“Under 99 is Fine” Friday

August 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

These books are free as I’m typing this, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be free forever. Download while you can, and come back here every Friday for a a new list of free Kindle books.

55 Ways to Meditate: Discover Your True Self , by Linda Lavid
This is the abridged version of 101 Ways to Meditate: Discover Your True Self.

Are You a Stock or a Bond?: Create Your Own Pension Plan for a Secure Financial Future, by Moshe A. Milevsky
Considering your current life situation, will you outlive the money you’re saving for retirement? This book will show you how to build a better retirement plan, taking into account your job, your housing situation, health and other factors.

Raising Motivated Kids: Inspiring Enthusiasm for a Great Start in Life (School Savvy Kids), by Cheri Fuller
You can say, “Because I said so,” but it doesn’t necessarily make the medicine go down any smoother. This book will teach you how to motivate kids so that they want to listen.

What’s Stopping You?: Shatter the 9 Most Common Myths Keeping You from Starting Your Own Business, by R. Duane Ireland
If you believe that running a successful business requires a bank loan, a college degree and a product that sends chills of amazement down ones spine, this book dispels those myths.

An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, And the Fight for Seadrift, Texas, by Diane Wilson
It only takes one person to change the world. In this tale that one powerhouse is fourth generation shrimper, Diane Wilson, who discovers that her county is the most polluted in the United States. She fights bureaucrats and Formosa Plastics, to the point that she has to break the law to make sure her area is saved.

 

 

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Sit real close to the television, but don’t rub your eyes

August 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For 20 years I’ve been telling my mom that you can’t get a cold from sitting under the air conditioner. I almost had her 8% converted if it weren’t for that darn SpongeBob SquarePants episode when SpongeBob caught a killer cold by, yup… sleeping with the air conditioner on.

I doubt I’ll change her mind, but at the very least I can marinate in my smugness knowing that cold weather does not cause colds. And eggs aren’t the high cholesterol demons they’ve been made out to be. And hydrogen peroxide… well, I don’t want to be a plot spoiler on that one.

Don’t Cross Your Eyes…They’ll Get Stuck That Way!: And 75 Other Health Myths Debunked offers scientific proof of whether those old wives tales you hear about are true or false. Each (potential) myth is broken down into bite-sized reading portions, complete with respected journal studies to corroborate the authors claims.

I was kind of shocked by the studies they outed as being BS, as I’ve seen some of these references on more than a fair share of health websites.

For example, one major brand claimed their product had gone through a double-blind study. However it was later discovered that the “lab” (and I use that term very looesly) conducting this double-blind study consisted of two guys in a garage. Nope, not even after 2 glasses of wine.

I’m no moonlighting beaker heater, but when I think of labs and double-blind studies and sterile conditions, I don’t see a garage in the picture.

I’ll just conclude this review by saying we are seriously satiated by the almighty placebo affect in so many different ways. This book was a real eye opener in that department.

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I love monkeys. I love pens. But did I love hanging with the Penmonkey?

August 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

My personal experience with the fiction genre is, well, non-existent. I can give you a step 1, step 2, and step 3 like a how-to virtuoso. But to make up a tale with plots (can there really be more than one?) and dialogue and conflict and under stories… I’m a neophyte. A corn on Stephen King’s baby toe.

So when I read books like Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey, it’s all a pre-k education for me. Research for my great urban novel that every princess like me dares to undertake in her lifetime.

And quite frankly, any book with the title “penmonkey” can’t be half-bad, right? I mean because penmonkey is a word that begs for your attention, right?

Well let’s just say penmonkey is the most tame of the vernacular here.

I grew up listening to Richard Pryor on my Barbie record player after school when I was a kid, so I love ‘colorful’ language. Well let’s just say that author Chuck Wendig is, ummm, very colorful.

He wields cusswords like a blind barracuda, whose just eaten a bubble eyed gold fish, who just swallowed two crack vials. By the way, that last statement is as insane as Chuck’s creative and fiery use of what I can only describe as “potty piss linguistics.”

You couldn’t outrun it if you were part Usain Bolt, part hungry cheetah – it lovingly permeates Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey like a bad armpit smell in an old t-shirt. (What… you don’t have one of those???)

But I digress… if you’re easily offended by bad words, do not peek behind the curtain. You’ll have a morality heart attack.

As for me, well I laughed (a lot) while rollicking with Mr. Penmonkey. I purposely stored away some very keen ideas on dialogue and emotional core and tension, as well as unicorns and goats.

It’s not an in-depth treatise on these topics (this book is a collection of his best blog posts), but more like a ‘think-on-these-snippets’ type explanation.

I must admit that even though my mind is constantly teeming with bad words, I only wanted to read a few chapters here and a few chapters there. (Which means nothing, since I still read the entire book in one day!)

The language is very powerful, and sometimes it kicks the penmonkey’s message square in the flagnog.

Would I recommend it?

Wholeheartedly.

Chuck gives you the strait poop like no other fiction teacher will serve it to you — hot, steaming and very stinky.

There’s no coddling here. No affirmations that you’re the best. It ain’t all dolled up in a beehive hairdo. Just the wicked truth about what it takes to become a salable fiction author.

And perhaps Chuck writes with such grittiness because in the end you need a tough skin to make it through the publishing birth canal.

Perhaps we need a few more Chucks to wield those forceps over our heads.

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The realities of globetrotting when you’re in your mid-thirties, not rich, single AND addicted to cookies

July 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When my ex-husband and I were a unit many years ago, we spent several years on the road in exotic locations like Morocco and Brazil and Italy. No doubt, it was an adventure of a lifetime, and to this day I still get wide-eyed stares when I start rehashing stories from the road.

However what most people don’t know is that lumped heavily amongst the souks in Marrakech with their snake charmers and nonstop haggling, there were also pockets of time – big, roomy pockets of time – that ex-husband and I just lounged around the riad (a Moroccan guesthouse) watching DVDs.

Don’t get me wrong, there was always plenty to do. But when you’re living in a city, it’s not the same as vacationing for 7 days. Living there means you’re allowed to kick back for days at a time, running out for a daily hookah smoke if you feel like it.

The Best of Unbrave Girl confirms my okay-ness on this very topic. That “yes,” it’s okay to chill in your room, watching DVDs, even when you’re in a foreign land.

Sally Thelen, gave up her job to hit the Asian expat circuit. Not “expat,” like living in a $5K a month apartment that you might see on HGTV’s International House Hunters.

“Expat,” as in cheap guest houses, the occasional hostel, provided accommodations from volunteer opportunities, and even a house sitting gig in the Thai jungle. A house sitting gig that involved taking care of cats, nonetheless.

This ain’t your average expat

Sally is no 20-something year old, doing the between college years travel thing. She’s in her mid-30’s, considers herself too sturdy for a bikini (or pants in Asian countries, apparently), and uses a suitcase – with wheels – not the cursory backpack.

With a borderline insane lust for flavored potato chips, cookies and street food served on a stick, she gives readers a hilarious glimpse of foreign living on a budget. Better still, she takes away the guilty pangs you might start to feel by wanting to sit on your foreign sofa, and, well, veg out all day to television shows you can’t understand.

Though you won’t get an earful about museums and other cultured musings, it is one of the more realistic ‘glimpses’ at cheap expat living. (Take note of the word ‘glimpse’ okay.) You’ll pick up a few travel tid-bits not found on Trip Advisor, including funny nuggets about China, Laos, Thailand and Japan.

But you’ll learn more about the realities of hitting the road solo and mentally surviving the experience.

And it’s all wrapped in Sally’s crazy sense of humor, which had me laughing out loud on more than 10 occasions.

At only $.99 give this girl some more traveling money, and hope she doesn’t quit her couch I mean globetrotting job.

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“Under 99 is Fine” Friday

July 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Unless otherwise noted, these are books I’m introducing you to, not books that I’ve reviewed. They’re free as of the date of this blog post, however sometimes publishers do end up raising the price.

So let the downloading begin!

Winning the Zero Moment of Truth, by Jim Lecinski

Written by Google’s Managing Director of US Sales & Service (and Chief ZMOT evangelist), this enhanced “vook” (video book) shows marketers how to win customers at the critical zero moment of truth. That magical place in time when a review or a video or a product description makes or breaks the sale.

Be sure to read this one on your computer or iPad because it has video.

Habit: The 95% of Behavior Marketers Ignore, Neale Martin

Discover how unconscious decisions rule a conscious shoppers universe. Normally priced $19.79 as a paperback, but it’s free for Kindler’s.

Know What You Don’t Know, by Michael A. Roberto

“In Know What You Don’t Know, best-selling author Michael Roberto shows leaders how to go beyond mere “problem solving” to uncover and address emerging problems while they’re still manageable—before they mushroom into disaster! Roberto first identifies the diverse, sometimes surprising reasons why problems typically fester in the shadows, ignored and unaddressed.” 

Retirementology, by Gregory Salsbury

#1 in Kindle’s investing category and normally $12.43 as a paperback.

“Looking ahead to retirement? Depending on your circumstances and your age, you may no longer have any margin for error. And your emotions and irrational behavior could be perpetuating a dangerous cycle of overspending and rising debt that may shatter whatever vision of retirement you still have. Welcome to the world of Retirementology.

Retirementology bridges retirement planning with investor psychology and the market Meltdown of 2008 to produce an entirely new way of thinking about how we spend, how we save, how we borrow, and how we invest. Financial mistakes are deeply rooted in human nature, but you may be able to overcome them–if you understand the breakthrough principles of behavioral economics and apply them in your own retirement planning.”

5 of the USA’s Best Trips, by Lonely Planet

Features a unique mix of 2-10 day road trips. My fav is the Whistle-Stop Brewery Tour. Lots of microbreweries and NO driving… need I say more?

A Little Journey Higher, by Alex Ford

Chronicle of an Englishman’s quest to learn paragliding in Nepal. As much as I adore traveling, this quick read allowed me to cross Dhaka off my list.

Stress proof your life, by Elisabeth Wilson

I actually got some REALLY good ideas from this one — especially when it comes to procrastination.

The Adventurous Boys Handbook: For Ages 9 to 99, by Stephen Brennan and Finn Brennan

You don’t have to be an adventurous boy to dig this one. It’s a little of everything you need to know to survive in the wild — for maybe a night or two. (Don’t mind me, that’s just my 30-something years of sleeping on a comfy bed talking.)

Get Shoulder Definition in Six Weeks, by Tony Donato

The older I get the more I love my shoulders. If you’re not too fond of yours, Tony Donato will help you rekindle the romance. This is a vook (video book) so Kindle on a computer or iPad is recommended.

Pro Wrestling: Breaking Into the Business, by Roland Alexander

Professional wrestler Dave Dutra shows you the ropes in this vook. All I gotta say is that I hope my daughter doesn’t catch wind of this one or I’ll be in for a night of nonstop body slams.

How I Wrote My First Book: the story behind the story, by Lida E. Quillen and Anne K. Edwards

20 published authors tell how they got serious and became published authors.

The Power of PAO: How to Go From Victim of Circumstance to Master of Your Destiny, by Joe Champion

Challenges mean nothing when you have a little PAO-wer behind you.

Finding Your Own Inner Strength, by Lori Osterman and Linda Boulanger

One woman’s struggle to work past her pain and desire to end her life as she realized she had a purpose; that she needed to stay and find out who she was meant to be.  A short read at 36 print pages.

Superheroes: The Best of Philosophy and Pop Culture, by William Irwin

“Behind the cool costumes, special powers, and unflagging determination to fight evil you’ll find fascinating philosophical questions and concerns deep in the hearts and minds of your favorite comic book heroes.

Why doesn’t Batman just kill the Joker and end everyone’s misery? Does Peter Parker have a good life? What can Iron Man teach us about the role of technology in society? Bringing together key chapters from books in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, this free superhero sampler engages the intellectual might of big thinkers like Aristotle and Kant to answer these questions and many others, giving you new insights on everything from whether Superman is truly an American icon to whether Wolverine is the same person when he loses his memory.”

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