What I've Learned: An Encyclopedia of Perpetual Bullshit
by Christopher T Heist
My rating: 4.1 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
If you have picked up What I've Learned expecting some enlightening book about life and the meaning and purpose of life, why we are here and what you need to do to enjoy life then you found the wrong book. If you picked it up for a humorous look at life, with a slightly irreverent tone and some sarcasm then you definitely found the right book! Author Christopher T. Heist takes a conversational approach and writes a book that flows from topic to topic about life, what he has experienced and been through, yet without the rose=colored glasses that most people tend to write with. This book tells it like it is, with a slightly irreverent, sarcastic and humorous tone.
What I've Learned flows more as one person talking to another than having a typical book like structure which makes it feel more casual and friendly. It also lends itself well to the whole concept of the non-serious and funny tone of the book. The subtitle of the book is An Encyclopedia of Perpetual Bullshit, that alone ought to tell you this is not going to be a serious tome! Author Christopher T. Heist takes a natural look at everything that comes to his minds, and lets it all flow out as it comes. This is a fun read and something that would be a great airplane ride read. It's an adult book, although older teens would be fine reading it, and its just something fun and enjoyable with a little of everything.
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My Letter to Fear: Essays on Life, Love and the Search for Prince Charming
by Patricia L. Steffy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Are you reaching out for all that life has to offer or are you sitting back wondering why you haven't achieved what you wanted? My Letter to Fear is a collection of short essays, each chapter is really a different topic and focus, but Fear connects them all. Some of the chapters are funny, with past experiences recounted for the benefit of the reader to prove a point, others are words of encouragement or even chastisements. Each addresses the many ways that we allow fear to stop us from becoming all that we want or deserve to be in life. Ms. Patricia L Steffy does a fabulous job in putting all these different essays or chapters together into a cohesive book that is not too stuffy, but gives the right amount of correction and encouragement.
My Letter to Fear is a collection of essays, each chapter is a different essay, and written to stand entirely alone. As the author, Ms. Patricia L Steffy researched her own life and collected stories from others, you never know which essay is about her or someone else, but they all provide the gentle encouragement that is needed to push the reader to action. This book is about realizing that fear is holding you back from accomplishing what you want in life, and addressing that fear and moving on. Now it doesn't give you step by step self help advice, it is more a gentle, funny way to help you realize what you are doing. I found it to be a fun read. Some chapters are more laugh producing than others, but in the end, if the reader has opened their mind and read with a willing heart, they will realize that there is at least one chapter that relates to their life and there is something they can wok on. I feel this is a great book for all readers, including the young adult and college age reader, in fact it might do them more good than the older reader, but it is still worth the read.
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Police Don't Move! ... well sometimes we do
by N.E. Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Have you ever wondered what it's really like to be a cop? Not all the glory job that you see on television but the mundane everyday stuff? Well N. E. Wood takes his time on the force and relays some of the best stories of things that actually happened to him when he was working on Australia's Gold Coast. Police don't move is wickedly funny at times, serious and direct at others, and teaching still at more. The cases highlighted are some of the best, funniest and down right silliest you will ever read. Then there are some that taught the officer a lesson, so that made him better and others that lead to his retirement.
Police Don't Move captures real life, the pictures and pretty parts; and the ugly and dirty parts just the same. It gives you a look into an area that is just like any other area, what Officer Nick experienced and talked about are the same things any cop in any town is going to tell you he has dealt with to. N. E. Wood takes his time to tell the stories more like his is sitting right there talking to you, than you reading a book. At the same time, he puts his emotions and feelings into some of the harder issues that he faced. It is well written and a great fun read for anyone. Might not want the kids to read it without parents around, but then again, they could learn what not to do, and how to stay out of trouble from this book too.
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