The Creator's Handbook

 The Creator's Handbook: The Art and Science of Creating Social Change, Shingai Samudzi, Nobody Times Press, 2022

This book is all about setting goals, and then making them happen. These are not personal goals, like "Get a promotion at work" or "Lose at least 10 pounds before beach season." These are bigger, social change goals, like "Increase the number of female engineers in Silicon Valley by at least 10 percent in the next 5 years."

Set up these goals the same way as with personal goals. They still have to be specific, measurable, action-oriented, reasonable and have a time limit. Next comes some visualization. Don't spend 5 minutes daydreaming that it would be great if. . . Take some time, and in your mind, go over the steps needed to get from Here to There. Figuratively speaking, you need to burn this goal, and the steps to get there, into your brain. 

How do you get other people to change their goals and their worldview, so that it aligns with yours? A possible obstacle involves having to deal with other people's emotional biases (everyone has them). They may get in the way of having people join you on the way to your goal.

When it comes to getting society to accept your goal, it's all about networks (six degrees of separation). They come in different shapes and sizes; some are very loose, while others are so tight, they are almost rock-solid. Some people are direct, or first-degree, connections (you know Person X directly). Other people are much looser connections (you know someone who knows someone who knows Person X). How do you get them to join you to work toward your goal?

This is a very thought-provoking book. It's very well done, and is not very technical. It's recommended for everyone, especially the average young person who has decided that today is the day that they start to change the world.

The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook for Beginners

 The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook for Beginners, Sarah J Candle, Independently Published, 2022

Do you suffer from chronic inflammation? Is your skin usually red and painful? Is there any way to reduce, or eliminate, the pain? This book may be able to help.

Inflammation happens when the immune system reacts to something that it really doesn't like. It could be an allergen, poison ivy, or something you ate that really does not agree with you. Occasional inflammation is acceptable; it shows that your immune system is working properly. It becomes a problem when the inflammation is chronic. That can lead to much bigger problems, like diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. 

What can be done about it? A good general rule is to greatly increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. At the same time, you need to greatly reduce, or eliminate, your consumption of processed food, soda and fast food (the typical American diet). 

This book provides recipes for all meals in the day. Each recipe includes a color picture of the item, and the recipes are spread out, with only two recipes per page. This is in great contrast to other cookbooks that try to cram several recipes per page. Whatever your food preference, whether it is poultry, snacks or breakfast smoothies, there are recipes for it here.

This is a very good introduction to healthier eating. Even if you can improve your diet by only a couple of percent, it will help a lot. This book is very much worth reading.

Pod and Her 4 Little Texas Sisters

 Pod and Her 4 Little Texas Sisters, B.W. Evans, Independently Published, 2022

This book is about Pauline (Pod) Bruce, and Imagean (Gean), her next oldest sister. They were part of a family of five girls, living as sharecroppers in Depression-era Texas. Mom made sure that there was a lot of love in that house, which was actually a two-room shack. 

Unintentionally, Pod gave the family a way to get out of their extreme poverty; she nearly got her foot bitten off by an alligator. Dad printed lots of pictures of Pod and her foot; they sold like the opening day of a new Iphone. That gave Dad the money to open a washateria, then another and another. They were an instant sensation (the precursor to today's laundromat). They moved out of their shack into a real house.

Pod grew up with a huge love of horses. The family acquired a fast quarter horse, which she used to win a pair of big horse races, disguised as a boy. At that time, about the only legal right women had was the right to vote. When her deception was revealed, righteous indignation exploded. 

The Governor of Texas hoped to use Pod to reach women voters. She embarked on a speaking tour all over Texas, talking about women's rights and equal pay. The Governor was totally behind her, but told her to leave birth control out of her speeches. It was very illegal to give women any information about birth control at that time.

Meantime, Gean won a state-wide beauty contest and headed to Hollywood to become an actress. Her career abruptly ended, before it got started, in a really awful way.

This is an excellent biography. It is very easy to read, and is very inspirational for anyone with big dreams, but who comes from unfortunate circumstances.

Geometry of Thinking

 Geometry of Thinking: How to Find Yourself and Succeed in Business, Kane Edwards, HighRock, 2022

At work, are you stuck in an emotional rut? Do you think that there has got to be something better than this? New opportunities are always available. This book may be able to help.

Compare your talent to a guitar. Everyone has a talent for something, some people just take longer to find it than others. The guitar has sat in your closet for your entire life. One day, you take it out, and start playing. The sound is awful. Do you toss it back in your closet, and vow never to touch it again? Instead, learn to play just one string the right way. Then you can master two strings. After that, learn how to play chords, and, before you know it, you are actually playing the guitar.

It is the same when starting a small business. It is normal to want to make a million dollars in your first year. That is not going to happen. There will be setbacks and false starts. There will be days when quitting looks very tempting. Concentrate on doing one thing very well, until you can do it without thinking about it. Then add another thing to do, and another, and another. Before you know it, you are successful at getting a promotion at work or running your own small business. Perhaps you are a creative person, with plenty of ideas for small business to start. But you stink at the "business" part of running a small business. Concentrate on learning how to run a business, or hire someone to do it for you.

This book is less than 100 pages, and is very thought-provoking. It will get someone out of their emotional rut, and help them get a promotion, or a better job. It gets 4 stars.

The First Robot President

 The First Robot President, Robert Carlyle Taylor, Reflection Bay Press, 2020

This story takes place 500 years from now. Homelessness and overpopulation are beyond out of control. Earth's population is 500 billion people (that's right, billion). America's population is 500 million. America has grown to 100 states, including Canada and Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

Thomas Jenkins is a lobbyist for the Green Party in Washington DC. One day, he decides to purchase a RoboWife (robots that are indistinguishable from humans). He names her Esmeralda, and they get married. They adopt Sarah, a human child, who grows up to receive several college degrees, and become a college professor. 

Living in northern Virginia, politics is the "family business" in the Jenkins household. After a number of years, Esmeralda runs for Congress. Her candidacy is treated as a joke, until she wins. She is put on the Small Business Committee, where she writes a large number of bills that will actually help small business.

It's presidential campaign time. The Green Party chooses Esmeralda as its Vice Presidential candidate. After a long and hard campaign, the Greens emerge victorious. Esmeralda is not Vice President for very long before she is pushed into the Presidency. Among her first Executive Orders is mandating a Birth Lottery for all federal employees. Congress is needed to expand it to all Americans. During a Cabinet meeting, disaster strikes. Esmeralda is unable to fulfill her duties as President. Those who want her out of the White House. permanently, spring into action. Can Esmeralda return to her duties in time?

This is satire; the author does a very good job with the society-building. It has things to say about present-day politics, and is very much worth reading.

Recipes: Blank Recipe Book to Create Your Own Delicious Recipes

 Recipes: Blank Recipe Book to Create Your Own Delicious Recipes, Maky Publishing, 2022 (ISBN 9798804381937)

Do you have a box of recipes from a variety of sources, including magazines, the Internet and Grandma? Are you still going to cook all of them, someday? Is the "perfect" recipe always on the bottom of the pile? Don't you wish they were more organized? This book is here to help.

Space for each recipe takes up two pages in this blank book. There is plenty of space for the ingredients and directions. There is also space for notes or substitutions, cooking time and temperature, and nutrition information. If you would rather not lose Grandma's handwriting, it is easy, and much less time-consuming, to scotch tape a recipe or two per page. That way, the recipe, and Grandma's handwriting, is still viewable.

An important part of cooking is having the right recipe, available at the right time. This book makes it easy. It is very much worth considering for cooks of any skill level.

Mindbender

 Mindbender, Avinash Naduvath, Independently Published, 2022

This mystery story starts with a woman's scream.

Pogo, a young boy, wakes up convinced that his mother has left him. Joshua, an older boy, wakes up and notices that strange things are happening in this new world. They are in a village, or hamlet, with only five buildings. Among them is a supermarket with infinitely long shelves. There is a diner that is deserted one minute, and full of customers the next minute. Another new arrival is Sarah, an older woman who suddenly realizes that her husband and daughter are missing. 

In the world's only hotel, a multi-story skyscraper, a woman's dead body has been found. Sarah is not sure if it is that of her missing daughter. Kobi, the hotel manager, does not know what to do. Along with Klaus, the supermarket owner, and Tonks, the owner of the diner, can this random group of people figure out just what is going on?

This is a really good novel. Having it told from the point of view of each of the characters certainly helps. It's not an action-packed page turner of a story (except for the dead body), so it may take some effort on the part of the reader. That effort will be well rewarded with this mystery story, mixed with a bit of the TV show "The Twilight Zone."

Sketch Book

 Sketch Book, Maky Publishing, 2022, ISBN 9798803868668

Here is a bunch of blank pages that has many uses.

It can be used by a child who is really into drawing or doodling. This book can also be used by that child to take notes in class.

A teenager can also use this book to take notes in class, or for art class. An adult entrepreneur can use it to brainstorm the next great product to change the world. A production designer can use it to turn that idea into reality. An artist can plan their next great painting or sculpture. This book can also be used to start writing The Great American Novel.

There are no childish symbols or figures on the cover, so an adult should not be worried about being seen with this book. It is very much worth considering for anything where many blank pages are needed.

Anxiety Relief Coloring Book for Adults

 Anxiety Relief Coloring Book for Adults, Maky Publishing, 2022, ISBN 9798815720947

In this fast-paced, 24/7 world, it is becoming increasingly important to find a way to unwind at the end of the day. That's what this book is all about.

This presents drawings of all sorts of animals, from birds to fish to elephants. There are many small areas to color, allowing a person to let out their creativity. It does not contain large areas to color, like in a child's coloring book. There is a black page on the reverse of each page, in case of bleed through of the colors. 

Here is a potentially better way to relax at the end of the day than with beer or TV. Adult coloring books are not as silly as they sound. It is also recommended for anyone with any sort of emotional problem with anxiety. Get out your colored pencils and start coloring.  

A Healthy Life Without Diets

 A Healthy Life Without Diets, Helen Fastrich, Independently Published, 2022

This book explores a seemingly radical concept. It is possible to lose weight, and live a healthy (or healthier) lifestyle without joining this week's Fad Diet. There are only two rules: Greatly increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables (the fresher, the better). Greatly decrease, or eliminate, your consumption of industrial processed foods, like soda, fast food and red meat.

Water is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Drink a lot more per day than you are drinking now. The author explains exactly what happens, internally, when you are digesting food. She also explains the vitamins and minerals, and other good things, that are contained in fruits and vegetables.

Believe it or not, fat is an essential nutrient. The human body needs a certain amount of it every day. The book also explores various kinds of cooking oils, and when you should, or should not, use them. Getting the required vitamins and minerals directly from fruits and vegetables is best, but getting them from supplements is very acceptable. Eating canned or frozen vegetables is also acceptable, if fresh vegetables are not available.

Don't be concerned if you fall "off the wagon," and have a piece of cake or a whole can of soda at a party. Just get back "on the wagon" as soon as possible. If there is such a thing as a one-stop source on how to live healthier without dieting, this is it. This is highly recommended for everyone. 

Cute Animals Coloring Book for Kids

 Cute Animals Coloring Book for Kids, Maky Publishing, 2022, ISBN 9798829908065

This coloring book is intended for any young child who is interested in drawing. All sorts of animals are represented here, from cats to giraffes to elephants. This book may just spark a life-long interest in art, leading to your relative becoming a world-famous artist. This book is very much worth considering as a present for any child.

Unicorn Coloring Book

 Unicorn Coloring Book For Kids 4-8, Maky Publishing, 2022, ISBN 9798818661940

This coloring book might just spark a child's interest in drawing and doodling. It might be intended for girls, but boys can be interested in art, too. Boys can also like unicorns, just as much as girls do. When your relative, regardless of their gender, becomes a world-famous artist, you can tell your friends that it all started with this book. Yes, this is really worth buying and giving to any child. 

The Adventures of Captain Shoelace

 The Adventures of Captain Shoelace, Jon Morgan, Independently Published, 2022

This middle-grade young adult novel is about Captain Shoelace, a teenage pirate who is totally obsessed with banana cream pies. A royal wedding is happening, so Shoelace figures that he can sneak in and steal a pie or two while no one is looking. He is caught, and the King is not happy.

At that moment, the island is attacked by two other pirate fleets, led by Redbeard and Bluebeard. All three captains end up in jail; execution is looking increasingly likely. Word reaches them that a new fleet has entered the area. This one is led by an extremely mean pirate called Blackboot. He releases Shoelace from jail, because the two were classmates back in pirate school. 

Blackboot asks Shoelace if he would like to join his pirate enterprise; like Shoelace has a choice. Blackboot's fleet includes the Ultimate Weapon, that he plans to use to destroy the castle, and take over. Shoelace escapes, and tries to warn the King. Pirates are not known for being very honest, so the warning is ignored. Can Shoelace stop Blackboot's evil plan before it's too late?

This story is surprisingly good. It's got pirates and royalty, and plenty of swashbuckling action. This is very much worth reading for all young people. 

The Seventh Trumpet Has Sounded

 The Seventh Trumpet Has Sounded, Jim Burruss, Independently Published, 2020

When talking about, and studying, the Book of Revelation in the Bible, most people are understandably fixated on the End Times part; when and how the world will end. Instead of depending on someone else's interpretation, why can't you read it and come up with your own interpretation?

When studying any part of the Bible, a general understanding of the rest of the Bible is helpful. There is a chapter-by-chapter summary. Numbers are very important in the Bible, including Revelation. Sometimes, they are meant to be taken literally, and sometimes they are meant to be taken metaphorically. The number signifies unity or oneness, while the number three signifies the three parts of the Trinity. The number seven is very popular in the Bible. It expressed completeness; it is considered the most scared number to the Hebrews. The whole Book of Revelation was addressed to the seven churches in Asia (God probably had a lot more churches that that in such a vast area). The number twelve thousand signifies the number of people from each of the twelve tribes of Israel who will be saved. The book also explores subjects like when Revelation was written, the thousand-year-reign of Christ, the works of the Devil and Armageddon. 

This book is very interesting and very easy to understand. For anyone who wants a better understanding of Revelation, aside from the Last Days part, start here.

Darkness Calls: A Gray Magick Novel

 Darkness Calls: A Gray Magick Novel, Kiki Howell, Independently Published, 2022

The four O'Quinn women run a popular inn and coffee shop in a farmhouse somewhere in rural Ohio. They are well-liked by the locals, even though they are all practicing witches. In the front room of the house, Alannah meets with anyone who needs a little magickal assistance.

Life is good, until, one night, a dead body is found in that room with strange ritualistic markings carved into his chest. What is worse is that their ancestors, who are always around, have somehow been neutralized. They have been replaced by other spirits, who like to break bottles of herbs on the floor, and toss books off the shelves.

Relatives of the dead man arrive, and things go from worse to much worse. Their name is Fitzpatrick. The two families have been connected by a rivalry/curse for the past several centuries. They are totally respectful, and sympathetic, to the O'Quinn's desire to get "their" ancestors back from wherever they are. An added complication is that Kane Fitzpatrick is incredibly handsome. Do they put things back the way they were? Do their ancestors have an opinion on Alannah and Kane?

Here is some excellent, almost poetic, writing. The characters are very well done, and there is just enough witchcraft, plus romance. This is very much worth reading.