Jennings and Darbishire, two of my favourite childhood characters. They seemed to live idyllic lives in boarding school and have all sorts of adventures. The books were written by Anthony Buckeridge with the first one, Jennings Goes to School, being published in 1950 and the last, That’s Jennings, in 1994. I’ve just found out that Jennings was based on someone Buckeridge used to know at school who was always getting into trouble.
Diarmaid Jennings was a couple of years behind Buckeridge and as you can see from his obituary the fiction boy, Jennings was a fair representation of the real person. He’s recently deceased and has led an interesing life, living out his last days in New Zealand.
Publisher: Razorbill Publication Date: August 6th 2009 Buy it from: Book Depository (free shipping worldwide!) Silver star (3/5 stars)
Synopsis: When Emily Carson’s parents die in a plane crash, she’s left with nothing but her mother’s last words scrawled in lipstick on a tray table: “Emily, please forgive me.”
Now it’s fall and Emily moves to New York City— where she attracts the attention of two very different boys: the cute, popular Owen, and her quirky chemistry partner, Anthony. With the help of some surprising new friends, Emily must choose between the boy who helps her forget and the one who encourages her to remember, and ultimately heal.
Debut author Jennifer Jabaley has written a wonderful, feel-good romantic comedy with real emotional depth. Full of lovably wacky characters, Lipstick Apology is a heartwarming story about the true meaning of forgiveness.
Review: Lipstick Apology sadly did not live up to my expectations. When I read the first line in the prologue, it really annoyed me.
Steve McCaffity just undressed me with his eyes.
Okay, maybe I’m still clothed, but we definitely made eye contact. Well, actually, he might have only glanced at the tiny chocolate stain on my V-neck — so it was noticable.
Why do I feel like there is so much going on in these three sentences? The writing seemed clunky to me, it didn’t flow smoothly. On the topic of Jabaley’s writing, I was really annoyed to see the excess use of capital letters. I know sometimes it’s good to use capital letters to emphasize a point but too much gets on my nerves. Everytime someone shouts, it’s capital letters. Wah??
Here are two examples of sentences which I felt the capital letters were totally unessasary.
Lindsey vigorously shook her head, agreeing with me. “No you HAVE to go.” (page 186)
“I wasn’t intending to get drunk. You KNOW I don’t drink.” (page 196)
I really wanted to love this book but there were too many problems with it. Another big problem was that Jabaley did a lot of “telling” and very little “showing”. The writing could have been so much better if Jabaley trusted her readers to figure out what was going on and not tell them.
Emily’s mood swings annoyed me. Yes I know it’s hard to deal with the death but it was so frustrating. She seemed to accept her parents’ death calmly. There weren’t many scenes of her grieving. Too many PMS-ing moments. Emily character was too dramatic and I had a hard time relating to her.
The other characters were like any other typical high school novels. You know, rich preppy superficial girls, self-centered high school jocks, the geeky girl etc. I truly liked Anthony, he was sweet but still cliché. Her aunt Jolie’s occupation was unique and I thought it was really cool having an aunt who has her own makeup line. Jolie’s character was quite likable compared to the other adult, Trent who is a hairdresser. Trent in the beginning was over perky and I felt as though he was over caffeinated. But as I went deeper into the book, he became more thoughtful.
Other than the above mentioned problems, I just love the setting of the book, it’s NEW YORK CITY people. My number one dream destination. The setting was nicely described. But did you know that most YA books are set in NYC? Justine Larbalestier did a post Too Many Books About NYC? I felt for Lipstick Apology, the setting was right for the book. I am pretty sure if you had a successful makeup line you’d be living in NYC and not in other states.
Oh and the synopsis totally spoiled the romance for me. It’s so easy to figure out who Emily will end up with at the end. Honestly, if I wanted a predictable romance plot, I would go with Elizabeth Scott’s Something Maybe. Though Something Maybe was also predictable, Scott did it better.
Lipstick Apology was a nice book to pass time but not one of those books that I definitely recommend.
Check out other reviews of Lipstick Apology: Books By Their Cover, Addicted to Literature, That Chick That Reads, Harmony Book Reviews, Presenting Lenore.
The end is so close. I stand at 46,399 words towards the 50k needed to complete NaNoWriMo. A couple of good, long, posts and I am there.
Yesterday, I finished all I had hoped to write about Tess’ and my Saturday 14 Nov. meeting in the 17th and 8th. Today, I plan to tackle my new friend Karen’s and my journey taken last Wednesday to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, the Parc de Belleville, and Cimitière Père Lachaise.
First, I just have to say something as a teacher and a writer.
I am aware I have grammar errors in the previous posts, and maybe some spelling ones, too. * blush* I feel slightly ashamed about this. I know some of you could care less, and probably gloss right over errors, not aware of the them, perfectly pleased to read what you do. Then I am sure there are the folk who are saying to themselves, “Oh my gaawwwddd, and she calls herself a writer!! Does she not know she should have used past tense there to remain consistent?”
I’m kind of in the middle, gray area when it comes to stuff like this. I know that a “pro” blog should be very clean, edited, consistent, and error-free. I realize that people who write as professionals should have copy that is as perfect as possible. I also know that I am a lot harder on myself than I am on others. If I read someone’s blog and see that he or she has shifted tense, I don’t really care. My brain registers the slip, and on I go to read the heart and soul of the message.
But yeah, I guess if I think about it, if I saw a glaring error on a blog like David Lebovitz’s, I might judge a little bit.
Another reason I am grateful to not have a well-known blog, just an ordinary one: my standard does not have to be so high. With doing the writing the way I have been, shooting mostly for quantity in a particular time frame, to reach a specific goal (a 50k word count for the month of November), things like carefully proofing before hitting “Publish” have had to fly out the window a little bit. I try. I catch as much as I can, but I know the errors are there.
I thought of this all because I was just at yesterday’s post, re-reading it quickly, and I caught a verb tense error. Heh.
Kare(i)n-à-deux Adventure
I have been looking forward to writing this piece. It was really one of my Top Five Days in Paris, for certain! I wanted to wait until I had covered some of the other topics about which I have wanted to write, but this has been a biggie, something I have anticipated very much.
If you have been following my blog, you will know that Karen is a reader. She arrived on my blog via David Lebovitz’s — I had posted a comment there and she checked out and read my site. We exchanged emails and phone numbers, and decided that a meetup would be a lot of fun. Neither she nor I are working now, and while we do not have a lot of moolah to be painting the town red (cliché alert! Oh, that pesky voice of perfection, lol) we do have the time.
I have really come to like to show off my neighborhood. As I have written before, I live in the NE section of Paris, in the 19th arrondissement.
Screen captures from Mappy.com, with additions in Paint by yours truly.
Karen is from a southern suburb just outside of the ring road of Paris, the Périphérique. After talking to her on the phone, I learned that she had not yet been to the big and beautiful Buttremont, the nickname for Parc des Buttes Chaumont, nor to Parc de Belleville, nor Cimitière Père Lachaise. We needed to remedy this.
On Wednesday the 18th of November, Karen and I met at M° Jaurés, Line 5 and proceeded to walk down Avenue Jean Jaurés to Rue Armand Carrel.
Fellow blogger, and one I think I have mentioned here before, AmericInParis just recently blogged about the park as well at this link here, Hidden Treasures of Paris: Parc des Buttes Chaumont. He mentions access to the park via Line 7 bis at M° Botzaris or Buttes Chaumont:
It is true, these stops are right at two entrances at the top of the park (it rises up a hill towards the south), and if you want very direct access, these stops would be your best bet. however, there is the main entrance to the park just across from the town hall of the 19th arrondissement, which you can get to by taking M° Jaures (Line 5 – orange, in the map below) to Rue Armand Carrel to Place Armand Carrel and the Mairie 19eme, the town hall.
Sorry for the crappy little screen captures enhanced by Paint. Graphic designer I am not, ha!. Still, this will give you the idea.
It may look like a far walk but it is not at all. I live right in this spot, and it takes me all of five minutes, swear. Remember that in Paris, what looks like a long distance on a map is not. All of Paris is only about 10 km across (as the crow flies, or even less, as this website claims), or about 6 miles! We are talking less than a quarter of a mile walk up Rue Armand Carrel.
There is a second Métro stop that will give you access to the park, too: Laumière, also on Line 5. In fact, looking at the map there, a quick stroll up Avenue de Laumière is even shorter than Armand Carrel! I just never go that way as I live just off of Rue Armand Carrel. I will say that if you get off at Jaurés, you can also view the locks where the Canal Saint-Martin meets the Bassin de la Villette, and they are interesting to see.
In any case, I think that Métro Line 5 is a lot easier to access from other Métro lines in the city, whereas 7 bis is going to mean adding a second station change, most likely, to your journey. If I were you, I would walk.
Karen and I took just this route: M° Jaurés up Armand Carrel to the main park entrance.
This is a “mini-mart” shop I have passed many a time on Rue Armand Carrel. The owners recently put up a new awning, which I think looks really snazzy.
Photo of the main entrance of the park, with the Mairie du 19eme in the background.
When we got to the park, something out-of-the-ordinary was going on. There were a bunch of middle-school-aged youths in jogging shorts and running shoes acting like middle-school students all over the planet: rowdy and full of pubescence.
It appeared that a running race was taking place at the park.
The finish line.
Karen and I were cracking up at this point as there was a female announcer saying that she had found a shoe, that there was obviously a child with only one shoe, and he or she ought to return to the finishing area to retrieve the shoe. (I am fictionalizing that last part a little as really what *I* heard the announcer say was: “enfant… blah blah blah, chausseur blah blah blah…” Karen explained the rest.)
I later looked up information about USEP, and it appears to be an interscholastic organization/educational commission sponsoring athletics education and events in France. Beyond that, my French cannot handle the details, but you are welcome to check out the link and see for yourself. I think I have the gist of it, though.
Kids, checking out their results.
I started to take photos of the wonderful fall foliage in the park.
Just after taking this photo, something crazy happened. A group of kids were following Karen and me. Suddenly, one of the kids, as I was talking to Karen about the park, snatched and grabbed my camera, right out of my hand!
Thankfully, I had the camera straps in hand as well and quick reflexes to keep hold of them. I started hollering at the kid, and yanking back hard on my camera. The combination of my yelling and pulling back hard on my camera scared him off. It’s a good thing he ran off, too, as I was ready to kick his little thieving butt! Had he stayed around, or had he managed to start to run with the camera, I really think I would have chased him and tackled him — taken him down. He was a fairly puny kid – maybe about in the equivalent of 7th or 8th grade, 14 or so years old. He was not that much bigger than me, what I can remember of him, the twerp. I really do think it could have been the Crazy Lady wildness in my eyes, a wildness he saw where he knew he would get a whippin’ if he stuck around. I think I had The Look, you know, the one that Mom gives when she is so bloomin’ angry that you know you are going to get what-for for doing whatever it was you were doing, and you run, terrified, before she can get a hold of you. I know I certainly felt, and it must have showed as fire in my eyes and the physical stance to fight, a kind of instinctual ‘DO NOT MESS WITH ME” strength that overcame me in this situation. I am glad he ran, as I did not need to be arrested for assaulting a minor.
Now, as to what I was hollering. I don’t know what it was that triggered such a strong verbal, in addition to physical, response (the violation that it is to have something taken boldly from one’s hands?), but my Inner Sailor also came charging up and out of my mouth, and I was shouting (in English) some pretty choice words at the little pecker, uhhh, I mean youth who tried to steal from me. Poor Karen and any other English speaker within earshot got a rant that lasted a few minutes after the whole event ended as the adrenaline in my system rattled through me and continued to pour out of my mouth. Some of the remaining kids, who out of curiosity at the shouting and swearing older lady (they clearly understood isolated words, the “F” word being a bit international at this point, what with rappers and movies and other media from the States being popular here, too), straggled along, and in recognition of the words they heard, decided to try a few out for themselves, albeit French-accented, which made them sound a little silly. Like the kid who hollered back to me, “Beetch. Beetch.” It kind of made me want to giggle, if I had not been so goshdarn angry with the ballsy would-be thief.
After I calmed down (I wonder just how crazy I appeared as Karen asked me a couple of times, “Are you okay? Are you SURE you are okay?” ), very glad to still have my camera in hand (while I still think it is a POS — noooo, that does not mean “point and shoot,” lol — I *am* grateful to still have it), we continued our journey through the park, up to the Temple of the Sybil (the belvédère as it is called in French), and then eventually out to the exit closest to Rue Simon Bolivar.
Everything, from the waterfall in this cave at the park to the wood-looking railings and fences around pathways at the park, is man-made. The park used to be an old gypsum and limestone quarry and dump before it was commissioned to be made into a park in 1860 by Napoleon III and carried out by Baron Hausmann.
The Wikipedia article gives more details about the history: Buttes Chaumont History. Also from the Wikipedia site, in the links, there is a comparison of what the park looked like in 1900 versus the present day: Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont. I have really enjoyed looking at those scenes. Relatively little has changed in 110 years. Also in the Wikipedia links is one to these fantastic photos of the park! The Visual Travel Guide I recognized every single photo taken there. I really do appreciate this park so very much.
Karen, on “Suicide Bridge” with the Belvédère in the background.
Kare(i)n-à-deux
The view out to the south/south-west of the park.
Before moving on to the rest of our journey, I wanted to write a little bit about an aspect of Paris that has touched me a lot, especially after reading the novel Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay.
I purchased Sarah’s Key in a Michigan Target this past summer on a shopping spree. I bought it because I recognized on the paperback cover the Jardin du Luxembourg. I read the summary on the back of the book, and thought it sounded like a good read, so I tossed it in the cart along with the can opener, Tylenol PM, socks, and other goodies I purchased to bring home to Paris.
I set it aside as I was reading other books, including Petite Anglaise by Catherine Sanderson. A couple of weeks ago, though, I picked the book up and started to read. I could not put it down. As Augusten Burroughs endorses on the front cover, it is “a shocking, profoundly moving, and morally-challenging story… nothing short of miraculous. It will haunt you, it will help to complete you….”
I found the book to be very powerful, indeed.
It is a well-written novel with a smooth narrative flow about an American expatriate who has lived in Paris for over 20 years and who writes for a publication aimed at Anglophones living in Paris. The year is 2002, and it is the 60th anniversary of something called the Rafle du Vel’ d’Hiv, which means the Vel’ d’Hiv Round Up. As it states in the Wikipedia article about the Round Up: “At 4am on 16 July 1942, 12,884 Jews were arrested: 4,051 children, 5,802 women and 3,031 men. (A total of 13,152 has also been quoted).” These men, women and children were crowded into the Vémodrome d’Hiver, a cycling venue, with no food, water, or toilets for several days, after which they were taken into an internment camp at Drancy, a suburb to the north of Paris, and then subsequently shipped off to Auschwitz, where they were killed. As the Wikipedia article also states, “The roundup accounted for more than a quarter of the 42,000 Jews sent from France to Auschwitz in 1942, of whom only 811 came home at the end of the war.” Many died in the Vélodrome before they could even be shipped off to internment camps either through the horrific conditions, by suicide, or by being shot in attempts to escape.
Protagonist Julia Jarmond is assigned to write about the Round Up for the publication for which she works. Little does she know that her investigation will lead her to the story of a little girl named Sarah and Julia’s own connection to Sarah’s life and to the key which appears in the title of the novel.
During Nazi-occupied France, from 1940 to 1944, the capital of France was located in Vichy, in southern France, and the government of France during this time is referred to as Vichy France. I have not informed myself extensively about this period in France. What I do know is that through this government, there were French who were collaborators with the Nazis and complicit in Nazi activities such as Jewish extermination through the concentration camps in Europe. The Vel’ d’Hiv Round Up is one of the biggest, but not necessarily well-known, Nazi collaborations by the Vichy government.
As you can imagine, this aspect of France’s history is not touted by the French, and responsibility for complicity and collaboration with the Third Reich has been much-debated and overlooked — as in people wanting to turn a blind eye to i, as you can imaginet. For example, it was only in 1995 that former French President Jacques Chirac, in an address (to whom I do not know), publicly and officially acknowledged complicity of the French Vichy government in Nazi activities:
…on July 16, 1995 president Jacques Chirac, in a speech, recognized the responsibility of the French State for seconding the “criminal folly of the occupying country”, in particular the help of the French police, headed by René Bousquet, which assisted the Nazis in the enactment of the so-called “Final Solution”. The July 1942 rafle du Vel’d'hiv is a tragic example of how the French police did the Nazi work, going even further than what military orders demanded (by sending children to Drancy internment camp, last stop before the extermination camps).
(Wikipedia, Vichy Government, Historiographical debates and responsibility of France: the “Vichy Syndrome”)
As a result of these and other acknowledgments in post-Chirac France, memorial plaques and parks have been popping up around the city. In November of 2008, for example, a playground and memorial plaque were dedicated to the children of the 19th arrondissement in the Buttes Chaumont.
It is located at the south end of the park, towards Rue Botzaris, and just down the little hill that makes up Pavillon Puebla. This is a link to an historical map of the park from the site I linked earlier, but it is still current as far as the paths on the park are concerned - Map of the Buttes Chaumont.
Oh here. I just copied it and modified it in Paint so you can see where I mean, if you should want to visit it yourself. Check the picture out in Flickr for a slightly larger and more readable version.
The yellow star represents the location of the memorial playground with 90% certainty (that is, based on my memory of where I think it is. If it is not there, then it is where the blue star is). If you go, it is in that general vicinity of the park, I am sure.
This is the memorial plaque.
It basically says (I am running out of time to blog today, and so I am paraphrasing) that the Vichy Government was complicit with the Nazi occupation of France and also complicit with the deaths of over 11,000 children…
Sorry.
*sob*
Just typing that seriously makes me choke up and start to cry. I can barely maintain a dry eye each time I have seen this plaque. I am glad it exists today, but I find it hard to believe it only was placed here one year ago, 64 years after the occupation ended.
Anyways, it says that the Vichy Government was complicit in the deaths of over 11,000 children who were deported out of France and killed at Auschwitz only because they were Jewish. It says that 423 of these children were from the 19th arrondissement, 33 of whom were too young to go to school.
And then it lists the names of those 33 children.
Seriously.
I am sitting here crying as I type this, looking at the names of babies who were only 5 and 6 months old.
Like I wrote, I am glad there is a plaque and this beautiful playground. I am sad that it took 64 years to have it be present. However, it is a very good place and a wonderful sort of memorial to help ensure that we will never forget.
Oh wow.
What a way to end a post.
I was not sure how far into Karen’s and my journey I would get today. Obviously, just into the first third of what we did! I also spent two hours on the phone with my friend, Janet, to have some much-needed girl talk about food intolerances and life stuff as it is for her and me these days. So I did not have as long as I expected to write. Still this was a pretty good chunk. In fact, I have almost 3,400 words, which puts me in range of the 50k!
Tonight I am going to the Paris premiere of Jim Jarmusch’s newest movie The Limits of Control starring lots of famous people (lol — oh go and read the IMDB entry there. Of course Bill Murray is in it… ). The cool thing about it is that Jim Jarmusch is going to be at the premiere, just like Francis Ford Coppola was at the Paris screening of Tetro that I blogged about a while back. I have to go get ready to meet PJ and a couple of his co-workers to see that. In fact, it is going to be at Les Halles! Remember yesterday when I gave those Métro directions as an example of how to ride the rails? That’s where I will be going.
And going I have to get!! OMG, just 30 min to take a shower and blow out of here. Wish me luck! I will be telling about the second and third legs of Karen’s and my travels in upcoming blogs, amongst other things. Whether I have broken 50k today or not, I shall tell all.
Book Review: Deserted by God? by Sinclair Ferguson
Reviewed by Nathan Pitchford
Where do you go when you’re feeling depressed, disconsolate, overwhelmed by sin, discouragement, loneliness, painful afflictions, dark valleys of despair? For the believer, there is no source of comfort that can compare to the psalter, that blessed “anatomy of the soul,” an apt description of the Book of Psalms first given by Calvin and referred to by Sinclair B. Ferguson in his book of remedies for the trials of this life, Deserted by God?. Happily, Ferguson is well aware of the rich cures of the psalter for every kind of painful affliction of the soul, and he spends the entire book walking through the darkest psalms of lament, distilling the precious cordial of hope from the bitterest agonies of the very human psalmists. For that reason, it is not just another book about depression – it is a book that cannot fail to help all who take its instructions to heart, no matter how deep their trials may be.
Ferguson is a spiritual physician that knows to prescribe only the medicines that really do cure. He speaks compassionately, with empathy – but what really matters is that he speaks the truth, truth that is living and active and able to help all who listen. If you struggle with depression, no matter the precise cause or form it may take, then read this book. It will help you, by God’s grace, even when nothing else can.
I appreciate the fact that Ferguson is not naively optimistic or nauseatingly super-spiritual in how he addresses those who are overcome by despair, and yet he still does not buy into the nonsense that it’s somehow ok to be angry with God and vent your sinful frustration in foolish words of accusation. Speaking of the idea that a good Christian will never doubt or be in despair, he states, “Nor is this biblical spirituality; it is a false ’super-spirituality’ that ignores or denies the reality of our humanity. We live in frail flesh and blood and in a fallen world which, John says, ‘is under the control of the evil one’ (1 John 5:19). There is much to discourage. Jesus felt that. To be free from the possibility of discouragements would be more ’spiritual’ than Jesus – and therefore not truly spiritual at all.” So yes, Ferguson would say, pour out your complaint to God and seek his mercy, as the psalmists did – but there is a humble, reverent, and appropriate way to roll even your deepest trials on the merciful and loving God who is ready to take them upon himself for your greatest good.
What makes the book applicable for any discouraged person, no matter what he might be struggling with specifically, is that it simply walks through a few well-selected psalms, giving a straightforward and accurate exposition and application. And no matter what a person is dealing with, even when it feels like no one else has ever experienced the same thing, the psalmists dealt with something similar, and found hope and relief at the end of their journey. Ferguson’s keen psychological acumen makes him able to probe what was really happening in the psalmists’ perplexed souls, and give fitting application to modern humans who have the same trials.
Whether you struggle with guilt over sins in your past, feelings of abandonment and betrayal, physical illness or affliction, bereavement, unfulfilled dreams, or any other similar problem, you will probably find a chapter that speaks directly to you. Personally, I was greatly helped by the chapter, “Can I Be Pure?”. My discouragement comes most poignantly from shame and frustration over falling into the same old sinful attitudes and actions that I thought I had left behind – and there are psalms that deal with that! Whatever causes your despair, there are psalms that you’ll find apply most aptly to you to.
The most outstanding portions of the book look ahead to Christ our great Champion and Savior, who took our weaknesses and infirmities, and who very often speaks through the psalmists who were types and foreshadows of him – my only regret about the book was that, although there was much of this, in my opinion there wasn’t always as much as there could have been. But when Ferguson does look ahead to the unspeakably wonderful Messiah, heaven comes down and fills the soul. I conclude with a quote from one of those times:
In asking for “mercy,” David, you are asking that God will show it to you, but withdraw it from Jesus.
In asking to experience God’s “unfailing love,” you are asking that Jesus will feel it has been removed.
In asking to taste God’s “great compassion,” you are asking him to refuse it to Jesus as he dies on the cross.
In asking God to “blot out” your transgressions, you are asking that they will be obliterated by the blood of Jesus.
In asking to be washed, you are asking that the filth of your sin will overwhelm Jesus like a flood.
In asking to know the joy of salvation, you are asking that Jesus will be a Man of Sorrows, familiar with grief.
In asking to be saved from bloodguilt, you are asking that in your place Jesus will be treated as though he were guilty.
In asking that your lips will be opened in praise, you are asking that Jesus will be silenced, as a sheep before her shearers is dumb.
In asking that the sacrifice of a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart be acceptable, you are asking that Jesus’ heart and spirit will be broken.
In asking that God will hide his face from your sins, you are asking that he will hide his face from Jesus.
In asking that you will not be cast out of God’s presence, you are asking that Jesus will be cast out into outer darkness instead.
Oh, the depths to which Jesus went to bear our burdens and carry our sorrows! When we see such a Savior as that, what trial could we ever suppose will finally overcome us who are recipients of so vast a love?
Publisher: Banner of Truth
Author: Ferguson, Sinclair B.
ISBN-10: 0851516912 | ISBN-13: 9780851516912
Available at Westminster Bookstore
The assumptions people often make about the voluntarily childless troubled me because they didn’t come close to capturing my complex motives.
Laura Scott was happily childfree and increasingly frustrated by other people’s reactions to her choice. Curious to understand the “childless by choice” and eager to give them a voice, she set out to create a sociological study to identify the most compelling reasons to remain childfree and to better understand the decision-making process of those who decide to do so.
Two is Enough: A Couple’s Guide to Living Childless by Choice presents Scott’s findings, gleaned from surveying 171 childless by choice individuals andconducting in-depth interviews with many of them. Scott’s goal is not to convert or convince anyone to make the choice to remain childfree. This book is not a polemic for childlessness. Scott’s only agenda is to push society to move beyond the assumption of parenthood and to “redefine gender roles and what we call family.” Currently,
The question is not “are you planning to have children?” It’s “when are you having children?”
This assumption of parenthood persists even while the assumption of marriage has lost its power in modern society.
In Two is Enough, Scott emphasizes the message that parenthood is a choice, not an imperative to be fulfilled, an inevitable consequence of marriage, or simply the next step that must be taken in order to meet familial or cultural expectations. She encourages individuals to think deeply and deliberately about the decision and hopes to help the childless by choice gain greater acceptance in contemporary society.So, what’s the most compelling motive for remaining childfree? Scott’s participants most commonly rated this statement (out of eighteen possibilities) highest:
I love our life, our relationship, as it is, and having a child won’t enhance it.
My husband and I are seriously considering not having children, and I’m here to tell you (as I told Trish and Swapna on Twitter this weekend) that I believe it…because it’s my most compelling reason, too. The other high-ranking motives include valuing freedom and independence; not wanting to take on the responsibility of having a child; having no desire to have children or not maternal/paternal instinct; wanting to accomplish or experience things that would be difficult if one were a parent; and wanting to focus time and energy on one’s own goals and interest.
“I don’t enjoy being around children” ranked thirteenth out of the eighteen motive statements, and “People I know have not realized the rewards they expected as a parent” ranked sixteenth. I mention these because I think it is commonly assumed that people who don’t want children of their own must not like children at all. I know I have encountered that response, and that’s just not the case. With five nieces and three nephews, my life is full of children. And I like it that way. I also like being able to return them to their parents and retreat into the quiet of my own house after spending time with them.
I think it’s also worth discussing the idea that seeing other people’s experiences fail to live up to their expectations can be a deterrent for those contemplating parenthood. I know that my friends and family members who have children love them dearly. And I know that there are beautiful, heartfelt, unbelievably meaningful moments of pride and connection and emotion…but it seems like they’re pretty few and far between, buried beneath loads of stress and worry, and the couples rarely seem truly happy. If having children means potentially sacrificing the quality of my relationship with my husband, then I’m not interested. As Scott says, “I value a strong and enduring relationship with a life partner more than I do the prospect of parenthood.”
So, how can people go about deciding whether having kids is right for them? One of Scott’s research participants gives this suggestion:
At least twenty times a day for the next week or month, ask yourself the following question: “How would having children change what I am doing now?
Also, talk with your partner. A lot. And be prepared to feel the sting of social criticism or stigma because choosing to be childfree “is a fundamental challenge to the way most people see the world.”
Scott’s interviews with childless-by-choice couples revealed the importance of being “on the same page” and indicated that women—at least the ones in her study—often feel more affected by the assumption of parenthood because it carries with it the idea that motherhood is the mark of womanhood, and many people can’t make sense of how a woman who is not a mother can really be a woman at all. Her participants also expressed frustration with the assumption that the intentionally childfree are selfish or immature—many of them felt that not having children would allow them to make greater contributions to society—and will someday regret their choice.
To these sources of frustration, Scott says that “the assumption that the only path to responsible adulthood is parenthood is another tired remnant of a pronatalist culture,” and “the specter of regret seems to be a cultural assumption more than a real fear harbored by the childfree.” In short, people who choose not to have children are just as responsible and mature as those who do, and they are not doomed to regret their choice. Parenthood is not for everyone, and it shouldn’t be forced (by social, cultural, or family pressure) on anyone who doesn’t want it, nor should individuals or couples be punished, stigmatized, or ostracized for making the choice that is best for them.
Two is Enough provides excellent guidance and insight for individuals and couples considering the childfree choice, with words of wisdom from people who have been there and done that. Author Laura S. Scott argues against the pronatalist assumption of parenthood, identifies and explores the most compelling reasons for remaining childless, examines the decision-making process and the four primary types of childless-by-choice individuals, and provides suggestions for living childless by choice in a society that seems to be obsessed with babies. But this isn’t just a book for the childfree.
Scott’s thorough research and thoughtful interviews with childless couples shed light on how and why people decide not to be parents and will be interesting and useful for anyone who wants to understand the decision. If I had my way, Two is Enough would be required reading for all, as we move toward a more inclusive, accepting society with a more contemporary definition of family.
Visit the Childless by Choice Project’s website and blog for more information, including the survey Scott used in her research.
Thanks to Seal Press for providing me with a review copy of this book.
If you were a genius, would you use your smarts for good or evil? I know I would use it for evil, but that’s just me. This means I have something in common with the ubergenius Oliver Watson, who is the main character of Josh Lieb’s novel I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President.
Josh Lieb hasn’t written any other books besides this one, but why would he have to when he’s a four- time-Emmy-winning executive producer of The Daily Show. Josh lives in New York City with his wife and son. I don’t know what drove Josh to write this book; perhaps he himself is an evil genius!
Oliver Watson, a seventh grader at Gale Sayers Middle School in Omaha, Nebraska, has a secret. Not a secret about going out with Marcia Brady, or anything like that. Oliver is a genius, an evil one at that, with his own evil empire with minions and a secret lair. Not too many people know about his exploits as an evil genius.
Kids at school know him as “Fatson,” “retard,” or “tubby.” Even his parents think he’s stupid. His cover is, more or less, being an idiot. Now, Oliver wants to become class president, just so he can get back at his beloved dad, or “Daddy”, to show him a “retard” is an equal to him. His father was class president when he was in seventh grade and makes a big deal about it. Although, for Oliver, becoming class president might not be as easy as he expects.
I think this book was very funny because it has a lot of dark humor, something that appeals to me. For instance, Oliver finds cover agents at Alcoholics Anonymous. He states in the book that, “AA is a great resource for finding cover agents. Many of these creatures come from impressive backgrounds and have done great things in the past-but they’ve all been humbled by their addiction to booze. Once they’re clean, they are frequently desperate to redeem themselves in the eyes of the world.” I’m not sure elementary school kids would get this kind of humor, but middle school, high school, and adults definitely would.
Normally, I like to be in charge of picking the books that I read. This book was one that my mom picked out for my younger brother, a li’l book maniac. She found it in the “Younger Reader,” 8-to-12 year olds, section of the bookstore. I was in the teen section at the time, scouring the shelves for something to read/review. While there, this book was nowhere to be seen, but it should be staked to the brim on the teen section’s shelves. Once at home, the cover and title caught my eye. Jon Stewart’s quote about the book sealed the deal, and made me forget that my mom was the one who bought it.
It’s reported that Josh Lieb already has a million-dollar deal with McG’s production company to turn the book into a movie, proving Josh Lieb is not an evil genius after all; he is just a genius.
I myself have been evil and genius enough to get my hands on some of Oliver Watson’s personal footage on the campaign trail. You can check it out for yourself below.
I Am A Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb was published by Razorbill Books and is available now.
I know I said I was going to be MIA this month but I just had to share my excitement tomorrow. I will be driving three plus hours to go to:
Sunday 22 November 2009, 1:00-3:00PM
A NOVEL IDEA:
A benefit for the
Philadelphia Free Library
summer reading program
Laurie Halse Anderson, Jay Asher,
T.A. Barron, Sarah Dessen,
Steven Kluger, Justine Larbalestier,
David Levithan, Lauren Myracle,
Scott Westerfeld, Jacqueline Woodson Children’s Book World
17 Haverford Station Road
Haverford, PA
AMAZING line-up, right? I’m mostly going for Sarah Dessen and Laurie Halse Anderson but I’d love to get some stuff signed by the others too. Unfortunately, I have to buy any books I want signed there so I will most likely only be getting a Sarah Dessen and LHA book plus a few Christmas presents, I hope. But still, it’ll be great.
I’ve known about this signing but I figured I wouldn’t be able to go because it’s so far away and both of my parents work and wouldn’t take off. But, my amazing grandma said that if I could get my one friend to drive (she’s 20 and HATES books), she’d pay for gas. So I begged my friend and she finally agreed so we’re spinning it off as a “roadtrip” and leaving tomorrow morning at 7:30. I’m SO excited.
Dying to know the Pretty Committee’s juiciest gossip? Curioius what people mean when they call you an LBR? (Hint: it’s nawt a compliment.) Want tips on how to go from a six-point-ew to a ten?
Ah-bviously! This cute-times-a-million gift book contains the Clique’s best comebacks, favourite expressions, and silliest secrets. One hundred Gossip Points if you can guess Massie’s first lip kiss…
I think this book will turn out to be useful in the long run, especially if you’re a Clique Fanfic writer like me. The sections I found the most useful was the Clique’s Crush Weband the Pretty Committee’s Master Packing List (which I consult all the time, no lie). I wasn’t particularly interested in the list of comebacks and the billions of quotes about boys and lip-kissing and whatnot. I laughed when I saw all of the crappy poetry that that had been displayed over the years in the books.
In terms of finding out more info about the Clique characters, it was the PC’s bios and the Crush Web that surprised me the most. Did you know Skye and Chris liked each other at one point? And so Kemp and Skye and Chris Abeley and Skye and Josh Hotz and Skye? Like, when did that happen?
(It totally ruined my Ten Things for Chris Plovert, because I kind of make him hate her…oh well.)
And it turns out that Dylan kissed that tennis star and Kristen’s first kiss was Dune. Huh.
It’s a good buy, especially since it’s only 7.99 at Target.
Daniel Mayhew is a brilliant weather researcher who has a proposal to dissipate hurricanes before they hit shore. Kelly Delaney is trying to warn everyone of the impending arrival of a category six hurricane, but her voice falls on deaf ears. Unfortunately, they have to contend with the Lucky Thirteen, a nasty group consisting of major oil companies and corrupt politicians who use the mass chaos generated by such disasters to increase their unending wealth.
The premise of this book is about global warming and I believe Arnaldo Ricciulli makes the reader aware of what is happening to our planet.
The tension builds throughout the story and I enjoyed the character development.
There was a time when I believed, with the police and the media and my stunned parents, that I was the redeemed one, the boy borne safely home on the ebb of whatever freak tide carried Peter and Jamie away. Not any more. In ways too dark and crucial to be called metaphorical, I never left that wood.
In Knocknaree, Ireland in 1984, young Adam Ryan and two of his friends disappeared into the woods near their home. Ryan was later found standing in the woods, his shoes filled with blood, in a near-catatonic state. He has no memory of what happened in the woods or where his friends ended up, and he’s done everything he can to forget the experience, move on with his life, and prevent people from finding out that he was the boy who came back.
Now, twenty years later, Adam Ryan has become Rob Ryan, and he’s a homicide detective. When a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in a clearing where Knocknaree’s woods used to be, Rob and his partner (and very close friend) Cassie Maddox are called to investigate, and Rob, wondering if this murder is somehow connected to the long-ago disappearance of his friends, is simultaneously excited and terrified.
What if he gets answers? What if he remembers something he’d really rather not? What if the truth about his identity gets out, and what if the truth about what happened to him is even worse than what he’s imagined for the last twenty years?
Tana French’s debut novel In the Woods is a deliciously creepy psychological thriller of the very best sort. While the whodunit element of the story is certainly important and well-written, the real beauty of In the Woods lies in French’s depiction of the easy, comfortable intimacy between Rob and Cassie—the sort we all feel with our very closest friends but can rarely put into words—and her vivid imagining of the effects the investigation has on Rob. Unable to keep his usual professional distance from this case, Rob finds himself slowly falling apart. A crack here. A slip there. One drink too many some night or other. They’re small things, but he is both painfully aware of them and unable to make himself stop, and they become impossible to ignore.
Not only does French craft a smart, unpredictable, well-told mystery that will keep readers guessing AND bring her characters to life with spot-on descriptions and true-to-life relationships, she does it all with wonderful writing. I don’t always expect that from mysteries, since the linchpin of a mystery really is the plot, and it was such a delightful surprise with In the Woods. I occasionally found myself pausing to savor a particularly beautiful sentence or absorb a vivid description, and that’s the kind of thing that really makes me appreciate a book.
In the Woods is engrossing and frightening in that all-too-possible way, and it will appeal to seasoned mystery fans and cross-over readers alike. After devouring this great read, I can hardly wait to get my hands on The Likeness, French’s second novel, told from Cassie’s perspective. 4 out of 5.
Check out this book trailer for In the Woods, and visit Tana French’s website for more details.
Sarah Crabtree’s Terror from Beyond Middle England follows one woman escaping her ordinary life, replete with dysfunctional family, for adventure, mystery, and romance. Zara begins innocently enough, hopping on a train to Lichfield, crashing a geriatric party, and falling into bed with a scientist who does not believe in love at first sight. But as Alan invites her to stay and the two try to build a relationship, Zara’s past catches up to her and even stranger events unfold.
Despite mysterious intruders, a suspiciously resilient ant population, genetic modification protesters, unwanted familial nagging via phone, scandalous trysts, laboratory secrets, and missing laundry items, Zara perseveres. She finds solace in cups of tea and new friend Old Marcus. Indeed, Zara’s tenderness for the man foreshadows the reunion with her deranged mother and her rise as the story’s heroine.
Crabtree has created a genre-busting work of British humor and fantastical plot. Unpredictable events and colorful characters speed this read along. Midway through the novel the omniscient narrator surfaces to deliver a memorable, insightful, and utterly hilarious summary of Zara’s bizarre reality and faulted behavior. Nominated for a British Fantasy Society award, Zara’s journey from small-town temp to Doomsday Globe sleuth will keep you reading. Recommended for people who screen their phone calls because they know drama is calling.
Busted: Exposing Popular Myths about Christianity by Fred von Kamecke
Busted
Thanks to Andrew Rogers of Zondervan for sending me this book to review. I had requested for Andrew to send me a book that he thought would be a good book for my readers. I think he chose quite well.
Busted deals with various myths about Christianity. Kamecke, as he writes, does not take the pains to document his sources. Neither does he write in a scholarly fashion. He writes for the common person who does not have the time to fight his way through difficult tomes to find the answers that they are seeking.
Busted busts many myths about Christianity. Whether the myth is that Christianity is a cruel, heartless religion, or that Jesus didn’t die on the cross, or that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead; these myths are busted. Perhaps one has heard the myth that the Bible books were chosen by a bunch of big-wigs in the fourth century, and were not simply thee Word of God as recognized by the church- Busted!
On, and on, and on, Kamecke simply destroys myth after myth.
What is very nice about this is that the book deals with the issue at hand in a very good manner. This book has no vitriolic tone. Neither does it call names or ridicule. In fact, good-natured humor plays a large role in the book.
At the end of each chapter is included a section that gives resources that one can go to for the purpose of learning even more about that particular myth.
I hope that this book gets the attention that it deserves. It is a gift to God’s people, that is definite.
If you are interested in the question of how the Bible relates to your life as a Christian, then Four Views on Moving Beyond the Bible to Theology (Zondervan, 2009) is a book for you. Here are the four views in brief:
Principlizing (Walter Kaiser): We move beyond the Bible by looking at the text, extracting principles in the text, then applying those principles to particular situation today.
Redemptive-historical (Dan Doriani): We move beyond the Bible by engaging in careful exegesis, synthesizing the biblical data, and applying the Bible in ways faithful to the biblical narrative.
Drama-of-redemption (Kevin Vanhoozer): We move beyond the Bible by improvising on the theodrama to which Scripture witnesses in ways that are fitting to the canonical text and contemporary context.
Redemptive-movement (William Webb): We move beyond the Bible by discerning the redemptive movement meaning in the Bible toward an ultimate ethic, which we seek to live out in our daily lives.
First off, this book probably should have been titled Moving Beyond the Bible to Ethics, since the authors deal almost entirely with ethical matters, including euthanasia, women in ministry, homosexuality, abortion, stem-cell research, slavery, weddings, gambling, architecture, transexuality, war ethics, and corporal punishment. So if the relationship between the Bible and theology sounds boring, don’t worry! This book deals with where the rubber meets the road: daily Christian living. This book shows that the Bible is really relevant to the practical issues of our lives, even if there is debate about how it is relevant.
Kaiser’s principlizing approach is good because it takes the authority of the Bible seriously, and is relatively easy to understand. In practice, however, principlizing does not look so simple. If you cannot imitate Kaiser’s fancy exegesis, you would be easily discouraged, and one wonders if the resulting principles are really all that timeless. Every other scholar admits that there is some level of principlizing in their method, but none of the other want to reduce the movement from the Bible to daily life as extracting and applying principles. So Kaiser is helpful, but not helpful enough.
Doriani’s redemptive historical approach adds important elements because he urges us to interpret and apply the Bible within its narrative structure and progression. In addition, Doriani recognizes that we cannot apply every genre of the Bible in the same way (e.g. by extracting principles), but we must be sensitive to the way the Bible presents the history of redemption. That being said, Doriani’s method is not that different than Kaiser’s, and one is still left to wonder how the average Christian can apply the Bible in faithful and fitting ways.
Vanhoozer’s drama of redemption approach is my favorite of the whole bunch, but it suffers from a lack of clarity and metaphor confusion. Allow me to simplify his view: the Bible bears witness to the drama of God’s redemption, a drama in which we are participating today. In order to play our part in the drama, therefore, we need to develop wisdom to improvise in ways fitting to Scripture (our script) and to our particular situations. Of the four views in the book, Vanhoozer’s received the most praise, despite being a little in the clouds. And I think if you take the time to think through his metaphors, you will find a rich resource for participating in the drama of redemption today.
William Webb’s redemptive movement approach probably received the most criticism, and for good reason. For one, it is not entirely clear what Webb means by “redemptive movement,” and I think Vanhoozer come closest to describing it as redemptive contrast, both between the Bible and its cultural context and within the Bible itself. Basically, Webb argues that if we view the Bible in light of its context, we will realize that it present a better ethic than the cultural context in which it is situation, even if this is not an ultimate ethic. Therefore, even though the Bible does not condone slavery, we need to discern the redemptive movement to realize that it is appropriate for us to have an abolitionist ethic today. I can’t go into further details of regarding other problems with Webb’s approach at this point, so I would encourage you to read his explanations and the responses yourself.
Even if the particular nuances of each view may be confusing, reading this book will help you to become a better reader and doer of Scripture, more self-aware and methodical regarding how to move from the text to applying it in your own context. You will also benefit greatly from the reflections by Gary Meadors, Mark Strauss, Al Wolters, and Christopher Wright, all of whom add great perspectives to guide you in processing this important material. Of course, the book does not deal with every possible view of moving beyond the Bible to theology and ethics, which explains why other important elements such as character formation, interpretation and application within community, and the role of the Holy Spirit are touched on at points, but not emphasized enough. Regardless of its weaknesses, however, Four Views on Moving Beyond the Bible to Theology is an important book regarding one of the biggest questions with which Christians should be wrestling: how does the Bible relate to our lives today?
I just finished reading Start-Up Nation: The story of Israel’s Economic Miracle. It was interesting but I’m not sure how many really great takeaways there are from it. Fundamentally the book is a history of tech start-ups and venture capital in Israel. It goes into some other industries a little, but it all comes back to that. Basically, to boil it down, what makes Israel so special is the Jewish faith and being hated by every country remotely close to it.
The Jewish faith because of two things – zionism and chutzpah. Zionism because Israel has seen an overwhelming amount of immigration which has constantly refreshed the workforce and brought new ideas. Zionism also brings people into a very small geographic space where they are looking to build lives – they have an incredible stake in working to improve it. Chutzpah, they say, is valuable because the ability to openly critique leads to better innovation. It also creates an environment where failure carries no negative connotations.
Apparently being hated by everybody around you helps too. The authors argue that the intense, compulsory, military service of Israelis creates social capital, nurtures creativity and leadership, and allows for outstanding technical training. Additionally as a result of the Arab Boycott Israel has had to create homegrown R&D industries that just aren’t seen in other counties its size (aerospace, nuclear, bio tech etc.). Finally the ever present threat to security gives Israelis a drive that isn’t found in other countries.
I agree with the authors’ explanations for the economic miracle of Israel. My problem though is that I wonder if Israel is too special of a case for that information to be valuable. After all I don’t think it would be in the United State’s interest to infuriate Mexico and Canada just to get some local enemies. And while Zionism does create a tight knit, invested community – one could argue that the fact that it is a fairly small niche community (compared to the world as a whole) helps keep that manageable. If the US were to have as liberal immigration policies as Israel the sheer numbers might be more unmanageable. Finally some of the causes of the Israeli economic miracle seem to be fairly cultural. They content that part of what separates Israel from Singapore or South Korea (which they argue have similar security concerns and economic conditions) is that those countries don’t embrace failure or criticism. Culture is a pretty hard thing to change so can these lessons be applied?
I do think that the book deserves consideration – but it certainly doesn’t provide a road map for repeating Israel’s start-up culture.
If your just beginning to take your photography a bit more serious and maybe want to try your hand at making some money with your photography, you will want to look into getting a digital slr camera. SLR stands for single lens reflex, so you add the digital and you have the d-slr camera.
D-slr cameras can cost quite a bit more than a top line point and click camera, but if you are wanting to become the more serious photographer this will be one of the best investments that you will make.
how to use your camera. You see the beauty of the digital slr you have the artistic control of the best investments that you get better image quality. A digital image that is taken the time to understand your camera completely. You would be amazed on what you can make is taken with the lens viewing. With this you can get away from the point and click, I mean a lot better that a point and click camera, but if you are wanting to become the more serious and maybe want to purchase a digital slr camera is right for you I am going to show you a few reasons why you want to purchase a digital slr cameras have a mega pixel rating up to 16 mega pixels.
A few more things that I think you should know is that you want. To help you decide whether a digital slr is that you will want to try your hand at making some money with your photography, you will want to purchase a digital slr is the faster power up. The d-slr power up is almost always a lot better that a point and click camera to a d-slr camera. D-slr cameras can cost quite a bit more than a top line point and click camera to a d-slr camera. D-slr cameras can cost quite a bit more than a top line point and click camera, but if you are wanting to become the more serious and maybe want to look for the control wheel that you do not have to look into getting a digital slr you have the artistic control of the digital slr camera is right for you and what you want.
To help you decide whether a digital slr camera. The first of these reasons would be amazed on what you are shooting. This also stands true for areas that are dimly lit. Also you easy access to controls with thumb and forefinger wheels that control feature exposure settings. This makes it easy to play around with the camera and see what is best for you I am going to show you a few reasons why you want to look for the control wheel that you can learn about photography by knowing how to use your camera.
You see the beauty of the others benefits to having the d-slr is almost instantly and this allows you to get the perfect photo. Manufacturers have a very large variety of d-slr lenses. You can do this because the d-slr allows you to react quickly so that you want. To help you decide whether a digital slr camera. SLR stands for single lens reflex, so you add the digital and you have more creativity and flexibility with camera accessories.
I can’t say that I have anything too exciting to write about today, so I thought I would write about, well, blogging.
First thing on my mind, I know I’m way behind the curve on this one but I just recently learned how to subscribe to RSS feeds. I absolutely adore having blog posts from (some) of my favorite blogs delivered right to my outlook box! However, this only works on some blogs—mostly blogger blogs. IN fact, I don’t know if I’d even know how to subscribe to this blog. Oh well!
Secondly, I recently figured out how to write my posts in Word and send them over to WordPress. Normally, this isn’t a huge thing, but lately WordPress has been acting up so typing things in Word has been a lifesaver.
Finally, I noticed today that my old blog, which I haven’t updated since May, is getting more hits than this one. Apparently, people are still reading my review of Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (I didn’t especially like it). Go figure!
“If you have more money than brains, you should focus on outbound marketing. If you have more brains than money, you should focus on inbound marketing by reading this book.”
—Guy Kawasaki, cofounder of Alltop, and author of Reality Check
Whilst Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media and Blogs (The New Rules of Social Media) by Brian Halligan & Dharmesh Shah is aimed primarily at business owners, many of the topics covered will also be very useful to bloggers who want to get themselves known in a field wider than their family and close friends.
The premise of the book is that the old marketing is dead or dying. Gone are the days where simply throwing money at print or radio advertising guaranteed succees. Instead, you need to engage your customers; give them reasons to come to visit your web site, and once they are there give them reasons to come back again and again. The key notion is that at the centre of all business (or blog) promotion is the Internet and the social media available within it such as Twitter, FaceBook, Linkedin etc.
No matter how confused you feel by the rise of social media sites, (sure doesn’t a new one seem to appear everyday now?) this book will help you overcome your worries and fears.
The chapters cover:
Shopping Has Changed, Has Your Marketing?
Is Your Website a Marketing Hub?
Are You Worthy?
Create Remarkable Content
Get Found in the Blogosphere
Getting Found in Google
Get Found in Social Media
Convert Visitors into Leads
Convert Prospects into Leads
Convert Leads to Customers
Make Better Marketing Decisions
Picking and Measuring Your People
Picking and Measuring a PR Agency
Watch Your Competition
On Commitment Patience and Learning
Why Now?
Tools and Resources
Tips from the Trenches for Startups
Inbound Marketing is a compact and easily accessible book. Unlike many of the other books focusing on this subject Inbound Marketing is engaging and easy to follow. Sure, it talks about the power of Twitter, but it then gives you advice on how to choose a twitter handle. Sure, it talks about the rise of the superstar blogger and the death of the press release, but then it talks about how to decide whether you need a PR agency and, if you do, then how you should hire one. Each chapter contains a checklist of things you should do, right now, to start improving your inbound marketing; a great feature that those already well established in the world of commerce and the new starters alike will find immensely useful.
In the crowded social media market, where just about everyone and their brother is coming out with a book, this book rises to the top because of its balanced combination of theory and practice.
With thanks to Wiley & Sons, Inc. for the review copy.
Romm, Miriam. Ostrich Feathers. New York: Gefen Publishing House, 2009.
I had a hard time getting into this book. Maybe it’s from all the head-in-the-sand burying I did about the subject matter in the past.
I have always said reading translations were difficult for me. I cannot help but question situations and details and wonder if they haven’t been distorted by the translation. Miriam Romm’s slightly autobiographical story of the search for her biological father takes her back to Poland where she befriends an elderly man she secretly hopes is her real father. Their conversations and efforts to uncover the truth of the past are mechanical and false sounding. I blame this on the translation. When Miriam laments that she is an orphan despite having a biological mother and sister I blame the translation for a loose interpretation of the word ‘orphan’. When Miriam contradicts herself about sources or when ages don’t add up I again, blame the translation. Chronological order is confusing as well.
But, probably the biggest obstacle I had to reading Ostrich Feathers was the lack of evidence her biological father even survived the Holocaust. It isn’t clear what detail led her to believe he hadn’t been murdered by the Nazis. What evidence did she have that would make her, an otherwise smart woman, cling to the improbability that this stranger was her father? It bothered me at the end when she suggests she used the old man to fuel a fantasy.
While Ostrich Feathers was written with obvious passion and intensity probably the best and most fascinating part of the story is Romm’s research abilities. The fact she was able to recover so much lost information and family history is really remarkable.
Confession: I was surprised “Carl” wasn’t included in the list of acknowledgements. Was he even a real person? Was his character created as a literary vehicle for telling the story?
Magician’s Gambit, The Belgariad book Three by David Eddings fits into the juvenile fantasy fiction genre and was first published in 1983. It is recommended for readers ages 14 and up.
By book three the group on the quest is quite large. With so many characters the plot can’t help but be complex however Eddings does a wonderful job at keeping it all together and not getting out of hand. Once again this book is packed with adventure and mystery however some of the mysteries from the previous books have been solved leaving the reader satisfied but wanting more at the same time. We have learned that there is a prophecy predicting not only the quest but also the presence of all the members on it. We also know that the group is after an orb that someone has stolen and intends to use to rise a god who has been “sleeping” for many thousands of years. Each group of people serves their own one of seven gods and most are peaceful but the god who is to be awakened seeks to cause a war that could end the world. In the first park of this book the group travels through the land of the god Mara, his land is deserted because his people where killed off and he spends his time lamenting them and their ghosts haunt whoever comes into the land to pillage. Polgara and Belgarath decide that even with the dangers this is the safest way to travel and cause a deep sleep to come over everyone so they will not be haunted by the ghosts. They try to get the god Mara to join their cause but he is too wracked with grief to listen or care. After that Polgara and Belgarath go to the land of their god to answer a summons. While there Garion practices his sorcery and learns more fundamental truths about this new power. They also learn more about what they must accomplish to put an end to the plans for war and to prevent the resurrection of the got Torak. Next they travel to the land of Ulgo where they are joined by a man who has an amazing ability that often comes in handy to help them on their quest. In the end they travel to Cthol Murgos a land full of dangers both seen and unseen where they find the orb and manage though to defeat the Magician who has taken it. Like book two this one is full of adventure and excitement but Eddings manages to keep it fresh and exciting. The dangers are always original and while they definitely belong in the world of fantasy they are not too farfetched to seem plausible in the world he has created. It was a great read and a fitting addition to the Belgariad series.
Other reviews available:
Pawn of Prophecy, The Belgariad book One by David Eddings
Queen of Sorcery, The Belgariad book Two by David Eddings
My original reason for not reading Robert Price was hearing him speak in various interviews. He knows that his views are ridiculous and that scholars in general don’t take him or his views seriously, but he espouses them for kicks and giggles. But after reading Tony Costa’s review of Price’s Jesus is Dead I’m given yet another reason to not read Price. I’ll say it again, and again, and again: Christ Mythers aren’t worth anyone’s time…
The book jacket of David Small’s graphic memoir Stitches calls the book “a silent movie masquerading as a book.” That’s a brilliant description of a brilliant book, where Small uses his artwork to tell his story, but the two are really serving the same function. The artwork uses traditional literary tropes—metaphor, motifs like dreams, and other structural devices that make the story itself resonate like literary fiction.
It is a dark coming of age story, exacerbated by his family’s secrets and the looming guilt that a six year old can’t put his finger on but feels. The pictures show this unsettledness, especially in the depiction of the mother’s noises in the kitchen. By the end of the story, David’s difficult life comes into focus as his father and his mother have their secret guilt laid bare.
David is diagnosed with cancer at an early age, but his parents don’t tell him about. Two surgeries remove one of his vocal chords robbing him of his voice. This seems to make his parents only resent him more. Part of this seems to be due to finances, but Small shows his father lavishing gifts on the bitter mother. It’s hard to read because we know what the child doesn’t—that so much of what is happening isn’t his fault but we see the way it slowly destroys him anyway. It is also safe to say that what the father and mother each wrestle with remains a mystery through most of the book; Small unveils it as it was unveiled to him.
The most disturbing part has to do with his grandmother in Indiana, who David realizes is crazy but his mother defends. Her story lurks in the background and sets up part of the confusion David has sort through to get his life in order.
The closing dream sequence is moving—another perfect blend of pacing words, silence, and images.
Small includes a few actual photos as an afterward with updates on his parents.
Throughout the book he evokes the world of Detroit and the world as seen and heard and imagined by a kid. His transformation into an artist is covered quickly—time passes quickly as the book closes. But it works—Small details the problems of his growing up and the point at which things began to turn for him.
What we’re left with is a stark, spellbinding, unsparing look at someone who overcame great personal and psychological challenges. Small was recognized as a finalist for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature and his site has some cool video montages from the book. Here is the trailer that includes Small narrating:
The European Union (EU) describes Modern Europe; (Nov. 7, 2009)
The European Union is the most striking political and social achievement in the 20th century. The backbones of most of the UN peace keeping forces around the world are European contingents; the EU is the highest contributor in humanitarian budgets and for reforming obsolete public institutions in the under-developed States.
This post will cover a few statistics and then a short description of the EU administrative and legislative institutions. The follow up post will cover what is working, then analyzing what need to be ironed out, and then how the world community is expecting modern Europe to lead.
The founding six States are Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and tiny Luxemburg; that was in 1951 with the objective of regulating the industrial output of coal and steel and resolving differences on egalitarian terms instead of purely diplomatic processes using the “community method”. The treaty for Agricultural Common Policy (PAC) intended to insure food sufficiency was signed in 1962 which encourage exportation. Total suppression of tariff on borders was abolished in 1968. As Nixon floated the dollars and de-linked it from gold in 1972, the EU of the Six created a mechanism to reducing fluctuation among the six States and called the “European monetary snake”. In 1973, Denmark, Ireland and Britain were included in the union. The European Parliament was elected by the universal vote in 1979 by the nine States.
By 1986, Spain, Portugal, and Greece adhered to the union of the 12 States and a unique market is launched for free circulation of goods, people, capitals and services. The fall of the Berlin Wall enhanced this union to expand into the east. The treaty of Maastricht opens the way for a unified monetary system; it expands the power of the European Parliament and contemplates extending foreign policies and defense to the union institutions.
In 1995, Sweden, Austria, and Finland enter the union of the 18 States. The accord of Schengen of 1995 eliminates borders’ controls among the citizens. In 1999, 11 States adopt the Euro for common money which was introduced on the market in 2002. By 2004, eight central European States join the EU; they are: Estonia, Hungry, Latonia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Cyprus. In 2007 there was a serious proposal for a European Constitution.
The founding Six States constitute about 50% of the EU population of 330 millions of the 27 current States; over 55% of its total economy amounting to 10 trillion euros. Germany contains 16.5 % in population, followed by France 13%, then Italy 12%, then Spain 9%. The economy of Germany represents 20%, France 15.5%, Italy 12.5% and then Spain 9% of the total. England and France are about equal in population and economy.
The EU established institutions for the union such as The Commission, The European Council, the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament (all located in Brussels), and the Court of Justice. The EU is NOT a Federal State; it is a much better political concept that preserves higher democratic representations and elaborate dialogues that enrich the cultural content of any joint agreement among the States. The institutions are being developed and elaborated toward a more effective executive power in times of emergencies such as defense, finance, and foreign policies. Currently, the EU has a unified security system and unified money with open borders.
The Commission is constituted by representatives of each States; the members are nominated by each State and it is up to the European Parliament to confirm nominated members; the President of the Commission is selected by the European Council and there is a trend to reducing the numbers for efficient collective work; it has weak executive power.
The Council of Ministers has legislative power and may reject the initiatives of the Commission. The presidency rotates among States every semester. The voting power of each minister is proportional to the State’s population.
The deputies of the European Parliament are elected based on distinct election laws in each States. The Parliament shares with the Council of Ministers the legislative responsibilities.
The European Council is represented by the States’ government Chiefs; it has the power of selecting the target objectives for the Commission. The High representatives for foreign policies and common security are members in the Commission.
Each State has a justice in the Court of Justice located in Luxemburg. The jurisprudence of this Court supercedes State’s jurisprudence in matters proper to its competence.
Spindle’s End
by Robin McKinley
ISBN – 13: 978-0-441-00865-0 Rating: none yet, tentative 4 ♥ / 5 ♥
A masterful retelling of “Sleeping Beauty”. Cursed by the evil fairy Pernicia, Princess Briar-Rose is kidnapped by the young fairy Katriona in order to save her and is raised by Katriona and her aunt. But the determined Pernicia, intent on revenge for a defeat 400 years before, won’t give up her search.
Unfortunately, I cannot give a full review of Spindle’s End right now. I had to order the book in, and it arrived only at the beginning of the week. It’s quite a bit longer than I thought, and with my work schedule this week I had very little time for anything else but sleeping. I am half way through, though!
I’m really enjoying Robin McKinley’s writing style, it’s very lyrical and kind of cheeky. Her discriptions are beautiful and not overwhelming. So far I’m quite intrigued by her characters, and her unique take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. I quite like Katriona (a young fairy), and her aunt. The world McKinley’s created is full and varied – I love her take on magic!
So far, I’m giving this a 4 out of 5 hearts. Once I finish, I’ll post another half review and give my final rating!
I feel as though nearly every post lately has been somehow related to academia–books or poetry I’ve read or lessons I’ve taught (and subsequently learned). My life is consumed with this realm; ergo, my blog reflects that. You’re welcome.
Yesterday morning, I read page 617 of Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White and snapped the book close with a sigh. There’s something incredibly satisfying about finishing a book so massive. Especially a Victorian novel, crammed full of detail and description, twisted plots and deception, and several delightfully intriguing characters.
The Woman in White is a story too involved to be contained in a simply summary; however, I’ll try. A woman named Laura Fairlie marries a man named Sir Percival Glyde, although she loves her drawing master, Walter Hartright. Sir Percival attempts to get Laura to sign away her inheritance so that he can pay his debts, and she refuses because she does not know what she is signing. This refusal, this rebellion sparks a chain of events involving mistaken identity; purloined letters; secrets of Sir Percival’s parents’ marriage; and Laura’s doppelganger, the mysterious woman in white, named Anne Catherick. Playing very important supporting roles are Marion Halcombe, Laura’s loyal, strong, and feisty half-sister, and Count Fosco, the charismatic, controlling, deceptive mastermind, who may be one of the greatest villains ever written.
The story is considered by some to be a precursor to postmodernism, though it was published in 1859-60 (serialized and edited by the wonderful Charles Dickens). Walter Hartright is the lead narrator, who brings all the pieces of the story together in narrative form. Many characters (major and minor) have a say in the narration; the bulk comes from Marion’s diary and Walter’s narrative. However, even Fosco gets a chance to tell his story, and his section was my favorite in the book. He’s charming and witty and audacious, and I loved him while I hated him. Through the entire novel, the reader must determine the truth, which is often ambiguous and relative.
Interestingly enough, the two characters who should have the most to say about this situation–Laura and Anne Catherick–have little to no voice at all. Only though small sections of dialogue written by other people do we ever hear their side of the story. Neither has a section written in her own hand.
There are so many more issues I could discuss here–gender roles (and the inversion thereof), the concept that one’s identity is bound with one’s signature, the theme of imprisonment (both literal and figurative).
We’ll just leave it at this: Wilkie Collins is magnificent. I got a little bogged down in the middle of the book–I was tired of reading, and I was ready to invest my life in something else. 617 pages is a lofty commitment. But having finished, I really wish I had time in my life to pick up another Collins work–Katherine has recommended The Moonstone, and I look forward to reading that one as well. I really love Victorian literature–detailed and verbose as it is.
The past couple of days were a rowdy one, so I failed to read as much as I wanted to. The truth of the matter is I was not able to read as much as I wanted to due to the mere fact that I barely had time to sit back just like I used to do. However, that does not mean that the interest in Death at Intervals decreased. On the contrary, each chapter never fails to usher in new thoughts that could be worthy of a dose of mental exercise.
Going back to where I left in the previous post, death started to distributed letters to people who’s times were nearly up. She came up with this idea in order to give time to the affected people to make up what is left of their life. She thought that this would be for the benefit of the majority, but it turned out that people were not doing what death thought them to do. Instead, people who received death’s letters became depressed hedonists.
Before going any further, I would like to somehow rectify myself for thinking of death as a man in the previous post. It was mentioned in the novel that Death had always been symbolized as a woman, but I never came across that before, if this were a fact. I don’t really know why am I saying this, but going back to death, there had been a massive manhunt for her, which was a real blind shot. As you may have figured, death was never found by the police force, although they hired experts to produce a vague figure of her using three authentic depictions of her.
The priests and counselors had a role to play in these adjustments. The endless throng of dying people put priests on a nonstop duty at the confessionals. However good they were in doing their job of consoling people who were about to die, they were not able to comfort themselves when they received their own purple letters from death.
With that, it is worth speculating if the following question: would you rather know or not know when your own time is going to expire? If yes, would you spend the remaining days of your life making the most out of it, or wallow in misery since there seems to be no point in doing so, or go on living and enjoy the day like you have never heard the news, or keep everything to yourself to prevent your family and friends from hurting? Would hope and optimism be defeated when the news of your death arrives at your doorstep? Would the very basic fact that death is informed to the dying shatter the philosophical beliefs that some of us hold true?
If this were the case, existentialism will be annihilated. The belief that one makes up what is there to life is a thus a big fallacy. With your destiny sealed, would it be any good to live up to existential thoughts and principles when the fundamentals have been crippled? If you still think so, it could perhaps be given a proper name, and you might have guessed it. It would be pseudo-existentialism.
However, that is not yet the case, as far as I know. This is an either good or bad news, and as for me, I prefer not knowing when my time would come. I still want the element of surprise in life, because without it, life would be really a monochromatic color palette.
Going back to the novel, death got accustomed to sending out around 300 letters a day to those people who were going to die in a week’s time. Much to the consternation of death, one letter was returned to her, which meant that one was challenging her authority and power. Someone was able to defy his own death, so what death did was resend the letter, but it came back. She then sent it for the third time, but that person was stubborn. He even went to the point of changing the death age recorded on death’s index cards from 49 to 50. This made death think deeply, so she checked on her files and found out that the person was indeed a he, a cellist who was living alone save for a pet dog.
Death decided to visit the cellist while he was sleeping. She took a little tour of his house, and found a decent living room, a minimalist kitchen, a music room filled with musical pieces, a cello and a piano, a wall of books, and a bed that contained the cellist. While staring at the only person who was able to break her rules, death thought about the recent turn of events deeply. The cellist and the dog both woke up from their sleep out of thirst, so they got up to their feet, went to the kitchen, and drank some water. After that, they went back to bed to resume their dreams, which were probably of each other. Again, death looked at them, almost dreamily. She even lied on the sofa across the bed, when suddenly, the dog jumped at the sofa right on her lap.
If you come to think of it, death is displaying a range of human emotions. He was becoming interested in this cellist. And again, if you come to think about it, death must be the only force that is exclusively thinking of the living. She is a god in some sense, but God is too busy looking over everything in the universe, whereas death’s only concern is us, the human beings from this tiny planet. If one is going to talk about gratitude, there should be as much of it to death as it is to God.
Since death has always mingled with humans from the start of time, then it should not be surprising that she acquires things which are thought to be exclusive to humans. But would it be appropriate to do so? Would it not interfere with the normalcy that she is maintaining? I am thinking about these things when I still haven’t decided for myself on whether death has an entity or not.
Have you ever read a book that dramatically changed the way you think? I’m not talking about a book that was a really, really fun read.
I’m talking about a book that leaves you saying, “That book is NOW in my TOP TEN list!” For me one of those TOP TEN is The Prodigal God. It is so good I bumped another favorite off my top ten list of all time favorite books to make room for this one.
The Prodigal God
by Tim Keller
I hope we can do a couple of Bible study discussion groups on the topic of The Prodigal God. There are several key life-changing truths that can not only change you for the better, but change your church and change those around you. For starters here is an excerpt:
“I will not use the parable’s most common name: the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It is not right to single out only one of the sons as the sole focus of the story. Even Jesus doesn’t call it the Parable of the Prodigal Son, but begins the story saying, ‘a man had two sons.’ The narrative is as much about the elder brother as the younger and as much about the father as the sons. And what Jesus says about the older brother is one of the most important messages given to us in the Bible. The parable might be better called the Two Lost Sons.
“The word ‘prodigal’ does not mean ‘wayward’ but according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, ‘recklessly spendthrift.’ It means to spend until you have nothing left. This term is therefore as appropriate for describing the father in the story as his younger son…
“In this story the father represents the Heavenly Father Jesus knew so well. St. Paul writes: ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses’ (2 Cor 5:19). Jesus is showing us the God of Great Expenditure, who is nothing if not prodigal toward us, his children. God’s reckless grace is our greatest hope, a life-changing experience, and the subject of this book.”
NOTE: If you would to be a part of this Bible study on The Prodigal God let me know. And if you want to order the book let me know and I can get a better price if we order together.
Two months ago I got mail from PACKT Publishing to review Oracle 10g/11g Data and Database Management Utilities by Hector R Madrid under their free blogger review program. Initially, I promised to finish it by beginning of October but due to personal reasons I can only finish it by today. Till I do my review, Hemant K Chitale and Anantha Narayan from Oracle blogosphere already mentioned about the book in their blogs so you can go and check their opinions as well (able to find different opinions, before buying something is definitely a good option) After marketing and excuse section now it is time to review the book, This book promises us to learn (taken from the back cover),
to optimize time-consuming tasks efficiently by using Oracle DB utilities.
perform data loads on the fly and replace the functionality of the old exp/imp utilities using data pump or SQL*Loader
boost defences with Oracle Wallet
Improve Performance of RMAN backups
Perform more than just ETL process by taking advantage of the External Tables feature
Can it keep it promise ? I think Hector did very well about keeping his promise.
I liked the way he wrote the book, it is again very well organized with very simple easy to understand language. (If you have read my old reviews probably you already know that, I like the books I can finish, so in my opinion a good book must be a page turner as well as being technically satisfactory)
Who should have this book ?
There is already a who is this book written for on the back cover but I have to add some words on top of it.
If you don’t like to read Oracle Official Docs very much if you can easily get bored or lost during your official docs journey and you want to have a reference on your desk about available Oracle Utilities, this book is definitely written for you
If you are DBA at the same place more than 5 years (where things are stable enough) and started this job with version 7 or 8 and due to the nature of your company or yourself you don’t have to learn new things that much and can still pay your mortgage this book is a MUST for you. At least you can ease your life, save gazillions of time and look wiser to the new junior DBA when you can able to compare exp with data pump because if you can’t do it they wont trust your experience at least I don’t. Market is very tight and this book gives you enough knowledge to cope with market conditions.
If you are a junior DBA who doesnt know where to start utilities I strongly recommend this book for your personal development.
Do I happy to have the book ? Sure I do. I did not learn new things that much but it worth reading for just couple of tips and tricks and learning some of the topics I have no experience on.
Now, is the time to go over the summary of topics. (What Hector did was he tried to cover every topic with average 30 pages and enough screenshots and code samples this make book easy to read and avoid boredom of long topics. )
1-Data Pump: This topic is well covered. There is enough information for started. I wish Hector covered the compression and encryption options of 11G, with examples. I liked tuning Data Pump performance section where he covers factors other than parallelism which affects datapump performance.
2-SQL*Loader: I have to confess that SQL*Loader is something very old in Oracle but I am kind a new for it because I never needed to use it at job so my knowledge was depending on simple tests. It was very nice to learn what it is capable of with loads of examples.
3-External Tables: I love and used external tables very much for mostly data and this section brought new areas of usage to my knowledge like reading listener and alert log via external tables.
4- Recovery Manager Advanced Techniques: I think this topic is named wrongly because when you see advanced you expect more but I did not get that much. It basically covers what RMAN can do instead of your old manual backup techniques. If you already an RMAN user and don’t know the new feature called faster backups through intra-file parallel backup restore operations in 11G it will be a good learning for you.
5- Recovery Manager Restore Recovery Techniques: This is the second part of RMAN managed backups which is RMAN managed restore recovery. Nothing new for me and I have to say TSPTR which is the most important feature is missed.
6- Session Management: Overall session monitoring for wait and lock analysis is covered with addition of resource manager. Old school boys will definitely find something new in this chapter.
7- Oracle Scheduler: This chapter can convince you to use this tool more. Job Chains should be covered with a little detail I think.
8- Oracle Wallet Manager: This chapter was new to me and probably new to most of you. I can say that is a good introduction to Oracle Wallet Manager.
9- Security Management: Again good introduction for encryption options available in Oracle. It is mostly practical usage of previous chapter.
10-Database Configuration Assistant: I use DBCA very much and this chapter was a bit fast reading but it is a must for guys who are not aware of what this tool can do other than creating a DB.
11- Oracle Universal Installer: Basically, Hector tried to mention that this tool is not just doing next next next. Cloning Oracle home using OUI was a new learning for me.
12- Enterprise Manager Configuration Assistant: There are nice tips and tricks about emca troubleshooting. You will like this topic if you have problems with this tool and don’t know where to look.
13-Opatch: This chapter is very well detailed and it adds Enterprise Manager usage for opatch utility. A must read for the ones who use opatch when applying patch.
Biggest problem of this book is references. I really don’t like something without references. The author cannot know them by himself he should have learned them from somewhere and it would be very nice if he shared them with us too.
This is the end for today. I want to thank PACKT Publishing for free review option and Hector for this nice work.
If I can find time to read, Next Book review probably will be Practical Oracle 8i :Building Efficient Databases , which I finally got my copy of it and willing to read it asap. Luckily Christmas coming and it will be quite at work
Publisher: Razorbill
), very glad to still have my camera in hand (while I still think it is a POS — noooo, that does not mean “point and shoot,” lol — I *am* grateful to still have it), we continued our journey through the park, up to the Temple of the Sybil (the belvédère as it is called in French), and then eventually out to the exit closest to Rue Simon Bolivar.
Where do you go when you’re feeling depressed, disconsolate, overwhelmed by sin, discouragement, loneliness, painful afflictions, dark valleys of despair? For the believer, there is no source of comfort that can compare to the psalter, that blessed “anatomy of the soul,” an apt description of the Book of Psalms first given by Calvin and referred to by Sinclair B. Ferguson in his book of remedies for the trials of this life, Deserted by God?. Happily, Ferguson is well aware of the rich cures of the psalter for every kind of painful affliction of the soul, and he spends the entire book walking through the darkest psalms of lament, distilling the precious cordial of hope from the bitterest agonies of the very human psalmists. For that reason, it is not just another book about depression – it is a book that cannot fail to help all who take its instructions to heart, no matter how deep their trials may be.
If you were a genius, would you use your smarts for good or evil? I know I would use it for evil, but that’s just me. This means I have something in common with the ubergenius Oliver Watson, who is the main character of Josh Lieb’s novel I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President.
Dying to know the Pretty Committee’s juiciest gossip? Curioius what people mean when they call you an LBR? (Hint: it’s nawt a compliment.) Want tips on how to go from a six-point-ew to a ten?