Are You a 360 Alpha?

 Are You a 360 Alpha?, Kabir Wats, 2022

 

Everyone has heard of the term "alpha male." How does one get there? Is there any hope for those of us who are not young, rich or handsome? This book is here to help.

 

More than half of this book talks about relations with women. No, this is not "How To Get a Woman Into Your Bed in 10 Easy Lessons." It's all about building a decent and mutual relationship with her. There are many things that a man can do that will help, but here are some things to not do. Do not tell her that she is the most important thing in your life. Do not buy her a gift to "fix" some stupid thing that you said or did. Do not buy her a gift, expecting something, like sex, in return. Those actions do not sound like a strong, confident alpha male, ready to take on the world, single-handedly.

 

The book also explores finances and health. Living at home, with your parents, because you can't afford to get your own place, does not scream "alpha male." Having a treatable physical condition, like obesity, because you are too lazy to do anything about it, does not scream "alpha male."

 

Here is a very interesting and eye-opening book. It is very easy to read and understand. Maybe there is hope for those of us who think that becoming an alpha male is just impossible. This is very much worth reading.

Storytelling with Charts

 Storytelling with Charts: A Tutorial to Quickly Master the Art and Science of Telling Engaging Stories with Charts, Sam Schreim, 2023

 

In any business, putting together a slide presentation can be very nerve-wracking. It's easy to do it wrong. This book presents ways to keep your audience from yawning or reaching for their cellphones.

 

It starts with KISS (Keep it simple, stupid). Use only one chart, or one concept, per slide. Next, stay consistent throughout your presentation. Use the same font type, or font size (as much as possible). Use the same numerical scale on your charts. If one chart has a number xxx.x, use it on all other charts.

 

If possible, use numbers in your charts that can be verified, and not guesses or projections. In these days of big data, there is no lack of data available. The hard part is to find the "right" data. That starts with knowing the right questions to ask.

 

Sometimes, like in the legal field, words will be more important than numbers. Use bullet points - keep it simple. Ensure that the person in the back of the room can read, and understand, your slide.

 

Here is a very specialized, and very good, book. Anyone who creates business presentations, on slides or PowerPoint, will greatly benefit by reading this book.

Nine Planets

 Nine Planets, Greg Byrne, Dragonwell Publishing, 2014

Peter Blackwell wakes up from a coma into a very strange Earth. A pair of opposing groups have been fighting a secret war for the past seventeen centuries.

 

The Cabal has been fighting against The Brotherhood, and The Cabal (the bad guys) is winning. They have placed a curse of depression over the whole world. Suicide is common; there are public agencies that will help a person do it. Their opponent is The Brotherhood. They are nearly wiped out by The Cabal; their one weapon is Father Nick's Day. On the same day, everyone in the world receives a package; it is something that they really need. The deliveries are accomplished through time dilation. The idea behind Father Nick's Day is to convince people that suicide is not the answer, that someone really cares about them.

 

Peter has no memory of his previous life, but he does remember eight random images. There is a ninth image locked in his brain. Both sides want that image very much; it will end the war, one way or the other. He has only a few days to stop worldwide suicide.

 

This story is better than excellent. The characters, the action and, especially, the society-building, are all very well done. Philip K. Dick fans will love this book. It is very much worth reading.

Turn Your Fandom Into Cash

 Turn Your Fandom Into Cash: A Geeky Guide to Turn Your Passion Into a Business (or at least a Side Hustle), Carol Pinchefsky, Career Press, 2022

 

You are a total geek. You have seen all the Marvel movies (several times each). You world revolves around cosplay at conventions. Is it possible to make money from geekdom?

 

First of all, make some mockups of your proposed protect, and pass it around to friends and fellow geeks. Is there a market for it? Intellectual Property (IP) is very important. If you are selling Avengers t-shirts, Marvel will get very upset with you (legally). You need to learn how to market yourself, and your business, whether online or in-person. How will you get funding to start your business? Options include Kickstarter, Patreon or your parents.

 

The best place to market your product is at conventions. How much will you have to spend (transportation, food, lodging)? You need to at least break even at a con, or just don't go back next year.

 

There is a lot involved with making money from geekdom. This book does a very good job at exploring all of them. It is very much recommended, not just for geeks, but for everyone looking for a way to make some money.

The Skylight Fallout: Book Two of the Skylight Series

 The Skylight Fallout: Book Two of the Skylight Series, J Wint, Independently Published 2022

Second in a series, a young man learns that his fatal condition (characterized by glowing eyes) is not exactly fatal. He finds himself in the middle of a centuries-long war between two secret societies, the Lucem and the Atrum (the bad guys).

 

These days, Jet is very busy. He is trying to understand his place in the Lucem. He is sworn to protect Kamber, his ward, as she starts her first semester at Skylight University. The Atrum think nothing of murder to gain an advantage, so Jet must also keep an eye on Cutter, his old friend.

 

The Century Eclipse is coming, and the Lucem get word that their enemy is planning something really awful. Things get real when Jet confronts his old classmates, some of whom have gone over to the other side. It all revolves around someone called the Skylight Fallout. Is it Jet? Is it one of the Atrum? Who is still alive at the end?

 

The author has done an excellent job with this sequel, especially with the action and the society-building. It will certainly keep the reader interested.

(I received a free copy of this novel and am voluntarily leaving this review)

Yearnings: Rendezvous: Stories for the Young of Heart

 Yearnings: Rendezvous: Stories For the Young of Heart, Randy Lee White, 2016

 

This book of short stories is all about a boy's growing up. The same couple of characters are in all of these stories.

 

A game of chess is compared to a game of Cowboys and Indians. An apple stealing expedition is stopped by a unique guard animal. One of the boys gets too close to an ape at the zoo. There are re-tellings of "The Tortoise and The Hare" and "The Three Little Pigs" (the wolf has just gotten out of prison, and is looking for revenge).

 

The author deals with more serious subjects, including suicide, domestic violence and some cliff diving that ends very badly.

 

Each story is only a couple of pages long, and each is very well done. This is an entertaining read for everyone, especially for those who want to reminisce about their time growing up.

The Art of Building Great Products

 The Art of Building Great Products, Mayank Mittal, 2022

This book is all about the world of product management, whether the product is virtual or tangible (can be held in your hand).

 

The product manager does not have to be an expert in each part of the process, like coding and marketing, but he or she must be familiar with them. If your product is being sold to the public, analyze your website traffic. Are people clicking on your site, then quickly leaving? Are people looking around your site, but not buying?

 

If you want to add features to an already existing product, talk to your present customers. Do it in person, and not just through online surveys. Are they interested in the new features? Instead of trying to add many new features all at once, add just a couple of new features. Make the new product as bug-free as possible. If your present customers like the new features, then add a few more.

 

If you are a start-up and this is a new product, know your market. Who is your target audience? Who are your competitors? How big is the overall market? At all times, frequently test and evaluate your product. Fix any problems (or start over) sooner, rather than later. Does "a great idea" actually turn into "a great product?"

 

Product management, on any scale, can seem big and confusing. This book does a very good job of reducing the confusion. It is very much worth reading.

Chronicles of Anne

 Chronicles of Anne, Naif Makmi and Adel Saud, 2022

Set in 1600's Scandinavia, Mikael is a young man who walks through a hole in the forest and meets a young woman named Alice. He is instantly smitten. The problem is that Mikael is a pure human, and Alice is a ghost (but with a human body). They live in different dimensions because both groups have reasons to hate and fear the other. Simply being in the other dimension leads to jail and a probable death sentence. They run away together, and have a child. It is intentionally taken from them, by a friend, as Alice and Mikael meet their violent end.

 

Fast forward a dozen years. Anne has spent her life in an orphanage with no idea who her parents are. She goes to school, but it's not much of a school. She really wants to attend the sorcery school across the street. Anne gets her chance, acquires her own magic wand, and starts to learn about potions. She also has strange dreams and visions, and is harassed by unknown people. She has been Noticed by certain people who think that she is the fulfillment of a prophecy. The offspring of Alice and Mikael is destined to become a great witch who will lead her people to peace and prosperity. Does Anne fulfill her prophecy? Does she have a choice?

 

This is a strong and well-done story. It has enough sorcery and violence for anyone. This book almost, but not quite, reaches the level of being an excellent story; it gets 4.5 stars.

The Soul Bonding Technique

 The Soul Bonding Technique, Jon Dabach, 2023

 

This book is for people in a relationship, whether married or not. It is best for after the “honeymoon” has worn off, and one partner’s extreme tidiness collides with the other partner’s near-hoarding.

What is your love language? Do you show someone that you love them through touch, snuggling on the couch, giving gifts or through acts of service (like keeping the house clean)? It’s important to understand your partner’s love language.

What is your ideal relationship? Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Is it OK if your partner is the opposite? Sex: often or occasionally? On the subject of mental stimulation, is Friday night at the local bar with “the guys,” or a monthly spa weekend with “the girls,” enough, or do you need more?

When one partner does something that really bothers the other partner, whether it is a pet peeve, or a real problem, there is a right way, and a wrong way, to bring it up. Starting a journal, or practicing gratitude, or using the Law of Attraction might be too New Age for some people. Positive thinking has been shown to have a noticeable, and favorable, effect in medical studies (a placebo).

This is much more than just another book on therapy for married couples. The author claims a very high success rate with couples that he has counseled. If “separation” or “divorce” are being considered, reading this book is an extremely good idea.

YouTube: How Much Can Users Really Make?

 YouTube: How Much Can Users Really Make?, Liz Fe Lifestyle, 2021

 

Becoming a YouTube influencer sounds pretty easy. Post a few videos on the site, and, within a short time, you have half a million followers. Soon after that, YouTube starts sending you monthly checks with lots of zeros. Simple, right? Wrong, according to this book.

 

Where do your views come from? Clicks from American viewers are more lucrative than clicks from foreign viewers. If possible, make your videos at least ten minutes long. That length allows YouTube to stick an ad in the middle. Make sure that your videos are "family-friendly." If not, Forget about making any money from them.

 

It is possible to make Kim Kardashian-level money from YouTube. Making hundreds, not thousands, of dollars per month is much more likely. A better way to make money is from partnerships, or sponsorships, with related companies. Another good idea is to use your YouTube channel to, for instance, publicize your line of skin care products, or your budding music career.

 

This is a really good introduction to the world of YouTube influencing. There is a lot to think about, but, if you want to do the work, success is possible. Here is an excellent place to begin your influencer journey.

Isle of Dragons: The Hidden Library

 Isle of Dragons: The Hidden Library, L.A. Thompson, 2022

Part 2 of a series, this Young Adult novel is set in a steampunk world where the race is on to find a strange magic library. It is key to winning the war against the corrupt, and hated, King Jarrod.

 

Jade and Kaylen were friends; now they are on opposite sides (Kaylen now works for Jarrod). The library, by itself, is not the subject of the search; they are looking for a portal inside the library. Kaylen has to decide who, and what, is worth sacrificing. Jade, and a dragon-taming witch named Miria, have to stop Kaylen from opening the portal between worlds before it's too late.

 

This one is really good. The author has a very imaginative style, and has written a very colorful fantasy tale. It has action, and steampunk and dragons. It may be intended as a Young Adult novel, but adults will also enjoy it.

The Perpetual Journey: Growing a Strong, Healthy Relationship

 The Perpetual Journey: Growing a Strong, Healthy Relationship, Mark Sanders, 2022

The author spent much of his career in the healthcare field, first as a Registered Nurse, and later, as an executive making six figures a year.

 

When COVID-19 hit, he gave up his salary, and went back to the front lines of nursing. He learned a lot about the lives of modern-day workers, like nurses, and the sacrifices that were required. The author started a new company whose aim is to help others discover what really matters in life. It involves creating well-paid jobs, caring for others and being a mentor for others. Whatever people want to fit into the daily lives, whether it is spending more time with their children, or a loved one, the author's new company wants to be there to help.

 

The author includes several of his own experiences in this book. Relationships are not perfect, and they never will be, but they can be made better. This book may just provide the answer. It is very much worth reading.

Personal Finance for Young Adults

 Personal Finance for Young Adults, Leon King, 2022

This book attempts to explain the basics of financial literacy, for all those young people who never learned about it in school.

 

It looks at alternatives to a regular 9-to-5 job, how to make more money in a job and setting financial goals. A budget, of some kind, is a very good idea. The first step is to know how you are spending your money, so, for the next couple of days, write down every expenditure.

 

Debt is not always a bad thing. The author introduces the reader to the world of credit cards and interest rates. At some point in a person's life, a car, and then a mortgage, will be needed. The book gives the basics. It also talks about investing, and planning for retirement.

 

Don't try to "get" this book in one sitting. It's OK to read it more than once. This book does a first-rate job of exploring the world of personal finance. For any young person who asks "What is financial literacy?" this book provides the answer. It is very much worth the time.

Eversion

 Eversion, Alastair Reynolds, Orbit Books, 2022

Silas Coade is the ship's doctor on an 18th century sailing ship. It is heading for the north of Norway, looking for the rumored Edifice, with the possibility of lots of money to be made. They are also looking for any sign of a ship called "Europa," which made the same trip several years previously. Coade dies, and a short time later, wakes up on a zeppelin heading for Antarctica. He is again the ship's doctor.

 

The zeppelin is looking for evidence that the earth is hollow, and for any sign of a ship called "Europa," which made the trip several years before. Coade dies, and wakes up on a steam-powered schooner on the southern tip of South America. He is again the ship's doctor.

 

After several such incidents, Coade, and Ramos, the head of security for these expeditions. begin to realize that something very weird is happening. Along for the journey is Ada Cossile, who turns out to be more than just the plucky lady reporter sent to document the expeditions. The book ends in the underground sea on Jupiter's moon Europa, with Coade understanding just what he is.

 

This book deserves more than 5 stars. The first part of the book works very well as a pulp/adventure story. It has plenty of thought-provoking science, good characters and first-rate writing throughout. This is very highly recommended.

Fire

 Fire, Pat Daily, 2022

This young adult novel continues the story of SPARK, a virtual reality Disneyworld in California. It also continues the growing relationship between Will and Feral (real name ShaChri), two underage runaways who sort of live in the park.

 

SPARK just fought off a major terrorist attack, with many casualties. While dealing with a law enforcement jurisdictional nightmare, the Will-Feral relationship keeps growing. They also experience the price of fame. Everyone at SPARK knows that the bad guys will be back. This time, their assault is more specific and targeted. Along the way, Will is trapped in a cave after a cave-in and Feral is kidnapped (not at the same time). Do either of them survive? Does their relationship survive?

 

This is an excellent novel. It has VR, it has action and it has teen relationships. It is also very easy to read. Here is another story that may be intended for teens, but adults will also enjoy it.

Civil Service Vocabulary: 510 Essential Words

 Civil Service Vocabulary: 510 Essential Words, JK Smith, 2022, ISBN 9798356206924

You have just applied for a job with the Federal Government. Among the requirements is the taking of the Civil Service exam. This book is here to help.

 

Each vocabulary word is followed by its pronunciation, and the type of word that it is (verb, noun, adjective). Next is a short definition of the word. Then comes a pair of sentences using the word. It is followed by synonyms and antonyms of the word. The there is a "Further Information" section (the word comes from Latin or Italian or Middle French). Review questions (with answers in the back of the book) help to solidify the learning.

 

This book is very much recommended for anyone about to take the Civil Service exam. It is also recommended for older high school or college students who need some vocabulary help.