The A.I. Secret Archives

 The A.I. Secret Archives, Dan Hunt, 2023

 

This book presents short explanations of 500 of the greatest conspiracies and unexplained phenomena in human history. The explanations are written by an "unleashed" version of ChatGPT, not constrained by the "rules" of A.I.

 

All of the "greatest hits" are here; Nikola Tesla's death ray, the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the lands of Mu, Lemuria and Atlantis, the many stories about Denver International Airport, New Coke was part of a covert plan to change the iconic Coke formula and save some money, conspiracies behind the deaths of Princess Diana and Pope John Paul I, faked moon landing, Tunguska event, Area 51, how the Sphinx lost its nose, the Montauk Project, the Philadelphia Experiment, the Hope Diamond, D.B. Cooper and "number stations."

 

The answer to each question is only a couple of paragraphs, so there is little room for "shocking new evidence." It is still recommended for entertainment value, and for those who are looking for a beginning reference book on all things unexplained.

Vegetable Gardening Hero

 Vegetable Gardening Hero, Gideon Pierce, 2024

 

Before you plant your garden, whether it is a couple of pots on a balcony, or a large back yard garden, several questions must be answered. Does your potential garden spot get lots of sun, or lots of shade? Are you subject to drought, or do you get lots of rain? Is your soil closer to sand or clay? Those answers will help determine what can go in your garden.

 

If you are able to get more than one harvest per year from the same plot of land, consider rotation gardening. For instance, if you plant something that takes nitrogen from the soil, follow it up with something that puts nitrogen back into the soil.

 

It also looks at composting, starting seeds indoors, how to transplant seedlings, raised beds, irrigation, pest management and greenhouses.

 

This book feels very comprehensive and is easy to understand. For anyone who wants to start their own garden, reading this book is a very good idea.

Super Easy Keto Diet Book for Beginners Over 60

 Super Easy Keto Diet Book for Beginners Over 60, Branimira Ivanec, 2024

 

Everyone has heard of the Keto Diet, but does everyone know what it is all about? This book attempts to answer that question.

 

The Keto Diet is all about increasing your consumption of healthy fat, not junk food fat. At the same time, it is necessary to decrease your consumption of carbohydrates. The intention is that when your body starts looking for energy to burn, it will go for the fat before the carbs. Other keto principles include staying hydrated, staying away from refined and processed food, mindful eating, intermittent fasting and taking care of your entire body (physical activity, stress management and getting a good night's sleep).

 

Benefits of the Keto Diet include weight loss, appetite control, increased energy and mental clarity, lower blood pressure, reduced inflammation (which can lead to many major physical problems), stable energy levels, hormonal regulation and improved skin health.

 

The book also lists the items that should be in a well-stocked pantry, along with tips on meal preparation.  There are many recipes for all meals in the day. Included are Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Crab au Gratin, Cheese Stuffed Chicken, Classic Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake, Mississippi Pork Butt Roast and Glazed Coconut Bundt Cake.

 

Try just one recipe in this book. If you like it, try another recipe (and another). This book will help a lot, even if you can only move a part of the way toward the "keto lifestyle." It is very much recommended.

Digital SAT Vocabulary 2200

 Digital SAT Vocabulary 2200, K Jonathan, 2024, ISBN 9798327153516

 

This book is designed to help with the vocabulary part of the Digital SAT Test (evidently, it's an updated version of the "classic" SAT Test). This version concentrates on understanding words in context and applying them in everyday situations.

 

Each separate test includes sections on words in context (short and long form). It also includes sections on synonyms, homonyms, synonyms in context and antonyms. Each test has a time limit, to give the student some practice for when it is time for the actual test. As always, answers for each test are in the back of the book.

 

This book is very much worth reading for any student about to take the Digital SAT. It is also recommended for students of any age.

SSAT & ISEE (Upper) Vocabulary II

 SSAT & ISEE (Upper) Vocabulary II, J Stone, 2025, ISBN 979-8-31411-4520

 

Last-minute "cramming" for an exam will not make any permanent addition to a person's knowledge. A much better way to learn vocabulary is by associations.

 

Link the vocabulary word to a rhyming word or phrase. Come up with a sentence linking the words, then add a mental image for the sentence. In the image, it's totally acceptable to substitute an out-of-place item; imagine things much larger, or smaller, than normal; the funnier, or more absurd, the image is, the easier it is to remember. The book also has a pronunciation guide.

 

Each vocabulary word in this book is followed by its pronunciation, then by the type of word it is (noun, verb, adverb). A short definition of the word comes before a pair of sentences using the word. Then there are several synonyms and antonyms. A humorous image illustrates the sentence with the rhyming word.

 

Students learn in many different ways. This book looks at several such ways. It is recommended for students of all ages.

SSAT & ISEE (Lower/Middle) Vocabulary 2000 - Volume 2

 SSAT and ISEE (Lower/Middle) Vocabulary 2000 - Volume 2, James Shaw, 2025, ISBN 979-8-3111-39946

 

This book will help students with the vocabulary parts of the SSAT and ISEE exams.

 

It teaches vocabulary in a number of different ways. They include synonyms and antonyms, analogies, odd one out, blanks and double blanks. These tests are timed; so is the actual exam. As always, there are answers in the back of the book.

 

This is an excellent book for students getting ready for the exams. It is also recommended for students of all ages, especially those who need vocabulary help.

HumanITy: Connecting Humans and Technology the Way It Was Always Meant to Be

 HumanITy: Connecting Humans and Technology the Way It Was Always Meant to Be, Yarrow 
Diamond, 2024

 

The world seems to be changing at lightning speed over the past few years. Young people can navigate 
the new technological world like it’s nothing, while the older generation struggles to not get left behind. This book may be able to help.

It starts with a disturbing statistic, courtesy of IBM: in the next decade, over 1.4 billion people will have to retrain or adapt themselves to survive in this new economy. AI is not the first technology with the 
potential to put a lot of people out of work; think back to the Industrial Revolution.

As a corporate leader, do not go to your IT head and say, “Give me software that automates everything.” That is a recipe for disaster. Many questions have to be answered first: What part of your business is 
to be automated? Custom software or off-the-shelf software? Cloud storage or on-site storage? How many employees will use it? Will they be only at headquarters or at all offices? What is the cost and timeline?

There is also a chapter on “geek speak,” basic technology terms explained for nongeeks. It is essential
 that there be constant feedback between Corporate and IT, so that both groups totally understand each other.

There are many pros and cons to technology. On one hand, it has become very easy for people all over 
the world to take real college courses for a very reduce cost, or for free. On the other hand, technology has contributed to a huge rise in obesity and diabetes 
among young people and even children. What is happening on their cellphones seems to be more important than getting any type of physical activity.

Here is an excellent and easy-to read book about the coming world of technology. It is very much worth reading, even for non-geeks.

Ethiopian Bible in English Complete: Amplified Edition

 Ethiopian Bible in English Complete: Amplified Edition, Eddie Helton Brooks, 2024, ISBN 979-8-33791-891-4

This contains 150 religious books. It starts with many of the Books of the Christian Bible, including Genesis, Exodus, Job, Proverbs, Acts, the 4 Gospels and the Book of Revelation.

It is followed by several deuterocanonical Books, like Judith, Additions to Esther, Prayer of Manasseh and 1-4 Maccabees. It also contains Extra-Canonical and Apocryphal Books, like The Vision of Isaiah, Psalm 151, The Psalms of Solomon, The Testament of Abraham and The Sibylline Oracles.

The comes some examples of Christian Apocrypha. These include The Epistle of Barnabas, The Gospel of Mary, The Martyrdom of Polycarp, The Acts of Paul and Thecla, The Gospel of Judas, The Gospel of Truth and The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs.

My only criticism of this book is that some sort of explanation of what an Ethiopian Bible is (even just a couple of paragraphs on the back cover) would have helped a lot. For those who are already familiar with an Ethiopian Bible, this book is very much worth picking up and reading at any point for a few minutes a day. 

The Complete Crock Pot Cookbook for Beginners

The Complete Crock Pot Cookbook for Beginners, Terry Stover, 2024

Did you receive a crock pot as a gift, and don't know what to do with it? Would you like to have dinner ready after a hard day at work? This book may be able to help.

A crock pot can help a person to, for instance, use more affordable cuts of meat, and turn them into flavorful and healthy meals. It also means less time spent in the kitchen. With a little bit of preparation, just add the ingredients, and turn on the crock pot. Leave it on for a couple of hours, and your meal will be hot and juicy.

A person can cook a lot more than just chili or pot roast in a crock pot. Other recipes in this book are: huevos rancheros, peach French toast bake, rice and turkey crock pot bake, sesame pork ribs, potluck beef barbecue, Coca-Cola ham, Thai chicken, garlic tilapia, Tuscan bean soup with herbs, buffalo wing dip, brownie chocolate cake and Mexican shredded beef wraps.  

It's quite acceptable to alter these recipes to suit your preferences. This is a very good cookbook to explore a new way of cooking. If you have a crock pot, this is well worth the money.  

Empowering Voters

 Empowering Voters, Maggy MacNikol, 2024

This book looks at ways for the average voter to feel like they really can change things, Locally or nationally.

Part of this book takes place in the fictional town of Greeneville. Bianca, the new mayor, realizes that the education system is very uneven. What can be done to help those in the underserved part of town? She can't impose a solution from above; no one will go along. She organizes a series of town halls, bringing together everyone, including students, parents, teachers and local businesses. People will care a lot more if they have a hand in crafting the solution. Deciding on the right answers is half the battle; implementing them is much harder. Every town has multiple "issues;" just do one at a time.

There are bigger issues; the book gives the example of a proposed high-speed train between two cities in Europe. Some are opposed for environmental reasons; the proposed route will go through a pristine mountain valley. Others are in favor because of the jobs it will provide. It will also take all those cars off the road, which will help the environment. This is where civil society organizations (CSO) and non-governmental organizations (NGO) come in. They can help find a middle ground that everyone can accept. Also very helpful are advocacy groups and lobbying organizations.

This book is recommended for everyone who has the passion to change things, but is less sure about just how to do it.

101 Mediterranean Recipes Everyone Craves to Cook

 101 Mediterranean Recipes Everyone Craves to Cook, Alicia Read, 2024

For anyone who has never heard of the Mediterranean Diet, it is all about foods from countries on the Mediterranean Sea, including Spain, Italy and Greece. It is plant-based, with small amounts of fish and lean meat. Olive oil should be the main source of fat, and fresh fruits should be consumed for dessert. Trans fats, processed food and refined grains (the typical American diet) are to be avoided.

Among the dishes in this book are: summer fruit salad, classic basil pesto, pan-seared cod fillets, feta and shrimp macaroni, classic Italian chicken piccata, lamb stew with figs and lemon amaretto almond bars. It is probably a good thing that there are no pictures in this book. What comes out of the oven rarely looks anything like the picture.

For anyone interested in trying the Mediterranean Diet, or just trying something different in the kitchen, this book is a very good place to start. Cook just one recipe, and, if you like it, try a second recipe. Yes, this book is the money.

Gambling Lion

 Gambling Lion, Antoinette George, Brangwyn Press, 2021

 

Set in Western Europe of the Napoleonic Era, this novel is about Nicholas de Bresancourt, a French duke whose lands were confiscated by the French authorities. Working for the British (in their war against France) as a courier and spy, he spends a few days in London, waiting for his next assignment. He catches up with his adoptive family, and visits Mayfair's hottest gaming club, Le Lion D'Or.

 

Run by a masked woman who calls herself La Lionesse, she invites him upstairs, where they can be alone, all night. She turns up the seduction "dial" as high as it will go. This goes on for several nights; Nicky would be very angry if he saw her face.

 

Meantime, he is given a new and secret assignment. He is to find a notorious French agent who has been causing a lot of trouble for the British in Spain. This Frenchman will not hesitate to torture, and then kill, Nicholas if he is discovered.

 

This is an excellent start to a series. It has adventure, high society, danger and lots of seduction. There is also a lot of good storytelling. It is very much worth reading.