The Shimmer by David Morrell

If you like action, you’re going to enjoy “The Shimmer” but it’s also for people who like suspense books. While sometimes the events that take place can be questionable (can there really be such a thing as these “lights”), the overall feeling you get from this book is that it’s sort of like UFOs. Some people are going to have an easier time reading this book if they are more open minded. I’m not saying you need to believe in UFOs to enjoy it, but you need to try to be open to new ideas to at least get through the whole book. I enjoyed reading this book although at times I had to stop and think about what was being said and re-read it a couple of times before continuing with it.

How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by John C. Maxwell

I like the fact that this book doesn't take up too much space and...I guess it's true. Good things really do come in small packages.

At first, there were a couple of chapters in which I thought the author was contradicting himself: (chapter 3: Harness Creative Thinking and chapter 4: Employ Realistic Thinking) but after reading the whole thing, I was able to see how it all fits together.

Overall, there were many good ideas in the book; some of them we've heard before, but are definitely worth repeating. My two favorite parts were "Question Popular Thinking" and "Rely on Bottom-Line Thinking" and a nice "feature" to the book were the "Thinking Questions" at the end of each chapter.

This book makes you see things differently.

I Hate People by Marc Hershon and Jonathan Littman

This is an interesting non-fiction book that talks about how to make time for yourself at work to pursue your own interests. By setting time aside for yourself, and working solo, you will find that you will come up with great ideas and become more productive.

There are quite a few modern-day companies, like Google for example, that are used to show that breaking away from tradition is often times a good thing. One thing that really surprised me was that taking a nap at work has actually been shown to improve productivity. This would be a great thing to mention to your boss.

The main idea that I got from this book is that the “cave” is something you need to retreat to in order to become more productive and re-energize yourself. This can be your cubicle, a space in your house, or even your car. The important thing is to try to find a place where you can have uninterrupted thoughts. Here, in your “cave”, is where you’ll get creative when you think like a soloist.

In order to deal with the most common type of people you’ll run into at the office, the kind that get in your way and try to sabotage your ideas, this is a must read. I call it office survival reading…don’t leave home without it!

The Power of Premonitions: How Knowing The Future Can Shape Our Lives

This book is about premonitions and how people react to them. It’s divided into five parts which are: (1) The Cases (2) Evidence (3) Why, What, How? (4) Why Should We Want To Cultivate Premonitions, And How Do We Do It? (5) Premonitions And Our Worldview.

I liked the fact that the author started out with cases as this caught my attention from the beginning. The overall message of the book I took away with me was that if you want to be prone to premonitions you should have an open mind and be comfortable with the idea that this can really happen. Many people in the book were quick to point out that they, in fact, did not feel comfortable telling people of their premonitions for fear of being ridiculed.

One question that many people, myself included, wanted answered was the question about money. If it's true that we can see into the future, is there a way we can "fix" the future to win the lottery...to know the "magic" numbers and become rich? Wow! That would be great! The funny thing is that it doesn't work that way. Somehow, when there is an overwhelming sense of greed, the numbers don't work out in our favor. You'll have to read the book to know what I'm talking about.

This book was not only able to hold my attention, it also got me interested in exploring physics…I think I’ll be paying more attention to my dreams too.

10 Things You Need to Know About Premonitions By Larry Dossey, M.D.,
Author of The Power of Premonitions: How Knowing the Future Can Shape Our Lives

1. Premonitions are extremely common. They probably arose early in our evolutionary history because they provided our ancestors with a greater likelihood of survival and procreation. They were thus likely to have been incorporated into their genes and passed down through succeeding generations. As a result, we now appear to be hardwired for premonitions. They have become our birthright, part of our original equipment.

2. Premonition means literally "a forewarning," indicating that they often announce upcoming events that are unpleasant e.g., a health crisis or a natural disaster. This is not absolute, however; premonitions may also foretell pleasing events such as a job promotion, the location of a parking spot, or even winning lottery numbers.

3. Premonitions can be realistic or symbolic. They occur commonly during dreams, but also during full, waking awareness.

4. Five rules of thumb aid us in knowing which premonitions to take seriously: (1) if the premonition warns of a health crisis or death; (2) if the premonition is numinous, highly vivid, or "realer than real"; (3) if a dream is recurrent, appearing often in the same night or in succeeding nights, as if clamoring for attention; (4) if the premonition is associated with physical symptoms; or (5) if the premonition is experienced independently by a spouse, partner, lover, or close friend.

5. There are four categories of scientific evidence for premonitions: (1) presentiment experiments, in which the body responds to a future event prior to one's conscious awareness of it; (2) precognitive remote viewing tests, in which a distant individual "gets" information from a sender up to a week before it is mentally sent; (3) online tests of precognitive functioning, and (4) global consciousness effects that are detected by random event generators stationed around the earth, which often react prior to the occurrence of a subsequent happening.

6. Premonitions alert us to impending problems and crises of those we love. These warnings are extremely common between parents and children, spouses, siblings (particularly identical twins), close friends, and lovers. Empathy, love, compassion and a sense of oneness mediate premonitions.

7. Although we cannot have premonitions on demand, we can invite them into our lives by setting the stage for them, so they are more likely to occur. We can become more premonition-prone.

8. The most effective way to become more premonition prone is to develop a discipline wherein we quiet our mind and attend to the subtle messages from within and without -- through meditation, contemplation, immersion in nature, or just "getting quiet." Courting mystery also helps. As Rumi said, "Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment."

9. Keep a dream diary, in which you record your dreams on waking. This makes premonitions more likely to occur and insures that they will be remembered.

10. Premonitions are an indicator of the soul and a bridge to the transcendent. Their value goes beyond their practical benefit of warning us of upcoming dangers. They reveal the presence of a timeless aspect of our consciousness, and therefore point like an arrow to an immortal, eternal aspect of who we are.

©2009 Larry Dossey, M.D., author of The Power of Premonitions: How Knowing the Future Can Shape Our Lives

Author Bio
Larry Dossey, M.D., author of The Power of Premonitions: How Knowing the Future Can Shape Our Lives, is a leader in bringing scientific understanding to spirituality, and rigorous proof to alternative medicine. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Healing Words, the first serious look at how prayer affects healing. He has been featured several times by Oprah -- her TV show, radio show, and magazine -- and is an international advocate for the role of the mind in health and the role of spirituality in healthcare. He lives in New Mexico.

The Accountant's Story: Inside the Violent World of the Medellín Cartel by Roberto Escobar with David Fisher

This book was a quick read because it was very interesting. Although it’s hard to feel any sort of sympathy for drug traffickers, this real-life story about Pablo Escobar makes him seem like a modern day Robin-Hood to his people. Each story has two sides and this one definitely takes you to that other side, to see what it’s like to walk in the shoes of a different person.

I liked the way this book was able to take you into the busy city streets of Columbia as well as to the hidden jungles where many laboratories were built to make cocaine; it made me feel like I was actually there. What really stood out above everything else were the translations from Spanish to English; they were right on target and I’ve never seen a better job done when it comes to translating. I’m not sure if there is a movie planned for this book but it sure would be a great idea!

The Richest Man in Town: The Twelve Commandments of Wealth by W. Randall Jones

This book: “The Richest Man in Town: The Twelve Commandments of Wealth” was an interesting read. One think I found different from other books that talk about being rich was the concept of doing what you’re good at and not what you want to do.

A lot of books talk to you about being able to do anything you want as long as you set your mind to it. There is nothing wrong with that but when you really think about it you’ll see that it makes more sense to do something that you have a passion for and are very good at.

This book looks at many people, a lot of them who started out with little to nothing, and how they made their fortunes. I would recommend this book to friends and family that would like to be inspired.

I'LL MAKE YOU AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE by Michael Franzese

This book is about a former mob boss, Michael Franzese, who was able to leave the mafia and live to tell about how his experiences as an outlaw helped him make important business decisions. Although Michael does not glorify mafia life, he does provide information you can use in business.

One very important thing you can learn about “the life” is how to master the art of a sit-down. A sit-down is where most decisions are made for everything involving the life. In business we have another name for sit-downs…meetings.

Two people that Michael often quotes in this book are King Solomon and Nicolo Machiavelli. Most people involved in the mafia life like thinking of Machiavelli as their guide in whatever it is they do on a daily basis in business; Machiavelli was famous for promoting the “whatever it takes” idea. In other words, do whatever needs to be done in order to obtain the desired results.

After reading this book, the message I took away was that although you might have done some things you regret in the past, there is always a chance to change your ways.

Sleepwalking in Daylight by Elizabeth Flock

In Sleepwalking by Daylight, Elizabeth brings you into a world in which the housewife feels undervalued and taken for granted. Does that feel like you? Her husband is often lost in his own thoughts and although he’s there physically, she can’t help but think that he is not there mentally and the there relationship is slowly going down the drain. They seem to grow farther and farther apart every day and she’s often left with the feeling that that getting married was a mistake…like she rushed into it without knowing what was in store for her.

In the beginning, the story starts off talking about how, after many unsuccessful attempts at getting pregnant, the young couple decide to adopt a child although the mother seems to the one that is thrilled and the father just seems to be going through the motions. This idea about not wanting to adopt a child is one, if not the main, theme throughout the book. Everything seems to center on Cammy, the young and rebellious teenager.

If this book was a movie I’d say it would probably be in the suspense/drama section. From page one it grabbed my attention and was definitely a page-turner. The author was able to bring the characters to life in this story and you’ll find it hard not to identify with what the characters are going through. I think all of us, at one point or another, have gone through or know someone who has gone through the events that take place because many of the things that do take place are universal; relationships, parenthood, and children. I mean, really…who hasn’t had to deal with teenagers in any sort of capacity?

Making Light of Being Heavy by Kandy Siahaya

This book, Making Light of Being Heavy, by Kandy Siahaya, is about being heavy, or in other words…fat. I have to admit that there were times when I was laughing out loud. The author has a funny sense of humor and you should have one too to enjoy the book.

There are many different aspects to being overweight and I’m glad that Kandy touched on many of them. For example, have you ever considered that the reason you are heavy might have to do with your genes? If this is the case, you’ll be glad to know, and maybe even a little bit easier on yourself, the next time you open the refrigerator or step onto the treadmill...quit beating yourself up for being a little overweight!

One thing I was quite surprised to learn, and hadn’t really given much thought to, is that eating healthy can become quite expensive. Kandy provided a list of different food items and was able to point out how eating healthy might cost a bit more when compared to buying foods that are not as healthy. You might be wondering why that would be the case…and even come to think of it as strange. Well, believe me…I was thinking the exact same thing. If unhealthy junk-food is cheaper that might, just might, be one factor as to why there are so many obese people.

Fault Line: A Novel by Barry Eisler

Fault Line was the first, but definitely won’t be the last, novel I read by Barry Eisler. I was glad to find out that one of his other works (Rain Fall) was made into a movie. Hopefully this one will too. It has a lot of action, suspense, and drama.

Without giving the whole story away, it takes place in San Jose, CA, otherwise known as Silicon Valley, and it’s about a guy (computer nerd) who invents a software program. The only problem is that there are some dangerous people willing to go to any lengths, and killing is no exception, in order to make sure this program does not reach the market.

What I liked most was how the characters, from early on, got built up. This allowed me to conjure up an image in my mind of what each character is like. The language was very descriptive and was almost as though I had a movie running through my head. I can honestly say that this is one of the few books that I have been able to finish reading in a couple of days. It’s one of those books that you want to finish in one sitting.

MADE TO STICK: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

While this book had a lot of examples that involved management in a business environment, there were also plenty of examples that were taken from an academic setting and basically any other place you could think of where someone in a position of leadership needs to get things done. The main idea of the book is that we need to keep our minds open and be able to “think out of the box” by trying things that may seem to contradict common sense. This book is for anyone who is curious as to why some ideas become successful and others do not and tends to have a lot of ideas that can be put to use specifically in a business environment.

There were quite a few things I liked about this book. The clinics provided a different way to help the concepts sink in and the fact that there were cross-references was also helpful, but what I think really made this book stand out from the rest was the outline which is sort of like a “Cliffs Notes” version of the whole book; it’s easier to find something later on if you want to use it as a reference book.

The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth

This is a great book if you want to know what a midwife went through...back then, anyways. Obviously, a lot has changed today, and some of the things may not readily apply but that's the whole point.

This is sort of like a history book and takes you back to see how life was back then and how the midwife was treated. In the beginning, the job of the midwife was not looked upon as being very important; it was not until later, after many years of service, that they came to be appreciated a whole lot more.

Book Spotlight: Shattered Reality by Kimberly Cheryl

Shattered Reality is a book that is bound to have an impact on your life and someone you know. This is an important book to have because a lot of times, kids will not come forward with this kind of information but one can often tell if they need help by being able to point out common behavioral traits that abused children and teens often exhibit. A must read for everyone, especially those of us who work with young people.

The Ten-Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer

If you're familiar with the kind of movies that join together three or four stories and, somehow, combine them into one, with great ease, you'll have no problem following this novel. It's about different people living different lives but they all intertwine with one another.
The main theme is about how some women feel about leaving work behind and not
returning for one reason or another. The different characters reflect on their current lives and wonder whether or not it was worth it to leave their careers and stay at home to watch after the kid(s).
After reading this novel you should have a better idea about what goes through
the head of the average mom...whether she is currently working or not.

Rich Like Them: My Door-to-Door Search for the Secrets of Wealth in America's Richest Neighborhoods by Ryan D'Agostino

This is a pretty good book to read. No, it's not an instruction manual on how to get rich but it does give some (or should I say, a lot) of insight on how many people from different walks of life became wealthy.

At first sight, by reading the title, you might think that this book talks a lot about money...and I guess it does, in a way...but that's not necessarily the main point. What I liked most about this "door-knocking" project is that it just might give you the needed push you need to get out there and start doing something you actually enjoy.

The common theme throughout the pages I kept finding over and over is that the main motivation for the people being interviewed was not money...it just happened to come along. Sure, money is an important reason and it should be important, but it should not be the ONLY reason you are working in that job.

This is an inspiring book that talks about people who do what they love and are willing to take chances.

Deep Thinking the Human Condition

What I liked about the book:

- The author brings up a very important topic to our attention: persistent underdeveloped countries which have not been able to achieve full potential.

- Reading this book caused me to look at higher education in a different way especially when taking into account the perceptions that some people have of social science and natural science.

What I didn't like about this book:

- In my opinion, the author seems to be saying that the whole world should try to teach "Western" style academics because that's the best there is. This, to me, sounds a bit arrogant.

- The message I got from this book is that if you want to study something in college major in anything that has to do with natural science as social science is a waste of time.

I realize that this is the first book of a series so more are to come and all we can do is wait and see what will be next.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

This book was right on target when it talks about how we must take into account many different variables and not only IQ scores when talking about how someone was able to become so successful.

Malcolm Gladwell talks about how the environment has influence over us. For example, before Bill Gates even went to college he already has access to computers that were far more advanced and superior than the ones used by some university students because he was attending a very expensive school. By having been born into a wealthy family he was able to surround himself with things that others might not have access too.

While this is not to say that his success was handed over to him, it does cause one to think. I'd say this has been one of the more thought provoking books I've read lately.

The Family Bones by Kimberly Raiser

This is a good book that doesn't take too long to get into the scary stuff. Almost right from the beginning, when they go to look at the house they have inherited, weird things begin to happen. You have to follow the events very carefully, however, so you won't get lost.

There were a few places where I had to backtrack and reread a few pages to make sure I didn't miss anything and understood what was happening. This book has many twists that you might not see coming. It sort of reminded me of those "Nightmare on Elm Street" episodes that I would see as a kid.

All in all, I would say this is a great book to read. It would make for a great late night read when you're all alone.

Perl 5 for Dummies by Paul E. Hoffman

I've always enjoyed books from the "Dummies" series because they tend to be easy to understand and do not overwhelm you with all the technical details that you usually find in the hard to read manuals.

This book, however, had quite a few important pieces of information left out and some of the examples in the book did not work. That's not good if you're using this book to learn from. I ended up having to look up some of the information from the internet or other perl books that I have.

It's an ok book but be sure to have other books handy, like maybe a reference book to accompany this one and you'll be ok.

NO EXPERTS NEEDED: The Meaning of Life According to You!

In times like these, when everything seems so gloomy with the economy the way it is, this is a good book to read because it is encouraging, uplifting and filled with hope. Louise Lewis does some searching to find out what exactly is the meaning of life and ends up writing this book during a time when she’s unemployed. A time, it turns out, that ends up being a major turning point in her life.

Early in the book Lewis talks about being alone and single. She mentions a time when her friends forgot about her birthday and so she ended up celebrating alone. This, however, happened to be a blessing in disguise; if anything had happened differently, this book might not exist today.

I like the way she did her “research” and interviewed everyday common people, just like you and me, for this book and have them share their thoughts on what the meaning of life is. I think this made the whole book better because it has a sort of spontaneous feel to it as opposed to everything being all planned out.

She writes about a time when she went out driving, not knowing exactly where she was going but knew she had to go somewhere, and right at that moment she was guided by “Spirit” and was told where to go. Once there, she found the reason for being there and ended up getting a different perspective on life. She seems to be a very spiritual person who is often guided by “Spirit” in her daily activities

In this book you’ll get to see the many hopes, fears, and dreams of many people and may come to realize that they, not surprisingly, look something like yours.

This is the kind of book you get for your friends and family…I highly recommend it!

The Almost Black Phoneman

Have you ever wanted to know what it's like to work for "ma-bell" or what used to be "ma-bell" a long time ago? This book takes you into the life of a telephone repair man and appears to be written in an easy to read conversational style.

The author talks about his many "visits" and horror stories of how he spent his days working the phone lines. It's a very funny and entertaining read. It's also not too many pages so you might be able to finish in one or two sittings.

Unix: Your visual blueprint to the universe of Unix

This is a good book to learn Unix. I tend to be a visual learner and this book has plenty of sceenshots so you could follow along on your workstation. There are some downsides however.

Some of the commands will work on different versions of Unix or "Unix-Like" operating systems such as the many Linux distributions, but it's meant mainly to be followed along by people with Solaris installed. All the screenshots are from the CDE gui.

I don't mind that most, if not all, of the screenshots were from the Solaris operating system but I think the book would've been more effective and been able to reach a larger audience if the book would've focused on the three major operating systems (Solaris, FreeBSD and Linux) and just note the slight differences in the commands where applicable.

This book has a lot of information for the beginner to get up and running with Unix but it's geared towards the novice who has no experience. It would be nice to have one of these visual books that go into more advanced issues such as setting up servers and getting Unix play nice with Microsoft Windows.

The Exchange by Inga C. Ellzey

I enjoyed reading this novel because the author uses very descriptive language that allows you to develop a lot of images in your mind. It seemed like she really spent a lot of time building up the characters and that payed off for her. Randy was an interesting character and I think it was a good idea to include her in the novel. It's a good read that would probably also make a good movie. Just a thought.

BizzWords: From Ad Creep to Zero Drag, a Guide to Today's Emerging Vocabulary by Gregory Bergman

This was an interesting book to say the least. It's a fun, light, and entertaining read. I like the reactions I get from friends and family when I use some of these terms...you should try it too!

the change your life challenge by Brook Noel

Being a new year and all, I was definitely in the mood for some life changing events no matter how small they may appear to be at first.

I enjoyed this book because of the way it's set up; the Mini-Makeovers are totally independent of each other...just find what interests you the most and start there. No need to go from beginning to end. Another thing about the book I enjoyed were were the "Take a Step Forward" exercises. They helped me out a lot as they provided a "hands-on" learning approach. It's always a good thing if you can actually try out what it is you're reading about.

I tend to be a pack rat and find it hard to get rid of things, things that I don't even need anymore so obviously the first page I turned to was the part that talks about "The True Cost of Clutter" to get immediate help. Some of the exercises you're supposed to do actually really help.

"The Five-Minute Relationship Miracle" also was an eye-0pener for me because I am always so busy and doing everything at a fast pace. Do you know what the difference is between hearing and listening?

There are so many other good parts I could go on and on but I guess you'll just have to check it out for yourself.

Walking Through Walls: A Memoir by Philip Smith

If you are a fan of memoirs you will definitely like this book, it caught my attention write from the beginning. I actually started doing research on the internet on psychics and healing and other subjects that were talked about in the book.

Although it is not easy, the author points out that anyone can learn to be a "healer" and help people with whatever ails them.

It is a really interesting read and lets the reader get a "feel" for what a true healer (and a decorator at that) deals with on a daily basis.

A must read...it's great!