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Charles Foster

Charles Foster, author of The Sacred Journey: The Ancient Practices (Thomas Nelson, 978-0-8499-0099-0).

When did you start reading, and what did you like to read as a child?

I started to read, so my mother tells me, when I was three. I particularly loved the myths of the Greeks and the Norsemen, Alan Garner’s magnificent novels (essential for the baptism of any child’s imagination), and everything that Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece, Henry Williamson, and Gavin Maxwell wrote.

When you were growing up did you have books in your home?

Thousands and thousands of them; books filled every shelf that wasn’t filled by a case of stuffed birds or a badger’s skull. They propped open every door and window and teetered in piles around every bed.

When did you think about becoming a writer? Was there someone who got you interested in writing?

I never thought for a moment about not being a writer. It wasn’t a choice. I couldn’t help it. I was encouraged gently by my parents, who applauded kindly and dishonestly when I produced pretentious, self-conscious rubbish. And then, when I was fourteen, an English master at school told me to stay behind after a lesson. He said, “You can write. That’s you, yourself. So stop trying to imitate Dickens or D.H. Lawrence. Let’s hear your voice.”

How do you write? Do you have a daily routine?

Writing is a business—the most joyous, epiphanic business ever, but still a business. So I keep business hours, more or less. We live in Oxford, where I have a college fellowship, do some university teaching, and have access to some matchless libraries. On a typical writing day, I’ll take our boys to school and then cycle to the Bodleian Library or to the Library of All Souls’ College. If I’m not there by half past nine, I feel guilty and wretched. There are particular places where I like to work, too. If someone is in “my seat,” I am “simmeringly” resentful. I write fast, I suppose—often 7,000 words a day, and sometimes more. I like Adam Nicolson’s dictum: Research long, write fast, and revise long. I write until lunchtime, leave for lunch at college, and return to the library by two o’clock. Then it’s head down until six o’clock before a run along the river or a swim.

But ideally I write where I can see and hear the surf. Then I’m up at dawn swimming—the colder the better—and write 10,000 words a day between six o’clock in the morning to nine o’clock at night, with dashes into the waves every three hours.

Do you have any particular story to tell concerning the writing of this book?

I was happy when I was writing this book. I hope it is a happy book.

I had vaguely noted that many of the most important things that have happened to me happened when I was on the road. I had vaguely wondered why. This was a chance to look carefully for the reason. It involved going back to old friends and old notebooks and asking: “What was really going on there?” There were no explosive revelations—just the gentle unfolding, as I walked, of a conceptual landscape. The landscape then simply had to be mapped and described.

What is some good advice that you’ve received concerning writing? What’s some advice that you could offer young writers?

Use short sentences. Use Germanic words, not romance words. Almost every time you use an adjective or an adverb, you’ve failed.

How did you find the publisher for this book? What has your experience as a publisher been like?

My agent, Chip Macgregor, sent Thomas Nelson the draft of a travel book about India. Thomas Nelson didn’t want it, but they liked some of the writing in it, and asked me to do The Sacred Journey, which is the final book in the “Ancient Practices” series. Thomas Nelson is publishing two other books of mine, The Selfless Gene and The Jesus Inquest, and they’ve been great: efficient, understanding, and congenial. You might think I have to say that, but I don’t.

What are you working on at the moment?

Three things: an academic book that looks at the role, if any, that human dignity should have in bioethics; a look at what it is still possible for intellectually honest Christians to believe in the light of biblical archaeology, textual criticism, neuroscience, and evolutionary psychology; and a novel about manhunting, redemption, trees, and tweed.

What are you reading?

The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World by Iain McGilchrist, a good friend and a splendid writer.

Author: Tamam Kahn
Publisher: Monkfish Book Publishing (September 1, 2010)
ISBN: 9780982324653

As stories about the brutal treatment of women in Islamic countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan abound in the press, Sufi practitioner Tamam Khan uses her denomination’s inward-looking spiritual approach to Islam to suggest that “Muhammad felt strongly about women’s equality,” even though his followers reverted to the extreme patriarchalism of their society almost immediately after his death. Drawing on Islam’s canonical writings as well as its rich poetic tradition, Khan’s intriguing “prosimetrum,” or mix, of poetry and prose imagines how ten of Muhammad’s wives, or “Mothers of Islam,” might have viewed their own lives.

In pre-Islamic Arabia, Jews, Christians, and pagans viewed “women as chattel,” but Khan finds evidence that “a parallel matriarchic culture” provided women with community and sisterhood, even within the seclusion and potential competitiveness of the harem. In fact, she argues that the hijab, or veil, was initially intended to protect Muhammad’s wives from male harassment. Their high social status meant they needed “assurance that privacy was to be a part of their previously public lives.”

Muhammad’s first wife, Khadijah, was a widow and wealthy businesswoman who guided him through his frightening emergence as a prophet gifted with revelation while also teaching him “all he needed to know about a woman’s heart.” More importantly for Khan, Khadijah’s example inspired Muhammad to view marriage as a sheltering umbrella that could cover vulnerable young widows, slaves, and prisoners.

Another of Muhammad’s wives, Umm Salama, endured exile in Christian Abyssinia with her first husband for adhering to Muhammad’s teachings. Widowhood left her without male protection, and she found safety and community for herself and her children among the other young mothers in Muhammad’s harem. In return, she became extremely devout and “handed down 378 hadith” that became canonized in later centuries. Clearly, Kahn seems to say, Islam has always benefited from the voices of women.

Muhammad’s two Jewish wives reached out to him “with Sarah’s hand,” even though they were both initially captives he won in war. Treading carefully, Kahn explains how politics and business relationships persuaded some Jews to ally themselves with Muhammad’s enemies, bringing slaughter and slavery on themselves after military defeats. Rayhanna, Kahn speculates, “may have shared” Torah and Midrash with Muhammad. Sayfiyya was an abused wife who welcomed her liberation from her husband’s tyranny and “converted immediately, still wearing the marks of her husband’s abuse.”

Kahn’s text again reaches beyond religious differences to the broader suffering of women in patriarchal societies when she relates the story of Mariya, a Coptic Christian slave sent as part of a “gift” when one of Egypt’s Muqawqui rulers refused Muhammad’s invitation to convert. Although the text is unclear about whether this offer was perceived as a threat by the Egyptians, Mariya, like Rayhanna, and Sayfiyya, found safe haven and dignity in Muhammad’s household.

Kahn, like the Khadijah about whom she writes, has also been an independent businesswoman. She travels widely, lecturing and learning about Sufism, and her poems appear in The Sound Journal, a Sufi publication. This is her first book.

Elizabeth Breau

Author: Jean Blasiar
Publisher: Charles River Press
ISBN: 9781936185139

“Tween Detective” Emmy Budd teams up with T.J. Blake in this first installment of a seven-volume series. At twelve, Emmy wants T.J. to notice her cute pigtails although she dreads eliciting his worst insult: “FEMALE.” For Emmy, T.J. represents Tom Sawyer, a boy who can fill carefree summer days with adventure and excitement.

Like Tom and Huck, T. J. and Emmy build a raft: “We were the African Queen, the first white settlers in hostile Indian territory, Tarzan and Jane, Robinson Crusoe and Friday.” However, their biggest adventure begins when the pair boards an unguarded luggage car on the daily train from their hometown to Pittsburgh, a city to which the children have never been.

This is Emmy’s first train ride, and she reasons that “hoboing” is probably not “too illegal.” However, the escapade literally stops in its tracks when the train is hijacked by three armed men. While the thieves rob the train’s passengers at gunpoint, T.J. pounds nails into the getaway car’s tires. A violent struggle ensues when the police arrive, and when the two stowaways finally melt into the crowd in their hometown, they realize that revealing what they witnessed would involve divulging their own misdeed.

Unfortunately, the children soon learn that only two thieves were captured, and that Officer Craig was stabbed, possibly fatally, by the one who escaped. Only T.J. has seen his face, and he is convinced that if he had not punctured the getaway car’s tires, no one would have been injured.

As the manhunt continues, Emmy faces new challenges: she must wear skirts to school this year, and a boy-crazed girlfriend asks “how far” she has gone with T.J. sexually. Emmy resents this abrupt return to the strictures of girlhood, never imagining that her starring role in solving the mystery of the missing thief is about to begin.

This novel is set in a halcyon era of stay-at-home moms and saleswomen who provide custom alterations on the spot. However, characters who pretend to be “the first white settlers in hostile Indian territory” rarely appear in new children’s books. Instead, stories set in the past are infused with a more contemporary consciousness about race; books such as Paula Fox’s The Slave Dancer and characters in the American Girl books regularly confront racism and render it unpalatable. However, Emmy’s rebellion against femininity will still ring true for many young readers, and T.J.’s single working mom provides a positive example of life as many children know it.

Rapidly following Emmy’s just-published second adventure, Don’t Look Now, The Real Dog is Harry comes out in December, 2010. A prolific novelist and playwright, Jean Blasiar won the 2010 Woman of the Year Award from the Women-in-Theatre organization for her distinguished contributions to her craft.

Elizabeth Breau

Author: Charles R. Hooper
Publisher: Watauga Press
ISBN: 9780984387687

The United States Congress has been reduced to a partisan body of bickerers, controlled by special interest groups, in which members are more concerned about their re-elections, perks, and power than they are about serving their constituents, claims the author. His remedy is for the states to call an amendment convention, as described in Article Five of the Constitution. This is not a radical screed calling for the overthrow of the government, but rather a well-conceived plan that would result in a peaceful revolution and make Congress responsive to the public.

The author is a hospital social worker and has much experience as an advocate for his clientele. Likely, his role as a “professional advocate” informs this sensible, concise blueprint for congressional reform. This reviewer does not share the author’s optimism that the public would form the dedicated grassroots movement necessary to convince their state legislators to call an Article Five Convention. Amendments passed to reform Congress at such a convention must be approved by three-fourths (or thirty-eight) of the states to become part of the Constitution. Public concerns about jobs and the economy might take priority, and congressional power—for better or worse—is likely too entrenched to be reigned in. (A classic example of the foxes guarding the henhouses.)

However, Hooper might ultimately be proven right and his analysis and suggested changes are worthy of consideration by all people concerned about the current state of Congress. The author calls for new constitutional amendments: the 28th would impose term limits of twelve years total on congressmen and senators, the 29th would require that all campaign funding come solely from individual citizens, and the 30th would reduce the number of congressional districts in each state to one or three.

The author does not offer his plan as the ultimate cure-all for Congress, an institution clearly in need of repair, but rather as a springboard for further dialogue and public action. Much of what Hooper says make sense, notably that congressional districts are too large, that state governments have been increasingly burdened by unfunded federal government mandates, and that Article Five may be the key to congressional reform. Readers might not agree with all that the author proposes, but will likely be impressed by his passionate commitment to this cause and the public’s role in making it happen.

Karl Helicher

Author: Robert M. Goldstein
Publisher: Rivendell Publishing Northwest
ISBN: 9780976328810

Robert Goldstein’s Riding with Reindeer is a classic epic of one man’s journey to discover himself and his limits. Quitting his job as a Chief Financial Officer, fifty-two-year-old Goldstein combines his passion for cycling and his affinity for Finland into the adventure of a lifetime. Perfect for travelers, armchair or otherwise, cyclists and thrill seekers, Riding with Reindeer is a modern-day travel narrative filled with humor, poignancy, history, and beauty.

Fueled by a childhood fascination with the stamps of Suomi, or Finland, Goldstein’s curiosity is apparent on every page. He begins his journey with an eight-hundred-dollar collapsible bike, a small suitcase on wheels latched to the back of the bike, and an ambition to conquer the Finnish landscape. Pedaling his way from Helsinki to the Barents Sea to Lapland to his final destination of Arctic Norway, Goldstein endures bad luck, wrong turns that take him miles and miles out of his way, and a spate of Mother Nature’s mercurial moods.

After reading about his travails on this bicycle venture, the reader thinks that Goldstein will quit, surrendering his dream to ride through Finland as an impossible childhood fantasy. Due to his own over-zealousness, he decides to bike beyond his daily goal of fifty miles. Unable to make it to the next campground, he is forced to set up camp in a forest. After discovering berries in the forest, he eats them out of sheer hunger but his joy becomes horror when he is attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. And Goldstein experiences a few technical mishaps—his wagon becomes unhitched, careening into traffic, and on another occasion he loses the wagon tire and has to search with a swollen, moth-bitten eye. Yet, the reader is greeted with Goldstein’s humor at these crisis moments and all our worries are assuaged.

When Goldstein himself questions if he can proceed, nature handily delivers a reason for him to continue. All the obstacles seem to fade into the past when he spots his first reindeer, which he aptly names Rudolph. Throughout the rest of his journey, the reindeer accompany him as silent guides and protectors.

Through physical agony matched only by will, Goldstein draws an honest portrait of the good and bad side of loneliness. This endearing and engaging travelogue takes the reader through an adventure that most will never experience; Goldstein pulls it off with the finesse of a wise tour guide. His shortcomings and successes make his journey of self-discovery one that any traveler will not want to miss.

Monica Carter

Author: O.J. Toks
Publisher: The Elevator Group
ISBN: 9780982038437

Rejection is universal and inevitable; sooner or later everyone, young or old, rich or poor, handsome or plain, illiterate or educated, will feel its sting. In this lively and encouraging book for Christian readers, author O.J. Toks. Toks shows how “rejection” is actually “direction” from God, who uses it to position a person correctly for his or her greater good. And, while not denying the pain that rejection can cause, Toks urges readers to give thanks when it happens, because it means that something far better is waiting for them. In effect, he encourages Christians to learn to see that those who reject them are actually doing them a service.

“I want to encourage you by letting you know that if you are facing any form of rejection, God is with you…right smack in the middle of your pain,” he says, “using your opposition to position you for your destiny.”

The author tells the poignant story of how he found his own purpose in life after a woman he had fancied rejected him; he had been a waiter and became a writer as a result of that rejection, and a whole new world opened to him.

Toks is a gifted teacher with a strong and compassionate voice. His message is Bible-based, enlivened with stories both ancient and modern, and sprinkled with word-play and humor; the result is a book that, if read aloud, would make an excellent series of sermons on the topic.

The book is also timely, as difficulties due to the loss of employment, foreclosure, or marital strife due to financial pressure has led to many people feeling devalued. Whether one is experiencing rejection as a result of the aforementioned, or from significant others, family members, friends, social groups, or one’s own church community, one feels the need to believe that there is some meaning behind the pain. For Christians, there is no greater comfort than to know that the loving hand of God will more than make up for any loss and rejection they have suffered by using it to clear their path to His highest and best plan for them.

O.J. Toks was born in Los Angeles and was ordained as a minister at Faith Alive Ministries in Richmond, Virginia. He is the author of While You Are Single, and a speaker whose mission is to inform and inspire individuals to find and fulfill God’s purpose in every aspect of their lives. He currently teaches Bible classes and serves in young adult ministry at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.

Kristine Morris

Author: Mary Reiss
Publisher: Iris Blu Publishing
ISBN: 9780984340606

“I’m gonna land on my head,” worries Morgan, the young female gymnast and storyteller in the book, Gym Rats: Basic Training. Morgan loves gymnastics at the Gym Club and is working her way up to competition level along with her best friend, Madison. The two are so close that their coach, Deb, call them “Gym”—Madison, and “Rat”—Morgan. The girls don’t mind the teasing because they know it’s all in fun.

The first book in a series about the sport, Gym Rats is written for children and pre-teens interested in gymnastics. While the story revolves around Morgan and Madison, who practice hard three and four days a week, encourage each other and fellow class members, and write notes to each other in the notebook the two ‘gym rats’ share, author Mary Reiss also provides coaching tips and instructions to readers about one of the most demanding of sports. In this story Morgan is afraid of doing a round-off back handspring without being spotted (helped) by the coach. As the book progresses, so does Morgan, as she conquers her fear.

The story is followed by sections called “Coaches Corner” and “Drills to Skills,” helpful tips for understanding the sport, plus a glossary of gymnastics terms.

For boys and girls in the elementary years who are already avid gymnasts or who would like to be, this book is bound to please. Written in simple, understandable language, this is a good resource for gymnastics centers and libraries as well. This is an uncomplicated book, with simple plot and characters. A third-grader gymnast who whipped right through the book offered equally uncomplicated praise: she pronounced it “good.”

Mary Reiss is a former NCAA Division I competitive gymnast, who also coaches. She is writing this series to “give young gymnasts an opportunity to read books that mirror the excitement they feel for the sport.”

Penny Hastings

Author: Mary Ellen Stewart
Publisher: Mouse Free Publishing
ISBN: 9780984491605

Imagine, for a moment, that negative thoughts, words, and actions are like mice that scurry around a well-stocked house, feeding constantly and growing bigger and furrier every minute. Eradication of such a widespread infestation might seem impossible, but what if you had the ultimate expert to help?

The unifying theme for Mary Ellen Stewart’s work on living according to God’s word, the metaphor of a mouse in the house is grounded in an actual incident. Nearly two decades ago, Stewart and her husband returned from a vacation to find a mouse infestation in full swing. When she was praying about various problems a few months later, the Lord sent a message, saying, “It’s hard to have a mouse-free house, but with God, all things are possible.”

From there, Stewart deepened her study of ten areas of discipline related to God’s word: worldliness, words, thoughts, pride, fear, unforgiveness, finances, health, prayer, and perseverance. Although it might seem that areas like finances and forgiveness don’t match up precisely, Stewart’s expert handling of the subjects creates cohesion across all the disciplines.

Stewart writes that if people don’t heed God’s advice in these ten disciplines, “Satan will creep in and spoil our lives—just like a mouse, when given the opportunity, will sneak in and defile our homes.”

The straightforward, passionate resource she’s written to boost her own spiritual growth should prove useful to those who also want to fulfill Jesus’ commandment to walk in love. Each chapter takes on different aspects of a discipline, and Stewart covers a wide array of common issues, from overcoming pride and fear to recognizing stress and physical challenges.

She weaves together topics in mind, body, and spirit to show how much God is present in our lives, and her extensive use of Bible verses bolsters her insights, in addition to providing excellent reference points for Bible study groups. By sprinkling in personal anecdotes occasionally, Stewart maintains an accessible, warm tone that makes some passages seem almost like letters written from a friend.

Just as a homeowner can plug the holes and crevices in a home’s foundation to ward off mice, so too can anyone bolster one’s spiritual home by following God’s word and meditating on His insights. In presenting her thoughts with clarity and strength, Stewart skillfully provides a plan for mice eradication that’s non-denominational, easy to follow, and best of all, deeply helpful for those who seek to walk a more spiritual path and to live a more trouble-free life.

Elizabeth Millard

Author: Dejan Djokic
Publisher: Haus Publishing
ISBN: 9781905791781

At the 1919-1923 Peace Conference in Paris, tempers were running high. One diplomat complained, “Nobody knows anything because everything is happening behind the scenes.” Haus Publishing’s Makers of the Modern World series reveals the innermost workings of the Paris Peace Conferences via biographies of its members. In this work, Pašić and Trumbić: The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, scholar Dejan Djokić focuses particularly on the diplomatic efforts of the delegates trying to secure Allied recognition of a Serb-Croat-Slovene nation. Hindsight is 20/20—there’s no doubt that delegates Pašić and Trumbić will succeed—but readers interested in Balkan history, the fallout of the Peace Conference, and the origins of Yugoslavia will be delighted by this meticulously compiled micro-history.

Djokić, a Senior Lecturer in History and Director of the Center for the Study of the Balkans at the University of London, approaches the Pašić and Trumbić story with ease. What could be a convoluted, nitpicky story is instead comprehensive and clear, interpreted by a master scholar. “Yugoslavism was a national ideology initially based on the premise that Croats and Serbs were ethnically one nation. Eventually the Slovenes would also be considered by proponents of this ideology as members of the Yugoslav nation…” Past and present are balanced, with Djokić keeping an eye on the historical ripples that originated at the Conference. Charts and an excellent chronology clarify the events further. The book’s academic style makes it an excellent resource that aims to educate, but not necessarily inspire the reader. Pašić and Trumbić: The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is comprehensive, even for the reader with no prior knowledge of Yugoslavia.

Although the history centers on delegates Nicolai Pašić and Ante Trumbić, very little is said about them as individuals. Djokić seems to use them mainly as focal points in the book, as though to keep the reader from getting lost. This device serves its purpose, but may also set up unfair expectations. Pašić and Trumbić is a history, almost a textbook— readers looking for nonfiction along the lines of The Devil in the White City or The Professor and the Madman will find plenty of information, but nothing biographical in the delegates’ struggles to realize their vision of a united Yugoslavia. The Makers of the Modern World claims to be a series of biographies, and this volume is indeed a biography—but of the Peace Conference, told through the lens of the delegation from Yugoslavia.

A well-balanced history of the origins of Yugoslavia and the emerging conflicts in the Balkan states, Pašić and Trumbić: The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes nimbly interprets and explains the events of the Peace Conference of 1919. Dejan Djokić has written a history simple enough for a layman reader to enjoy—without losing the twists and turns that make the story fascinating.

Claire Rudy Foster

Author: Donnie Howell
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 9781440193453

This earnest, passionate book about the importance of youth sports programs for kids will leave readers feeling as though they know author Donnie Howell personally. His anecdotal narrative ranges freely over the varied terrain of childhood struggle, playing football, coaching it, and how his coaching philosophies translate easily into ethical business practices. Howell’s dedication to improving kids’ lives infuses every page with commonsense wisdom that will inspire everyone who works with kids, either professionally or as a volunteer. Conscious that coaches can either encourage or demean players, Howell outlines a fully developed approach to working with young athletes that goes far beyond what they do during practice or at a game.

Consistency is the base of Howell’s program, and making practice fun is the “creative marketing” that keeps kids coming back every year. Young people need predictability in school and extracurricular activities, especially when their home lives are troubled or difficult. Fairness, structure, and making a chance for everyone to play are Howell’s essential ingredients for effective coaching that can change kids’ lives. Community leaders, school administrators, educators, and parents all have a role in Howell’s vision, because their support will create “long-term players and supporters in the community.”

Well-run sports programs can turn rotten days into good ones that eventually add up to long-term success. Howell compares having a “mean yelling guy for a coach” to one who offers constructive criticism and a team-oriented philosophy. Only positive motivation can help kids learn, improve, and “move on to the next level” in their sport. Giving in to the “pressure of winning” causes coaches to treat players badly, abandon “ethics and principles” and forget why they wanted to coach in the first place.

Howell places special emphasis on the challenges coaches face when confronted with assistant coaches whose egos demand victory at all costs, forgetting that working with other people’s children is “an honor.” He also censures parents who want special privileges for their children and reprimands those who place undue pressure on their children. At the same time, however, parents should advocate for their children’s fair treatment because the coach’s primary job is to teach the sport. Even more importantly, teaching the sport should take precedence over winning games.

As budget cuts threaten schools and extracurricular programs across the country, Howell provides compelling reasons for maintaining sports programs. In an era of single parents and long work hours, after-school athletics can help to fill afternoons with positive experiences that keep kids off the streets, off drugs, and in school.

Elizabeth Breau

Author: Sheila Keene-Lund
Publisher: Document It Publishing (May 1, 2010)
ISBN: 978098150386

Although some people think our era is ripe for divine revelation, Sheila Keene-Lund believes we’ve had that information for decades in the form of The Urantia Book, a spiritual text of unknown authorship from the early 20th century. Presented as a collection written by numerous celestial beings, the work covers an array of topics, from God and Jesus to history and cosmology.

Keene-Lund, who taught Transcendental Meditation for 15 years, discovered the book in 1992, and in a quest to disprove its claims, instead found herself on a deeply compelling spiritual path. After leading classes and workshops based on practical application of The Urantia Book’s concepts, she collected her insights and principles into this comprehensive action plan for anyone wishing to delve into the philosophy, theology, and cosmology offered by that earlier work.

“I know from personal experience that a clearer and more expanded perspective of our place in the universe can inspire a renewed and consecrated commitment to become one’s best for the sake of future generations,” she writes, adding that only this type of dedication on the part of each individual will advance collective peace and social progress.

That might sound like a tall order or at least a bold claim—change yourself, and the world changes—but Keene-Lund expertly presents complicated material in a way that makes her work much more of a guidebook than a philosophical work.

For example, in a chapter on humanity’s spiritual origin, she kicks off with thoughts on how reason and faith are two essential factors in the development of individual consciousness. Rather than being locked in battle, as some have opined, these concepts can be linked to create a harmonious whole that provides a bigger picture of existence. She then gives a stellar and concise account of faith and reason through the ages, with a clarity that would make an Ivy League professor jealous.

In addition to being extensively well-researched, Keene-Lund’s explorations cover an enormous breadth of topics, from the creation of the universe to the destiny of humanity to the development of emotional maturity. Throughout, she advances the belief that information is power, and that knowledge can translate into a closer connection with God.

She reconciles science with spirituality, and presents a cosmic worldview that’s intriguing, and should help her reach her major goal: “[T]o help readers deepen their relationship with God and expand their capacity to love selflessly.”

Elizabeth Millard

Author: Susan Yellin
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ISBN: 9781849058285

The uncertainty of life after high school—navigating the challenges of college admission and/or independent living—can be daunting for every young person and his or her parents. For individuals with disabilities, however, these challenges can seem insurmountable. There is hope however, and Life After High School provides guidance to assist disabled young people in their efforts to pursue education, independence, and competency in life skills.

Intended primarily for college-bound teens, Life After High School covers a variety of topics that the entire family needs to consider. Author Susan Yellin is a lawyer and a parent who created the Center for Learning Differences in New York and directs the Advocacy and Transition Services at the Yellin Center for Student Success. Christina Cacioppo Bertsch has worked both as director of Disability Services at Fordham University and as a college counselor for disabled students. The authors have combined their expertise to provide a thorough explanation of the basics of disability law and what both parents and children need to know in order to utilize these laws effectively. It is crucial for young people to be involved from an early age in their own care so that when they transition to independence they can articulate their needs, manage their own medical care, and become strong advocates for themselves. The authors state, “If you take only one step to move ahead to prepare for life after high school, it would be to begin as a family to transfer management of your student’s disability from parent to child.”

This book is a useful resource for helping disabled students and their families plan for continuing education after high school. It addresses the specific needs of physical, mental, and learning disabilities, covering how to work with guidance counselors, how and when to take standardized tests, and the specific attributes that a college or university needs to have to help the disabled learner succeed. Throughout the book, the authors have included examples of students with specific difficulties and how they overcame barriers. Each of these examples is examined to see what the student did right, and what could have led to an even better outcome. At the end of the book there is an extensive list of resources for further learning and assistance.

Perhaps most valuable is the book’s overall approach: it addresses the whole person, and not just the disability. The chapters discussing competency are particularly helpful; they discuss not only how to get special accommodations in class, but address issues like money management, personal hygiene, and sex. Every parent hopes that his or her child will grow up to have a full and fulfilling life. The information and advice presented in Life After High School will be a key resource in making this happen for the disabled child.

Catherine Reed-Thureson

Author: Tom Anderson
Publisher: BookSurge
ISBN: 9781439271063
Rating: Five Stars (out of Five)

Hundreds of books have been written about the search for self. The inclusion of a unique component makes Your Place in the World a standout in the genre. According to author Tom Anderson, it is not enough to simply discover self or to grow as a person—it is essential to have a vision and a purpose, and to see how they lead to individual service in the world. Service is an element lacking in most self-discovery books, but Anderson writes, “Without action steps, our vision remains just a dream, our purpose is wasted, and those we are meant to serve don’t receive our blessing.”

Anderson takes a twofold approach in his inspirational account of self-discovery. He blends his own experience of finding vision and purpose in his life through a vision quest (a life-altering spiritual retreat) with actions of mythic heroes.

Anderson was so successful in his business career that he was offered a partnership in his firm, but he ached for something more fulfilling. He undertook his vision quest because he yearned for something more from life. Like the mythic heroes of yore, he set off on a “journey.”

His hero analogy, which can be easily related to contemporary life, is divided into stages of the hero’s journey (found in myth and literature): the hero answers a call, leaves the comforts of home and family and goes on a journey, perhaps seeking a “boon,” such as a sword or grail that he must bring back to his community. There are tribulations, danger, and perhaps despair along the way, and finally the hero returns home (perhaps to leave again).

Anderson says that everyone is the hero in his or her own life, but it’s not enough to be called to take the journey. Being in touch with one’s soul should lead to service when one finds out what he was born to do. “Our vision and purpose are intrinsically linked to the way we are to serve in the world,” Anderson writes. He adds that this service “will be found at the intersection of our heartache and our bliss.”

The exercises included at the end of each chapter are helpful, especially for readers who are physically unable to have a vision quest in a desert or in the mountains as the author did. Anderson now serves as a vision quest guide and offers workshops. He encourages journaling, becoming inspired by the natural world, and sorting out “soul,” “ego,” and “spirit.”

The process of self-discovery is not just self-serving; although individuals will be happier about their lives as they take the journey, ultimately, the world will benefit. “As we come to understand our vision, we will also come to see how we are bound to the earth,” Anderson writes. “Is it any wonder we are feeling this inner yearning at a time when the earth so desperately needs us to find a deeper understanding about how we are all connected?” His book eloquently guides readers to that goal.

Linda Salisbury

Author: Craig Mooneyham
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781451570304
Rating: Three Stars (out of Five)

As an easy-to-read primer for those with little background in biblical symbolism or new age teachings on oneness and ego transcendence, this book is ideal. Craig Mooneyham, a former junior minister and Bible student, appears to have an excellent grasp of his subject matter and seems genuinely wise in his interpretations of biblical verse and allegory. His passionate goal is to show that the Bible is about bringing one to the realization that everything is God, God is love, and love is non-duality.

Unfortunately, great passion for one’s subject matter can cloud rationality, and Mooneyham has fallen into this trap. Who Am I?, though inspired and well written, leans toward monotony. His thesis that everything is symbolic and it’s all about oneness is stated fifty different ways, which makes the book tedious to read, even though each example is valid and meaningful.

The book opens with elementary expositions on evolutionary biology and psychology. The ways that instinct manifests in behaviors such as happiness and fight or flight are clearly explained. From cravings for sex and alcohol to self-preservation at all costs, what makes humans miserable victims of impulse is our insatiable attachment to ego and to duality. Overcoming this wretched state by realizing oneness with God defines the remainder of the book.

It all began with Genesis. “Partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil causes one to be enslaved in and by duality,” Mooneyham writes. “…To live in the garden and eat from the tree of life is to live in oneness with God’s unending flow of benevolence. The subtle, serpent-like ego lured the mind/soul, represented by Eve, into partaking of the negative side of the tree.” The Genesis story is symbolic to the core, and the author’s interpretation confirms this and makes it personal. He vehemently wants the reader to see that they can return to the garden, to oneness, and this is stressed in nearly every paragraph.

Further chapters explore the deeper meaning of the tabernacle in the wilderness, the battle for Canaan, and the life and mission of Jesus Christ. Mooneyham’s interpretations can be powerful and persuasive, though there are a bit too many symbolism-drenched examples of why ego has separated us from God and how, through “oneness with love,” we can return.

The final chapter is titled “One with Love,” and it is a beautifully written summary of what one wants to believe is the true message of God and Christ: love, benevolence, and oneness. This message transcends religion, and Mooneyham is to be commended for articulating it so well. Most Christian denominations would be comfortable with this book and members of the world’s other major religions will find it a pleasant reader on the best aspects of Christianity.

Patty Sutherland

Author: Don Moyer
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781452851983
Rating: Four Stars (out of Five)

These days, leisure time for most people often means several hours in front of a screen, whether it’s a TV or a computer. An outdoors experience might mean a walk to the nearest ice cream parlor, or an hour on the deck chatting with friends. At the same time, our meat comes most often from the freezer at the grocery store, and wildlife sightings may be limited to the neighbor’s cat.

Don Moyer, columnist and lifelong outdoors enthusiast, has some suggestions and stories to share with people who are looking for a more authentic wilderness experience. A fisherman since before he can remember, Moyer knows the best fishing holes in his corner of California (and other places around the country), and he has lots of opinions on the best way to catch trout, bass, crappies and any other kind of fish that might strike your fancy.

Fish aren’t the only species about which he has a vast amount of knowledge. He can offer tips on bear, deer, and rattlesnake hunting, and has lots of experience catching animals in his Havahart trap. He can teach you how to tie a fly; he understands the magic of a hot spring; he can pontificate on the benefits of catch and release practices; and he knows a few terrific ski lodges where the fishing is top notch. Want to learn how to hunt in order to fill the freezer with fresh meat? Moyer is the man to go to. If he can’t help, he’ll know someone who can.

Moyer’s cozy tone makes Tight Lines, his collection of columns dating from 2010 back to the early 1980s, very readable. His obvious knowledge and willingness to share make his book a terrific addition to the library of anyone with an interest in the outdoors.

Some of the earlier articles included here feel too specific to his own local geography, such as the ones centered around the Tuolumne River and the conservation efforts toward keeping the river useful for all inhabitants. Moyer doesn’t quite project this twenty-seven-year-old effort onto the more global screen, and readers unfamiliar with the place may not react with interest or understand what it has to do with the larger ecological picture.

However, Moyer shines when he writes about his own family’s rich history spent outdoors and the various traditions that have passed down through the generations. For example, he describes the decorated gift boxes that Moyer and his dad exchanged year after year: “We both knew what the box contained, but somehow that wasn’t the point. Our dumb fishing Christmas boxes had become a tradition more important than any physical gift could ever be.”

Whether he’s instructing readers on which kind of gun to buy, directing them to the best ghost town, or encouraging them to slow down and keep their eyes open to the beauty of the natural world, Moyer writes with humor, a cozy tone, and a true outdoorsman’s heart.

Andi Diehn

Author: Bruce Kimmel
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 9781452011165
Rating: Five Stars (out of Five)

There’s a lot to like about Bruce Kimmel’s zany memoir. Kimmel, a second banana actor who appeared in television shows like “Happy Days” and “The Partridge Family,” never made it anywhere near as big as his Hollywood look-alike, Chevy Chase, so he decided to write and direct plays and films. In 1993, Kimmel became disenchanted with Hollywood and reinvented himself as a record producer.

This book is the story of Kimmel’s television, movie and stage career. He tells it simply, candidly, and with a great deal of wit, self-deprecation and good humor.

To a large extent, the title is indicative of the irony that pervades Kimmel’s all-too-typical Hollywood journey. “There’s Mel, there’s Woody, and there’s you,” is a direct quote from the corporate head of Paramount, a major Hollywood film studio. He told Kimmel after viewing his low-budget spoof, “The First Nudie Musical,” that “We believe in you and think you’re going to be the next thing in comedy.” Kimmel, of course, was “utterly euphoric” to be perceived as keeping company with the likes of Mel Brooks and Woody Allen.

But that was about as far as it went because Paramount tried to kill the film straightaway. The reason was painfully clear: Kimmel’s good friend, Cindy Williams, had agreed to take a leading role in “The First Nudie Musical,” but now she was appearing in the hit television show, “Laverne and Shirley.” Paramount just couldn’t afford the negative publicity from the rising star.

As it turned out, Cindy herself executed a Hollywood-style power play and saved the launch of the film, at least temporarily. “The First Nudie Musical” had only a brief run before Paramount permanently shut it down.

That was perhaps Kimmel’s biggest success and certainly his most stinging disappointment. But it turns out this experience was just one of many career misfortunes Kimmel had to endure. In the book, Kimmel willingly shares his other trials and tribulations, to the point where sympathetic readers may wonder how the author can wake up each day and do it all over again. It is Kimmel’s charming way of handling what life throws at him that ultimately sees the actor-writer-director through the worst of times. Indeed, Kimmel becomes an endearing character in the book for whom the reader cheers when something good happens.

As with any Hollywood memoir, There’s Mel, There’s Woody, and There’s You has its share of kiss-and-tell moments, behind-the-scenes politics, and party-induced shenanigans. But through it all, Bruce Kimmel comes off as basically a nice guy who played the Hollywood game as best he could and lost more than he won.

For readers who want to get an entertaining glimpse of what happens on the backlot and behind the camera, Bruce Kimmel’s memoir fits the bill.

Barry Silverstein

Author: Thomas Geisler
Publisher: Xlibris
ISBN: 9781450054317
Rating: Four Stars (out of Five)

The title play, a semi-finalist for the 2006 Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference Competition, traces the evolution of Sophonisba, a political pawn in the Second Punic War. While the premise may be obscure, the inherent tension makes for great drama and Geisler works the story to full potential.

Geisler, a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, teaches at the University of Connecticut and the University of New Haven. This collection brings together three other short pieces, all of which are modest compared to the dramatically meaty title play. “No Woman Is An Island” reimagines the myth of Theseus / Ariadne, wherein Theseus abandons Ariadne on the Isle of Lesbos to the delight of Sappho. The premise is fun, and the interaction playful, but ultimately, the piece leaves the reader a bit disappointed as it rarely rises above the myth’s central idea.

“In the Beginning” suffers from the same problem. God speaks to Moses and Moses translates; hence the discrepancies in religion. Again, the gag supersedes the development of the characters. By God’s second description, the joke is busted wide open. The humor and the idea both need to continue evolving to make the piece compelling.

“CAFeFIEND” tracks a date between an uptight intellectual and the emotional hippie girl he is trying to impress. The characters here are cliché, the dialogue stilted and the exposition obvious and overpowering.

The title play, however, has a great deal of situational merit and tension. Sophonisba, daughter of a Carthaginian general, is betrothed to Massinissa, Prince of Eastern Numidia, and she is besotted. Massinissa fights on the side of Carthage, against Rome, in order to secure her hand. Unfortunately, as power shifts, Sophonisba must choose between duty and love. Geisler creates a clear arc of character that audiences hear in Sophonisba’s dialogue. Initially, she speaks like a young woman naively in love, but by the end of the play, she plays a dangerous role, full of political machinations and torn allegiances. Impressively, Geisler makes the drama real for all of his major characters; each has much to lose and much to gain and though history reveals the winner, Geisler unveils all the personal consequence for the characters. Occasionally, the exposition overwhelms the scene, as in the Roman senate scenes, but largely the play makes real the players of a largely forgotten moment in history.

Camille-Yvette Welsch

Author: Benjamin Ordover
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781453666883
Rating: Three Stars (out of Five)

Imagine yourself a Jew in Auschwitz. Such is the horror facing Shmuel Myritz, who turns away from family and culture to become Karol Marik in pre-war Warsaw. “The war ended but not the memories,” writes Benjamin Ordover in “The Wayward Son,” which concludes this collection, and evokes memories of Stryon’s Sophie’s Choice. Ordover’s commendable book encompasses eight stories adhering to a theme of “Suddenly your life turns upside down. What would you do?”

The book opens with “The Small Boy and the Bully,” in which an undersized teen copes with an assault and then learns an important lesson by reaching out to a student with a disability. “The End of the Line” finds a successful author dealing with her mother’s terminal illness complicated by the mother’s wish to find a long-lost son. “Your Cheating Heart” provides an O. Henry-like twist to the prospect of marital infidelity. In a short mystery story, Ordover turns out “Who Shot Eli James?” Overall, his writing is straightforward rather than literary, allowing the reader to create the atmosphere in their minds, as here in the title story: “The Jews in Krakow were in great fear … Most of the men came to a conclusion that in retrospect would appear to be delusional … This otherwise group of intelligent people had their rationality in limbo from fear.”

The next-to-last story in Ordover’s collection is “The Ruthless Mr. Bellamy,” in which a cynical and sinister billionaire turns his girlfriend into a pawn and a prominent US senator into a dupe. “During the following months a lot of business flowed to Henry’s electronic subsidiary and to his armaments design firm,” Ordover writes. Readers might judge this the weakest piece in the collection, the protagonist being over-the-top and the last segment of the story tacked on to no effect. In fact, more than one story in the collection ends somewhat flatly. The author also stumbles over point of view, and occasionally tosses in an incomplete sentence such as, “Thinking that he’d take a job as a stopgap measure and leave at the first opportunity.”

Ordover can pen both the surreal and the realistic. The former includes “The Devil You Say,” a reinterpretation of the Faustian bargain. In that tale, Charles Diablo, as he-who-might-be-the-devil, flashes temptation before the ambitious Seymour David, an investigative reporter. In the entirely believable “The Wheel of Fortune,” Barney Rosen reinvents himself as a successful entrepreneur after a despairing experience at a large US bank.

Ordover, with two other books to his credit, shows a solid familiarity with the milieu in which he writes. More than one reader will happily dip into The Wayward Sun during idle moments.

Gary Presley

Author: Kenneth Fenter
Publisher: Arborwood Press
ISBN: 9781453659922
Rating: Four Stars (out of Five)

Kenneth Fenter’s The Ruin is part coming-of-age novel, part Robinson Crusoe, part history lesson, and wholly deserving of an audience of both adults and teenagers.

The novel follows Clifton Kelly, as an eighth-grade farm boy living in the southwest corner of Colorado in the early 1950’s, as well as an adult celebrating his last day of teaching. Cliff’s retirement day turns tragic when a fellow teacher is murdered by her own son, who then goes to Cliff’s sister school and kills students there. The boy’s bloody response to bullying triggers Cliff’s memories of being bullied during school.

Cliff didn’t shoot his nemesis, Hector Rodriquez, even though he had his rifle in hand after a violent encounter. Instead, he sought refuge in a cave dwelling of ancient Puebloans, the Anasazi. There he learns to survive in the fashion of the First People – making fire from flint, fiber from plants, clothes from pelts, and food from cattails, dandelions, and the game he could bring down with his atlatl, a spear-thrower. From an ancient hunter, who appears in a dream, he learns “Adversity presents unique opportunity, a moment of time in God’s wilderness, use the time wisely.”

The Ruin encompasses ninety-one chapters, most dealing with Cliff’s year in the cave dwelling. Within that narrative there are flashbacks to his school years, his farm life, and to his relationship with his hard-working, highly religious, and overly strict father. Interspersed are short chapters dealing with the adult Cliff’s reactions to the school shooting.

Fenter’s research, the breadth of his knowledge about the ancient Puebloans, and his familiarity with farm life are superb. But Fenter’s exposition does slow the story. For example, in his narration of Cliff’s initial explorations of the cave, Fenter uses several hundred words to describe the youngster’s search to find a bee hive. The novel, in fact, is filled with such mini-essays, with Fenter providing lessons about Native American life, bee-keeping, farming, and assorted other subjects. While interesting in its own right, the information sometimes buries the drama of Cliff’s saga, including the most emotionally powerful element, Cliff’s reconciliation with his father: “Dad, when I left, I was very angry at everyone. I had to get away and figure out how to control that. I also needed time to figure out just who I was and how I wanted to live my life.”

Additionally, Fenter fails to tie up completely loose ends in the lives of some characters. For example, readers never learn what happens to George Williamson, a neighbor and Cliff’s mentor. And there are only hints of the later successes of Hector Rodriguez, the bully who learns his lesson and reconciles with young Cliff.

The author of the An American Family in Japan series, Fenter is a retired schoolteacher who served in the Springfield, Oregon community, the location of a tragic 1998 school shooting. The Ruin requires patience, but it is both satisfying and interesting, and well worth recommending to a teen reader.

Gary Presley

Author: Burgess Laughlin
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781439266588
Rating: Five Stars (out of Five)

“The debate about reason and faith is a philosophical one, which means any normally intelligent person can participate if he is willing to think and discuss issues as a way of gathering insights,” Burgess Laughlin writes. “…Specialized knowledge of history is not a requirement for philosophical thinking and discussion.” In The Power and the Glory, Burgess Laughlin, author of The Aristotle Adventure: A Guide to the Greek, Arabic, and Latin Scholars Who Transmitted Aristotle’s Logic to the Renaissance, demonstrates his depth of historical knowledge and succinctly summarizes contributions to understanding the relationship between reason and faith.

The book’s title is derived from Laughlin’s view of power as “the ability to change one’s world despite opposition” and glory as the “state of mind that arises from taking a personal form of action for philosophic values.” He begins with an introduction that explains the basic structure of philosophy and defines the scope of the book. He traces the lives and development of eight thinkers and debaters in the long history of philosophy: Celsus, Origen, Porphyry, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, and Ayn Rand. The book also includes an appendix and an index, plus extensive notes and references.

Laughlin uses biography and history to present a survey of the debate concerning the value of reason versus faith. In each section about history’s great thinkers, Laughlin introduces enough personal biography, political background, and information about their scholastic developments to understand the philosophic positions they took, their motivations for entering the philosophic debate, and the social context of the times. For instance, in the section on Kant, Laughlin provides not only Kant’s biography and philosophy, but also information on Kant’s critic, Johann Georg Hamann, and his upbringing in a “Pietist” home. Thus, we get a full picture of each philosopher and his opposition.

With intellectual honesty, Laughlin writes in a readable style, and easily captures the depth and subtlety of the various points about the possibility and means of knowledge. Regarding the development of John Locke’s position, he writes:

This problem—What is the proper source of knowledge?—was the root of the social and political conflicts of Locke’s time. Puritans said conscience should be the source of knowledge of right and wrong actions …Catholics resorted to infallibility of the pope…Locke tried to find a way to solve political and ethical problems in the same manner that men of science in his time were solving scientific problems…

The Power and the Glory is Laughlin’s attempt to show the value of reason over faith. In the seven-page appendix he writes, “Anyone working for a better world in which to live will inevitably be in a position to occasionally advocate for reason and reject all forms of mysticism.” Whether one agrees with his position or not, this text is an excellent summary of the debate over the nature and source of knowledge. Here is an immensely useful, clear, and direct look at ideas, their sources, and how to evaluate them. Anyone interested in clarifying their understanding of philosophy, theology, ethics, and metaphysics will do well to read this twice.

David George

Author: Liliane Thomas
Publisher: Xlibris
ISBN: 9781436373326
Rating: Four Stars (out of Five)

Thirteen-year-old Jason must save his mother after he finds her with a gun in her hand and his dad lying in bed covered with blood. When he hears her screams and rushes to his parents’ bedroom, she is still clicking the empty gun.

Jason calls 911 and reports, “My mom shot my dad.” When the police arrive and he’s answered their questions, Jason and his eighteen-month-old sister, Megan, are shuffled out the door to stay with their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Parker. The Parkers are the grandparents of his best friend, Chrissy. Although Jason really likes the Parkers, they always make him miss his own grandparents.

It’s only a few days before Christmas, and Jason only wants one thing: to spend Christmas at home with his parents and Megan. However, the police have declared the house off-limits while they investigate the shooting. Jason gets to know the police—the mean one, the nice one and the others.

Slowly he begins to remember things. He had found his baseball bat on the floor. He found a pipe and remembered the smell of tobacco, a smell that reminded him of the pipe his Grandpa smoked before he died.

Evidence piles up against his mother. There’s only one missing clue: his mom fired six shots, but only five bullets were found. When he visits the hospital, his dad tells him to find a hidden envelope and tell no one.

Jason finds himself caught up in mystery, danger and fear. He involves his friends, Chrissy and Barry. The three of them eat pizza for lunch every Friday and call themselves the “Pizza PI’s.”

Author Liliane Thomas keeps the suspense high as more clues are discovered and the young investigators realize that people aren’t what they seem. All of the characters are well-developed, and readers will not only get to know Jason, his family, and his friends, they will also come to like them. As the mystery deepens, the relationships between Jason and his parents, the Parkers, and his best friends are strengthened.

Unfortunately, there are typos throughout the book, and the cover is lackluster. Nevertheless, Thomas has turned out an engaging mystery where surprises abound. There are enough twists and turns to keep readers wondering what will happen next.

Pat Avery

Author: Keith Beam
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781449940737
Rating: Four Stars (out of Five)

Writing humor well is a tricky business. It requires a mix of good storytelling and a healthy dose of exaggeration; the funniest stories are often based on personal problems or blunders. With a stand-up comic’s timing, author Keith Beam’s mishaps could leave even viewers of TV’s America’s Funniest Home Videos wondering if he is for real. Beam’s That’s Going to Leave a Mark is a series of anecdotes about accidents he has endured from childhood to the present. They include falling off a cliff when a GPS program guided him wrong, a thrilling leap for a baseball that ended with a crash into a chain-link fence, and even a trip down his son’s new slide that resulted in an emergency room visit.

Beam is hardly alone in his frequent trips to the hospital. He comes from an accident-prone family, which includes his mother, who, “while watching an ambulance and police squad work on an auto accident across the highway, plowed her own car into a telephone pole, breaking her nose and totaling her car.” His father is no better: He once threw a wrench at a tire, and like a boomerang, it came back and hit him in the head.

After suffering seventeen broken bones, twelve surgeries, hundreds of stitches, and a skull fracture, Beam says he has been hurt so often that local hospitals have pre-completed forms on file for him.

A bow-hunter, columnist, and outdoorsman who tests hunting equipment, Beam was even injured on a testing job when a chain supporting a tree stand failed and he fell. Some of his funniest comments occur when he describes his thoughts as an accident is happening. As he falls from the tree stand, for example, he thinks, “what to do? If I land on my feet I won’t break my back, if I land on my back I won’t break my feet; decisions, decisions, decisions. WHAM!”

His imagery is witty, as when he jokes about his keen hearing as a hunter (“I can hear the Earth rotate around the sun”) or when at age four he was jumping from bed to bed in his “tighty-whities” and lost his balance. “I was like a largemouth bass exploding through the lily pads to attack a frog,” seconds before he lands in his brother’s open tackle box filled with hooks and lures.

Unfortunately, despite entertaining stories, the book lacks a professional layout, starting with the copyright page, and needs proofreading for punctuation and consistency. Such distractions are minimal, however, and fixable in future printings.

The episodes described were obviously painful when they happened, but Beam deftly leaves his mark by keeping his readers in stitches.

Linda Salisbury

Author: David Malone
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 9781452004839
Rating: Four Stars (out of Five)

Born into a traditional 1950’s era family, police lieutenant David Malone lived the American dream until the devastating loss of his mother to kidney failure while she was pregnant with his younger brother. Over time, the impact of this loss gained momentum and eventually took root as severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. This is Malone’s story.

Divided into nineteen chapters and an epilogue, the book opens to a domestic disturbance in 1981 that results in Malone shooting someone. It is one of many incidents he is exposed to during his law enforcement tenure, each of which leave invisible yet searing scars. The story progresses in a linear timeline from 1956, with his younger brother and several relatives, to his post-retirement life and speech at the 2000 Olympics.

David Malone is a retired police lieutenant from the Dallas Forth Worth Police Department.

Malone writes poignantly about a family united by love and separated by sickness and death. Much of his story is common enough. Malone comes of age and meets the woman he’ll eventually marry and decides to enter the police force because of a genuine desire to make a difference. “I can be a good cop. Besides, you can’t change anything wrong with society by grabbing some cushy job to make money…working together we [all cops] can make a difference.” But it’s his bountiful compassion and candor that make this a good read.

Thieves, drug dealers, and domestic violence all make Malone’s work on the force increasingly dangerous. His beloved father is afflicted with Alzheimer’s and Malone is conflicted about how to care for him and his own young family. Fellow officers die or suffer mental maladies and eventually he loses more loved ones.

This is a good, quick read and would serve as an ideal book club selection. Scenes, often vibrant with details of violent death, are carefully crafted yet simple. Not so flatteringly, there are times when certain people in Malone’s life seem like shadows instead of living, breathing entities. The single thing that would make this book perfect would be better physical descriptions of individuals, allowing readers to better grasp their personalities.

Most contemporary memoirs are much longer than 300 pages but Malone achieves great things with a mere 200 or so. This book is certain to maintain reader interest.

Angela Black

Author: Robert Louis Wells
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781449989675
Rating: Three Stars (out of Five)

In his compelling autobiography, Christian minister Robert Louis Wells chronicles his life, from childhood through retirement, with an emphasis on his search for a religious community that combines contemplation, teaching, and service to the community. Readers follow Wells as he journeys through different denominations, encounters church politics, and deals with intrapersonal and interpersonal strife.

Wells is truly a religious pilgrim, and the “trail” of the title refers to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s exhortation to “go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Wells does indeed leave a trail, as the years of his life coincide with a time of great upheaval in the United States—from the music of Elvis Presley to the Civil Rights Movement to the growing popularity of powerful mental health counseling modalities. Before some sections of his autobiography, Wells helpfully lists seminal national and international events, which aids readers in situating his story in a larger context.

The book’s strength lies in the chronicling of Wells’ travels through a range of faiths. Using vivid recollections, dreams, letters, and diary entries, the author masterfully describes the ups and downs of his relationship to God and to the various spiritual communities he serves. Interspersed throughout the narratives are powerful religious poems. Whether written by the author or by others, these verses gel well with the narrative, rendering the episodes in which they are embedded more poignant.

Even secular readers will find wisdom in the author’s sermons and his treatise titled “Spiritual Oriented Listening,” in which he talks of a pastor’s need to recognize congregants’ need for transcendence, relationships, meaning, and inner self. This paper contains worthwhile lessons for readers in the helping professions, no matter what their religious beliefs.

Unfortunately, Wells sometimes gets bogged down in the minutiae of his life. He devotes several pages, for example, to the political drama in one church he preaches in, going so far as to include verbatim copies of the new rules adopted by those in charge. He also mentions the names of what seems like every minister he encounters, even if they only pop up twice more in the narrative. When describing a mountaineering trip, Wells meticulously notes the height of every summit.

For other events, though, details are sorely lacking. For example, after repeatedly mentioning how difficult it is for him to relate to women, the author introduces his first wife, proposes to her, and marries her, all within two paragraphs. Her subsequent depression, their divorce, and her taking on a female partner merit even less space. The suicide of his beloved son takes up precious few pages. Such omissions are odd because those instances surely must have affected his spiritual life. The inclusion of Wells’ detailed ancestries as well as an excess of personal photos indicate that the author wrote his autobiography for both family and the general public.

Though readers will find gems in A Pilgrim Leaves a Trail, they must sift through extraneous data and beware of gaping holes as they seek out these nuggets.

Jill Allen

Author: Lyn Stanley
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 9781449028817
Rating: Five Stars (out of Five)

Fiesty, secretive widow Nell Hannon, jumps off the pages of Lyn Stanley’s delightfully intriguing new novel about Mrs. Hannon’s rapport with the other inhabitants of her small Midwestern village. Although the book is called Nell, and the protagonist narrates in the first-person, other chapters feature the third-person point of view of many of Nell’s neighbors. Nell’s depressed, devious, and possibly dangerous personality comes through as she describes her side of the story. She puts on a demure, grieving façade to fool her neighbors, whom she finds meddling and obnoxious.

The book cleverly twists the notion of an unreliable narrator, with Nell being completely reliable, and those around her being oblivious. For example, readers are initially led to believe that Nell adored her devoted house-husband, Chub. Only later do they discover she is glad he met a gruesome end because his kindness irked her. Additionally, she even tried to drive him away by being shrewish, and because he insisted on being a house-husband, she never learned how to do housework. Her attempts to madden Chub failed, so she eventually gave up and pretended to be happy. As the book opens, Nell has been pretending for many years—faking sorrow and faking interest in the people she calls her friends. She has them all completely hoodwinked.

Nell is, in fact, down in the dumps, however, but not due to the loss of her husband. She tires of having to put on a show; her well-meaning neighbors aggravate her with their repeated attempts to console her and socialize. In crisp prose, Stanley accurately captures the symptoms of mental illness: the all-consuming lethargy that prevents one from doing even the simplest of tasks, the clutter that can accumulate as a result of low energy, and the desire to isolate oneself. Nell’s depression finally lifts as she hits upon a sinister pastime.

Stanley breathes new life into the clichéd trope of the sweet old lady not being who she appears to be, by making Nell seem loveable and even justified in her actions and using the first-person voice. Nell’s businesslike demeanor contrasted with the affirmations of her sweetness from her witless neighbors provides the book with added mordant humor. The protagonist’s prickly personality offers a welcome change from the common doting grandmothers often found in literature. Abundant dialog and colorful characters make Nell a quick, satisfying read.

Jill Allen

Author: Ingrid M. Raunikar
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781451552027
Rating: Four Stars (out of Five)

“Everything that exists within the universe is a direct result of magnetic induction.” This bold statement by Ingrid M. Raunikar in MIFT: Magnetic Induction Field Theory sums up her attempt to reach for the holy grail of physics—a theory of everything. Raunikar is a nurse who was driven by curiosity into a doctoral program in physics. In this little volume she relates magnetic induction to elemental particles, gravity, memory, biology, and more.

Raunikar begins by stating, “Explanations of the properties of matter have yet to provide an explanation for the fundamental characteristics of the universe.” She purports to present readers with a “way to combine the laws of science and the unexplained with a newly testable theory of the magnetically induced field.”

The author then lays the foundation of her theory, describing the neutron as the fundamental particle of matter, and magnetism as the basic motivating force of the universe, inducing the various elements, astronomical events, life cycles, and in fact all physical and biological processes. As she takes readers on a tour of various scientific fields, she presents a strong case that nothing happens without magnetic induction.

The language used to explain the concepts is complex, and it is assumed that readers possess knowledge of physics. Functional knowledge of each topic is generally summarized, showing how all fields relate to magnetism. Regarding the ionic charge of elementary particles, for example, she writes:

A specific range of free-flowing cations and anions is essential to maintain normal biological function and life…and yet positively and negatively charged ions attract one another and tend to form compounds. The only way a specific range of cations and anions can continuously flow freely within an organic structure is from continuous neutron induction of charges.

On the book’s attractive cover and in eleven other illustrations, Raunikar shows the resemblance of physical phenomena to magnetic field contours. She also lists two and a half pages of references. With her conclusions drawn from a survey of twelve fields of knowledge, Raunikar presents forty-two postulates and forty-two propositions inferred from them. She presents a strong case, demonstrating the pervasive involvement of magnetism in the universe, but leaves the mathematical and experimental proofs to others.

Everyday physics enthusiasts will enjoy MIFT: Magnetic Induction Field Theory, but this elegantly simple theory also deserves notice by the general scientific community. If true, this perspective could show that the holy grail of physics has been hidden all along in plain sight. Its testable quality begs for a hearing in the court of experimentation.

David George

Author: Susan Kay
Publisher: Xlibris
ISBN: 9784450078443
Rating: Four Stars (out of Five)

“I am tired,” Susan Kay writes in an excerpt from her 2008 journal, “tired of my religion, of church, of all my personal and interpersonal dysfunctions. I want to have a wider swath of life…The stale odor of my confinement is killing me.” Such brutally honest introspection that penetrates the high walls of ego is rare and refreshing. Intense, almost desperate motivation propels Susan to open herself up to whatever may come, and what comes makes for compelling reading. The themes she explores are universal and will inspire in nearly every reader moments of powerful self-analysis.

With the help of nature CDs and visits by Jesus and Albert Einstein, Susan sets out to free herself from the Christian dogma that has defined her life. Ocean waves take her to a log on the beach, where she finds herself shedding an oozing ball of guilt and a huge, heavy coat of shame. Without these lifelong companions, she is surprisingly happy to find herself, “naked, small, and weak.”

A truck shows up on her beach filled with wonderful symbolism; a megaphone to remind her that no one ever really listens, a mirror with no image, a vanity where she makes herself up, costumes she has worn. As objects are discarded in the surf, decades of self-destructive weight are lifted.

She unashamedly stands naked in front of a younger version of herself who has shown up for a walk on the beach, and cries over what she describes as her “first real act of self-love.” A big wave compels her to move deeper into self-exploration which sends her into a real-world bout of resistance. No longer can she physically or emotionally tolerate the games she once played so well as a church leader. They send her to bed for days with debilitating symptoms, freeing her from the role she is in the final throes of rejecting for good.

While watching television one evening after days in bed rather than in headphones on the beach, her cat reprimands her for wasting time with so much serious work to be done. A little later, Einstein tells her forcefully, “You must learn to focus!” With her meditations producing such transformative fruit, she heeds their advice and moves forward.

She sees through years of worrying that God might not want her to do this or that, and begins to take the liberating responsibility for her decisions. She realizes that most people are complacently asleep, and knows beyond a doubt that it is her job to awaken. She begins to understand and shed her destructive patterns; her saboteur, lonely child, and abusive accuser.

This book could be two or three times as long—she has that much more to say. The references to her husband, sister, parents, and people in the church leave one hungry for more information about these people. There are also a few weak transitions and confusing moments, but the flaws are easily overlooked in this excellent little book.

Patty Sutherland

Author: Ditta M. Oliker
Publisher: BookSurge
ISBN: 9781439269329
Rating: Five Stars (out of Five)

Many people have issues in their lives that seem impervious to change. Difficulties handling money, losing weight, or relating to a spouse can all lead an individual to question who they are and why they cannot improve their situation. In Hide & Seek, clinical psychologist Ditta M. Oliker presents the idea that problems and issues that are present in the life of an adult are often the result of hidden beliefs developed by the subconscious self during childhood in order to survive in difficult or painful situations. As one grows into an adult, it becomes necessary to seek out those beliefs and understand how they came to be. Through this process, erroneous beliefs that no longer serve to protect an individual can be changed and each person can grow to reach his or her greatest potential.

The book is divided into three parts. The first part deals with self-examination and helps readers to understand how each of us develops into a unique person. Concepts such as explicit and implicit knowing are presented along with information on attachment and the concrete way in which children think and perceive their world. Darwin’s theory of natural selection is explained, because according to Oliker, “What is true of survival in the physical world, is also true in the psychological world. Grasp the meaning of Darwin’s concept of survival and you begin to understand the meaning and power of a psychological survival system.”

The second part of the book presents the three elements of a survival system: personality, environment, and the interaction of personality and environment. The third part offers a series of nine steps to assist the reader in identifying whether or not they have a personal survival system, and if so, how to break free from it.

The theory presented in Hide and Seek is eye-opening and will make sense to many readers. It is logical to assume that psychological adaptations from childhood will continue into adulthood if no thought or circumstance occurs to change them. The author has explained her theory very well, using a series of patient stories to illustrate different ways in which survival systems adopted during childhood became detrimental to the adults who subconsciously held on to them. She clearly lists important points to her theory and specific actions to address each. This book will help many readers begin to recognize behaviors in their own lives that may stem from a need to protect the child they once were. Dr. Oliker’s first book is a valuable and unique contribution to the field of psychology.

Catherine Reed-Thureson

Author: Annette Rickert
Publisher: Xlibris
ISBN: 9781450066174
Rating: One Star (out of Five)

A scary story can be exhilarating. A rapidly beating heart, a shiver up the spine, and a burst of adrenaline are all great fun. There can be nothing better than curling up with a scary book on a cool dark night. A good horror story is only limited by the dark places in the writer’s imagination. Fear is author Annette Rickert’s attempt to share that darkness.

Fear contains four short stories that each involve an encounter with something monstrous. In the first story, “Déjà vu,” the main character finds herself in a dreamscape with a pet cat that develops gruesome injuries and receives even more gruesome care. “Snack Anyone” involves a young woman who wakes to find that her mother is dead, having been impregnated by something with claws and pointy teeth that cut through her body when it was time to be born. “Buried Nightmares” deals with a small, filthy gnome with a taste for human flesh. The final story, “Fuzztails,” is perhaps more amusing then scary; it centers on a herd of zombie rabbits.

The writing has several problems. Though the author has chosen to write primarily in the present tense, which is uncommon and can be distracting, she occasionally slips into the past tense. For example, she writes, “I stand there horror struck, not able to move. I couldn’t comprehend what I was looking at.” This change in tense is jarring and immediately takes the reader out of the story. A much larger problem with all of these stories is that none of them feel complete; all four are very brief and none of them contain a real plot. Each story explains a single event and reads like a sketch or an outline of a story waiting to be written.

Additionally, none of the stories seem original. The first one reads as though the author is recounting a bad dream. It does not follow any logical course, and anyone who has ever heard a friend describe a vivid dream will recognize that such stories are more interesting to the teller then to the listener. The other three are reminiscent of other pop culture stories. Aliens bursting out of their mothers’ stomachs and fairy tale creatures hiding in children’s bedrooms will be familiar to most readers—and anyone familiar with Monty Python will recognize the killer rabbit.

In the end, there isn’t much to fear in this collection of short stories.

Catherine Reed-Thureson

Author: Ricardo Petrillo
Publisher: BookSurge
ISBN: 9781439270240
Rating: Four Stars (out of Five)

The mid-nineteenth century saw the rise of Spiritualism, a religion which taught that people could communicate and interact with spirits in the afterlife. Practitioners participated in activities such as séances and card readings to contact the spirit world. One of the activities many Spiritualists followed was automatic writing, a process whereby a person enters a trance and begins writing. In this process, however, the person holding the pen or pencil is not composing their own thoughts, but is dictating the words of a spirit.

It’s this process that produced the book of poetry, Eternal Romeo. The author, Ricardo Petrillo, died from a fall in 2005 but has contacted his parents, Claudio R. Petrillo and Silvia Knoploch, from the beyond with verse. Since Ricardo’s first contact, his parents have compiled four books of poetry.

While the previous volumes focused on spirituality and love, Petrillo’s latest work takes a more dramatic, epic approach. The poems are divided into acts and scenes. The first section, called “Rehearsals,” follows the tale of a nameless London-wandering poet, a Dante-in-the-Inferno-type character who is shown visions of the afterlife and is inspired to write. The first act looks at Hamilcar and his son Hannibal, while the rest of the acts focus on Romeo; his life and death as they happen in Romeo and Juliet, his past lives, and then his future lives.

For readers who are unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, Petrillo’s take is an excellent introduction. Readers who have seen or read the play will find its adaptation to epic poetry fits well. So well, in fact, it’s surprising that no one has thought of it before. For example, when Romeo first visits Friar Lawrence to ask him to marry him and Juliet, Petrillo writes: “Romeo was barely listening / To the wisdom of the friar / While dancing around him / In his innocent dance of love.”

The real beauty of this collection of poems is its hopefulness. Even though Petrillo is talking of love as Romeo, there is a purity and belief behind it. This is not passionate or frivolous human love; it is love that truly endures all. “Love, so great it was / Calm and serene / Without the fire of passion / And the torment of possession,” Petrillo writes.

No matter what readers think of the circumstances under which this book was written, Eternal Romeo is a mesmerizing read for anyone who loves poetry and the belief that love goes on.

Katerie Prior