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In July, I attended Freedom21, a conference devoted to many of the issues affecting present trends and how to influence the future to insure that the Constitution will continue to protect our freedoms against many forces in the world seeking to limit them. One trend that worries parents these days is the deterioration of education in America. It is common knowledge that our schools are turning out students ill prepared in basic skills and the knowledge of our nation and the world they will need to compete effectively. I picked up a book by Allen Quist, FedEd: The New Federal Curriculum and How It's Enforced ($15.00, Maple River Education Coalition, St. Paul, MN) that clarifies and explains how our nation's education system has been taken over by the federal government when, in fact, you will not find the word "education" anywhere in the Constitution. That's because education was always intended to be a local and State responsibility. Most frightening and astonishing is the revelation that the federal government now mandates one non-governmental organization, the Center for Civic Education, total control over what is taught today's students and its curriculum is spread throughout all other topic areas. It also explains why so many parents have elected to school their children at home. The book can be purchased by visiting www.edwatch.org and I recommend it highly to anyone concerned for their children's education and the continuing "dumbing down" of our schools. It has been going on since the 1960s and poses a real threat to our nation. If you think something is terribly wrong, you're right. In an age where we are bombarded by information influencing what we do, how we live, and who we are, Probing Popular Culture On and Off the Internet by Dr. Marshall Fishwick, PhD, ($$49.95/$24.95, Haworth Press, Binghamton, NY, hard & softcover) offers a penetrating look at the impact of the icons and events that affect our lives. It explores our fads, our hopes, and our fears, demonstrating how they are influenced by the images we see everyday in the news and on the Web. Religion, sports, foods, television and movies, all are examined. He raises questions about who arbitrates, regulates, and influences the vast flow of information, asking what is at stake for our society, our nation, and what is at stake. This is a largely academic book of interest to those who study popular culture, but it may also interest the lay reader as well. Same Difference: How Gender Myths are Hurting our Relationships, our Children, and our Jobs ($25.00, Basic Books, an imprint of Perseus Books) argues that groundless beliefs about "natural" differences between the sexes have harmed both women and men. Written by Rosalind Barnett and Caryl Rivers, the authors contend that it is power, not gender that make a difference and call for an end to sexual stereotyping. I must say that I disagree with the theme of this book and believe there are real differences, not the least of which is the fact that it is women who bear children and, consequently, fulfill an essential role in society as important as anything men do as providers. Over the years, we have seen the affect on our society as traditional roles have been abandoned, women have entered the work force, divorce rates have climbed, and now even same-sex marriage is being advocated, attacking one of the most fundamental linchpins of society. This book disputes the view that women are more nurturing and emotional, and men are more logical and aggressive. Despite my reservations, I suggest that this book is worth reading for what it says about our society and the gender issues it is confronting. A radically new theory of human development is put forth in The First Idea: How Symbols, Language, and Intelligence Evolved from our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans ($25.00, Da Capo Press, Cambridge, MA). Dr. Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D., and Dr. Stuart G. Shanker, D.Philosophy, look at the way in the childhood of every human being, and at the dawn of human history, there is an amazing (and until now unexplained) leap from simple genetically programmed behavior to symbolic thinking, language and culture. Humans, alone among all other species, developed symbols, transmitting them to generations over millions of years, and thereby transforming us into the dominant specie through this learned capacity. This is a breakthrough evolutionary theory that will prove fascinating to anyone who looks at the human race and wonders what makes it tick and how we have evolved the complex world that we all share. There is also the shared wisdom that is imparted to us from many sources. What if, however, one man decided to gather as much of it as possible together in one book? That is what Rodney Ohebsion has done in A Collection of Wisdom ($29.00, available from www.immediex.com and other outlets). This book is 608 pages long and every one of them is filled with the most wonderful insights and observations. It is a book that can and probably should be read in short takes. Indeed, you could just crack it open to any page and absorb as much as you want. All manner of people are quoted, as well as the proverbs of different cultures and teachings of religions. As Ohebsion says, "The entire world has been writing a book for thousands and thousands of years…" In the end, you understand there is not only a collected wisdom, but a collective psyche at work. I really liked this book and you will too. There is no disputing that the US is the most powerful nation, militarily, on the face of the earth. We fought, won, and were occasionally stalemated in the wars of the last century. One of the most power instruments of those wars was a legendary aircraft carrier and Scott McGaugh has written Midway Magic ($24.95, CDS, New York, NY); the first book to chronicle the unique saga of the USS Midway. Imagine a ship embarking on a 47-year odyssey stretching from a week after the end of WWII to the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. It is a ship that sailed into nearly every international crisis of the past half century. It was a ship manned over the years by 225,000 Americans, most of whom were boys in the late teens and early twenties. McGaugh interviewed 308 of those Midway sailors and those narratives tell a fascinating story of a ship that saved thousands on humanitarian missions during showdowns with Red China, when South Vietnam fell, and during a volcanic eruption that destroyed Clark Air Base. It was the flagship of Desert Storm. With a forward by Midway aviator and astronaut Wally Schirra, this book is a tribute to all those who sailed in harm's way.
Fans of fine photography will enjoy Hector Acebes: Portraits in Africa, 1948-1953, due out in October ($40.00, Marquand, distributed by the University of Washington Press). Born in New York in 1921, the photographer led the kind of life about which they make movies. He attended elementary school in Madrid, Spain and middle school in Bogata, Columbia. After a try at running away to see the world, he was sent to the New York Military Academy where he discovered photography. He would marry and begin a family, setting up a small photo studio in Boston until World War II came along. Always the adventurer at heart, he enlisted and served two years in Germany, France and Belgium. Following the war, he returned to MIT, secured a degree in engineering, and graduated in 1947. Later that year, through happenstance, he found himself in Africa. The continent and its people captivated him. In 1953 he made his most extensive trip there. Out of this came some powerful photos of the people he came across in the French West Congo, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, the Belgian Congo, Kenya and Tanzania. Collected now, those photos transport one back half a century. There is much more to his life and this book tells the full story, but it is the photos that will draw you back to them again and again. Getting Down to Business (Books) With September comes Labor Day and the traditional return to business for the rest of the year following summer vacation time. For those interesting in improving their management, marketing or investment skills, there are a number of new books that may prove helpful. Scott P. Frush, CPA, CFP, has authored Optimal Investing: How to Protect and Grow Your Wealth with Asset Allocation ($27.95, Marshall Rand Publishing, PO Box 1849, Royal Oak, MI 48068). This is a careful, step-by-step approach using time-tested and honored principles of asset allocation that would serve any reader who wants to learn about getting the most out of their investment performance over the years. The emphasis is on independence, control, and security, while at the same time keeping the process as uncomplicated as possible. For some heavy-duty reading on the subject of measuring investor confidence, expectations, and market trends, pick up Woody Dorsey's Behavior Trading ($69.95,Texere, the Thompson Group). "The marketplace is where the psychology of human exchanges gets played out in public," says the author and one need only watch Wall Street to confirm the truth of that. Traders and investors make money by understanding the behavior that occurs in the marketplace and this book provides the means to do just that.
Ideas Are Free say Alan G. Robinson and Dean M. Schroeder, the authors of this interesting book ($24.95, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, San Francisco) on "how the idea revolution is liberating people and transforming organizations." This book points out the many ways employees, close to the actual operation of a company, can spot problems and often save a company thousands of dollars. Sometimes that recommend entirely new ways of doing business that managers may not see. The problem is, as anyone who has worked within any organization knows, is that suppressing employee ideas is more often that case than promoting them. This book shows managers how to tap into those ideas and gain some very real advantages over their competitors. I recommend it highly. Powerhouse Marketing Plans by Winslow "Bud" Johnson ($29.95, Amacom) is a good, solid nuts-and-bolts look at actual marketing plans that drive sales for products from leading companies, revealing how and why they work so well. Here you will learn how to ensure that product benefits are perceived by customers, how to eliminate negatives associated with the product, provide built-in convenience for retailers and consumers, and much more toward building sales and profits. Godfrey Harris has been a public policy consultant in Los Angeles since the late 1960s. His latest book, The Hottest Ideas in Word of Mouth Advertising ($17.95, The Americas Group) is the seventh in a series he has written about word of mouth advertising, pretty much establishing him as the expert on the topic. Since it is the oldest, least expensive, and most effective form of advertising there is, this virtual encyclopedia on the topic (but not so thick it cannot be easily read) is well worth reading. It is a clever compendium of time-tested ideas. Media Monoliths by Mark Tungate ($39.95, Kogan Page, Sterling, VA) also looks at the marketing strategies of giant companies that are brand names like CNN, MTV and The New York Times. This is an in-depth analysis of twenty of the world's greatest media brands and the secrets behind their success. For anyone interested in media, marketing or both, this book should be at the top of your reading list. If you are in the travel industry, pick up a copy of The Complete 21st Century Travel & Hospitality Marketing Handbook by Bob Dickinson and Andy Vladimir ($35.00, Pearson/Prentice Hall). Tourism is a $585 billion business in the US. The book offers advice from sixty-four travel industry leaders that will prove invaluable to anyone working in this highly competitive industry. It doesn't get much better than this. Finally, there's Lou Dobbs' doom and gloom book, Exporting America: Why Corporate Greed is Shipping American Jobs Overseas ($19.95, Warner Books, softcover) that views the movement of jobs to cheaper foreign labor markets as a major threat to American workers. No one suggests that we have seen too many examples of corporate greed, but I would argue they are a minority of the many companies run properly. Some jobs are, indeed, moving overseas, but new kinds of jobs are also being created by the information industry that today's workers are being trained and re-trained to do. The influx of millions of illegal immigrants isn't helping our economy either. In recent months unemployment rates have dropped and consumer confidence has gained. Is the glass half full or half empty? The author thinks it's the latter. You will have decide that for yourself. Increasingly, people are going through career changes in their lives. They start out in one direction and elect to go in a new one. Or they are fired from a position and find employment in a new field. Work is closely tied to our emotional well being and disruptions can cause great distress. Back in Control: How to Stay Sane, Productive and Inspired in Your Career Transition by Diane Grimard Wilson ($16.95, Sentient Publications, Boulder, CO) will help avoid the feelings of depression, confusion, and stress that frequently accompany this transition. It contains counsel and comfort for anyone working their way through change, picking up where most "how-to" books leave off. Kid's Stuff: Books for Younger Readers It’s back to school and there are plenty of books to enhance their studies, as well as books for pre-schoolers to whom parents can read and even begin to teach how to read. Today’s books for younger readers are remarkable for their sophistication in terms of their illustrations and texts. Let’s look a few new ones. For kids aged 4 to 10 who have a lot of energy, 1,000 Games for Smart Kids ($14.95, Teora USA, Laurel, MD) is just the ticket. Ranging from very basic through to more difficult ones, the book is full of opportunities to do coloring, dot-to-dot linking, spotting differences, counting, and, in general, developing those skills that will serve them well in school. Meanwhile, the book will bring some relief to parents by providing some entertainment to occupy the young reader. Another fun book from the same publisher is Read, Stick & Learn About Animals ($6.99) which provides four pages of reusable stickers where children, seven and up will find 75 animal pictures they can apply on pages that describe animals that have feathers, fur, and other kinds of skin.
Kids Can Press of Tonawanda, NY is one of my favorite publishers of books for young readers. They have a wonderful selection of new books this fall. The early reader, age 5 to 8, will benefit from having Franklin’s Picture Dictionary ($15.95) with more than 1,000 words, each imaginatively illustrated. For the very youngest, 3 years and up, there’s Franklin’s Halloween Fun: A Sticker Activity Book ($6.95) that will help celebrate Halloween with woodland creatures and a variety of games to stimulate young minds. For more “scary” fun there’s Drumheller Dinosaur Dance by Robert Heidbreder, illustrated by Bill Slavin and Esperanca Melo ($15.95). In this story a boy’s dream is filled with skeletal creatures that shimmy and shake until he wakes in the morning. A wonderfully imaginative text, written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards, Monkey Business, will please any pre-school or early reader as it uses sayings such as “Letting the cat out of the bag” as the springboard for pictures that are works of art in themselves. Kids Can Books provides lots of learning experiences, such as one about our five senses in Wow! In this book by Trudee Romanek and illustrated by Rose Cowles ($14.95) for those ages 9 through 14, smelling, touching, et cetera, are examined in an interesting text that explains their functions and how they work. Natural science is well served by Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth by Rochelle Strauss and illustrated by Margot Thompson ($16.95), filled with scads of information that will enhance any child’s knowledge and make them a stand-out at school. Also for this age group, there’s Marie Curie: A Brilliant Life as told by Elizabeth MacLeod ($14.95). She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and she opened the doors for a life devoted to science for many women to follow. This is an inspiring story. Kids Can Press has also published some books about useful skills for those 8 and up. They are Simply Sewing by Judy Ann Sadler ($12.95) and Bake and Make Amazing Cookies by Elizabeth MacLeod ($12.95). Books like these can lead to a life of fun using these skills. Children love animals of all kinds and Fine Feathered Friends ($17.95, Wordsong from Boyds Mills Press, Honesdale, PA) features poetry by Jane Yolen and photos by Jason Stemple that will fascinate any youngster 10 to 12 years of age. These two talented people have teamed up for a series of books that you can learn about by visiting www.boydsmillspress.com. This book will awaken the bird watcher in any youngster. A couple of identical-looking English Springer Spaniels take the young reader, seven and up, on a trip to a famous place in Seattle in a story told by Carol A. Losi and delightfully illustrated by Amy Meissner. Salt & Pepper at the Pike Place Market ($15.95, WestWinds Press, an imprint of Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co., Anchorage, AK) is a rollicking story of their being switched in the hustle and bustle of the busy market, ending up with the wrong owners! They are finally reunited, but there’s plenty of fun for the young reader until they do. Also from Graphic Arts Center comes Sweet Dreams Polar Bear ($8.95) by Mindy Dwyer. It is a series of brief, illustrated poems about the dreams different animals might have and ideal to read to a pre-schooler or give to a beginning reader. Absolutely beautiful artwork makes Lord of the Forest by Caroline Pitcher, illustrated by Jackie Morris, a great gift for any youngster, age 5 to 8, with its story of a tiger as it grows from being a cub to an adult who has no rival ($16.95, Frances Lincoln Children Books, London, UK, distributed by Publishers Group West.) Despite the claims of other animals to be the lord of the forest, it is the tiger that rules. A simple fable, the tale of a basket, is told in I, Doko by Ed Young ($16.99, Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin). Due out in November, it is an insight to the culture of Nepal and will entertain children age 4 and up. What child is not afraid of the dark? MyLinda Butterworth has written The Monster Run ($14.98, Day to Day Enterprises, Oviedo, FL) about a little girl who is convinced there are monsters in her room, despite her mother’s repeated efforts to comfort her. Based on a true story of how they all got chased away, this book, due out in October and written for children 3 to 8 years of age, will prove a real comfort to parents and children alike. The Boy Who Didn’t Want to be Sad by Dr. Rob Goldblatt is subtitled “Happiness, Lesson One” (American Psychological Association’s Magination Press) and written by a clinical psychologist whose story says that you have to feel your feelings instead of running away from them. Written for the very young and best read to them by an adult, the book addresses the fact that even the youngest of children experiences sadness and needs the tools to deal with it. A tale of mystery tinged with sadness is told in Footprints on the Ceiling by Michael Hetzer and illustrated by Kim Clayton ($18.95, Webster Henrietta Publishing, Myrtle Beach, SC) as a 8-year-old tries to solve why there are tiny footprints on the ceiling of her bedroom until, at the end, she remembers why. It is a touching story that celebrates a father’s love when that father is absent. This is an excellent sequel to their previous book, “No More Handprints.” For anyone who shares this situation, the book will prove very helpful.
From the author of The Princess Diaries series, Meg Cabot, there’s Teen Idol ($15.99, HarperCollins Children’s Books) for ages 12 and up. Those familiar with the series will welcome this new addition as Jenny Greeley, who is now the school newspaper’s anonymous advice columnist, is entrusted with the secret of the identity of the school’s newest student by the principal. He’s a teen movie star who has gone underground to do research for an upcoming movie role. Turns out, it’s Jenny who needs advice to deal with this and other entertaining events. Cabot has come up with another winner in this entertaining teen novel. There’s lots of good fiction to get you through autumn. Here are a few that arrived in recent weeks. An interesting cast of characters peoples The Door in the Road by Genevieve Sesto ($20.95, Britton Road Press, Racine, WI 53403). This talented novelist presents us with five people living in an old, run-down apartment building edging toward decay, who prove an intriguing mix of a young woman trying to decide between two lovers, an abandoned 15-year-old, a youngish grandmother trying to keep her family together, and others who take us into a world most of us would otherwise not experience. This novel is one of those surprising pleasures that might otherwise be overlooked by most critics. Two softcover novels from Bethany House offer good reading. They are Bad Ground by W. Dale Cramer ($12.99) and The Assignment by Mark Andrew Olsen ($12.99). The former is the story of a hard road to manhood as newly orphaned 17-year-old Jeremy Prine seeks out his uncle to give him a letter from his late mother. He hitchhikes to just south of Atlanta to meet him and becomes, like him, a rock tunnel worker. Cramer is attracting attention for his skill as a storyteller and this one demonstrates why. Bethany House is a leading Christian book publisher and the latter novel reflects this. With bestsellers like The DaVinci Code still generating sales, Olsen has fashioned a story that likewise is a search of an ancient secret. Near the ruins of Auschwitz, members of a covert monastic order unearth one of the world’s most astounding discoveries. Their find sets off a fierce international manhunt that involves the CIA, the Israeli Mossad, Hamas terrorists, and even factions of the Vatican. All will seek the identity of an extraordinary man and that is the assignment that will keep you turning the pages. Penguin Books is a huge publishing house and its size along allows it to offer many fine novels, particularly in softcover. In recent weeks, six novels have arrived and each in its own way will prove interesting. In no particular order, I will start with Philip Kerr’s March Violets ($12.00). Kerr has written a number of excellent, gripping mysteries set in Nazi-era Berlin and this one, the first of a Berlin Noir series, introduces readers to Bernie Gunther, an ex-policeman who thought he’d seen everything on the streets of 1930s Berlin. Set against the grisly excesses of Nazi subculture, this novel is hard-hitting and fast-paced, as you set back in time to a dark era of history. The era is also the backdrop for William Brodrick’s The Sixth Lamentation ($14.00). It begins in 1995 when Agnes Aubret is told she is dying. Not far away, a man has come to a priory seeking sanctuary and, across five decades, both are linked. She as the member of a French resistance group that smuggled Jewish children to safety and he as a Nazi war criminal who escaped to begin a new life in Britain with help from the Church. This is a completely absorbing story in which two seemingly unconnected lives shockingly converge.
A fourth novel by Vijaya Schartz was released in August in an electronic format. You can check out Relics – Operation: Pleiades at www.triskelionpublishing.com. The paperback edition will follow next year. Seven women abducted by aliens in childhood and implanted with a timed DNA trigger to annihilate the human race are hunted by a government agency called “Orion” and aided by other aliens from Mythos. Together they fight back to protect the planet from the threat. Who does archeologist Celene Dupres trust? I recommended her first novel, Ashes for the Elephant God, and it is now being made into a movie. To learn more about this prolific science fiction writer, visit her site at www.vijayaschartz.com. Linda Lael Miller is back with a new novel, Never Look Back, ($12.95, Atria, imprint of Simon and Schuster, softcover) a sequel to her bestseller, Don’t Look Now. Mixing suspense, murder, intrigue, and romance, her sassy attorney, Clare Westbrook and homicide detective, Tony Sonterra, re-ignite their turbulent love affair. However, Clare is now the target of an unknown killer and, with bullets flying, the question is whether these two can put aside their differences long enough to find him and keep her alive. We can celebrate the return of Nancy Herkness, too, as her novel, Shower of Stars, ($5.95, Berkley) is now out in paperback. Her debut novel, A Bridge to Love, was widely praised and we have evidence now that a new writer of modern romance has emerged with the promise of more novels to come. In this new story, the two main characters strike a deal to marry “in name only” so she can adopt a child, but matters of the heart are unpredictable and real love arises to complicate the relationship, but can love conquer everything? You will have to read this excellent novel to find out. Love between two people of very different cultures is at the heart of Jessica Davis Stein’s Coyote Dream ($12.95, NAL Accent, softcover original), a remarkable debut novel in which a young professional woman, Sarah, from Long Island meets a Native American artist, Ben, while stranded by car troubles on a Navajo reservation. An intense love affair ensues, but when she is forced to leave without any declaration from Ben, their future together is in doubt. When he comes east, both must decide how to create a future together. This is a quintessentially American love story.
There’s plenty of suspense in James D. Taylor’s self-published novel, Signal Chase, available from www.1stbooks.com. When a stealth spy plane disappears over Manchuria, Colonel Red Bannerman and Major Ardis Moore team up with just three weeks to find out why. This is a powerful military mystery-thriller in which old enemies, the Russians and Americans, must cooperate and become friends to find a new Chinese radar system in order to prevent a potential nuclear attack. In the process, they uncover an international conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of our government. The author’s experience as an Air Force officer, engineer and military historian provides just the right ingredients for this mix of geopolitics, patriotism, romance and high technology. As if I didn’t receive enough novels in hardcover, the paperbacks flow into my office as well. Anyone passing a paperback rack anywhere knows there is no lack of good reading available. One paperback giant publisher is Kensington Books and among their recent titles are several under their Pinnacle imprint. These include David Dun’s Unacceptable Risk that pits a covert operative against a terrorist, both looking for a rare insect that has a substance that can alter the cells of the human brain. This could be a boon to mankind or a genetic nightmare. My Dying Breath by Ben Reed starts in a small town in Louisiana in 1969 where a young fellow joins the Marines and tells a story of the fighting and revenge in Vietnam, a subject on everyone’s mind these days due to the Kerry campaign. Tainted Blood by James M. Thompson will entertain those who love to read about vampires and a centuries old doctor who discovers a cure for his vampirism. He must fight an evil empire. For those who love westerns, there’s McKeag’s Mountain by L.J. Martin about a rugged rancher who plots revenge against the men who murdered his family and stole his ranch. Got A Man by Daaimah S. Poole tells the story of a 26-year-old, Vanessa Brown, a single mom with another child on the way who must decide if the man in her life can or will commit when she discovers she has a rival for his love. Romantic suspense is well served with a Zebra imprint, See How She Dies, by Lisa Jackson about a woman who claims she was the child kidnapped from her wealthy family and who becomes the target for someone who wants her dead. Also from Zebra is She’ll Never Know by Hunter Morgan about a victim of amnesia who is drawn to a small Delaware town that is caught in the grip of a serial killer and she may be his next victim.
Berkley, a Penguin imprint, has three new titles worth checking out. There’s Hot Blooded ($7.99), a collection of steamy stories about paranormal romance in which four authors spin tales of vampires and werewolves, and the women who love them! Dead Famous by Carol O’Connell is part of the Mallary thriller series by this author. Her detective, Kathleen Mallory, must find the killer of an FBI agent killed in a Chicago psychiatrist’s waiting room while, in New York, the jurors from a controversial trial are being murdered one by one. Connecting the dots will keep you turning the pages. Another thriller, Summertime, by Liz Rigbey tells about a safe life being lived in New York that is disrupted by the murder of Lucy Schaffer’s father, forcing her to face chilling memories of her childhood. That’s it for September! Come back in October and join the more than 50,000 others who know that Bookviews.com provides news of books you may not find anywhere else. Take a moment, too, to check out our Featured Books section for unique books that deserve attention. |
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Contact: Alan Caruba |
To reprint, e-mail for permission. |
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As
Americans close in on the November elections, everyone, pundits and
regular folks alike, are trying to look into the future and determine
who will win, what party will control Congress, and where this world
of ours is heading. The importance of getting a handle on the future,
particularly each of our own personal futures is the subject of Futuring:
The Exploration of the Future by Edward Cornish ($29.95, World Future
Society, Bethesda, MD). Those who enjoy personal success in life are
just as often those who have peered into the future and made good decisions
for themselves. This book offers a guide to how anyone can do this,
while exploring many of the trends that are shaping the future, i.e.,
technological progress, economic growth, improving health, increased
mobility, and the clash of cultures affecting world events. These are
projected forward to 2040. Each of its chapters provides useful information
about how to understand and take advantage of change and how to understand
how the past affects it. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is serious
about their life and how it will play out in the future.
There
are tons of novels available, but the ability to write a singularly
perfect short story is rare. That's why I especially enjoyed Anthony
Pour's The Closet Devil ($19.50, Hudson Books, 244 Madison Ave,
#254, New York, NY 10016) because in just a few pages he takes you into
the lives of the characters he creates, gives you a sense of where they
are, and then, at the end, never fails to surprise you. Pour is equally
at home writing about ordinary folk or the rich and famous. It is their
human weaknesses that interest him and there are plenty to satisfy his
wicked sense of humor, mixed with a touch of pathos. Thirteen delicious
short stories will thoroughly entertain you. Pour is just one more example
of the fact that there are lots of truly talented writers out there
just waiting to be published and/or discovered. I recommend you discover
him.
Please,
I'd Rather Manage Myself by Marsha Haigh Arend ($27.50, Rollaway
Bay Publications, Centennial, CO) offers a road map to entrepreneurial
success based on the author's twenty-five years experience as a turn-around
specialist and entrepreneur. Filled with lots of savvy advice, the book
tackles all the common problems one might encounter and, best of all,
does so with a sense of humor, proving that business books do not have
to be boring. For novice or experienced entrepreneurs alike, this book
is worth its price and much, much more. Then there's Management Skills
for New Managers by Carol W. Ellis ($15.00, Amacom softcover) that
is filled with good advice for people transitioning into the ranks of
management and having to learn the skills of delegating work and motivating
their staff. Based on the American Management Association's top-selling
course, this practical guide will show readers how to smoothly adjust
to their new role and be effective from their first day. Managing
Leadership by Jim Stroup ($16.95, iUniverse) is self-published as
is increasingly common these days. A former Marine officer, Stroup believes
there's a leadership crisis in today's business and other organizations
as seen in the news reports of some of these people being arrested for
their criminal behavior. He believes leadership must come from within
an organization, not be imposed from the top down and lays out a game
plan for achieving that. He makes a lot of sense and his book is worth
reading. For the manager or sales executive seeking to make the most
of their personal leadership abilities, there's Maximum Influence
by Kurt W. Mortensen ($17.95, Amacom softcover). Success is dependent
on one's ability to persuade, motivate, and influence others. This book
can help anyone make the most of these skills by learning how to "read"
people quickly and to earn their trust and friendship. 
National
Geographic greets the autumn with several new books devoted to natural
and national history. An eye-popping look at Prehistoric Mammals
($29.95) is provided by Alan Turner and illustrated by Mauricio
Anton. The adult readers could just as easily read this book for those
in the middle school age group as well. Its text is full of fascinating
information and the artwork is of the highest quality. Spiders and
Their Webs ($16.95) by Darlyne A. Murawski is for the younger set,
those in the earliest school years, and it is illustrated by the author’s
color photos of the different web designs and the stories of how different
species developed them. This kind of book opens the imagination’s doors
to the wonders of nature. US history is well served with a number of
new books such as Rosalyn Schanzer’s George vs. George: The American
Revolution as Seen from Both Sides ($16.95). Both written and illustrated
by the author, it represents two year’s research and the result, for
the reader eight and up is an excellent tale of how the American Revolution
was perceived. It took some seven years to resolve, but the result was
worth it! Prior to the Revolution was the story of what happened when
the early settlers of America met up with the Native American Indian
population. This is the story told in Cultures Collide: 1492-1700
by Ann Rossi ($12.95) and it describes both cooperation and clashes.
New additions to the “I Am American” series include Hoping for Rain:
The Dust Bowl Adventures of Patty and Earl Buckler by Kate Connell
($6.99) and When the Mission Padre Came to the Rancho: The Early
California Adventures of Rosalinda and Simon Delgado by Gare Thompson
($6.99). For ages eight and up, these slim volumes relate the true
stories of people who faced the challenges of life in America, whether
it was those settling the Golden State or those in the 1930’s whose
farms were lost to the droughts.
Coming
in October for those 12 and older is a story of coping, Pulling Princes
by Tyne O’Connell ($16.95, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, New York) that
relates a young girl’s experiences of an American teenager at a British
boarding school as she deals with issues such as being accepted by others,
dealing with boys, and other trials of life. The author is a romance
novelist whose own experiences and her daughter’s gave her lots of insight.
This is a fun book to read despite its challenging theme. I thoroughly
enjoyed Aidan of Oren: The Journey Begins by Alan St. Jean ($19.95,
Moo Press, Inc., PO Box 54, Warwick, NY 10990-0054) that will also debut
in October and is written for children aged 7-12 and, I might add, older
ones like me. It is the story of a boy, Aidan, a child of peace, who
begins a quest on his 13th birthday to fulfill an ancient
prophecy. He is accompanied by two orphan friends, Lilly and McKenzie.
Together they journey to a far-away land and learn the value of friendship,
the meaning of courage, and the importance of compassion. Before you
think this is just a preachy tale, I can assure you that it is an old-fashioned,
ripping good story with a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter. It
is further enhanced with illustrations by Judith Friedman. I give it
three stars out of three.
Continuing
with the Penguin softcover novels, it is 1954 in postwar London and
Pip Granger, a talented writer, picks up where she left off with her
previous novel, Not All Tarts Are Apple, in The Widow Ginger
($13.00), a rather complicated plot told with plenty of wit and whimsy
and filled with characters that range from members of the local underworld
to someone who has begun a career as an arsonist.
For
nearly 35 years, Cindy Glander was a beloved resident of New Milford,
Connecticut who co-owned, along with her husband, Carl, a popular pet
store. After a long and courageous battle against cancer, she passed
away on June 1, 2001. However, she left behind a terrific novel, Worm
($25.95/$15.95, iUniverse) available from on-line retailers like Barnes
and Noble, and Amazon.com.
Frederick
Forsyth, famed author of The Day of the Jackal, demonstrates
he can still write a terrific thriller with Avenger ($7.99, St.Martin’s
Press) about a small-time lawyer in a sleepy New Jersey town who lives
a double life. He is hired to hunt the killer of a wealthy man’s son-in-law
who died on a humanitarian mission in Bosnia. However, a CIA agent must
stop him before the vengeance creates turmoil. From Ballantine Books,
a division of Random House, comes Dead Even, by Mariah Stewart,
about three men with revenge on their minds and murder in their hearts.
They are three convicted felons who make a pact to wipe out the names
on each other’s “hit lists” when they are released. One of them is FBI
special agent, Miranda Cahill, and now a series of murders has thrown
her together with a former lover and fellow FBI agent. Trying to solve
the murders and avoid being killed, you will root for these two right
up to the last page.