Book Reviews
King, Mervyn
The End of Alchemy: money, banking and the future of the global economy
King's End of Alchemy is a welcome and refreshing exploration of the definition of the concept of money, the history of the concept of money, and a look at what role the current concept of money will play in the global future.
Happy gut: the cleansing program to help you lose weight, gain energy, and eliminate pain
(Book)
Library Journal Review
This well-organized guide to the workings of the intestines, mind, and body promotes the author's Gut C.A.R.E. (cleanse, activate, restore, enhance) program. Parts one, two, and three describe the healthy gut, the Diet Phase I, a daily plan that includes selected food each day for 14 days, and the 28-day C.A.R.E. diet/meal plan and reintroduction of food into the diet (foods are reintroduced in a specific order, one every four days). Parts four and five describe the mind-body-gut connection; 63 pages of recipes comprise part five. This book is intended for those interested in popular wellness, health, and fitness. The book's illustrations and photographs are useful for those new to physiology and to yoga. The illustration/chart combinations include much information, but while the charts are comprehensible, simpler illustrations and separate charts would have been more useful. Also, the chapters could have been briefer, and the table of contents doesn't list all of the chapter subheadings. Including a link to some photographs and recipes would have reduced the book by 63 pages and made it more palatable. Verdict Although this title oversimplifies intestinal physiology, laypersons interested in fitness, wellness, and health and readers who want to know more about intestinal ailments will find solid information.
-Cheryl Branche, Brooklyn © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Library Journal Review
Jensen's first book describes the often humorous, exasperating, and frustrating (though not in that order) travel adventures of the author and her husband, Rudy, recapping their many journeys taken from 1976 to 1994, in the days before cell phones and Internet maps. They are opposites in almost every aspect. Jensen is cautious and safety-loving, prepared to "expect the worst"; Rudy's rules of the road are much more spontaneous and include advice to "ride with locals, not tourists" and "relax, some kind stranger will appear." Their destinations include East Asia, Eastern Europe, Egypt, England, Mexico, New Zealand, and Russia. The author portrays the frustration, exasperation, and challenging emotions that accompany responses to what she sees as preventable situations, all without admonishing her husband with, "I told you so!" Verdict In the vein of the blog Universal Man by young Turkish adventurer Yigit Kurt, which describes the travel adventures of Kurt and his father, this humorous travelog is a delight. Armchair travelers and their active counterparts, spouses who have traveled or are thinking about traveling together, solo trekkers, women journeyers, and dysfunctional spouses will enjoy this work.
-Cheryl Branche, Brooklyn © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Full Moon Over Noah’s Ark: An Odyssey to Mount Ararat and Beyond
by Rick AntonsonSkyhorse. Apr. 2016. 384p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 9781510705654. $24.99. TRAVCOPY ISBN
This adventure story of Canadian tourism executive Antonson's (Route 66 Still Kicks: Driving America's Main Street; To Timbuktu for a Haircut) trip to and up Mount Ararat and back is poignant and suspenseful. The author describes his journey from London to Istanbul, and from Istanbul to the little town of Tatvan via the Van Gulu Express to the base camp in Dogubeyazit, Turkey, his ascent to the top of Mount Ararat with fellow climbers and their aides, his experience with blindness on the descent, and the trip back to London. It is interspersed with stories about the Cyrus cylinder, cuneiform, local history and conflict, and ventures to locations of ark (as in the biblical Noah's) sightings. Intended for travelers, adventurers, extreme sports enthusiasts, and armchair travelers, this volume further includes illustrations that add meaningful perspective.
VERDICT This tasty, spicy feast of a book could have gone beyond its 350 pages. Once picked up, it is hard to put down; it would serve well any library's bookshelf.
Reviewed by Cheryl Branche, Brooklyn, NY , Apr 01, 2016
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life & Succeed on Your Own Terms
by Vishen Lakhiani Rodale Books. 2016. 288p. illus. index. ISBN 9781623367084 $18.99
A blueprint to a life better fulfilled, Lakhiani's Code to the Extraordinary Mind treats us to the ten laws on which the author basis his blueprint. Curating concepts "from computational thinking, integral theory, modern spirituality, evolutionary biology, and humor, personal growth" and journaling he describes how the world we were born to and its rules ("Brules") shape us and how with reflection and awareness we can reprogram ourselves out of Brules into a paradigm that represents success on our own terms.
The ten laws, along with exercises and methods, retrain how you think, help you to grow at increased speed, describe skills required to bend reality, create blissipline, and develop the ability and desire to make your own quest.
Terms like consciousness engineering and reality bending are define and applied to the ten-law framework to help the reader realize the quest (or journey) that promises a life fulfilled. Through ideas, stories, conversations with great modern and contemporary minds and leaders, graphs, Lakhiani teaches us how to realize self-actualization applying the blueprint that challenges us to remove old ideas and concepts that limit our personal growth and lead us to a life filled with more happiness and self-actualization than the reader might expect! By helping readers question the world and its premises and their own responses to them, The Code to the Extraordinary Mind encourages the reader to create their own paths and includes a list of books to read for new perspectives. The book offers links to videos, guides, interviews, speeches through interactive links with MindValley.com.
VIshen Lakhiani is the founder of MindValley, a company that provides tools and teaches about mindfulness, meditation, contemplative practices, nutrition, health, wellness, and about how to have better relationships.
VERDICT:
Vishen Lakhiani's The Code of the Extraordinary Mind 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life & Succeed on Your Own Terms is an excellent book. The ideas and concepts expand the mind. The book helps you, the reader, to apply the ideas and concepts to enhance your world. It helps you identify your own terms and directs you how to begin your quest to a life fulfilled. It is well-written, easy to read, humorous, and well worth the time to read.
Reviewed by Cheryl Branche Brooklyn, NY July 10, 2024.
©Copyright 2024 Pine Bluff Investments Corporation
THE WHITENESS OF WEALTH: : How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans — and How We Can Fix It
by Dorothy A. Brown
In THE WHITENESS OF WEALTH: : How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans — and How We Can Fix It, Brown takes a multidisciplinary look at how the US tax structure favors White compared to Blacks in America. Using interviews, scenarios, research into IRS documents and reports, Brown makes examples of the White family with a stay-at-home wife and a fictitious Black family with two working adults to show that economic dictates that require two working adults to maintain a lifestyle lea to a relatively unfavorable tax burden compared to families where one person in the family brings home the bacon. Brown cites historical instances and describes changes in the tax "code" that resulted in the standards of taxation that we see today.
The Whiteness of Wealth is an interesting view into how Whites came to and continue to benefit from being White in America, through tax policies. It explains how Blacks do not benefit as much and how, though, some may bring home more bacon collectively as two working adult household, they pay more taxes that a White household with one working adult. A very interesting read for the reader who wants to know how it seems not to get better or who wants some historical context about how tax and race are related and why.
VERDICT: Brown's THE WHITENESS OF WEALTH: : How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans — and How We Can Fix It is worth the time to read not only from a matter of fact perspective-historical and political and economic perspectives as well. It helps you think more clearly about and plan for married life, tax wise. It is well written with deep cultural understanding (Think: nuance) and awareness.
Reviewed by Cheryl Branche Brooklyn, NY July 26, 2024.
©Copyright 2024 Inmentis Holdings
American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men who Became America's First Paramedics
by
Kevin Hazzard
In American Sirens, Kevin Hazzard chronicles the history of emergency transportation, the creation, development and disposition of Freedom House, an Pittsburgh organization that, in 1970, changed the face of emergency transport services. From zero emergency transportation services, Freedom House created the personnel with know-how from a few disadvantaged Black men, who through their commitment, dedication, and determination despite struggle and discrimination, become the first paramedics in the world and with it, Freedom House, to become the first paramedic staffed ambulance service as we know it today.
The author is a former paramedic.
VERDICT: Whether you are curious or interested in health, medicine or health relate topics, Hazard's American Sirens offers background to the emergency medical services many take for granted today. It is a reminder that the folks that we often consider unworthy and incapable have skills and talents to offer that make the world a better place for all of us. The books reports an aspect of Black history that need not be forgotten.
Reviewed by Cheryl Branche Brooklyn, NY July 26, 2024.
©Copyright 2024 Inmentis Holdings
El dia de playa de Chu
by
Neil Gaiman Published by Oceano Travesia 2015 30 pp. ISBN: 978-607-527-407-2
In Dia de playa de Chu, Chu and his parents visit the beach. Chu puts on his sunglasses sneezes and upsets the ocean. WHen the animals who live in the ocean cannot go home, CHu has to sneeze the ocean back to normal. When a snail asks Chu to remove his sunglasses, Chu sneezes and the ocean returns to normal. After a good day at the beach, Chu returns home with his parents and goes to sleep.
The book is illustrated by Adam Rex.
VERDICT: A good read for folks trying to learn Spanish and early Spanish readers. An interesting story that the pictures bring to life.
Reviewed by CHeryl L. Branche, Brooklyn, NY March 15, 2025.
© 2025 Inmentis Holdings