Tough Guys and Drama Queens

On first receiving “Tough Guys and Drama Queens” by Mark Gregston was in awe of its presentation. The rich red matt finish cover design made me excited about its contents. Greg himself sums up the purpose of the book - “to help parents better understand exactly what lies beneath the surface of the adolescent waters and to grasp the possible reasons that your child may fall or has already fallen into the snares of today’s society as well as to provide practical tools and tips to help parents abandon old-school parenting styles that aren’t working and replace them with methods that engage your child in relationship.” In other words, his philosophy is not just how to handle the turbulent teen years but how parents can better prepare their teens for adulthood. Gregston talks about what is different with today’s culture, why traditional parenting no longer works, and he gives a new model for parenting teens.

This was quite a decent book and I would recommend that all parents read it no matter whether you are struggling with your teens or working with them. A great read overall.

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com blogger book reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. (Disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

Surprised by Laughter - The Comic World of C. S. Lewis

Terry Lindvall PhD, in his book “Surprised by Laughter - The Comic World of C. S. Lewis” gives an in-depth look at Lewis’ writings, dividing his “dissertation” into six sections which are:

1) The Idea and the Legacy,

2) Joy,

3) Fun,

4) The Joke Proper,

5) Satire and Flippancy,

6) Conclusion: the Laughter of Love.

Apart from introducing the readers to authors like Chesterton, Milton, and Tolkien, among others Lindvall reveals C.S. Lewis’s ability to find joy and laughter in his surroundings through books, letters, conversations, and shorter works of his.

This book failed to live up to my expectations as I had hoped it to be a humourous one. “Surprised by Laughter” turned out to be more of a biography on C.S. Lewis. Reading through this one was quite a laborious task.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

LIFE SUPPORT

The main reason for my wanting to read “Life Support” by Robert Whitlow is because I am myself a lawyer. I must say that the legal research by Robert is quite top notch.

In short the story goes like this: Alexia Lindale is a young lawyer who represents divorce clients. Rena Richardson is a rich young woman who decides, in a strange twisted way, to kill her husband, Baxter Richardson, and then explain it away as an accident. Through some interesting turns of event, Alexia ends up representing Rena - not knowing that this crazed woman is a murderer. She has to make some tough decisions while trying to be a friend and someone who can be trusted with the truth - or what she's told is the truth. A twisting tale of tough decisions and of a mysterious, healing grace.

Overall it is a good novel but the one aspect that I did not like is having to wait for the sequel. I like stories that end with the book.

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com blogger book reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. (Disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

The Final Summit

‘The Final Summit’, by Andy Andrews takes up from where ‘The Traveler’s Gift’ had left off. Many years have passed since David Ponder discovered the Seven Decisions during a divine journey through time. Now 74 years old, Ponder has lost the one thing that mattered to him most: his wife, Ellen. Despite his personal and professional success, he now sits alone at the top of his 55-story high-rise contemplating the unthinkable, just as he did 28 years ago.
However, just as things are looking their darkest, Ponder is informed through divine channels that he is needed now more than ever. Together, with the help of hundreds of his fellow Travelers, from Winston Churchill to George Washington Carver to Joan of Arc, he must work to discover the one solution that will save humanity. Time is running out, and the final summit of Travelers must work quickly to avoid dire consequences.
The Final Summit explores the historically proven principles that have guided our greatest leaders for centuries, and how we might restore these principles in our own lives...before it's too late.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family

Steve and Annette Economides, The authors of this excellent book have successfully come up with wonderful ideas and have organized the whole procedure of shopping for groceries. Be it meat, dairy or vegetables, the rule is : No Compromise On Health.

In this book, a family of seven survives on the monthly expenditure of $350, that too not miserably. Following the rules of this book, an average family can save up to more than $3000 an year. Also the rules are not out of this world and are easy to follow.

If you don’t have the time to read through all the tips in detail, at the end of each chapter is a nice summary of what's mentioned in that chapter, so you can refer to those points. But all in all, it's worth the effort to save the money and watch how much we eat which in turn not only saves us cash but can also save our lives.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”