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'My Last Night' by Rachel McDonald

4/23/2016

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“My Last Night”           
By: Rachel McDonald
 
Comfortably warm on a midsummer day;
spent together in beautiful bliss. 
The ecstasy of night
couldn’t predict the devastation.
 
You asked me to marry you.
My breath caught;
I choked out
*bewildered reply*
 
We hugged and kissed.
The clock ticked:
five a.m. 
 
Made love
five or six times.
Beauty was blinding.
                                                                                                                                                                
Still groggy from the wine,
if only I’d taken more time:
decided not to drive, but
I had finals at nine.                                                                                                                       
 
Going down the road:
still feel the buzz
from the night before.
Finished celebrating only hours ago.
Last thought before I lost control.
 
Can’t picture last night anymore. 
*Strobing lights*
*Red and white*
*Sirens* 
 
*Blinking* Concentrate.
The Jaws of Life
pull open my car.
Who’s inside? 
 
Is that me in the car?
*Begging assistance*
Unseeing eyes focus on
the task at hand.
 
*Overhearing medics*
“She’s not expected to live.”
 
Hospital.                                                                                                                                    Parents on the sofa.
Nondescript waiting room.
You are here.
 
They’re talking to the doctor.
*Crying*
 
It must have been me.
 
You hit the wall screaming
*running to comfort you*
I can’t.                                                                                                              
“I’m here!  I’m okay!  I don’t want to die!” 
 
Someone catches my eye.
They hear me. 
 
My grandparents:
illuminated by bliss 
*reach out their hands*
Abyss.
 
Maybe there’s still a chance for me.
 
That’s not the case:
they’ll lead me to a better place.                                                                                                                                               
 
Machine next to my body
*a familiar sound*
Flat lined. 
Over is my time.                                                                                                                                   
 
Time for me to leave into the abyss.
Determined to give you one last kiss. 
 
*whispering into your ear*
 
“I am sorry.”                                                                                       
 
*Leaning over*
*Kissing your lips*
You look startled.
You touch your lips.
 
I look into your eyes
for the last time.
 
“Good-bye.”
 
Edited by Blair Hill
 

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'Changes Are Coming in 2085, the Senator Says' a fiction piece by author Donal Mahoney

4/23/2016

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Changes Are Coming in 2085, the Senator Says
 
It was the first time that senators had been asked to go home and address parent-teacher meetings at all the middle schools in their states. Each had been given a sheet of talking points to make the task easier. But Senator Stumpf found the task difficult inasmuch as he would have to speak at half the middle schools in his state while the other senator from his state addressed the other half. Both had to do their best to explain an executive order signed by the president on Labor Day, 2085. It would result in major changes in how people live.
 
Senator Stumpf chose to arrange his first middle school meeting in a small town in the rural part of his state. He thought that might be a good place to explain how wonderful this new program was. More than 300 parents were sitting in the gymnasium when he took the podium. Most of them were farmers, and they had worked hard that day.
 
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Senator Stumpf began. "I am here to brief you on a new program that will take effect in all middle schools beginning this term. It's the happy result of an executive order just signed by our president. Additional details will be passed out later by your school principal." 
 
So far so good, the senator thought. He took a sip of water, looked over the crowd and continued. 
 
"Now that the 2014 Common Core educational program has kicked in and students everywhere are doing better in school, we are going to begin this year a new approach to preventing unwanted pregnancies in all middle schools. The benefits of this program will continue on into high school, college and even after that. In fact, once in place, this program will make certain there is never again an unwanted pregnancy in our great nation."
 
Some of the parents in the audience shuffled in their seats. This was a small town in the middle of a farm belt and unwanted pregnancies were not a topic of conversation. They happened, of course, but when they did, no problem. They could be taken care of free, thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
 
The senator noticed more shuffling in the audience but after taking another sip of water, he continued. 
 
"This new approach will be far more effective than our current programs in sex education because we are still faced from time to time by unwanted pregnancies despite the national distribution of free condoms and other contraceptives as well as coast-to-coast access to no-cost abortion. What a great country we live in!
 
"Here's how the new program will work, according to the new executive order: 
 
"At puberty all adolescents will receive mandatory free vasectomies and tubal ligations, after which conception will occur only in petri dishes. This will be made possible by using the many banks of ova and semen donated by the best and the brightest adults from past generations. Previous presidents, senators and representatives are among the donors. We have these banks all over the nation now. Although we can't see them, they are as common as silos in this part of our state. Your generation, we hope, will be the last one to have to reproduce the old-fashioned way." 
 
There was mumbling now among the people in the seats. Many of them had enjoyed and saw no fault with reproducing the old-fashioned way. 
 
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am also happy to report that all donors to the Ova and Semen Bank Program will receive tax breaks for the rest of their natural lives as well as an extra week's vacation each year. Of course, as farmers you don't get any vacation, except maybe a few lighter days during the winter. 
 
"And as an additional incentive to participate, should any of you in your senior years grow weary of life with the many illnesses that come with old age, you will not be charged anything should you choose to participate in our National Euthanasia Program. Just walk into your local People's Exit Zone--or have someone roll your gurney in--and you will be promptly taken care of. Your designated power-of-attorney will be able to pick up your ashes the next day. No charge. And you will be comfortable in a very nice urn. I showed one to my aunt and she was pleased to see where she was going. She didn't want to be a burden to us in her rust-belt years."
 
Senator Stumpf had a big selling job ahead of him. Since 2035, the National Euthanasia Program had been available in every state, but not one person in this community had ever applied for its benefits. Sick people still lived at home with family members or in one of two nursing homes on the outskirts of town. Most folks were still buried in the town cemetery although some of the ecologically concerned sometimes chose cremation.
 
The mumbling in the audience had begun to grow louder now and Senator Stumpf could not help but notice it. He nevertheless went on to explain the program as best he could. So far it had proven to be one of the toughest speeches he had ever given. 
 
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the president has promised that once this program is in effect, several advantages will be noticed immediately, especially by future generations of our young ladies. They will never again suffer from morning sickness or waddle around with protruding stomachs or have to wear unattractive maternity wear.
 
"What's more, they will no longer have to spend nine months pregnant. Every conception will occur in an approved petri dish and gestation will take place in one of the millions of new brooders designed for human fetuses. They are being manufactured now in a small town in Belarus. We're not talking here about one of the brooders used for poultry on your farms. These are top of the line appliances that will fit right next to your microwave at home. 
 
"And marriage from now on will become optional. Since women will no longer be able to get pregnant, there will be one less reason to get married. A man and woman will be able to spend as much time together as they want but they won't have to spend years together rearing children. Adults will be free to do what they want when they want. What could be better than that?"
 
The mumbling in the audience had now grown to outright grumbling. One man in the back row stood up and hollered, "Go back to Washington, you doofus. What do you take us for? Hicks? Whoever heard of such a thing?"
 
There was no more water in Senator Stumpf's glass so he decided he'd hurry up and give the last few talking points and leave. He was glad now that he had parked his BMW in the back. This could turn out to be a rough crowd. 
 
"Ladies and Gentlemen, one final note in closing: The terms 'father' and 'mother' will be eliminated from the vocabulary in our country once the new program is in place. Technically, there will be no more fathers and mothers--just donors, petri dishes and brooders. It will make life simpler not having to wonder who's your daddy as they used to say back in 2014.
 
"Parents will no longer be necessary. Children will be reared in community nurseries and later in adolescent homes staffed by specially trained people recruited from the long-term unemployed. New jobs by the millions will be created. And as a nation, we will finally have complete control over population growth. Don't believe that bunk that there's still lots of room in Wyoming. Maybe if you're a bison you'd want to live in Wyoming. 
 
"In closing, I'd like to remind you, as our president reminded all of us senators when giving us this assignment, in our great nation all things are possible when in Democracy we trust."
 
The Senator had finished now and was headed toward the back door when two huge men in bib overalls and John Deere caps grabbed him by the back of his suit coat and led him into the Men's Room for a consultation with his constituents. The senator's hair got tousled in the process.
 
When the noise coming from the Men's Room reached a crescendo, the others in the audience quietly rose from their folding chairs and proceeded to walk out to the lobby, single file, and then silently into the night. There seemed to be an Amish solemnity to their deportment. Some of them couldn't remember voting for this senator. But they knew he was in good hands now. Butch and Bubba would be able to explain the facts of life to him. 
 
Donal Mahoney
 
————————————————————————--
Donal Mahoney, a native of Chicago, lives in St. Louis, Missouri. His fiction and poetry have appeared in various publications, including The Wisconsin Review, The Kansas Quarterly, The South Carolina Review, The Christian Science Monitor, The Chicago Tribune and  Commonweal.  Some of his work can be found at http://eyeonlifemag.com/the-poetry-locksmith/donal-mahoney-poet.html#sthash.OSYzpgmQ.dpbs=
 

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Nonfiction Book Review for ‘How to Think’ by Rick Norwood

4/22/2016

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MY REVIEW:   I chose this book to review based on being a psychotherapist and
my interest in the mind, why people do what they do, and knowledge of the human condition.
I am also an editor, publisher, and author, and can’t help but review books with a critical eye, not only for content, but for the overall layout and effect.  This book didn’t pass muster on first glance.  Black and white simple cover art is fine.  Sometimes simpler is better than too “busy” of a cover image. No problems there.  But my first indication of amateur experience was the front cover where the so-called publisher’s address is right there on the cover.  Publishers put a logo maybe, but not a PO box for accepting mail right there on the front cover. No. So I tried to google the publisher name to see if they had any other books published, but google turned up nothing, which confirmed my suspicion: Self-pub! So then I turn the book over and review the back cover.  No title at the top, and extra spacing issues and other mistakes scream “amateur” on the back cover. By this point I haven’t even looked at the interior, but judging the book by the cover, I don’t have high hopes.

I couldn’t focus on the interior. I’m sorry; too many errors in punctuation, sentence structure, and syntax made it hard to focus on the message.  This is yet another supposed “self-help” book written by someone not a professional in the field of psychology who happens to think they know more than the average person and thinks they have the authority to tell others what to do.  This should have been a memoir and should have been professionally edited and published if it were to be taken seriously.  Missing periods at the end of a sentence and other simple editing errors made this book too difficult and frustrating to finish reading. ONE STAR RATING.  A $16.00 price tag on the back cover when it’s not even worth maybe $5. Someone without a psychology degree who gave a basic outline of simple psych 101 ideas of how to think for oneself.  I’m all for people sharing their personal revelations of how they managed to get their life in order if they want to.  Write a memoir.  But just because a person had an epiphany on how to think, or how the brain works, this doesn’t warrant writing a self-help book and telling the world you are an expert on the subject.  Trust me: Therapists try to get people to think for themselves all the time. Nothing in this book was a new revelation or anything you wouldn’t learn in a therapy session from someone trained in the subject matter. It’s basic material. ONE STAR.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I was not required to post a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
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'Jimmy from across the street' by Donal Mahoney

4/21/2016

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Jimmy from across the Street


I take my wife to dinner
at a fancy place for us
to talk about money
because stocks have a virus
and we should move 
money into silver and gold
in case we don’t die before 
that rainy day comes


but first she asks 
did I hear about Jimmy 
from across the street
and I say he’s out of work
two months or more 
and she says his wife’s 
lost her job too and they
have kids in private school
shouldn’t we do something


and I ask what can we do
because Jimmy would never
take any help and she says 
we could put cash in an  
envelope in his mailbox
at night and he wouldn’t 
know who to blame  


just as something gross 
on the half shell arrives
at our table with sauces 
and I drop the whole idea 
of talking about money 
we’re lucky enough to have. 
Stocks go up and go down
and jobs are lost and found.
We talk about Jimmy
from across the street
the rest of the night.




Donal Mahoney
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Book Review for ‘F*uck That: An Honest Meditation’ by Jason Headley

4/21/2016

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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Let this book help you find peace with the challenges that surround you. 
 

Because they are f*cking everywhere.

We all have an inner voice. Sometimes it's just not quite as serene as we'd like. 
 
Based on the viral video that had everyone from yogis to workaholics raving, F*ck That is the completely truthful and oddly tranquil guide to achieving your inner peace.

MY REVIEW:  When I came across this book, I couldn’t NOT choose it. Not with a title like that! The novelty of it had me wanting to know what was inside.  I will admit that I don’t know what viral video they’re talking about this being inspired from, but this is some funny sh*t. It’s more of a novelty book than anything, to be honest.  I can see it being a perfect gag gift, or gift for the person in your life that has an odd sense of humor and you don’t know what else to get them. Each page has short one-liners of expletives on a background of calm serenity.  It’s actually quite funny. A bit pricey for how short it is, perhaps, but probably worth it for the novelty factor.  5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I was not required to post a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
 

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'Cyanide Cocktails' A Poem by Author Blair Hill

4/21/2016

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Cyanide Cocktails
by Blair Hill
 
Bitterness is poison,
but it tastes so sweet.
Like a well-mixed martini
it glides down the throat,
smooth as freshly showered skin;
it’s not until afterwards that
you feel the infectious burn.
Fire, engulfing your body like
a newly whispered secret-
long and slow. Except
it feels comfortably warm,
dangerously familiar,
as if you could open a summer home there
yet, it will never last for the season.
It will consume you in the most
desperate and intimate way.
It will feed off of every weakness,
every nasty thought you’ve ever had,
convincing you that those feelings are truth:
that they’re right.
And soon, you’ll never be able
to live without the negativity:
you’ll find yourself unable to see the sunshine.
Maybe not unable.
Maybe unwilling.
You’ll wake up every morning
with a demon on your chest.
And you’ll invite it out to tea.

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'The Pros and Cons of Being in a Relationship' by Katleen Brown

4/20/2016

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THE PROS AND CONS OF BEING IN RELATIONSHIP
 
For too long, people held several discussions on love and also looking into the advantages and the disadvantages of getting and being in a relationship. While some people consider relationships as a healthy part of life, some view them a stressing and happiness denying. However, each thing, however, good cannot lack issues.  For most people, being in a relationship provides happiness as well as pleasure.  Deciding to get into a relationship is dependent on the decisions of individuals. 

It is thus crucial that before making decisions, one considers and remembers that it is their life they are dealing with when in a relationship.






The Pros of Being in a relationship
Here, there is a discussion of how being in relationships is much better. Research shows that most people prefer to be in a relationship.

Company
 Having another person around you is something that partners enjoy when in a relationship. When one is in a relationship, it is easy to share any experiences, happiness and even in the difficulties or sadness.  The partner is also willing and ready to hear you out. You have someone who cares about how well or even how badly you spent the day.  Sometimes, you even check on each other as lovers and as friends.

It is good For Self Esteem
Self-isolation is common among individuals who are not in relationships.   One feels cared for and loved. One has someone to call, to share things and to talk to in case of any difficulties, issues or problems.  Some of the people get life changing experiences especially in long term relationship, through sharing with partners. Influencing each other is vital to behavior change. Today, many people mentioned their partners as the causes of their changed habits and behavior.

Intimacy
 Intimacy for this case will not only mean the physical and sexual relations. Holding someone’s hand or shoulder or hand in difficult moments is also essential. Knowing there is someone for this is important to victims of tragedies and other bad happenings.  The touch of a loved one helps in keeping an individual calm. Besides, it brings back peace, comfort and also hope.  Even as one sleeps being held by the partner is usually helpful. One can have nightmares. If this is the case, having a loved one around is essential and crucial in fear and anxiety elimination.
 
Help
Sometimes, we get tired easily. Besides, there may be too much for one person to do, whether in the house or the yard. With a partner, help is available. Sometimes one just needs to ask for the help. Other times, there is not need to ask. Your partner can help with cooking or laundry.  A girl can help the boyfriend in keeping the house in order or cleaning. The man can help the girlfriend when she has issues with technology or even when carrying the heavy stuff. Also, he can be helpful in electrical matters. When one is alone, she can either do all things alone or hire an individual to help. This simplifies several things while making partners happy and satisfied. Health news indicates this notion.

Increases the Quality of Life
People in relationships may enjoy life better compared to single people. Stressful conditions are easily managed with a partner to share with or when in a relationship. Some issues can be solved for you by a partner if they seem challenging and difficult for you.  Less stress avoids instances of anxiety and also depression. Partners are also less likely to suffer blood pressure issues. 


The Cons
Some people would rather remain single. They have reasons for their opinions and decisions.



The Thrill of Chase Is Gone
The thrill and anticipation of being with an individual are usually higher when people meet. People are excited about each other.  After committing, the thrill may go, and attraction for each other unfortunately may reduce.  Boredom and monotony in a relationship may lead to anxiety and stress between the partners.  At this level, partners are unsure of feelings for each other.

You lose your autonomy
Notably, most partners or couples have decisions made together. One thus loses autonomy. Consulting one another becomes a necessity and a requirement for the survival of the relationship.  Desires and the wishes of each person are put into consideration.  Sometimes, most of the individuals may view this as oppressive.  One has issues, making the right choices as sometimes you are afraid of displeasing your partner.

Sex May become Repetitive
 Though sex is vital and crucial in relationships, ones it gets repetitive, partners get bored. With no improvements, sex life may get boring and unexciting for both.

You have No Time for Social Relations
Your partner is likely to demand too much of your attention such that he or she disallows you from paying any attention to family and friends.  Misunderstandings can arise from such issues.

Conclusion
 In a nutshell, relationships are vital, but they need to be healthy. They help individuals both socially and financially. Unbalanced life may be stressful and can lead to misunderstanding. Balancing both the advantages, benefits and the disadvantages can help in making relationships stable. However, we can make the choices.

References
https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/general-health/habits-of-people-who-are-happy.html
https://www.glozine.com/lifestyle/relationships
https://www.thebeautyinsiders.com/understanding-and-improving-relationships.html

About the Author
Katleen Brown is a health, beauty and fitness writer. She loves to publish her articles on various health related websites. In her spare time, likes to do research to bring awareness. Recognizing the unity of body, mind, and outlook, she helps empower women to tune into their innate & inner wisdom to transform their health and truly flourish. Get in touch with her on Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.
 


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'Trash Cans at the Manion House' by Donal Mahoney

4/20/2016

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Trash Cans at the Manion House
 
When I was in grammar school
I knew it was Wednesday
when I looked out the window
and saw across the street
three trash cans at the curb 
in front of the Manion house. 
 
No matter how early I got up 
the three cans would be there
looking like a trio waiting 
to break into song. 
 
When I’d get home from school,
the cans would be gone.
They had been put away,
I figured, until their next gig
the following Wednesday.
 
When I was in high school,
I noticed one day only two 
cans standing at the curb.
I was told the son had married 
and moved to another city
and his parents missed him.
But two cans were enough 
to tell me it was Wednesday.
 
When I came home from college,
I noticed my first week back only
one can was stationed at the curb.
My mother told me at breakfast 
Mr. Manion had died and 
Mrs. Manion wasn’t doing well.
 
For the years I was in college
that solitary can was always 
in front of the house.
It was still there when I 
graduated, found a job,
married and moved away.
 
My wife and I would visit my folks,
and one Sunday after dinner
my father asked me to give him 
a lift to the doctor on Wednesday.
When I pulled up in the car 
I noticed no can was waiting
in front of the house.
 
My mother told me Mrs. Manion
had died and the house was for sale
at a good price in case my wife
and I might be interested.
She said it would be a good place 
to raise kids if we ever had any.
My father usually said little 
but coughed and agreed.
 
They seemed happy because
I hadn’t said no to the idea.
I knew they would like us
to live across the street but
I wanted to talk with my wife.
But my parents stared at me 
when I asked if they could find out  
if the trash cans were included 
in the price of the house. 
I’d need them on Wednesdays.
 
Donal Mahoney
 
————————————————————————--
Donal Mahoney, a native of Chicago, lives in St. Louis, Missouri. His fiction and poetry have appeared in various publications, including The Wisconsin Review, The Kansas Quarterly, The South Carolina Review, The Christian Science Monitor, The Chicago Tribune and  Commonweal.  Some of his work can be found at http://eyeonlifemag.com/the-poetry-locksmith/donal-mahoney-poet.html#sthash.OSYzpgmQ.dpbs=
 

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Nonfiction Book Review for 'Capture' by David A. Kessler, M.D.

4/19/2016

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About Capture• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Harper Wave (April 12, 2016)
Why do we think, feel, and act in ways we wish we did not?
For decades, Dr. David A. Kessler has studied this question with regard to tobacco, food, and drugs. Over the course of these investigations, he identified one underlying mechanism common to a broad range of human suffering. This phenomenon—capture—is the process by which our attention is hijacked and our brains commandeered by forces outside our control.
In Capture, Dr. Kessler considers some of the most profound questions we face as human beings: What are the origins of mental afflictions, from everyday unhappiness to addiction and depression—and how are they connected? Where does healing and transcendence fit into this realm of emotional experience?
Analyzing an array of insights from psychology, medicine, neuroscience, literature, philosophy, and theology, Dr. Kessler deconstructs centuries of thinking, examining the central role of capture in mental illness and questioning traditional labels that have obscured our understanding of it. With a new basis for understanding the phenomenon of capture, he explores the concept through the emotionally resonant stories of both well-known and unknown people caught in its throes.
The closer we can come to fully comprehending the nature of capture, Dr. Kessler argues, the better equipped we are to eventually alleviate its deleterious effects and successfully change our thinking and behaviors. Ultimately, Capture offers insight into how we form thoughts and emotions, manage trauma, and heal. For the first time, we can begin to understand the underpinnings not only of mental illness but also of our everyday worries and anxieties. Capture is an intimate and critical exploration of the most enduring human mystery of all: the mind.
Praise
“Kessler proposes an original theory of the mind. His cogent argument is that a great deal of the apparently inexplicable behavior of human beings is the result of impulses, drives, and obsessions that may share fundamental neural and psychodynamic mechanisms. This carefully researched book is both startling and engaging, and is written with brio.”—Andrew Solomon, National Book Award-winning author of The Noonday Demon
“In this richly documented, beautifully written, and original work, David Kessler has given us an idea that explains one of the most strange and most powerful processes in the human brain.”—E. O. Wilson, University Professor Emeritus, Harvard University
“Capture is a breakthrough book. In a world of increasingly specialized knowledge, it takes a particular gift and some stubbornness to cut across the fields of neuroscience, psychiatry, philosophy, and psychology, and to ask the fundamental question: Why is it that we allow our best selves to be captured and torpedoed by thoughts and actions that sink us? Kessler’s exploration of the question makes for a compelling read. His ultimate answer is profound and one that could be life changing and life saving. I know I will be handing this book out for just that reason.”—Abraham Verghese, MD, author of Cutting for Stone
About David A. Kessler, M.D.
David A. Kessler, MD served as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He is the author of A Question of Intent and The End of Overeating, a New York Times bestseller. He is a pediatrician and has been the dean of the medical schools at Yale and the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Kessler is a graduate of Amherst College, the University of Chicago Law School, and Harvard Medical School.

MY REVIEW:  I loved the case studies given throughout the book.  I think anybody who picks up this book will most likely be doing so because they are trying to learn more about themselves.  Reading other people’s stories usually makes it easier to relate.  I have always enjoyed the real life stories of people dealing with the same issues.  When paired with clinical knowledge like this book does, I think the experience for the reader is better. 

The author has coined the term “capture” to encompass a myriad of afflictions that people can find themselves dealing with.  Throughout the book I saw the term “capture” used when I would have used the term “addiction” in some places, and other terms such as self-esteem in others. I have no problem with that.  I had no issues with the clinical knowledge presented, and felt that the author found a way to narrow down a host of issues into one term while still thoroughly describing a host of conditions.

The book started off a bit like a history lesson, going back to early philosophers and schools of thought such as one learns in Psych 101 classes.  The book then covers conditions ranging from serious mental illnesses to minor everyday stressors, addictions, self-harm, creativity and mental illness, violence, spirituality, and life transitions. 

I think this is an excellent resource for anyone, professional or layperson.  The author obviously has an extensive knowledge of the subject and is well-qualified to write on this topic, yet it is presented in layperson terms for anyone to understand. I know of many people, especially the creative types, who are struggling with feeling different and wanting to understand themselves better.  I will recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about why and how the brain works!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I was not required to post a positive review, and all opinions are my own.


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Nonfiction Book Review for ‘Social Media Marketing Workbook’ by Jason McDonald

4/19/2016

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2 stars for effort.  This appears to be a self-published book that at first looks like a good thing. It has a pretty front cover, but that’s where the professionalism ends.  It quickly became clear to me when I turned it over that someone did the layout who didn’t know what they were doing.  There’s no header on the back, and in the place where it normally would say “about the author” it says “How to Use Social Media for Business” instead, which is weird, and then gives an author bio but nothing about how to use the book – which it shouldn’t have on the back cover anyway, but since it had a header that indicated this information should be there….confusing.
There is no front matter; specifically, no Table of Contents. This is a big MINUS to the book. There is a title page, then an Introduction, but when you read the Introduction it really reads as more of a copyright disclaimer/introduction/how to use the book section all mashed up into one. 

Incidentally, it does have some useful information in it, but an editor really would have been able to help with how to lay it out properly.  One would think that someone who claims to be an expert on marketing would understand how to...ahem…market, such as putting information about bonus material that a person gets when purchasing this book on the back cover as a selling point, and placing it in such a way as to be more eye catching than where it is placed. But maybe that’s just me.  So I looked the book up on Amazon.  There are TONS of reviews.  I guess the author knows what he is doing when it comes to marketing, because he has managed to garner the coveted reviews that authors seem to have a hard time getting.

Overall, this is not user friendly. Without a Table of Contents, a reader cannot find a section quickly and go to it. The book gives the impression of a random stream of consciousness and looks more like it was printed from someone’s blog posts or internet searches that they pasted together into a document.  I’m not saying that the information presented isn’t helpful information, but the way it is presented could’ve been thought out a little better. Perhaps the little hidden gem of the online registration that one gets when purchasing the print version is more user friendly and will be more helpful.  There is no doubt that people need guidance in how to best utilize the available social media outlets when marketing their small businesses or products, and anyone willing to share their knowledge on these subjects gets cool points from me, because I know how difficult it is to learn them all, and how time consuming it is to manage them!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I was not required to post a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
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