Essay Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Athena’s Owl by Robert Woolston

From Napoleon to Thoreau to Edward Snowden to Hollywood, Robert Woolston’s essay collection, Athena’s Owl: Philosophy Articles on Personal Growth, Modern Society & Hollywood Cinema, provides an intelligent and well-observed study of humanist philosophies in their earliest forms, and their transposition into modern culture.

Each of these short essays covers some aspect of morality as originally conceived, and as later enacted in film or current world affairs. The three main sections demonstrate how the ethics of such systems as Stoicism, Pragmatism, and Transcendentalism can impinge on our lives and permeate even the realm of entertainment.

The harsh upbringing and […]

Barbara Scott2017-09-21T04:28:11+02:00September 19th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Essay Book Reviews, Philosophy Book Reviews|

Review: The Stuff of Life by Asif Zaidi

Former Chairman of the Management Board of Citibank Kazakhstan, Pakistani author Asif Zaidi presents essays on a myriad of eclectic subjects in The Stuff of Life. Not hesitant to weigh in on such topics as philosophy, religion, social issues, anthropology, and even evolution, Zaidi is after finding the very meaning of life in this intriguing and wide-ranging collection of essays.

Zaidi spends a lot of time on the subject of religion, and how it defines or derails us. His focus may not always be popular, but it is certainly interesting. The expectation of the coming of a Messiah anticipated […]

Barbara Scott2019-02-11T09:26:10+02:00March 1st, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Essay Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Book Reviews, Social Science Book Reviews|

Stumbling Toward the Buddha by Dawn Downey

Stumbling Toward the Buddha by Dawn Downey is a collection of interconnected essays about finding “enlightenment” in the modern world. Refreshingly honest, and filled with self-deprecating humor, Downey is not afraid to admit her faults, as well as delve into her painful past, to fully understand herself and the world around her.

Though the book is touted as more of a memoir than self-help book, it could be said to be even more effective than the usual self-help tome because of the Downey’s humor and insight. Downey is expert at pointing out human foibles, especially as it relates to spiritual […]

Lysa Grant2016-04-06T09:47:33+02:00April 6th, 2016|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Essay Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews, Spirituality Book Reviews|

Review: I Punched Myself in the Eye by Pamela Capone

Any readers out there who need a good belly laugh? Pamela Capone’s latest work I Punched Myself in the Eye is just the tonic for any reader looking for a fun book to pick up. This is a sparky collection of sketches drawn from everyday life: by turns hilarious, familiar, heart-warming and heart-rending. It’s a book the reader can dip into at leisure, enjoying the bite-sized chapters in any order. This is observational comedy in a very human style, and the reader (be they male or female) will surely find themselves laughing or crying out loud along with the author […]

Helen Chenaf2019-02-11T09:26:06+02:00March 7th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Essay Book Reviews, Humor|

Review: Motions and Moments: More Essays on Tokyo by Michael Pronko

Continuing on from his previous book, Beauty and Chaos: Slices and Morsels of Tokyo Life, Michael Pronko presents more stories and snippets of life in Tokyo from the perspective of an expat American. Motions and Moments: More Essays on Tokyo reflects on the unique flavors, distinct cultures, and the functional paradoxes of the Japanese capital in 42 more essays from Pronko’s 18 years of Japanese life. Altogether, the book provides a light, solemn, and amusing collection of autobiographical moments and views on the vibrant and fascinating Land of the Rising Sun.

Pronko has an intriguing outlook on his surroundings: […]

James Grimsby2019-02-11T09:26:00+02:00February 26th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Essay Book Reviews, Travel Book Reviews|

Review: I Was A Champion Then by Alfred A. Meyer

I Was A Champion Then: Twelve Stories About Quiet Injustice, Small Rebellions and Restless Hope is a collection of essays and short stories compiled by the author’s son, Christopher Paul Meyer. A book decades in the making, Alfred Meyer had 30,000 pages of unpublished work when he died in 2012. Alfred Meyer writes eloquently about baseball, childhood wargames, lovelorn women, race and other topics that seem at once deeply American and universal. Meyer writes about big American topics; he may not have completed the Great American Novel, but the tenor of these stories suggests he was well on his way.[…]

Henry Baum2019-02-11T09:25:49+02:00July 13th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Essay Book Reviews, Short Stories Book Reviews|

Review: Harebrained by Meg Myers Morgan

Harebrained: It seemed a good idea at the time is a delightfully humorous collection of essays by Meg Myers Morgan. The essays cover many aspects of motherhood, good and bad jobs, education (her own and her kids’), higher education, becoming a writer, and many more topics in spirited and engaging prose. There is also a three-act play thrown into the mix.

In a way, the collection seems like the essay version of the popular blog, “Hyperbole and a Half,” including a similar brand of irreverent wit and self-deprecation. This is high praise, rather than suggesting that its derivative of someone […]

Lysa Grant2019-02-11T09:25:35+02:00June 17th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Essay Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Book Reviews|

Please Fall In Love With Me (And Other High School Wishes) by Brandon Alvarado

Please Fall In Love With Me (And Other High School Wishes) is a refreshingly candid collection of essays, impressively written by an author still in high school. As there are few books for teenagers, by teenagers, the book aims to fill that gap, and does so effectively. Alvarado has an charming and spirited voice, and he’s not afraid to leave everything on the page. At times, the book tends to be a little too loose (stray grammatical errors), but overall it’s a strong and funny collection about trying to fit in and finding your true self.