Fabulous Fantasy Coloring Book

 

Rosanes has produced perhaps his most beautiful coloring book yet. The incredibly detailed drawings are alive with dragons, beautiful damsels, and other mythic creatures. The pages are heavy paper which should take most media without bleeding through. However, I’d test your drawing instruments on a corner to make sure. Many of the drawings run over two pages, but that shouldn’t be an insurmountable problem.

The book begs for color. I’m not particularly artistic, but each page makes me feel like I can add some beauty to the drawings. I particularly like the description of the myths at the end of the book. The myths are gathered from around the world from Greenland to Egypt. I was unfamiliar with most of the myths, so I learned something. Learning about the myths made the pictures come to life.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

An Autobiographical Self Help Book

 

The title of this book says it all. Life isn’t perfect. If you focus on how terrible things are they won’t get better, and you will be miserable. In addition to giving ideas for how to move from focusing on the past and future and how your life is going wrong, the author offers suggestions on how to frame your thinking to move on and accept that things are not going to be perfect, but you can enjoy life anyway.

The first half of the book gives suggestions for how to reorient your thinking like keeping a gratitude journal and the power of ‘and’ rather than ‘or.’ I found the latter concept particularly helpful. When we see things only one way, using ‘or’, we see ourselves as victims of our circumstances. Using ‘and’ is more inclusive. Sure things seem terrible, but that’s not all that’s happening.

The second half of the book is based on the author’s personal experiences. Clearly she has had some difficult problems to deal with and has come out as a successful business person, mother, and author. I thought it was helpful to include autobiographical material to illustrate her philosophy, but I came away feeling that she wasn’t as happy as the title led me to expect.

This is a useful book. If you’re suffering with life’s issues you may find it helpful.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

A View of Humanity’s Ascent

 

This book seeks to shed light on two question: how did humanity rise to it’s present level, and why is the growth not universal across cultures? These are huge questions. The author tackles them in an academic way while also being able to make the book interesting for the lay reader.

The first half of the book tackles the question of the progression of humans from hunter-gatherers to the level of our current highly technical civilization. I found the discussion interesting, but basically it is the traditional explanation. I recently read The Dawn of Everything by Graeber and Wengrow. It’s fascinating to compare the two explanations for the rise of civilization. Personally, I found the Graeber-Wengrow thesis more satisfying.

The second half tackles the question of the distribution of wealth. Why some areas succeeded and are still succeeding more than others. It’s a complex problem. I thought the author handled it well. Climate does have a great deal to do with the problem, but it’s not the only driver. Diversity is also a factor, but again the underlying reasons are complex.

The book is written for a college level audience. It’s not difficult to read or understand but it is dense and there is a great deal of technical vocabulary. However, I believe it’s well worth the time to discover the author’s ideas.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Problem Solving - Not Just for Entrepreneurs

 

The focus of this book is on how to help people who want to start a company. The strategy is to find a need or a way to solve a problem. Then don’t be constrained by your current resources. Think outside the box about what will make the idea a success. Finally have a vision about how the world will change if you are successful. The last objective will keep you focused on the goal during the times when things aren’t going perfectly and keep you from giving up.

The book is very readable. The author presents his ideas and follows them up with examples of both successful and not so successful entrepreneurs. I particularly liked the inclusion of the not so successful. Sometimes I find it off-putting to hear only success stories. Failure is a learning experience also.

While this book is clearly aimed at people who want to make a difference and have their own companies. There are other groups who can benefit from these ideas. You may not have to start your own business. It can be equally challenging to move an established business into more profitable areas.

The problem solving principles can be used by anyone even if the objective isn’t to start a business. The most difficult thing for most people embarking on a project is identifying a workable problem. This book presents good strategies for this. I think anyone could benefit from reading this book and translating the ideas into their own area.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Finding Your Home in a Distant Land

 

Rose Hamilton feels she was unjustly dismissed from her WWII wartime duties. Now working as a secretary in London, she is looking for a way to recover her self. On a train, heading to a birthday celebration with her uncle, brother, and hopefully her fiance she opens a discarded newspaper. An advertisement for a companion to accompany a five year old boy to Australia catches her eye. It’s something she thinks she would like to do.

She meets with Vivian, the boy’s great aunt. The two women have an instant rapport and Rose moves into Vivian's house to get to know Walter, the five-year-old boy. She immediately feels close to Walter and wants to protect him. The trip to Australia where he is heir to a large cattle station is dangerous, but they arrive safely. However, the welcome at the station is not what they expected.

Max, Walter’s uncle a wounded fighter pilot, runs the cattle station. At first he is hard to get know, but gradually he and Rose begin to have feelings for each other; but can it work for Rose in such a different world from her life in London?

This is a well researched historical novel. I was captivated by the scenery in Australia the same was Rose was. The author has done an excellent job creating a realistic environment and characters full of life. If you enjoy romance, a warm emotional setting, and a historically accurate background, you’ll like this book. I highly recommend it.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

A Strong Summer Camp Friendship

 

Summer camp is a place where strong friendships can develop. This is true of the Deck Five girls at Marshall Naval School. Margret, Flor, Rose, and Nisreen have been together during the summers and have formed a deep attachment. The final summer Margaret is different. Everything has changed and a boy is dead.

This is not an easy book to read. The writing is a cross between prose and poetry. It almost feels like stream of consciousness. The writing style is good for showing emotion, but it’s confusing when you are trying to follow the plot. The confusion isn’t helped by moving the plot back and forth between summers. Sometimes it’s not clear which summer you’re in.

From the blurb, I thought I would enjoy the book, but for several reasons, I didn’t. Although the book was filled with emotion, I couldn’t relate to the characters, particularly the main character. The pace was slow. I sensed that there was a deep story underlying the narrative, and I guessed what it was within a few pages. That didn’t help the suspense. I think the idea for the plot was great, but the writing just didn’t come off for me.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Finding God Through Metaphor

 

Thinking of God as a big, powerful being in the sky is uncomfortable for many people. They can’t form a connection. Tobi Spitzer, as a Jewish rabbi is familiar with this problem. In this book, she uses the Old Testament to find metaphors for God that are more relatable in our world.

In the Hebrew Bible, she finds metaphors for God in the real world: Water, Voice Fire, Rock, and Cloud. Metaphor is a way to gain understand something that is difficult to comprehend directly. Spitzer’s book gives us a way to approach and understand God through the real world. I felt her most successful metaphor was water. Water is powerful and flowing, but it can also be gentle.

The use of metaphor promotes the idea that God is here in the natural world and that he can be sensed in many ways. I thought the thesis was a good one. It gives a way to think about and relate to God that is immediate and real not necessarily filtered through words and ideas that are difficult to understand.

In addition to the discussion of metaphor, each chapter has suggestions for bringing alive the ideas. She also provides textual insights from the Bible and well as spiritual traditions such as Judaism and Christianity.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Russians in Paris Pre and Post WWI

 

Before WWI the Russian aristocracy flocked to Paris where they spent lavishly and delighted in the sophisticated capital. Others came too: writers, artists, and musicians. Political agitators like Lenin also found their way to the city. After the war the Russians who had considered Paris a vacation spot found themselves refugees often with little or no money.

Aristocrats who had once played and spent vast sums now because servants. I loved the story of a famous general who was discovered washing cars late at night. Some of the artists, musicians and writers found fame in the their new home. Stravinsky and Chagall are notable in this regard. However, many struggled and could never rise above the poverty level.

Paris was also home to intrigue. Banished aristocrats, particularly Archduke Krill, wanted to take back the empire. He even proclaimed himself Tsar.

This is a very enjoyable book. Rappaport mixes historical narrative with stories of the lives of a variety of Russians from all classes. I found the stories fascinating when placed against the background of Paris both before and after the war. If you enjoy Russian history, you’ll find this book interesting.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

An Unorthodox Psychologist and Marital Secrets

 

Avery Chambers, a psychologist, lost her license because of her unorthodox approach to therapy. Still, she believes in her ten meetings approach and has been successful even attracting attention from the media.

Marissa Bishop has heard of Avery’s success and believes she can help her in reclaiming her marriage to Matthew. She cheated on Matthew. Of course, there’s more to the background, but that’s where the couple start. The problem for Avery is that for her methods to work she needs complete honesty, and she discovers that both Bishops are hiding things.

This was a fun read. The plot line is unusual and engrossing. There are plenty of twists to keep the pace lively and the characters are interesting. I started by not liking Avery very much, but as the story moved on, I saw why she trusted her methods and came to understand what she was doing. Marissa was a character I could relate to. I felt from the beginning that she loved her husband and wanted to work on her marriage. Matthew was more difficult. He was obviously upset by Marissa’s infidelity, but he didn’t seem as committed to putting things right as she did.

This is a good escapist book that’s enjoyable to read.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

The Destructiveness on Revenge

 

Ellen Saint has an unusual condition. Heights make her want to jump. She’s working with a client and trying to avoid looking out the window when she glances at The Heights, a slender apartment building across the way. A man stands on the balcony. At first she doesn’t think much about him except that if she were there she’d have to force herself not to jump. Then she realizes it’s the man she killed two years ago. Ellen believes her family was destroyed by the man. She’s consumed with the need for revenge and can see nothing but the white hot hatred she feels for him.

This is a story of the destructiveness of revenge. It’s told in four parts and from several points of view. Ellen tells her story. Then her ex-husband Vic gives his version. It’s revealing how two people can see events so differently.

The book had good points. I thought the author did well with Ellen’s state of mind. She wasn’t a likable person, but you could feel her torment. The major problem with the book is that it’s slow. There is only one incident. Although it’s interesting to see different view points, it lacks the pace of someone searching for clues.

This is a character driven novel. If you enjoy psychological suspense, you may like this book.

I received this book from Atria for this review.