The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing

Book reviewing has been the hobby, profession, and passion of many practicing and potential writers as well as ardent book readers. Still, there had been no book length publication until now that may have served as a guide for reviewing books. Now we finally have one under the title The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing by Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards, editors of the free monthly review ezine Voice in the Dark. Published by Twilight Times Books (2008), Mayra and Anne’s book covers all the basic elements involved in the art/hobby/profession of book reviewing.

As the title hints, book reviewing is a slippery art with a number of influences acting on the potential reviewers, hindering their objectivity and partiality in writing the review. The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing points out those slippery sides of the book reviewing art so as to enable the reviewer to write fair, objective, and reader-friendly reviews. Failing to do so not only betrays the trust a reader puts in the reviewer but also endangers the reviewer’s own reputation and integrity as a pen-holder. This is the most important aspect of The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing.

Mayra and Anne’s book also educates on the basics of reviewing like what a review is; what are the various types of reviews; how to write different types of reviews; and the relation between the review, reviewer, reader, author, and publisher. The examples of reviews and a simple step-by-step guide to review writing included in the book are certainly a great source of information for beginner reviewers. Also, a valuable list of publishing and reviewing sources, online and in print, at the end of the book will be of great interest and practical assistance to reviewers at all levels.

ISBN: 1933353228

Availability

http://www.amazon.com/Slippery-Art-Book-Reviewing/dp/1933353228

Authors’ Websites

Mayra Calvani: http://mayracalvani.com/
Anne K. Edwards: http://www.mysteryfiction.net/

The Human Antenna

Acupuncture and other methods of alternate healing have been in use for centuries and have repeatedly been criticized by hard-shelled scientists and medical professionals as devoid of any solid scientific base. But Dr. Robin Kelly’s recent book The Human Antenna (Elite Books, California, 2007) brings up a whole new face of human existence in the light of some really fascinating research studies. Mainstream science has always attempted to attribute all bodily and mental functions to the material base of our existence. Here, Dr. Kelly presents evidence that we are essentially ‘energy beings’ down to our very last atom. A stunning theory of life!

Working as a medical doctor, Dr. Kelly tells how he found scientific and rational wisdom in ancient Chinese traditions of healing, particularly acupuncture. Not only did he become an acupuncture therapist but also pursued research on the healing aspects of universal energy. What Dr. Kelly learnt was radically different from the ruling concepts of ‘life’ in science; we turn out to be intimately connected to the universal energy that affects each and every cell of us, every passing moment. This universal energy is a major resource of healing various types of illnesses more effectively and almost free of cost. All we need to do is understand it better along scientific lines of research. The Human Antenna is a seminal work in that direction.

Including several accounts of the most exciting and revealing research in various scientific disciplines across the globe, The Human Antenna surprises the reader with its wonderful, little-known facts about life and its interaction with the universe. At the same time, Dr. Kelly narrates his own life experiences that inspired him to seek the truth of existence out of the dark realms of obscurity. His skills of story-telling and refined sense of humor make The Human Antenna a page turner, converting intricate scientific concepts into amusing tales for all his readers.

ISBN: 978-1-60415-014-8

Availability

http://www.amazon.com/Human-Antenna-Reading-Language-Universe/dp/1604150149/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214146569&sr=8-1

Author Website
http://www.humanantenna.com/

AIDS Orphans Rising

AIDS is one of the worst threats that have thwarted humanity. In human knowledge, it has a short history; though its origin is possibly as old as humanity itself. Now in the 21st century, AIDS has become ever more terrifying in a different way than a medical condition: it is prowling on the lives of children. In her latest book AIDS Orphans Rising What You Should Know and What You Can Do To Help Them Succeed (Loving Healing Press, December 2007), Sister Mary Elizabeth Lloyd alarms the readers with the frightening figures of the world’s minor population that is left orphan as AIDS continues to take their parents down. Every 14 seconds, such a tragedy occurs in some part of the world!

In many developing and poor countries, the death of both parents leaves the surviving children on their own. Thus a child headed household (CHH) is formed where the orphans, many of them under 9 years of age, have to work for their survival. Those who are not left a house by their parents have to live on the streets, beg for food, and are prone to falling into crime and prostitution in order to survive. The situation is assuming the status of a crisis in African countries, particularly in South Africa and Zambia, where the governments are economically too weak to support AIDS orphans. What do these helpless children do?

As Sister Mary Elizabeth explains in her book, viewing these children as totally helpless will not be so correct a view since these orphan kids have developed coping strategies of their own to ensure their survival. These range from menial labor to selling grains and nuts, and learning technical skills while continuing to go to school full time. Still, they are very much in need of help from grownups not only to live better but also for emotional support and the development of positive and fully functional personalities as they move into adulthood. Without help, they remain at a high risk of becoming a prey to exploitation and abuse.

How can the lives of these AIDS orphans be salvaged? Sister Mary Elizabeth provides a complete resource guide in AIDS Orphans Rising for the readers to help them play their role in helping the poor kids who have been left on their own in the struggle for survival. The Sister ad her team are working in various parts of the world to support AIDS orphans and their efforts make an instance of inspiration for all those who care to save human children from the claws of poverty and potential abuse. AIDS Orphans Rising is a major step in this direction.

ISBN: 978-1932690477

Availibility

http://aidsorphansrising.org/book.html

AIDS Orphans Website

http://aidsorphansrising.org/