Book Beginning: Radical Love by Satish Kumar

 The Friday 56. Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% of your eReader. Find any sentence that grabs you. Post it, and add your URL post in Linky at Freda's Voice.

Also visit Book Beginning at Rose City Reader, and First Line Friday

Radical Love by Satish Kumar, February 7, 2023, Parallax Press

Genre: self-help, nonfiction

About: To see peace in our lifetimes, we have to study love.

 

This is the radical message of this inspirational book .... Author and activist Satish Kumar is well known for his epic 1960s walk for world peace from India to Moscow, Paris, London, and Washington, DC

Book beginning:

Chapter 1- A Monsoon of Love

Life is a landscape of love, and love is the celebration of life. Love is the means and love is the end. Love is our path and it is our destination. Love is the goal. Love is a way of bveing. Love is a way of life. There is not way to love: love is the way. 

Page 56:

"Have I finished all that water?" Gandhi asked, visibly perturbed. 

Thanks to Wiley Saichek of Saichek Publicity for a feature/review copy of this book. 

First Chapter: Keep Sharp by Sanjay Gupta, MD

 

First Chapter/First paragraph/Tuesday Intros is hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. Post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book you are reading or plan to read soon.

Keep Sharp by Sanjay Gupta, MD

Published January 5, 2021, Simon & Schuster

Genre: health, self-help

First paragraph, first chapter:

Are You At Risk for Brain Decline?

Over the past few years, I have spent a great deal of time distilling the best evidence-based brain research into guidance for you. It is based on formal and informal conversations with colleagues and other experts in the world of neuroscience and human performance. In order to make it more useful, I have created a list of questions that are highly relevant to your brain health and potential.... 

Would read on?  

It's Monday: Historical Novels

New books on my shelves:


The Huntress by Kate Quinn (see my review)
February 26, 2019, William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: historical thriller


The Gown:A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson
December 31, 2018, William Morrow
Genre: historical fiction

How to Be Alone: If You Want to and Even If You Don't by Lane Moore
November 6, 2018; Atria Books
Genre: nonfiction, self-help


City of Secrets by Victoria Thompson
November 13, 2018, Berkley
Genre: historical mystery


On the Same Page by N.D. Galland
December 31, 2018, William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: romantic comedy

What books will you be reading this week?
Memes:  
The Sunday Post  hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer,
It's Monday, What Are You Reading? by Book Date.
Mailbox Monday. 

Book Beginning: Rich Bitch by Nicole Lapin

The Friday 56. Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% of your eReader. Find any sentence that grabs you. Post it, and add your URL post in Linky at Freda's Voice.
Also visit Book Beginning at Rose City Reader.

Rich Bitch: A Simple 12-Step Plan for Getting Your Financial Life Together...Finally by Nicole Lapin, published February 24, 2015 by Harlequin.
Genre: self-help

At first glance, this seems like a fairly basic book on personal finance, for the college aged group or young adults. The author outlines her 12-step program to finance in this book that can be open at random and read in any order. 

Book beginning, first chapter:
Step 1
Stop Smiling and Nodding
Embrace the Rich Bitch Attitude

Every single story goes back to money. I learned that being in the news world for so long. If you want to get to the heart of any story, you just have to follow the money trail.
So, let's follow the money trail of your life.
Yes,that will take us through the nuts and bolts of hard-core personal finance. Of course. But it also means going down paths of topics like shacking up and taking care of yourself. "Wait, say what, Lapin? Those aren't money issues," you might be thinking. Well, sure. they're just topics about men and wellness at first blush, but they are absolutely money topics, too....

Page 56:
5. Bitches who lack ambition. I will elaborate more in Step 8, but start freeing yourself from the anxiety of saving so much by...making more. Yes, I know, that's easier said than done, but if you start coming from a place of aspiration instead of desperation, you will change the way you look at money....think of making more, not spending less, as our best weapon against going broke.  

And so it goes....advice for the up and coming. A book I'll pick up and open at random to learn something new (even at my age!) 

What are you reading this Friday?

Thanks to the publisher for a feature/review copy of this book. 

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

First Chapter, First Paragraph is hosted weekly by Bibliophile by the Sea. Share the first paragraph of your current read. Also visit Teaser Tuesdays meme hosted by Jenn.

The life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo, published October 14, 2014; Ten Speed Press
Genre: self-help

Chapter 1:

Why can't I keep my house in order? You can't tidy if you've never learned how

When I tell people that my profession is telling other people how to tidy, I am usually met with looks of astonishment. "Can you actually make money doing that?" is their first question. This is almost always followed by, "Do people need lessons in tidying?"

...The general assumption, in Japan at least, is that tidying doesn't need to be taught but rather is picked up naturally....one never hears of anyone passing on the family secrets of tidying, even within the same household.

Book teaser:

By paring down to the volume that you can properly handle, you revitalize your relationship with your belongings. (p. 126)

Book description:
This best-selling guide to decluttering your home from Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes readers step-by-step through her revolutionary KonMari Method for simplifying, organizing, and storing.

I bought this book before I even knew it was a best seller. I started it, it sounded reasonable and very do-able, but I now have to finish the book to get back on track and remember all the advice. Tops in one drawer, bottoms in another; how to fold and store socks, underwear, bags; clothes that one must hang in the closet, etc. 

But first, I must throw everything away or dispose of those things I don't want, use, or find useful! Phew!

Would you keep reading after the first paragraph, etc.?

Other reviews of the book: 1330V

Waiting on Wednesday: The Same Sweet Girls' Guide to Life by Cassandra King

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Same Sweet Girls' Guide to Life

The Same Sweet Girls' Guide to Life: Advice from a Southern Belle by Cassandra King is a short and sweet lecture of advice to young women, to be published May 1, 2014 by Maiden Lane Press; 97 pages

Book description: This lecture was delivered by the author to a graduating class in May 2013 at her alma mater, Montevallo College in Alabama. 

The Same Sweet Girl’s Guide to Life offers inspiration and solid advice to new graduates that can sustain them through life’s ups and downs.  This small book offers  hard-earned wisdom for young and old.

Her first pearl of wisdom: sincerity is an important virtue, and once you learn to fake it, you are well on your way to success! Dare to laugh at yourself.  Find kindred spirits and keep them close to you; expand your circle of friends. Know the true value of time. She also advises that we try to find words to express love and gratitude but to keep in mind that it is our actions that reveal our feelings more than our words.

And as an addition to this lecture, King adds a new afterword on the value of becoming a lifelong reader. (goodreads)

Sounds like a good book for new college graduates! The title of this lecture refers to her novel The Same Sweet Girls, a book about lifelong friends, published in 2012.

What new book are you waiting on?

Book Feature: The Sensory Child Gets Organized by Carolyn Dalgliesh

Title: The Sensory Child Gets Organized: Proven Systems for Rigid, Anxious, or Distracted Kids
Author: Carolyn Dalgliesh
Published September 3, 2013; Touchstone

This seems to be a valuable source of practical ideas for teachers as well as families with distracted kids.

Publisher description:
"Every year, tens of thousands of young children are diagnosed with disorders that make it difficult for them to absorb the external world. Parents of sensory kids—like those with sensory processing disorder, anxiety disorder, AD/HD, autism, bipolar disorder, and OCD—often feel frustrated and overwhelmed, creating stress in everyday life for the whole family.

Author Carolyn Dalgliesh knows firsthand the struggles parents face in trying to bring out the best in their rigid, anxious, or distracted children. She provides solutions that help these kids thrive at home and in their day-to-day activities, and describes how to
- Understand what makes your sensory child tick 
- Create harmonious spaces through sensory organizing 
- Use structure and routines to connect with your child 
-  Prepare your child for social and school experiences 
- Make travel a successful and fun-filled journey 
 An easy-to-follow road map for the entire family."

Carolyn Dalgliesh is the founder and owner of Systems for Sensory Kids and Simple Organizing Strategies, which helps families, individuals, and businesses get organized. She lives in Rhode Island.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book.
If you are having trouble leaving a comment, click on Book Dilettante and try again.

Mailbox Monday: Here's Mine; What's Yours?

Visit Mailbox Monday at host Chaotic Compendiums this week.

The books that recently arrived:

Undercurrents by Pamela Beason

Book description: "Scuba diving off the Galápagos Islands, wildlife biologist and freelance writer Summer “Sam” Westin is not only out of her element—she’s plunged right into a dangerous conflict between fishermen and environmentalists…"

The Homicide Hustle by Ella Barrick

Book description:  "The traveling TV dance show, Ballroom with the B-Listers, is coming to Washington, D.C., and ballroom dancer Stacy Graysin is  in line to participate. But when the show’s coproducer, Tessa King, is found dead in the Potomac River, the suspects are the contestants and crew of B-Listers. Stacy will need to win the competition and catch a killer."

Going, Going, Ganache  by Jenn McKinlay
Cupcake Baking Mystery #5

Book description: "After a cupcake-flinging fiasco at a photo shoot for a local magazine, Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura agree to make amends by hosting a corporate boot camp at Fairy Tale Cupcakes.  But when the magazine’s creative director is found murdered outside the bakery, Mel and Angie have to find the killer before their business goes AWOL."

When Can You Start: How to ACE the Interview and WIN the Job by Paul Freiberger

Book description: Be ready for The Only Question You Must Be Able to Answer: (not) tell the interviewer about your weaknesses, answer any trick question or oddball question, ask the right questions, be confident in any interview situation, avoid interview mistakes, negotiate the salary you deserve."

When She Was Gone by Gwendolen Gross

Book description: "The story of a seventeen-year-old girl who vanishes on the eve of her departure for college, as told through the alternating perspectives of her neighbors."


Thanks to the publishers for these books for review. What arrived in your mailbox recently? 

The True Secret of Writing by Natalie Goldberg

Friday 56 Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader  *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post in Linky at Freda's Voice. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple. 

Setting Up

In Part Two I want to give you the nitty-gritty of a formal True Secret Retreat. All my practice with Katagiri Roshi in the zendo had to do with attention to detail, the physicality of actually doing one thing after another, taking it in with the body: bow, sit, stand, clean cushion, walk, chant, eat soup in the first bowl, salad with the chopsticks in the middle bowl, a pickle in the third bowl. Clean bowls with hot water, drink the water (nothing goes to waste), wrap bowls in napkin and put away. (p. 57)

Publisher's description: Sit. Walk. Write. These are the barest bones of Natalie Goldberg’s revolutionary writing and life practice, which she presents here in book form for the first time. A whole new slant on writing that she developed since the publication of her classic, Writing Down the Bones.... The capstone to forty years of teaching, The True Secret of Writing will inspire you to pick up the pen, get writing, and keep going.

The True Secret of Writing by Natalie Goldberg
Release date: March 19, 2013; Atria Book
Source: publisher

Yoga Cures by Tara Stiles

Among all the things to be thankful for - friends and family this past year, facebook and blogging friends, and the good books I have read and loved, and even the ones I've had reservations about, in part or the whole.

One of my few book purchases this month has been Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer More Than 50 Common Ailments... by Tara Stiles. It has yoga positions that are familiar but geared towards helping with common and not so common ailments like acne, the flu, a broken heart, traveler's anxiety, wrinkles, and getting some zzz's (sleep)! It's a fun book to read if you already do some yoga, and doing the poses are a good way to get in your exercises, even if you don't suffer from any of the ailments it helps to cure!

Inversion poses, for instance, can help to get blood and oxygen to the brain and help wake you up if your thinking processes are slow at the moment. In any case, if you find yourself standing in a long line on Black Friday, just bend forward from the waist a few seconds to stay awake!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? by William Poundstone

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB and asks you to choose sentences at random from your current read. Identify the author and title for readers.

"Perhaps success is a matter not so much of being smarter, but of being less entitled. And tenacity is a big part of creativity. That is the unstated thesis of today's interview by ordeal. As one former Google interviewer said, "The goal is to find out where the candidates run out of ideas."  (ch. 10)

Title: Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?  Trick Questions, Zenlike Riddles, Insanely Difficult Puzzles, and Other Devious Interviewing Techniques You Need to Know to Get a Job Anywhere in the New Economy.
Author: William Poundstone
Published January 4. 2012; Little, Brown and Co.

Publisher's description: "You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and thrown in a blender. The blades start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do? If you want to work at Google, or any of America's best companies, you need to have an answer to this and other puzzling questions.

ARE YOU SMART ENOUGH TO WORK AT GOOGLE? guides readers through the surprising solutions to dozens of the most challenging interview questions. The book covers the importance of creative thinking, ways to get a leg up on the competition, what your Facebook page says about you, and much more. "

I received this as a complimentary review copy.

The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB and asks you to choose sentences at random from your current read. Identify the author and title for readers.

As we attempt to understand ourselves and our struggles with life's endeavors, we may find peace in the observation of a flower. Ask yourself, At what point in a flower's life, from seed to full bloom, does it reach perfection? (ch. 3, It's How You Look at It)
Nonjudgement is the pathway to a quiet mind. (ch. 7)
Habits are learned, Choose them wisely.( ch. 4, Creating the Habits We Desire)

Title: The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life- Master Any Skill or Challenge by Learning to Love the Process
Author: Thomas M. Sterner; Paperback: 168 pages
Published April 10, 2012, New World Library

Publisher's description: "Present moment awareness is an essential to experience authentic peace and contentment. It has been acknowledged as the cornerstone of spiritual awakening in Eastern thought. The Practicing Mind deals with helping the individual understand exactly what present moment awareness is, and how we change our mindset to make this a part of our daily living. This book is accessible to readers of all philosophical backgrounds.

The Practicing Mind is full of insights, stories, and advice for mastering new skills with less frustration and more pleasure by learning to love the process. Sterner explains that rediscovering this state of mind is a skill in and of itself that comes down to a few simple rules:

• Keep yourself process-oriented.

• Stay in the present.

• Make the process the goal and use the overall goal as a rudder to steer your efforts.

• Be deliberate, have an intention about what you want to accomplish, and remain aware of that intention."

About the Author: Thomas M. Sterner spent over 25 years as a concert piano technician and rebuilder. He witnessed the level of art afforded those with a disciplined mind. His career also provided a strong impetus toward inner awareness. Sterner lives in Delaware, composing music, writing inspirational books, and publishing audio books through his company, Mountain Sage Publishing.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book.

Book Review: Conscious Calm by Laura Maciuika

Conscious Calm

Title: Conscious Calm: Keys to Freedom from Stress and Worry by Laura Maciuika, Ed. D.
Tap Into Freedom Publishing (October 26, 2011)
Genre: inspirational, health

Conscious Calm advocates self awareness as a means to combat stress and worry. The book explores Emotions - what they mean, how to recognize them, practicing having a comfort level with your emotions. It calls for deep breaths to control stress from the inside out, and focusing on the present, both Eastern methods of relaxation. Conscious Calm has its own methods - hitting the Pause Button on Motor Mind; taking Being Breaks from daily activity and from Autopilot, using Personal Power 180.  The book offers tips and exercises in each chapter.

Finding calm and greater centeredness requires awareness, especially when starting out in a more stressed or worried state.(ch. 1)

What I took away from the book: Conscious Calm emphasized to me that chest breathing may not decrease stress, may increase stress, and that only a series of very deep breaths that seem to fill your stomach and expand it, will work for calming and reducing anxiety.

What I also found interesting was a "Stress-Busting Power Tool" called EFT, developed in the 1990s by Gary Craig. The process involves tapping on specific parts of the head and upper body with your fingers, an Energy Psychology technique that is nevertheless controversial among practitioners. Another component of EFT is the Brain Balancing Section, where you use tapping, eye exercises, counting and humming to activate several different sections of the brain all at once. The controversial part of EFT for me is the calling up of your self defeating or negative emotions in the exercise, emotions which may intensify during the exercise and which must be confronted and  lessened with more tapping.  Personally, I would use the finger tapping to distract myself from whatever thoughts might be stressful. at the moment. The fact that you are also using several parts of your brain at once in the exercises I think of as a plus.

I can recommend this book for those looking for alternative ways to handle stress and worry. The book is well worth looking at.

About the author: Laura Maciuika, Ed.D. is a clinical psychologist by training and integrative healer in practice. Laura writes about and teaches practical ways to develop inner freedom for greater happiness and success. She lives in northern California. See Author interview with Laura Maciuika.

For other tour stops, author interviews, and reviews, visit Conscious Calm Book Tour

Thanks to Pump Up Your Book promotions and the author for a complimentary review copy of this book.

Sunday Salon: A Place of Yes by Bethenny Frankel

Welcome to the Sunday Salon.

So, I did "get up offa that thing," as James Brown once sang, and I booted up my old computer, copied two pieces of writing that I had started about two years ago, and transferred them to my "new" computer, ready to start working on it from my new "Place of Yes".

I was inspired by a self-help book sent to me by Simon & Schuster as a review book - Bethenny Frankel's, A Place of Yes. I'm only in the middle of the book, or Rule 4 out of 10 rules, but the book is pretty well laid out, part memoir and part inspiration to get everything you want out of life. I've broken any chains that might be keeping me back, found the truth by examining what I really want, and now am ready to act on it as I've found out that everything's my business as I can make a business out of whatever interests me. That just about sums up the first four chapters, and I have six more to go!

Let's see what happens when I complete the book and it's back on my Finished Reading shelf. Will I still be motivated? I certainly hope so, as Bethenny is trying her best in her latest book to get readers motivated and moving.

Title: A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life
Author: Bethenny Frankel with Eve Adamson
Publication date: Dec. 27, 2011; Touchstone
Source: complimentary review copy

After surviving a very trying childhood and a first marriage and other relationships that did not work, she pulled herself together to become the New York Times bestselling author of Naturally Thin and The Skinnygirl Dish, with her own Bravo show, Bethenny Ever After. Bethenny lives in New York City with her husband and family. Her website is www.Bethenny.com

This week I'm also reading Fashion Faux Paw: A Dog Walker's Mystery by Judi McCoy and have some new ARCs on the shelf:

MWF seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche, nonfiction
Being Lara: A Novel by Lola Jaye
How to Eat a Cupcake: A Novel by Meg Donohue
Other Waters by Eleni N. Gage
Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

What are your bookish plans for the coming week?

Book Review - Living Fully: Finding Joy in Every Breath by Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche

I have been reading books on yoga and modern approaches to healthy living and find a recurring theme - living in the moment, being aware of the present, being "mindful" of whatever it is you are doing at each moment. To me that means being reflective and self-aware, enough to be conscious of your own breathing. Of course, this also means that you have to be able to block every noise and distraction or be in a quiet place for most of the time.
 
Spiritual leader Shyalpa Enzin Rinpoche doesn't advocate living in a monastery or a cave in his new book, however. He teaches about living in the world while observing the Buddhist philosophy of negation of the self or ego, and "living fully" while nurturing positive qualities in yourself such as honesty, sincerity, generosity, simplicity, openness, respect, and confidence. He devotes separate short chapters on having a compassion heart, how to face obstacles, meditation as a way of life, learning from others, and avoiding the duality of seeing a difference between the self and others.
 
I found that the book is not just for Buddhists, but for anyone open to a different approach in dealing with the stresses of modern life.  I did think some of his teachings would be challenging to follow. Perhaps that's why he advocates also having a teacher or guide, someone that is still not always easy to have or find. His words are full of practical wisdom, however, and I found his words very inspiring. 

 Title: Living Fully: Finding Joy in Every Breath
Author: Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche
Hardcover: 296 pages; New World Library; January 24, 2012
Genre: Buddhist philosophy, self-help
Objective rating: 5/5

About the Author:
Preeminent Buddhist Teacher Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche was born in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains. Trained as a lama from the age of four, Rinpoche received transmissions from all the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche is a lineage holder of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen) tradition.

His Eminence Shyalpa Rinpoche has conducted countless retreats, seminars, and empowerments at centers throughout the world and has given talks at Harvard, Yale, Wesleyan, and Naropa, among other venues. His current teaching schedule includes North America, South America, Asia, and Europe.

A complimentary review copy of this book was provided to me.
© Harvee Lau of Book Dilettante. Please do not reprint without permission

Book Review: Breakthrough by Shea Vaughn

"The mind-body connection is the idea that our thoughts can positively affect our bodies and our physical reactions, particularly  to stress. The mind leads and the body follows." (ch. 3, Thought and Motion)

Title: Breakthrough: the 5 Living Principles to Defeat Stress, Look Great, & Find Total Well-Being by Shea Vaughn
Paperback, Health Communications, Inc., October 3, 2011
Objective rating: 5/5

I was interested in how Shea combines eastern thought on well-being with modern ideas on exercise and health. She focuses a lot on the mind-body connection, showing that focus on the body and leaving out the mind doesn't work, or vice versa.

"When we are overburdened by chronic stress the mind is doing so much work that the body is sometimes left behind." (ch. 4, Modern Meditation).

Her tips on managing stress, such as: breathe, exercise, laugh, music, think positive sound like common sense but her motivational advice and insights I found very helpful. Her Sheanetics - 5 Living Principles of Well-Being - include commitment, perseverance, self-control, integrity, and love. Again, so much common sense but with added insights, exercises, and advice that make the book enjoyable and easy to read as well as informational and inspiring. Shea also teaches by using examples of different people with specific problems and the solutions for each of them.

I especially like what I call the yoga stretching exercises, instructions and photos that are included as just that - exercises to stretch and balance and "boost the mind and body."  This is one of the books that goes on my easy to reach shelf of reference books I'll refer to frequently.

About the Author: Shea Vaughn is a fitness expert, professional trainer, and wellness coach who lives in Chicago. Shea has gained national recognition as an inspirational speaker, certified personal trainer, and media personality. She was featured on the Ellen DeGeneris show in December 2011. Visit http://www.sheanetics.com/
A complimentary review copy of this book was sent to me.
© Harvee Lau of Book Dilettante. Please do not reprint without permission

New Year's Resolutions: 52 Small Changes by Brett Blumenthal, review

Title: 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You by Brett Blumenthal
AmazonEncore; January 3, 2012
My objective rating: 4/5

There are 52 tips in this self-help health manual for making small but significant changes in your way of life, one change per week for the next year. There is not a whole lot of extreme suggestions; most of them we already know as good for health and well being. But there is something about having these food, exercise, green living, mental well being and attitude changes laid out for you in chapters, with details, some scientific information,  and a lot of encouragement.

The manual even has a weekly change checklist and activity logs to track your progress, plus nine pages of references for more information. The tips start out with simple changes and then graduate to more challenging ones.

Week 1 urges you to Drink Up, which means increasing your water intake.
Week 2 wants you to Get Your Zzzs, and sleep 7-8 hours each night.
Week 3 tells you to Stay Off the Couch, or keep moving and getting routine activity daily.
Week 20 suggests that you Live with Purpose, committing and being open to change.
Week 39 urges you to Control Your Clutter, declutter and organize.

Towards the middle of the manual, you have photos and instructions for stretching exercises. There are also tips on how to clean with natural products and avoid overuse of chemicals in the house. By the end of the manual, you will have detailed information on health benefits or drawbacks to certain foods, including types of fish, some of which contain high levels of mercury.

I'll keep this book for certain tips, especially on which safe products are good for cleaning,  and checking on food values and any foods that are risks for contaminants. I also like the stretching exercise tips.

A complimentary copy of this book was sent to me for possible review.
© Harvee Lau of Book Dilettante. Please do not reprint without permission.

Read-a-Thon: After Lunch Update

I have finished one book, Success Secrets of Sherlock Holmes: Life Lessons from the Master Detective by David Acord, and enjoyed reading about the habits and methods of the famous detective that made him such a success. Acord applies Holmes' rules for detecting to general success in life in this remarkable little self-help manual on how to succeed. I really enjoyed learning more about Holmes and his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle.

I am still working on a longer book, The Gilded Shroud by Elizabeth Bailey, an English mystery set in the Georgian period. I hope to get this finished by this evening, so I can go on to Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language by Deborah Fallows.

Wish me luck!

Shift: 13 Exercises to Make You Who You Want to Be

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to choose two sentences at random from your current read. Identify the author and title for readers.


Shift; 13 Exercises to Make You Who You Want to Be
by Takumi Yamazaki
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: One Peace Books (March 1, 2011)
Language: English
Genre: motivational, self-help
Objective rating: 4.5/5
 
Let yourself dream a crazy dream.
Everything can change in an instant.

Grant your wish.

From the Epilogue:

"Don't trick yourself into thinking that you don't have the power to make your dreams come true. Remember that the goal comes first and the method comes later. You can make a shift at any time."

Comments: This book actually works. I read the book in one sitting, did all the exercises, and got up out of my chair, made a phone call, and set the ball rolling on a project I really wanted to begin. I feel I have to hang on to this book so that I can re-do some of the exercises just in case my motivation decides to flag or falter down the road.

Sounds too easy to be true? Your own motivation is the key, according to the author, who gives exercises to get you writing, and thinking, and writing down your dreams, problems you see, people you would ask for help, etc.

From the publisher: Author Takumi Yamazaki is a best selling author in Japan. He has authored ten successful titles in the catefory of business which have sold a cum8ulative total of over 800,000 copies. A self-made millionaire, Takami travels around the world giving seminars on motivation. He presently lives in Tokyo, Japan.

Thanks to The Cadence Group for a review copy of this book.

See Book Review Party Wednesday for more book reviews on Cym Lowell's site.

Virtual Book Tour: The Active, Creative Child by Stephanie Vlahov

Pump Up Your Book Promotions is hosting author Stephanie Vlahov through Dec. 17.

Title: The Active, Creative Child: Parenting in Perpetual Motion

Author: Stephanie Vlahov
Paperback, 105 pages
Published April 10th 2006 by Hohm Press
Genre: parenting, holistic/health
Source: author/publicist

Author's introduction: " I am writing this book for everyone out there who has a child whom they clearly adore but often do not understand. There is a huge population of active/creative children who are going to make this world a better place....Active/creative children are often misunderstood by the medical community, by schools and by their own parents."

Comments: Lucky are the children who are allowed to develop and flourish in spite of behavior that may seem disruptive to others. Vlahov helps to guide parents into a new way of looking at active children with creative urges and channeling their energies constructively. Highly recommended for those at their wits end coping with children who, as Vlahov puts it, will give you a "life of high drama." Highly recommended for parents and teachers!

About the author: Stephanie Vlahov has an M.S. in psychology and theater arts and has used her background and experience to write this book on parenting energetic children, children whose creative urges put their behavior outside the "average" norm. Many of these children could also be mislabeled as having an attention deficit disorder.

Vlahov's book describes some behaviors of these creative children and offers tips and hints throughout the book on coping and nurturing. Some examples:

- "The active/creative child  will continually get into things, will march to the  tune of a different drummer."
- "The active/creative child is often labeled as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)"
- "Expect differences and heightened awareness."
- "Appreciate and train your child's high verbal ability."

There is an index at the back of the book as well as a list of recommended reading. Click here for more information on the book and author, Stephanie Vlahov.