Review: Political Party & Government Leadership & Succession Globally by Mandla Skhosana

 

Genre: Non-Fiction/Politics

Description:

“Hillary Clinton-Donald Trump, Trump-Biden (Part 1&2), the demand by niinenteen Democrats Representatives and one Senator for Biden's withdrawal as Democrats' presumptive nominee for the November5, 2024 presidential election, Rishi Sunak- Keir Starmer, Jacob Zuma-Cyril Ramaphosa (Part 1&2), Bolsonaro-Lula Da Silva, Uhuru Kenyatta-William Rutto (Part 1&2), fragmenting, fracturing and splintering political parties and countries like Sudan and the DRC, which are in ICU, become comatose and live off oxygen and await medics' decision to turn off the machine (their demise), and the military leaving the barracks for political office all share one thing in common: politicians involved in a fight to death gladiatorial contest for conquest of power within political parties, the engine of democracy, and governments, the voice of the people in a representative government, a government of the people by the people, regardless of consequences..

The gladiators' fight to death in the arena downplays and disregards completely the truism that whenever two elephants fight the grass suffers. It begs these questions: Why so much bloodletting? Is there no middle ground (third way)?Is the tail wagging the dog?

Should ordinary members of political parties and citizens (Joe Soap and Jane Soap) not come first in leadership and succession contests because politicians, political parties and governments were made for the benefit of rank-and-file members and citizens, and not vice versa?

Leadership and succession processes mimic the multi-headed Hydra Hercules had to conquer. The elephant in the room merits re-examination and re-setting to put people first.”

Author:

Through years of experience in different work environments Mandla Skhosana has observed how leaders approach leading. He is married with six children and five grandchildren.

Appraisal:

In this first of a planned five-volume series the political landscape in multiple countries on at least four different continents is explored. Both how they function and malfunction, from the US, to UK, to a few countries on the African continent, as well as Brazil, the author looks at different methods and ways power gets passed from one leader to the next. It is, as the subtitle of the book, “Ascension-Exit-Ascension-Exit-Never-ending-Cycle,” indicates, the same kind of things over and over again. I found this to be an interesting read. While intended to be aimed for an average person, not an expert in politics and related subjects, I did find the language to feel more like a textbook at times than the books I normally read, but also interesting and something a person like myself, who is interested in politics around the world, would learn and get some new perspectives from reading. For those who want to dig deeper than this goes or question one of the facts provided, extensive footnotes are included to point the way for digging deeper and validating the facts presented.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 words

Review: Red Dirt Unplugged by Josh Crutchmer

 Genre: Non-Fiction

Description:

“Red Dirt Unplugged is the view from the wings as the Red Dirt music scene reaches heights never-before thought possible. At the crossroads of country, roots rock, and Americana, artists in the scene are enjoying sustained worldwide attention at a large scale for the first time in history. Wyatt Flores, Kaitlin Butts, Southall, Josh Meloy and more are walking through the doors opened by The Turnpike Troubadours and all the artists before them who first put the cracks in those same doors”

Author:

Currently the print planning editor at the New York Times, Josh Crutchmer has a long history in journalism having worked for several newspapers around the country before landing at the Times. During that time his specialty has often been  music journalism which he still does on the side, reporting at times for various newspapers as well as Rolling Stone magazine. He has Two prior books. For more, visit his website.

Appraisal:

This is Josh Crutchmer’s third book. The first, Red Dirt, explored the history and current state of the Red Dirt music scene, basically the Oklahoma music scene with comparable music from elsewhere, especially Texas, getting mention when it makes sense. His second book was much the same, but covering the music scene of the mountain states, mainly music with its roots in Idaho. This book picks up the red dirt scene, exploring changes that have happened after the period covered by the first book right up to just barely before the book was released. For those who are fans of red dirt music, especially if you read and liked Crutchmer’s prior books, getting this is an easy decision. The structure is much the same as the prior books with each chapter discussing a specific artist, often including an interview with the artist to understand their musical history (if they’re fairly new to the scene) or what’s new with them, if they’re old-timers. You’ll also find a bit of foreshadowing if you’re curious as to what Crutchmer’s fourth book is going to explore.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of typos and proofreading misses.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

Reprise Review: The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know by Paula J. Caproni

 

Genre: Non-Fiction/Self-Help

Description:

“In this book you will learn what you need to do to achieve the success in life that you desire and deserve. The author provides you with a practical framework that will help you get better results at work, be successful in your career, and enjoy a fulfilling life outside of work.”

“In short, this book answers these three main questions:

(1) What do the most successful people do differently than other people?

(2) How can those characteristics and behaviors be learned?

(3) How can you apply these lessons to your own life?”

Author:

“Paula J. Caproni is a faculty member in the Management and Organizations Department at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Professor Caproni received her MBA from the University of Massachusetts and her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Yale University. In addition to teaching about leadership skills, effective coaching, developing power and influence, and creating high performing teams in the University of Michigan MBA and Executive Programs, she has served as the Academic Director of the Full-Time and Part-Time MBA Programs. She has coached over 500 executives and served as the lead Professional Development Coach for the Executive MBA Program and several Executive Education programs.”

Appraisal:

At its foundation, this book is looking at the scientific studies that have been done that pertain to being successful and based on that explains the steps you or anyone could take to become more successful, whatever that word means to you. In other words, Ms. Caproni has provided the data.

As I was reading I found myself providing anecdote in support of the theories. For example, there were multiple times the author mentioned joining and participating in a Toastmasters Club as something to help in a particular area, and I compared her suggestion to my own Toastmasters experiences, and they agreed. I found myself looking at successful people I know or situations I’ve been in and saw that they fit the patterns she describes.

One big takeaway that some people would benefit from learning is that a big part of success is believing you can achieve your goals and then taking the actions to get there, one step at a time. This is a book I wish I’d read years ago, but think even those getting a bit old like me could still profit from what it teaches.??

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Review: The Mechanics of Changing the World by John Macgregor

Genre: Non-Fiction

Description:

“The Mechanics of Changing the World argues that war, inequality and climate

change are insoluble within our current system of government. That they will only

be curable at the level of causes: the level of democratic design.

 

‘Third draft democracy’ is a suite of interlocking reforms to decontaminate politics,

decentralise information, and democratise decision-making. It’s a natural evolution

of the first (Greek) and second (Euro-American) ‘drafts’ of the democratic experiment.

 

The last half-century has seen the antiwar movement, Perestroika, Tiananmen,

Occupy, and the Arab Spring: great activism, great ideals, strong popular support.

Yet none of these built anything lasting.

 

One-off campaigns—whether against lopsided trade deals, poverty or surveillance—

are fragile. Changing the world needs more than inspired troubleshooting. It needs

architecture”

 

Author:

“John Macgregor has won national awards for literature and investigative journalism, managed aid projects in Cambodia, and wrote the story development for the movie Shine. From Washington, Rangoon and occupied East Timor, he has reported on science, politics, corruption and slavery for The New York Times, New Scientist and The Sydney Morning Herald.”

Appraisal:

The author has an interesting take on governments in the world today that are democratic. He makes a strong case that some of the world’s issues aren’t likely to get resolved until the form of government is reformed. Note that the issues the author is thinking of could, in some cases lead to extinction of life on Earth (climate change or war, if it goes nuclear). Or the third item, inequality, continuing in its current direction could leave us wishing we’d been wiped out.

The author does an excellent job explaining the history of democracy, evolving from what he calls first draft democracy into what we have in many countries today, that he calls second draft. He explains where the weaknesses in the current systems are. He makes the case for why tweaking these existing systems isn’t going to fix things well enough to work. He then explains what would work, why it lays the foundation for a political system that will work better and doesn’t have the fatal flaws the current systems do.

One thing that I found interesting early on was the author said that no reader was going to agree with everything he says and indicates that hoping for that would “be at odds with the spirit of the book.” He also indicates that his ideas are sometimes going to be things that we would perceive as being on the left of the political spectrum and other times on the right of the spectrum, which was correct. But I found myself not objecting to many of his suggestions that weren’t in sync with my current political leanings. He argues that much political conflict in today’s world happens for reasons that might not be what we perceive as their cause.

Last, the author doesn’t throw out things he claims are facts that many would question and just expect the reader to take his word for it. There are over 1,500 footnotes with each footnote providing a link to a source backing up his claim, so if you want to dig deeper, he’ll help you start down that rabbit hole. I’d recommend this book to anyone with any interest in politics (and if you aren’t interested, you should be).

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

The author specifically mentions that the language he uses in the book is “a mix of the Australian, American and British dialects” of English. That seemed accurate.

Format/Typo Issues:

My review is based on a pre-release copy of the book, so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 120-125,000 words

Review: Gone Catfishing by JR Hopkins

 

Genre: Non-Fiction/Self-Help

Description:

Have you ever been sent a message on any dating or social media site by someone wanting you to be friends with him or her? Someone who pretended to be romantically interested in you but used a fake profile, and not who you thought they were, to lure you in and then it turned into a scam...usually for money. If you have, then you've been 'Catfished'. The was written to let people know of the different ways these scammers try to get money out of you.

Author:

Born in Durant, Oklahoma, JR Hopkins describes herself as a “displaced Okie with a bit of Choctaw blood.” A bit of a nomad her place of residence has bounced around a bit, with stints in states as varied as Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, and Connecticut as well as internationally, living for a time in Iceland. She currently lives in Idaho and is the author of several books that range from romance, to memoir, and even one that while primarily a cookbook has a little memoir thrown in as well. That’s a mashup you don’t see very often.

Appraisal:

Maybe it is because I don’t patronize websites or use apps like Tinder that are specifically aimed at helping to hook two willing people up, but I’ve been lucky enough not to have become a target of one of these catfishing schemes. It seems as though women being targeted by men happens more frequently and targeting people on social media sites that I do frequent isn’t as common, although it does happen. Reading this to familiarize myself with examples of these schemes will hopefully prepare me in case I ever do become a target or if it happens to friends or family, it might help me recognize what is happening.

Odds are none of the above will happen to me. That’s good. I’d rather not need the knowledge I gained from reading this book. Despite being true and my assumption that everything would work out in the end I still found it entertaining, with some of the qualities of a thriller or mystery, as I wondered what the catfishers were going to do next and hoped the author was going to see and deal appropriately with all the potential repercussions. So, it was a fun and engaging read as well as educational.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

My review is based on an advance reviewer copy so I can’t judge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Review: The Retirement Planning Roadmap by Sweet Home Publishing

 

Genre: Non-Fiction/Self Help

Description:

“Discover the secret to enjoying your golden years free of fears and worries – retire with confidence in just 7 steps!

After years – or even decades – of relentlessly working, you’re almost ready to trade in your work chair for a beach chair.

You imagine yourself trotting along a picturesque town with your friends… instead of running around the office.

Right now, it's really tempting to think about retirement as a never-ending holiday, where you’re finally allowed to rest and relax without having to deal with deadlines, a full email inbox, or stressful colleagues.

But here’s a reality check: If you took a look at your bank account right now, would you have enough to have that dreamy permanent vacation… or maybe a bad dream?

The truth is, nearly half of adults approaching retirement age may not be financially prepared to retire, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The good news is, you don’t have to be one of them. Whether you're just beginning to plan for retirement or are closer to embarking on this new chapter of your life, you can act now to turn your retirement dreams into a reality.”

Author:

No information provided

Appraisal:

I’ll start this out with the statement that I wish I’d read this book many years ago. Given my current age and likely retirement age, I should have gotten this information from somewhere a long time ago. (From this book would have been perfect, except it didn’t exist until more recently.) That said, there is a ton of information here that is and will continue to be valuable to me. The subjects covered in this book include the obvious, specifically the financial issues surrounding retirement, but also some of the other less obvious issues, what I’ll describe as the mental roadblocks and mental adjustments you’ll need to prepare for and work through. Some, I’d thought of, but this has got me thinking of others. I suspect many who, like me, are close to retirement, could benefit from reading this too. The downside is that you’re liable to stress out if you realize you aren’t as prepared in some ways as you thought you were, but better to adjust plans now if needed.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Reprise Review: Moving Clutter to the Cloud by Charity Grant

 Genre: Non-Fiction/Self Help

Description:

“Film and television views of the future are always clean, sleek and uncluttered. I used to think it was the technology. That at some point in the future, we’d have the technology to meet our daily needs without the need to climb over all of our daily stuff.

Then at one point, quite recently, I realized that we’re already there…”

Author:

Charity Grant is the pen name of an author who has written multiple non-fiction books designed to make the reader’s life better in some way.

Appraisal:

Many (most?) of us have trouble with clutter. Some (like the people on that Hoarders TV show) more trouble than others. There are numerous techniques for preventing or eliminating that clutter. My Mom even self-published a book 25 years ago to sell at seminars she conducted that had a chapter on getting rid of clutter.

My success at implementing my Mom’s decluttering ideas has been mixed, at best. I think I’ll have better luck with Charity Grant’s suggestions. Some of them I’ve already implemented. (Those hundreds of books I get each year are no longer paper which has stopped bookcases from taking over my entire house.) Other suggestions I can see their value and, most important, can actually picture myself doing. To me, that’s the sign of a self-help book that’s worthwhile.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Original review published May 5, 2017.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Review: Loose on the Landscape by Joel Everett Harding

 Genre: Non-Fiction/Autobiography/Science/Travel

Description:

“Ever wonder what it’s like alone at midnight in the depths of a vast marsh, or thought of stumbling into a roiling geyser field in the dark? What happens when you get swept along for miles in a flooded river without an exit—or explore a prehistoric swamp with predators left over from the Cretaceous? How can you sense an Amazon rainforest breathing. Have you watched a great ancient waterfall cease forever in less than a day? Does the Jersey Devil still inhabit the pine barrens?

Let the author take you on these and many other outdoor adventures and ecological investigations. Written in a creative nonfiction style (reads like a novel) a professional ecologist, looks for meaning in the wildest places, and shows us a range of perspectives for appreciating the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of immersing ourselves in wild landscapes. He brings needed context by examining the causes-and-effects of ever changing environments, and brings us along as he restores damaged streams, rivers and wetlands. His poetic descriptions and insights show us how landscapes inspire perceptions of beauty, art, and increased personal well-being that underlie our innate connections with nature. Along the way, the author immerses the reader into his landscapes with keen-eyed observations that underlie our innate personal connections with nature. He shows how we gain insights and increased well-being when we go afield to explore. As he says, ‘Sometimes nothing is more important than going off into the woods and contemplating the frog chorus of a vernal pool.’”

Author:

“Joel Everett Harding is the pen name of a professional field ecologist who has spent decades exploring the wild places nature offers us. The author has professional credentials in a variety of scientific fields, including ecosystem ecology, wildlife biology, animal behavior, and habitat restorations. He has been a scientist to private industry, federal, state and local governments and nonprofit organizations. His personal adventures and scientific investigations have taken him to landscapes throughout North America and elsewhere.

He has enjoyed ‘collecting’ ecosystems and wildscape experiences of all sizes, from puddles to rainforests and everything in-between. His books have focused on a creative nonfiction style using techniques found in works of adventurous fiction where character, plot and action prevail. Thus, his compelling stories read like novels that captivate readers with their themes of realistic mysteries, exploration, and dilemma resolutions. Joel lives in the rural mid-Atlantic Piedmont region, and when not visiting the wild places, he exchanges his pen for brushes to visually paint scenes and landscapes that have inspired him.”

Appraisal:

This book is unique in that it has aspects of multiple non-fiction genres that you don’t typically see together.

First, it is partly an autobiography or memoir in that it relates true stories of things that have happened to the author over his lifetime, many of them related to his work as a “professional field ecologist” with others happening as part of his personal life, on family vacations for one example. What ties them all together is they relate things that happened in the outdoors in a wide variety of places and environments. He discusses the specific “ecoregion” where each takes place and how the environment impacted the experience. (Ecoregions are a method of defining different areas of the US and elsewhere, categorizing the unique elements of the environment in each area.)

In many ways this felt like a travel memoir with the author describing his experience as well as lots of detail about the area it was happening in. Like would happen with a travel book I found myself comparing his experience (what he saw, thought of the area, etc.) with my own experience with the area, if I’d been there before. For areas I hadn’t visited, I enjoyed visiting vicariously via the author’s description.

Last, this was a bit of a science book covering multiple areas of science at different points including ecology, biology, and geography, discussing not just the current situation in that area, but how things had changed on planet Earth over thousands of years causing changes in the geology and climate resulting in the current condition in the area in question.

Some sections were intense adventures while others were enjoyable romps and interesting learning experiences. If any of the subjects covered interest you, this book is one worth giving a read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing misses.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 120-125,000 words

Review: The Motel Cowboy Show by Josh Crutchmer

 Genre: Non-Fiction

Description:

“From the Sawtooth Mountains of central Idaho, where phone service still may not reach, to the bustle of Austin, centerpiece of the Texas Music Scene, the influence of mountain roots music is real, lasting, and chronicled by Josh Crutchmer. This highly-anticipated sequel to Red Dirt: Roots Music, Born in Oklahoma, Raised in Texas, At Home Anywhere ties mountain originals like Pinto Bennett to cowboy poets like Baxter Black and Chris LeDoux, and follows their trail down every highway and back road they chose. The rise, heyday and pending touring retirement of Reckless Kelly is covered extensively, bouyed by the humor and introspection of Willy and Cody Braun, their musical upbringing and the larger-than-life influence they forged wherever they made music. The book also puts you in the seats at the venerable Red Rocks Amphitheater for the 2022 comeback concerts by the Turnpike Troubadours, supported by Reckless Kelly and Shovels & Rope. You'll also get the complete story of the Braun Brothers Reunion and its lasting impact on the community of Challis, and read about the determination of Micky and the Motorcars to carve their own legacy. The Motel Cowboy Show will inform as much as it entertains, and it will leave readers casting eyes toward the stages and studios of the American West.”

Author:

Currently the print planning editor at the New York Times, Josh Crutchmer has a long history in journalism having worked for several newspapers around the country before landing at the Times. During that time his specialty has often been  music journalism which he still does on the side, reporting at times for various newspapers as well as Rolling Stone magazine. He has one prior book, Red Dirt, a book about music with its roots in Oklahoma. For more, visit his website.

Appraisal:

As with Josh Crutchmer’s last book, Red Dirt, that covered the history and various connections involved in the development of the Red Dirt music scene that originated in Oklahoma and spread from there, this book does the same for some of the music with roots in the mountains of the western US. As with Red Dirt each chapter of the book stands alone. This can feel disjointed if you expect one chapter to flow into the next and sometimes results in something that was covered in one chapter getting repeated in another one when the information is needed as background in both places, but for the most part if you understand the goal was for each chapter to stand alone, it is no big deal.

If you’re a fan of one or more of the musical acts mentioned in the description and want to know more about their history and their influences, reading this is a no-brainer. If you read and enjoyed Red Dirt, same story.

Some chapters are question and answer chapters, what he calls “roundtables,” with multiple musicians. Some are a run down of a festival with a brief summary of those who played, impressions, and how they connect to each other and the overriding theme, with some glimpses behind the scenes. Yet other chapters are what you might expect, a summary of the history of one or more of the musical acts significant in this subgenre and how they connect to others. As a fan of many of the bands and the genre of music covered, I knew some of the history, certainly more of it than I did when I read Red Dirt, but I learned a lot more. One of the festivals that were discussed in a chapter was one I’d attended, and it helped me appreciate the experience more while also reliving it to some degree. Other festivals that I didn’t attend, I got to experience vicariously through the author’s eyes. A fun read that has left me wondering whether Crutchmer has another music scene he’s planning on documenting in his next book.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: You Are Not Here by Eric Czuleger

 Genre: Travel Memoir/Non-Fiction/History/Politics

Description:

“American journalist Eric Czuleger dives into the twilight zone of statecraft by living in unrecognized nations in order to discover what a country really is. He begins his journey as a third-grade teacher in Iraqi Kurdistan at the height of the Kurdish independence movement. Banned by Turkey, he pivots to Kosovo where he reports during the nation's 10 year anniversary celebration. Moving on to The Black Hole of Europe, Transnistria, he arrives in time for the Russian election. Finally, Czuleger infiltrates the world's first crypto-anarchist nation, Liberland, where he parties with Bitcoin millionaires and falls into his most challenging position yet: Liberland Ambassador to Somaliland. There, in the never ending desert, he discovers the real cost of drawing a new line in the sand.

You Are Not Here: Travels Through Countries that Don't Exist is part history lesson, memoir, and adventure travelog in the tradition of Bill Bryson, Louis Theroux, and Anthony Bourdain.”

Author:

Eric Czuleger is a playwright with several plays to his credit that have been produced from coast to coast. A former Peace Corps volunteer and the son of a USA Today bestselling novelist, Czuleger has two novels he’s written that are available as well as his most recent release, a travel memoir.

Appraisal:

I’ve been a fan of travel memoirs for many decades. As an avid traveler I find myself comparing the travel memoir author’s experience with my own, if they visit a place I’ve been, and travel with them vicariously if it is a place I haven’t been. Some of the experiences I read about I’m unlikely to experience by myself. I guarantee I’m never going to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, but have read multiple books to experience it vicariously. I feel extremely safe saying that those things Eric Czuleger experienced and the places he visited that are chronicled in this book are not things I will ever experience or places I’m likely to visit, but I can definitely learn from his experience. And I did.

The places Eric traveled to and chronicled in this book are places that see themselves as a country, just like the United States, Canada, or France is a country, but few, if any of the other countries in the world agree. Eric experiences the unique culture of these places, sometimes disconcerting and possibly a bit on the dangerous side. He observes the people and does what he can to get a feel for the impact of this country’s status with the rest of the world on its people. The theme running through the entire book is an attempt to decide exactly what it is that makes a country a country. Will he come up with the ultimate answer that we’ll all agree with? I’ll let you read and decide. Whatever the answer to that question, his exploration and consideration of this was an interesting exercise that got me thinking a lot about not only countries that might not be an actual country, but also about the differences, both good and not so good, to those places that clearly are countries.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on a pre-release ARC (advance reader copy) and I can’t gauge the final product based on this version.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 words

Reprise Review: What Does Queer Mean Anyway? by Chris Bartlett

 

Genre: Non-Fiction

Description:

“For much of his life Chris felt unsure of how to politely address and to interact with people who place themselves outside of the traditionally encouraged heterosexual mold. This fear of appearing ignorant or rude led him to avoid interacting with some people and prevented him from sticking up for others when he should have.

The truth is that being uncomfortable and unsure around a new concept does not make anyone a bad person but when that mindset prevents one from being fair and equitable to others then there is a problem. After reading this Quick and Dirty Guide to LGBTQIA+ vocabulary you'll be confident enough to ask polite questions about gender and sexuality and informed enough to understand the answers. “

Author:

Chris Bartlett lives in Colorado with Sophia, his Chihuahua.

Appraisal:

 I'm straight, male bodied, and cisgendered. How about you? If you're not sure what that means or aren't confident you know all the terms someone else might use to describe the same things about themselves, but you'd like to have that knowledge, this book might be for you. As the author explains in a note at the front of the book:

Many Americans are just recently finding themselves comfortable with homosexuality and are surprised to discover that there are more identities that they now need to account for. Many more are still acclimating to “sex” and “gender” not meaning the same things (if that describes you, never fear, the difference is explained in this book.)

This book is written for them; for those who are curious, well meaning, but perhaps not completely comfortable with people who identify in ways that our culture has traditionally not accepted. This book is non-confrontational and non-judgmental; come as you are and leave as you will.

Although I knew a fair amount of what the book covers going in, the description of his target reader still hit close to home for me. I learned a lot, both refining and strengthening my existing knowledge.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Original review posted October 28, 2016.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 9-10,000 words

Review: Bridgespotting by Bob Dover

 Genre: Travel/Non-Fiction

Description:

“Tourist bridges span the range from small, abandoned structures that have been preserved in a county park to large, world-famous bridges with sidewalks, viewing platforms, visitor centers, decorations, tour guides, and a gift shop to accommodate their enormous numbers of visitors. People visit bridges to pursue an interest in history or architecture, to obtain the best available view of the landscape or riverfront, to use its sidewalk as a hiking and biking trail, or just because the bridge is a famous landmark.

Based on detailed research, interviews, and hikes across hundreds of walkable bridges, Bridgespotting examines 50 different reasons, citing more than 350 specific examples, that people visit bridges as tourists, for recreation, or in the pursuit of a hobby.

By providing detailed descriptions of more than 70 of the most prominent tourist bridges and multi-bridge tours in the United States, Canada, and Europe, Bridgespotting serves as a travel guide for those interested in exploring the history and cultural development of their next vacation destination, or of the local bridge that they drive over every day. Also, through the identification and cataloguing of the features that make bridges important to the community and attractive to visitors, Bridgespotting provides dozens of ideas to be considered by communities that are planning new bridges, or pondering what to do with their old, obsolete bridges.”

Author:

“Bob Dover is a geologist with more than 35 years of professional experience as a petroleum geologist and environmental project manager. He has spent most of the past 20 years leading environmental planning efforts for transportation, solar power, nuclear power, and pipeline projects.

From 2013 to 2022, he hiked across and photographed more than 600 bridges throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, studying the manner in which people use bridges besides the obvious use of getting to the other side. In doing so, he found that bridges represent a unique intersection of his interests in human geography, architecture, and history.”

Appraisal:

When I first decided to read this book, I was waffling as to whether I wanted to or not. I’ve got a strange travel goal of my own (to visit every county in the US) and have friends with their own goals, some are trying to visit every national park, one guy wants to visit every major league baseball park, another is trying to go to a craft brewery in every state. In that light the idea of visiting bridges around the country or world didn’t seem that strange, even if it didn’t immediately appeal to me.

It didn’t take long for me to get sucked in, not necessarily wanting to visit bridges as a primary goal, but at least understanding some of the appeal. The author discusses different kinds of bridges that appeal to different sets of people. The history of how some bridges came to be and different ways communities deal with a bridge in need of major repair or replacement is discussed. (If that doesn’t seem pertinent, often the answer results in what could be described as a “tourist bridge.”)

I also enjoyed spotting the bridges I’d visited, seeing and/or driving across them, when the author mentioned them. (Of course, there were a few that I can’t believe I missed, living nearby and driving all around them without realizing they were there.) Going in I anticipated some of the bridges in the Portland, Oregon area would get a mention since the city is often called “The City of Bridges” and in my experience do a lot to promote their bridges. I was wrong about that, with Portland’s only mention being described as being at one end of the Willamette River Valley, a hotspot for covered bridges. But the reality is that with the thousands of bridges in the world not all of them, not even all of them worth a visit, are going to get mentioned. However, if you read this and react the same way I did then you’ll come away with an expanded appreciation of bridges and are likely to stop and check them out or tweak your route to go by one that you wouldn’t have before. Maybe even more.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 125-130,000 words

Review: Operation Chaos by Kevin James Shay

Genre: Non-Fiction/Politics

Description:

“January 6, 2021, will live in infamy in American history, along with September 11, 2001, and other dates. For the first time in the country's history, a sitting president rallied a violent mob to try to overturn a legitimate election in a real-life horror story that saw the U.S. come close to falling into an authoritative nightmare.

While many blamed the Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol and even political opponents for the violence, Operation Chaos shows how the attack was a clandestine operation coordinated and supported by top Trump aides and even the president himself. In fact, the title of the book came from a dirty trick ploy that Trump and backers executed in early 2020 to disrupt Democratic Party primaries. After that operation failed, Trump and his schemers ratcheted up their dark activities by several levels, climaxing with Operation Occupy the Capitol, a campaign employed by grassroots GOP operatives at the urging of Trump and party leaders. The operations employed the trend of political extremist groups to work in leaderless cells, with top leaders issuing orders through code words and general social media and app messages to attempt to avoid legal prosecution.

To document this story, veteran journalist Kevin James Shay, who has worked in the Washington, D.C., area for almost two decades, poured over public documents from the FBI, police departments, federal, state, and local governments, and other government agencies. He reviewed hundreds of news articles, videos, broadcasts, studies, and reports, and interviewed sources himself. He analyzed posts on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media feeds. Approaching this story as a true crime tale involving chaotic deceit and deception that have been ongoing for years, he pieces together clues that help readers better understand how and why the tragedy occurred, uncovering fresh details and writing the story in a moving narrative that gives behind-the-scenes perspective.”

Author:

After graduating from the University of North Texas in 1981 Kevin James Shay did the obvious, started writing for magazines, newspapers, and other journalistic outlets. He’s also managed to write several books, some showing his interest in travel and others more in keeping with his vocation, covering subjects such as history, journalism, and politics.

For more, check out Shay’s posts on Medium.

Appraisal:

I think it would be fair to say that I have ambiguous feelings about this book. I’m also not sure if those ambiguous feelings are a good thing or a bad thing. We’ll start with what the book got best, at least from my point of view. It does a great job of documenting the invasion of the US Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 and the many pertinent factors and circumstances that led to this climactic event. It is also extensively footnoted so the reader will know where the author got much of the information he is presenting and you can gauge the credibility or potentially even go check out the source yourself if you wanted to dig deeper. One minor nit I’d pick with these footnotes is that I would have liked the footnotes in the ebook version to have been linked so that if a particular statement made me want to dig deeper, I could easily click (or tap with my finger since I’m using a Kindle) on the footnote to find the source, do whatever investigation I wanted to do, and then easily return to where I’d left off using the back function on my Kindle. But that’s a minor formatting concern, not a concern with the content itself.

Where the content is concerned, I found it very credible, but I’m also concerned that my personal biases might be at work in that regard. I was already aware of a large share of the things outlined here, however reviewing them all one right after the other en masse by reading this book drove home those conclusions I’d already come to. Those things I hadn’t already read about only reinforced those feelings. My suspicion is that those who have an opinion about these events that fits with mine would find this book to be a worthwhile read if they wanted a review of the facts and to possibly expand their knowledge about the factors involved.

For those who have an opinion the opposite of mine, reading this book with an open mind might lead them to a different conclusion, but I have my doubts. My main reason for thinking that is that the author’s bias comes through in a few ways that I think would make me concerned if I wasn’t in agreement with him. One representative example has to do with masks. During the coronavirus pandemic many states had rules regarding the wearing of masks in public places, especially inside buildings, but some states and situations even required masks be worn outside. Some people, those that leaned far right politically being one example (since the government wasn’t going to tell them what to do), had a tendency to ignore those rules during this time. The author constantly pointed out when a group of people was taking some action in the book that the participants were “mostly maskless.” It reached the point of overkill. Especially later when he described those invading the US Capitol saying that “many wore bandanas and masks, along with headgear, to better hide their identities from security cameras.” They may well have worn the masks for that reason and the masks they wore might not have been different from those most wore to minimize the spreading of germs, but I also knew that if they hadn’t worn the masks he’d have pointed that out as pertinent too. Not that these people deserve anyone to cut them any slack, but at least where the issue of masks is concerned, they could do no right.

In summary, if you think Trump instigated the invasion of the Capitol Building and you want to see all the evidence to support that in one place, this is a book for you. If you’ve got no opinion, you might give it a shot too. Others … I better not say any more.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Reprise Review: Side Effects: What Candidates Don't Tell You by Tomas Payne

 

Genre: Non-Fiction/Politics

Description:

“Side-Effects: What Candidates Don’t Tell You takes you behind the scenes on issues of the day and campaign promises. It focuses on consequences, issues, and options. It also challenges myths such as who are the wealthy, and what is the history of depressed wages. The emphasis is on shedding light, exposing myths, examining consequences, and exploring options, not on personalities. Sorry, no dirt on the people, just on their promises.

Side-Effects will answer questions such as:

Will raising income and estate taxes hurt the billionaires and redistribute wealth?

Why healthcare is broken and what options we have.

Why wages are depressed and what we can do about it.

What are the implications of various immigration plans?

Side-Effects cuts through the BS to look at campaign promises on wealth redistribution, taxes, Social Security, healthcare, depressed wages, and many other topics that aims to bring facts to these issues.”

Author:

“Author is a CPA and has an MBA in finance, a BS in Political Science, and over 30 years of experience in business. He is a long time student of business, the ever-entertaining field of economics, and of the political shell game.

Like many of you, he is frustrated by candidates not addressing the real issues or doing so with simplistic sound bites that don't stand up to scrutiny. That's why he dove into campaign promises to see how they fared and found a number of surprises he'd like to share with you.”

Appraisal:

Of all the books I've ever read on contemporary politics, this book has some qualities that I've never seen before. Depending on what you'd prefer to get from a book like this, you could perceive those qualities as positive or negative.

In the early days of the US, political theorist Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense and now an author with essentially the same name (maybe Tomas Payne is a pen name?) shows a lot of common sense in exploring the current political environment in the US. Payne explains his thinking clearly and in multiple instances had me questioning my current political stances. If that possibility concerns you, this book isn't for you. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum you'll almost surely find that Payne agrees with you on some things and disagrees on others. If you're willing to have your thoughts and political beliefs challenged, this book will do the trick.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Original review posted June 24, 2016.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words