The New Book Review

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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query religion. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query religion. Sort by date Show all posts

Monday, November 12, 2012

Author Daniel Friedmann Compares Religion and Science

Title: The Genesis One Code
Publisher: Park East Press
Author: Daniel Friedmann
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/Genesis-One-Code-Daniel-Friedmann/dp/1935764276/
Website: http://danielfriedmannbooks.com/
ISBN: 978-1935764274
Genre: Nonfiction Science/Religion

 


Most of us have pondered our origins at some point in our lives. I am no different, except perhaps that I have both a strong scientific and a religious background. Thus, when I ponder our origins I not only have to contend with two seemingly very different accounts of our universe; but with the knowledge that both are accurate, at least in terms of what happened and when it happened.

I began with knowledge gained from a basic religious upbringing and a high school science education. Both bodies of knowledge were fascinating, yet appeared incompatible. As I proceeded to obtain a scientific education, I initially came to think that science books answered everything. Yet, by my fourth year at university, some fundamental questions concerning our origins began to re-appear. In science texts, some answers were not available, some answers were strange, and some answers were so metaphysical they looked like religious answers. So, I went back to study religion, this time also studying the mystical component of religion so as to find deeper inner meaning rather than the simple interpretation. Answers began to appear.

So what did I find? The Bible and science agree on what happened and when it happened with respect to the development of the universe and the appearance of life on earth. Not just roughly but precisely. That’s right! Documents at least 800 years old contain what science has discovered in the past 50 years!

This was so exciting I decided to share my findings in a book, The Genesis One Code was borne.

Canada’s leading newspaper describes the book as follows:

The book is engrossing. In it, Friedmann lays down an inter-twining of facts, equations and resultant theories. His presentation is persuasive and devoid of insistence. In essence, he argues that, just as a blueprint provides a scale reference to the finished building, there is a mathematical scale that reconciles the events of Genesis to the findings of science.

While the book was originally intended for those 12 to 30 years of age that are or have gone through a school system that portrays science against religion, it has been well received by all ages. Readers with a knowledge-craving, open mind will thoroughly enjoy this read and be delighted by its many elements and propositions.


About Daniel Friedmann

Daniel Friedmann is CEO of MDA Corp., specializing in robotics. He has a master's in engineering physics and 30 years' experience in the space industry. He has published more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific papers on space industry topics. He is also a longtime student of cosmology and religion. The Genesis One Code is available onhref
=” http://www.amazon.com/Genesis-One-Code-Daniel-Friedmann/dp/1935764276/ “>Amazon.com and at http://danielfriedmannbooks.com/.


~Part of a book tour powered by Yvonne Wu, Internet Publicist | Author & Speaker Assistant. The YP Publishing, Canada: 905-341-0997, USA: 1-347-674-9951
http://theyppublishing.com

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Science and Religion: A Discussion by Daniel Friedman

Title: The  Broken Gift
Author: Daniel Friedmann
Author's Web site link: http://danielfriedmannbooks.com/
Genre: science/religion
ISBN 978-0978457228
Book Cover: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DZDxJYbmgw0/UdNHrcHuWcI/AAAAAAAAA8w/vZ2cSyIR7Ng/s320/The-Broken-Gift-1000x1600-no-subtitle-1.jpg
Available: http://www.amazon.com/The-Broken-Gift-Daniel-Friedmann/dp/0978457226


THE STORY BEHIND THE BROKEN GIFT


In my fourth year at university, some fundamental questions concerning our origins began to re-appear. The research involved in answering these questions at one level took most of my life but most intensely about 2 years. It took a year or so to write it all down and back up every statement with a peer reviewed source or biblical source. Publication of The Broken Gift proceeded over the past 6 month or so.

In discussion with my nephews who experienced a very detailed science education on origins seemingly in conflict with Sunday school teachings were not getting satisfactory answers.  I knew I could get a better understanding of our origins from our two largest sources of knowledge - Science and the Bible.
Many have asked how can one even compare religion and science on this issue- they come from very different points of view? True, but they both claim to know what happened and when - one or both must be right? The Broken Gift focuses on hard evidence of what happened and when - once that account is reconciled it discusses how it happened, which for science and religion is somewhat different.
How did you pick the points to compare? Science has developed a certain timeline of events from apes to modern day. Genesis also contains a timeline of events from the beginning of time until 4000 years ago. I picked the key defining moments of those timelines to compare against each other and to compare and contrast what happened, when and how. This knowledge was exciting and fresh and I was encouraged to write the book, The Broken Gift, sharing what I had found.

So what did I find? That the Bible and science are mostly in agreement as to what happened and how - although not completely on when it happened, and by studying both the Bible and science we can get as close as we have ever gotten to understand how we came to be.

So, how did we get here? Reading The Broken Gift can encourage quality time with your family.  They will enjoy having a discussion about science, religion and the meaning and purpose of life.
 
Whether you agree or disagree. Either way, you will be fascinated! Visit Banyen Books & Sound   November 7th, I will be available to talk with or autograph your book.

ABOUT DANIEL FRIEDMAN

Daniel Friedmann is CEO of MDA Corp., specializing in robotics. He has a master's in engineering physics and 30 years' experience in the space industry. He has published more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific papers on space industry topics. He is also a longtime student of cosmology and religion. Daniel Friedmann has been mentioned in the National Post, Toronto Star and Idea City.  Connect with Daniel Friedmann on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Genesis-and-Science/141524692605591
and at http://danielfriedmannbooks.com/.

SUBMITTED BY:

Yvonne Wu
Internet Publicist | Author & Speaker Assistant
The YP Publishing
Canada: 905-341-0997

USA: 1-347-674-9951
http://theyppublishing.com
http://speakerspromotion.com/


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  The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Saturday, July 6, 2019

Biblical Clock Virtual Book Tour from Daniel Friedman

The New Book Review welcomes virtual book tours like this one as a lovely way to know more about any given author or book. 

Virtual Book Tour for The Biblical Clock
Author: Daniel Friedmann
Genre: Nonfiction Religion/Spiritual
Publicist: The YP Publishing
Category: Religion, Spiritual, Non-Fictio
Purchase on Amazon  and at danielfriedmannbooks.ca/

GUEST POST FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BIBLICAL CLOCK

For countless centuries, people have asked "How did our universe come into being? Has it always been here? How did we get here and are we really so close to the End of Times?"  In my book “The Biblical Clock: The Untold Secrets Linking the Universe and Humanity with God’s Plan” I have come up with some revelations that will surprise you!

Can God, Scripture, and science be reconciled? As we look at the stars in the sky many of us have pondered about our origins and how the universe was created at some point in our lives. I am no different, except perhaps that I have both a strong scientific and a religious background.  Thus, when I ponder our origins, the age of the universe I not only have to contend with two seemingly very different accounts of our universe; but with the knowledge that both are accurate, at least in terms of what happened and when it happened.

I began with knowledge gained from a basic religious upbringing and then a university education in which I studied science. Both bodies of knowledge were fascinating, yet appeared incompatible. For a while I came to think that science books answered everything. Yet, by my fourth year at university, some fundamental questions concerning our origins and the age of the universe began to re-appear. In science texts, some answers were not available, some answers were strange, and some answers were so metaphysical they looked like religious answers. So, I went back to study religion, this time also studying the mystical component of religion so as to find deeper inner meaning rather than the simple interpretation. Answers began to appear.

So what did I find?  I decided to share my findings in my book, The Biblical Clock.
The book is based primarily on Genesis and some other books of the bible. All of these are shared with Christianity and most with Islam. For non-Abrahamic religions, the book shows and approaches the issues but does not go into they're scriptures. This book is easy to read, engaging, entertaining, narrative style book that told the story of the discovery of all the information, while at the same time explain the key discoveries.  I teamed up with an award-winning writer to produce this book Dania Sheldon. 

While the book was originally intended for those 12 to 30 years of age that are or have gone through a school system that portrays science against religion, it has been well received by all ages. Readers with a knowledge-craving, open mind will thoroughly enjoy this read and be delighted by its many elements and propositions.

MORE ABOUT DANIEL FRIEDMAN 

Daniel is presently Chairman of the Board of Carbon Engineering a company dedicated to removing CO2 from the air to reduce climate change.  He has a master's in engineering physics and 30 years' experience in the space industry. He is also a longtime student of cosmology and religion. T

MORE ABOUT THE BOOK TOUR

Yvonne Wu is an author, speaker and owner of YP Publishing (http://theyyppublishing.com) Her motto is You have your own story to tell, our mission is to help you get the message out there. Learn more about this virtual book tour at http://www.danielfriedmannbooks.ca/the-biblical-clock-book-tour-2019/


MORE ABOUT THE BLOG, THIS BLOG AND ITS BENEFIT FOR WRITERS

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon Vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.



Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too! 

Friday, April 26, 2019

Perhaps 2019's "Catch 22?" Review of Thomas Allbaugh's Satirical Romp

Title: Apocalypse TV
Author: Thomas Allbaugh
Publisher: eLectio Publishing (Sept. 12, 2017)
Purchase on Amazon
Publisher's website: www.electiopublishing.com
ISBN 978-1632134288  
Paperback, $17.99

Reviewed by Marlan Warren Originally for Midwest Review

“His whole life has been a sham because he can’t accept responsibility for his failure to live by his own convictions.”—APOCALYPSE TV
What do reality TV game show contestants, religious fanatics, true believers, atheists, zombies, quarreling siblings, an FBI agent, Elvis impersonator, and an almost-fired English professor at a Christian college have in common? They all come together to interlock as essential players in Thomas Allbaugh’s tightly wound, often hilarious, debut novel, APOCALYPSE TV.
Shakespeare today might muse that “All the world’s a reality TV game show, and all the men and women merely players in their quest for prizes amid layers of illusions and media hype.” It is upon this slippery platform that Allbaugh has built a metaphor for our contentious world as viewed through the lenses of good vs. evil, secular religion vs. spirituality, and love vs. indifference.
The story kicks off when Christian intellectual, Walter Terry, takes a leave of absence from his conservative college in California to visit his dying father in Michigan. Walter has just been put on notice for allowing students to express non-conservative viewpoints, and fears his job is on thin ice.
Walter and his sister are approached in a Midwestern diner by a talent scout for a new reality TV show that claims to be “an investigation into American religious ideas.” He describes himself to the pretty interviewer as an “outsider in terms of religion,” but sees her write down “soft and vulnerable.” This pigeon-holing is exactly what makes these shows maddening, but also makes them fun for the fans.
Seduced by the promise of money and his own rationalization that perhaps a show like this could use an educated analytical thinker, Walter embarks on what will turn out to be a character-building odyssey. After he is entrenched in “Race for the Apocalypse,” Walter hears the producer refer to him as the show’s “sacrificial lamb.” And after that…all bets are off.
APOCALYPSE TV gradually amps up its madness, expanding reality until it pops with an outrageousness that is not quite Marx Brothers, but a fun romp nonetheless.
Allbaugh treads a fine line between crafting a thoughtful, moving plot with three-dimensional characters and satire. He keeps the humor subtle and deadpan, in the vein of Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22,” while never straying far from the book’s serious themes which examine secular religion vs. spirituality, truth vs. fiction, loyalty vs. betrayal.
Nothing turns out to be what it seems, the innocent must suffer, guilty baggage must be unloaded, and once a gun is introduced, it must eventually be used in the finale (with a nod to Chekhov). It is Allbaugh’s incredible juggling act that keeps the comedy, drama, and religious debates lightly airborne until they come back down to Earth, not with a bang or a whimper, but with the hard truths of Life and what it means to slog willingly through it.
APOCALYPSE TV will appeal to open-minded faith-based readers, as well as those who have no affiliation with a religion or belief. It argues against the extreme notion that only members of a certain faith are favored by God, while making a case for spiritual salvation through love, faith, hope, service…and the willingness to persevere.
Even when the chips are down.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Marlan Warren is a Los Angeles based blogger, playwright, and editor.  She is a frequent panelist for Greater Los Angeles Writers Society writers' conferences.  


MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS AND ANOTHER FREEBIE


 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.



Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too! 


Thursday, May 8, 2014

David M. Barker Pens Nonfiction Book on Religion and Science

Title: Science and Religion: Reconciling the ConflictsAuthor: David M. Barker
Author's website: www.davidmckaybarker.com
Genre: Non-fiction (religion and science)
ISBN: 9781625103796

Originally published: Amazon.com

Reviewed by Ted Cox originally for Amazon

Review:
Best read for me so far regarding the apparent conflicts between scriptural stories and science - terrific book! I consider myself "well read" when it comes to books trying to reconcile religion and science -- this is the best one I have read by far. Well documented and researched, the author clearly explains how "apparent" differences between science and the stories of the Bible can be reconciled by understanding well documented research and theories that demonstrate how the scriptural accounts can also be supported by scientific application. I never realized how many theories regarding geology, carbon dating, archaeology and so forth that are accepted by the scientific community and the general public as "undeniable truth" are in fact based on assumptions that have yet to be proved. I recommend you read this book and decide for yourself. You will find this book well written, enlightening and thought provoking.
Reviewer rating: ***** (5-stars)

Purchasing links:
 Amazon
Barnes and Noble

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Poet Published Short Book of Philosophy and Religion

Strength to Be Human
Author: Mark Antony Rossi
Loyal First Books
2015 Kindle E-Book Editions
48 pages
http://www.amazon.com
 Review by Sy Albright originally for Loyal First Books
Tackling the existential existence of humanity on a global scale would be a topic too large for even a War and Peace length volume, but Rossi’s Strength to Be Human manages to boil down his poignant distillations in less than fifty pages. Quite a feat when considering he neither dances around political opinions nor runs away from criticizing Science and Religion as potential negative elements that hold back humanity from its fullest potential.
In “What We Learned” Rossi states…..We waste our time building the better machine rather than raising the better child. The sum of our species is naught if we simply carry our fear and hostility to the Cosmos?
This is the first time I have ever read a book that successfully pushes back on religious thought and science philosophy without calling for extreme measures or proposing to exchange one idiotic ideology for another. He plainly points out that religion and science are most dangerous to peaceful coexistence when allowed to lament on humanity’s lack of superhuman or supernatural powers. Powers he clearly shows are unwanted and unneeded.
There is a certain poetry in these writings that ease the deeper thoughts into your mind as with the closing lines of “Prime Mover “--- “But the ultimate beauty of the human creation is the indomitable desire to rise above the sum of our shortcomings. In this journey the happiness of humanity stands the strongest chance of building a better world and finally finding a love capable of pushing back the primal instinct.”
These essays read like meditations for the well-being of four billion people. It’s a heady goal but likely a beneficial mission suited for the world-at-large. If Poverty and War have a permanent cure the medicine will arrive by natural means. No test tube or holy touchstone can bring people closer to peace until they settle the war raging in their own hearts. The mechanical and the metaphysical have a place in our dreams if humanity takes care to ensure our deepest decisions are made from personal experience and common sense.

About the Author:


Mark Antony Rossi is an Italian-American poet, fiction writer, playwright and future science author. His poetry, fiction, nonfiction and criticism have been published in Another Chicago Review, The Antigonish Review (Canada), Anak Sastra (Taiwan), Bareback Literary Review (Canada),  Black Heart Review, Brain of Forgetting (Ireland), Coe Review,  Deep South Journal, Dirty Chai,  Dogplotz,  Enclave, Entropy, Farther Stars Than,  Flash Fiction (Italy), Gravel, Heart and Seoul (South Korea), Mad Swirl,  Peaches Literary Magazine, Ploughshares,  The Muse (India) New Delhi Review (India), On The Rusk, Poetry Kanto (Japan), Petite Hound, Purple Patch (England), Japanophile, Satire, Scribble (New Zealand), SchitzoRealism, Scrivener Creative Review (Canada), The Journal of Poetry Therapy,  The Poet’s Haven,  The Sacrificial,  TransNational (Germany), Toad Suck Review, Tracer, Twisted Vines Literary Review, Yellow Chair Review and hundreds of others in ten countries. His poetry and fiction book titles include Tints and Timbres, Variations on Virtue, Songs the Season After, Church of Jazz and No Town of Mine.  His also the author of two nonfiction books Strength To Be Human and The Intruder Bulletins: The Dark Side of Technology a major bioethics paperback and ebook that became highly popular in American Colleges and Latin America after the Spanish-language version was released. He lobbied against Human Cloning Research was congratulated by then President George H.W. Bush for his ethical writings and principled stand on increased ethical consideration regarding biotechnology. A USAF combat veteran he devotes his spare time to supporting veteran causes in his community. And he has been a frequent radio guest (Weissbach, The Jeff Rense Show, X Zone, Across The Net, The Byte Show, Paranormal Front) to promote bioethics and veterans rights. His paper “Poetry as Therapy: Self and World Analysis” has been used a basis for poetic therapies to treat post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Carol Wilhelm Introduces 91-Year-Old First-Time Author

Author: E. Irene Theis 
Genre: memoir 


Reviewed by Carolyn Wilhelm originally for Amazon

What an amazing and impressive story revealing changes in time regarding women, religion, culture, and family experiences over the 91 years (and counting) of the author’s lifetime. The author’s life began in the  tender care of loving parents on an idyllic farm setting in northern Minnesota. There was a wonderful Lutheran church community which was and still is a strong influence in the lives of her and her now grown children. It seems religion was helpful along the way. Color pictures of the family, church, and area are included in the book. I like the photos as looking through them while reading provides a real sense of her life and story. 

E. Irene Theis suffered through years of abuse (for her and some of the children). There was also constant moving while having and raising the five babies. For many years, she blamed herself for not getting a divorce sooner. The authors own words best explain the depth of the problems she faced:

“Then Dennis received orders to go to California. We took the train. When we got to the area, we rented a motel room. We didn’t have any money for food until Dennis got paid the next day, and all I had with us was two potatoes so I made potato soup with water and salt.”

Her daughter Denise attended at least 14 schools. You get the picture. 

In later years, the author became empowered through her work in business. Graduating from college at age 66 (yes, you read that correctly), she worked and joined the Business and Professional Women's Foundation (BWP). She was voted Women of the Year in 1990. She was State President in 1992, and on the National Board in 1992 and 1993. She accomplished many wonderful things and these are a few examples. She also proudly helped employ a woman at Midwest Federal as a very successful, though blind, switchboard operator. This is one example of how she could help others after all she endured herself. 

As a member of BPW, she was interested in women’s issues, especially women’s health, and yes, in their economic status. She attended seminars, workshops, and researched both the health and financial problems of women. She did remarry in a much better relationship which was wonderful for her and the children, which was nice to read about. She described her trips to Norway and China with perspective and vivid detail. After retirement, she is living independently, writing books, and has a youthful life. 

Impressive accomplishment to become a published author at age 91!


MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Tulane Ph.D. Candidate Reviews Poetry about Immigrants


Les Lettres de La Nouvelle-OrlƩans
By Bouchaib Gadir
Paris: L’Harmattan, 2017
ISBN: 978-2-343-110172
Genre: migrant poetry

Reviewed by: Erika Mandarino, Ph.D. Candidate in French Studies at Tulane University

In his Lettres de La Nouvelle-OrlĆ©ans, Gadir liberates the language of his culture to redefine himself and overturn the stereotypes of the Arab-American. The poet abandons himself in the city of New Orleans, embracing its eccentricities, immortalizing its characters, and relating it to Paris: the city of lights, freedom and love. Along his illuminated path he drops breadcrumbs that allow him to revisit those dark corners of his memory; it is in the ever-present darkness that Gadir finds the Morocco of his childhood. In the poem “My Language and the Enlightenment,” he recalls the language of religion scribed onto the tablets in Koranic school that would threaten to bind him and his sisters in the same destiny, and he compares it to the language of culture that would allow him to buy flowers for the mother of his children, or to appreciate an art exhibit. It is culture that untethers the individual from the burden of religion, and Gadir’s poems are an ode to culture and individuality, where the interplay of light and darkness is the current that carries the reader from one poem to the next.

The first poem in the series titled “Ballet” begins with an invitation to know the dynamic character underneath the cumbersome name “Bouchaib”:

“Call me Bouchaib”
Between bursts of laughter
She signals for me to speak
To another secretary

My given name is Bouchaib
A name that I carry
Like a sin

The reader instantly recalls the great American novelist Herman Melville’s famous opening line of Moby Dick, “Call me Ishmael.” But for the secretary—and therefore all of those who represent an official verdict—the rich literary heritage that identifies the individual goes unnoticed, overshadowed by the Muslim name.

In his poems Gadir shucks the connotations of difference from his Arabic name, but instead of discarding the shell, like a true New Orleanian artist he creates from it reclaimed art. “Why don’t you change your name?” asks the ballerina, to which he answers:

Through it I dreamed
Through it I tore myself away
Through it I found happiness

A name can only define you to an extent; it also provides the means to break away and redefine yourself. New Orleans, on the other hand, did not have to carve a piece out of itself to make room for Gadir; it had always had a place for him. The very essence of the city depends upon those wayward artists who dare to indulge in tempestuous, uninhibited expression. Gadir’s portrayal of the city highlights this affinity with New-Orleanian artists. In the poem “A Paintbrush… A Canvas,” the poet evokes the painter Frenchy who captures the musicians of Rebirth Brass Band (depicted on the cover of the collection) in a celebration of synesthesia. Like Frenchy, for whom “The paintbrush brings forth the wound from the darkness,” Gadir’s paintbrush is his pen, at once uncovering and healing the wounds inflicted upon him by the past.

But in applauding the living legends of New Orleans, Gadir does not overlook the onerous—and often fruitless—labor for success in the city. In “The Saxophonist” we empathize with the ambulant, nameless artist whose music tells a different story than that of the famed Louis Armstrong, and in “Life Has Disappointed Him or So It Seems,” we see a young cook excluded from that jovial culture he works so hard to proliferate.

The Lettres de La Nouvelle-OrlĆ©ans are a reminder of the constant task of defining oneself in a world that tries to do it for you, and recognition that our differences are what unify us. To the struggling saxophonist, to his past and future self, and to his reader Gadir leaves this heartfelt advice:

Play your piece
Rise up in your skies
Be different
Resemblance is in pain
Difference is in playing
Resemblance is in redundancy
Difference is resemblance




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 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ). This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Dr. Bob Rich Reviews Loving Healing Press Book on Shared Humanity

Title: Demystifying Diversity
Subtitle: Embracing our Shared Humanity
Author: Daralyse Lyons
Genre: Nonfiction: Self-Help, Inspiration
• Publisher : Loving Healing Press
• Language: : English
• Paperback : 178 pages
• ISBN-10 : 1615995331
• ISBN-13 : 978-1615995332
Purchase B&N or Amazon
Kindle $6.29
Paperback $14.34

Reviewed by Dr. Bob Rich 

This review is for two books, not one, because they form one unitary whole. Daralyse has written a powerful book that may change your life, and an accompanying workbook that forces you to convert intellectual understanding into a changed perception of yourself and your world.

If you want one sentence to summarize the book(s), it is “Dehumanizing anyone dehumanizes everyone.” (p 92) My attitude is that we are all family, going right back to the Rift Valley. Demystifying Diversity implicitly applies this concept. Successive chapters examine different sources of discrimination including race, religion, sexual orientation, body size/shape, and disabilities. Each is in effect a case study for applying the message of all the great religions and philosophies: the power of unconditional love. As Daralyse reports her connection to a wide variety of inspiring people, bringing each to life within these pages, she demonstrates that human nature is basically cooperative, compassionate and decent. She invites the reader to identify with this view, and to proactively apply it to everyone.

We learn from doing, not from reading, and so setting exercises is a good teaching device. I enjoyed the exercises in the workbook, and although I was reading because the publisher requested a review, I found myself spending time and mental effort in thinking about the tasks she’d set. Some of the exercises will take you months, such as learning a new language, or a whole lifetime, like becoming friends with people from a culture now foreign to you.

This is a passionate book, a program with the intention of reforming an insane, hating, greedy culture into a sane, loving, generous one. Daralyse is always on the side of the victim — but rightly considers the perpetrator, the abuser, to be also a victim of the abusive behavior: “Trauma is cyclical. Standing for human rights requires us to develop our capacity for empathy and to search out the causes that create conditions of violence and victimization. If we don’t intervene in restorative and reparative ways, hurt people are likely to hurt other people.” (p xii)

Another way I have connected with Daralyse is her distinction between a person and an action. She writes, “Confronting the human capacity for evil doesn’t mean losing sight of the beauty and resilience within each of us. In fact, acknowledging both is the only foundation from which to begin the process of repairing the world.” (p2)

I can’t do better than to finish this review with another quote: “So many of the people I came to know and love since embarking on the Demystifying Diversity initiative are people I would never have crossed paths with otherwise. By connecting over our shared humanity, I have forged lasting friendships and learned a lot about the importance of empathy. Some of the people who have enriched my life the most are people with whom I don’t share much on the surface. Yet, we have connected deeply. They’ve taught me so much and I consider our relationships to be sacred. I could never have figured out the lessons they’ve taught me without them entrusting me with their stories.” (p 140) This is why Daralyse invites you to reap the same benefits through this book.


More About the Author

Daralyse Lyons, aka the Transformational Storyteller, is a journalist, an actor, and an activist. She has written more than two dozen full-length books, a handful of short stories, and countless articles, performed in various plays and in improv comedy shows. A member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and a summa cum laude graduate of NYU, with a double-major in English and Religious Studies and a minor in History, she is passionate about exposing the painful side of history, the side that is not written by oppressors. Through her studies, she has come to see the beautiful and overlapping philosophies of Judaism, Islam and Christianity and wonders why people so often use religion as a battering ram, instead of a source of solace and support. As a Biracial woman, she has made it her mission to stand for a more integrated world. As a sexually fluid person who has had relationships and experiences with both men and women, she has had to find her place amidst a multitude of communities that attempt to erase her orientation and has been a voice within the darkness. 

After writing an award-winning children’s book (I’m Mixed!) about embracing her multiethnic heritage, Daralyse found her passion and her purpose educating others about the need to embrace all aspects of themselves. Since then, she has written and spoken extensively on the subject of diversity. Her perspective is one that looks to acknowledge the past while refusing to become incapacitated by it. As a Biracial, multiethnic and sexually fluid woman, she is uniquely empowered to use her seemingly disparate background as a catalyst for cross-cultural understanding.

More About the Reviewer

Dr. Bob Rich knows all about prejudice and discrimination, having been a Jewish child in a culture where “You Jews murdered Jesus!” was a customary prelude to physical violence, then “I fought for this country! You foreigners are coming to take it over. Go back to where you came from!” was a sequel. So, like Daralyse, all his life, he has been on the side of the underdog. As he matured, he also developed compassion for the abuser, and now the whole of humanity is his family: he cares for you even if he hates your actions. That’s why he is a Professional Grandfather. If you want to know what that implies, visit his popular blog, Bobbing Around, at https://bobrich18.wordpress.com Learn more about him at http://bobswriting.com. Tweet with him @bobswriting. His newsletter is "Bobbing Around" at https://bobrich18.wordpress.com. His mottos are:
Commit random acts of kindness
Live simply so you may simply live

Dr. Bob Rich Reviews Loving Healing Press Book on Shared Humanity


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Saturday, February 9, 2013

Donna M. McDine Reviews New Helpful Book for Emigrants

This is a New Book Review first! I've never run interviews before, partially because I worry about getting reliable permission from both the interviewer and the author to reprint/repost them, so this is a trial. I'd also like to know how it's received by my New Book Review subscribers. So leave comments. Let me know what you think. I liked this review because it isn't canned--it truly has a personal touch.

Interview of Lance Johnson, author of What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A ToZ: How ToUnderstand Crazy American culture, people, government, business, language and more by Donna M. McDine


“Lance, I am in awe of your vast accomplishments. I’ve spent quite a bit of time learning about you through your website at www.AmericaAtoZ.com . I’d like to transform myself into a “pocket person” and experience your travels first hand. I’m delighted to interview you and to have an opportunity to introduce you to my blog readers and network of colleagues. Welcome!

 

DMc: The creation of your book, What ForeignersNeed to Know About America from A to Z: How to understand crazy Americanculture, people, government, business, language and more came from your love of America and extensive travels throughout the world. Please share why you feel your book is the perfect guide in understanding American culture.

 

LJ: As I point out in the book’s intro, I’ve been in 81 countries, taught overseas, and experienced firsthand the difficulties my immigrant friends in the US have understanding our crazy culture. I’m not sure there’s a perfect guide that you refer to above because it is such a broad complex topic. But I’ve simplified it with 26 fundamental chapters. For example, the chapters on grammar and speech simply address the errors commonly made by foreigners and how they can overcome them…I keep it simple and the language easy and fun.

 

DMc: One of your travel tips abroad is to ask people “what they would like to know about America that they were always afraid of asking for fear of offending.” What is the most common question, the most unusual?

 

LJ: Oh boy, that really varies. For example, when I taught Chinese teachers of English near Shanghai using my book as a text, the chapter on religion brought the most interest. This is not surprising, given China’s opposition to religions. Next in line was the chapter on film and the movie stars they knew a lot about.

 

A German couple wanted to know why we all get along so well here, given our various minorities. I explained that we didn’t do well at it, then we analyzed why they had that perception. A common question is about our food and table manners, a topic discussed in an entire chapter on food and dining. I think the most revealing questions come from foreigners who probably know more about what is going on in Washington than the average American. I recently met an Italian and his wife who surprised me with endless questions and observations about Obama, Romney, and our government, which reveals foreigners are indeed aware of what is happening here; they wanted my comments on their comments. That is why I have an entire chapter on government.

 

As a side note on this topic, throughout the book I stress the importance of free speech, individual rights, and religious freedom that are chiseled in the cornerstone of our society, which in turn define how we behave. Because of the recent crudely-produced video that incited Muslim hate of America, it comes as no surprise because in those countries they are told what they can do and say. Thus, it is my guess they think our government and people support saying bad things about their religion, which of course is not true. They don’t realize this was one man’s film and the expression of his opinion, and that in America we are free to express our opinions. (In Thailand I learned that expressing negative comments about the king can land you in jail.)

 

As I’ve learned in all my travels, if America were a business, it would need a better public relations department…we‘re continually fighting a bad image, another topic in my book. It has an entire chapter on what foreigners think about America, and in many cases they say the same thing: from their firsthand knowledge, America is not as bad as most foreigners think.

 

DMc: What, if any was your biggest obstacle in writing and publishing What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z?

 

LJ: This is easy. I wasn’t sure the book would ever be published. Halfway through the 24-month writing process, I started sending queries to literary agents and publishers around the world. The response was generally the same: There’s never been a book like this so there’s not a need for it. Finally, a foreign agent for all the big publishers in the US said he wanted rights to it. I signed a contract and he found a publisher who gave me an advance. Lesson: follow your own North Star and keep plugging away.

 

DMc: What has been your most exhilarating travel experience?

 

LJ: “Exhilarating” has multiple connotations, including frightening/exciting/stimulating. Frightening: Last year on a cruise ship from Singapore through the Suez Canal to Rome, as we approached Yemen and the Red Sea, we had to close our curtains a night and the ship ran without outdoor lights because of pirate activity in that area. During the day the captain spotted suspicious ships nearing us and broadcast an alert. Also, during the day we saw an armada of battle ships from different countries along the shipping lanes, which gave us some comfort. Exciting: I’ve traveled the Panama Canal multiple times and still marvel at this engineering wonder that is 100 years old and still working as designed. Stimulating: Visiting Israel, walking where Christ did, witnessing all the Biblical sights that I learned about as a youngster, and learning firsthand that Israel is much less the monster portrayed in the press regarding Arabs there. Like the US, they need a better PR Dept.

 

DMc: What’s next?

 

LJ: Would love to take the Orient Express, travel the Silk Road, and take the train across scenic Canada and write about that. (As an actor, I did some filming in Kunming, China, the exit from the Silk Road.) In my travels I send a travelogue to my friends with pictures and brief daily commentaries. In the last one when I sailed from Australia to San Francisco, this was the closing comment I made: “I’ve now been in 81 countries on 6 continents, but the more I travel the more I realize how little I know about the world and all that inhabits it, including peoples, cultures, vegetation, wildlife, and geology. What an eye opener it is to travel. If I were the Creator of Earth, I wouldn’t change a thing. What a magnificent place, and we’d better darn well take better care of it. This is also what astronauts say as they view Earth as a tiny speck cradling mankind. LJ”

 

I also point this out in the book’s intro:  With all of our cultural differences though, you’ll be surprised to learn how much our countries—and we as human beings—have in common on this third rock from the sun called Planet Earth. After all, the song played at our Disneyland parks around the world is “It’s A Small World After All.”

 

DMc: A signature request I like to ask every author, illustrator, editor, etc., I interview is for the individual to share with us a tidbit from their lives that the reader will find either humorous or surprising. Lance, can you please share one with us?

 

LJ: Perhaps the most surprising thing related to my book was receiving endorsements from the US Ambassador to China and the ambassadors to the US from China and Singapore in response to my requests for them. As my grandfather taught me ages ago: You’ll never know if you don’t try, will you?

 

Lance, thanks for taking the time out to chat with me. I’ve enjoyed getting to you know you! Best wishes for your continued success.

 

Interviewer bio: Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions, Literary Classics Silver Award & Seal of Approval Recipient Picture Book Early Reader, Readers Favorite 2012 Honorable Mention, Global eBook Awards Finalist Children’s Picture Book Fiction, and Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2010 Top Ten Children’s Books ~ The Golden Pathway.

Her stories, articles, and book reviews have been published in over 100 print and online publications. Her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has four more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, Hockey Agony, Powder Monkey, A Sandy Grave, and Dee and Deb, Off They Go. She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids and owner of Author PR Services from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the Children’s Literature Network, Family Reading Partnership, and SCBWI. Visit www.donnamcdine.com and www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com.
 
Buy Information:
Learn more about Lance Johnson at www.howtodoitfrugally.com/A_to_Z.htm. His book is available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/ForeignersAmericaUs in the US and on other Amazon online bookstores worldwide.

 
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :