New Western Novel - "Apache" is A Superb, Hardcore Western

Apache, the second novel in the Jake Silver Adventure series by newcomer author Jere D. James, is a gritty, dark, hard-core, action-packed Western novel. Far more traditional than James' first title, Saving Tom Black, Apache delivers punch after punch of shocking, action-filled scenes.Set in Arizona, ca 1888, James sends his main character, U.S. Deputy Marshal Jake Silver, on a blind search for his missing sister who, in order to escape the stigma of having an illegitimate child, left home to marry a ne'er-do-well, unknown rancher in southern Arizona. Finding Sophy is Jake's excuse for leaving the comforts of girlfriend Betsy DuBonnet (Saving Tom Black) but it's equally apparent that Jake's real motivation to leave on this quest is to have some time on the trail to sort things out regarding his relationship with Betsy and the subsequent expectations for marriage that he unhappily finds himself facing.In the months since arriving in southern Arizona, however, Sophy Silver has been befriended by Nantan Lupan, the last of the Bodonkohe Apaches. James fully explores the taboos of a love affair between an Indian and white woman, showing society's abhorrence of such a liason. One cannot help but root for the hapless Indian, however, and hope that James will bring this enticing, excellently well-drawn character back in a future novel.New to the series also is Captain Peter Burt, a man who is quite taken with the winsome Sophy Silver and aids the marshal in his search. Unlike the tender, often humorous Saving Tom Black, such is the seriousness of this work, that the only humor in the book comes from Burt. He is yet another character that this reviewer would like to see in a future title.James does an excellent job in this book of adding a dark dimension to the heretofore perfect Deputy Marshal Jake Silver, which makes this character even more likeable and real. If Jake comes across as too good to be true in Saving Tom Black, that image is happily tarnished in this read.This book takes many unexpected twists and turns as Jake Silver pursues his sister and her lover, and the outcome of this pursuit is remarkably fresh and unexpected. However, the ultimate end of the book will be surprising, even shocking.James does an excellent job of paving the way for future books in the series, skillfully planting innuendos along the way. If this writer can continue in this vein, the Jake Silver Adventure series may prove to be as long-lasting and popular as some of the other great. Western series. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

The Rebellion Within

In The Rebellion Within (published in the June 2, 2008 issue of The New Yorker), Lawrence Wright describes the known life of Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif-known in some circles of the extremely secretive jihadist underground as Dr. Fadl.Fadl, an extremely gifted Islamic scholar, met Ayman al-Zawahiri in 1977 while both were attending medical school in Cairo. Within a decade he found himself at the ground floor of the Jihad movement. As a matter of fact, he literally wrote the book on the subject.Two of Fadl's texts, The Essential Guide for Preparation and The Compendium of the Pursuit of Divine Knowledge, became (and probably remain) cornerstones of the training and indoctrination of Al Qaeda recruits in the power vacuum of post-Soviet Afghanistan.Much happened in the following decade. On the sprawling list of Topics Most Americans Ought to Familiarize Themselves With, 1990s-era Afghanistan is certainly near the top. The meteoric rise of the Taliban and the fast polarization of Islamic politics, I should not need to remind you, remain era-defining issues.But there are lengthy books for that, written by people with so much storytelling ability that I, in comparison, look like a kid scribbling with crayons. I recommend going all-out with Steve Coll's excellent Ghost Wars.Anyway, here's how Fadl ended up: In October 2001-seven years after he cut ties with his extremist past and took up supposedly earnest work as a surgeon-was arrested by Yemeni secret police and thrown into an Egyptian prison with a life sentence. Since then, he's mellowed out, renounced violence and become a vocal opponent of Al Qaeda.If you've got an hour to kill, it's a great read. dr seuss cat in hat history

Ken Blanchard Book Review - Whale Done, Accentuate the Positive and Build Trust

This book is a refreshing way to look at the power of positive relationships.The author, Ken Blanchard has caught the essence of learning how to manage and motivate people by watching and learning from trainers of killer whales.When I first read this book or heard of this book I had to ask,"What can you learn from a killer whale and relate it to people and relationships?"To my surprise we as leaders or managers have a lot in common with the killer whale. Killer whales whole bases works around the family pod. All the other whales in the family will depend and follow the leader. From watching the inter actions of a killer whale pod you can learn the power of positive relationships.As a leader that has and wants a lot of people following you the first place you need to start is in your own house. In the year 2010 we have equal partnership with our wives or wives with husbands.Warning: This is my disclaimer, what you read next is my opinion!Even though our wives are equal partners in our marriage and in life it is the responsibility of the head of the household to accentuate the positive and build the trust in the relationship.Personally this is were men today fall way short. We need to point out the Positive instead of the Negative in our relationship. By doing this will change your marriage if you do this for thirty days. Once you do that and you see the results you will keep doing this because you will not want your marriage any other way. Guys try it, I dare you!Now this will flow right into how you also deal with your children. Today's children have very low self esteem issues and their attitudes stem from the house hold. So instead of always pointing out the negative and you start accentuate the positive and build trust, you will see a big difference in your children. You will see their attitudes changing and the way they think of themselves.As a leader of people and by using Attraction Marketing are we not building trust and accentuating the positive? The way to look at this as a business owner, is if a new person joins and goes out and tries something on their own and it did not work. As a leader your best way to correct that is to always accentuate the positive to the situation and keep building trust.In summary: This is just one of the several ways we can learn from killer whales. With out accentuating the positive and building trust the killer whales would never do what their trainers want them to do. The same things will go with our marriage,children and in our business lives. This information came out of the first few pages of the first chapter of Whale Done. Whale Done is only six chapters long but is fill full of awesome ideas about relationship building.Just Remember: We are all on a journey towards or goals and dreams so make sure you are living life to the fullest and make sure you are having fun while you are doing it!written by: Mark WezykFreedomteamleader dr seuss cat in hat book

Gone Away Into the Land by Jeffrey B. Allen

The dust jacket text for Gone Away: Into the Land promises an epic fantasy adventure. I can tell you that this is one novel that exceeds expectations. Author Jeffrey B. Allen takes the reader on an adventure that will leave you thinking about the story long after you close the final page.We meet our protagonist, twelve-year-old John Gerber. John's life is not that of an average pre-teen-not even close. John, his mother Ellie, and his sister Marny live in constant, paralyzing fear of John's father, Daniel. Daniel, or the beast as John calls him, is an extremely volatile man whose rage could explode on his family at any moment-and explode it does. John dreams of ending the beast's reign of terror, of taking his family away before it is too late. The first fifty pages of Part 1 are no fantasy as the author describes in vivid, shocking detail Daniel's unpredictable fury and a horrible example of violent abuse, as the beast leaves John and Ellie beaten and bloodied and kidnaps six-year-old Marny.With the help of a mysterious taxi driver, John and Ellie begin their search for Marny. This is where the fantasy starts as it is believed that Marny is somewhere in the candy factory where Daniel was employed. Soon John and his mother are aboard a train in an amazing land called ZingZongLand. ZZL is a place that is all about creating the best tasting candy. The leader of the land is called KyaSiftar. The Siftar's main rival is the minister of Southland province named Mengus. Desperate for power, Mengus has his sights set on dominating the land and controlling the new flavor creations. Mengus recruits the beast to aid in his conquest of the Land. He believes that gaining control in the Land is the key to overthrowing the World as well.Jeffrey B. Allen showcases his considerable imagination and writing talent in creating an entire universe. His lead is a believable, lovable character with which readers young and old will quickly bond. The villains are wonderfully horrible and easy to loathe, without overshadowing the hero. The secondary characters are interesting, fresh and well drawn. The dialogue is crisp and clear and well suited to the vast variety of creatures and peoples. Allen slowly reveals his characters' secrets along the way, keeping the reader captivated throughout. He wastes none of these nearly 500 pages, using suspense and vibrant description to keep the pages turning. He brings all the players together in a David versus Goliath-type showdown for the ages that will have you rooting for John to the end.Gone Away is building momentum, was recently picked up by a major publisher and was accepted in several school libraries. I believe it will become the next time-tested classic fantasy tale, universally adored and mentioned in the same breath as The Wizard of Oz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Lord of The Rings. I highly recommend this thought-provoking, entertaining read.Gone Away Into The LandStrategic Book Publishing (October 1, 2009)
978-1608608591
Gone Away Into The Land
Jeffrey B. AllenBy William R. Potter for Readers' Choice Reviews dr seuss book collection

One Nation Under Surveillance - Privacy From the Watchful Eye by Boston T Party

"One Nation Under Surveillance: Privacy From The Watchful Eye" by Boston T. Party is an interesting and eye opening book full of strategies and techniques to keep you, your belongings, and your activities private. It's obvious that the author is sick and tired of Big Brother's ever increasing invasion into every aspect of our lives. You don't have to agree with him on everything, nor do you have to take all the measures outlined in this text, to gain some valuable information regarding privacy and to have your eyes opened to things you probably didn't know were going on.I'm not personally looking to drop off the grid right now, nor do I plan to implement a lot of the privacy strategies outlined in this book. However, I am still very glad I read it. It opened my eyes to things, and there are things in the book that I'll be using personally.Right at the beginning, the author discusses why a person might want more privacy, and his number one reason is oppressive government, high taxes, and war. Like I said, the author is not too fond of the government, but then who is these days? Learning about how information is collected on us, and by whom, is a good wake up call. There's some Interesting and scary stuff here. He then does a good job of describing privacy vs. paranoia, though some may think the line is not quite where the author draws it.There are chapters on a variety of topics ranging from interesting, to a bit complex, to things that were beyond my personal lifestyle goals, but interesting to read nonetheless. I found the chapter on people, and who you trust to be very interesting, and did not expect to find a segment on sociopaths when I first got the book. Chapters on I.D., Financial Privacy, and Mail provide ways and steps you can take to live more anonymously. The chapters on telecommunications and passphrases really interested me, and anyone that secures data and other information with pass words or passphrases would learn a thing or two from this section. Some very good info here.The author also writes quite a bit about computers and operating systems. He has no use for Windows, and suggests Puppy Linux as the most privacy orientated operating system, and explains why and how to set your computer up with it.As someone concerned with Big Brother and all of the information gathering done by our government, it is not surprising that this book contains a chapter on the Census and ACS. If you have concerns with either of these, and want to know a bit more about them, this chapter will fill you in. The gun chapter was pretty basic. Buy from individuals and gun shows that don't do paperwork if you don't want people to know you have them. That and keep your mouth shut. Sure, there's a little more than that, but not much, because basically that's it to keep private.There are also short chapters on living quietly, keeping your car private, traveling private, and using private entities. Regarding these chapters, the author provides a little basic information, but one must do more research. On one note, Montana is also a state that you don't have to show proof of insurance upon registration. A vehicle can also be registered in the country where an entity has it's registered agent too. That gets to the chapter on entities, such as trusts, corporations, and LLCs. The author provides some bare bones information that might or might not work for certain situations. As someone who has formed thousands of business entities for others and has studied a lot of asset protection strategies, I'd suggest you follow the advice the author provides on page 21/8 - become your own expert. You really need to learn a lot more than the author put in this eight-page chapter if you wish to use entities as part of your overall privacy and asset protection plan.The final chapter provides some of the author's thoughts on privacy's future. I should also note, that the book is not just the author's thoughts. The book contains many quotes and passages from other sources, and the author does a great job of providing those sources. It's an extremely researched book with a lot of places to go look for additional information on the topics covered.I think this is a valuable book for several reasons. First, it's eye opening and provides information that many people are unaware of. Increasing awareness of some of the ways people are losing their privacy is important. Second, for some individuals who would rather live privately off the grid, so to speak, this book offers a lot of practical strategies and resources for doing so. And lastly, for many others who don't want to completely disappear or take the extravagant position of privacy, this book provides information that can be used to the degree the person wishes to keep certain information secure from others, even if it's just using better pass words and being more aware of how information is being collected. I'm glad I read this book, and it's one I'll keep on the shelf as a resource. seuss book collection sets cat hat

Book Review - The Lessons From Apprentice - Chapters One - Three

I have enjoyed watching a few seasons of The Apprentice. Although my business is a network marketing business, the strategies I have learned from the show have been numerous. I've always loved watching how the teams who find the most creative forms of advertising often are victorious over their opponents.I was excited when I found The Lessons from Apprentice during a recent shopping excursion.I smiled all the way through this book. Many of the lessons I learned from the show were shared in the book.Right off the bat, Mr. Trump speaks of both name and location. In the first chapter of the book, Mr.Trump shares his thoughts on choosing a name and what that name says about you and the business.The first task a team receives is to choose a team name. Team names speak volumes about the group as a whole. What I find interesting is that in network marketing, group leaders sometimes choose names that end up hurting them in the long run. Imagine two teams, one is called "Sally's Silly Girls". The other team is called "The Entrepreneurs." Which team do you think men would be more inclined to join? Which team do you think a doctor or lawyer would be more inclined to join?Chapter two is titled "Brainstorming 101." Mr. Trump speaks of several seasons of the show and explains how simple brainstorming done correctly spelled victory in challenge after challenge.In network marketing, reading the words of others can very often help you in building a larger customer base and a larger sales team. Over the years, I have enjoyed many different authors, all who take a different approach to sales and marketing.If you want to know how to sell more, read books written by a top seller. It doesn't matter what they are selling, what matters is that they are closing the sale. If you want to understand more about team dynamics, read books written by an expert in that topic.The goal here is to know who to brainstorm with for each topic.Chapter three is about instinct. I have to say that after reading the chapter, I'm not sure I would have given the chapter this title. It was a chapter more on planning and what to do when your plan doesn't quite work out as you had expected.In network marketing, there are many times that a backup plan is needed. For example, someone orders a product for a gift and the item doesn't come in. What's your plan for this happening? How do you satisfy the customer and keep your cool? Knowing what might happen and how you'll react are key to succeeding.This is a book chock full of everyday business lessons. It's well worth the cost of the book and the space on your bookshelf. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

Othello - Victim Or Villain?

Ask a literature student to name the most morally reprehensible character they know of, and almost without fail, the name Iago from William Shakespeare's play, Othello, the Moor of Venice will come up. In fact, most would agree that Iago is, without a doubt, the villain of this dramatic tragedy; but is he really? Clarity of mind and a willingness to transcend normal reasoning is necessary for one to discover the true villain in this memorable tragedy. Most readers make a superficial assessment of two of the central characters: Iago and Othello. Analysis by its very nature requires one to reject the simple and convenient. It is a fact that Iago is a villainous man and a vital part of the tragedy this play becomes but he is not the real bad guy. Deeper consideration, coupled with an open mind, shows the truth, Othello is the actual villain. While lacking in malice of forethought he nonetheless allows himself to attain the status of murderer because he is conceited, jealous and emotionally dishonest.Conceited is not one of the adjectives most commentators use when speaking of Othello, yet conceited he is. Even as the scenes unfold it becomes increasingly evident that Othello is headed to a fall of dynamic proportions due to his enormous ego. First, he is aware that he is a warrior of high degree, capable of wielding a sword in hand to hand combat, and equally adept at marshalling troops and drawing lines of battle. These qualities propelled him to the top of the military defenses of the city of Venice, and into the limelight of its social elite. It was military expertise, which gave him a lofty status, and it is this same prowess, which gives him his conceit. While being informed by Iago of Brabantio's threats he says, "Let him do his spite: My services which I have done the signiory shall out-tongue his complaints" (1509). He exudes a confidence smacking of arrogance in stating that his reputation can withstand anyone's accusation. In addition, he demonstrates his lofty self opinion when he states, "I fetch my life and being from men of royal siege" (1509). The importance and status given him by men of stature have gone to his head. He begins to think of himself as great, infallible, and unfaultable man, thus giving his enemy crucial insight into what he must do bring about Othello's change from noble to ignoble, "the Moor already changes with my poison: dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons..." (1555).As the details of Iago's plot are revealed, we find another foible possessed by Othello, that of a jealous mind. It is important to understand the reasons behind his jealous mind. In act 3, scene 3 he is heard to say, "I am black and have not those soft parts of conversation that chamberers have, for I am declined into the vale of years" (1553). This demonstrates that he is insecure of his color, his age and his education. Iago senses what Desdemona can not; Othello's threefold insecurity feeds his unseen jealousy. He states, "As he (Cassio) shall smile, Othello shall go mad; and his unbookish jealousy must construe poor Cassio's smiles, gestures, and light behavior quite in the wrong" (1569). He rightly reasons that he can get him "into a jealousy so strong that judgment cannot cure" (1532). Iago simply sets up the scene and Othello's jealousy will do the rest.Last, we examine his emotional dishonesty. From the moment Iago seeds his thoughts Othello's mind is rapidly overgrown with weeds of bitterness and contempt. Verbally he professes love for Desdemona, yet he is easily manipulated by Iago because he is disingenuous about how he feels. Consider this, in act 3, scene 3 he says, "If she be false, O then Heav'n mocks itself: I'll not believe it" (1554), the right answer for a truly passionate man. Yet soon thereafter he gets mad and dismisses Emilia as a "simple bawd" (1557) because she suggests that Desdemona has been faithful to him. Why the change? Because his love was no more than illusion, nothing more than an obsession and when he is spoon fed lies from Iago he willingly gobbles them up. His emotional insincerity is inexorably intertwined with his other foibles. It feeds off of them like a mental incubus and creates a living monster out of the once admirable man.While Othello possesses some virtuous qualities, there is little doubt that his conceit, jealousy and emotional dishonesty all add together to make him the true villain of this timeless Shakespearian classic. Ultimately it is the unwitting prophecy of Iago that comes true in the end, "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves!"(1550). Yes, Iago is a villain, but we expect this of him, he simply lives up to our expectation. The true medieval bad guy, the one that gives this play its memorability is Othello the proud, suspicious, disingenuous Moor of Venice. dr seuss cat in hat history

William Faulkner's "Barn Burning" - Honoring Family Or Honoring Self

William Faulkner is remembered for his many fictional short stories and essays. One of his best known, and most beloved, is an account entitled "Barn Burning," a coming of age narrative set in the aftermath of the war torn South. Here a young protagonist, named Colonel Sartoris Snopes, is pitted against his antagonist father, Abner. Named for a fictional Civil War hero, Colonel Snopes, or Sarty as he called, is a ten-year-old little boy born into a poor sharecropper family headed by a ruthless, vindictive, and angry man. Faulkner describes Sarty physically as a young boy, small for his age, wiry, wearing patched and faded jeans too small for him, with no shoes on his feet. He has brown, uncombed hair, grey eyes, and is "wild as a storm scud" (179). Emotionally Sarty is a despairing, grief-stricken, and fearful young man who learns how to overcome these limitations to make the biggest decision of his life and, in the process, becomes a man.Faulkner does a masterful job of giving the reader an undeniable sense of Sarty's despair. At the Harris trial, while waiting to be called as a witness, Faulkner states that the boy is filled with a mixture of emotion but "mostly of despair" (178). The cause of this despondency is two fold; he is expected to lie, and to adopt his father's enemies as his own. The pressure to lie is exerted by his father. Sarty thinks to himself: "he aims for me to lie... with that frantic grief and despair. And I will have to do hit" (179). It is quite evident that Sarty was no stranger to his father's demand for unity, and yet it is equally evident that he feels a great degree of despair bullying The enemies are a different matter. This is self imposed despondency. In his adolescent mind he can reach no other conclusion than that his father's enemies must be his own. He sees his father's "enemy" and muses "in that despair" that they are "ourn! mine and hisn both! He's my father" (179). The despair comes from his sensation that he must hate those his father hates.This hopelessness gives way to yet another emotion still more bitter, that of grief. While the words despair and grief have similar connotations it appears evident that Faulkner viewed them as distinctly separate characteristics of this young man. Faulkner repeatedly states that Sarty is filled with "grief and despair"(179) both. Despair refers to the hopelessness Sarty feels, while grief is referring to the intense sorry over the choice that he must make. Sarty understands the morality of issues. Though hampered by his surroundings, he nonetheless has an internal principle of moral decency. A war in his mind rages between his loyalty to blood and that of his civic responsibility. It is said to be like "being pulled two ways... between two teams of horses" (186). This pulling shakes him at his core and demands a response. Sarty knows his father is wrong, but he also feels intense sorrow over the inevitable choice that he must make; this is the source of his grief.Such a young boy, faced with such a difficult situation can not help but feel a sense fear. In fact, Sarty is described as being full of "fear" (178) and "terror" (182). Faulkner tells us that Sarty's youthfulness, coupled with his fathers brutality, creates a longing to be "free" (182) while simultaneously generating "enough weight to keep him rooted in his place"(182). "Fear," the Bible asserts "hath torment" and Sarty is without a doubt a tormented soul. That is, until they come to Major De Spain's and Sarty sees his home: "at that instant he forgot his father and the terror and despair both" (182). And this sets the stage for our hero to shine.In this visit Sarty comes to understand that it is possible to break free from his father's influence. To him, the house looks like a "Courthouse" (182) which is a symbol of civic justice and is no doubt the impression given to the young man because of his inner desire to have his father brought to account for his deeds. He knows his father's crimes can't go on. This visit marks the turning point in his mentality, the point where the ten-year-old child decides to become a man.It seems that Faulkner wants us to see through the child's eyes the fact that each of us must choose our own path, that life is a series of decisions that start early in our childhood and define who we will be later in life. We control our course, not the blood of ancestry, not familial relation, and we can change our direction if we will stay true to our convictions and choose to do good as apposed to doing evil.Sarty makes his choice; he will be true to himself. As he races down the dirt road leading to the De Spain's house, Sarty can feel his blood racing and his heart throbbing yet his blood is not holding him back as he had supposed, but rather it is urging him on; overcoming the despair, bypassing his fear, and ignoring his grief; he is now, for all intents and purposes, a man. His childhood is just as dead as his father appears to be; his future just as dark and uncertain as the night sky and dark forest that he walks into, just as uncertain as adult life really is. The story ends with the dawning of a new day; symbolically representing the new lease on life this young protagonist has gained. The old familiar feelings of "despair" and "grief" (191) are still present but the "terror and fear" (191) are now gone. No future decision in life can ever be so hard; no other night can ever be as dark, because he is now the master of his own destiny. dr seuss cat in hat book

Scrapbooking Books - Out of Bounds - Scrapbooking Without Boundaries

So you've been scrapbooking for a while and you're good at what you do. Well maybe its time to look at scrapbooking projects in a different way. This book "Out of Bounds: Scrapbooking Without Boundaries" give the reader many new challenges to get its readers thinking in a different way. This book is specifically designed for the scrapper who is looking at scrapbooking as an artistic creative outlet in other words to test yourself to look at scrapbooking in a different light.Many scrapbookers see scrapbooking as their sole creative outlet, literally as their chance to explore, grow and have most importantly to have fun. However these same people may feel confined by the rules of what scrapbooking is supposed to be, whether it's the shape of the page, the materials used or even the reasons why they scrapbook. The Out of Bounds writers who are two leading scrapbook designers show readers how to shake off these notions and create scrapbook pages and memory art that are free of rules and full of creative inspiration.Out of Bounds features sixty unique and exceptional scrapbook pages, each accompanied by the artists' challenge to the reader. Topics include playing with techniques, breaking rules, finding new motivation, and pushing the boundaries.The authors Jodi Amidei has been a craft editor at Memory Makers and is a previous Memory Makers Master. Her work appears regularly in Memory Makers books and magazine. Torrey Scott is also a previous Memory Makers Master and has been a leading designer for Memory Makers books and magazine for more than five years. She is well known for her over-the-top, creative designs.Basic Outline:*Full of prompts and challenges to get the reader thinking in a different way, Out of Bounds is the first creativity-centered, how-to book on this topic.*Features 60 stunning sample pages to instruct and inspire scrapbookersPaperback: 128 pages
Language: English
Approximate Cost $20.00 dr seuss book collection

Proof Law and Love Can Mix

What happens when a lawyer lets his humanity get in the way of his better judgment, and he ends up falling for the client he is representing in a domestic dispute? That is the question that debut author Brian Cohen writes about in his excellent novel, The Life O'Reilly. Nick O'Reilly is a successful attorney working for one of New York City's largest law firms, doing litigation work for big business clients he knows are corrupt. He's invested twenty years in the firm Williams Gardner & Schmidt, has become a junior partner in it, and though he has qualms about the clients he represents and their shady business practices, he's earned enough money to pay for an high-rise apartment view of Central Park.When he's selected to be the first of the firm's lawyers to do Pro Bono work to help the firm's image with the press, he at first thinks of it as a dubious honor, at best. That's because he has been told to not let the Pro Bono cases he might take to get in the way of his main, highly lucrative, cases and clients. He finds that this is easier said than done, as he discovers he enjoys helping out people with real problems other than how to evade taxes and cheat stockholders. He begins to sympathize with the client he represents, Dawn Nelson, and her son, Jordan, and their attempts to break away from her abusive husband and begin a new life.Nick has won many cases over the years for the law firm, but he has often had thoughts of leaving with his one friend there, Evan, to form their own practice specializing in clients in the music industry. One of the other lawyers there, Phil Addison, is a particular thorn in his side, sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong, and criticizing Nick's decisions and his - to Phil - seeming lack of adequate devotion to the company. Phil feels Nick should spend most of his evenings, nights, and weekends at the firm, working on his cases, and improving the firm's bottom-line. Nick doesn't like feeling he's Phil's "bitch," but often he has to bite his tongue and try to hold back his impulses sometimes to want to punch Phil and knock the obnoxious smirk off of his face.The situation at Williams Gardner & Schmidt really gets difficult for Nick when a client offers him the use of his box seat to a Mets-Braves game, complete with food and alcohol. Nick doesn't want to accept the offer, because he doesn't like the client's lack of business ethics, but he does, so as to not tick the guy off too badly. However, he asks a group of people in the mailroom whom he knows if they'd like to use the box seat and see the game, and tells them they can bring their families if they want. They end up - according to the client, anyway - trashing the box seat and not cleaning up after themselves. The client is infuriated, because he had only made the offer to Nick, and didn't want anyone else to use the box seat except Nick and maybe one or two friends of his. William, the head of the firm, calls Nick into his office, where he gets read the Riot Act by both Will and Phil.On top of this, though it means he's violated a court order by getting to close to Dawn, Dawn's husband stalks her and sees her and Nick through the window of where Dawn is staying. He sees them kissing, and Nick falling asleep on the couch with her, where they both stay all the rest of the night. He then declares this in open court, and the judge tells Nick it's a violation of the ethical code of lawyers, and a hearing is scheduled to determine if Nick's punishment might include being disbarred.If the title of The Life O'Reilly seems familiar to you, it shouldn't be a surprise, as "living the life of Riley," is a fairly well known - though somewhat dated - expression for living the good life and always wanting the best. Also, "The Life of Riley," was the name of an old television program, which originally starred Jackie Gleason - before he was in "The Honeymooners - as Riley, and then William Bendix took over the role. The late comedian Charles Nelson Reilly, as well, had a one-man Broadway show which was an autobiography of his called "The Life of Reilly."The original expression, though, is about someone who didn't always have it so good in life, and went through hardships before eventually becoming a success. So it is with Nick, who, though a very successful lawyer, studied long hours to become one, comes from a humble background, and then has to put up with coworkers who are out to get him and the potential end of his career before things get better for him.The Life O'Reilly is a novel that shows that, sometimes, the good guys don't always get the short end of the stick, though they might have to go to great lengths and show a lot of determination and perseverance to achieve their goals. It's also a feel-good sort of love story, where you'll root for Nick and Dawn to make their relationship work, despite the many stumbling blocks in their way. The author's background in law helps lend depth and realism to this novel. I look forward to reading more books from the talented author, Brian Cohen, in the coming years. seuss book collection sets cat hat

Shakespeare's Iago - The Man We Love to Hate

He has been called "a devil in the flesh", "evil personified", "Hell's master therapist" and "the most complex villain" in all literary history. Yet his creator simply called him Iago, which in part means "faithful to friends." There is little stock that can be placed in this nommee parce (name irony) in fact Shakespeare once caused Juliet Montague expostulate the famous question "What is in a name?" indicating his belief that names are of little importance compared to the fragrance or essence of a persons life. In fact, if Iago is truly faithful to friends as his name implies we are at a loss to find a single person considered by him worthy to be termed friend. He is an equal opportunity individual who despises everyone the same. And from the moment he is introduced he is shown to be a villain that is envious, treacherous, manipulative, and opportunistic and with qualities that will cause him to always be one of those characters you simply love to hate.The main motivation behind Iago's decision to start down the path of infamy is his extreme envy of two men: Othello and Michael Cassio. As the play begins we are informed that Iago has been denied a coveted promotion to be Othello's lieutenant or as we now call it an executive officer and is given instead the less prestigious position of "ancient" or ensign. This is a junior grade officer and is a far cry from the position of prominence and power he attained unto. To a man with ambition such as Iago this is a slight that can not go unchecked. It seems apparent that he desired the position of second in command for a reason that stretch beyond the obvious. In fact, it is without a doubt that he desires it so that he can be in a position to assume the leadership of the military forces of Venice once Othello has been effectively removed from office. His desire to usurp the power of the noble Othello had been brewing in his mind for some time and envy was the yeast which started his thoughts fermenting. The promotion of Cassio however created an obstacle, and thwarted his immediate plan which stoked the furnace of his fury even further leaving him with only one possible option: the total annihilation of all who stood in his way. Perhaps he could have allowed Othello to escape with his life had his original plan been enacted but now there was no alternative for this jealous soul, these men must die.Villains have always been treacherous in one way or another but in the case of Iago treachery is elevated to an art form. In fact, from the moment he set his mind to it Iago elegantly glides from one treacherous encounter with his adversaries to another and comes out each time on top. This is because Iago understands that trust is a key element in accomplishing treacherous aims and so, in the style of a true master of treachery, he makes his enemies think him their closest friend. Throughout the entire play he craftily and masterfully manipulates his words to effectively conceal his bitter aims allowing him the ability to secure the trust of his intended victims. Othello we learn so believes his lies that he states in full assurance that Iago is a "friend" and lead one commentator to state that Iago's "jovial bluntness passes as 'honesty'". Yet by the end of the tragedy Othello, Rodrigo, Bianca, Desdemona and others are made to feel first hand the sting of his betrayal with a staggering realization that they have been the victims of sedition and betrayed by a man they called friend.To further his aims Iago resorts to the tactic of all truly villainous men, that of manipulation. Unsure, insecure, and somewhat apprehensive, Othello is easily directed by Iago down any path the villain's imagination can conceive. In fact he states in no uncertain terms that "the Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are." It's as if Iago delights in creating illusion and manipulating people by his powers of deception. He realizes things about people they fail to realize of themselves and this gives him the perfect ammunition to bring about their destruction. Stringing together this partial truth, and that innuendo he forms a block upon which to chop. And chop he does with painfully accurate results.Finally, no study of Iago's character could be complete without a discussion of his opportunistic nature. It seems he has a sort of sixth sense regarding opportunities. He always knows what to do and when to do it in order to reap the greatest reward. No villain has ever had the same innate ability to know in the same way when the iron was hottest and at what time it would be best to strike. From the exploitation of Rodrigo's intelligence, to the manipulation of Othello's character, Iago always seems to know just what measure to take to ensure his desired results. Consider the handkerchief of Act III, a seemingly innocuous item to most but to Iago it is a hangman's noose to be tied around the neck of Desdemona and to be used to bring about the ultimate destruction of Othello. That is why Iago repeatedly encourages Emilia his wife to "steal" it because he recognizes its intrinsic value. And while it could be argued from this that Iago was a master planner it seems more likely that he was an excellent ad-libber taking advantage of every opportunity as it presented itself to further his goals and aims. He uses every advantage he has at his disposal to promise to fulfill their deepest desires.Iago is perfectly suited to be the villain in this play because he demonstrates the chilling depth of moral depravity one can descend too when they are void of morality and ambitious for advancement. Couple this with his envy of those that are good, his treachery against those that show trust, his manipulation of those who are weaker, and his willingness to exploit all opportunities he is presented, and you come to realize that Iago is the wickedest villain of all times. And while some think him the devil in incarnate, and others a psychopathic mad man, to the majority of readers he will always remain the man they love to hate. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights - A Complex Victorian Novel of Dysfunctional Relationships & Abuse

Emily Bronte published Wuthering Heights in 1847 and died in December of 1848 at the age of 30. Her singular novel was published under the pen name of Ellis Bell.Female Victorian writers were expected to present highly moral themes in their work. The issues presented by women writers of that time were expected t be resolved in a manner that offered readers a moral lesson and positive outcome. Good behavior was rewarded and the bad guys would be punished. Socially inappropriate behavior was depicted in a judgmental fashion and the protagonists of Victorian novels, in general, were supposed to learn a valuable lesson.In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte offers her readers a protagonist who behaves terribly. Heathcliff, the orphaned waif taken in by Mr. Earnshaw begins his life at Wuthering Heights under the kind care of his adoptive father and becomes close with his foster sister, Cathy. But, Hindley, Mr. Earnshaw's son, receives the new addition badly. He torments Heathcliff without mercy and makes the orphaned boy's life a living hell.But the mutual affection between Cathy and Heathcliff goes beyond the bonds of a childhood spent running wild in the moors and turns romantic.When Mr. Earnshaw dies, the abuse escalates and eventually, Heathcliff is driven off. Meanwhile, Cathy marries the wealthy neighbor, Edgar Linton. When Heathcliff returns from his adventures a wealthy man, he eventually gains control of Wuthering Heights and rules over the alcoholic Hindley. When Hindley dies, Heathcliff takes revenge on Hindley's son, Hareton.The reader must ask several questions. Was Heathcliff a bad seed, a sociopath born to make trouble; a self-centered brute in search of victims? Or, was he the product of abuse, his sensibilities warped by the constantly cruelty of his foster brother? Perhaps, Mr. Earnshaw brought home his own illegitimate child. Why else did he suddenly, out of the blue, introduce this little stranger into his household? If that is true, the romantic bond between Catherine and Heathcliff is incest.Emily Bronte touched on a variety of complex issues, unusual for a female Victorian writer. The theme of abusive relationships would be seen, in those days, as inappropriate for a woman's gentle sensibilities.Indeed, despite the fact that Wuthering Heights was offered up to the public as a novel written by a man, critics met it with stern objection. Reviewers decried Wuthering Heights as unnatural. One reviewer could not imagine how anyone could have contemplated such a take without eventually committing suicide. Imagine what they would have thought if they had known that Ellis Bell was really a young woman.In fact, the publishers who accepted Wuthering Heights set it aside. It was not until Emily Bronte's sister, Charlotte Bronte published Jane Eyre with success, that Wuthering Heights was offered up to the reading public.Wuthering Heights was no best seller. It was not until many years passed that it was recognized as a classic. The book is a complex study of dysfunctional relationships with a multi-layered plot. The reader must question the intentions and behaviors of even the most innocent seeming characters, resulting in a story that has become a mainstay of English literature classes.Emily Bronte was a quiet, reclusive young woman of the Victorian era who spent her days cooking, sewing and taking long walks on the moors. But the impact of her only novel, Wuthering Heights, resounds 160 years later as a classic, a deeply meaningful and psychologically profound novel. dr seuss cat in hat history

The Novels of the Bronte Sisters - Feminism in Victorian Literature

The Bronte sisters were the daughters of a clergyman, Patrick Bronte who lived in Haworth, Yorkshire, England in the first half of the 19th century.These three talented sisters created several novels, written, at first, in secret, and published under fictitious names. Each sister chose the name of a man and passed themselves off as brothers when they offered their books up to book publishers.In Victorian times, female writers were seen as less competent than male writers. The Bronte sisters also hoped to preserve their privacy by using pen names.Charlotte wrote under the name, Currer Bell. Emily wrote using the name Ellis Bell. The youngest sister, Anne, was Acton Bell.Their first foray into the world of publishing was a slim volume of poetry. They had hoped to establish their own school at Haworth, but when their plan failed, turned to writing as a means of earning an income. When Charlotte read some of Emily's poems, she saw great literary merit but not enough poems to fill a volume. So, Charlotte and Anne included their own poems when they approached a publisher.The book of poetry did not earn the sisters the money they had desired, so they attempted to create novels, even then, a more lucrative endeavor.Publishers accepted three novels by the Bronte sisters. Charlotte's novel, The Professor was published but was not a success. Publication of the novels by Emily and Anne were put on the back burner. But, the publishers, Smith and Elder wrote Charlotte encouraging letters who then wrote Jane Eyre which appeared and was well received by critics and the reading public.The success of Jane Eyre encouraged the publication of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Agnes Grey, by Anne Bronte. Neither of these books met with the same success as Jane Eyre.Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights offended reviewers who described it as an unnatural tale. One reviewer wondered how a person could have written such a disturbing story without committing suicide. It was not until years after her death at the age of thirty, that Emily Bronte's novel was seen as an important novel that would ultimately become a classic of English literature.The novels of the Bronte sisters center on the difficulties faced by women due to the social expectations and mores of Victorian England. Women of that time had few employment opportunities and were dependent on the men in their families or the men who employed them. Most of these novels can be seen as early expressions of early feminism where the protagonists struggle to gain independence and self-reliance. The characters who are unable to stand up for themselves, or to gain some modicum of strength suffer greatly and are held up as models of failure and depicted with pity.While Emily's sole novel was Wuthering Heights, Charlotte and Anne published several others. Following is a list of the books by the Bronte sisters:Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Bronte is a complex and disturbing tale of desire, vengeance, and dysfunctional family relationships set in the English moors.Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is an orphan's struggle to gain economic stability and respect in a time when personal freedom and self-reliance was difficult for women. Jane becomes a governess for the intelligent and troubled Mr. Rochester with whom she falls in love.The Professor, by Charlotte Bronte was republished in 1857 after her death. The story centers on the orphaned William Crimsmith and his struggle to free himself from the clutches of his abusive brother. He hopes to leave the trades and enter a life of academia.Shirley by Charlotte Bronte (1849) is set during a time of industrial unrest in England. Shirley is an independent woman of means in search of some significance in her life. Charlotte based the main character on her sister Emily.Villette, by Charlotte Bronte (1853) was Charlotte's last novel, the tale of Lucy Snow, an independent minded young woman who takes a job at a girls' school in a foreign country.Ages Grey by Anne Bronte (1847) centers around the dreary life of a governess in Victorian England and the problems faced by young women in need of earning a respectable living.The Tennant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte (1848) was better received than Agnes Grey. The protagonist, Helen, flies in the face of convention when she stands up to her abusive husband and speak up with a frankness unusual in a time when meekness was the mode for a respectable woman. dr seuss cat in hat book

Six of the Best

For those of you without the benefit of an English education 'six of the best' refers to the corporal punishment meted out to recalcitrant pupils by eager teachers whereby the accused was whacked on his backside six times with a cane. Nowadays you would have to pay good money for a similar treatment.Anyway, my 'six of the best' refers to the most influential business books that I have read. The oldest is over one hundred and sixty years old and the youngest is a mere fourteen. Nothing from more recent times makes my list. Here are the first three...you may disagree.Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay, 1852This collection of popular delusions is a classic study of mass manias, crowd behaviour and human folly. From witch trials and subsequent burning at the stake, through the prophecies of Nostradamus, to my personal favourite, the Tulip mania of the 17th century. What makes this book timeless is how often the business world repeats similar errors today. Junk bonds of the 1980's sound like a good idea now, anybody? How about that internet stock bubble of the nineties? The NASDAQ is still over 50% below its peak reached just about ten years ago! Well what about lending money for people with no income or assets to buy homes they couldn't afford - "sounds crazy but this time it's different" they said - no it wasn't. It happened before and it will happen again - unless of course this time it really is different.The Practice of Management by Peter Drucker, 1954Peter F. Drucker was the most influential management thinker of the 20th Century. He is the founding father of the study of management and remains unsurpassed. Many of his later books are still widely used and referred to today. The practice of Management, one of his earliest efforts, while less well known remains my personal favourite. Drucker, in the Preface, explains that the first aim of this book "is to narrow the gap between what can be done and what is being done, between the leaders in management and the average". You really haven't read a management book until you have read Drucker.Positioning: The Battle for your mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout, 1981In the 1972 two young authors were writing a three part series of articles in Advertising Age about the arrival of the 'positioning era'. From this beginning, Al Ries and Jack Trout went on the write the book in 1981. In this easy to read and practical volume they define Positioning as "an organized system for finding a window in the mind based on the concept that communication can only take place at the right time and under the right circumstances." They go on to develop the idea that positioning is not something you do to a product, it is something you do to the mind of the prospect. Today's use of non invasive technology such as fMRI enables us to view the brain activity of the prospect as they are exposed to various advertising messages - and seems makes the positioning argument even more strongly. This is a thirty year old, bang up to date book. Read it.Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance by Michael Porter, 1985The Financial Times called this book 'the most influential management book of the past quarter century'. The Washington Post described it as 'A brilliant Structural Analysis of what competitive advantage might mean...' It is probably the most obvious choice on this list and, at some 500 plus pages, quite a daunting prospect. It is the literary equivalent of Antarctica - a lot of people know of its existence and relative importance but only a few have actually 'been there'. If you have not read it then make it one of your '2010 things to do'. As good as Competitive Advantage is, this book is not a single volume but essentially a companion to Porter's earlier (and less acclaimed) Competitive Strategy, 1980. Competitive Strategy concentrates at the Industry level while Competitive Advantage concentrates on the firm. If you can find the time to read them both (and you should) then you will have a baseline of knowledge in Strategic Marketing that will be the equivalent of that provided by the best business schools.Risks: Reading Corporate Signals by Haig J Boyadjian & James F Warren, 1987I used to lend money to businesses for a living. As a senior underwriter for a London based global Bank I approved hundreds of millions in loans for asset finance, inventory finance, etc. Later, as part of my MBA studies I took a class in Advanced Risk Management, it was there I came across this book... I wished I had read it before my foray into money lending (not that I lost anything like the amount the clowns of today have mislaid!). It is well written, informed and accessible way to learn about a business's cash generation and how that is linked to its asset conversion cycle (still with me...?). Now I realise this seems the least exciting of my picks but trust me - an understanding of the lifeblood of a business and its sustainable growth rates will dictate what strategies it can pursue and, just as importantly, can also provides insights into competitors weaknesses. As my old boss used to say "profit is an opinion, cash is a fact". Business isn't all about new products and innovations - understanding the engine room is a required skill.The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action by Robert S Kaplan & David P Norton, 1996This book filled the gap for a method of how good ideas get translated into results. Essentially it provided a methodology to monitor and measure the specific actions and outputs that collectively drove business results. The idea itself is not new and can trace its roots to the French 'tableau de bord' systems of the early 20th century, but what made this a breakthrough book for me was the inclusive nature of the individual monitoring systems and how each business would design its own scorecard 'balanced' by the competing and specific needs of the business. All ideas need structure and this book provided exactly that, the subsequent follow up volume 'The Strategy Focused Organization' added to the base knowledge. I help businesses implement web based planning systems to this day and while techniques evolve and improve I can still see the 'family resemblance' to this earlier work. "Measure the outputs but manage the inputs" as I am quite often heard saying.Well there you have it. As my old mentor once said to me "Opinions are like A**holes, everybody has got one"SW 2010 dr seuss book collection

The Plight of Urdu Women Digests and Women Writers - A Review

In a graveyard few dead people were laughing loudly and chuckling with other dead-mates, someone alive passed by and was instantly shocked and logically stunned. He put and ensconced his strength together and asked, "O dead people! What makes you laugh and when you are dead? One of the dead men shouted back," we are reading Urdu digests and stories of women so-called writers and punsters. It is hilarious and infinite laughing stock". That is a joke, but the nonsense, stupidity, insanity and not literary essence of these digests are obvious and evident. The damage they are doing to the beautiful Urdu literature is too explicit and immense. They should be burnt to save our innocent minds and dignity and integrity of Urdu literature that contains names like Naseem hijazi, mushtaq ahmed yousafi, shafeeq-ur-rehman, qudrut ullah shahab, ashfaq ahmed, mohammad khan, mustansar hussain tarar, Ibn-insha and the list goes on. This ridiculous on going literary slaughter of Urdu must stop or we will be responsible to our next generation asking us," Is that our culture and literature?Imagine a fat middle-aged woman, cooking and taking care of her children, her husband and then talking and chatting with her friends and at the same time, in her mind, creating great stories. This is rubbish. Such digests contain stories coming from these boring personalities and fake intellectuals. A fake intellectual is someone who becomes an intellectual or a writer on his/her own. The detailed study of these women Urdu digest writers revolve around obnoxious and mentally ill people who are proud of their achievements which are recognized by limited fools and powered by a 40 Pakistan rupees digest. Is not it funny? The single women writers are not far behind in stupidity. They never tasted alcohol or its effects or researched about it and yet they present characters who are all the time drunk guys or girls. These young single writers write on all that they are yet to achieve in life, about their dreams and then put all this crap to readers forcibly in the name of literature. What cruelty is this?It is not meant that woman cannot write, I am a huge fan of Emily Bronte and all those great women writers of western society. They were intellectuals in true spirit and their works were liked and loved by everyone and everywhere. What about great J.K.Rowling? What about all other who write for the name of literature and great literary master piece, for example Jane Eyre. The problem arises when we read disgusting Urdu women digest stories which kill our literary taste and appears to be some kind of punishment. The comic tragedy lies in calling such stuff, "Literature". The highest point that these literary witches of Urdu Macbeth can go is publishing a book or more with no critical appreciation from any of the well-known names. They do not write for literary purpose, they write for self-satisfaction and fulfilling all those incomplete aspirations and ecstasy adventures, but in the meantime, murdering and slaughtering literature and loyal readers.Some of the stories that are published in these URDU women digests are so interesting that if you are in a bad mood and you want to laugh you can definitely read them and the irony is that these are serious stories, but the expression and the logical style adopted will make you go nuts and burst in to laughter. Another advantage of these stories are those of you who want to become a writer, do study them and learn what not to write and what not to follow! They will provide you a good guide on what not to include in your writing, so it is beneficial in a way, is not it?Out of two decades, they have only produced three or four good writers and the credit is to those writers and as soon as they were recognized, they stopped writing in these digests as if to give the devil his due. Those who have not stopped yet will get sense soon. The only good products include the following name. The amazing Umaira Ahmed, Ghazala Orakzai and Serwat Nazir are few virtuous writers. There are other digests which are conducting a great venture because they do not permit writers from women digests to be published in Jasoosi digest and suspense digest. Hopefully, the reputation of URDU will not be ruined by the fake digests any more. The permission of Muslim men to marry four women is so logical and deserving here. seuss book collection sets cat hat

West Africa Before and After Colonialism

Garriguesz, a poor Portuguese sailor and his sons, sail to West Africa. They are ready and have illusions that there is something out there. They are the first Europeans to sail to the Gulf of Guinea before the Independence of Ghana in 1957 and the aftermath. The circle symbolizes the globe and the triangle symbolizes the people within it.Garriguesz, the Portuguese sailor knows the past about how Portugal became a mighty empire by conquering North Africa and the Celts. He knew the family of Vasco da Gamma, whose mother was English. The family was planning to sail to India. He learned a great deal from his grandparent's explorations and distinctive pioneering abilities. These, motivated him to sail to West Africa.In 1436, Garriguesz and his sons sail on the Atlantic Ocean to West Africa. They bump into strange creatures, sea monsters, Mermaids and Mermen which had never been seen by sailors before. After a feeling of despair they finally reach Edina, to what is today Ghana.They are bewitched and impressed by the interesting people, the fauna and flora. They settle without turmoil and learn about the culture and the lifestyle of the people. They survive on local fruits, rice, beans, cereals, millet and maize wines as well as other local foodstuffs which had given the natives a healthy way of life.Fossils they found on the costal zones indicated that people entered the region about 10th century AD. They were the Berbers. They conquered the Romans and ruled most of Africa, north of the Sahara and much of the Mediterranean during the 11th and 12th century AD. The Berber tribes had driven the original Mauritanians away who settled somewhere else. They were the Soninka. They built the empire of Ghana, stretching from Mauritania to Senegal and Mali. Clans of people from Africa settled at Mali (Sahel) to form Ghana and Songhai empires. Timbuktu was the most important city.The newly formed empire occupied the grassland south of Sahara and controlled trade routes across the desert. They had camels and horses thus, they were able to battle; however, they were limited from expanding their power into the forest zone of Asante land because their camels and horses could not survive the forest owing to diseases.
The old Ghana was centred in Senegal and Mauritania and the Soninka dominated from the 10th to the 13th century. Mali Empire took over declined after which other minor kingdoms arose.Garriguesz and his sons are now acquainted with the history of the regions. They have the impression that their languages are a mixture of Arabic and self-developed languages. Garriguesz compares Portuguese languages spoken in the Iberian Peninsula but finds great differences between them. The languages spoken in Ghana, he finds, are rich in proverbs and have another clank. The Kwa language is spoken in most parts of West Africa and the Akan languages are well established and widely spoken in the region. They befriend the king at Edina (Elmina).In January 1437, Figo, the eldest son falls in love with a native girl, Naana. He describes the West African girl as having beautiful eyes which come from the white of the eyes, and her round brown iris, the pupils, shining through, opening wider and reflecting. Figo sees that her hair has sheen that shone. Figo is curious about Naana`s fair complexion which she explains to Figo`s astonishment. He had never in his dreams imagined that such a beauty, with intelligence, could exist in Africa. Figo falls heavily in love.Figo befriends Naana and narrates about the Germanic invasion of Portugal as well as the rule of Berbers (Moors) on the Iberian Peninsula in much the same way as it was in old Ghana. Naana had some history to tell Figo. She narrates that the word Ghana was the title of the king. It was also known as Wagadu according to her grandparents. This individual ruled Ghana in 1290 AD and in 1307 Mansa Musa became the ruler in Mali. This particular king dispensed so much gold from the region to Egypt that the gold value fell drastically and never recovered thus, Mali declined. She tells Figo how her family settles along riversides and mentions the names of rivers in modern Ghana where gold was found.As bad luck would have it, Naana went away and Figo never saw her for many years. He is depressed and downcast. However, the Portuguese family stayed with the Edinians at Elmina, modern day Ghana. They see division of labour amongst the natives and learn much about their culture and celebrations of the people. Figo does not forget the African girl thus; he occupies himself by sailing to neighbouring villages gathering artefacts March, 1437, Garriguesz and his sons exploit other parts of West Africa. They are aware of the gold and diamonds region as well as the rich vegetation with Mahogany, ebony and Buffalos.June 12th 1437, they discover some skeletal remains and stone tools suggesting a Stone Age Sapiens and, come across a group of "Homonoidea", great apes. With great flexibility they avoid being harmed. They visit Mankessim, a Fante village. It was the seat of the great Fante chief. The chief welcomes them without animosity and narrates about the powerful Mandingos and other tribes of the old Ghana Empire. The chief tells the Portuguese visitors about the Ashanti, an Akan tribe at the southern forest where gold is plentiful. The chief narrates about the Ashanti Union with other clans and how the Fante withdrew from the Union. The chief praises the Ashanti for introducing gold dust as currency and establishing Asante gold weights. Garriguesz and his sons receive knowledge about the regions with plentiful. The regions had wealth to develop modern Ghana, but ancient Ghana exported the wealth to North Africa and Europe.September 24th, 1437 Garriguesz and his sons enter Ayawaso (Accra), the Ga-Dangwe family. The chief receives them unequivocally. The Portuguese family asked the chief for information and he narrates that his ancestors came from Upper Egypt and how and why they settled at their present locations. He also mentions how Hebrews settled in Africa. The chief narrated about the role of women and children, the patrilineal inheritance of the Gas as well as the matrilineal system of the Akans. Garriguesz and his sons travelled to every corner of West Africa including Senegal, Ivory Coast, Carbo Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, and Nigeria passing through ups and downs but enjoying every minute of their adventures.Garriguesz was a good Christian and believed in the Holy Book. He narrates about creation, illustrating with Noah`s Ark and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth and how they occupied the earth. He concludes that we are all cousins.
Garriguesz and Figo left West Africa in May 1466. They went back to Portugal and lectured about West Africa in various Institutions. Vasco da Gama was three years old. Raul was left behind in West Africa, farming and cultivating crops throughout the region selling and supplying West Africans with goods. There was confession at the coast of West Africa because of foreign influxes. Garriguesz descendants see European countries venturing modern Ghana, the Portuguese, the Dutch, Germans, the British, Swedish, and the Danes building castles and forts all over the region as well as hollow bastions, prisons and dungeons. Over 6.3 million slaves were shipped to both North and South America. Between 1710 and 1810, millions of slaves were shipped from West Africa; thousands of slaves were shipped yearly from Ghana. Garriguesz descendants try to stop those activities but they are small in numbers. However, the British fights to abolish the slave trade which eventually stopped around 1860 but, by then tons of gold had been shipped to Europe.Garriguesz descendants narrate about the booming economy of modern Ghana, political organs, independence of Ghana, the mighty Asante's wars with the British, the golden stool and the circumstances of the demise of Yaa Asanteawaa, the woman warrior.Garriguesz, a poor sailor, convinces his sons Figo and Raul to sail with him from the city of Porto, in Portugal, to explore the unknown waters of the Atlantic. They experience firsthand many of the ocean's deepest mysteries, encountering mermaids and sea creatures. Their journeys eventually bring them to the wealthy and exotic region of Edina, on the West Coast of Africa, to what is today modern Ghana. They choose to stay amongst the beautiful and good-hearted people.Garriguesz and his sons experience the riches of life in Africa, and learn about the origins of the people, their languages, and their lifestyles, ever fascinated by the differences in customs, flora and fauna from their native land.
The aim of the book is to provide an account of a little-understood region of the world, West Africa and Africa in general."The past defines our lives and brings meaning--the configuration of people on planet Earth did not take shape overnight, but passed through meaningful transformations."While Triangle Within a Circle; the circle symbolizes the globe and the triangle symbolizes the people who live within it. Through the story of Garriguesz and his descendants are able to show how encounters between people of the "old" world and the "new" bring about new ideas and change the course of human evolution. Garriguesz and his sons recreate and capture the brightness of the region, the rise and fall of kingdoms, the decline of empires; mysticism, the supernatural, and superstition are all interwoven with some sense of wisdom. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

Scott Alexander Book Review - Rhinoceros Success

The book Rhinoceros Success is an excellent read. The whole book is illustrated true, factual, eye opening stories.The amazing Authors of this book is Scott Alexander. Mr Alexander authored a set of Rhino books when he was twenty-three years old:Rhino Success, Advanced Rhinocerology and Rhinocerotic Relativity. These three books have sold in an excess of two million copies.Mr Alexander is now a world wide renowned speaker. He has traveled world wide presenting his unique and humorous philosophy of success and motivation. During his career he has been involved in such diverse business as African Arts, fossils and music.I was introduced to Mr Alexander at a major function in the year 2000. This book is one hundred twenty two pages packed with great information to guide you to the attitude you will need to succeed in owning your own business. Mr Alexander mixes serious points with hilarious humor to lighten things up.I read this book in a matter of a few minutes well under an hour or so. By the time I was done, it explained a lot to me about Attitude and how to help others with theirs. As soon as I was done reading it the only thing on my mind was to somehow get myself in front of Mr Alexander to pick his brain even more and of course to sign my book.Well in the covers of this book Rhinoceros Success you will find out things like: Rhino Training, How to be a Rhino in all aspects of your life and Be prepared for Rhino problems.In the section Rhino Training you will find that it is all in your MIND. The most important ingredient of being an effective Rhino is your ATTITUDE. By fixing your attitude you will be able to declare that you are a Rhino. There are two sayings you should say to yourself: I am a Rhino!I have a Damn the torpedoes spirit! I am full of energy and can not wait to wake up in the morning to start charging! The second saying goes like this: I am successful owner(your business name) which has earned me a full time income and has helped(the number in your group) to succeed in business and in life. By repeating both of these sayings every morning trains your mind and puts your attitude right for the rest of the day.In the chapter of How to be a Rhino inn all aspects of your life you will find there are six major areas of your life that will extremely benefit if you take on the Rhino Attitude and they are: Family,Financial,Work or Business, physically, socially and most of all Spiritually. Mr Alexander told us a joke to remind us that your a Rhino all the time not just when you take on special projects. The joke went something like this: "Do you know how to make Rhinos float? Root beer, one scoop of vanilla ice cream and one scoop of Rhino!"In the last chapter I picked out is Be prepared for Rhino problems. Regardless who you are or how much money you have or do not have you will run into problems. The difference is with the way people handle problems that have a Rhino Attitude. Most problems that would stop other people in there tracks do not even phase a person with a Rhino Attitude. Rhino people attach the problem and do what ever it takes to work threw the problem and solve it and charge forward. As for the aspect of an Internet Marketer or any other business owner problems are a good sign. Problems are a sign of progress and your business is growing and moving forward. So as a Rhino you will have to get really good at solving problems.In summary: This book is a must for every one's library of business books. If you are looking to achieve more and have a better balance in all areas of your life this is a must read book to achieve the Rhino Attitude.Just remember: We are all on a journey to achieve our life goals and dreams. Make sure while you are on that journey you are living life to the fullest and most of all having fun while you are doing it!written by: Mark WezykFreedomteamleader dr seuss cat in hat history

A Book Review of Kate, the Ghost Dog - Coping With the Death of a Pet - Author Wayne L Wilson

In Kate, the Ghost Dog: Coping With the Death of a Pet, Wayne L. Wilson delicately weaves the threads of family support into a fabric of love and understanding to help a young girl cope with the loss of her beloved pet.What is noticeably apparent is the way in which the book deals with the maturing feelings of a young girl becoming a young adult. Every child feels at times isolation and when some disappointment occurs the need to reach out to other family members is weighed against the desire to be left alone to deal with the personal loss. It is the breaking down of the personal barrier and opening the young girl's feelings with the loving support of a functional family which is most enjoyable and well achieved in Wilson's writings. The book, by design, shows others how to open themselves to the loving support of their family, and is a model for all types of losses, whether a pet or even a family member.Beautifully illustrated by Soud, the book is gilded with just the right amount of imagery. Not too much to make it an overpowering picture book, and done with a style incorporating little tidbits and type style highlights. The book is a pleasure to the eyes and an easy, fast read. It certainly made me think of the loss I had with a pet awhile ago, and gives an uplifting message.I recommend this for all family libraries and elementary schools. This book can be a gift to ones who recently suffered a loss of a pet or to ones that currently love a pet, enabling them to appreciate the days they have together. It shows that a pet's love stays with a person forever.Title: Kate, the Ghost Dog: Coping With the Death of a Pet
Author: Wayne L. Wilson dr seuss cat in hat book

Fabre Gives Good Reason to Read REASONS!

In a book that grabs you and won't let go (I read it in one sitting, unusual for me) filled with well-developed characters and a wonderful, natural type of humor in her dialogue, Tracy Fabre gives us REASONS. And yet, with that description, it is interesting to note that the real theme of this book is much more serious. It is one of the responsibility and the power and destructive force that keeping secrets in our lives can have on us. Through the talent of Fabre's writing, this message is presented in a sensitive manner that shows how much she cares about her characters and her readers. The result is a book about families and what makes them tick and binds them together through triumph and through tragedy.Delphi Brent wants to spend her summer before going off to another state to live and work, with old friends in Colorado. She hasn't seen the Laughlin's in years. When she tells her parents she wants to go and they are hesitant, the truth comes out about a hit-and-run accident that almost cost Delphi her life all those years ago. They tell her how the Laughlin boys were driving the car that hit her and drove away...something she never knew before. And so, she heads to Colorado in hopes of learning the truth about which one of these boys was behind the wheel and why they left the scene.She also wants to understand what happened as one of the boys, the youngest, Artie, was killed in a car accident and Delphi wants to find out how, and if, he was involved in her hit and run. Delphi is sensitive and caring of the family and doesn't want to bring them any more pain and so is reluctant to come right out and ask the questions she seeks answers to. As her visit goes on, she quickly sees how her feelings about what happened in these mysteries may interfere with her future as she starts to fall for Tam, the son who is a veterinarian. She also has to contend with Bobby who she had a crush on as a young teen who is engaged to an insecure, rude, and possessive fiance, Noreen. The relationships and dialogue between all these characters is well written and especially the interaction with Tam is quite seductive to the reader.Will Delphi ever learn the truth about her accident and who was involved? If someone she is starting to fall for is involved, will she be able to get past that? Do Noreen and Bobby actually continue their plans to wed once it is revealed it is really more of a business deal to combine properties of their ranches? Finding out the truth and what happens as a result is hard to wait to find out about. If you are the kind of reader who will jump to the ending to find out what happens, don't! It is such a good story and part of the enjoyment is the build up. If Delphi could keep the secrets, it is only right that the reader go along with her and learn about things as she does...you won't be sorry! Kudos to Tracy Fabre on this well-written, engaging book and I look forward to reading more of her work. dr seuss book collection

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

This article is a review of Deepak Chopra's modern classic "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success". The subtitle to the book is "A Practical Guide To The Fulfillment of Your Dreams."The book takes issue with the commonly held belief that success is the result of hard work, exacting plans, and driving ambition. Instead the book adopts the perspective that success is the result of learning to live in harmony with natural laws. Achieving this harmony it holds to be the key to manifesting well-being, good health, fulfilling relationships, energy and enthusiasm for life, and material abundance.In brief the Seven Spiritual Laws are as follows:1) The Law of Pure Potentiality:This law maintains that the source of all creation is pure consciousness. That this is our true self and that realizing this fact aligns us with the power that manifests everything in the Universe.2) The Law of Giving:This states that the Universe operates through dynamic exchange; and that giving and receiving are simply different aspects of this exchange. Further that the willingness to give that which we seek is the key to keeping abundance circulating freely in our lives.3) The Law of Karma:This law states that every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind. When we choose action that create happiness and success then those shall be the fruit of our karma.4) The Law of Least Effort:This law states that nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease. That when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love; we then create success and good fortune in our lives.5) The Law of Intention and Desire:This law says that every desire contains the mechanics for it's own fulfillment. That when we introduce intention into the field of pure potentiality we put infinite organizing power to work for ourselves.6) The Law of Detachment:This represents a willingness to let go of control and accept uncertainty. This opens us up to direction from the creative mind that orchestrates the dance of the Universe.7) The Law of Dharma:This is the law of purpose in life. It states that when we use our unique talents in service of others we experience perfect harmony and success flow naturally from every such action. seuss book collection sets cat hat

Critical Book Review - Outliers - The True Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

The origins of success or the broader picture of self improvement have been attributed to hard work and occasionally as being from the right family to actual luck whatever that is. Malcolm Gladwell looks beyond the common understanding and provides some new insight as to the hows, whys, whats, whos and wheres of success.Galdwell breaks this excellent book into 2 sections:
Opportunity
Legacy
However before he jumps in, Gladwell uses the introduction to provide the reader with a 30,000 foot view so to speak. In the introduction he discussed the Roseto Mystery and how until we change how we look at things the things we look at will not change. Through this mystery, the concept of being an outlier goes beyond being just explained, but extends into actual demonstration. For those who are unaware, an outlier is something situated away from the main body or a statistical observation that s markedly different in value from others within the sample.The first section of Opportunity explains how success in many cases is being in the right place at the right time due to birth date, personal connections, demographics, geography, etc. One of the first takeaways specific to self improvement within this section was this single number 10,000. Successful people invest 10,000 hours in practice from computer programming as in the case of Bill Gates to violinists.I reflected upon this number and realized my ability to read was based upon 10,000 hours of actual reading from first grade to college and beyond. Also, this also reaffirms my belief in writing because the better you write, the more you think, the more you think, the better you write. 10,000 is a critical number within the story of success.Gladwell illustrates his position about success with real life stories from real life people. His talent for making these connections only further validates his observations and brings a greater robustness to the test.In Part Two, Legacy, the reader is exposed to again to real life examples where we as individuals are a product of our conditioning, our families, the expectations of others. From families feuding to plane crashes, Gladwell illustrates the importance of how legacy affects success.I found the discussion about the rice paddy extremely insightful and enlightening when taken in content with the mathematical achievements of Asian students. Maybe this is why so many early American farmers did so well with their 40 acre land grants and why so many American students are now having trouble with mathematics.This book has an interesting ending. All I can add is if you wish to look at the word success differently then this book will help create that self improvement awareness. And awareness is the first step to change. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

"Gluten Free Low Glycemic Cookbook For Diabetics & Allergy Sufferers" Review

Each and every recipe within this particular book addresses all three issues at the same instance as well as being nevertheless extremely tasty, gratifying, as well as fulfilling. Not one of the dishes make use of corn or soy. Scrumptious dairy-free alternatives are additionally provided. Very small amount of allergens are utilized, as well as alternatives provided with regard to the majority of recognized allergens, such as particular recipes which provide alternatives to nut products.Diabetics that are living some sort of gluten free way of life tend to be experiencing a substantial decrease in their blood sugar levels. Combining the gluten free diet plan together with a frequent exercise routine and therefore a person will experience reduce blood sugar levels as well as an improved energy level as well as a much healthy view.Initial you have got to fully grasp exactly what gluten is. Gluten is some sort of protein which is actually found in grains, this specific gluten protein can not be digested by individuals suffering with the condition known as Celiac. An important eating plan has been created in order to assist the enormous amounts of individuals which have Celiac disease.Diabetes and Wheat Allergies.Obtaining certain foods as well as recipes which are free from wheat, barley, rye, kasha, matzo meal, bulgur, semolina, farina and and many more can become a issue at times. Gluten can be present in food additive which stabilize as well as thicken foods which are processed which includes several alcoholic drinks. For all those with Celiac, and Wheat Allergies. Any diet plan that's entirely with out gluten is really a One hundred percent commitment to being free of all whole grain products.Obtaining gluten free foods as well as dishes which your whole household would eat breakfast, lunch or dinner each day was a challenge until eventually I heard of a chef and proprietor of a allergy-friendly restaurant,which compiled all his recipes into a scrumptious gluten-free cookbook.Vast majority of individuals on gluten limited diet programs, understand that gluten free isn't an either/or way of life this is a dedication to a method of eating.For more information about this dr seuss cat in hat history

More Advanced First Aid Books For Diaster Situations

It has been said that knowledge is power and this is definitely the case for any sort of disaster be it natural, man made, economic, or through civil unrest. GI Joe, a popular American cartoon character, always stated that "knowledge is half of the battle and now you know" after every action packed episode. Even the American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin stated "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." In the Bible, King Solomon (who is said to be the man with the most intelligence in the ancient world) stated "...and knowledge rather than choicest gold" Proverbs 8:10.Knowing what to do in case of a problem beforehand is better than trying to figure it out when that problem comes around. A good collection of first aid and field treatment manuals should be the center of any disaster preparedness library, of course do not forget to use the internet if there is local network coverage. Most of the following books and manuals are written in such a way that anyone can read and understand them; therefore a couple of the books are geared to help people living in "third world" conditions and are really easy to read and follow.It is not necessarily an acute disaster reference book, but "Where There Is No Doctor a village health care handbook" by David Werner and published by The Hesperian Foundation (PO Box 11577 Berkeley, CA 94712-2577 United States of America) should be the center of any sort of disaster medical library. This book is easy to use by almost anyone regardless of medical educational level. "Where There Is No Doctor" has a complete index and easy to read and easy to understand definitions.Signs and symptoms are covered well and are shown in well drawn illustrations to aid in the reader's understanding. Treatments are also covered in simple detail and do not necessarily center around potentially unavailable pharmaceuticals so some simpler products and treatments which where used effectively in the past also covered. "Where There Is No Doctor" also covers medication dosages and even has pages for drug calculations and medication schedules. dr seuss cat in hat book

Ready, Set, Green - Eight Weeks to Modern Eco-Living - Book Review

I've got to admit that I am usually skeptical about books that show you how to go green. Sometimes the suggestions are so bizarre that you can just about guarantee that no one will be taking them seriously. So you can imagine that I was pleasantly surprised that the book, Ready, Set Green: Eight Weeks to Modern Eco-Living by Graham Hill and Meaghan O'Neill of Treehugger provided many usable suggestions for the greener lifestyle.The "Save the Planet in 30 Minutes or Less" lists of suggestions, followed by "So You Want to Do More" lists, are extremely user-friendly which can help gain buy in from readers. Symbols are also used to indicate benefits to gain from the efforts. And the benefits aren't just green. They include saving money, saving time, and improving health, too. Brilliant and missing from many other works of the green genre.The ecofriendly factoid and myth buster box items highlight interesting and useful information. Background data is presented in an informative and less judgmental manner than I have seen in other works. As well, the focus on how it impacts the reader helps drive the points home.There were really only two issues I had with the book.First, there was the obligatory ride your bike suggestion. As I am writing this review, it is now 8 degrees Fahrenheit with a predicted high of 14 tomorrow here in Chicago. This one (and walking) usually falls on deaf ears, except in warmer seasons, in climates like this. Additionally, urban sprawl with high speed highways and no bike lanes often makes it a dangerous endeavor, especially in early morning or evening. These types of efforts will require entire community and governmental support to become workable.Second, many of the products suggested are obscure brands that you will not find at your local Target or grocery store. So if I have to order them and incur shipping costs, both financial and environmental, have we made progress? The limited availability of more earth friendly and socially conscious product choices in highly frequented retail outlets is one of the major challenges to the green consumer movement.Because of its incredibly user-friendly format and clearly presented and useful information, Ready, Set Green is a must-read for those who want to learn some real world ways to go green. dr seuss book collection

The Alchemist - A Book Review

I first heard about The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho while watching an interview of actor Will Smith. Mr. Smith named The Alchemist as his favorite book, which piqued my curiosity. The next day my husband, who had also seen the interview, came home with the book.The novel tells the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, who has the courage to follow his dream. Santiago has a recurring dream about finding his treasure at the Pyramids of Egypt. As he travels from his homeland of Spain to the foreign land of Egypt, he meets a king, a gypsy, an Englishman, and an alchemist, all of whom point him in the direction of his true treasure. What starts out as a quest to obtain worldly goods becomes a discovery of the treasures found within.The novel's message is that you should not avoid your destiny and that it's never too late to follow and realize your dream. The book points out that everyone is an "alchemist" and has the power to find their treasure and fulfill their Personal Legend. "It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend." The book encourages people to move past that belief, like the lady I recently read about who finally obtained her college degree at 100 years of age.The Alchemist is a short (163 pages) and simple fable, based on simple, yet profound, truths. It was originally published in 1988 in the author's native Portuguese. It has since been translated in nearly 70 languages and has become one of the best-selling books in history. It is a book that I plan to read again and again and I recommend it for anyone who needs some encouragement in pursuing their own Personal Legend. seuss book collection sets cat hat

Law School Financial Aid - Almost Every Law Student Must Have This to Complete the Courses

For law school financial aid, there are many resources a student can utilize to pay the enormous bills that will be presented to them. The cost can be staggering for some, so be prepared with as much assistance as possible.There are scholarships and grants along with fellowships that are awarded each semester from a wide variety of places and organizations. One place that is often overlooked is the educational institution for which you have been accepted to. But this brings up a very important point, if you have already been accepted at a law school; you are already off to a late start when it comes to applying for financial aid.Private schools are very expensive to attend. This is because there is no public money being given the institution to help offset the cost of a student attending classes there.If you choose to finance your own education, there are options. The Free Application for Student Federal Aid must be filled out. Available to graduate students are the Stanford Loan and the Perkins Loan which are federally funded loans that must be paid back after graduation. There is also the Graduate PLUS System that connects private lenders with students that need the necessary resources to continue their education in law.The main private financial institutions that give loans to aspiring law students are CampusDoor Loans through Access Group, CitiAssist from CitiBank, LAWLOANS from Sallie Mae, and School Loans from KeyBank.With public schools bills reaching over $50,000 a semester, do not let any avenue of school financial aid go unchecked. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

Book Review - Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry

We love our costume jewelry, and when we find a piece that has the designer's name, or "signature" on the back, we know we have a piece that can be dated and its value better understood.But what about the literally millions of pieces of beautiful costume jewelry that have no signature? And why, when there was such obvious artistry and craftsmanship involved in producing the piece, was it left unsigned?Marcia "Sparkles" Brown has given us some answers, and hundreds of gorgeous photographs in her book, "Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry, Identification and Values".One reason is that fine jewelry of gold and gemstones was worn by ladies of wealth and position, while the cheaper, "fake" jewelry was worn by the poor or women of "ill repute". Makers of fine jewelry were proud to put their signatures on their creations, while artisans who made fake jewelry were just working to make a living - it was a lower class profession without the pride of putting one's name on one's products.Costume jewelry was made in vast quantities in mass production, and to keep up with demand the makers did not always take the time to stamp their name or company logo on each individual piece.Sometimes manufacturers made unsigned jewelry that was sold to department stores, which then put the jewelry in boxes with the store's name.The book is divided into sections, with many photographs illustrating every page. It not only shows a multitude of unsigned jewelry pieces, but also gives you history, concepts and the basics of starting a collection.A fascinating chapter on rhinestone history takes you from the kings of France through Daniel Swarovski's processes to the present time. Several pages of photographs of rhinestone butterfly pins finish the chapter.Why do we call it costume jewelry? Page 15 tells us.We learn about different metals used in costume jewelry, such as white metal, gold plating, sterling silver, vermeil, rhodium, silver plating, enamel, japanning and gun metal. More photos illustrate this section.Stone shapes and settings are examined and illustrated with drawings and examples.Now what about starting a collection? The chapter on collectibilty will show you what to look for, how to choose, how to examine condition, and how to evaluate craftsmanship.There's a comprehensive section on dating your jewelry, including a time chart, fashion style dating and art trends, followed by expert advice on care, restoration and storage.For the next 227 pages you'll be treated to photographs and detailed descriptions of unsigned brooches, necklaces, earrings, parures (sets), dress clips and accessories.Finishing up the book are an extensive glossary and a bibliography that will tempt you with many titles of books about antique and vintage costume jewelry.This book is a must-have for the collector or anyone who buys and sells costume jewelry. It's a visual treat and a well researched book that you'll refer to over and over. dr seuss cat in hat history

I Kissed Dating Goodbye

As I looked at its cover, I was dumbfounded. I felt something special that lured me to discover what it has to say. It seemed as if I have felt the similar urge to read its pages, as I have felt with the cover of Rose Madder. Back then, I remembered I was as well cold-stricken with the view of a lady looking afar. The lady was gazing towards a horizon, where an old tree stood at the heart of the picture. I saw hope and I felt pain, and these were the few feelings that I recall drove me to look into its covers.I Kissed Dating Goodbye caught my attention in a similar gravity but of different perspective. I found myself enticed with the picture of a man physically composed yet emotionally reserved. The title suggested something about dating but it kept me wondering about the ironic feeling of reservation it suggested through its cover picture - a squatting man, looking down, face covered with a hat and sleeves uncovered. At the back cover, I had a different impression. The book shared a feeling of awe, a feeling that has given me the slightest clue of what it has to say. Then on, I grabbed a copy and tossed it to the basket for purchase.At the preface, I read an initial attest of a guy named Sam Torode. I do not know him and I have not heard his name among the league of writers; but I read on and gave him a chance to involve me more. Surprisingly, it did.So I gave Joshua Harris a chance and started the first chapter of the book. From then, I was more amazed to have found my fingers flipping from one page to another; until I earnestly discovered what it had to say. It was not just about dating but kissing dating goodbye. The word goodbye seemed to have just been another oxymoron to us but Joshua's goodbye was far-fetched to mean as God be with ye, as gotten from the old much-preferred contraction of the word. Then again, I was more astonished. His words expressed the simplest idea that a Christian could ever conceive, but he revealed choices that are far-opted by most people. Perhaps this is the reason why Joshua has been tagged as an extremist. However, he took the wind out of my sails. It must have taken him more than a sack of brevity and more than a week of prayers to point out to the world that -"True love isn't just expressed in passionately whispered words or an intimate kiss or an embrace before two people are married, love is expressed in self-control, patience, even words left unsaid."That in our world where passion is a battleground, as Elizabeth Elliot would put it; our hearts tend to find selfish fulfillment and satisfaction everywhere with unruly affections. In the end, we just find it nowhere without God.Joshua decided based on what is pure and blameless. He refined his love not just by posting a sticker of I am worth waiting for on the cover of his bible or by following his little relationship principle of The joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment; but with strengthening his passion after Christ's heart. (Matthew 16:24) That through Christ he knew, every meaning of love has been said and done. There is no greater love than this. It sacrifices, it gives and it dies to its own needs. (John 15:13)As I closed the book to its very end, a noble perspective begins to work loose. It was not just about the thought of dating during my first impression; but the reservation and awe when one engages into a relationship in His sublime keeping and guidance. That though kissing dating goodbye is to counterculture romance, it proposes pure love with romance done on a clean slate.References:1) New International Version (NIV) Bible
2) "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris, Multnoma Publishers, 2003.
3) "Passion and Purity" by Elizabeth Elliot, Published by Fleming H. Revell, 1984.
4) "The Maven's Word of the Day" by Randomhouse, http://www.randomhouse.com, retrieved: January 28, 2010. dr seuss cat in hat book