The Prometheus Project – Captured

Author: Douglas E. Richards
Publisher: DNA Press, LLC
Genre: Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-933255-33-0
Pages: 160
Price: $7.95

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When Ryan and Regan Resnick first discover the Prometheus Project in Trapped, they must try to save their mother. In Captured, they face an even bigger challenge – this time they need to save the world.

When the alien race known as the Qwervy created Prometheus, they hadn’t anticipated other aliens sneaking in and using it for sinister motives. Now a brilliant alien criminal has taken over the city and has plans to take over the world. All of the adults on the team have been taken hostage, and it’s up to Ryan and Regan to outwit the alien.

In order to demonstrate the concepts the kids will need to use, the author sets the stage early before disaster strikes. But then these two exceptional kids use those concepts masterfully against the diabolical alien.

I loved Trapped, and I think Douglas E. Richards outdid himself in Captured. These are books the thinking kid will love, and a wonderful adventure. I’m eagerly awaiting the next volumes in this outstanding series.

See review of: Trapped

Reviewer: Alice Berger

The Giving Myths

Author: Stephen B. McSwain
Publisher: Smyth & Helwys
Genre: Christian Living / Financial Stewardship
ISBN: 978-1-57312-495-9
Pages: 248
Price: $18.00

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Stephen B. McSwain makes a bold statement – that giving will lead to the life you’ve always wanted. Although many of us have been raised with the idea that we should be generous, most of us aren’t giving nearly as much as we could. This book explores the giving myths many of us believe. Basing his opinions on years of working in church fundraising, McSwain explains why these myths persist, and why they’re false beliefs.

Quoting several passages from the Bible, he shows how churches have misinterpreted the words of Jesus and the prophets in order to coerce their congregations into giving more. When guilt tactics fail, the churches turn to encouraging members to become involved to motivate them to generosity. Other topics include the standard of tithing, and equal and fair share giving. And some folks believe they simply can’t afford to give.

But once McSwain debunks all of these myths, he reassures us that if we can look past the myths and give generously – to our church or spiritual center, and also to our favorite charities – God will grant us the life we’ve always wanted While we may not be showered with material things, we will be given all we need, plus the peace of mind in knowing that we will always be provided for. And isn’t that all we really need, anyway?

Reviewer: Alice Berger

I’ve Got This Friend Who…

Author: Kidspeace
Publisher: Hazelden
Genre: Self-help
ISBN: 978-1-59285-458-5
Pages: 188
Price: $14.95

Kidspeace Website
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The pressure that teens face is intense. School makes demands on their time, and teens often feel like they need to act in a certain way to conform with their peers. This book focuses on six high risk behaviors – alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, eating disorders, self-injuring behaviors including cutting, and other high risk behavior like reckless driving and unprotected sex – and how teens can avoid getting involved in them.

The format of the book is a discussion session between six teens of various ages and experiences. Two of the teens had experienced some of the behaviors, and they could share their experience of how they got involved in the activities, and also how they managed to extricate themselves. This sharing of their experience was the strongest part of the book. As they discussed each topic, they came to the conclusion that the activity was not in their best interest, and then they devised ways they could avoid finding themselves in situations that could potentially lead to trouble.

Although the book was written from the voices of the teens, I felt that an adult was speaking through them, providing all the intellectual reasons why they shouldn’t get involved in these behaviors. More first-hand experience – for example, what happens when a teen gets arrested for stealing a car – would have been beneficial. Teens aren’t as interested in facts as they are in maintaining their sense of identity, and if they could see what happens when someone is brought into a police station in handcuffs, that might send a powerful message that it’s not as cool to engage in these activities as their peers may say it is.

I would have also liked to see more options presented for finding help, rather than the stock answer of telling their parents or a trusted adult. Many kids who fall into troublesome behavior have a poor relationship with their parents, and home is the last place they feel safe. Anonymous hotlines, 12-step groups, and a private counselor who isn’t required to “rat them out” to their parents would be their first choice. Providing a sample session with a phone counselor or explaining what happens at a 12-step meeting would give teens an idea what to expect in this situation, and help them to maintain their poise, even when admitting they need help.

Overall, though, this book definitely addresses a need in helping teens face the problems they’re dealing with today in a positive and proactive way. It uses teen language in presenting the many facts they need to know to keep themselves safe. Used in a classroom setting, it would be a great discussion starter in getting teens to think about these important topics.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Taro and Tomi: My Feline Son and Daughter

Author: Shizue Tomoda
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
Genre: Autobiography
ISBN-10: 1419673874
Pages: 118
Price: $12.99

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Raising a pet can be a rewarding yet demanding experience. Especially if you are a first time cat owner, Japanese, and living in France. No one knows this better than Shizue Tomoda, proud mother of her “feline son and daughter,” whose lives are colorfully described in her book, Taro & Tomi.

Tomoda spares few details in her simple but straightforward prose.< Most of the book is about Taro, her first kitten, where he is described in every aspect as he adjusts from adoption to life in an apartment. Charming illustrations supply the reader with images that give further life to a young kitty’s antics and also to the patience of a proud mother. Later on we learn of another addition to the fold, Tomi, and how a second child can alter the family dynamics of a newly created household.

Tomoda literally treats her cats as children. True cat lovers will identify with and applaud this behavior. When friends come to stay for a short time and form a particularly affectionate bond with Taro, the author experiences motherly concerns for her son after they leave. “When I woke up in the middle of the night, he was still lying on one of the guestroom beds. I wondered if he had fallen in love with one of the girls.”

Taro and Tomi benefit from the counseling and guidance Tomoda gives them as they grow together as a family. Her parental concern is one of the book’s most endearing qualities. The love and compassion the author displays for her children will surely touch the reader whether or not they ever owned a pet. This short, but warm-hearted and expressive book is certainly a refreshing and worthwhile read.

Reviewer: Gene Berger

If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer

Author: The Goldman Family
Publisher: Beaufort Books
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 978-0-8253-0588-7
Pages: 208
Price: $24.95

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In 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were brutally murdered. Although O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of criminal charges in their deaths, he was found liable for wrongful death in a civil suit. Since the Goldman family was unable to collect payment in this suit, they have published this book to raise the funds Simpson legally owes them.

According to Pablo F. Fenjves, O.J. Simpson wanted to tell his story, “as if” he had committed the murders. Assured that this would be a confession, Fenjves wrote this book for him, based on a series of interviews.

Although it’s apparent that O.J. Simpson loved his wife at one time, that love had turned ugly over the years. This account was clearly one-sided, but it was disturbing to see how he turned against Nicole, painting her in the most unattractive light. At times Simpson expresses his deep love, and at other times complete disdain for the woman he shared seventeen years with.

My concern in reading this was not knowing how graphic the details would be in describing the murders. I was relieved to see that although they are discussed, and O.J. Simpson clearly places himself at the scene, there was no blow by blow description of how he might have done it. Instead we see a man panicking, trying to figure out what to do, and inventing an imaginary friend who he claims was there with him.

If you believe he’s guilty, you’ll find this book to be an interesting look inside a criminal mind. And if you think he’s innocent, you’ll find out some of the missing details of the case as Simpson shares them with you. Either way, it’s a fascinating read.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Forget the Cures, Find the Cause – Book 2: The Circle

Author: Rayna M. Gangi
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
Genre: Alternative Medicine
ISBN: 978-1-4327-1539-7
Pages: 273
Price: $19.95

Author’s website
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If you’re a firm believer in modern-day medicine and have no interest in taking care of your own body, then this book is not for you. But many people today are beginning to question the ability of their physicians to treat their whole body rather than just a set of symptoms, and they’re looking for ways to take their health care into their own hands.

Rayna M. Gangi, a holistic healer with native American roots, begins this volume by providing considerable evidence that today’s children are suffering much greater health risks than those of several decades ago, with the increase in vaccinations and behavior modification drugs. Chemicals in common household products and in the water they drink expose them to numerable toxins. And their diets are suffering due to soft drinks, sugary products and artificial sweeteners and colors.

She also explores the over-vaccination of pets and the poor quality of most pet foods. While the author doesn’t mention the food poisoning which recently devastated many pet owners, that incident certainly does make one question what our pets are really eating.

As the circle implies, our journey begins with childhood, and this book wouldn’t be complete unless it traveled the full arc into aging and death. The author touches on the concept of living life in circle, and living in harmony with the earth and its cycles. In a well-written and well-documented book, she shows us where we can make changes in our lives, so we can experience better health and happiness.

Rayna M. Gangi writes with warmth and compassion. She encourages us to ask questions, and to notice how our bodies feel when we bombard them with chemicals and mistreat them. Ultimately, she sees a world where we all respect our bodies, our environment, and each other.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Spirits in the Garden: The Amazing Realm of Secret Life Around Us

Author: Joan Solomon
Publisher: Grynwild Publishing
Genre: Non-fiction
ISBN: 0-9786166-0-X
Pages: 143
Price: $65.00

Author’s website

Spirits in the Garden is not your ordinary coffee table book of pretty photographs you leave out to impress company. Joan Solomon has compiled a visually exquisite and thoughtful journey into the wonderment of the natural world, most notably the plant kingdom.

Solomon dedicated her work to “the Ineffable that expresses itself in Nature.” Her work is a testament to the “garden” we take for granted in our everyday lives or ever take notice to. Solomon’s book is divided into four chapters filled with award-winning photographs and paintings that bring a multitude of flowers and plants to vibrant life.

The visuals are accompanied by Solomon’s personal insights into the meaning of Nature and the “unique messages” that are out there for us to discover and use to our benefit to enhance our physical and mental well-being. Her chapter on “Using Plant Wisdom to Nourish, Nurture, and Heal” can stand as an informative text in itself.

Spirits in the Garden would be an important addition to anyone’s personal library that has a desire to be closer to nature and learn some of its secrets. This book educates, enlightens and empowers both the mind and soul. An experience everyone should share.

Reviewer: Gene Berger