Beth's Book Reviews

Review: Activate Your Goodness by Shari Arison

2013-05-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Activate Your Goodness is a practical guide for doing good for yourself and others, offering you inspiration for immediate improvement of your life and the lives of those around you. Author Shari Arison, visionary businesswoman and philanthropist, is candid about her own personal stories and also provides examples from others who have made a difference by thinking, speaking, and doing good.

As one of the world’s most powerful women and the owner of a business empire that spans the globe, Shari describes her extraordinary experiences and how she has integrated the power of doing good in all aspects of her life and career.

The unexpected and delightful insight that emerges from the book proves that when you find a way to do good for others, you also do good for yourself. This is a book to share with your loved ones and those who are partners in your desire to create a better world for future generations. Activate your goodness, and discover ways to make your life joyful beyond measure!

Received for review.

First of all, this is an absolutely adorable little book! It fits perfectly int eh hand, and the text is easy readable, which is a huge bonus!

The book's message is really quite nice - do the best you can with what you have where you are. The author presents her message in a very upbeat and positive way and the actions she describes are reasonable.

So, what kept this from being four stars? Well, frankly, it was the author's introduction. The author was a "poor little rich girl" with a maid and absentee parents who traveled constantly. Yeah, it's tough to feel bad for her. Had the revelations about the author's wealth and attitudes come at the end of the book I would have rated it higher, but having to hear how "tough" it was for her as a rich child in the introduction tainted the remainder of the book.

Overall, this was intriguing and very Oprah-esque and is a nice read, but, by all means, skip the introduction.

★★★☆☆ = Liked It

Featured Book: The Southern Chapter of the Big Girl Panties Club by Lynda Stephenson

2013-05-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

About the book:

The year is 1958, and schools in the South are rebelling against the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education. In the beginning, Frankilee Baxter, a freshman at Athena College, is not concerned with racial issues. Instead, she is determined to improve her looks, pledge a sorority, find a steady boyfriend and make her name as a journalist at the college newspaper. Her plans are changed, however, when she befriends Eleanor Wilson, the only Negro student on campus. Eleanor is the daughter of a northern minister who is a prominent leader in the NAACP. When life becomes almost more painful and confusing than they can bear, Frankilee and her friends in the dormitory form The Southern Chapter of the Big Girl Panties Club, and they invite Eleanor to join. The BGPC members stand together to protect Eleanor from acts of discrimination. The story also deals with the blossoming love of Frankilee for Trace Godwin, a popular star basketball player and the pledge trainer of his fraternity. When a boy in Trace’s fraternity is seriously injured during a campout, the narrative takes a dark turn of mystery and deceit. More complications arise when Frankilee spends Easter weekend with Trace’s wealthy, dysfunctional family. A quirky story of love, discrimination, forgiveness, and redemption, The Southern Chapter of the Big Girl Panties Club follows Frankilee and her friends during their freshman year.

About the author:

Lynda Stephenson’s first novel, Dancing with Elvis, introduces the irreverent teenager, Frankilee Baxter, who is both charming and sharp-tongued. Published in 2005, fifty years after Brown vs. Board of Education, Dancing with Elvis was chosen by Book Sense for Teen Readers and was a finalist for the Oklahoma Center for the Book Award. It was named an International Reading Association Book Award Notable. In addition to other accolades, the book received the Delta Kappa Gamma Young Adult/Adult Award in 2007. Born and reared in the West Texas Panhandle, Stephenson attended Trinity University in San Antonio and then received her Master’s Degree and doctoral work in English from the University of Oklahoma. A former English professor at East Central University, Ada, Oklahoma, she is a prolific writer of poetry, essays, and short stories. She currently lives with her husband, Gene, in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Review: The Collected Poems by Marcel Proust

2013-05-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

For the centennial of Swann's Way: the most complete volume of Proust's poetry ever assembled, in a gorgeous deluxe edition As a young man, Proust wrote both poetry and prose. Even after he embarked on his masterful In Search of Lost Time at the age of thirty-eight, he never stopped writing poetry. His verse is often playful, filled with affection and satire, and is peppered with witty barbs at friends and people in his social circle of aristocrats, writers, musicians, and courtesans.

Few of the poems collected here under the editorship of Harold Augenbraum, founder of the Proust Society of America, have ever been published in book form or translated into English until now. In this dual-language edition of new translations, Augenbraum has brought together nineteen renowned poets and poetry translators to bring Proust's exuberant verse back to life.

Received for review.

I'll admit that I'm not a huge poetry fan. I think English class in high school drove all possible fondness for poetry right out of me. However, this beautiful volume has restored a bit of it to me.

First, his particular edition is beautifully presented with those lovely almost torn edged pages and the text is a nice, readable size. The book itself is also of a good size to hold in the hand comfortably.

The text itself has both the original French poems (printed on the left hand pages) as well as the English translations (printed on the right hand pages) which makes for delightful reading. There are also numerous notes about the poems presented in the latter part of the book for additional background information.

If you're looking for a delightful volume of Proust's poems, this is the edition to get. You simply cannot go wrong with the presentation.

★★★★☆ = Really Liked It

Featured Book: A Human Menagerie by Rob Kleinsteuber

2013-05-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

About the book:

Let me be your guide through a brief tour of some of our fellow humans, with foibles and follies on display to bring smiles and sighs. You may recognize a neighbor, a coworker, or even a little of yourself.

About the author:

Rob Kleinsteuber is a writer and artist who lives in Washington, D.C. His artistic talent surfaced in his early teens, taking prizes in adult fine art competitions. He has been a communications manager for Fortune 500 corporations, an ad agency account executive, and an editor. As an illustrator, he has done freelance work for local and national publications based in the Washington-Baltimore area.

Rob lives in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, where he shares a home and art studio with his partner of 18 years. He continues to write, to paint and sculpt- and to observe.

Book Excerpt: Your Ultimate Life Plan by Jennifer Howard

2013-05-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Howard, author of the book Your Ultimate Life Plan, stopped by to share with us an excerpt from her book.

About the book:

Your Ultimate Life Plan will help you improve every moment of your life by teaching you how to build:

Confidence: Remove what's stopping you.
Strength: Move from your wounded ego into your sacred self.
Courage: Make smarter choices by embracing the Four Dimensions of Consciousness.
Success: Rise to your next level of happiness, clarity, and transformation.

Your Ultimate Life Plan is the distillation of Dr. Howard's 20-plus years of experience as a psychotherapist and spiritual teacher. This "workshop in a book" will help you do more than understand your Wholeness--you will experience it.

About the author:

Jennifer Howard, PhD, teaches the art of conscious living. She is an internationally acclaimed psychotherapist, life and business coach, professional speaker, teacher, and energy healer. A leading expert on spirituality and psychology, Dr. Howard has appeared on numerous national network television shows and is a Huffington Post blogger. As creator and host of the award-nominated radio talk show, A Conscious Life, her wisdom, warmth, and sense of humor shine through. She lives in New York. For more information, visit: DrJenniferHoward.com and YourUltimateLifePlan.com.

Featured Book: Terry by Terry Wadsworth Warne

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

About the book:

As a young child, Terry Wadsworth’s days were full of happiness and adventure. Her father grew pineapples in the rich, dark, soil on a remote plateau at the edge of the Philippine jungle, and life---like the golden pineapples—was sweet. She had a little pony and lived in a beautiful compound that the company had built. The only threats to her edenic life were the occasional cobra or python---that is, until a much fiercer enemy struck 5,000 miles away at Pearl Harbor. Within hours of the surprise attack in Hawaii, the Japanese military launched a similar assault on the Philippine Islands and began their campaign to overtake the American Protectorate, with Terry and her family on the dangerous battlefront. Soon the peaceful skies above their paradisiacal home were swarming with military war machines. General Douglas MacArthur and family, Philippine President Manuel Quezon and family, plus many other important people hid from the Japanese in Terry’s remote home as they secretly left the Philippines for Australia. As the fighting intensified, Terry’s family abandoned their home to hide in the dense mountain jungle and wait for an opportunity to escape to Australia. But when the Japanese pushed the American forces into retreat, Terry and her family found themselves with only one option. Surrender! This is a story of survival in spite of disease, starvation, and death’s beckoning. Terry’s unconquerable spirit as an eight-to eleven- year-old prisoner of war is a reminder that even in the most deplorable circumstances, life is what you make of it. Amazing!

About the author:

TERRY WADSWORTH WARNE drew on her childhood experiences as a prisoner of war to focus on helping children as an adult. Terry served as a foster parent for drug babies and abused, neglected children for 22 years in California. She received many awards in recognition of her service. In Utah, Governor Michael Leavitt presented her with a Mother of the Year Award. She was active in Scouting for 25 years and is a Silver Beaver. Terry currently lives in South Jordan, Utah.

Review: Six Sisters' Stuff

2013-05-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

Cook, craft, and create with recipes, projects, and ideas from the enormously popular blog SixSistersStuff.com. Every recipe and project included in this book is quick, easy, and fun. More than 100 family-favorite recipes (including an entire section of slow-cooker recipes), use ingredients commonly found in your pantry. The crafts and home décor projects have easy-to-follow instructions with photographs and can be made with little or no money. "We don't profess to be amazing chefs," they claim. "We just know the importance of feeding our families a home-cooked meal and sitting down to eat it together. Our mom and dad taught us so many great values, and we are thankful that they instilled the importance of family time in our lives. Even the busiest of people can make the food and project ideas we share, which will give you even more time to spend with your family and loved ones.

Received for review.

This is an absolutely huge coffee table sized paperback volume! It is beautifully photographed and simply stuffed with yummy recipes and craft ideas!

Granted, some of the recipes do call for such horrors as "cream of" soups, cake mix, frosting from a can, and Velveeta (shudder), the remainder are easy to make, and contain ingredients that you would actually feed your family and are easily accessible at your local grocery store.

The craft and kids ideas are interesting and relatively easy to make as well.

I highly recommend this for someone who is looking for fast, easy meals, desserts, and crafts.

★★★★☆ = Really Liked It

Review: Air Keep by J. Scott Savage

2013-05-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

The adventure continues . . . It's been six months since Marcus and Kyja obtained the help of the land and water elementals, but before they can secure the help from the mysterious air elementals, the two friends must first be reunited. A task easier said than done.

While attempting to return to Farworld, Marcus finds himself in the Abyss of Time, facing four doors: the Is, the Was, the Will Be, and the Never Was. What he learns in that dangerous place has the potential to change his life—and Kyja's. But does he have the courage to tell her what he learned? And in Farworld, a terrible drought has seized the land, hinting that perhaps there is a traitor in the elementals' midst.

As Marcus and Kyja desperately search for the air elementals, they must first answer the question "Who can we trust?"

Received for review.

Although this is supposed to be the review for the third book in the Farworld series, I'm going to review all three books in one go so you won't have to read the same review three times!

This series strongly reminds me of James Dashner's 13th Reality series (which is a good thing). The magic and the characters are a combination of the 13th Reality, Harry Potter, and Narnia, which sounds odd, but works quite well.

The stories were quite interesting and drew you in right away with intriguing characters and situations. I won't give too much away about the stories, but the books form a nice story arc, yet are complete in themselves.

I highly recommend this intelligent, extremely well written series and am eagerly awaiting a fourth volume!

★★★★☆ = Really Liked It

Featured Book: Before the Poisoned Apple by L.S.Dubbleyew

2013-05-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

About the book:

Long before the Time of the Ancients, two Scrolls were created― one for the lands and one for the skies. Those written words hold all worldly mysteries; they reveal all secrets. With those words, eternal domination can be had. And She who wrote them, hid them. Because the greatest evil seeks them. There is a prophecy: “If the Seven fail in defending all, the hearts, the pillars, the love, will fall.” Two babies are saved from certain death and hidden, as their fate is to marry and grow a family. An exceptional family of seven brothers. Of seven little men. Their world is a deadly one. In the vast, bewitched land within The Reach, there are dragon-elves, witches, ogres and Kings. It is a world of evil castles holding deadly spirits. Where demons ride lightning and mountains can move. Where blood-trolls lurk deep in the ground. And below them…still deeper terrors lie. Follow the seven and their family as they battle for their lives while a greater fate unfolds before them... to protect The Scrolls. From the day they were born, the wicked have them marked. Every turn is a test of loyalty and strength. And love alone is not enough to ward off horrors and evil. Share the family’s happiness as special friends come into their lives, and grieve with them as loved ones are taken. Before The Poisoned Apple is the first in the series, Brave Tales of Seven Little Men. An epic tale: dramatic, imaginative, magical and fun. Grow with them, for their story doesn’t end with the princess whose skin is as white as snow.

About the author:

Before the Poisoned Apple is the debut novel written by author, LS Dubbleyew. In his own words..."It's the first in a series of books about characters known and loved by all, but whose true tale has never been told. Long before they saved Snow White, the seven little men lived a life of battles and wonder. And their story didn't end with Snow White. Their quests are legendary... but nobody knows about them! Until now." In the epic traditions of The Lord of The Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, and the Harry Potter Series, LS Dubbleyew brings his love of fantasy and family together in an amazing story of life and loyalty.

Review: 9 Squares by E.K. Prescott

2013-05-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

The year is 1923, and Richard Wikki, a former detective from Scotland Yard and now a professor at the prestigious Yale University in New Haven, CT, misses his days of crime solving. Maize Judson has enrolled at Yale with hopes of becoming an investigative journalist.

When Maize and her friend find a skeleton buried in the sand at the beach with a mysterious amulet wrapped around its fingers, she and Richard set out to solve a murder.

But Richard soon finds himself following well-planted illusionary clues, and as he continues to investigate, a series of events shake the depths of his philosophical, religious and spiritual beliefs, as well as his perspective on life... forever.

Received for review.

A mystery set in 1923 in New Haven, Connecticut. Really, how could I resist this being a Nutmegger myself?

Although the New Haven of 1923 is significantly cleaner and rather idealized in the book the characters were intriguing and the story believable.

I wouldn't so far as to call this a charming addition to the cozy genre but it was intelligent and well written and I am looking forward to future releases in the series.

I certainly recommend this to independent cozy mystery fans.

★★★☆☆ = Liked It

Featured Book: Live to Tell Your Story by Dave LaRue

2013-05-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

About the book:

In this book Dave shares the stories that provided him with lessons and inspiration on his way to becoming a successful leader and entrepreneur, and he encourages the reader to look at their own life as a collection of stories full of priceless lessons and powerful inspiration.

About the author:

Dave LaRue is an international businessman and entrepreneur who owns and leads more than a dozen thriving companies. He also spends a great deal of time coaching entrepreneurs on how to achieve the same level of success that he is enjoying in life. Experience has taught Dave that life is about decisions. Deciding what your values are, what habits work best for you, and what your true talents are make it possible to ask the right questions, set the right goals, and make the best decisions possible to chart the path to your own success. But while you’re on that path, some of the lessons life has to teach us come from encounters and situations we hadn’t sought out or anticipated, and Dave believes that the stories that come to each individual this way can offer each person an invaluable chance to learn who they truly are—and what action must be taken to live their life accordingly.

Book Excerpt: Your Ultimate Life Plan by Jennifer Howard

2013-05-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Howard, author of the book Your Ultimate Life Plan, stopped by to share with us an excerpt from her book.

About the book:

Your Ultimate Life Plan will help you improve every moment of your life by teaching you how to build:

Confidence: Remove what's stopping you.
Strength: Move from your wounded ego into your sacred self.
Courage: Make smarter choices by embracing the Four Dimensions of Consciousness.
Success: Rise to your next level of happiness, clarity, and transformation.

Featured Book: The Silver Moon by Sadie Wheaton

2013-05-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

About the book:

Sadie Wheaton and her three friends have always been close, but they’ve bonded even more strongly during their experiences together in Wizard School.

Now in their third year, young Sadie discovers that she has a rare gift … she can cast a very special spell.

Sadie’s talent is noticed by someone who does not have her best interests at heart … someone who wants to control Sadie and use her gifts for selfish gain.

The Silver Moon is a funny, suspenseful, enchanting story that will have you on the edge of your seat, and eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

About the author:

Charita Padilla is a mother of two, married for eight years. She lives in New Haven, Connecticut. This is her second book.

Review: The Alchemist War by John Seven

2013-05-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

When their parents, two temporal researchers who travel through time to document history, are transferred to 16th-century Prague, Dawk and Hype hardly expect to find themselves in the middle of an alchemical mystery.

In fact, the new, boring job is meant to be a punishment for Dawk and Hype’s bad behavior at their last temporal post.

The two teenagers are from the 25th century—how could medieval Prague compare?

But when they meet a man who claims he can turn metal into gold, Dawk and Hype find out that Prague holds deeper secrets.

E-galley received for review.

I gather this is supposed to be the second in the Time-Tripping Faradays series, but the publisher did not offer the first for review and I could not find any information about it online. So, not having read the first (I think) book, the second was a bit confusing to begin with since you were not familiar with the world or the characters, but you quickly became acclimated enough to enjoy the story, although there were, necessarily, some things that were still unclear.

Overall, this was a pleasant read with a fun concept and likable characters. I certainly recommend this volume and I hope to see many more releases in the series.

★★★☆☆ = Liked It

Review: Your Soul Contract Decoded by Nicolas David Ngan

2013-05-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Inside your birth name hides the blueprint of your life. Unlock those secrets with this ancient system of numerology based on Hebrew glyphs, and release your full potential! Your Soul Contract Decoded reveals that there is an underlying plan, a carefully designed spiritual map that guides us—and then it empowers seekers to navigate their challenges, find and express their strengths, and manifest their dreams. By revealing your karmic patterns, it enables you to access your life's true purpose and finally achieve your soul destiny.

E-galley received for review.

Frankly, I have absolutely nothing positive to say about this book except that the concept was interesting. Other than that it was a total fail.

I can't even describe this as bad since it went so far beyond bad as to make mere bad look halfway good. Really, it was that unfortunate.

The book was badly designed and executed with no explanations. First, you are supposed to take a chart and fill in the numbers that correspond to your birth name. It sounds simple enough, but the reality is a nightmare. There are so many charts and such that it takes a Ph.D. to actually complete said chart. Then the math! I mean, adding things up isn't a problem but the descriptions of just HOW to add them up are just, well, unhelpful. Think of the absolute worst word problem you've ever experienced and double it. That is how horrific the experience is, and I'm not even bad at math and I was armed with a calculator to boot! The author offers a free name calculator on his website but it is impossible to get an account to log in, so don't even bother with that!

As if getting the numbers themselves isn't bad enough, then comes pages upon pages of so called interpretations of the numbers which provide no intelligent assistance whatsoever in actually interpreting your numbers.

Really, this is just bad, bad, bad and may as well have been written in a completely different language since it was so incomprehensible!

Do not pick this up unless you feel the need to bring yourself to the verge of tears of frustration from the horror of trying to interpret this nightmare.

★☆☆☆☆ = Didn't Like It

Featured Book: Ol' Shakey by Byron Gene Fish

2013-05-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

About the book:

After a lifetime of flying, with experience ranging from novice airman to Director of Training and Standards for a top name in the field, there’s almost nothing Gene Fish hasn’t seen. Ol’ Shakey: Memories of a Flight Engineer shares some of the most memorable stories of Gene’s Air Force and civilian career, including his stint in a Douglas Globemaster C-124, nicknamed “Ol’ Shakey” – an aircraft that had a habit of keeping flight engineers on their toes with its quirky malfunctions. From a colorful layover at Midway Island to kite-flying at Pope Air Force Base, from a terrifying episode of propeller overspeed to the dangers that pilots face every day, Gene’s stories will entertain military personnel, aviators, and anyone who is enthusiastic about the romance of flight … and the reality behind it!

About the author:

Byron Gene Fish entered the aviation field at the age of 16. He was initially trained in a Boeing PT-17 trainer, and later received his private pilot certificate in an Ercoupe 415D. He entered the Air Force to attend AF pilot training, and earned his wings and a commission as a pilot. His career was cut short with the 1962 personnel reduction in the Air Force, and he returned to the enlisted ranks to become a performance flight engineer. After retiring from the Air Force, he accepted employment with Saudi Arabian Airlines as a ground performance instructor. He then returned to the United States to work for Boeing. Following retirement from Boeing, he joined Flight Safety International in Seattle as a ground and flight simulator instructor. When FSI and Boeing merged, he remained with FSI as Director of Training and Standards. He retired in 2010 after a back injury. Gene recognized the value of education, and enrolled in college wherever he was located. He eventually completed degrees in psychology (BS, MS, and PhD) and aeronautical engineering (BS, MS, PhD). He and his wife, Rosaly, live in Normandy Park, Washington.

Review: The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner

2013-05-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

Do you have things in your life that you wish were different . . . but you don’t know how to change?

The Tapping Solution offers a new technique to deal with seemingly impossible situations.

Tapping, also known as EFT, is a powerful tool for improving your life on multiple levels: mental, emotional, and physical. It has been proven to effectively address a range of issues—from anxiety, chronic pain, addiction, and fear, to weight control, financial abundance, stress relief, and so much more. It’s also one of the easiest and fastest practices to learn. You can learn it in minutes, do it anywhere and on virtually any issue, and oftentimes experience immediate results.

How does it work? Based on the principles of both ancient acupressure and modern psychology, tapping concentrates on specific meridian endpoints while focusing on negative emotions or physical sensations. Combined with spoken word, tapping helps calm the nervous system to restore the balance of energy in the body and rewire the brain to respond in healthy ways.

In this book, you’ll not only learn how to start tapping, you’ll also get the history and cutting-edge science behind it. Featuring step-by-step instructions, exercises, and diagrams, The Tapping Solution shows you how to tap on a variety of issues and identify practical applications. Plus, throughout the book, you’ll find unbelievable, real-life stories of healing, ranging from easing the pain of fibromyalgia to overcoming a fear of flying.

Find out how to release your fears and clear the limiting beliefs that hold you back from creating the life you want.

It’s time for . . . The Tapping Solution!

E-galley received for review.

I'm actually quite familiar with the Ortners and their work so I was excited to check out Nick's new book and I wasn't disappointed.

I'll start off with the one negative aspect of the book - Nick sharing his own personal experiences. You'd think this would be productive in reading how tapping changed his life, but really it's more annoying. So tapping helped him supposedly go from being a million dollars in debt (business debt, mind you, not credit cards or such) to married to his sister's best friend, a millionaire, and the CEO of his own company - and now a best selling author. I mean, that's great and all that that was his experience, but I'm not sure that tapping was the catalyst for the changes he experienced, and it's really rather cruel to tell someone who is reading a self-help book that this can be their experience too if only they tap enough. If that were true everyone who taps would be a happy, healthy, millionaire. This is what kept it from being a five star book.

What I did like about the book was that it was the perfect introduction to the subject for newcomers to tapping. The book presented the concept and the practical application in a clear, concise, friendly manner and you can tell that Nick actually wrote the book himself (as opposed to hiring a ghost writer as so many celebrities do) as you can hear his voice and enthusiasm in the words.

The book also contains numerous sample tapping scripts which are invaluable to newbies as they get used to what to say while tapping. There are going to be online videos available for readers as well, but as I was reading the e-galley ahead of the release date the videos were not accessible to me so I can't comment on their content.

Those more experienced with tapping will also find the book beneficial in its discussion and clarification of various tapping aspects and the wide variety of topics covered.

This is the go-to book for tapping newbies and veterans alike. I highly, highly recommend it!

★★★★☆ = Really Liked It

Featured Book: Moving Mountains by James Wilde

2013-05-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

About the book:

The story of how my dream to climb the seven continental summits transformed into providing clean drinking water to the people of northern Uganda. In 2010, I set out to climb Everest from the north side and to complete the seven summits (climbing to the summit of the highest peak on every continent). During my training in the Himalaya, I discovered the water crisis and it changed me. It was then in 2009 when I fell ill with dysentery on Cho Oyu, forcing me to turn back on my attempt to reach the 6th highest peak on the planet. During the time I was sick, I encountered what most people without clean water experience on a regular basis. Upon my return home to Munich, I dedicated my climb of Everest to the water crisis and founded a 501(c)3 entity in the USA. I focused an entire year of my life on reaching the highest point on the planet and creating an all-volunteer organization with the goal to provide clean drinking water to the people in northern Uganda. What was originally a personal goal became a quest to deliver clean drinking water to the thirsty millions in war-stricken northern Uganda. Through this story, the charity, Global H2O, was born.

About the author:

James is a career expatriate, having worked for the majority of his career in Strategy and Finance. His most recent position was Chief Strategy Officer of Angola Telecom, based in Luanda, Angola. Having worked his way up from the lowest level analyst roles, James has made his way to more senior positions such as Director of Finance in Latin America or Operations Director for the Global Wholesale Business at British Telecom. James has an MBA in International Business and Finance and Bachelor degrees in Journalism/Marketing as well as Business Administration. He speaks English, German, French, Russian, and Portuguese as a result of living / working in the USA, France, Austria, Germany, Brazil and Russia. When not hard at work, you can find James concentrating on growing the non-profit Global H2O.

Guest Post: Jennifer Howard author of Your Ultimate Life Plan

2013-04-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Howard, author of the book Your Ultimate Life Plan, stopped by to share with us a piece she wrote.

About the book:

Your Ultimate Life Plan will help you improve every moment of your life by teaching you how to build:

Confidence: Remove what's stopping you.
Strength: Move from your wounded ego into your sacred self.
Courage: Make smarter choices by embracing the Four Dimensions of Consciousness.
Success: Rise to your next level of happiness, clarity, and transformation.

Guest Post: Jennifer Howard author of Your Ultimate Life Plan

2013-04-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Howard, author of the book Your Ultimate Life Plan, stopped by to share with us a piece she wrote.

About the book:

Your Ultimate Life Plan will help you improve every moment of your life by teaching you how to build:

Confidence: Remove what's stopping you.
Strength: Move from your wounded ego into your sacred self.
Courage: Make smarter choices by embracing the Four Dimensions of Consciousness.
Success: Rise to your next level of happiness, clarity, and transformation.

Guest Post: Nick Redfern author of Monster Files

2013-04-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

Nick Redfern, author of the book Monster Files: A Look Inside Government Secrets and Classified Documents on Bizarre Creatures and Extraordinary Animals, stopped by to share with us a piece he wrote.

About the book:

Does the Pentagon have the body of Bigfoot on ice?
What is the U.S. military hiding from us about lake monsters?
What is the link between the CIA and the abominable snowman?
Why is there a British government file on sea serpents?
What do the Russians know about animal ESP?

For decades there have been persistent rumors, tales, and legends that government agencies all around the world have been secretly collecting and studying data on bizarre beasts, amazing animals, and strange creatures.

Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, sea serpents, psychic pets, the chupacabras, and the abominable snowman have all attracted official, classified interest.

Now, for the first time, the full, fearsome facts are finally revealed in Nick Redfern's Monster Files.

You'll discover all the amazing cryptozoological truths, conspiracies, and cover-ups behind the secret studies by the Pentagon, the Kremlin, and the British military, among many others.

Despite what your parents might have told you when you were a child, monsters, creepy creatures, and terrifying beasts really do exist. And our governments know all about them.

About the author:

Nick Redfern is the author of many books, including The Pyramids and the Pentagon; The Real Men in Black; The NASA Conspiracies; Keep Out!; Contactees; Memoirs of a Monster Hunter; and The World's Weirdest Places. He has appeared on more than 70 TV shows, including: Fox News; the BBC's Out of This World; the SyFy Channel's Proof Positive; the History Channel's Monster Quest, America's Book of Secrets, Ancient Aliens, and UFO Hunters; the National Geographic Channel's Paranatural; and MSNBC's Countdown. Nick writes regularly for UFO Magazine, Mysterious Universe, and Fate. He can be contacted at: nickredfernfortean.blogspot.com.

Guest Post: 5 Reasons to Read More Books by John Randall

2013-04-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

John Randall, a freelance writer, stopped by to share with us a piece he wrote.

5 Reasons To Read More Books

People who spend more time reading and less time engaging in passive forms of entertainment tend to have better critical thinking skills and larger vocabularies, among other things. While the average person reads all day long by browsing web pages and digesting a barrage of unwanted advertisements, this doesn't really hold the same benefits as indulging in a lengthy book with a discernible beginning, middle and end. If you need more convincing, then here are 5 reasons to read more books.

Active Thinking

In order to recognize the true benefits of reading more, you must first understand the difference between passive and active activities. For instance, most people watch television passively. They turn their cable boxes on, settle down into comfortable positions and open their mind like absorbent sponges. They don't filter the information they receive, the simply let it flow in. With reading, however, there is generally a need to analyze content in order to process it. This requires a higher level of thinking and more brain activity. With an active mind, people are less likely to be swayed into taking opinions that they might not otherwise respect. They are also thinking critically and are strengthening their skills in examining information.

Build Your Imagination

Reading fosters a strong imagination. Far too many adults think that a healthy and robust imagination is something that people simply grow out of. However, the world can be filled with infinite possibility for those who are able to dream big enough. While a fantastical view of the world might not hold a lot of value in our society, it is this way of perceiving things that allows people to create truly spectacular works of art and conjure innovative business ventures.

Resolving Problems

Truly proactive people often serve as their own stumbling blocks. They identify problems and immediately set about solving them. Unfortunately, some issues don't always have solutions that are readily apparent. Reading is a great way to take your conscious mind off of troubles that you cannot instantly fix. While you relax and indulge in the colorful words of others, your subconscious mind can do a bit of problem-solving for you. Ask any avid reader - a good read is a great way to have an unexpected epiphany.

Learn New Words

Unless you scroll through the dictionary everyday, you are not actively building your vocabulary. Reading is one of the easiest ways to do this though, as it allows people to discern the meanings of new words in context. Not only can you add new words and phrases to your vocabulary, you can also use what you do know in the right context when incorporating them into your conversations. An impressive vocabulary will help you to perform better in everything from job interviews to work presentations and more.

People Skills

Although reading is typically a solitary activity, it can help you to learn more about the people who fill your life. Great fictional works provide insight into how people think and what motivates their behaviors. Self-help books show readers how to improve their communication skills and to develop greater levels of patience. What's more, you can always join a book club in order to enjoy your novel with others, which can engender new friendships, new ways of thinking and many fun nights!

Ultimately, choosing to crack open a book on a regular basis can be a highly effective form of self-improvement. You can increase your thinking skills, learn how to use your native language more proficiently and increase your understanding of the individuals who fill your life. In other words, reading is essentially the fastest path towards a richer and more fulfilling existence.

About the author:

John Randall writes about all things related to the communications industry. His recent work highlights the best online communications degrees.

Guest Post: Kathleen Marden and Denise Stoner authors of The Alien Abduction Files

2013-04-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

Kathleen Marden and Denise Stoner, authors of the book The Alien Abduction Files, stopped by to share with us a piece they wrote.

About the book:

Why would two women separated by thousands of miles share a common thread involving alien abduction? Both cases are supported by multiple witnesses and have substantial evidence. Both women experienced missing time while driving with a companion, and were later taken from their homes. Both have been unwilling participants in ongoing experimental procedures that appear to follow family genetic lines. Both witnesses have given detailed descriptions of the crafts' interiors and technology, medical procedures, messages from the visitors, and the types of ETs they have encountered, including their society's hierarchical structure. Even more startling, both have independently described finding themselves on identical huge craft, within the same timeframe.

The Alien Abduction Files finally reveals:

The little-known details of alien experimental procedures
The theoretical science that can explain alien technology
The messages conveyed by the ETs to abduction experiencers
The vulnerabilities and benefits of living life as an abduction experiencer
The evidence that these phenomena are real

About the authors:

Kathleen Marden works full time as an author, alien abduction researcher, and lecturer. She has more than 22 years' experience in the field and is the niece of Betty and Barney Hill, the first abductees whose story stirred world-wide interest. She has lectured at conferences across the United States and appeared on numerous TV specials as an on-air expert. She is coauthor of Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience. She lives near Orlando, Florida, and can be found online at www.kathleen-marden.com.

Denise Stoner has spent more than 20 years researching the alien abduction phenomenon, documenting the physical and psychological impact of abduction upon experiencers, and working one-on-one with abductees. For many years she has hosted private meetings for groups of abductees. She has lectured on the alien abduction phenomenon, appeared on numerous radio shows, and will appear on PBS TV this year. She lives near Orlando, Florida, and can be found online at www.denisemstoner.com.

Guest Post: Jennifer Howard author of Your Ultimate Life Plan

2013-04-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Howard, author of the book Your Ultimate Life Plan, stopped by to share with us a piece she wrote.

About the book:

Your Ultimate Life Plan will help you improve every moment of your life by teaching you how to build:

Confidence: Remove what's stopping you.
Strength: Move from your wounded ego into your sacred self.
Courage: Make smarter choices by embracing the Four Dimensions of Consciousness.
Success: Rise to your next level of happiness, clarity, and transformation.

Author Q&A: Jason Fox author of Skinny Sexy Bride

2013-04-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

Jason Fox, author of the book Skinny Sexy Bride, stopped by for a Q&A.

What caused you to create Skinny Sexy Bride? What gave you the idea?

Many of my fitness clients through the years were engaged women. I loved it because they were always motivated to get results. During training, I noticed a rapidly increasing stress level as the wedding day approached. Often times they would break into tears right in front of me, with so many things on their to-do list!

Along with the added stress came a plateau in their fitness progress. I wanted my bridal clients to be able to enjoy this special time in their lives, and I didn’t want them to get stressed trying to make time for 4-5 personal training sessions with me each week. So, at the expense of my own business, I revised my fitness program down to the basics, and removed all the waste. Some very pioneering clients (including my younger sisters), let me experiment on them! The results were incredible. My engaged clients made fantastic gains in appearance and fat loss, and had much more free time to plan their weddings and live their lives. Skinny Sexy Bride was born!

What’s the biggest mistake that you see brides making today as they prepare for their wedding?

Starving themselves. I’ve seen a lot of rail-thin brides, who went through 6-9 months of torture just to look sickly. They might look thin for 1 day, but they pay a big price after the wedding because their metabolism is shot.

Time is always an obstacle for most brides-to-be. What’s the best way for a busy bride to manage her time and still get some workouts in?

Getting engaged is like taking a new part-time job! At the outset of her engagement, a bride should take a complete look at her obligations (work, relationship, me-time, travel, friends, social, charity) and eliminate anything that isn’t necessary. People will understand if you can’t make it to every single charity meeting or every client lunch. I always suggest brides knock out their workouts in the morning, to give themselves energy all day and get that item checked off their to-do list.

Must a bride count her calories in order to see weight loss results, or is there another way she can go about doing things?

I never recommend counting calories, or other confusing tasks like point systems. Basically, a fitness program with intensive tracking is just another reason to quit a program. I created Skinny Sexy Bride to have the lowest abandonment rate possible. A fitness program can only work if you stick with it. Skinny Sexy Bride focuses on very, very simple measuring using volume alone. Nothing complicated, no meal timing tricks, no tables or calculators required!

You often read about celebrities and what they do in magazines to prepare for their weddings. Why are those approaches often so problematic?

Celebrity fitness plans aren’t realistic for regular people. Celebrities have unlimited access to money, time, and coaching. Real people like us have jobs, family obligations, and a budget. Also, celebrity fitness plans are basically gimmicks to sell magazines. In contrast, Skinny Sexy Bride is a program based on what works – eating well, exercising smartly, getting rest, and sticking with it! And, it was designed specifically to fit into any busy lifestyle and create minimal disruption in your life.

If a bride to be has already been exercising for a number of years, can this program still work for her?

Absolutely. Everyone, even experienced fitness buffs (like Krista and Shannon), can benefit from refocusing their efforts. You wouldn’t belief the look on my client’s faces when I make a few simple changes to their existing regimens, reduce their number of weekly workouts, and tell them to sleep in more often! Most people believe the fitness myth that more hours = more results. That’s not true if you follow the right system based only on super-effective workouts and an easy-to-handle, proper diet. One hour per week of working out is all you need – it just has to be done right!

Men and women are different. Let’s face it. Since you’re a male trainer, what do you do differently when you train female clients versus male clients?

Men generally fall into two camps – “Meatheads” and “Dudes.” Meatheads want to inflate themselves into a balloon of muscle. Dudes just want to be in shape, turn heads at the beach, and look good in their clothes.

Female clients tend to have similar goals to the Dudes. They want to be lean, toned, and fit into their favorite outfits. The training programs are quite similar, although women generally have more powerful legs and butt muscles (per pound of bodyweight) than their male counterparts. Men tend to get caught up in mirror muscles and upper body work, neglecting the critically important lower body.

I have a lot of fun introducing women to “masculine” equipment like kettlebells. They are skeptical at first, but always end up loving the workouts and especially the results.

For a woman who feels she’s too thin and could add a few more curves to her body, what advice would you give her?

For show-stopping curves, you must concentrate on powerful total body movements like kettlebell swings and burpees. Focus on developing your leg and butt muscles, while trimming your core and toning your arms. Curves are just a few kettlebell swings away!

How late is too late to get started with the Skinny Sexy Bride program? If a bride is going to be married in a few weeks, can she still benefit?

Ideally, you would have at least 60 days to achieve true progress with the Skinny Sexy Bride program, but honestly even 1 week will help! So much of the program focuses on clean, healthy food and rest that those two ingredients alone will help you drop a couple last-minute pounds and improve your mood. If you really just have two weeks, focus on the following:

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables paired with lean meat
Cut out all processed and packaged foods
Two 15 minute workouts per week of kettlebell swings, kettlebell rows and pushups
Lots of sleep!

Just eating fresh foods and cutting out processed foods can help you drop a couple last-minute pounds.

In an ideal situation, should a bride do the program at a gym or in her home? What advantages are there to working out in that specific location?

The program was designed to be done anywhere, so it’s really just up to the brides. From my standpoint, once you factor in driving, changing and chatting, working out at home is much more efficient than a gym environment. And, at home you don’t have to worry about creepy guys staring at you! To follow the Skinny Sexy Bride program at home, you really only need 1-2 very inexpensive and small kettlebells to do the complete workout. Your body weight handles the rest! For less money than 1 month of a gym membership, you can be a Skinny Sexy Bride for life!

If a bride has a significant amount of weight to lose, is there anything that she should do over and beyond the normal program?

Brides who have more “cushion” to lose should start slowly. The biggest determinant of success on the Skinny Sexy Bride program is simply sticking with it. By starting slowly, you will let your body and habits easily adapt to your new regimen. I want to avoid any “shock to the system” that could injure you or make you quit the program. So I suggest brides ease into the plan. The program is so effective because my clients see real results, in a fraction of the time of other programs. The trick is giving your body enough rest and enough healthy, delicious food to nourish it after the short, intense workouts. I constantly have to tell my brides not to overdo it. Once they see some initial fat loss, they always want to add a third or fourth weekly workout to really supercharge their results. NO! That can be counterproductive. Two 15 minute workouts are all you need each week, and getting good rest is critical.

So what are your hobbies when you’re not showing brides how to lose fat the easy way?

I’m really getting into cooking, probably because I’m really into eating! I’m no gourmet chef, but I love to put on some fun music and start chopping and combining delicious natural foods together. It’s relaxing and therapeutic to me. Sometimes it’s delicious, and sometimes the smoke detector goes off. Either way, it’s rewarding to create something, especially in this age of instant food and instant gratification.

About the book:

When it comes to diet and fitness books, it's all been said and done before, but certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist Jason Fox has found a new angle for an old audience... brides who want to shape up for the big day.

Fox's unconventional approach challenges traditional fitness theories and offers an appealing new system that turns classic training methods upside down. The core of his system is based on the idea that there's no need to spend long hours in the gym or subsist on starvation-level meals. Instead, Fox's Skinny Sexy Bride program illustrates how to train muscles and metabolism in the most efficient way possible. Designed specifically for brides and presented with an option of several different timelines (nine months, six months, three months, 30 days), the program is suitable for anybody who wants to show up in top shape for an important event.

About the author:

Jason Fox holds a bachelors of science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a certified sports nutritionist and certified personal trainer, and his practice is focused on preparing clients for date-certain events like weddings, class reunions, and business interviews or presentations. Jason is an internationally-recognized author of books on fitness and nutrition.

Jason is the author of the Skinny Sexy Bride series, developer of the Skinny Sexy Bride E-Trainer software, and managing editor of the Skinny Sexy Bride blog. Jason is a wannabe chef and spends a fair amount of time attempting to play golf.

Follow Jason on Twitter: @JasonFoxFitness