Connecting to the Power of Nature

Nature has long been known to have a calming effect on the human psyche. But in this day and age of technology and constant movement, we have forgotten what it is like to go outside and relax. Joe H. Slate, Ph.D. aims to help us reconnect with ourselves by Connecting to the Power of Nature.

Throughout his book, he shares anecdotes about the power of various aspects of nature, such as stars, trees, stones, and more. Many of the experiences are his own, but he also shares those of people he has met throughout his life and work. He then outlines a plan of action to connect to the power of each natural object. These plans tend to consist of six steps, including choosing the item, stating your goal, connecting with the object, affirming your goal, and concluding the exercise to cement it into being.

This may sound like a bunch of New Age hocus-pocus to some people. And in some ways, I can agree with that. But, haven't you ever sat outside on a clear starry night, staring up at the sky, and felt a sense of wonderment and empowerment? Haven't you ever played with sand on the beach, mindlessly letting it fall through your fingers, and feel all of your cares melt away with the dirt? The exercises in this book are essentially the same thing. There are just fancier words and phrases used to explain them all.

No one says that you have to perform all of the exercises within the book, either. Perhaps you have an affinity for trees, but not so much for stones. So, use the tree and leaf exercises. Live close to the beach? Use the sand and water exercises. Meditation and goal setting cannot work if you are not comfortable with your muse of choice.

Also included in the book is a seven day Discovery and Empowerment plan. Each day you connect with a different piece of nature: leaf, cloud, sand, pebble, seed. Then you get in touch with your universal consciousness.

He also includes an appendix with a brief introduction to numerology, to assist you on your journey.

Exercises within this book can be easily adapted for use within families or the workplace, as each group works toward a communal goal of success and peace. Again, pick and choose what works for you within your given situation. And keep an open mind as you reengage with that foreign world known as the Outside.

Purchase Connecting to the Power of Nature

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, Llewellyn Worldwide, via my association with BookPleasures.com.

Torn by Amber Lehman

Torn by Amber Lehman is the story of fourteen year-old Krista McKinley, who has transferred from Catholic school in Ohio to public school in California. Talk about culture shock! But she quickly finds friends in Carrie and Brandon and makes her place in the school society.

Those early teenage years are already confusing enough as it is. But add sexual ambiguity and experimentation to the mix, and welcome to a scary spiral of self-doubt and questioning.

Krista's first bout with confusion comes when she realizes that Brandon is actually gay, even though every girl in school seems to want him. He throws men and boys away as easily as he throws his money around, seeming to not care what damage is created. Yet, she is highly devoted to him.

Then comes an intoxicated experiment with Carrie, that brings their relationship to a new level for them both. How should it really be defined now? What do they really owe each other? What is normal?

Seeking answers is difficult, as her father has long disappeared, her mother is doing missionary work overseas. Her brothers are wrapped up in their own worlds, and would freak out if they knew what she was really doing. And then she is highly attracted to her virginal almost-30 year-old Bible Study leader, who is also the older brother of one of her other friends.

Relationships between the friends become increasingly complex as they struggle to answer these and many other questions about life, love, and lust. Their predicaments, while possibly extreme in the wealthy California setting, can probably found in just about any town in America, though it used to not be at such a young age. These types of games and experiments used to only happen during the freedom of college.

Amber Lehman herself said that though the characters in this book are in high school, it is actually written for the 17 and older crowd. The topics presented within are quite mature and would probably be better for a slightly younger crowd if read with a trusted adult.

Nevertheless, I found it to be a very good read. I had a hard time putting it down once I got started. And I am sure I will read it again some day.

I received a copy of this book for the purposes of reviewing it, from the author, Amber Lehman.

Purchase Torn

The Christmas Clock

The Christmas Clock is the latest book by bestselling author Kat Martin. It's the story of a young boy named Teddy Winters, who at the age of eight lives with his grandmother, Lottie Sparks. Unbeknownst to him and many others in their small Michigan town, Lottie is suffering from a very rapidly progressing form of Alzheimer's disease. She is seeking to find him a permanent home before she becomes too disabled. At the same time, Teddy is trying to earn money to by his beloved grandmother a mantel clock that reminds her of her childhood.

Teddy goes to work doing odd jobs around the mechanic shop owned by Joe Dixon. Joe has been trying to rebuild his life after doing time for accidentally killing a man in a bar fight many years ago. His rage had been sparked by the love of his life, Sylvia Winters, suddenly taking off, claiming she had never loved him, which he felt in his heart of hearts wasn't true.

Sylvia has recently returned to town, carefully guarding the secret that had caused her to flee all of those years ago. She is also looking to start over, but is finding it difficult, as she keeps running into Joe, and realizes that her feelings haven't changed.

At the same time, Sylvia is becoming close friends with Doris Culver, her landlord. Doris and her husband Floyd have been married forever, but lost the spark years ago. They dance around wanting to revive the relationship, but neither will be the first to admit it or to make the first move.

All of these people are interconnected, and every choice that they make somehow affects all of the others. Though highly predictable, as most romance novels are, each of these choices eventually leads to a Christmas miracle of sorts for everyone involved. A few lessons in life and love can also be gleaned from these pages if you pause for a second to reflect.

It's an extremely easy read, designed to allow you to relax for a couple of hours during this hectic holiday season. It's not written to change the world, but to entertain. Those with families touched by Alzheimer's will feel a sort of kinship with the characters dealing with it, even though Lottie's descent into the depths of dementia feel a little too fast for reality.

Purchase The Christmas Clock

I received a review galley copy of this book via my association with BookPleasures.com.

Just call me...Rita

Just call me...Rita: Book 1984 was one of the first books I ever tried to request via PRWeb. The plot sounded somewhat interesting: transplant from Canada now living in LA, getting sucked into the sex, drugs, and rock & roll life back in the 1980s. The story is told via diary entries, which should allow for some really in-depth views and opinions.

When I received my copy, it kept looking at me, begging to be read. I wanted to devote some good attention to it, so I delayed starting it for a little while. And then, I wish I hadn't.

The book is literally a daily entry, as in 365 days, spanning from January 1, 1984 through December 31st. And while I admit that my life tends to be a lot of the same thing from day to day, so was this. And that did not make for entertaining reading.

Also detracting from a potentially good story is a lot of "ghetto talk" for lack of a better descriptive phrase. I have been known to swear like a sailor, but there is a time and place for everything. I know that it was part of the character, but it was a little much. Though, I did learn some colorful new phrases.

I had a lot of difficulty reading about everyone screwing each other, taking different drugs, and drinking as much as possible. It made my liver and certain orifices hurt just thinking about it all. There just didn't seem to be much of a plot, other than Rita's frustration with her rock star-wannabe hubby and doing anything she could to get back at him, while simultaneously getting tanked up as often as possible and literally screwing anything. (I will never be able to eat Jimmy Dean again.)

For some people, this book is going to be a treat. I think of those who enjoy the trashier side of reality TV, such as Real Housewives and all of those other ones that have catty, bitchy bleached blondes with horrific manicures, making up reasons to scream at and cat fight with each other. It has just never been my style of entertainment, and I couldn't even complete the book. I did sneak peeks at the last few pages, to see if anything changes throughout the story, but really it doesn't. I fear that there will be a follow-up for the year 1985, but I will leave that to the rest of you to read and review.

Purchase "Just call me...Rita" Book 1984

The Novice

The Novice: Why I Became a Buddhist Monk, Why I Quit & What I Learned by Stephen Schettini is a well-written memoir that almost seems like a version of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, but overseas, and with a more religious theme.

Schettini's religious road began at a young age, when he was attending a Catholic school. Even then, he was questioning the philosophy of Christianity, and was able to expose some of the hypocrisy contained within, and the problem of rote memorization of doctrine without thinking of how to apply it to daily situations.

When a little older, at the age of 11, he developed a knack for shoplifting various items from stores. At his preparatory school, he was considered to be lazy, untidy, careless, and erratic. Being a teenager of the 60s, he grew his hair long, listened to Bob Dylan and the Beatles, drank a lot, and had deep discussions about what really mattered.

When someone finally gave him a copy of the I Ching for his 21st birthday, the foundation was laid for a life-changing trip to Asia, in search of the lesser known Eastern philosophies, usually ignored by those in the West.

Leaving Gloucester to Dover, then continuing to hitchhike across Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, counting on the I Ching to help him make his decisions. Along the way, he tries different drugs that don't agree with him, meets many people who do, and has amazing black-and-white photographs to document the places. He describes these people and places, so often almost demonized on the recent news, in a vivid fashion that puts you right there with him. The behaviors of the people seem to be on par with other memoirs of the area, such as Greg Mortensen's Three Cups of Tea.

Following an almost fatal illness, Schettini finally makes his way to India and Tibet, and is inducted into the practices of Buddhism. He finds a new peace in his new perspective, and order in his previously cluttered mind and manners. He then spends the majority of the next couple of decades as a leader and instructor, before finally deciding to leave to apply what he has learned elsewhere.

This memoir is well-written and easy to read. It is filled with a great deal of honesty, which is the best way to portray emotion in its purest form. It is inspirational, as the reader cannot help but question her own ideals in comparison to Schettini's. And it's simply a good story.

Purchase The Novice: Why I Became a Buddhist Monk, Why I Quit, and What I Learned

I received this book to review as a part of my association with BookPleasures.com

Second Chance: The Story of a Father's Faith, a Mother's Strength, and a Child's Will to Live

Second Chance: The Story of a Father's Faith, a Mother's Strength, and a Child's Will to Live by Kip Moore is a heart-wrenching story of one family's struggle with E.coli illness in their young eighteen-month-old son, named Chance. Mr. Moore has chosen to share their story, in the hopes of promoting awareness of the problem, and to help families in similar situations to keep the faith.

It all started when the Moore family was on vacation, spending a day at Mount Rushmore. After a random TV interview at the historic site, they decide to go to a local restaurant.

Soon after, Kip found himself feeling quite ill, with flu-like symptoms, lack of appetite, and diarrhea that lasted for ten days. His doctors told him he probably had a small case of food poisoning. Chance became ill the same evening, vomiting repeatedly. The next day, he began to have massive amounts of diarrhea, and even started to pass bloody stools.

The first trip to the pediatrician simply gave Chance some fluids to rehydrate him. When symptoms didn't improve the next day, the Moore family was instructed to take him directly to the Children's Hospital. And thus began a month-long roller coaster ride.

Tense moments, close calls, amazing people, and medical miracles fill the following 100+ pages. Even those who do not have their own children cannot help but feel the pain of a family waiting with baited breath to see if their precious baby is going to live or die. Their unwavering faith and devotion to each other, as well as reengaging with a higher power is inspirational.

This is a book that parents should read, especially as problems with E.coli and other forms of contamination are running rampant today. Chance's parents were not educated on the symptoms of E.coli infection and the outcome could have been quite different. The book also teaches parents how to find faith and to believe in miracles, while also fighting for the rights of their children. No one knows a child better than his parents, and parents need to be their child's biggest advocate.

The book also provides up-to-date information about E.coli, with links to the latest research and organizations. Again, the goal of the book is to arm readers with information, in the hopes that other families don't have to go through the same horror story that the Moore family faced back in the summer of 2005.

Andrea Coventry received this book as part of her affiliation with Bookpleasures.com.

Purchase Second Chance

Language is Music by Susanna Zaraysky

Language is Music: Over 70 Fun & Easy Tips to Learn Foreign Languages by Susanna Zaraysky is a beneficial compliment to any language learning program. In it, Zaraysky provides tips that she used to assist her through the years while she learned to speak English, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Serbo-Croatian.

She relates the learning of language to that of learning music. You have to tune your ear to hear the melodies of different languages in order to recreate them. Pay attention to the tempo, tone and emphasis within each syllable, just like you would to the notes in a song. Practice the language daily, just as you would practice playing an instrument daily. The new language is your instrument.

Immersion is the best way to learn a new language. Zaraysky recommends listening to music, watching TV, and viewing films in your target language. Listen to phrases again and again. Practice repeating them until you can mimic the intonation and pronunciation. Make vocabulary lists of new words. Practice translating. Create flashcards. Listen, watch, write.

When you start getting comfortable in the new language, try to converse with others in that language. Ideally, you would look for someone who is a native speaker in the target language, but any exchange is beneficial. Perhaps you could help someone learn English as you learn his language. Practice in person or online. Zaraysky provides numerous online resources and tips for local resources, throughout her book.

Make yourself perform daily tasks, such as balancing the checkbook, by using the target language. The more you make it a part of you and your routine, the more likely you are to remember it.

Language is Music is not going to guarantee that you memorize grammatical structures and vocabulary quickly for an upcoming test or exam. It's not a quick shortcut to make you the star of the class. It's designed for people who are seriously looking for a way to become more proficient in their foreign language studies.

Keep in mind that languages come easily to Zaraysky. Some people are gifted in that regard. Nevertheless, she has had to work hard to develop fluency and has found these techniques to work a better than the rote memorization found in traditional foreign language classes. Applying her techniques as a supplement to what you are already doing will allow you to use different parts of your brain and achieve greater success in your foreign language endeavors.

Purchase Language is Music

Your Neighborhood Gives Me the Creeps

Your Neighborhood Gives Me the Creeps by Adam Selzer is a book that actually gave me the creeps. Not only is it full of ghost stories, primarily set in Chicago, but these are recorded by a self-proclaimed nonbeliever.

Adam Selzer is a skeptic who accidentally ended up doing ghost tours around Chicago, after he couldn't find a different "real" job and needed the money. While he is usually able to dispel ghost stories or explain away bizarre phenomena, such as orbs in photographs, he will admit to having a few of his own unexplained adventures in the supernatural realm. Some of these occurred when he was yet a child. Honestly, a scientifically-minded person who gets scared in certain situations is more likely to convince me of the plausibility of a ghostly encounter than someone who routinely finds spirits.

Adam Selzer is good at telling stories, a skill probably enhanced every time he goes out on the bus with his company Weird Chicago Tours, founded in 2006. He has published numerous other books and has a degree in English. He is well-versed in the history of numerous supposedly haunted locations, and has thoroughly researched any story he shares. He tries to scientifically explain away sightings, but will admit when he has no explanation. Particularly creepy is the story of a ghostly encounter with a former coworker who unexpectedly succumbed to an early demise after receiving bodiless threats from voices in the walls.

Locations covered throughout the book are notorious in the Windy City. Odin Tatu (now Old Town Tatu) is a former funeral parlor that is now a tattoo parlor. The Biograph Theatre, a.k.a. "Dillinger's Alley" is where John Dillinger met his demise. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre site and the Eastland disaster site can boast numerous tragic and simultaneous deaths. And of course, there is Hull House, and the stopping point for Lincoln's funeral train, amongst several others.

At the end of the book, Selzer provides information for wannabe ghost hunters about different kinds of equipment available. He also outlines a few rules for ghost hunters. Most importantly, remember to be skeptical enough to look for the scientific explanations of the weird, yet open-minded enough to be open to any possibilities. And don't be a jerk.

It is a thrilling read for anyone who is remotely interested in ghost hunting and/or ghost stories. I recommend reading it at night for full effect.

Visit Adam Selzer's websites at AdamSelzer.com and WeirdChicagoBlog.com.

Purchase Your Neighborhood Gives Me the Creeps: True Tales of an Accidental Ghost Hunter

Be the Star You Are! For Teens

Be the Star You Are! For Teens is the latest collection from teen empowerment expert and life success coach, Cynthia Brian. It is a collection of 74 stories designed to empower and inspire teens. At least half of the stories are penned by Brian herself. Others are written by other motivational speakers and writers, as well as several teenagers. It is endorsed by teen celebrities.

Each story is designed to demonstrate how to achieve a particular goal, be it achievement, communication, imagination, serendipity, volunteerism, etc. Following each installment is a page of exercises that can be done to achieve each goal, as well as an inspirational quote. It is extremely bubbly and happy, almost sugary sweet, which is designed to elicit a positive response in the reader.

The book is not meant to be read in one sitting. It should be attacked one concept at a time, then digested to allow for understanding and reflection. It may help for readers to maintain a journal while making their way through the book, so that they can chart their own successes and track what still needs to change.

Teenagers who want to find meaning in their lives are going to be more likely to pick up this book and read through it. Others aren't going to want to let anyone know that they are reading a self-help book. For these teens, casually place the book in a basket of reading material in the bathroom or other out-of-the-way place. In the utmost privacy, they may just page through it and pick up some tips here and there. Don't call attention to the reluctant teen reading it, as that will guarantee it is set aside and not touched again.

Parents, teachers, and other mentors to teenagers can read through the book to choose stories to share to elicit conversation with their own children or in groups. It could be used in clubs, sports, or youth groups as a conversation tool.

Adults can also find some benefits by reading through the entries. It is never too late to start making positive changes in your life.

Cynthia Brian is a motivational speaker who can be heard on the radio on a weekly basis. Proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit her charity Be the Star You Are! which promotes literacy in people of all ages.

Visit her website at www.bethestaryouare.com and the charity at www.bethestaryouare.org.

Stay tuned for a Q&A with Cynthia Brian.

Purchase Be the Star You Are! for Teens: Simple Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, Learning, and Leading

Travel Writing by Peter Ferry

Travel Writing by Peter Ferry follows the author as narrator throughout a series of intertwined stories that seems to combine fact and fiction.

Pete Ferry is a high school English teacher. He seeks to demonstrate to his students the power of telling a good story. He tells them about his supposedly made-up experiences following a car accident he witnessed. The accident occurred when Lisa Kim drove into a pole and died. Pete had come across her as she came careening along beside him, obviously intoxicated. At one point, he was next to her at a stoplight and wanted to jump out and take her keys to prevent her from driving. Of course, he didn't, and the result was her death.

Pete is haunted by this and becomes obsessed, trying to track her down to find out who she was and why she was in her condition. Who would want to kill the beautiful Lisa Kim? And why did her friends at the funeral think he was her boyfriend?

At the same time, he alienates his girlfriend Lydia, who cannot handle his obsession. Their already tumultuous relationship strains even further, and Pete is forced into self-reflection when he ends up with a lot of alone time.

Interspersed in the story about Lisa Kim are scenes of Pete in his classroom. Students keep asking him questions about writing a story and are desperately trying to figure out if the story is true or not. Also sprinkled throughout the story are travel essays written by Ferry. Some illustrate his relationship with Lydia, while others are designed to be informative about the destinations.

Ferry further blurs the lines between fact and fiction by including his real-life biography and writing experiences into his character's bio. It's the perfect example of putting yourself into your own story.

Trying to figure out what is fact and what is fiction in this book can make your head spin. It's better to just take the information as it comes and try to enjoy each part. Or think of it as reading three different books simultaneously. The pages will turn quickly and your brain will definitely get some exercise.

Purchase Travel Writing