Non-Fiction

Review: Beyond the Horizon: A Memoir by Marvin Wilmes ★★★★

Beyond the Horizon: A Memoir by Marvin WilmesBeyond the Horizon is Marvin Wilmes’ moving memoir about growing up in the turbulent sixties and trying to maintain his Catholic face amid family tragedy. It can be said that every life is worthy of a memoir. Every life is dramatic – every family likely faces illness and certainly faces deaths of loved ones. Wilmes certainly had a storied life and he has crafted an uplifting tome that should help readers navigate through their own troubled times.

Overall, Wilmes’ memoir is a pleasant and comforting read. What’s relaxing about the book, and should help bring readers solace, is that it’s […]

2017-03-24T10:42:40+02:00May 8th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: The Power of Courage by Charol Messenger

★★★★½ The Power of Courage by Charol Messenger

In The Power of Courage: An Uplifting Saga of Moving Beyond  Abuse by Charol Messenger, a memoir of an abusive relationship, Messenger takes us day by day through the twists and turns of an affair that turns very bad very quickly, becoming emotionally, psychologically, and physically dangerous. In fact, and this is one of the strangest things about this story, it doesn’t really turn bad. It starts out that way.

I have been told that during performances of Shakespeare’s Othello, audiences often shout and leap from their seats in an attempt to stop Othello from killing Desdemona. I […]

2016-03-04T04:34:18+02:00May 8th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: The Demon Cat Of Calle Del Rio by Art Lester ★★★★★

The Demon Cat Of Calle Del Rio by Art LesterArt Lester’s travelogue is a fascinating and funny account of the author’s time in a tiny Spanish village in the mountains by the fictional name of Cantilla.

Books on Spain are always fascinating to other Europeans, and Lester’s book is no exception. I am a Brit, and an ex-pat in Spain, and I was keen to find out if all the foibles I had found further south of Andalusia in the province of Malaga held true for Lester in Granada, albeit some years back before flights to Spain were as common as ten a day per airline from the UK.[…]

2019-01-22T15:39:48+02:00May 4th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Elliptical: The Music of Meshell Ndegeocello by André Akinyele and Jon O’Bergh ★★★★

Elliptical: The Music of Meshell NdegeocelloElliptical: The Music of Meshell Ndegeocello by André Akinyele and Jon O’Bergh is the tribute to musician and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello, and is purported to be the first comprehensive overview of her work. The bulk of the book is about André Akinyele’s personal experience discovering her music, while Jon O’Bergh contributes more factual information about her recording history.

I should probably preface this by saying that I wasn’t entirely familiar with the music of Meshell Ndegeocello before receiving this book to review – a career that spans three decades. In short, I haven’t had the same experience of exultation that […]

2019-01-22T15:48:33+02:00May 1st, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: On Becoming Extraordinary by Pieter Klaas Jagersma ★★★★

On Becoming ExtraordinaryOn Becoming Extraordinary: Star Professional Service Firms is a business book by Pieter Klaas Jagersma. When I first glanced at the title of this book, I thought I was about to read a book that would tell me how to stop procrastinating, maintain a healthy weight, keep my office well-organized and my house clean—that last one would be extraordinary indeed. I was delighted to discover that this book is nothing of the kind.

As I would have seen (thought not been much enlightened) if I had read the subtitle, On Becoming Extraordinary is about Professional Service Firms (PSFs), particularly how […]

2017-03-24T10:54:23+02:00April 16th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Beauty and Chaos: Essays on Tokyo Life by Michael Pronko ★★★★★

Beauty and Chaos by Michael PronkoBeauty and Chaos: Essays on Tokyo Life (also subtitled as Slices and Morsels of Tokyo Life; full title 僕、トーキョーの味方です in Japanese) is a collection of writings by Michael Pronko on his experiences of the past 15 years living and working in Tokyo, originally published in Newsweek Japan, collected together here.

Born in Kansas City, and traveling across the world to places like Beijing, Pronko sets his view on Tokyo with the eyes of a writer well-traveled, but with an American-raised core to his ideas, his once-fresh eyes, and his general outlook.

These aspects are important in the consideration of […]

2018-09-05T12:36:25+02:00April 8th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , , |

Review: A Distant World Beckons by Thomas Eberhard ★★★★

a distant worldThis unusual book, A Distant World Beckons: Embracing The Mystical, from Minnesota author Thomas Eberhard explores the fascinating topic of communication with the deceased, and shares anecdotes from people who have made contact with loved ones who have passed. Is it just our own negativity and cynicism, and maybe fear that stops us believing that there is another side to existence, and if we believe in what is possible, can we build an enriching life experience with our dearly departed?

Eberhard grew up in the countryside on a farm, and has become acutely sensitive to signs and possible messages […]

2017-03-24T11:02:16+02:00March 27th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Sex, Drugs & Islam by Dari Ghaznavi ★★★★

sex drugs and islamSex, Drugs & Islam is the provocative and controversial memoir by Pakistani author, Dari Ghaznavi. In a conversational style, Ghaznavi tells tale of his time in the military, running drugs and other criminal activity, traveling the world, and, especially, chasing women. Despite its dark topics, the narration is breezy and spirited. Dari Ghaznavi really has lived a life like no other.

The title alone suggests that Ghaznavi is a man who takes chances and fears no one. Again and again, Ghaznavi puts himself in situations that would kill most people, or at least end up in an extended prison stay. […]

2015-02-02T09:35:13+02:00January 20th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |
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