the average person but I promise you its worth every penny. I personally think he is crazy for doing it but I'm grateful at the same time.

The marketing secrets he shares in this manual are the same ones that he utilized in building his own multi-million dollar direct marketing empire. He covers everything from creating a product that "will sell", finding businesses to outsource various aspects of your business that will save you time and money, writing powerful ad copy, how to properly test a product idea and know if it will make money before you even begin selling it, and so much more.

I read the book entirely cover to cover twice and have learned something new and more powerful each time. My copy is now covered in yellow stickies and highlighter marks. There is just so much astounding information in this book that it doesn't matter how experienced a direct marketer you are. You will take away something that will improve your business in some way after reading this manual.

I highly recommend buying it, you won't regret the decision. Will it make you a millionaire in only 12-months? Only time will tell but I am confident that you will increase your sales and profits with any product or service after reading this manual.

Any business requires dedication and work, even an internet business. If you are serious about making money on line then check out the link. This is definitely a train you want to get on before everyone else does.

Click here:
12 Month Millionaire

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Suze Orman's Women And Money - Book Review

Author: Lucas
This article is a short review of Suze Orman's book Women & Money: Owning The Power To Control Your Destiny. Women & Money is a very good book that I would recommend to all women who do not have experience in the area of personal finances. This book is very basic and simple and is not something for women that already have a lot of experience with personal finances. For others that do not have experience they must realize the importance of educating themselves on the basics of personal finances. They need to be prepared to take control of their financial situation just in case an unexpected situation like death or divorce comes about. Women also need to take a more active role in their families personal finances simply because two minds working on something are always better than one. In this book Orman does a great job of explaining this and also giving women ways to become more involved.

In Orman's book she starts out by talking about the dysfunctional relationship that women often have with money. She does a very good job of using a level yet authoritative tone in giving out practical and useful financial advice Suze goes into great detail about why women often leave the handling of money to men and also why women should be more involved. Suze mentions that women are just as capable as men in handling money but that they often choose to leave the job to men. In this book Suze gives out a few reasons why women often leave personal finances to men including that women feel that coveting money is wrong and also that women are more team-oriented. Suze says that women are usually scared to admit that they want a lot of money because they fell that it is wrong. Suze also says that often times women end up making less than men because they are more team oriented and concerned that everybody makes a good and even salary rather than fighting for every dollar they can get added to theirs.

The first half of Women & Money is based solely are the psychological and mental aspects of personal finances. It is centered around the attitudes and perceptions that women have toward money. The first half of the book is not much of an actual financial planning tool but still does do a great job of preparing women to learn the actual mechanics of personal finances.

The second half of Women & Money includes the meat and potatoes of personal finances. In this part of the book Orman gives her readers a step by step plan for how to actually get their personal finances in order. This plan includes Orman's 5 step "Save Yourself Plan". In this plan Suze gives out 5 very simple steps that anyone can easily follow in order to take control of their personal finances. Suze also sets up a time schedule of five months to implement this plan with a goal of finishing 1 step each month.

The first step in Orman's plan is to establish a checking and savings account. In this step Suze suggests that her readers setup a bank account that they have complete access to and suggest that it be a high yielding savings account and a standard checking account.

The second step in Orman's plan is to check your credit score. Here Suze suggests that each women find out what their score is and if needed they should take the necessary steps to improve/establish it. Suze also touches on the importance of paying down your debts here.

In the third step Suze talks about the importance of investing for retirement. Here she goes into great detail about how important it is to begin saving for retirement. This chapter includes information on 401K's, IRAs, and Roth IRAs.

In the fourth step of Orman's plan she talks about all of the importance must-have documents. Here she goes over wills, living trusts, and much much more.

The fifth and final step in Orman's plans talks about protecting your home and your family. In this last step she talks about the importance of renters or home owner's insurance, personal liability insurance, and life insurance.

Overall, I think that Orman's Women & Money book is a good read for any women that are looking for information about personal finances. This book could help many women to realize thee importance of taking an active role in personal finances and help them to see why they should be involved in family money decisions.

Jesse Chettle is a self-made Personal Financial Advising expert who specializes in giving out free Personal Financial Advice over the internet. You can visit his Personal Finances - Money blog to learn more about Women and Money by Suze Orman .

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Book Review: Start Your Own Business

Author: Adam McFarland
If you want to start a business, but don't know where to start, then the place to start is with Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You'll Ever Need by Rieva Lesonsky. The book is put out by Entrepreneur Press and is essentially a compilation of Entrepreneur Magazine's large knowledge database regarding starting a business.

The book literally takes you through the entire business process - from determining if you really have what it takes to run a business to how to deal with failure if your business doesn't work out, and everything in between. The best part about the book is that it covers nearly EVERYTHING in some capacity. If you need more information, it does a great job of suggesting further reading and pertinent web sites.

The book is broken down into seven sections, each with several chapters. The first section, 'You Gotta Start Somewhere' covers determining if you can be an entrepreneur, how to come up with an idea for your business, and whether you should launch your business part time or full time. Most people who buy the book will already have answers to these questions, but going through the exercises in the book can still be helpful.

The second section of the book is entitled 'Building Blocks'. It covers how to name your business, choosing a business structure, creating a business plan, and how to hire a lawyer and accountant. I think that this is the most valuable section of the book. These are the things that most entrepreneurs either struggle with or ignore. The Naming Your Business chapter in particular helped me a great deal. Naming your business is not nearly as easy as you think - you need to consider all registered trademark names, registered domain names, and names that are being used but not trademarked. One of the worst things that you can do is to pick a name that is already being used by someone and face a legal battle down the road.

The third section covers financing including where and how to get money to run your business. The fourth section, 'Setting the Stage' is absolutely massive and covers numerous important things such as choosing a location for your business, creating a professional image, offering customers credit, hiring your first employee, and business insurance. Needless to say, all of these things are extremely important to every business owner.

The fifth section covers buying company computers, cell phones, and cars. These things probably won't be very difficult for most business owners. The sixth section, however, covers one of the hardest thing every business owner faces - marketing. The section is nearly 100 pages about advertising, marketing, and public relations. It also briefly touches on web-marketing but those looking to seriously profit online will need to look elsewhere because the book is a little thin when it comes to e-commerce.

The final section, entitled 'By the Books' goes over every entrepreneurs favorite things - accounting and taxes. It gives solid advice regarding basic bookkeeping, financial statements, budgeting, and taxes. For most business owners this section and the web resources listed should be more than enough to get them started on keeping their business legal.

I can't overemphasize how important I think it is for every business owner to have this book. It is a mini-encyclopedia (ok, so 800 pages isn't THAT mini) for everything business related. Having this book on your shelf will save you countless hours. I read it from cover to cover when I got it and I constantly refer back to it. I have recommended it to every person I know that has talked with me about starting a business. Each and every one of them bought it, and each and every one of them came back to me raving about it.

For the amount of depth that is covered in the book, Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You'll Ever Need by Rieva Lesonsky is an amazingly easy read. Anyone over the age of 16 will be able to comprehend the simple nature of the book. Reading this book won't guarantee your success as an entrepreneur, but it will help reduce the risk of starting a business by providing you with a sound foundation to build upon.


Adam McFarland owns the SportsLizard.com Network - a network of sports sites including collectibles, movies, books, video games, and more.

You can read Adam's blog about being a young internet entrepreneur by going to http://www.sportslizard.com/blog/

SportsLizard.com was recently awarded honorable mention in the Microsoft Start Something Amazing Awards.

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Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_43612_15.html

Adam McFarland owns SportsLizard.com - an online marketplace for buying and selling sports collectibles. SportsLizard.com was recently awarded honorable mention in the Microsoft Start Something Amazing Awards. You can read Adam's blog about being a young internet entrepreneur by going to http://www.sportslizard.com/blog/

http://www.sportslizard.com