 
# Catfish:

# Volumes 46-50

# ©2015

# Andrew Bushard

Catfish 46

Andrew Bushard

Reviews

Audio

Achebe, Chinua: narrated by Peter Francis James

1997: Things Fall Apart (unabridged). Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books Productions, Inc.

I usually don't go for fiction, but this seemed like a great opportunity to understand how people in places like Africa feel when missionaries come in. To me this book shows the patronizing nature of Christianity by showing how Christian missionaries changed Igbo society in Nigeria. The missionaries are condescending and it makes you cringe. The book's approach was different than I thought it would be. The book took much longer than I would have thought laying the backdrop of what life was like in Igbo society before the missionaries came. The parts about the missionaries, although the climax of the book, were just a sliver toward the end. What happened there was so sad and it was refreshing to see at least some of them resist imperialistic Christianity.

Bryson, Bill

2000:In a Sunburned Country. Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books.

Like many people, I am interested in foreign countries, but usually Australia is not my top interest. Thus you could say Bill really succeeded here, because he made me like to hear about Australia.

Burroughs, Augusten: read by the author

2005:Running with Scissors: A Memoir. North Kingstown, RI: BBC Audiobooks America.

I've been telling you that non fiction narratives are the bomb! Memoirs can be considered to fall under this category and this book was pretty good too.

Colton, Katherine

1999:Smart Guide to Healing Foods. St. Paul, MN: Highbridge Company.

I had higher expectations for this. The information was very simplistic and this was full of common knowledge. It wasn't that impressive and just about nothing here was entirely new.

Dyer, Wayne

1991:Secrets of the Universe (abridged). New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

A smorgasbord of Dyer's ideas. Many I have heard before, so it was old ground for me. A couple new ideas and/or stories were presented. Some ideas here are very wise. Others I question.

Eminem

2000:The Marshall Mathers LP. Santa Monica, CA: Interscope/Aftermath Records.

I didn't find this album as inspiring as his later works, but there were still some great songs on it, such as "Marshall Mathers", "Criminal", and "Who Knew" along with the songs I heard before "The Real Slim Shady", "Stan", and "What I Am". A good pick.

Friendly, Fred and Walter Cronkite: narrated by Walter Cronkite.

1999:I Can Hear It Now: The Sixties. New York, NY: Sony Music Entertainment, Inc.

Interesting because I dig history. The format was too televisionish for me. I did hear a new old saying used by John Kennedy, "Victory has a thousand fathers; Defeat is an orphan." How true.

Jello Biafra with the Melvins

2005: Sieg Howdy. San Francisco, CA: Alternative Tentacles Recording.

Unlike much popular music, Biafra's music always seems to be full of substance. I love political music and Biafra is creatively political all the way.

Kill Radio

Year Unknown: Off With His Head. USA.

I got this from a friend. Solid. It's political it appears.

King, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther Jr.

1995:In Search of Freedom: Excerpts From His Most Memorable Speeches. New York, NY: Polygram Records.

Unfortunately, these selections were just snippets from his speeches, and in some cases the selections were possibly under a minute long. I would have preferred the whole speeches, and if the cd must include only a few that is better than having nothing from many.

Lavigne, Avril

2004:Under My Skin. New York, NY: Arista Records.

I am a big Avril fan and it took me a while to get this cd. It's more of the same good music with some nice emotions that made me dig her in the first place. The little poster included was a nice bonus. You can't have too many pictures of one of the most attractive stars around.

Malcolm X

2006:The Wisdom of Malcolm X. USA: Passport International Productions of CA, Inc.

The title has it all wrong! This is surely not wisdom. At times, some wisdom creeps in, but this is mostly racist ranting. Malcolm is surely right at times, but overall, this is not inspiring. Dissing gambling, alcohol, and the like was great, but mostly, this cd is not to listen to. In fact, when I first listened to it, it made me so sick, I had to turn it off. I did eventually listen to it all.

Martin, Marty

2004: Martin Luther. Santa Anna, CA: Books on Tape.

Oddly, even though I think evangelical Christianity is one of the worst religions out there, I really admire Martin Luther. I wrote a book inspired by him called 95 Theses Against the School System. Like him, I have challenged and separated from one of the biggest most powerful institutions of my day. I aspire to be as influential as Martin Luther. It was good finally a getting a beginning to end look at Luther's life. The author described Luther as both inflammatory and also loving depending on the time and target. That really describes me too. I feel a kindred connection with him, though he is a Christian, and I am not.

Megadeth

2007:United Abominations. Broadway, NY: Roadrunner Records.

I recently got an opportunity to hear this albumand it really excites me! For a number of reasons!

Like I wrote before punk bands generally aren't very talented, but some of these metal bands are super talented. Megadeth is one such band.

I hadn't been too familiar with Megadeth's music, so it was a good chance to hear some more. The music is fast and aggressive but you can hear every word Dave Mustaine sings (or at least I can, perhaps if you listen to lots of fast music, you get an ear for it); I love it when fast aggressive bands have clear vocals. I hate when they mumble or distort vocals. Too many hardcore bands do this.

The album appears to be thematic: all the songs are about the same subject matter, which in this case is the war on terror and its climate. Some punks hate hippies because hippies are peace loving, even though both are anti-establishment. So it's nice to have some anti-war music that is better than "Give Peace a Chance". Metal bands have long hair and they help to push back the stereotype that men with long hair are hippies, so way to go metal bands!

I read in one anti-rock work that Megadeth had bad lyrics. Nowadays with people like Eminem, fewer care about bands like Megadeth, but in times past, people did. Megadeth says it songs are about the darkness of nuclear war. If the subject matter is ugly, we should come right out and say it, instead of being like candy ass country music artists who wave the nationalistic flag in your face.

Given that a lot of popular music is devoid of substance, it is awesome and even heart warming to find bands like Megadeth to have songs full of substance (not pleasant, but full of substance). It's nice to have non-hippies against the war. Some say the other side portrays all opponents of the war as being stupid hippies when in reality there is a diverse and broad group against it. The lyrics in the Megadeth album aren't necessarily your typical liberal rhetoric. There are sophisticated social, cultural, and even historical critiques. Megadeth even criticizes the UN. I admit at first I did not get the point of the song "United Abominations"; I even wondered if the album was in favor of war; but that didn't make too much sense as usually metal bands aren't part of the establishment. It is so awesome when music is used for good. It warms my heart to see bands caring about society and having the insight to critique it!

Nightingale, Earl

1972:What Failures Don't Do. USA: Nightingale-Conant.

Terse is definitely the word for this! The whole tape may have been under five minutes; if not it's hardly more than 5 minutes. Sometimes, it is indeed a good move to be very terse. In this speech, Earl Nightingale presented a very simple observation and I do think it is wise.

Nightingale, Earl

1972:One Thing You Can't Hide. USA: Nightingale-Conant.

I'm not sure I agree with Earl about the importance of language. I think people overestimate the importance of using proper English. Basically, though probably not intentionally, Nightingale is arguing that standard American English (white English) is the norm all others should follow and this is culturally imperialistic.

NOFX

2000:Pump Up the Vallum. USA: Epitaph Records.

I instantly liked "What's the Matter with Parents Today"? Good tune and cute lyrics. Some of the songs had a little harder sound than I would have liked. NOFX has one of the best sounds around. If NOFX could have all powerful lyrics instead of some questionable ones, then it could be nearly second to none.

Power, Eileen: read by Roe Kendall

2000:Medieval People. Ashland, OR: Blackstone Audio Books.

A little dry; alright; not super interesting.

Remini, Robert: read by Del Roy

2002:Joseph Smith. Santa Ana, CA: Books on Tape, Inc.

Parts of this brought tears to my eyes even though I am not a Mormon. I learned a little more about the man Joseph Smith. This is one of those important stories that are overlooked if not completely ignored by our history books.

Seeds of Wisdom

2000:The Power of Truth Burnin Down the System. Philadelphia, PA: Solider Records.

I guess these days I actually agree with rock music critics that popular music is very decadent and without much value. Seeds of Wisdom is different and this should be the standard for popular music. Seeds of Wisdom knows all the games out there, and tell it how they see it; yet Seeds of Wisdom is not hateful. I am not the follower type, but MOVE is perhaps the most right political organization in existence today. Almost no one else seems to hit all the bases like MOVE does. I really need more empowering music like this in my collection!

Steinfeld, Jake

1997:Power Living by Jake: Eleven Lessons to Change Your Life (abridged). Canada: Random House Audio Publishing, Inc.

I remember watching the show Body by Jake back in the day. I thought it was on the cheesy side, so I was a little hesitant of this. But my overall impression was that this is not a cheesy work. I'm fairly jaded on the run of the mill motivational works out there, but stories of people overcoming obstacles to achieve success really inspires me. A couple of his stories really hit the spot just right for me at what has occurred in my life the in recent weeks.

Various Artists

2006:Punk Goes 90's. New York, NY: Fearless Records.

I preferred the 80's version of this cd ("Punk Goes 80's"), perhaps it was because of the songs selected. Many songs benefit when turned into punk, but these songs were mostly still pretty weak (except the covers done by So They Say, Scary Kids, Scaring Kids, and Amberlin), but then again it could be because they covered better songs.

Weiss, Brian: read by the author

2000:Messages from the Masters: Tapping into the Power of Love. New York, NY: Time Warner Books.

Intriguing concept, past lives are, but I'm not sure, I believe in his version of reincarnation or any version of reincarnation.

Books

Author Unknown

Year Unknown:Best Cartoons from the Grapevine. New York, NY: AA Grapevine, Inc.

At an unstimulating gathering inside a sobriety "bar", I read this short and fast book. It was alright. I did not chuckle one bit though.

Bertlet, Chip

1992:Right Woos Left: Populist Party, LaRouchian, and Other Neo-Fascist Overtures to Progressives and Why They Must be Rejected. Cambridge, MA: Political Research Associates.

Some say that the far left and the far right are actually really similar and come together as a circle. I personally find it awesome when leftists find common ground with rightists. To me, it is a way of transcending ideologies, plus I believe the two often have common enemies (though for different ideological reasons) and thus should work together. This author, however, argues that leftists can only pollute themselves by working with far rightists. I'm not so sure and continue to remain open to the far right.

Bhikshu, Subhadra: translated by C.T. Strauss

1970:A Buddhist Catechism: An Introduction to the Teachings of the Buddha Gotama. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society.

Although I have been through the basics of Buddhism over and over again, this question and answer format did teach me some new information. Particularly important was the distinction made between Buddhism and other religions in question 148, which basically argued that Buddhism is less supernatural than many religions, which in large part is true, though there are some crazy Buddhist ideas, that a skeptic is behooved to reject. Even the endnotes were enlightening. Good format and good information. I somehow thought the current day had the monopoly on accessible book formats with the advent of For Dummies books and similar series, but this goes to show even one hundred years ago, there were accessible books on important topics like this one.

Blanchard, Kenneth, William Oncken, Jr., Hal Burrow:

1989:The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey. New York, NY: William Morrow and Company.

Some of Blanchard's books are mediocre, yet others are super inspiring and enlightening (it is amazing how wide the gulf can be). This one was on the mediocre side and it was at times a little hard to get through because it wasn't exciting enough. On page 48, the series' main character, the One Minute Manager, did some hogwash musing about how life was harder when he was a kid. I hate when people talk like that and if he talks like that, maybe he is a fool after all.

Bodhi, Bhikkhu

1984:The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to End Suffering. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society.

I've been exposed to the eightfold path a number of times, so I should have it memorized by now, but this book went further than many others and provided insight.

Bolman, Lee and Terrence Deal

1995:Leading With the Soul: An Uncommon Journey of the Spirit. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.

This is a parable just like The Servant and The One Minute Manager, but to me the point of it is much more vague and convoluted than those two books. The writing style was staccato and that's annoying. A good insight here or there, such as on page 60, the book says spiritual journeys must acknowledge the bad as well as the good, which is contrary to many spiritual approaches, which somehow suggest if you are a good person you will have no difficulties in life. Hard to follow and not that exciting to me.

Bozza, Anthony

2003:Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem. New York, NY: Crown Publishers.

Regardless of the content of his lyrics, Eminem has had an admirable and noteworthy life of trials and tribulations, which he has overcome. His life is inspirational to be sure and it behooves fame seekers like myself to study it to see what I can apply from it to my own search for fame.

Breitman, George

1967:The Last Year of Malcolm X: Evolution of a Revolutionary. New York, NY: Pathfinder Press.

I was really intrigued about the period of Malcolm X's life after which he went to Mecca, and this book concentrated exactly on that period. The book really makes you wonder how much more great good he could have done if he had not been assassinated.

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

1994:100 Ways to Keep Your Soul Alive: Living Deeply and Fully Every Day. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

A breezy read that wasn't that great to me.

Campbell, Ron

1999:Free From Freemasonry: Understanding "the Craft" and How it Affects Those You Love. Ventura, CA: Gospel Light.

Less dry than some books on the topic, but not as juicy as it could be.

Chryssides, George

1998: Elements of Unitarianism. Boston, MA: Elment.

It's too hard to find books on Unitarianism. This one was a decent though not great overview of the subject. It could have been more lively, but it was alright.

Covell, Tim

2005:Rational Simplicity: Setting Course to a Simpler Life. New York, NY: iUniverse, Inc.

I am definitely sold on the concept of reducing work and living more simply. I long to one day soon be able to implement the plan proposed in this book, because the other way surely sucks to the max.

Cox, Danny

1998:There Are No Limits: Breaking the Barriers in Personal High Performance. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press.

I totally agree with the premise of the book: nearly anything is possible. This book further expands that drive. I also loved the push toward continual self improvement; that's surely how I live! Cox's personal story is touching too!

Davies, A. Powell

1946: Faith of an Unrepentant Liberal. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

These Unitarian books are really thought provoking! They certainly put me in a state of awe! I love the Unitarian message. This book is a great reason why the Unitarian faith is such a fabulous one. The Unitarian religion is one of the best out there. That is for sure.

Donovan, Jim

1999:This is Your Life: Not A Dress Rehearsal: Proven Principles for Creating the Life of Your Dreams. Buckingham, PA: Bovan Publishing Group.

Pretty standard as motivational works go, so pretty decent.

Dubberley, Emily

2006:Sex for Busy People: The Art of the Quickie for Lovers on the Go. New York, NY: Elwin Street Limited.

One of the better types of sex books the library stocks. Light in tone but still useful. Mostly for giving ideas rather than thorough explanations.

Dyer, Wayne

2006:Inspiration: Your Ultimate Calling. Carlsbad, CA: Hayhouse Inc.

I sure have started to read a lot of Wayne Dyer's books and have listened to a lot of his material. I have gotten use to what he says and how he writes. He and some other people believe we all choose the roles we have in life. This is a really intriguing spiritual idea which has put a lot of questions in my mind. Here he provides possible answers to those

questions, and it is enlightening. It is hard to look at the lot and lives of other people the same after reading this book. You come to appreciate other people more. Ultimately, according to Dyer, everyone is doing something good in the grand scheme, even evil

people.

On page 144, Dyer gives a very goofy story to make his point about Benevolence. He is certainly a compassionate person, so it is odd he had to choose this example as a case to show how we can be compassionate in daily life. He tells a story where a child dropped his fast food in a mall food court and no one had the compassion to pick it up, but he took

the high road and demonstrated the compassion of a saint by picking up the fast food and throwing it away! The triviality of the incident almost undercuts the significance of what he is trying to convey. What a goofy story!

On page 147 he claims that the most successful people out there are the most humble. Hogwash! Baloney! This is the same old nonsense put forth by motivational speakers all the time: if you are successful you must be a benevolent person. This is SO out of touch with reality.

It is great how he defines inspiration. He says inspiration is a force that grabs you as contrasted to motivation which is something that you bring to something. It's similar to something I have observed, "It's wise to pick and choose your battles, but sometimes battles pick and choose YOU".

Elmore, Dr. Ronn

1998:How to Love a Black Woman: Give and Get the Very Best in Your Relationships. New York, NY: Warner Books, Inc.

To me, the book's content did not seem to be specific enough to black women, as the title might lead one to believe. Indeed, I could be missing something, and there could be subtle or not so subtle ways in which this book is geared to the black woman. To me, overall, despite the title, it seemed to be a book written about how to love any woman, and even if it did not succeed in being specific enough for the tailor made needs of black women, it is a great resource for how to be a keeper.

Favreau, Marc

2005:The Lazy Person's Handbook: Short Cuts to Getting Everything You Want with the Least Possible Effort. New York, NY: A Pedigree Book.

Great concept in theory, but like many other books of this type, it is too glib and facile.

Gunarantha, V.F.

1980:Rebirth Explained. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society.

In some ways rebirth makes sense; other ways it does not. The book did a good job of being throughout in such a small space about this important Buddhist concept.

Haley, Alex

1964:The Autobiography of Malcolm as Told to Alex Haley. New York, NY: Ballatine Books.

Malcolm X's life is a fascinating life. I have observed it is a life of transformation, moving from a criminal to a political/religious activist in the Nation of Islam to a transcendent non-racist after his time in Mecca. Later in the book he said his "life

was a series of changes".

The middle part of the book was hard to read since that's when he was his most hateful.

I was impressed reading that he was so poor he had to borrow money to go to Mecca. The book even said "Malcolm X died a poor man." I think that is a sign of integrity and realness. So many political figures get rich but Malcolm X didn't. That's the type of

political figure I want to be. The book also mentioned how he always was connected to the people instead of getting away from the people like too many other prominent figures got away from the people.

The split between Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam represented the fact that Malcolm X was growing while the Nation of Islam was staying the same. He grew out of that organization and good for him. He faced severe consequences for being true to himself,

including those which ultimately led to his assassination.

I saw the movie years ago and it has stayed with me like few other movies do. The book is even better than the movie! Don't just stay with the movie; go for the book!

Malcolm X's life has a lot to teach all of us! I admire his growth, his realness, his integrity, his boldness.

Harris, Sherry.

1998:A Taboo Attraction: What You Didn't Know About White Men and Black Women. Indianapolis, IN: Brach and Dauss.

This book is beautiful. It's about the my favorite type of interracial relationship ☺ (Since I'm a white man ). It was actually hard to find material on interracial romance and fortunately this book was exactly what I wanted. The historical sections made me weep; this woman showed how not all white men were bad and how some risked everything to save black women. I'm sure black women would have done the same if it was the other way around. I was thinking that this book wasn't talking about the whole I'm going to beat you up because you're dating a different race, but eventually one of the people interviewed mentioned how such is not a reality. I have long been open to dating black women, and these days I am beginning to prefer black women so this book was ever so necessary for me at this time in my life. The style of presenting thoughts of people in interracial relationships along with the other's own observations and thoughts was a good one. Very touching book!

Hassig, Susan

2000:Cultures of the World: Somalia. New York, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation.

This is a great book to read given the high Somali population over here in Minnesota. I think the Cultures of the World series is one of the best.

Jenson-Elliot, Cynthia

2002:Indigenous People of Africa: East Africa. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books.

Generally, when I hear the term "East Africa", I think of Somalia (especially here in Minnesota) and Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea. Yet none of these countries where included, as the title concentrated on Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Where would those four countries be categorized? In North Africa for this series? But that wouldn't apply. This situation disappointed me because I wanted to read about those four countries.

Kick, Russ

2003 & 2004:50 Things You're Not Supposed to Know. New York, NY: Disinformation Company, Ltd.

Despite the titles, I already knew some of these facts. What Russ is trying to do here is very noble: it's great to open people's eyes to realities they may not see or they choose not to see.

Kushi, Michio

1992:Standard Macrobiotic Diet: A Guide to Balanced Eating with Endless Variety and Satisfaction. Beckett, MA: One Peaceful World Press.

In theory, I'm a hygienist diet wise, and where macrobiotics and hygiene overlap, I support macrobiotics. A few of the ideas seemed a little off to me, or at least impractical, but overall, this approach is in the right direction.

Landau, Elaine

1993:Interracial Dating and Marriage. New York, NY:

Simon and Schuster.

It's not so easy to find good books on the topic of interracial romance, which should not be the case. This book is written to a younger audience and I would have preferred one written to adults, but still, the book had some good to offer. Profiling various people

involved in interracial romance and soliciting their opinion was a good move. Oddly, a few of the people interviewed did not think interracial dating is a good idea. I think it is a great idea.

Letnes-Martin, Janet and Suzann (Johnson) Nelson

1994:They Glorified Mary...We Glorified Rice: A Catholic-Lutheran Lexicon. Hastings, MN: Caragana Press.

It was neat reading about all the Minnesota places in here, especially those in the Twin Cities, and it made so much sense when I found out the book was published in Hastings (suburb of Minneapolis).

Lewis, I.M.

1993:Understanding Somalia: Guide to Culture, History, and Social Institutions. London: HAAN Associates.

The book overall was okay. Surprisingly even though I did not know much about Somalia, I did not learn that much which was new.

Levine, Noah

2003: Dharma Punx: A Memoir. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

I am hooked on these personal narratives; few genres are better! This is another great tale of redemption and transformation. It's natural for me since punk is my soul's music and in recent times, I have been exploring eastern spiritualities. I don't as whole heartily support Buddhism as does Levine, but I think it has something to offer. Particularly refreshing is how that despite Levine's changes from deviant youth to spiritual person, his love of punk rock remained constant. This is in sharp contrast to what David Hawkins believes. Hawkins argues that musical genres like punk music are negative influences and thus any person dedicated to spiritual edification would have to abandon such negative influences. Levine argues that punk rock is spiritual music and it is a perfect soundtrack for a spiritual journey. He even continues to mosh after finding spirituality! I was especially touched how Levine described the straightedge way finally saved him from chemical addiction. That is a testament to the power of sXe! Too bad sXers don't more often focus on reaching out to others, instead of idiotic posturing. This scene can save lives! Levine has demonstrated that punk is not only socially significant, but also spiritually significant as well.

Ndukwe, Pat, Ph.D.

1996:The Heritage Library of African Peoples: Fulani. New York, NY: Rosen Publishing Group.

Nice pictures. Nice text.

Nnormele, Salome

2002:Modern Nations of the World: Nigeria. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books.

Nigeria is starting to really interest me. I've known a couple of people who descend from Nigeria, and maybe one day soon I can visit this interesting country.

Ogbaa, Kalu, Ph.D.

1995:Igbo. New York, NY: Rosen Publishing Group.

It's neat that this series has books on the various ethnic groups from North, South, East, and West Africa. The first one that drew me in was the Igbo. The book did a good job.

Presley, Sharon

2001:Think For Yourself: Questioning Pressure to Conform. Berkley, CA: Ronin Publishing.

This book both reassured me and unsettled me. I realized in some ways, I definitely am what the book considers a critical thinker, and in other ways, I might need some improvement. The book made me ask myself the tough questions and prompted some great introspection! The book did have tons of typos. One big theme of the book was being a "nonconformist" instead of an "anti-conformist" which the book claims the former is a critical thinker while the latter is a "reactive" thinker. I fear I am guilty of being an anti-conformist some of the time. But what about those who want to be leaders and fame seekers? Wouldn't you have to make yourself apart from the crowd on purpose? Also what if society at its very core is rotten, then wouldn't anti-conformism being a rational response, but I suppose this could easily become a rationalization. Toward the end of the book, the author encourages us "to be a maverick". But isn't that being an anti-conformist? I am a maverick myself, so I think it is definitely good advice.

Al-Qadaffi, Muammar Muhammed: edited by Henry M. Christman

1988:Qadaffi's Green Book. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books.

This book was recommended to me a few years ago by some "third way" folks and I finally read it in its entirety. The book is not super stimulating, but not terribly dry either. Qaddafi does have some interesting, refreshing, and different ideas. I liked how he actually condemned factory farming for example. But the biggest surprise was his condemnation of compulsory education; he actually seems to advocate some akin to unschooling. It was as if his words on education were lifted from an unschooling book. Qaddafi is an interesting leader and I do want to learn more about him.

Palmer, Martin and Joanne O' Brien

1996:Chinese Popular Classics: The Book of Reincarnation and the Afterlife. London, U.K.: ICOREC.

I have read a fair amount about Buddhism, and have for awhile come to accept it as, though not perfect, a much better way than Christianity. I have become familiar with Buddhism, but I guess, I have not fully been introduced to its disturbing sides.

A big reason I have come to reject Christianity is because of perhaps the most unjust cosmological idea, the notion of hell. The Christian concept of hell does not seem right and I can't accept it. A big problem is that in many versions of Christianity petty offenses will send to an eternity of hell. In Buddhism, the version of hell is not eternal, though the hell realms can be very long and definitely unjust.

I found it fascinating how this book shown the quantification of karmic deeds and my analytical mind loves when spirituality is quantification. It is fascinating, but ever disturbing. Many of the "debits" given for bad deeds are insanely out of proportion to the harm of the crime, and granted it could like some would say reflect cultural values of the time period instead of universal truths of spirituality, but still many accept this model. In the legal world, one principle of justice is the principle of proportionality; that a punishment fits the crime, but here it is so out of whack, thus so unjust.

On the chart on page 19, one of the worst offenses is granted 100 units of "debit" and the offense is "to Counterfeit silver", which is more units than "to assist in infanticide". Call me crazy, but I refuse to believe that counterfeiting is twice as bad as killing a baby. But the worst debit of all is "to publish an obscene book", of which debit is "measureless. In one of the Unitarian books reviewed here, the author makes the great point that it is far better to be concerned about matters such as racial equality than swearing and gambling, and it is misguided to shun swearing and gambling, yet be racist. This applies to the Apostolic Bible Institute seminary students I have worked with, as they do not swear or have premarital sex, yet they are racist. The good news is that under the karmic model, they will experience lots of good karma and avoid bad karma, because they would refuse to do the worst deed, publish obscene books. Certainly, it is reasonable to argue that obscene books hinders one's spirituality, but it foolish and unjust to say Hugh Heffner is the greatest villain the human race has known. Call me crazy, but I think Hitler and Osama are FAR worse.

The Hell Realms are a lot like Dante's model and it's crazy how horrendous they are, and a common theme is obscenity is the worst crime. Bringing flowers to Buddha shrines give one great karma, thus I ask whatever happened to if you see the Buddha, kill him?

Buddhism is very different from Christianity, and in many ways much better, but this book has me believing, it also falls prey to many of the evils of Christianity, and thus is just another organized religion to reject.

Parris, Ronald, Ph.D.

1996:Heritage Library of African Peoples: Hausa. New York, NY: Rosen Publishing Group.

Nigeria is really interesting me a lot these days, so it is good to learn about one of the major ethnic groups.

Peters, Dan and Steve with Cher Merill

1984:Why Knock Rock. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers.

As I have grown older, I have started to accept the idea that people like the Peters brothers propose that rock music can be bad for you and it can lack redeeming value. Recently, after having read this book, I was at Best Buy, and I thought to myself how little substance much of popular music has. As I evolve and get healthy, as they say, I find myself gravitating toward the more healthy influences, and avoiding influences that years ago wouldn't matter. Some rock music doesn't make me feel good to listen to it. Nevertheless, I am staunchly opposed to religious fundamentalism and although I do find myself gravitating to more inspiring and deep music, people like the Peters Brothers sometimes condemn uplifting and/or deep music because it does not mesh with their rigid worldview or because they misunderstand it. Indeed some rock music is bad; but not always the songs and artists some of these people condemn all the time. Yes, some rock music is garbage; but some of what they call garbage are great works of art. I must say that it was very fair minded of the Peter Brothers to also attack country music in the end of the book, which is something most rock critics neglect to do.

Pine, Arthur with Julie Houston

1993:One Door Closes, Another Door Opens. New York, NY: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing.

The title of this book is one of the best maxims around. I have really learned how true it is. It's great to have inspirational books which are based in the reality that good people do suffer, and this book is inspirational without being naïve. Actually, a fair number of the successful people described in here, I never heard of, and some of the examples were obscure, and while harder to relate to, they nevertheless brought home the great point of this book.

Rosenberg, Anne

2001:Nigeria: The Land. New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company.

Informative, great; a little too short, otherwise swell.

Rothschild, Matthew

2007:You Have No Rights: Stories of America in the Age of Repression. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company.

Very gripping reading. Rothschild signals the alarm and I wonder to what extent it is false. He seems to always take reports of civil liberties violations at face value. Couldn't they have been exaggerated or even fabricated? I think liberals can sometimes get it wrong. Now, I wouldn't put any of this past our government, and I do actually believe such does happen and more so now than before.

Schuller, Robert

1983:Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do! New York, NY: Thomas Caden Publishers.

Schuller was pretty famous earlier on it sounds like, but I haven't been familiar with him. I tried to minimize or ignore the Christian perspective, and if you can strain that out, you have some good and fairly realistic motivational speaking. A couple ideas really hit home now for me, such as when he said you have to know when to go forward and also when to not go forward with something in life. Earlier this year, I wrote about the same idea in my diary.

Serge. Victor

2005:What Every Radical Should Know About State Repression: A Guide for Activists. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Ocean Press.

With a catchy title like that, I though it was a contemporary book, but actually it was written in the early Bolshevik era. Insightful and useful. It does give activists a good framework to establish. In some places, the author is definitely right pragmatically, but not necessarily wise in the grand scheme. For example, he encourages activists to keep certain aspects of operations covert. That definitely makes sense for practical matters. However, some would say if you are doing right you shouldn't need to hide and your openness only makes you stronger because your opponents have nothing to pull out from underneath you. I also thought that revolutionaries don't forgive, they purge. For example, on page 125, Serge argues against harsh punishments after the revolution.

Soocher, Stan

1999:They Fought the Law: Rock Music Goes to Court. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books.

The sections on the older artists like Elvis and the Shirelles and the parts about royalties (which also includes Elvis and the Shirelles) wasn't the most interesting to me. These were dry civil matters and I like many other people find criminal matters to be far more fascinating The last three sections about contemporary artists (two about 2 Live Crew and one about Judas Priest) were can't put down fascinating. Good theme, just leave out the civil cases and older artists.

Story, Frances

1972:Gods and the Universe: A Buddhist Perspective: Essays on Buddhist Cosmology and Related Subjects. Ceylon, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society.

This is fascinating to ponder: I am on the search for non-theistic conceptions of the universe. I like how the Buddhist model can coexist with atheism to some degree. Basically, the author says that the Buddha didn't find a lot of cosmological thought to be worthwhile to pursue because he did not think such thought pertained to get rid of suffering.

Stubbs, Dave

2006:The Stories Behind Every Song: Eminem. New York, NY: Thunder's Mouth Press.

I have listened to a lot of Eminem's later lyrics, and haven't always known exactly what he was talking about, so this work helped me understand. For some reason, this book did not include the "Encore" album that has "Toy Soldiers" and "Yellow Brick Road" even though I think it was released in time.

Sonen, Robert.

1949:A Unitarian States His Case. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

I love Unitarian words. Unitarian sermons rock my world. About the only disagreeable part in this book was the section on education, where the author had the short sightedness to praise Horace Mann. The author argued that Mann was a quintessential Unitarian. I actually think free schools, unschooling, and homeschooling are far more in the Unitarian spirit than mandatory curriculum and compulsory education. I am on the look for different definitions of spirituality. I found a great one on page 55-56, which said, "I shall define and use spiritual things to mean our aspirations and our ideals --- our ideals of beauty, our ideals of justice, our ideals of truth, our ideals of goodness. I say these are spiritual because they are certainly not material, and it is our theses that the man of character has a reverence for beauty, and justice, and truth, and goodness."

Various Authors

Various Years:The Heritage Library of African Peoples: Batsawana, Herereo, Shona, Ndebele, Basotho, Chewa, Xhosa, Zulu, Swazi, Khoekhoe. New York, NY: Rosen Publishing Group.

It's neat to learn about these different ethnic groups of southern Africa. Even after reading a few books, it's still pretty interesting. I think the Ndebele stand out for me, but they all have their neat features. I also like the monarchical aspects of Swaziland.

Zurlo, Tony

2002:Indigenous People of Africa: West Africa. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, Inc.

Being about a single region of Africa, the book was a little too general for my tastes, but nevertheless, it was interesting and informative.

Other

Editors of Rock and Roll Confidential

1989:You've Got a Right to Rock: Don't Let Them Take it Away (pamphlet). Long Beach, CA: Duke and Duchess Ventures, Inc.

Too bad this pamphlet is nearly 20 years old; a lot has happened censorship wise since then. A lot. But nevertheless the general theme and the style is right on. The pamphlet inspired me to be an even more dedicated advocate of rock music and freedom of expression.

Catfish 47

Andrew Bushard

\------------------

Reviews

Books

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi

2006:Half of a Yellow Sun. New York: Alfred A Knopf.

An Igbo friend of mine recommended this book to me. I have been touched by the fact that she wants to share her culture with me. As a white person, I walk a fine line: I want to appreciate ethnic cultures, without co-opting them. This book has really broadened my

horizons in more ways than one: I rarely read fiction, yet I really got into this book.

I knew next to nothing about the Biafra war before I read this book. I was inspired by the Biafrian freedom fighters! The author sure has a knack for making the characters human; instead of creating idealized characters, she is certain to make every character have a pronounced flaw. In fact, Adichie excels at characterization.

It's terrible that the Biafrian war could not have turned out differently. The author succeeded at eliciting admiration and sympathy for the noble Biafrian cause. The book was beautiful. I am so glad my friend found me worthy to share her culture with.

Adler, Bill, Jr.

2002:101 Ingenious Space-Saving Tips and Ideas to Make Any House or Apartment More Livable. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press.

You might think that a book on removing clutter would be dry, but this book was anything but! The author has a great sense of humor. Right now I am seriously removing clutter from my life, so this book galvanizes me. The book is actually great reading on its own and the author has a wonderful perspective.

Anthony, Camille and Bill

1999: The Art of Napping At Work. Burdett, NY: Larson Publications.

The point of the book is argue that workplaces should permit napping. I have long been an advocate of napping; it is the best! I prefer it right after lunch. I have even been napping at my job for awhile. I get too little sleep with my big commute, so I have

used my break times for taking a 25-30 minute nap pretty much every day and it does make a difference. Our workplace is pretty anal retentive yet there is no problem with me napping on breaks, so why do these other places have to be so against napping that the

authors have to convince them otherwise?

Atwood, Nina

1996:Be Your Own Dating Service: A Step by Step Guide to Finding and Maintaining Healthy Relationships. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Great material in this book. Surely not all of it is brand new to me, but this author is wise to get people to reflect on dating. It encourages me to make some good changes and improvements. I wonder how the author would have changed the information if it was written after internet dating really took off.

Axell, Roger E and John P Healy: illustrated by Mike Fornwald.

1994: Do's and Taboos of Preparing for Your Trip Abroad. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.

A lot has changed since 1994, some say everything changed since 9-11, so a revision would be nice, but still some of the sound advice is timeless and thus appropriate 14 years later.

Bailey, Mercedes

1999: Managing Your Money. Chicago, IL: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.

I have started to get interested in learning more about wise financial approaches, and I am finding some works which inspire me and encourage more growth. This book is so so. It's not super inspiring nor are the ideas all that novel or paradigm changing.

Berliner, Helen

1999: Enlightened by Design: Using Contemplative Wisdom to Bring Peace, Warmth, Wealth and Energy into Your Home. Boston, MA: Shambahala Publications.

I have been sold on the concept your living space reflects your mental state, and if your living space is chaotic, so too is your mental space, and thus I have been prompted to make a transformative change by decluttering. This book responds to what to do after

decluttering, after you determine what you don't want, it helps inform you on how to bring in exactly what you do what, and in the process the book is very specific and exhaustive in all the varieties and subcategories possible.

Blanchard, Ken and Norman Vincent Peale

1988: The Power of Ethical Management. New York, NY: William Morrow and Company, Inc.

I am inspired when Blanchard uses his parables not just for everyday run of the mill mechanics of management, but for the highest spiritual and ethical principles, and this book is a prime example of that.

Blanchard, Ken

2004: The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

I am a total believer in the concept of servant leadership, yet sadly it is hard to find good books to inspire you about it, so this was a great find. The story conveyed a great morale without being overly preachy and folks these days I am really beginning to love the parable format. This is Blanchard at his best using parable to advance servant leadership.

Blauer, Ettagale and Jason Laure

1996: Enchantment of the World: Swaziland. Danbury, CT: Children's Press.

Right now, Swaziland is the country of the top of the list which I want to visit. I have my passport now, so hopefully soon enough it becomes a reality. I don't know all that much about Swaziland, so this book increased my knowledge. The book with rich pictures

captivated and further allured me to Swaziland.

Dreizler, Bob

2001:Tending Your Money Garden: A Practical and Friendly Money Management Guide. Sacramento, CA: Rossonya Books.

A speedy read with an incredible format. There is little here I haven't read in similar finance books, but the author did whet my appetite for what he calls "Socially Conscious Investing" and I seek to find out more about that and actually invest that way!

Domini, Amy

2001: Socially Responsible Investing: Making a Difference and Making Money. Chicago, IL: Dearborn Financial Publishing.

Right now I am really interested in personal finance and am thinking of investing. I'm a very principled so of course there has to be some moral parameters. This work is a great guidebook toward this end.

Dunnan, Nancy

1997:Never Call Your Broker on Monday and 300 Other

Financial Lessons You Can't Afford to Know. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

The main purpose I checked out this book was to have something small yet stimulating to place on my desk, so I could at least semi-discreetly read it in between calls at work. The advice here is pretty commonplace, but it may not really matter as the main purpose of

checking out the book was to relieve myself of the ever-present terrible monotony of my job.

Dubrin, Andrew

1992:Your Own Worst Enemy: How to Overcome Career Self Sabotage. New York: American Management Association.

I have come to the realization that I have failed in my political endeavors because I am self sabotaging myself so I'm currently doing some soul searching trying to figure out exactly how and how I can change. This book helps serve those ends and it gets one to think deeply in different ways and question your behavior. It didn't give me all the answers, but it sure got me to think and rethink.

The Editors of Skylight Paths

2000:Who is My God: An Innovative Guide to Finding

Your Spiritual Identity. Woodstock, VT: Skylight

Paths.

This book looked pretty novice, but still interesting. I have read a lot of spiritual books especially in recent times, so I have become familiar with the basics of the different religions. The profiles of the different faiths generally did not enlighten me too much, but what was surprisingly impressive was the extensive spiritual identity test. In my case, the

test happened to be INCREDIBLY accurate. The test said that there is a three way tie between New Age Spirituality, Secular Humanism, and Buddhism as my top spiritualities, followed by Hinduism. Indeed, these three spiritualities are the spiritual traditions I find most right now. None of these three alone have everything I need, but I am drawn to significant parts of each of them. This test is extremely effective and

brilliant. I highly recommend taking the test. The book mentions a companion website, which I tried to visit, but sadly, the website address did not work when I tried to visit it.

Evans, Richard Paul.

2004:The 5 Lessons A Millionaire Taught Me About Life and Wealth. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Can you believe it? I am reading a personal finance book! I finally decided I really want to improve in this area. The author does have an enlightened approach to wealth (using it for the greater good). This book is a start and it sparks the need for me to clarify in my mind the right ways on how to get money.

Foster, Susan

2004: Smart Packing for Today's Traveler. Portland, OR: Smart Travel Press.

A book like this could easily be dull, but this book wasn't. Not only that, but it was useful as well.

Harris, Blaine and Charles Coonradt with Lee Nelson

1996:The Four Laws of Debt Free Prosperity: The Chequemate Story. Salt Lake, City, UT: Chequemate International.

I like the parable format; just like other authors use for spiritual and business purposes. This story is an effective way of getting the message across; it doesn't bog you down; it is pithy.

Hicks, Karen

2000:The Tao of an Uncluttered Life: Lao Tzu's Ten Principles for Organization. Atlanta, GA: Humanics Unlimited.

Despite the profound spiritual sounding title, the book mostly just offered solid but not earth shattering practical advice.

Hunter, Seb

2004:Hell Bent for Leather: Confessions of a Heavy

Metal Addict. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

I enjoyed this narrative. The author skillfully weaved his own person experiences being a metal fan and musician (mostly glam metal) with observations and historical commentary about metal. I've had a taste for metal lately, and though I was looking specifically for a book on thrash, this book was superb. The author has a good sense of humor, laughing at metal while still appreciating it at the same time.

Kenna, Peggy and Sondra Lacy

Year Varies:Business Spain/Germany: A Practical Guide to Understanding Spanish/German Culture. Lincolnwood, IL: Passport Books.

Each book repeats the general business travel advice, and the approach of contrasting U.S.A. and the other cultures is a very effective one. The books are real short; you can easily read them in one sitting especially since you only have to read the general information once.

Kiyosaki, Robert with Sharon L. Lechyer, C.P.A.

1998:Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids about Money -- That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! New York, NY: Warner Business Books.

This book is well hyped. I was really expecting something spectacular because of it. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Initially, I was going to read this book as the first book in my current study of personal finance, but because of high demand, it was hard to get a copy from the library. So I went to other books, mostly of them were at least partially

spiritual, and some were nearly entirely spiritual, so I was wondering would this book give me any additional insights the other ones did not? The book does have some new approaches and ideas, but it is not spiritual at all. In fact, the way to produce wealth is exploitation according to the author. D'uh! Of course that makes money and of course that's easier than working for a living, but the vilest societies in history such as Hitler's Third Reich and the Apartheid regime in South Africa were founded on his maxim "The

Rich Don't Work for Money". Now of course, the authors aren't as bad as these regimes, but their thinking involves a less extreme example of exploitation. Other spiritual books encourage you to find ways to make money more easily, but without exploitation. Other personal finance books are egalitarian and this one is classist. The lack of spirituality here really ruined the book.

Krause, Joy

1998: Spring Cleaning for the Soul: A Single Mom's Spiritual Adventures with Bucket and Broom, Heart and Soul. Miami, FL: Aboddanza.

Very touching. I loved the anecdotes and the narratives, which were both pleasing to read and edifying. A winner!

Lambert, Mary

2001:Clearing the Clutter for Good Feng Shui. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing.

Before I left my last apartment, I engaged in the wonderful introspective practice of decluttering. Now that I went through the big purge, I'm in the mode of keeping out clutter for my new place, and making my home into the best possible environment, and this book helps serve those ends.

Levine, Noah

2007:Against the Stream: A Buddhist Manual for Spiritual Revolutionaries. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Impressed with the Dharma Punx book and subsequent movement, I thought this sequel would be equally if not more enriching. The Dharma Punx book emphasized the punk aspect of his message, so I was hoping for the same here. Although he did emphasize the rebel tendencies of Buddhism, the book was void of much mention of punk.

Martin, Stephen Hawley.

2000:Past Fear and Doubt to Amazing Abundance: Secret Knowledge That Brought Me Self Actualization. Richmond, VA: Oaklea Press.

This book looked like it was about financial prosperity, but that was misleading as the book was pretty much just about the meaning of life. Even though the book wasn't what I thought it was going to be about, it still gave me a lot of food for thought, along the lines of what I have been reading and thinking about lately: the eastern perspective of reincarnation and life, though this author also mixes in Christianity.

Moore, Coleen

2000:The Newbies' Money Guide for Rookies and Late Starters: Simple Steps to Wealth and Security. San Diego, CA: Point of View Press.

Solid advice along with even some original humor.

Nemeth, Maria, Ph.D.

1999:The Energy of Money: A Spiritual Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment. New York, NY: The Ballatine Publishing Group.

One can easily resort to hyperbole in describing a book. Only so many books can truly be the best, so calling every book the best is futile. This one does stand apart from the crowd. This book articulated a major insight I have been having: I grasped it intuitively, and the author expressed it pithily. The great power of the book stems from the knowledge it conveys and also the exercises especially the "Treasure Map" exercise. I can't say I have or will do every last exercise in here (there are many), but the ones I have done are very powerful. It clear she has sound reasons for doing the exercises and man

believe you me they empowers you like little else. She is saying what Wayne Dyer (and others) has said in his writings, yet more in depth and even better! This book indeed is helping me achieve my dreams, financially and otherwise, and few books are at the

level of this book: the book not only tells you to dream but it combines dreaming with practical tips and there is little more powerful in the universe than dreaming combined with practicality.

Nerz, Ryan

2006:Eat This Book: A Year of Gorging and Gory on

the Competitive Eating Circuit. New York, NY: St.

Martin's Press.

I know this is not the most spiritually edifying material to read, but sometimes in life, you just gotta do what is silly and fun. The Whole International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) makes me laugh heartily. Nerz portrays various angles of the International Federation of Competitive Eating and it shows how there is drama and excitement in virtually everything. He basically leaves no stone unturned in this page turning narrative.

Prabhaverdy and Chistopher Isherwood (translators)

2002:Bhavagad Gita: The Song of God. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

This book is really hyped up. Although it was decent, it did not inspire me to the max. Not concrete enough for my tastes, but it does have virtue. It did not provoke a sublime spiritual experience, but it is good to have finally read a translation of such an esteemed

religious classic.

Quinn, Gary

2005:Living in the Spiritual Zone: 10 Steps to Change Your Life and Discover Your Truth. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc.

Right now, I am trying to remove clutter of my life, so a book like this is very personally timely. The book is based upon certain spiritual ideas, such as the belief in karma and that we choose our lives beforehand. I find these beliefs fascinating, but I can not with certainty conclude they are right, so a more psychological approach, which would be less

debatable, would have been better, but still, the book is useful, if not else, it inspires me to surge ahead on this path.

Price, John Randolph.

2005:The Abundance Book. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House USA.

The book is fluffy, but the overall point is a good one; it is a point of view, I need to hear now.

Rosemarin, Ike

1993:Cultures of the World: South Africa. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation.

I am super fascinated in this country right now, so I was really absorbed in this book. The book helped advanced my knowledge. South Africa has a high crime rate, but this important fact was not even mentioned, nor do I remember the high AIDS rate being mentioned. Still, it is a great book.

Rozakis, Laurie and Bob.

1998:The Complete Idiot's Guide to Office Politics. New York: Alpha Books.

That book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Office Politics is very useful to me right now.

It says, "Whenever there are two or more people involved, there will be politics." The book suggests politics are in all offices

It's interesting how I who thinks about politics all the time was so long oblivious to politics which have sabotaged me. I did not see the subtle layer of politics that exists everywhere. What you don't see you can't adequately fight.

For example, I now look back at one of my supposed allies in college, Dana Churness, and see that she was trying to turn people against me. 3 examples come to mind, so it makes me wonder how sophisticated was she? She was the type that went on and on about how activist groups have to be egalitarian yet she was definitely a power monger. I'm honest about the whole deal: I want to be a leader and come right out and say it.

I focused on the big observable politics, but in order to be your best, you have to focus on the more subtle politics too.

It's so frustrating to as much passion and energy into doing what I do and getting nowhere, yet I'm determined (again as much as anyone), so I need to pull myself out of this rut and achieve my dreams. I don't want to be sneaky losers like some of my foes, yet I want to be as fiercely political as possible and attack those who attack me. This book although not entirely new to me, does get me thinking about the utter importance of interpersonal relations and micro politics. I long have focused on macro politics, but the politics in everyday life are important to focus on as well, so now I do.

Stanley, Thomas, Ph.D. and William Danko, Ph.D.

1996:The Millionaire Next Door: Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy. Atlanta, GA: Longstreet Press.

I was really looking for a how to personal finance book, which is the format of most other finance books. This book is more of a sociological profile of the wealthy, but the authors suggest that the knowledge obtained can be used to make one wealthy. Thus this could be considered an indirect how to book. In recent times, my notions on wealth and finance are

shifting, and this book furthers along this shift. It sounds like I could be like some of these people since the authors say they are frugal instead of extravagant, and in many ways I am.

Ventura, Jesse with Dick Russell

2008:Don't Start the Revolution Without Me: From Minnesota's Governor Mansion to the Baja Outback: Reflections and Revisionings. New York: Skyhorse Publications.

I completed Ventura's new book and it so touching. He has lived exactly the life I want to live. He's open minded and as he himself acknowledges willing to admire and respect people of different ideologies. Few people understand him, but I do and I see myself in him, as he is what I can and will be, yet we mavericks don't become just like anyone, so I will be like him in my own way. The book even made tears well up in my eyes; it's even better than his other two books; he is a very thoughtful and brave person who is one of the best this country has to offer and people don't appreciate him enough. He achieved the miraculous and every third party person owes much gratitude to him. His social conscience is of the highest caliber and his insight into the world is remarkable; he's one of the very few who understands how this evil world works. I love how he is dead set against the two parties like I am, which he shows by requiring anyone who wants to run on a ticket with him to leave whichever one of the two parties they are in.

Vujovich, Dian

1999:101 Mutual Fund FAQs: Straight Answers the Help

You Make Good Investment Decisions. Worchester,

MA: Chandler House Press.

I got a little better idea what mutual funds are about, but not all that much more.

Walsch, Neale Donald

1995:Recreating Yourself. Ashland, OR: Millennium Legacies, Inc.

It brings so much together for me and though some would say it is audacious to give the meaning of life, this book does exactly that in very explicit terms, and it makes perfect sense.

Widener, Chris

2004:The Angel Inside: Michelangelo's Secrets for Following Your Passion and Finding the Work You Love. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

I'm totally in line with the message of this parable: don't let others steer you in life because you should guide your own course. I have experienced others trying to mandate a life course for me and it is awful, I tell you.

Winge, Kevin

2006:Never Give Up: Vignettes from Sub-Saharan Africa in the Age of AIDS. Minneapolis, MN: Syren Book Company.

Very touching and it gave me more understanding of South African culture. I really seek to go to Southern Africa, so I wanted to learn more about the effect of AIDS there. The author like me, mentioned how for most of his life he really didn't care much about South Africa and never considering going then, then because of AIDS, he was called there. Until

recently South Africa did not interest me much, but in 2006, that all changed, and now I have this deep longing to go to that part of the world.

Winik, Marion

2001:Rules for the Unruly: Living an Unconventional Life. New York, NY: Fireside.

A nice personal tone while conveying some important life lessons. Plenty of anecdotes to back up her points. She really excels with the anecdotes.

Zedric, Lance

1996:Losers, Users, and Parasites: A Host's Guide to Ridding Your Life of Unwanted People. Ventura, CA: Pathfinder Press.

I love these typologies and animal metaphors: very effective. Witty yet practical. Even the pictures were in swell comic format.

Audio

Bach, David

2004:The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich. New York, NY: Sound Ideas.

The main premise is save money before you do anything else first after a paycheck (mostly for pensions) and do it through an automatic transfer process. It sounds like a good idea, and hopefully one day soon I will be able to do this. A nice touch at the end was support for tithing.

Browne, Dr. Joy

1998:The Nine Fantasies That Will Ruin Your Life and the Eight Realities That Will Save You (abridged). Canada: Random House, Inc.

I don't agree with everything she says, but I love how she is much more in touch with reality that many motivational speakers. One of the myths she busts is "Good always triumphs over evil". I have come to believe that such is a very psychotic belief, yet so often motivational speakers champion it, so it's nice to see Dr. Browne being wiser in regard to this and other matters.

Canfield, Jack and Mark Victor Hansen

1995:The Aladdin Factor. Los Angeles, CA: Audio Renaissance Tapes.

The premise: always ask for what you want and it likely will come is a good one to get us motivated to pursue what we dream. Toward the end the sharing of stories was much like the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books, but much of it was different.

Dead Kennedys

2004: Live at the Deaf Club. Los Angeles, CA: Manifesto Records.

I have long been a big fan of the Dead Kennedys, so I am super familiar with nearly every track the band has released, which I have listened to over and over, so I didn't think there would be much new here, and there wasn't except for three rare tracks.

Diamond Head

1992:1979: Behold the Beginning. Tarzana, CA: Metal Blade Records.

Pretty typical metal, so it was alright.

Eitzel, Mark

2005:Candy Ass. Huntingon, MY: Cooking Vinyl USA LLC.

One of my favorite terms now is "candy ass". I love that term! Because of the album's title, this cd caught my eye. I never heard of Mark Eitzel, but I thought given the coolness of the title, I would check out the cd. Unlike the title, the cd was not cool. It was way too mellow lacking a kick. I wonder why he called this album "Candy Ass".

Glass, Lillian, Ph.D.

1997:Attracting Terrific People: How to Find and Keep People Who Bring Your Life Joy. Los Angeles, CA: Audio Renaissance Tapes.

A little idealistic but some good advice. I wonder how she would deal with psychopaths.

Goleman, Daniel

2006:The Power of Truth: A Leading with Emotional Intelligence Conversation with Warren Bennis. New York, NY: Audio Renaissance.

I thought this was going to be about "the power of truth" in general, but in actuality, it pertained to "transparency in organizations", which simply involves hiding nothing. I commend this approach as I am trying to get my life to the point where it is entirely an open book.

Groovie Ghoulies

2007: The Man With 99 Lives. Sacramento, CA: Green Door Recording Company.

I heard this band on some Springman Record compilations, and was not super into the band, but this cd makes the band more appealing in my eyes. The pace is mellow and the lyrics are alright.

Kiyosaki, Robert T. with Sharon Lecther, C.P.A.

2000: Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant. USA: Time Warner Audio Books.

The original book disappointed me as it was really hyped up and it didn't deliver, but this work was better. I like how the author emphasizes the importance of changing yourself, which is something I have come to do lately in other things and have seen big rewards come from it. This book inspires me to like the author suggests change in difference of kind not degree financially.

Lee, Blaine, Ph.D.

1997:The Power Principle: Influence with Honor. USA: Covey Leadership Center.

Lee does not just repeat Stephen Covey's 7 Habits, but provides tons of new ideas and new examples from his life. Surprisingly to hear, was his strong support of Gandhi. It makes sense because Covey has quoted Gandhi too. This book reminds me some of David Hawkins's "Power V. Force", though this book does not have the metaphysical entanglements of Hawkins's book.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

2006:Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Love Their Country. San Francisco, CA: Fat Wreck Chords.

Even though Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are the best cover band I have heard and increasing the tempos of popular songs to punk tempos usually improves them, I didn't really care for the selections here, most of which I was not familiar with the original songs.

Megadeth

1997:Cryptic Writings. Hollywood, CA: Capitol Records.

This was decent, I just was expecting more thrash speed, and there was something about this that wasn't thrashy enough. The last song was great; both intensity of speed and lyrics: "fff".

Mladjenovic, Paul: read by Brett Barry.

2007:Stock Investing for Dummies (abridged). New York, NY: Harper Audio.

This is one of those rare times that an abridged work is preferred. A full work about stocks would have been too much for me. I got some good advice here, though much of it is similar to other stock advice I have read. The style of course was top notch.

Myss, Caroline

2001:Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.

This is depressing fatalism. Myss's theory is that we decide our whole lives before we enter the world, and thus everything is "scripted". The ambience of this is gloomy which is a perfect accompaniment to the disempowering message. There is no significant free will in Myss's theory; she does suggest there is free will, but if there is free will, contracts can be invalidated, changed, and broken at every moment, but she says "you can't fail your contracts".

Furthermore, there is almost no mention of karma. She only mentions it once as a side note. It is odd to have reincarnation without karma; usually the two are tied. Since she doesn't mention karma, it makes me wonder how do we decide our lots? Can anyone chose anything, if so what if two or more souls chose the same position? Does past karma determine our eligibility for our place in the world or does it not matter?

On one hand, she says all contracts are of equal value, yet she claims there are what we usually consider "masters". Even evil doers are noble according to Myss, because they do things "like teach others forgiveness". So according to Myss's logic, she would have to believe Hitler was a saint because he sure did teach millions and millions how to forgive not to mention many other lessons as well. She calls people who harm us "noble friends", so would she say Hitler is the noblest friend of all? Eastern and new age spiritualities contradict themselves when they say on one hand there is no right or wrong, yet in the next breath, they tell us how we SHOULD live. This is a recipe for moral relativism.

What the hell is the point is of living if everything has already been decided? We are just passive beings then.

The Dead Kennedys put it really well in the song "Where Do Ya Draw the Line?",

"Every answer opens up so many questions

Every theory has its holes when life steps in"

When I first was introduced to eastern spirituality, it seemed to have all the answers, but now it seems sometimes, it creates just as many questions as answers. So perhaps, it is time to move on to other cosmological views!

They say the gut response is ever important: I did not leave this audio book inspired and empowered; I left depressed, confused, and helpless. I'm sure this might be filed under "Inspirational", but fatalism is not inspirational. The worldview that we are in control of our own destiny is inspiring and empowering, so I have a hard time believing Myss's fatalistic rubbish.

Napalm Death

2006: Smear Campaign. Hawthorne, CA: Century Media Records.

I am a big fan of a hard fast beat, but I just don't understand the appeal of distorted growling with a background of noise. Melody and audible lyrics are two necessary ingredients of good music to me, and sadly this album has neither.

Nelson, Mike: read by David Elias.

2003:Stop Clutter From Stealing Your Life. Roseland, NJ: Listen and Live Audio, Inc.

This is a very deep book on clutter. It penetrates to the deepest psychological core and discusses Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and hoarding. I have been on the path of analyzing why I clutter and I decided I needed to change that fact because it has had some negative ramifications on my life. The author claims that there is a relationship between

physical clutter and one's mental state. I am finding as I seriously declutter my physical surroundings, I am also decluttering my mental surroundings, and am achieving a calmer state of mind. Instead of just mentioning the physical aspects of cluttering, the book puts the matter in the proper perspective. This book came to me at exactly the right time and it is really inspiring me to make a big improvement in my life.

No Use for A Name

2007:All the Best Songs. San Francisco, CA: Fat Wreck Chords.

I was surprised by how many of these songs I have heard before. The liner notes provided some great extra information and insight about the band.

Norris, Kathleen: read by Debra Winger

1996:The Cloister Walk (abridged). West Los Angeles, CA: Audio Literature.

This narrative of the life of monks and nuns, make me realize that such is not the way I want to live personally, though I find the way very interesting.

Orman, Suze

1999:The Courage to be Rich: Creating a Life of Material and Spiritual Abundance. New York, NY: Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing.

This work shares similar thoughts as does other personal finance books. It has its own distinct style and format, and otherwise it shares the same wisdom these other books share.

The Plagiarists

2006:veto! Minneapolis, MN: Afternoon Records.

While browsing the cd's in the Minneapolis Public Library, central branch, I came across this one. The title of the band sounded cool, but however, the music was typically alternative sounding, and alternative music is not my favorite genre.

Proctor, Bob and Michelle Blood.

1996:Be A Magnet to Money: Dynamic Psychological Breakthrough in how to Attract Money. USA: Mustivation.

The book had some good insights especially in my beginning stage of understanding how money works. Parts were super cheesy. I don't believe you have to sing a cheesy song "I am a magnet to money" to achieve wealth and financial security.

Ramones

2001: 1976: Ramones. Los Angeles, CA: Rhino Records.

The Ramones are really starting to grow on me. They represent one variety of the rich diversity that is punk. This album sounds a little rougher than many Ramones works, but it was good listening to some of the songs I never heard before. It may have taken me

some years, but finally, I get the Ramones and now have a whole new appreciation for them.

Rank and File.

2005: Collector's Choice Series. Itasca, IL: Collectors Choice Music.

With the title of the band and the accompanying album cover, I was hoping this would be a pro-labor or a political band. Sadly, the band is your typical rock band. Typical rock is not always that appealing. I was sadly disappointed to not find any obvious political content, instead I found your run of the mill love songs. I am learning cool names of bands do not always or even often signify cool music.

Relient K

2003: two lefts don't make a right, but three do. Franklin, TN: Gotee Records.

Good melody and pretty decent for a Christian lite band.

Robbins, Anthony

1996:Personal Power II: The Driving Force! San Diego, CA: Robbins Research International.

I hadn't listen to much of Robbins before this: maybe just a small part of a tape. He has a great style and it does capture your attention, and since I love motivational lectures, I plan to listen to more of Robbins works.

Robbins, Anthony

1990:Power-Talk: The Power to Create, The Power to

Destroy. Los Angeles, CA: Audio Renaissance Tapes.

Robbins has a good energetic captivating style and his message is inspiring. A nice touch was the addition of an interview with Paul Zane, which was very stimulating.

Robbins, Anthony

2006:Personal Coaching Collection Volume 2: Love and

Passion: Your Journey to Lasting Connection and

Fulfillment. San Diego, CA: Anthony Robbins

Companies.

Brief yet profound and inspiring.

Rogers, Carl

1980: Being Yourself. Guilford, CT: Audio Forum.

Although Rogers has some good perspectives on life, there is very little that I can take away from here to increase understanding of myself or make personal change.

Rohn, Jim

1993:The Art of Exceptional Living. Niles, IL: Nightingale-Conant Corporation.

Wisdom galore and he is very real about life even telling us some unpleasant things that other motivational speakers would sugar coat just to be positive. His big message is "Change yourself" and indeed I have seen self improvement wonders from changing myself. Much of what he says on these audio tapes directly speak to my experiences in recent times and what I have been going through. This type of stuff will make you a better person, indeed.

Slayer.

2006: Christ Illusion. Burbank, CA: American Records.

I am ashamed of having listened to this. I satirized and mocked this shit in high school and beyond. I was wishing to have more thrash metal to listen, and be careful what you wish for, because you might get it. I got this thrash metal. Too bad I don't have access

to more thrash music with something worthwhile to say like Megadeth or old school Metallica. Only one song was decent and that made solid comments on organized

religion, but otherwise, this is a piece of rubbish.

Van Fleet, James K: read by the author

1995: Subconscious Mind Power. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Audio.

I'm trying to find some answers about myself and I have learned that mastering the subconscious is the key so this work seemed promising. At first it seemed appropriate, but for much of the tape was same old tired and bunk motivational message: all it takes to succeed is to be a nice kind person.

Various Artists

Year Unknown:Punkcore Records 20 Track Label

Sampler. Middle Island, NY: Punkcore Records.

The style of these bands tend to be more "old school", thus harder in sound. Although I do like old school punk, I prefer the newer melodic punk sound of bands like NOFX and Bad Religion. I listened to this at work and a cd like this is best for that: as background music. I can't say I'm going to go out and buy albums from the bands on this sampler, but I'd be willing to hear more of their music.

Various Artists

2003:We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to the Ramones. New York, NY: Sony Music Entertainment.

Although I like the Ramones, I am lukewarm about most of the bands doing covers of the Ramones songs on this compilation. The Metallica and Green Day songs were good; the rest were just alright.

Walsch, Neale Donald: read by Edward Asner & Ellen Burstyn

1998:Conversations With God: An Uncommon Dialogue: Book Three, Audio Volume II: Contradiction and Truth, Reincarnation and the Soul, Love, Hate, and Marriage (unabridged selections). USA: Audio Literature.

I thought the Conversations with God series was a Christian thing, but after listening to this it sounds very unchristian. Definitely thought provoking. Some of the answers here make sense; some don't. This seems to be in part a justification for moral relativism. Instead of embracing moral relativism, just because you don't care and want to be permissive, you can just say it is the way of God and thus think you are noble. This work did get to me to think of some things in new ways. This work does leave me uneasy; the answers aren't all satisfying and they even seem unjust and not right in some cases; and yes we can question god. It's just another person's perspective on the meaning of life and just as within Christianity there are a million variations; there are a million variations within reincarnation theory.

Yankovic, Weird Al

2006:Straight Outta Lynwood. USA: Volcano Records.

Weird Al succeeds again. Since I'm not too into popular music, I'm not always sure which songs he is parodying. "White and Nerdy" is a catchy song which reminds me of myself! "Canadian Idiot" is a poke at our neighbors to the north, which hopefully no onetakes too seriously. "Confessions Part III" is full of clever lines. Like usual, there is a good mix of songs Al made up and parodies, all containing wonderful humor.

Catfish 48

Andrew Bushard

\---------------------------------

Reviews

Books

Aiello, Josh with illustrations by Matthew Shultz

2004:60 people to avoid at the water cooler. New York : Broadway Books.

Sometimes satirists are too cynical, but these portraits are generally very right on, if a little exaggerated. Particularly interesting is the fact that I read some of this book while at work. Very enjoyable. Creative.

Bender, Sue

1995:Everyday Sacred: A Woman's Journey Home. New York: Harper San Francisco.

A book with a lot of the themes I'm trying to learn about now. The book wasn't quite what I thought it would be, but it did teach about the art of thankfulness. It gave me some important things to reflect upon, especially the author's metaphor of the Buddhist begging bowl.

Black, Jan and Greg Enns

1997:Better Boundaries: Owning and Treasuring Your Life. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

Great concept for a book. The problem is I already discovered this idea myself months ago. The analogies are fabulous in here; for me I used the barbed wire and other security apparatus of Southern Africa to encourage myself to protect and defend myself better.

Beaudry, Ann E and Bob Schaeffer.

1986:Winning local and state elections : the guide to organizing your campaign. New York: Free Press.

An insight or two, standard fare, but a good blow by blow manual for electoral politics.

Blanchard, Ken and Phil Hodges

2005:Lead Like Jesus: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Model of All Time. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

I thought I had read all the good works on servant leadership, then I saw this one and it's one of the best. Unlike the others, there is a very heavy emphasis on evangelical Christianity. The other works are more general in spiritual orientation.

I do think the book is noble and if Jesus is the way they say he is, he is a good leadership model. The book is very in depth, and perhaps unlike the other books, very specific about how to implement servant leadership.

I'm not sure I think servant leadership is the absolutely best paradigm, though it is one of the best ones. Servant leadership demands than leaders put the needs of others first. It makes me wonder: why can't the leader advance his or her needs at the same time the follower gets his or her needs met? Stephen Covey says we should look for win win situations. But suggesting that we always need to put others' needs first suggests when it comes to needs one wins and another loses. I prefer what people like Jim Rohn call "Enlightened self interest", which Rohn described so well as, "There is nothing wrong with wanting to be the best, just as long as you serve others."

This book like other servant leadership books is very big on shaming people for wanting attention and recognition. I would like to think such things are not inherently wrong, rather it depends how you get them! Dale Carnegie says everyone wants to feel important, while this work says we need to sacrifice the desire to get recognition. I think Carnegie is more realistic.

Braiker, Harriet, Ph.D.

2001:The Disease to Please: Curing the People-Pleasing Syndrome. New York: McGraw-Hill.

The servant leadership stuff I read says to always put others first. This book on the other hand acknowledges that some of us always do that and it gets us (and them) nowhere fast. I seriously have this problem, so this book helps awaken me to the troubles of trying to please people while sacrificing myself in the process.

Cameron, Julia: illustrated by Elizabeth Cameron

2005:How to Avoid Making Art (Or Anything Else You Enjoy). New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Some great reminders and kicks in the pants. This book sobers you up in a light style and enables you to see what's really important. Great cartoons too! Bravo illustrator!

Canfield, Jack and D.D. Watkins

2007: Key to Living the Law of Attraction: A Simple Guide to Creating the Life of Your Dreams. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc.

Great material and it's one of those bold titles that actually live up to it's name. Problem is I have already gone through this information in other sources, so it was basically a rehash, but if you never heard of the Law of Attraction, then this would be a perfect place to start. Even the cover is beautiful.

Cardinal, Catherine

1998:The Ten Commandments of Self-Esteem. Kansas City : Andrews McMeel.

I was looking for something more in depth, but this book has it right.

Carlson, Richard, Ph.D.

2006:Don't Get Scrooged: How to Thrive in a World Full of Obnoxious, Incompetent, Arrogant, and Downright Mean-Spirited People. New York: HarperCollins.

I have looked at other stuff by Richard Carlson, but could never get completely through it, but this one had a neat little twist to it and the style carried me through.

Carnegie, Dale

1936:How to Win Friends and Influence People. New York: Pocket Books.

I finally read this motivational classic. I am refreshed at how in some points Carnegie is more realistic than other motivational writers/speakers. Carnegie, for example tells us everyone likes to feel important, while you have many other writers/speakers going on and on about how we need to subdue the ego. Of course, Carnegie is also often very idealistic about human nature. His techniques may work with most people, but I doubt if "Give honest and sincere appreciation" while do much to change the Hitlers, Bin Ladens, and Stalins of this world. A little bit of the advice is questionable, such as suggesting it's better to hold back the truth than offend someone. It makes me think of people like Bill Clinton, folks I definitely don't want to be like that. I opt instead of Herbert M. Shelton's saying "Give us truth though the heavens may fall", but perhaps there is a middle ground between telling the truth and also treating people with respect. I love all the political examples as I seek to win friends and influence people for political purposes! Overall, a

great psychological guide at how to improve the way you relate to people and being someone who has failed miserably with that, I seek to embrace its wisdom.

Carnegie, Dale

1984: 1944:How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (Revised Edition). New York: Pocket Books.

I have a major problem with anxiety, and although I have dug deep and have eliminated a great deal of it, there is still plenty more. So this book is much needed. Lots of good rational perspectives, yet still my anxiety remains, so hopefully the wisdom of this book will sink in. I'm impressed at how Carnegie tackles anxiety from so many different angles, and he even includes stories from others, so you don't need to rely on just him.

Carville, James and Paul Begala

2002:Buck Up, Suck Up, and Come Back When You Foul Up: 12 Secrets From the War Room. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

I knew Carville was the best in campaigning and since I seek to do that myself soon, I thought I would learn from the best and I will tell you his advice is right on!

Carville, James

2000: Stickin: The Case for Loyalty. New York: Simon & Schuster.

A much needed antidote to a treacherous world in which it often seems you can't count on a soul. Very moving and very touching. Emotional and rational. A further bonus is the fact that Carville delves into the various types of loyalties and the various dilemmas that can arise. Ultimately inspiring.

Cayce, Edgar

1973:Auras: An Essay on the Meaning of Colors. Virginia Beach, VA: A.R.E. Press.

Short and sweet. I'm skeptical of the accuracy of his claims, but it is fascinating to ponder the psychology of colors.

Clive, Madeline

2006:Pinch a Penny Till It Screams: Everything You Wanted to Know About Frugal Survival Skills But Didn't Know Where to Look. Minneapolis: Lucerna Publishing.

Pretty common advice, but hey' it's from the Twin Cities.

Coulter, Ann

2007:If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans. New York, Crown Forum.

I've been reading a lot of inspirational books lately, so this is an odd addition. The last couples of days, I was in the mood for this book. Although I don't love what she loves, I hate what she hates, liberals! So I do enjoy her stabs at liberals; just not her praise of neoconservatives.

Covey, Stephen

2004:The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free Press.

The main thesis "Find your voice and help others find theirs" is the call to self actualization and it's really what Federation Without Television is all about, so I am in total agreement and am inspired with the general message. Covey errors only in being too idealistic as I don't believe this stuff will work with the Fred Phelps, Jeffrey Dahmers, and Adolf Hitlers of the world, or even with less notable but ever disturbed and tormented people. He says "there is no silver bullet", but his book suggests to me he really does think there is one.

Demarias, Ann and Valerie White.

2004:First Impressions: What You Don't Know About How Others See You. New York: Bantam Dell.

As a person who generally comes off completely wrong, this book of pointers for conversations really serves me well and is very insightful.

Eggelletion, Andrew Michael

2004:Thieves in the Temple: America Under the Federal Reserve System. Los Angeles, CA: Milligan Books.

Quite an eye opener. I started to hear about the powerful Federal Reserve and had to read more. Thanks to Eggelletion, I learned a lot more.

Ellis, Albert

1999:How to Make Yourself Happy and Remarkably Less Distrubable. Atascadero, CA: Impact Publishers.

The whole point of the book is to rid yourself of rigid and disabling mental and emotional states for their own sake. I don't care about doing such for its own, but it's only relevant to me to the extent it impacts my ability to achieve my goals. Since I haven't achieved my goals, I am asking myself a lot of questions and searching in a lot of places. I believe in aiming high, so it bothers me that Ellis tells people that high goals are usually unrealistic. Fuck that. I was pleasantly surprised and how much swearing Ellis uses. Swearing surely makes the book less dry than some psychology books.

Fountain, Elizabeth Haas

1994:The Polished Professional. Hawthorne, NJ: Career Press, Inc.

One thing that kills third parties and anti-government activists is they are often not professional enough, so this book helps remind me of ways to be more professional.

Ford, Debbie

2003:The Right Questions: Ten Essential Questions to Guide You to an Extraordinary Life. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Some of the suggestions are thoughtful and profound and the rest for the most part all, yet sadly like many motivational speakers Ford sugar coats reality though not as bad as some.

Ford, Debbie.

2008:Why Good People Do Bad Things: How to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy. New York: HarperCollins.

An insightful look into a prime dynamic of human psychology: projection and mask wearing. It sparked some introspection on my part and although such was hard, it helps me become the person I want to be.

Gibbs, Nancy and Michael Duffy

2007:The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House. New York: Hachette Book Group USA.

I read another biography about Billy Graham, which was too laudatory, but this one was better and more realistic, as it fairly delved into the whole essence of Billy Graham, particularly as it related to his relations with presidents. One of the more intriguing books I have read lately. Billy Graham is not a person, I have always wanted to read about, but now he is, and since I love politics so much, his role in that is ever fascinating.

Godin, Seth: illustrated by Hugh McLeod

2007: The Dip: The Little Book that Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick). New York: Penguin Group.

This book is a great guide to being perseverant, which is something I have long loved. I can't say this book is a revelation, because I had already learned the difference between being perseverant about means vs. ends, but this book is good affirmation. This book advocates the perfect balance to really get ahead.

Goldberg, Bernard

2005:100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken is #37). New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

I love the hard hitting nature. I don't share his neoconservative viewpoint as a whole, but on many things, he is dead right and he opens my mind to see more of what is wrong with society. The book is written in about the perfect style: intelligent and thought provoking yet at the same time a page turner. Some things really spark your mind here!

Golden, Catherine M.

1996:The campaign manager : running & winning local elections. Ashland, OR : Oak Street Press.

A very readable guide to running a campaign correctly. A lot of it is common sense rather than entirely new, but there are some excellent perspectives, and as a whole package it gives you a lot to think about.

Gray, John

2004: 1992:Men are From Mars, Women Are From Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Of course, I have heard a lot about this book, and now I have finally read it. I wouldn't say it's authoritative, but it is a great supplement to the other books I have read about romantic relationships.

Gregory III, Leland H.

1999:Presidential Indiscretions: The Unofficial, Unexpurgated Guide to Naughty Behavior Kept Under Wraps [Or Under the Covers] By the White House! New York: Dell Publishing.

Amusing and interesting.

Haanel, Charles F

2007: 1917:The Master Key System: Your Step By Step Guide to Using the Law of Attraction. New York: Penguin Group.

Dense and abstract. A more lengthy explanation of what I read elsewhere. I hung with it in hopes of discovering some brand new insight, but none came. Instead, what I got was a thick explanation of the law of attraction.

Hart, Louise

1994:On the Wings of Self Esteem: A Companion for Personal Transformation.

The book is based on the beautiful metaphor of a butterfly, More inspirational than practical.

Hirschfield, Mary, J.D., Ph.D.

1992:The Adult Children of Divorce Workbook: A Compassionate Program for Healing From Your Parents' Divorce. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Exploring every last part of my soul (which I have realized is necessary to achieve my dreams), I am led to this book on divorce since it is something that happened to me in my youth and I haven't dealt with it enough. The book gives you some things to think about. I was intrigued by the book's comparison between adult children of divorce and adult children of alcoholics.

Hogan, Kevin

1996:The psychology of persuasion : how to persuade others to your way of thinking. Gretna : Pelican.

Much better than the other persuasion book mentioned in this issue, though this book covers a little bit of the same territory, it covers other great stuff, and is an excellent handbook.

Huffman, Felicity and Patricia Wolff

2007:A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend: For Every Guy Who Wants to Be One For Every Girl Who Wants to Build One. New York: Hyperion.

I love learning how to be a better mate and understand women better. This book is spunky yet down to earth and even fair to men. Very informative and I surely learned some things.

Hurley, Willard F.

1997: Love Busters: Overcoming the Habits That Destroy Romantic Love. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Bookhouse Company.

An insightful look at preventing romantic disasters. Useful for anyone wanting the best in a relationship.

Jeffords, Jim with Yvonne Daley and Howard Coffin.

2003:An Independent Man: Adventures of a Public Servant. New York: Simon and Schuster.

I was at the library looking for a biography about a maverick; I was thinking Sarah Palin or Ron Paul, and then this book fell into my lap. Previously, I had barely given any thought at all to Jim Jeffords, but sure enough he is definitely a maverick. That goes to show, keep looking and you will find something powerful. This book is indeed touching. It mentioned his reserved nature and his whole life in politics slowly but surely led up to the climax of breaking free from the two party system. I'm very inspired. I am debating whether it's more gutsy to stand inside one of the two parties and be a maverick, or be a maverick from the outside. To me, it seems that the logical conclusion of being a maverick, having your maverick tendencies increase as time goes on, is to break free from the party of the two you're in, and Jeffords' life seems to exemplify that.

Johnson, Kaylene

2008: Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned the Political Establishment Upside Down. USA: Tyndale Publishers Inc.

Much too brief. It just barely scratched the surface of Palin's life and influence. However, still, I did take away something very powerful: Sarah's maverick self took a lot of risks in life and they were generally all rewarded. It takes courage and wisdom to take risks like that!

Karasik, Paul

1990:Sweet persuasion : the illustrated guide to closing the sale. Weehawken, NJ : Business Institute.

Easy to read and a good format, and hopefully informative as well.

Katz, Howard

1979:Honest Money Now! New York: Books In Focus, Inc.

I'm just starting to learn about the gold standard and the problems of paper money, so this book gives me a lot to think about and it whets my thirst for more.

Kirk, Lawrence

1986: The Secrets of Money: The American Dream Revealed. Vista, CA: Alta Vista Books.

Since it's hard to find books critical of the Federal Reserve, I'm glad I stuck with this book as a couple of the chapters in the end criticized the Federal Reserve; otherwise, this book furthers my understanding of economics.

Landophi, Suzi

1996:The Best Love, the Best Sex: Creating Sensuous, Soulful, Super satisfying Relationships. New York: G.P Putnam's Son.

A sexual manifesto, but not the free for all type that is so common, Landophi perfectly blends sexual responsibility and freedom while conveying the message in a personal tone. I applaud her for encouraging women to enjoy sexuality and not just see it as something for me. After all, call me strange, but I would hate to think a woman is doing me a favor by making love to me: I want her to enjoy it too. She has an excellent view of sexuality that is very empowering.

Leman, Dr. Kevin and Randy Carlson

1989: Unlocking the Secrets of Your Childhood Memories. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Great introspective prompting. I really need this type of thing to get where I want to get in life which is very far!

Loehr, Jim and Tony Schwartz

2003:The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal. New York, NY: Free Press.

The authors believe you need breaks to be at your best and that you need to be well balanced to be at your best. This is refreshing in a world where everyone it seems is so singular minded to their own demise.

Martin, Justin

2002:Nader: Crusader, Spoiler, Icon. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing.

A great biographer is one that gets you to further appreciate or appreciate in the first place a person without sugarcoating or lionizing the person. I already was an admirer of Nader, and this book furthered my appreciation for him. Super engrossing! Of course, I was already very familiar with Nader's life, yet this book was powerful in how comprehensive it was and how it gave me additional details and insights into this man. It was ironic. I was wanting to find a good biography, so I thought I would get Obama's book, but that book looked too long and this one fell in my lap! I picked it up and was swept away. It's more appropriate too since I identify ten times more with Nader than Obama. The author noted that Nader was a "pragmatic idealist" and also that Nader was apart from the hippies as he and his crew were respectable and diligent. Pragmatic idealism is so appropriate to me. It's what I want to achieve. I find Nader's way to be a third way since we look at the establishment and how stifling that life is, then we look at hippies and how destructive and stupid that life is, and then we have people like Nader, that take the best of both: the respectability and diligence of the establishment with the desire for a better world of the hippies. This is the type of life I want to live. The book has left me with tons of things to ponder!

Matalin, Mary

2004: Letters to My Daughters. New York: Simon and Schuster.

The book is about mother daughter relations, nevertheless, the book is full of wise and refreshing insights on a variety of matters, so it is applicable to everyone.

Robert McConell Publications

1999:Robert's Rules of Order: Simplified and Applied. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

This is a good middle ground between the overly simple "Robert's Rules in Plain English" and the extremely in depth "Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised". Robert Rules makes one more professional and thus it's good to learn about it, because formality leads to legitimacy. I don't care about the dogmatic defense of democracy implicit and explicit in such books, but I do love the formality of it.

Mortensen, Kurt W.

2004:Maximum influence : the 12 universal laws of power persuasion. New York, Amacom.

The book started on the note that it was about positive influence and not coercion and manipulation, yet the book read as essentially a social psychology/behavior modification manual. Much of which I had already heard about in my college and graduate school classes, so the book was disappointing.

Norman, Andrew

2008: Mugabe: Teacher, Revolutionary, Tyrant. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press, Ltd.

The author gives a good introduction to the topic. The author is not neutral in tone; it is clear the author thinks Mugabe is a bad person. Informative and the style captures your attention.

Paul, Ron

2008:The Revolution: A Manifesto. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Although Paul is dogmatic about libertarianism, his voice is refreshing. He introduces new ideas that no one else talks about such as the gold standard. I love talk of revolution, even though his revolution is a bit different than the one I have in mind. His revolution is based on the Constitution; while mine is not.

Pease, Barbara and Allan

2000:Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps: How We're Different and What to Do About It. New York: Welcome Rain Publishers.

A fascinating book about gender differences which I read quite quickly. It both crystallizes things I learned before and presents some new things to deep my understanding. It makes ever so much since.

Pipe, Jim: illustrated by David Antram

2007:You Wouldn't Want to Be Cleopatra: An Egyptian Ruler You'd Rather Not Be. New York: Franklin Watts.

I love the pictures and the approach is so interesting. Actually, even though things were tough in some ways, I would indeed want to be Cleopatra.

Plonka, Lavinia

2007:Walking your talk : changing your life through the magic of body language. New York : Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin.

After reading the great body language book by Norman Pease, Gestures, I've come across a lot of mediocre body language book, but this one is excellent. It gave me another piece in the puzzle of becoming a leader.

Poor, Deborah Day, LCSW

2005:Peace At Any Price: How to Overcome the Please Disease. Highland City, FL: Rainbow Books, Inc.

A wise look at people pleasing. Despite the books I read on this and the wise suggestions, I still can't shake it!

Prospere, Peter

1996:The secrets of successful selling. Miami, FL : Integrated Marketing Systems.

A short little book, but packed with valuable info.

Ross, Percy: with Dick Samson

1987: Ask for the Moon and Get It!: The Secret to Getting What You Want By Knowing How To Ask. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

I remember reading Percy Ross's column years ago in my Grandma's newspaper and now I read his book to advance along further in self actualization. Useful and I plan to photocopy the condensed ten rules of his.

Richardson, Cheryl

2002:Finding Your Passion. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc.

Though the message seems geared to the yuppie audience, the message of self actualization is one of the best beautiful messages around. Cheryl Richardson is doing a very good thing.

Schwartz, Dayelle Deanna.

2000:How to Please a Woman In and Out of Bed. Holbrook, MA: Adams Media Corporation.

I found the tone of the book patronizing. I was offended by the author's suggestions that men are focused first and foremost on sex. The author even had the gall to suggest that men don't do self help. I read zillions of self help books especially these days. Then I'm told that most men are like that, so I guess this book is not directed to me, I guess I'm different. I'm not asexual; just not as consumed by sex as most men. I was able to look past this because I wanted to learn how to become more sensitive to the needs of women.

Scholastic, Inc.

2004:100 People Who Changed America. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Very brief profiles about people most of us have heard, but there are a few people I didn't hear of before. And there are a few new factoids about these folks.

Shapiro Barash, Susan

2006:Tripping the Prom Queen: The Truth About Women and Rivalry. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Eye opening and fascinating, revealing the dark side of female interaction which is valuable to both women and men.

Sheehan, Sean

2004:Cultures of the World: Zimbabwe. New York: Benchmark Books.

As usual with this series, this book was very readable and informative, lots of excellent photos. The only problem is that this book does not seem to accurately portray the condition there given current events.

Slansky, Paul

2008: Idiots, Hypocrites, Demagogues, and More Idiots: Not So great Moments in Modern American Politics. New York: Bloomsbury.

A great compendium with creative and witty titles for each section.

Various Writers

2006:The Dog Dialed 911: A Book of Lists from The Smoking Gun [website]. New York: Little, Brown, and Company.

Very absorbing and entertaining.

Warner, Brad

2003:Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies, and the Truth about Zen. Somerville MA: Wisdom Publications.

This work is much like the work "Dharma Punx", which involves a punk rocker finding Buddhism. This work additionally enabled me to understand some Buddhist concepts better.

Washburn, Harry and Kim Wallace

1999:Why People Don't Buy Things: five proven steps to connect with your customers and dramatically increase your sales. Reading, MA: Perseus Books.

This is a book about advertising and sales, yet it is ever so crucial to my work as a revolutionary, since politics is essentially just like sales. This book helped unravel a major epiphany, that should serve me really well in the future, so I applaud the book for enabling me to actualize myself.

Wirt, Sherwood Eliot

1997: Billy: A Personal Look At Billy Graham, The World's Best-Loved Evangelist. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

This book comes from the perspective of a gleeful disciple of Graham's, thus the book is entirely positive. Thus, the book is not a full view of Graham, since no one is perfect. I wonder what Wirt said when 5 years after his book, tapes of Graham making anti-Semitic remarks to Nixon came to light. This perspective indeed shows part of Graham's life, but remember, it's only part. I wanted to get a more objective view of Graham, so after reading this work, I got another more fair look at Graham. Ultimately, indeed Graham has some very positive traits and his life is fascinating.

Zimmerman, Dorris.

2005:Robert's Rules in plain English. New York : Collins.

I wanted a more condensed version of Classic Robert's Rules, but this one was way too simplistic. It glossed over a lot and took away a lot for being so light and brief.

Audio

Author Unknown

1997:More Than a Gut Feeling II. Des Moines, IA: Business Advantage, Inc.

I thought this audio tape was a general work about intuition, but in reality it turned out to be a work about interviewing and since I'm a leader, it might come in handy some day.

Dead Kennedys

2007:Milking the sacred cow. Los Angeles, CA : Manifesto Records.

Great band. I heard all these songs before as I am a big fan of the group. Since I broke some of my cd's, it's good to have some of the skipped songs again.

Dyer, Wayne

1991: The Universe Within You: Your Secret Source of Strength. Chicago: Nightingale-Conant.

I have read and listened to many works by Wayne Dyer so many of the things he says, I have heard before. Still, they say repetition is the mother of learning, plus, even though 90% of the talks may be the same stuff, the 10% which is new stuff can really benefit you. Interestingly, there was one new insight here which came to me at exactly the right time (which Wayne Dyer says happens when "you are on purpose"), so even though I had heard so much of this before, that little bit of new inspiration was well worth it as it's exactly what I need and it explains so much.

Feinstein, John: read by Richard Davidson

2002:The Punch. Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, LLC.

This book got me more interested in things basketball. The author is a great storyteller; perfectly winding together the past and the present and he does justice to the perspectives of both Rudy and Kermit.

Foller, Ken: read by Barry Morse.

1985:On the Wings of Eagles. Downsview, ON: Listen for Pleasure, Inc.

When Ross Perot ran for President in 1992, he was my guy. I was only 14 at the time, but it seems that then my third party colors started to arise. Given, how interesting Jesse Ventura's life is how interesting Ross Perot's life is, I would like to think that third party guys are more interesting than the major party candidates. This tale here affirms that since planning and executing an operation for freeing your employees from an Iranian in the mist of a major Revolution is about as cool as you get, plus it refutes anti-capitalist naysayers who suggest CEOs don't care for their employees. A sign of a great boss is one who will break you out of prison!

Larsen, Earnie

1984:Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families: How to Understand Your Past and Take Control of Your Future. Brooklyn Park, MN: E. Larsen Enterprises, Inc.

The title suggests the book is about dysfunctional families in general but really, it's about alcoholic families, so all the much the better. Since I have read and listened to a lot of stuff about adult children of alcoholics, so there is little new, so instead I look at this as a reaffirmation of what I already know and a reaffirmation of the fact I'm going in the right direction.

Larsen, Earnie.

1989:Building Self Image. Brooklyn Park, MN: E. Larsen Enterprises, Inc.

Motivational, but not very specific or concrete, which of course is very necessary.

Lavigne, Avril

2007:The Best Damn Thing. New York: Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

I'm generally not a fan of pop music, yet I absolutely adore the music of Avril Lavigne. This is her best album to date and she remains the hottest celebrity I know.

Mandela, Nelson: read by Danny Glover

1994:Long Walk to Freedom (abridged). Los Angeles, CA : Time Warner AudioBooks.

Since Mandela is revered all around, even by soccer mom types, I stayed away from this, however, I'm ever glad I listened to this because as a burgeoning revolutionary, his words were informative and inspiring. It's too bad, I had to listen to an abridged version. It's sure interesting how people think of revolutionaries as crazy and dangerous, but in the end, they become our biggest heroes.

NA

1974:American crisis : the last days of the Nixon Presidency. Encyclopedia Americana/CBS News Audio Resource Library.

I think people go overboard with making Nixon a villain. Nearly every other president did bad shit too, yet arbitrarily Nixon is deemed as the worst villain. Other presidents deserved impeachment a lot more than Nixon and I must say given the situation, Nixon made some very persuasive speeches which made it sound like he was resigning at the end of a term, rather than in the middle of one.

No author given

1976:America's leaders [sound recording] : [200+ years of presidential history]. Orlando, Fla. : Keelington Productions

Since I am soon due to run for office, it sure helps me to have a review of all our presidents up to Ford, so I can learn about both the good and the bad.

Nightingale, Earl.

1972:Seed for achievement [sound recording] : the treasures you have to invest. Chicago : Nightingale-Conant Corporation.

It sounds a lot like karma!

Nightingale, Earl

1972:Your empathy-ego balance [sound recording] : employing understanding and drive. Chicago, Ill. : Nightingale-Conant.

Nightingale says something that few other motivational speakers say, something that is unbelievably on target.

Nightingale, Earl

1972:Communication Without Words: body language, actions speak louder. Chicago, IL: Nightingale-Conant.

The presentation was very laconic to the point of being almost pointless since it barely scratched the surface. Or so it seemed. However, listening to this let me realize an important insight: politics is just like sales and if I want to advance the revolution and actualize my leadership (which I'm focusing on now), I should look for sales books.

Osteen, Joel

2004:Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living At Your Full Potential. USA: Time Warner AudioBooks.

It's great that Osteen stays away from the fire and brimstone approach which is all too common. His message is one of hope and inspiration, refreshing from a Christian perspective. I even gained some spiritual insights here.

Peale, Norman Vincent

1992:The Power of Positive Thinking: A Practical Guide To Mastering the Problems of Everyday Living [abridged]. New York: Simon & Schuster Audio.

A big disappointment. This book is so beloved and so perpetually referenced that my expectations were high. I, in fact, tried to read the book version but couldn't get into it. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale is an evangelical Christian as are a number of inspirational writers, so that I don't hold against him. The problem is this book hits you over the head with Christianity. In essence, instead of the book being just a psychological self improvement manual, it's proselytizing. Contrast Zig Ziglar for example. Ziglar is a Christian too, but his works are usually of great value if you're not a Christian; Ziglar doesn't make every example every sentence, every bit of information he shares proselytizing. To Peale, "the power of positive thinking" amounts to little more than "READ THE BIBLE".

Popcorn, Faith.

2000:EVEolution: The Eight Truths of Marketing to Women. Novato, CA: Soundelux.

A great book for better understanding women. Since I want to attract women to my political party, this is ideal.

Toasters

Year Unknown: One More Bullet.

I'm more into the type of ska with punk like beats, but this is alright if you're in the mood for mellow music.

Timmons, Jeffry A.

1995:The Keys to Entrepreneurial Success. Kansas City, MO : Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Although I don't plan on starting a business, I am a political entrepreneur, so the words here inspire me further.

Tracy, Brian

1995:The psychology of selling [sound recording] : [the art of closing the sale]. New York : Simon & Schuster Audio.

Good psychological insights. I am beginning to see the importance of learning about selling for my political efforts. This should get me far as few other political persons would get books and tapes about selling.

Ziglar, Zig

1993: Changing the Picture. Carrollton, TX: The Zig Ziglar Corporation.

I have generally thought of Ziglar to be a great motivational speaker even with his evangelical Christian bent, but here nearly everything he says is entirely right on and I am further impressed by his depth of social understanding.

Catfish 49

Andrew Bushard

Reviews

Books

Ahmed Essop

1984: The Emperor. Johannesburg: Raven Press.

Wow! Great novel! Potent morale! Fascinating capsule of the Indian apartheid experience. A great tale of a pyrrhic victory. And to think it took me forever to take this book of the bookshelf of the lodge I was staying at and read it.

Ambuson, Ellis

1993: Pearl: Obsession and Passions of Janis Joplin. London: Warner Books.

When you go into a used bookstore, it's often a grab bag, so it's hard to come into the place with a preconceived notion of what you want to get. Thus, I wouldn't usually specifically seek out a book on Janis Joplin. I was hungry for reading, and just about any non-fiction book would do, and this book had a decent price, so I got it. Though it was not a book I would seek out, it was quite interesting, nevertheless. Furthermore, I figured that since I seek fame I can learn from famous people however completely different from me they are. Certainly, I do not like Janis Joplin's lifestyle and by the time I finished the book, my head was spinning!

Aster, Paul

1994: Mr. Vertigo. New York: Penguin Books.

A tad unbelievable given the flying boy, but otherwise the setting is believable. All the twists and turns of Walt Rawley's life ensures the book is ever suspenseful.

Bhaktivedants Swami Prabhupada and Bob Cohen

1983: Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers: Conversations Between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedants Swami Prabhupada and Bob Cohen, a Peace Corps Worker in India. New York: The Bhaktivedants Book Trust.

I got this from a forceful and condescending monk I met in Mbabane, Swaziland. The book was cheap, slightly over a dollar, and I thought it looked interesting. It was not until I started reading the book that I realized the monk and his book is Hare Krishna. I never met one in person and he did not give a good first impression. The book was not interesting even. Bob Cohen is a dupe for falling for this guru guy's spiel. Not for me.

Beattie, Melody

2007: Gratitude: Inspirations. Center City, MN: Hazelden.

Short and sweet and wise. Things to think about for sure.

Berglas, Steven and Ray Baumeister

1993: Your own worst enemy : understanding the paradox of self-defeating behavior. New York: Basic Books.

Excellent food for thought. I wouldn't say the insights here are new to me since I have read other things about self sabotage and have thought a lot about self sabotage, but they do indeed make a fabulous contribution to my quest for self development and attaining my goals.

Bevere, John

2004: The Bait of Satan: Living Free of the Trap of Offense. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House.

I feel I'm basically gotten to the bottom of the nature of forgiveness after some reading, but this author was able to give some additional insight. It is from an evangelical Christian perspective, so some of it is wise and some of it is too harsh.

Binns, Peter, Tony Cliff, and Chris Harma.

1987?: Russia: From Workers' State to State Capitalism. London: Bookmarks.

This book answers a question a lot of socialists and communists discuss: Was Russia truly socialist and the authors contend it was not. Deep and important stuff to consider. Intellectual yet readable.

Blanchard, Ken and Don Shula

Everyone's a Coach: Five Business Secrets for High Performance Teams

I found this in a used bookstore in Johannesburg, South Africa. Blanchard has done a lot of books in the same model, so this is an interesting new twist and the book proves to be inspiring.

Botham, Noel and the Useless Information Society

2007: The Complete Book of Useless Information: A Few Thousand More Things You Might Need to Know (But Probably Don't). London: A Pedigree Book.

I really like this type of book.

Bloom, Harry

1982: 1956: Transvaal Episode. Cape Town: Africa South Publishers.

I don't usually go for novels, but there are certainly exceptions. I found this on the bookshelf at the lodge I was staying at in Mbabane, Swaziland. Interestingly, this apartheid area book involved Swazi characters living in a South African township. I wanted to learn more about the nuts and bolts of apartheid and I picked up this novel mostly because I had perused much of the other reading matter at the lodge. I would say the novel was not excellent, but mildly interesting.

Brinkman, Rick and Rick Kirschner

1994: Dealing With People You Can't Stand: How to Bring Out the Best in People at Their Worst. New York: McGraw Hill, Inc.

A good self improvement guide. I was reassured to discover I have already tried some of these suggestions with difficult people before even picking up the book, so it's nice to know I have done it correctly and this book empowers me to do things better in the future as well.

Britten, Bruce

1997: We Don't Want Your White Religion. Roodepoort, South Africa: Word of Life Publishers.

Progressive and introspective as Christianity goes in regard to the issue of colonialism, still asserting his belief in the superiority of Christianity, trying to divorce it from colonialism.

Carter, Jay

1989: Nasty People: How to Stop Being Hurt Without Becoming One of Them. Chicago: Contemporary Books.

Useful to me because I have experienced too much from "invalidators" as the book calls them. I need to learn to handle them better and better, and this small book is one small step toward those ends.

Chandler, Diane

2003: Diane's Diary: Being 17 in 1952. Sorell, Tasmania, Australia: Maygog Publishing.

I do enjoy diaries, so I applaud the effort. The work was in the mediocre range, though it did have some interest in it. I did learn a little about Australia. I wonder why this was only one year: were other years published or did she only write for one year?

Child, Lee

2009: Gone Tomorrow. London: Bantam Books.

It was one of those novels I could not put down. I had to finish it all though I had short time. Given how it portrays the Department of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act so negatively, I'm surprised it hasn't been suppressed.

Cohen, Roger and Udio Gatti

1991: In the Eye of the Storm: The Life of Norman Schwarzgolf. New York: Berkeley Books.

Norman Schwarzgolf is not usually the type of person who would interest me, and thus, the main reason I read this is because I got it from a used bookstore in Mbabane, Swaziland. Interestingly, inside, I discovered that Norman Schwarzgolf was what you can consider a servant leader, so thus indeed, he has attributes worth emulating. Also I found it interesting, even though he a person macho men idolize, he was the type who weeps during moments of passion.

Cross, Robin and John Mariott

1997: The World's Greatest Hollywood Scandals. London: Octopus Books.

I found it page turning. I especially liked the political chapter (the one about the red scare in Hollywood).

De Klerk, F.W.

1999: The Last Trek: A New Beginning: The Autobiography. New York: St. Martin's Press.

De Klerk is not who I originally thought he was. Before I looked into the matter, I thought he was like Saul becoming St. Paul, namely, a person doing evil things, having his heart changed and in a position to do noble things. He is not quite like that, but he was a tool for change. Since I read Nelson Mandela's perspective, it was enlightening to get this side as well.

Dobson, Dr. James.

1993: 1978: The Strong Willed Child: Discipline While You Can. Sussex, UK: Kingsway Publications, Ltd.

James Dobson has a reputation of being a conservative zealot, but this book is generally very sensible and balanced. At times, Dobson conveys great insights about family and childhood. He was even fair minded enough to praise maligned Benjamin Spock.

Domino, Connie, MPH, RN

2009: The Law of Forgiveness: Tap in to the Positive Power of Forgiveness -- and Attract Good Things to Your Life. New York: Berkeley Books.

Connie Domino's approach is the magic approach, she said the magic words to me. Much of the time, I don't see the point of doing spiritual things like becoming serene or forgiving for their own sake, but when I realize how they help me get where I want to get in life, I embrace them. One audio book I listened to suggested that forgiveness can help you attract what you want, and likewise Domino says this book is different from other books on the topic because it tells us "how forgiveness can help achieve our goals and dreams." Since achieving my goals and dreams is a main focus of life, I ate this up tons! The action suggestions are of highest caliber and believe you me I have begun to implement them. Some books on "the law of attraction" are quite dense, but not this one. This book was very easy to read and definitely worth a 5 star rating

Donato, Joe: As told to Wyn Hope

1975: Tell It to the Mafia. Plainfield, NJ: Logos International.

I really liked the first part of his life in the mafia, which alone would have made a great book. During the second part, he found Jesus, and I had quite mixed reactions. On one hand, though I am not a Christian, I was touched by his example of the power of spiritual transformation. On the other hand, I just couldn't stop thinking that somehow this book reminded me of "Elmer Gantry" by Sinclair Lewis. Although he said he converted loads of people after he found "Jesus"; he wouldn't have converted me in person and he didn't convert me in the book as among other things I found him too pushy.

Dyer, Wayne

1980: The Sky's the Limit. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Generally a very wise approach to life and indeed in the specific ways, Dyer mentions, one should be shooting for the moon in life and as he calls it become a "No-Limit Person".

Ellis, Albert

1975: How to live with a neurotic : at home and at work. New York : Crown Publishers.

I was more interested in a general book on rational emotive behavior therapy, but there were few to be found, so I decided this more specific application of it would do. It's a good thing because dealing with difficult people is something I want to work on anyways. The book had some general good points and applied rational emotive therapy well. Unfortunately, I wish there would have been a few more details, but overall still very valuable.

Ellis, Albert

1997: How to Control Your Anger Before It Controls You. Secaucus, NJ : Carol Publishing Group.

It has only been very recently that I have realized my anger is a bad thing. I have finally admitted to myself it has been such. According to Ellis's rational emotive behavior therapy, anger is one of the "unhealthy" emotions because it is based on "musts, shoulds, and oughts". Great explanations presented in here and though an academic, Ellis is excellent at making his writings very accessible to all without sacrificing any meaning or content whatsoever. I found his forms in the back of the book to be particularly helpful I'm finally convinced that indeed I need to get over my anger.

Ellis, Albert

2006: How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable About Anything -- Yes Anything. New York: Citadel.

Though back in the day, I seriously questioned Ellis's view of life, now after gaining some wisdom, I have deemed it correct and this volume has given me some great new insights about how to remove "the musts and shoulds" from my life. Very accessible and easy to read. Interestingly, this is the first time I learned that Wayne Dyer's books "Your Erroneous Zones" was influenced by Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. It makes ever so much sense because Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy matches up perfectly with Dyer's spirituality and can be considered the psychological version of it.

Erdstein, Erich with Barbara Bean

1979: Inside the Fourth Reich. London: Sphere Books Limited.

Although I have read dozens and dozens of books about the Nazis, the postwar Nazis hiding abroad is not something I know much or thought much about, so I appreciated the opportunity to learn more.

Gawain, Shakti

1997: Creating True Prosperity. Novato, CA: New World Library.

A good spiritual perspective, a couple new paradigms and good anecdotes to back up the material.

Giuliano, Geoffrey

1989: Dark Horse: The Secret Life of George Harrison. London: Pan Books, Ltd.

Since I am neither a musician nor a huge Beatles fan (they are alright), the most enduring value that comes from this book in addition to general interest is a glimpse of what it is like to be famous. I do admire the spiritual tendencies of Harrison, though of course, I dislike his drug use.

Gollehon, John

1999: What the Casinos Don't Want You to Know. Grand Rapids, MI: Gollehon Books.

Though I am not a gambler, I was intrigued by this book and to top it off the writing style is very readable and enjoyable.

Gold, Stuart Avery

2006: Ping: a Frog in Search of a New Pond. New York: Newmarket Press.

Great morale and I enjoyed the parable format. Unfortunately, I didn't get enough out of it. Perhaps because I rushed through it too much.

Goldberg, Bernard

2007: Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right: How One Side Lost Its Mind and the Other Lost Its Nerve. New York: Harper, Inc.

I liked Goldberg's other book and I was looking for some good liberal bashing. He did not disappoint. He is one of the few wise voices in the dominant liberal vs. neoconservative debate. I'm not a neoconservative, but I like the neoconservatives better than the liberals. Goldberg is hard hitting without being petty or unnecessarily inflammatory.

Hamilton, Torey

2002: Beautiful Child: The Story of a Child Trapped in Silence and the Teacher Who Refused to Give Up on Her. New York: Avon Books.

This book reminded me of my days working in special education, and even though I really turned against the school system, I do miss the kids. In fact, a couple of the kids in here reminded me of kids I worked with, so I enjoyed the book for bringing me back to the rewarding times of working with kids and the book is engrossing in its own right.

Hendricks, Gay and Kathlyn.

1990: Conscious Loving: The Journey to Co-commitment. New York: Bantam Books.

The right spiritual perspective providing helpful views of how to maximize a romantic relationship.

Hope, Christopher: illustrated by Gillian Barlow.

1987: Black Swan. London: Hutchinson.

Interesting perspective of the apartheid era; too bad what happened here, but it made the novel realistic. The ending was hard to follow.

Iacocca, Lee with Sonny Kleinfield

1988: Talking Straight. New York: Bantam Books.

More interesting than some other books, but nevertheless pretty mediocre and banal, though my opinion of Iacocca went up a little after reading this.

Jackson, George

1975: Blood in My Eye. Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, Ltd.

If you are a communist, you will probably love this, else it's too harsh to be of much value or enjoyable reading. It's probably a good thing, George Jackson never became king.

Johnson, Spencer, M.D.

2009: Peaks and Valleys: Making Good and Bad Times Work for You – At Work and In Life. New York: Atria Books.

The morale of this story fits my life perfectly. I look back and realize how accurate this model for life is. The simple wisdom is something to keep in mind and as I have grown, even before reading this book, I have gotten better at this.

Liebest, Flo

1992: Zanzibar: History of the Ruins at Mbweni. Zanzibar: Out of Africa, Ltd.

Enriching, but not dry. I knew next to nothing about Zanzibar before this.

Leininger, Steve

1982: The Official Doctors and Dentists Joke Book. New York: Pinnacle Books.

Clever puns yet somehow it seemed lame. Plus, I can't believe the publishers let him print the off color jokes!

Lessene, Cap, M.D.

2005: Confessions of a Park Avenue Plastic Surgeon. London: HarperCollins.

This inside look is ever so insightful and enticing.

Maisel, Eric, Ph.D.

2007: Toxic Criticism: Break the Cycle With Friends, Family, Coworkers, and Yourself. New York: McGraw Hill.

Man, do I need this book, though the great material within is hard for me to embrace. Good rather than excellent, but valuable if you need a start. I wouldn't say this material is all new, but the author does attempt an admirable paradigm. In a sense, a full book treatment of a couple of chapters in Dale Carnegie's "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living".

Martin, Sam

2005: How to Achieve Total Enlightenment: A Practical Guide to the Meaning of Life. Andrew McMeel Publishing.

A very easy to read book., which made it enjoyable, yet at the same time enriching. I didn't think the book covered much new ground. The author makes frequent jokes, which on one hand, makes the book more readable, yet on the other hand, some may view such as flippant and even sacrilegious. Overall, a book worth picking up to remind you of the spiritual things.

Meldrum, Andrew

2004: Where We Have Hope: A Memoir of Zimbabwe. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press.

Meldrum is a great writer: he really draws you in and this is something that I really want to learn about now, so it was a page turner.

Moore, Charles

1926: George Washington's Rules of civility and decent behavior in company and conversation, edited with an introduction by Charles Moore. New York: Riverside Press.

The author takes a handwriting exercise of Washington verbatim and makes remarks about some of them. Interesting exercise, at times witty, but not laugh out loud funny.

Murphy, Tim and Loriann Hoff Oberlin.

2005: Overcoming passive-aggression : how to stop hidden anger from spoiling your relationships, career and happiness. New York: Marlowe and Company.

I have chosen passive aggressive responses to life, so this book is a great way to help me improve. Good insights but not earth shattering revelations into the problem of passive aggressive behavior.

Nel, Norman and Mike Malberbe

1999: Above the Clouds: The Complete Passenger Guide. Pretoria, South Africa: Executive Living, Ltd.

A little like the Howstuffworks.com website. The material was interesting, but the book was a little too brief.

Nelson, Mariah Burton

2000: The Unburdened Heart: 5 keys to Forgiveness and Freedom. San Francisco: HarperSanFranscisco

A thoughtful and heartfelt treatment of forgiveness, and since this topic is very new for me, it provided much guidance, inspiration, and food for thought.

Nkrumah, Kwame

1980: 1968: Handbook of Revolutionary Warfare: A Guide to the Armed Phase of the African Revolution. Aylsebury, Bucks, UK: Hazell Watson and Viney, Ltd.

Certainly useful but with a socialist perspective. Dry in parts, but ever practical.

Oliver, Joan Duncan

2006: Good Karma: How to Find and Keep It. London: Duncan Baird Publishers.

Karma is an interesting subject, but the material is run of the mill; though in places it does tackle questions few others tackle.

Pelzer, Dave

2001: Help Yourself: Finding Hope, Courage, and Happiness. New York: Plume.

This is not as riveting as Pelzer's other writings, but the work is nonetheless a solid motivational piece. I applaud Pelzer for acknowledging that sometimes the good guys DON'T win; sadly it seems to me implicitly or even explicitly, other motivational speakers and writers tend to suggest that if you do good, you will ALWAYS win. I also applaud Pelzer for recognizing that some people will try to bring you down and destroy you; after all he lived that so it is refreshing compared to other motivational writers and speakers who seem to suggest if you do the right things, everyone will support you 100%; Pelzer's words are wise and his story and example is the best sermon out there!

Pelzer, Dave

2008: Moving forward : taking the lead in your life. New York: Center Street.

In this work, Pelzer shares some phenomenal inspirational life perspectives. Although it doesn't work for every motivational personality, Pelzer does so well coming off as a regular guy. Pelzer is ever positive and hopeful, yet there is no sugar coating or idealizing things. Too many motivational persons and others for that matter idealize the family, but Pelzer of course doesn't do that given how he suffered horrendous child abuse, and the beautiful thing is Pelzer came out a winner, so it is perfect. Also Pelzer mentions life's ups and downs, which reminds me of Spencer Johnson's book, "Peaks and Valleys". In this work, Pelzer describes some of his own personal peaks and valleys. Most of all, I love his emphasis on how when you are doing great things in the world, people WILL try to tear you down for stupid reasons or no reasons at all (i.e. because they can). His stories of people viciously coming after him to ruthlessly criticize him for no good reason surprises me given how wholesome and seemingly non-controversial he is, yet it also gives me great comfort because though I'm not yet famous like him, I get this type of thing and I'm very controversial (I'm a maverick). So thank you much, Dave Pelzer!

Post, Elizabeth

Emily Post on Entertaining: Answers to the Most Often Asked Questions About Entertaining at Home and Business. New York: Harper & Row Publishers.

When I was a child, my grandmother had an old copy of Emily Post's book on etiquette and I found it fascinating, so I welcomed this. Though some of the rules are a bit much, I still enjoyed learning about proper etiquette.

Rongstand, L. James

1977: How to Respond to the Lodge. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

An interesting little book from the perspective of fundamentalists trying to witness to fraternal lodge members.

Robbins, Anthony

1991: Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny. New York: Pocket Books.

I listened to an abridged version of this, so it was good getting the full book. I especially enjoyed the success stories of famous people. Also the chapter on exercise gave me some profound reflections, right when I need it.

Smedes, Lewis

1984: Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don't Deserve. San Francisco: Harper and Row Publishers.

I'm new to this topic, so I will say this book shed some new light and the explanations were very useful indeed. Great distinctions made. Nice examples too.

Stelzer, Dick

1977: The Star Treatment: 23 Celebrities Reveal The Intimate Problems that Led Them to Psychotherapy and How it Changed Their Lives. Indianapolis/New York: The Bobins-Merill Company, Inc.

90% of the celebrities mentioned in here, I never heard of and I am only vaguely familiar with the 10% of celebrities I have heard of. Still, neat premise and since I so value psychology, it was beneficial especially since I want to be famous myself.

Taylor, Sandra Anne

2001: Secrets of Attraction: The Universal Laws of Love, Sex, and Romance. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc.

Basically the book is a refresher of the same laws mentioned by people like Wayne Dyer, but here it is focused on the realm of romantic relationships. Thus there was little new here, but the reinforcement and the focus of the material is beneficial.

Towery, Twyman

1997: The wisdom of wolves : principles for creating personal success and professional triumphs. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.

So utterly appropriate. It sure brings a lot together for me. Interestingly, I have been independently inspired by the wolves recently. I checked out some books on wolf packs because I found them to be a great metaphor and insight into certain things. Lots of inspirational books use metaphors and to a large extent, the metaphors are gimmicks, but this metaphor is a perfect one. Interestingly, I figured the hierarchical nature of wolf packs would be one aspect of the metaphor, motivational writers would not want to use, because it's not as lovely as the more favored egalitarianism so en vogue these days. Thankfully, the author not only acknowledges this aspect of wolves, but skillfully integrates it into the book's thesis since the author views it as a part of the good of a wolf pack.

Unknown Author

1970: A Model for Revolutionary Youth. Foreign Language Press: Peking.

Lately, the socialist stuff has not been doing it for me, yet somehow this work had charm. Even if you disagree with socialist ideology, the man character, Chin the martyr, has many noble attributes and the material is well written and enjoyable.

Van Zyl Slabbert, Frederick

2006: The Other Side of the Story: An Anecdotal Reflection of Political Transition in South Africa. Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball Publishers.

It was interesting to get the perspective of an opposition party leader during apartheid. Still, I don't think this would have been my political party if I was a South African and I don't think I care for Van Zyl Slabbert.

Weiss, Donald

1988: Creative Problem Solving. New York: American Management Association.

I'm sure the information is valuable, but I didn't get too much out of this.

Wiseman, Rosalind

2002: Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence. New York: Crown Publishers.

This book was mentioned in "Tripping the Prom Queen" and it looked fascinating. Turns out indeed it was fascinating. I don't have a daughter, yet I read the book to gain a better understanding of female psychology and sociology. The information is presented superbly; the material is well written, and the typologies are of the highest rate. Overall, her model of "Queen Bees and Wannabes [along with the others]" is supremely edifying.

Wilson, Rob and Rhena Branch

2006: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Dummies. West Sussex, England: John Wiley and Sons, Limited.

Wonderful format and terrific explanation of healthier ways to live. I particularly liked the chart of healthy and unhealthy emotions in Chapter 6. I previously disliked cognitive behavior therapy, based on some misconceptions and making it into a straw man, but now through books like this, I am seeing how very wise it is.

Ziglar, Zig

2002: Zig: The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar. New York: Doubleday.

A pretty good overview into Ziglar's life. I was surprised he was so mischievous in his youth; I would have pegged him more of a good boy. I applaud how he can make reference to his Christian faith without hitting you over the head with it.

Audio

Blanchard, Ken with Dana Robinson and Jim Robinson: read by Sam Tsoutsouvas.2002: Zap the Gaps: Target Higher Performance and Achieve It. USA: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

I love the way Blanchard writes his books: very accessible yet full of wisdom. Furthermore, the subject of this book was about call centers, which I have worked for, though the message is applicable for any type of business.

Dyer, Wayne

2009: Excused Begone! USA: Hay House, Inc.

I was impressed with all the new material; so refreshing. I love Dyer's personal stories and anecdotes. Spiritual and practical; very useful material.

Ford, Arielle

2009: The Soulmate Secret: Manifest the Love of Your Life With the Law of Attraction (Unabridged). USA: HarperCollins Publishers.

I have heard a significant amount about the law of attraction in general. This author applied the general law of attraction to the specific area of romantic love and I applaud this work. She talks of treasure maps, forgiveness, and other powerful spiritual tools. I have used treasure maps before and believe me, they are very powerful. This work inspired me to create a treasure map for my soulmate. Phenomenal perspectives, insights, examples, anecdotes, and exercises that amazingly help one to attract one's soulmate.

Losier, Michael J: read by Hugh Gallagher

2007: Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and less of What You Don't (unabridged). New York: Hachette Audio.

Solid material. I already have learned a lot about the law of the attraction, so the basics are not new, but fortunately, the author offered a couple of new insights into this law of attraction

Catfish 50

Andrew Bushard

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Reviews

Books

Allen, Brooke

2006:Moral Minority: Our Skeptical Founding Fathers. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee.

Good stuff! A thoughtful look at our founding fathers' religious views. I'm persuaded that the figures profiled within (Adams, Hamilton, Washington, Madison, Jefferson, and Franklin) were not fundamentalist Christians, which to me makes sense and is also reassuring. Some sources say otherwise, of course, so it partially boils down to what you want to believe, though I think in some cases it is clear certain individuals definitely were not Christian whereas in other cases, there is room for even rational minds to disagree. In this work, the author suggested Washington's views were hard to determine, though she believed ultimately he was a Deist or a Stoic.

Bender, Sue

1989:Plain and simple : a woman's journey to the Amish. San Francisco : Harper & Row.

A neat cultural experiment. I'm not sure I would view the Amish the way she does, but their way of life is definitely worth reflecting upon.

Blanchard, Ken, Don Hutson and Ethan Willis.

2008:The one minute entrepreneur : the secret to creating and sustaining a successful business. New York : Currency Doubleday.

Inspiring and powerful. This book confirms the lessons and insights I am already developing in regard to a very important life journey.

Canfield, Jack et al

2008:Life lessons for mastering the law of attraction : 7 essential ingredients to living a prosperous life.

I enjoyed the real life stories from a diverse group of people which combined nicely with explanations of each principle.

Chapman, Gary

1995:The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Chicago: Northfield Publishing.

New ground! An innovate explanation of Chapman's love typology based on the premise different people like love expressed in different ways. It's all about seeing things from someone else's perspective. I never ever considered how different people wanted to receive love, so the book is much needed at this juncture in my life. I also appreciate how though the author is a devout Christian, he wrote a book that can be enjoyed by all since he does not hit you over the head with Christianity.

Ciccone, Christopher with Wendy Leigh

2008:Life with my sister Madonna. New York, NY : Simon Spotlight Entertainment

I love it when people write exposes, intending for us to view the subject as detestable, but the opposite happens. Thanks to Christopher, I learned some new things about Madonna that I find very appealing. Sure Madonna like anyone else is not perfect, but this book failed at turning me against her (though it was interesting).

Dallman, William

1915:John Hus: A Brief Story of the Life of the Martyr. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

After watching a film about Martin Luther, I heard about John Hus for the first time and became inspired to learn more since I have been so interested in Martin Luther and people like him. I purchased this longer biography and it was a little dry; I was looking for something a little less intense and I found it with this little book.

This work's only flaw is it is a little too short. Otherwise, it does a fantastic job of giving a positive view of Hus's life, emphasizing the most important highlights of his life.

A nice touch was occasionally the author had snappy little comments about Hus's opponents. Overall, I'm more inspired and got exactly what I wanted: a greater understanding of this great iconoclast.

Folan, Karyn Langhorne

2010:Don't bring home a white boy : and other notions that keep black women from dating out. New York: Gallery Books.

A beautifully touching defense of white male/black female interracial relationships. Additionally, the wonderful work is superbly intellectually stimulating and thought provoking, covering a broad range of topics related to this particular type of interracial dating.

George, Laura

2007:Excuse me, your job is waiting : attract the work you want. Charlottesville, VA : Hampton Roads Pub. Co.

A splendid book, applying the law of attraction to the specific area of work and labor. I got some better insights into work and the law of attraction as well as some more general job searching advice. A nifty concept for a book!

Hall, Louis Brewer

1983:The Perilous Vision of John Wyclif. Chicago: Nelson-Hall.

I love absorbing information about heretics like John Wyclif. Though I am not a Christian, I admire John Wyclif for boldly standing up for truth when the Catholic Church was so powerful. Some books of this type of subject are quite dry (I didn't get through a fairly dry work on John Hus for example). The author does a fabulous job not only on making the life of John Wyclif very readable and fascinating, but also provides some exceptional background information on the Middle Ages, the time period, in which Wyclif lived. This background information not only is excellent for having a sense of perspective, but also it is interesting for its own sake.

Harris, Joshua

2000:Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship. Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publications.

Although a going a little too far, I do think the author's whole idea of how important it is to be very thoughtful and morally upright when contemplating marriage and engagement is a very important thing to do. Very interesting book. Convicted without being judgmental.

Harris, Joshua

1997:I Kissed Dating Goodbye: A New Relationship Toward Romance and Relationships. Sister, Oregon: Multinomah Books.

Very thought provoking. Though I can't say I agree with Harris on everything, I do apperciate how his Calvinism perspective provides novel perspectives and food for thought. It's laudable to challenge convention and that is precisely what Harris is doing here though he ultimately wants to go back to an older way. Until I came across him and other Calvinists, I never thought too much about the institution of dating. Harris makes a lot of valid points about contemporary dating and I have even considered courtship (it does have its virtues), though ultimately it is too impractical to implement in a world where even the vast majority of Christians accept dating. Harris' argument is well thought out and well made, though probably too idealistic for this age especially. A very accesible yet stimulating book.

Losier, Michael

2009:Law of Connection: The Science of Using NLP to Create Ideal Personal and Business Relationships. New York: Hatchette Book Group.

One of the most useful and accessible neurolinguistic programming (NLP) manuals out there. Full of great practical information from cover to cover; I just hope I can retain it all. Best of all, the author is changing the standard Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic paradigm by adding the "Digital" category. Ever stimulating and powerful!

Mandino, Og

1995:The spellbinder's gift. New York : Fawcett Columbine.

I do enjoy parables and this told a good story. The main character seemed a bit over the top with his saintly personality; did he have any faults?

Margolis, Susan

1977: Fame. San Francisco : San Francisco Book Co.

A thought provoking sociological view of fame. A deep and also cynical look at the different types of fame as well as the various elements of fame. The author argues television gave rise to our contemporary fame culture, and since this book was written long before the internet really took off, as insightful as it is, there is much more to add about fame today in the 21st century.

Martenson, Marla

2008:Excuse Me, Your Soulmate is Waiting. Charlottesville, VA : Hampton Roads Pub. Company.

It's awesome to have books on the law of attraction pertaining to very specific areas of life. This work is not as meaty and in depth as the other books in the "Excuse Me, Your... Is Waiting" series, but still it is a great work. Powerful!

Nhat Hanh, Thich

2006:The Energy of Prayer: How to Deepen Your Spiritual Practice. Berkeley, CA : Parallax Press.

I've been curious about what Buddhists mean when they say they pray since it's not the same as when Christians pray. I basically shelved this thought, and this fitting book comes along. Basically, Buddhist prayers can be considered the same as affirmations. Helpful for understanding this matter.

Richardson, Michael

1987:The Edge of Disaster. New York : St. Martin's Press.

This book is intended to be an expose, but to me, I see it more as a cautionary tale about crazed wealth and deception.

Shaner, Lora

1999:Madam: Chronicles of a Nevada Cathouse. Las Vegas, Nev. : Huntington Press.

I'm sure most of us want to read a book like this for titillation; though this book does contain some, it is more of a sad book to me, because most of the prostitutes have sad lives. Otherwise, it is very sociological in tone and the author is both emotional and reflective about her work.

Snair, Scott

2009:The complete idiot's guide to power words. Indianapolis, IN : Alpha Books.

A good format and lots of intriguing linguistic food for thought and practical useful pointers.

Smith, James

2010:Letters to a young Calvinist : an invitation to the Reformed tradition. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos.

A very accessible way to get a better understanding of Calvinism. Highly readable yet ever enriching and informative. I loved how the author dealt with the nuances without being overly complicated. The format is great!

Walters, Kerry

2011:Revolutionary Deists: Early America's Rational Infidels. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.

Good books about deism are very hard to find; in fact any books period about deism are hard to find, so this was a great discovery. Wanting to learn more about deism, I tried going to Thomas Paine's "Age of Reason, but found that to be too focused on criticizing Christianity rather than telling what deism is all about.

This wonderful work served my purposes very well. A good overview of deism in general, while also showing the various variations of it in the forms of the major deistic figures. I found the book superbly readable and stimulating. It was very informative without being too high brow. The perfect thing to help me advance to the next level of my spiritual journey.

Winemaker, Susan

2008:Concertina : an erotic memoir of extravagant tastes and extreme desires. New York : St. Martin's Press.

Proof that this type of thing can be done in a classy way. A great narrative; erotic without being overly scummy. Great to find this type of thing at the public library.

Audio

Lavigne, Avril

2011:Goodbye Lullaby. New York: RCA Records.

Moving, beautiful, emotional lyrics and music. She keeps getting better and better. An all around winner!

Video

National Film Perservation Foundation

Treasures III Program 3, Toil and tyranny / : social issues in American film, 1900-1934. produced by the National Film Preservation Foundation...

I loved this old films. All but one were silent movies and I really appreciated that. "The Godless Girl" was a box office failure, they say, but it was not only the best film in this fine collection, but a superb film altogether (a love story, but also a statement about the Bible Vs. Atheism dichotomy). It is wonderful people are determined to preserve these old silent films, and I hope to see more of these soon. Silent films are a lost art, and hey, I might be inspired to create some of my own silent films someday.

National Film Perservation Foundation

More Treasures from The American Film Archives 1894-1931: Program 3. produced by the National Film Preservation Foundation.

Phenomenal! These old films really hit the spot. The very earliest stuff. Silent movies are the best. I am so thankful the National Film Preservation Foundation is preserving motion pictures from the very beginning of the invention of movies. A fabulous collection providing a wonderful sampling of things put out in this period.

Columbia Pictures

1939:Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Culver City, CA: Columbia Pictures.

Of Course, this classic is an politically inspirational masterpiece. I was pleased with how realistic it was; blending idealism and realism.

