Cranford - A Community of Women

Until the BBC showed Cranford recently, no-one had ever heard of it beyond students of English Literature. Indeed, I read it many years ago, while doing A Level English and thought it rather turgid and dull. How wrong I was.

Many years later, I was given the book as a pre-recorded mini-player, and how I enjoyed it this time around. It is the story of a village in North West England, which for some quirky reason seems to only contain women – the men have either died or moved away. There are men enough to do the day to day necessary tasks to keep society functioning, but not sufficient men of a certain class. So there lives in Cranford a group of women – mostly widows or spinsters, and mostly beyond the first flush of youth. They are very aware of their class and status and fiercely protect both.

The story is told by Miss Mary Smith, a regular houseguest of the two main characters, Miss Deborah and Miss Mattie Jenkyns (Eileen Atkins and Judi Dench respectively in the BBC adaptation). The Misses Jenkyns are the daughters of the former Rector and Miss Deborah in particular, is very punctilious in ensuring that the sisters maintain their particular place in society. They have a live-in servant girl to “do” for them and a pony and trap but otherwise seem to manage for themselves.

It would be vulgar to mention the word, but money is obviously in short supply and the economies they employ make one smile. When not entertaining company in the evening, they limit the number of candles they light, but use each for a short while only so that all the candles are burned to the same length. That way, should a visitor arrive, all the candles can be lit so it appears they have been burning all evening. It saves money, and face.

A new carpet is purchased for the Parlour but to protect it from being faded by sunlight, they put newspapers upon it which they move following the path of the sun during the day. They even place footstep shaped pieces across the room so the carpet is not soiled by shoes. When company comes, they of course remove the paper and have a pristine carpet.

Miss Matty, the younger sister, is by now an elderly spinster (though I think not yet 60) and it transpires that, unknown to our narrator, she once had a gentleman admirer. The story comes out that her admirer, Thomas Holbrook, was only a yeoman farmer who tilled his own land, so entirely unsuitable as a prospective husband. Her father, the Rector, had refused his permission, so poor Miss Jenkyns remained for ever a spinster since no-one else ever “asked” for her. At one point, we meet Mr Holbrook, still a farmer, but now quite prosperous, when Miss Matty, together with her cousin, and Mary Smith are invited to spend the day with him. Shortly after he departs on a visit to Paris from which he never returns. Cranford has lost another male inhabitant. Miss Matty is quite distraught and it shows the feeling she must still have held for him when she tells her dressmaker that in future she will wear widow’s caps, thus showing her altered status.

The Honourable Mrs Flynn, who is much respected and admired, since she is minor aristocracy, is to be visited by a relation, a titled lady. This causes a great flurry amongst the inhabitants. Should they visit her? What topics should they discuss? What foods should they offer her if she should deign to visit them? They are almost disappointed when it turns out that she is a very unaffected and down to earth woman, who has never been presented at Court.

Visiting and being visited is an important part of the social scene. One never just dropped in to see an acquaintance. It was known which day a particular household would be “at home” and visitors called between specified times and stayed no longer than 15 minutes. Entertained in the Parlour (without the newspaper, I hope), refreshments might be offered, but very much depended on the class of the visitor. Visits must have been very stilted, unsatisfactory meetings when constrained by such tight rules.

Card parties were a little more relaxed and a favourite with many of the Cranford residents. These provided an opportunity to meet friends, gossip, meet up with any visitors and, most importantly it would seem, eat food at someone else’s expense!

Money, of course, remained a forbidden subject. Never discussed in polite society, it was forced into the public domain when the Bank holding all of Miss Matty’s funds folded, and she lost all her money. Fortunately her friends in the village rallied to help her out and she set up a Tea Shop to make ends meet. She is helped out by her servant girl, now married, and she and her husband live with Miss Matty.

On this mini-player, the story is read, unabridged, by Claire Wille, who gives it just the right level of pathos with a hint of fun to bring out the essence of the novel. Mrs Gaskell isn’t exactly laughing at her heroines. They, indeed, are unable to laugh at themselves. They are caught in a time and a way of life which proved very constrictive and unsatisfactory. She is using them, I think, to mock the unfulfilling and restrictive lives lived by so many women in England in the mid 19th century.

This mini tape takes 6 hours to play but can be paused and bookmarked at will, so is an ideal way to “read” a long novel. The beauty of it is you’re not restricted while reading. You can do so much else as well, from training at the gym, jogging, travelling or even doing the household chores.

A good read from a much under-exposed writer.

Cranford - A Community of Women

Cranford - A Community of Women

Until the BBC showed Cranford recently, no-one had ever heard of it beyond students of English Literature. Indeed, I read it many years ago, while doing A Level English and thought it rather turgid and dull. How wrong I was.

Many years later, I was given the book as a pre-recorded mini-player, and how I enjoyed it this time around. It is the story of a village in North West England, which for some quirky reason seems to only contain women – the men have either died or moved away. There are men enough to do the day to day necessary tasks to keep society functioning, but not sufficient men of a certain class. So there lives in Cranford a group of women – mostly widows or spinsters, and mostly beyond the first flush of youth. They are very aware of their class and status and fiercely protect both.

The story is told by Miss Mary Smith, a regular houseguest of the two main characters, Miss Deborah and Miss Mattie Jenkyns (Eileen Atkins and Judi Dench respectively in the BBC adaptation). The Misses Jenkyns are the daughters of the former Rector and Miss Deborah in particular, is very punctilious in ensuring that the sisters maintain their particular place in society. They have a live-in servant girl to “do” for them and a pony and trap but otherwise seem to manage for themselves.

It would be vulgar to mention the word, but money is obviously in short supply and the economies they employ make one smile. When not entertaining company in the evening, they limit the number of candles they light, but use each for a short while only so that all the candles are burned to the same length. That way, should a visitor arrive, all the candles can be lit so it appears they have been burning all evening. It saves money, and face.

A new carpet is purchased for the Parlour but to protect it from being faded by sunlight, they put newspapers upon it which they move following the path of the sun during the day. They even place footstep shaped pieces across the room so the carpet is not soiled by shoes. When company comes, they of course remove the paper and have a pristine carpet.

Miss Matty, the younger sister, is by now an elderly spinster (though I think not yet 60) and it transpires that, unknown to our narrator, she once had a gentleman admirer. The story comes out that her admirer, Thomas Holbrook, was only a yeoman farmer who tilled his own land, so entirely unsuitable as a prospective husband. Her father, the Rector, had refused his permission, so poor Miss Jenkyns remained for ever a spinster since no-one else ever “asked” for her. At one point, we meet Mr Holbrook, still a farmer, but now quite prosperous, when Miss Matty, together with her cousin, and Mary Smith are invited to spend the day with him. Shortly after he departs on a visit to Paris from which he never returns. Cranford has lost another male inhabitant. Miss Matty is quite distraught and it shows the feeling she must still have held for him when she tells her dressmaker that in future she will wear widow’s caps, thus showing her altered status.

The Honourable Mrs Flynn, who is much respected and admired, since she is minor aristocracy, is to be visited by a relation, a titled lady. This causes a great flurry amongst the inhabitants. Should they visit her? What topics should they discuss? What foods should they offer her if she should deign to visit them? They are almost disappointed when it turns out that she is a very unaffected and down to earth woman, who has never been presented at Court.

Visiting and being visited is an important part of the social scene. One never just dropped in to see an acquaintance. It was known which day a particular household would be “at home” and visitors called between specified times and stayed no longer than 15 minutes. Entertained in the Parlour (without the newspaper, I hope), refreshments might be offered, but very much depended on the class of the visitor. Visits must have been very stilted, unsatisfactory meetings when constrained by such tight rules.

Card parties were a little more relaxed and a favourite with many of the Cranford residents. These provided an opportunity to meet friends, gossip, meet up with any visitors and, most importantly it would seem, eat food at someone else’s expense!

Money, of course, remained a forbidden subject. Never discussed in polite society, it was forced into the public domain when the Bank holding all of Miss Matty’s funds folded, and she lost all her money. Fortunately her friends in the village rallied to help her out and she set up a Tea Shop to make ends meet. She is helped out by her servant girl, now married, and she and her husband live with Miss Matty.

On this mini-player, the story is read, unabridged, by Claire Wille, who gives it just the right level of pathos with a hint of fun to bring out the essence of the novel. Mrs Gaskell isn’t exactly laughing at her heroines. They, indeed, are unable to laugh at themselves. They are caught in a time and a way of life which proved very constrictive and unsatisfactory. She is using them, I think, to mock the unfulfilling and restrictive lives lived by so many women in England in the mid 19th century.

This mini tape takes 6 hours to play but can be paused and bookmarked at will, so is an ideal way to “read” a long novel. The beauty of it is you’re not restricted while reading. You can do so much else as well, from training at the gym, jogging, travelling or even doing the household chores.

A good read from a much under-exposed writer.

Cranford - A Community of Women

Cranford - A Community of Women

Until the BBC showed Cranford recently, no-one had ever heard of it beyond students of English Literature. Indeed, I read it many years ago, while doing A Level English and thought it rather turgid and dull. How wrong I was.

Many years later, I was given the book as a pre-recorded mini-player, and how I enjoyed it this time around. It is the story of a village in North West England, which for some quirky reason seems to only contain women – the men have either died or moved away. There are men enough to do the day to day necessary tasks to keep society functioning, but not sufficient men of a certain class. So there lives in Cranford a group of women – mostly widows or spinsters, and mostly beyond the first flush of youth. They are very aware of their class and status and fiercely protect both.

The story is told by Miss Mary Smith, a regular houseguest of the two main characters, Miss Deborah and Miss Mattie Jenkyns (Eileen Atkins and Judi Dench respectively in the BBC adaptation). The Misses Jenkyns are the daughters of the former Rector and Miss Deborah in particular, is very punctilious in ensuring that the sisters maintain their particular place in society. They have a live-in servant girl to “do” for them and a pony and trap but otherwise seem to manage for themselves.

It would be vulgar to mention the word, but money is obviously in short supply and the economies they employ make one smile. When not entertaining company in the evening, they limit the number of candles they light, but use each for a short while only so that all the candles are burned to the same length. That way, should a visitor arrive, all the candles can be lit so it appears they have been burning all evening. It saves money, and face.

A new carpet is purchased for the Parlour but to protect it from being faded by sunlight, they put newspapers upon it which they move following the path of the sun during the day. They even place footstep shaped pieces across the room so the carpet is not soiled by shoes. When company comes, they of course remove the paper and have a pristine carpet.

Miss Matty, the younger sister, is by now an elderly spinster (though I think not yet 60) and it transpires that, unknown to our narrator, she once had a gentleman admirer. The story comes out that her admirer, Thomas Holbrook, was only a yeoman farmer who tilled his own land, so entirely unsuitable as a prospective husband. Her father, the Rector, had refused his permission, so poor Miss Jenkyns remained for ever a spinster since no-one else ever “asked” for her. At one point, we meet Mr Holbrook, still a farmer, but now quite prosperous, when Miss Matty, together with her cousin, and Mary Smith are invited to spend the day with him. Shortly after he departs on a visit to Paris from which he never returns. Cranford has lost another male inhabitant. Miss Matty is quite distraught and it shows the feeling she must still have held for him when she tells her dressmaker that in future she will wear widow’s caps, thus showing her altered status.

The Honourable Mrs Flynn, who is much respected and admired, since she is minor aristocracy, is to be visited by a relation, a titled lady. This causes a great flurry amongst the inhabitants. Should they visit her? What topics should they discuss? What foods should they offer her if she should deign to visit them? They are almost disappointed when it turns out that she is a very unaffected and down to earth woman, who has never been presented at Court.

Visiting and being visited is an important part of the social scene. One never just dropped in to see an acquaintance. It was known which day a particular household would be “at home” and visitors called between specified times and stayed no longer than 15 minutes. Entertained in the Parlour (without the newspaper, I hope), refreshments might be offered, but very much depended on the class of the visitor. Visits must have been very stilted, unsatisfactory meetings when constrained by such tight rules.

Card parties were a little more relaxed and a favourite with many of the Cranford residents. These provided an opportunity to meet friends, gossip, meet up with any visitors and, most importantly it would seem, eat food at someone else’s expense!

Money, of course, remained a forbidden subject. Never discussed in polite society, it was forced into the public domain when the Bank holding all of Miss Matty’s funds folded, and she lost all her money. Fortunately her friends in the village rallied to help her out and she set up a Tea Shop to make ends meet. She is helped out by her servant girl, now married, and she and her husband live with Miss Matty.

On this mini-player, the story is read, unabridged, by Claire Wille, who gives it just the right level of pathos with a hint of fun to bring out the essence of the novel. Mrs Gaskell isn’t exactly laughing at her heroines. They, indeed, are unable to laugh at themselves. They are caught in a time and a way of life which proved very constrictive and unsatisfactory. She is using them, I think, to mock the unfulfilling and restrictive lives lived by so many women in England in the mid 19th century.

This mini tape takes 6 hours to play but can be paused and bookmarked at will, so is an ideal way to “read” a long novel. The beauty of it is you’re not restricted while reading. You can do so much else as well, from training at the gym, jogging, travelling or even doing the household chores.

A good read from a much under-exposed writer.

Cranford - A Community of Women

Cranford - A Community of Women

Until the BBC showed Cranford recently, no-one had ever heard of it beyond students of English Literature. Indeed, I read it many years ago, while doing A Level English and thought it rather turgid and dull. How wrong I was.

Many years later, I was given the book as a pre-recorded mini-player, and how I enjoyed it this time around. It is the story of a village in North West England, which for some quirky reason seems to only contain women – the men have either died or moved away. There are men enough to do the day to day necessary tasks to keep society functioning, but not sufficient men of a certain class. So there lives in Cranford a group of women – mostly widows or spinsters, and mostly beyond the first flush of youth. They are very aware of their class and status and fiercely protect both.

The story is told by Miss Mary Smith, a regular houseguest of the two main characters, Miss Deborah and Miss Mattie Jenkyns (Eileen Atkins and Judi Dench respectively in the BBC adaptation). The Misses Jenkyns are the daughters of the former Rector and Miss Deborah in particular, is very punctilious in ensuring that the sisters maintain their particular place in society. They have a live-in servant girl to “do” for them and a pony and trap but otherwise seem to manage for themselves.

It would be vulgar to mention the word, but money is obviously in short supply and the economies they employ make one smile. When not entertaining company in the evening, they limit the number of candles they light, but use each for a short while only so that all the candles are burned to the same length. That way, should a visitor arrive, all the candles can be lit so it appears they have been burning all evening. It saves money, and face.

A new carpet is purchased for the Parlour but to protect it from being faded by sunlight, they put newspapers upon it which they move following the path of the sun during the day. They even place footstep shaped pieces across the room so the carpet is not soiled by shoes. When company comes, they of course remove the paper and have a pristine carpet.

Miss Matty, the younger sister, is by now an elderly spinster (though I think not yet 60) and it transpires that, unknown to our narrator, she once had a gentleman admirer. The story comes out that her admirer, Thomas Holbrook, was only a yeoman farmer who tilled his own land, so entirely unsuitable as a prospective husband. Her father, the Rector, had refused his permission, so poor Miss Jenkyns remained for ever a spinster since no-one else ever “asked” for her. At one point, we meet Mr Holbrook, still a farmer, but now quite prosperous, when Miss Matty, together with her cousin, and Mary Smith are invited to spend the day with him. Shortly after he departs on a visit to Paris from which he never returns. Cranford has lost another male inhabitant. Miss Matty is quite distraught and it shows the feeling she must still have held for him when she tells her dressmaker that in future she will wear widow’s caps, thus showing her altered status.

The Honourable Mrs Flynn, who is much respected and admired, since she is minor aristocracy, is to be visited by a relation, a titled lady. This causes a great flurry amongst the inhabitants. Should they visit her? What topics should they discuss? What foods should they offer her if she should deign to visit them? They are almost disappointed when it turns out that she is a very unaffected and down to earth woman, who has never been presented at Court.

Visiting and being visited is an important part of the social scene. One never just dropped in to see an acquaintance. It was known which day a particular household would be “at home” and visitors called between specified times and stayed no longer than 15 minutes. Entertained in the Parlour (without the newspaper, I hope), refreshments might be offered, but very much depended on the class of the visitor. Visits must have been very stilted, unsatisfactory meetings when constrained by such tight rules.

Card parties were a little more relaxed and a favourite with many of the Cranford residents. These provided an opportunity to meet friends, gossip, meet up with any visitors and, most importantly it would seem, eat food at someone else’s expense!

Money, of course, remained a forbidden subject. Never discussed in polite society, it was forced into the public domain when the Bank holding all of Miss Matty’s funds folded, and she lost all her money. Fortunately her friends in the village rallied to help her out and she set up a Tea Shop to make ends meet. She is helped out by her servant girl, now married, and she and her husband live with Miss Matty.

On this mini-player, the story is read, unabridged, by Claire Wille, who gives it just the right level of pathos with a hint of fun to bring out the essence of the novel. Mrs Gaskell isn’t exactly laughing at her heroines. They, indeed, are unable to laugh at themselves. They are caught in a time and a way of life which proved very constrictive and unsatisfactory. She is using them, I think, to mock the unfulfilling and restrictive lives lived by so many women in England in the mid 19th century.

This mini tape takes 6 hours to play but can be paused and bookmarked at will, so is an ideal way to “read” a long novel. The beauty of it is you’re not restricted while reading. You can do so much else as well, from training at the gym, jogging, travelling or even doing the household chores.

A good read from a much under-exposed writer.

Cranford - A Community of Women

The Only 10 Books You Need to Read to Succeed

Personal development is a multi-billion dollar industry. That industry publishes literally thousands of books every year on the topic of success and how to achieve it. From the practical to the new age, there is a different flavor of book for every taste.

So, which books should you read – which books will actually help you on your quest – and which books should you toss to the side? People are busy, so this is a vital question.

This is the list of the only ten books you need to read in order to fully understand the philosophy of success. From positive thinking and the law of attraction to goals and enlightenment, these books hit all the topics.

Get them. Read them. Study them. When you’ve digested the contents of these books, you will be more than ready to get to the important part of your success journey – getting into action.

10. The Magic of Believing – Claude M. Bristol

This book is a classic. Mr. Bristol explains in great detail how to tap into the powers of your subconscious mind. While that may make it sound like it’s new age woo, it’s not. Bristol provides great techniques for auto-suggestion and how to actually think about the problems that may face us. You will get a lot from this book – guaranteed.

9. No-Nonsense Guide to Enlightenment – Blair Warren

Blair Warren is one of the smartest people I know and this book (e-book, actually) showcases that. His premise? That while many of us quest for enlightenment, the fact is that all of us have actually experienced enlightenment at one time or another – and probably even multiple times. I’ve read this book a few times and every time I read it I get something new from it. Want to know the best thing? Mr. Warren provides it as a free download. Get enlightened – get Mr. Warren’s book.

8. Psycho-Cybernetics – Maxwell Maltz

Do you want to know how your brain works? Do you want to improve your golf swing without physically practicing? Do you want to be like a guided missile when it comes to achieving your goals? Then this is the book for you. This is one of the most powerful books you will ever read. This books is such a classic that there is a decent chance that you have read it. If that is the case, then read it again. The concepts in this book bear repeating.

7. Think & Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill

What list of books about the philosophy of success would be complete without this book? It’s a classic that deserves repeated readings. I can’t write much that isn’t already written about this book. If you already have it on your shelf, get it and read it again. If you don’t have it, then get it and read it. The proof is in the pudding with Think & Grow Rich: many, many successful people cite this book as a major influence on their success.

6. SHAM – Steve Salerno

The sub-title for this book is How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless. So, what is what one would consider to be an anti-self-help book doing on a list of the best self-help books? In order to separate the wheat from the chaff, not only does one have to know what the wheat looks like, one has to be familiar with what the chaffs looks like as well. Mr. Salerno does an excellent job of illustrating where self-help and personal development have gone awry – and how in some circumstances it is actually hurting people. Like any other human endeavor, the personal development field has its share of charlatans and scammers. The better prepared you are to notice them before they lead you astray, the better are your chances for becoming the success you want to be.

5. How to Get Rich – Felix Dennis

This is not new age fluff. Not at all. This book is not like any book on this list. Mr. Dennis, the multi-millionaire publisher and founder of Maxim Magazine among others, actually calls his little tome an “anti-self-help book”. So, what will you garner from this book? You’ll get Mr. Dennis’ perspective on what it takes to really become rich. And not just six-figures-a-year rich, but multi-millionaire, never-have-to-worry-about-money-ever-again rich. Do you think that you have what it takes to get that far? Read this book and find out. Trust me – it will open your eyes.

4. You Were Born Rich – Bob Proctor

Before he jumped the shark and became “Scientist” Bob the quantum physics “expert”, Bob Proctor actually wrote books and delivered seminars that made sense. As much as I dislike what he’s become, I cannot deny that You Were Born Rich is one of the best personal development books ever written. Not only do I have the book, but I also have the unabridged audio version, which I have played countless times. I know it might be tempting to get some of his other works, but you really don’t need to do that. This is the only book that he’s written that actually has any merit and that will actually help you on your path to success.

3. The Master Key Workbook – Anthony R. Michalski

Yes, I wrote this book. Yes, I really do think that it is that good. And, no, I am not tooting my own horn. As I researched the success philosophy and as I talked with countless people, I discovered one of the main reasons people do not achieve a notable level of success. It is not because they don’t try hard enough; it’s not because they don’t understand the philosophy of success; it’s often not even because they’re not talented or skilled in some way. The main reason many people do not succeed is because they don’t know what they actually want! That’s where the Workbook comes into play. The Workbook is chock full of concepts, mental exercises, and written exercises that will help you hone what your idea of success is. This book will help you to decide what you truly want. Once you have the goal, then attaining it becomes that much easier. You will love this book. And since it’s a workbook and you will be writing in it, you will return to it again and again as you journey toward success.

2. The Master Key System – Charles F. Haanel

What more needs to be said? The Master Key System is “the only clear, concise, comprehensive, definitive, distinctive, and scientific presentation of the creative power of thought ever formulated.” As you read though the 24 weeks of the book and as you practice the exercises, you will be training your brain to focus and to visualize. You will learn how to look at a problem or situation or opportunity and to solve it or see it for what it really is or take advantage of it. This is truly a powerful book and the people who study it get a lot from it.

1. Prometheus Rising – Robert Anton Wilson

If you read only one book on this list, then make it this one. I read it at least once per year – and every time that I do I get something new out of it. In Prometheus Rising, Mr. Wilson takes the reader on a journey through the seven “circuits” of consciousness as delineated by Timothy Leary. What will you learn? A lot. Too much to get into here. I can only say that I have found this book to be one of the most important books that I’ve ever read. I am highly confident that you will agree with me once you’ve read it.

And there you have it. The only ten books you need to read to succeed.

You may be asking, Why only ten?

I know that it is a common claim in the personal development arena that you should be constantly reading every personal development book that you can get your hands on. Some seminar speakers say that you are “investing in your education” while others claim that reading all the books should be like “combing your hair” – you do that every day, so you should read personal development books everyday, lest you backslide into your unsuccessful ways.

I don’t agree with that line of reasoning. In my experience, one of two things happens if a person reads too many personal development books.

1. The person becomes confused because they are exposed to far too many ideas and techniques, thus they never tap into their ultimate potential.


2. The person becomes a “self-help junkie” looking for the “silver bullet” that will make them successful.

Both are equally debilitating and both are only caused by reading too many of what I refer to as softcore self-help books.

There are two classifications of self-help/personal development books: softcore and hardcore.

Softcore books refer to those books that espouse ideas and techniques related to the philosophy of success. They are books that are about the Law of Attraction, how to make friends, how your mind works. Things of that nature. This list is a collection of softcore self-help books.

Hardcore books are those books that actually tell you how to do something, such as how to start a business, step-by-step guides to learning a skill, how to invest your money. A good example of a hardcore self-help book is David Portney’s 129 Seminar Speaking Success Tips.

Once you have read and studied the books on this list, you should be good to go with regards to softcore self-help books. Sure, you can read a new one once in a while, but you should be quite familiar with the philosophy, if not practicing it somewhat fluently. If you don’t understand something, re-read one or all of these books. In most cases, it’s not a matter of requiring another book; it’s just a matter of understanding what you already have!

When you understand the philosophy, that is when you move to the hardcore self-help books so that you can learn the actual skills you need to learn in order to become competent at whatever you aim to do.

You see, it is important that you learn that you can do it; then it is important to learn how to do it; and then you must go out and actually do it.

With these ten books, you will learn everything you need to know about the philosophy of success. You will learn that you can do just about anything to which you set your mind. Speaking of your mind, you will learn how to properly use it.

Read these books and succeed. Or, as Haanel would say -

You must first have the knowledge of your power; second, the courage to dare; third, the faith to do.

These ten book will give you that knowledge of your power. By honing your skills, you will develop the courage to dare. After that, it’s all up to you. And I have faith that you can do it!

The Only 10 Books You Need to Read to Succeed

A Book Review - Educational Leadership in Pakistan: Ideals and Realities

All about the Book

This is the first ever book on educational leadership, published in Pakistan. Dr. Jan-e-Alam Khaki and Dr. Qamar Safdar are the editors of this book. The book consists of a series of empirical studies undertaken by qualified educational researchers in Pakistan, associated directly or indirectly with AKU-IED. There are various thought provoking and insightful topics in this book; each complements our learning experiences. The book is divided into four sections and fourteen chapters; each section and chapter is intertwined with each other and illuminates issues and its remedial measures. Section one describes the development of education leadership in Pakistan. The second sections deals with the Diversity of Leadership: perceptions and practices of leadership in Pakistan. The third session looks at the role of the educational change agents, and the fourth sections explores the future prospects of educational leadership in Pakistan. In order to get in-depth insights from the book, we decided to focus on first two sections and reviewed initial six chapters.

In first chapter, Dr. Sajid Ali and Muhammad Babur highlight the issues and nature of governance during pre and post independence. Structure of education during British and after independence is analytically compared. Chapter indicates that involvement of educational leadership is missing in both periods, causing various issues in education system, ineffective management and indistinct teaching methodologies, etc. In the second chapter, Zubaida Bana reflects upon the understanding of effective leadership. Using the Katha (storytelling) approach, she starts the discussion pints of a headteacher who imaginatively discovers the meanings in allegories and metaphors in order to understand the roles and responsibilities of an effective education leader in his/her school. Katha of leadership described in this chapter stimulates our minds that every person has the capacity to lead. Some may lead in wider space; others may lead in smaller landscape.

The third chapter is all about of a female pedagogical leader’s journey in a traditional context in Pakistan. The writer reflects upon the critical incidents, she came across in her personal to professional life, which helped or impede her way to become a pedagogical leader. The notion of ‘leader as a bridge between management and stakeholders’ and ‘leader as a life-long learner’ is evident from her story. In the fourth chapter, Qamar Safdar explores the roles of two effective headteachers of early years in two private schools. The writer reflects on the capacity and ability for the overall development of children. The chapter 5, deals with an ethnographic study conducted by Mola Dad Shafa in a rural context of northern areas of Pakistan. The author discusses the challenges the headteachers faced and the way addressed them. The chapter six, ‘Effective School Leadership Practices’ is a doctorial research of Dr. Jan-e-Alam Khaki. In this case study, Khaki explores the roles and beliefs of three effective secondary school headteachers and their influences on the teaching and learning practices in schools.

Key Learning from the Book

Being a student of Teacher Education, I was very unfamiliar with different kinds of leadership and its characteristics. The very first time, in our PL course, I heard the terms instructional, moral, transformational, participative, managerial, contingent and pedagogical leadership. But these terms were not much clear to me; I mostly thought them as just theories with no connection with practical life of a leader. This book review provided me with access not only to understand and differentiate in different kinds of leadership, but also relate it with real-life situations.

I have learnt many new things about effective leadership from this book, but due toe limited word limit I will describe some crux of it. While analyzing the first chapter of the book, I feel the same that governance and planning has the role in deteriorated education system in Pakistan. It takes a lot of time in planning and framing the policy, then sending it to the national assembly and senate for debate and translating it into the law. Then piloting of the policy takes long time and when it comes to be implementation, the government gets changed and so the policy. It creates the environment of despair, but when I go through the second chapter (Katha of Leadership), it gives a hope. Here, I learnt that nothing is unachievable in this world. Every person is capable to contribute in the process of change and everyone has capacity to lead. We should not stay waiting for any cosmos power to come to help us; it is high time for everyone to come forward and lead.

The third chapter of the book was the most inspiring and learning factor for me. Here, I learned that how a person (particularly a woman), with her/his strong will, sincerity and zeal breaks the chains of traditional rules. While reading that article, I was deeply thinking that someone has to initiate and take the first step toward the collective development. This article took me in my own context, where female is still considered as the property of the man and only the reproductive machine. Education, even the good food is the sole right of male child. Here, my elder sister (who could not get education herself) by sending her daughter into school, proved herself as traditional rule breaker. Some of other females start following her foot-steps by sending their daughters to the schools. Ten years back, there was no single literate girl in my village, but due to that small step, more than forty to fifty girls have completed their primary education so far. Besides it, I also learnt that leader is life-long learner. He/she learns through self-reflection and negotiating and discussing the issues with others and seeking guidance from them.

Overall, this book serves as a pioneer of exploring our thinking about our own role as a leader and proves to be a best resource for the policy makers to develop alternative approaches to deal with school and teaching and learning practices.

Conclusion

This book very obviously describes the role of leadership and management in an educational organization. A leader being a role model should motivate and encourage the staff because performance and commitment of people employed in any organization makes it effective. Through critical analysis of the book, I came to know that this book possesses stories and cases from Pakistani context so many of the ideas suit my own. So, it would be easier for my future role as a teacher educator to deal with the school management and leadership related issues in an effective manner.

A Book Review - Educational Leadership in Pakistan: Ideals and Realities

A Book Review - Educational Leadership in Pakistan: Ideals and Realities

All about the Book

This is the first ever book on educational leadership, published in Pakistan. Dr. Jan-e-Alam Khaki and Dr. Qamar Safdar are the editors of this book. The book consists of a series of empirical studies undertaken by qualified educational researchers in Pakistan, associated directly or indirectly with AKU-IED. There are various thought provoking and insightful topics in this book; each complements our learning experiences. The book is divided into four sections and fourteen chapters; each section and chapter is intertwined with each other and illuminates issues and its remedial measures. Section one describes the development of education leadership in Pakistan. The second sections deals with the Diversity of Leadership: perceptions and practices of leadership in Pakistan. The third session looks at the role of the educational change agents, and the fourth sections explores the future prospects of educational leadership in Pakistan. In order to get in-depth insights from the book, we decided to focus on first two sections and reviewed initial six chapters.

In first chapter, Dr. Sajid Ali and Muhammad Babur highlight the issues and nature of governance during pre and post independence. Structure of education during British and after independence is analytically compared. Chapter indicates that involvement of educational leadership is missing in both periods, causing various issues in education system, ineffective management and indistinct teaching methodologies, etc. In the second chapter, Zubaida Bana reflects upon the understanding of effective leadership. Using the Katha (storytelling) approach, she starts the discussion pints of a headteacher who imaginatively discovers the meanings in allegories and metaphors in order to understand the roles and responsibilities of an effective education leader in his/her school. Katha of leadership described in this chapter stimulates our minds that every person has the capacity to lead. Some may lead in wider space; others may lead in smaller landscape.

The third chapter is all about of a female pedagogical leader’s journey in a traditional context in Pakistan. The writer reflects upon the critical incidents, she came across in her personal to professional life, which helped or impede her way to become a pedagogical leader. The notion of ‘leader as a bridge between management and stakeholders’ and ‘leader as a life-long learner’ is evident from her story. In the fourth chapter, Qamar Safdar explores the roles of two effective headteachers of early years in two private schools. The writer reflects on the capacity and ability for the overall development of children. The chapter 5, deals with an ethnographic study conducted by Mola Dad Shafa in a rural context of northern areas of Pakistan. The author discusses the challenges the headteachers faced and the way addressed them. The chapter six, ‘Effective School Leadership Practices’ is a doctorial research of Dr. Jan-e-Alam Khaki. In this case study, Khaki explores the roles and beliefs of three effective secondary school headteachers and their influences on the teaching and learning practices in schools.

Key Learning from the Book

Being a student of Teacher Education, I was very unfamiliar with different kinds of leadership and its characteristics. The very first time, in our PL course, I heard the terms instructional, moral, transformational, participative, managerial, contingent and pedagogical leadership. But these terms were not much clear to me; I mostly thought them as just theories with no connection with practical life of a leader. This book review provided me with access not only to understand and differentiate in different kinds of leadership, but also relate it with real-life situations.

I have learnt many new things about effective leadership from this book, but due toe limited word limit I will describe some crux of it. While analyzing the first chapter of the book, I feel the same that governance and planning has the role in deteriorated education system in Pakistan. It takes a lot of time in planning and framing the policy, then sending it to the national assembly and senate for debate and translating it into the law. Then piloting of the policy takes long time and when it comes to be implementation, the government gets changed and so the policy. It creates the environment of despair, but when I go through the second chapter (Katha of Leadership), it gives a hope. Here, I learnt that nothing is unachievable in this world. Every person is capable to contribute in the process of change and everyone has capacity to lead. We should not stay waiting for any cosmos power to come to help us; it is high time for everyone to come forward and lead.

The third chapter of the book was the most inspiring and learning factor for me. Here, I learned that how a person (particularly a woman), with her/his strong will, sincerity and zeal breaks the chains of traditional rules. While reading that article, I was deeply thinking that someone has to initiate and take the first step toward the collective development. This article took me in my own context, where female is still considered as the property of the man and only the reproductive machine. Education, even the good food is the sole right of male child. Here, my elder sister (who could not get education herself) by sending her daughter into school, proved herself as traditional rule breaker. Some of other females start following her foot-steps by sending their daughters to the schools. Ten years back, there was no single literate girl in my village, but due to that small step, more than forty to fifty girls have completed their primary education so far. Besides it, I also learnt that leader is life-long learner. He/she learns through self-reflection and negotiating and discussing the issues with others and seeking guidance from them.

Overall, this book serves as a pioneer of exploring our thinking about our own role as a leader and proves to be a best resource for the policy makers to develop alternative approaches to deal with school and teaching and learning practices.

Conclusion

This book very obviously describes the role of leadership and management in an educational organization. A leader being a role model should motivate and encourage the staff because performance and commitment of people employed in any organization makes it effective. Through critical analysis of the book, I came to know that this book possesses stories and cases from Pakistani context so many of the ideas suit my own. So, it would be easier for my future role as a teacher educator to deal with the school management and leadership related issues in an effective manner.

A Book Review - Educational Leadership in Pakistan: Ideals and Realities

Book Review For "Prime Suspect"

Atkins pens a romantic, nail-biting suspense with “Prime Suspect,” Book Two in the New Orleans Detective Series.

Set in the Big Easy during winter time, ADA Marisa Cooper returns to her home after a hard day’s work and finds her ex-husband, Nickolai Assimov, dead in her garage. She calls the police right away. Marisa’s ex-boyfriend, Slade Montgomery (who she left at the altar) draws the case. Before he can conduct a gunshot reside test (which would help prove her innocence) Marisa’s dog, Daisy, discovers a bomb. Slade manages to throw it out of harm’s way, but it still goes off.

After the preliminary investigation, Marisa is the prime suspect in her ex-husband’s death and Slade is forced to arrest her.

Slade is also investigating a series of murders involving the Assimov siblings. He’s convinced whoever killed Nickolai, killed his siblings.

Marisa makes bail and Slade takes a vacation from the police force, hoping to keep her safe. Slade’s boss, Cole MacAlister, takes over the case. Safe house after safe house is compromised, and Slade is led to believe there might be two separate killers involved in Marisa’s case – one targeting her and one targeting the Assimovs. He’s also led to believe that one of the killers might be in law enforcement.

As Slade and Marisa go from safe house to safe house, the sexual tension between them grows until it explodes in a powerful lovemaking session between them. Can Slade keep Marisa safe so they can have a second chance at love?

Atkins’s writing is exciting. The plot flows well, slowing down just enough for the reader to get a breath before picking up again. The tension is as taunt as a bowstring, keeping the reader turning the page.

Atkins uses a good economy of words to paint New Orleans. Her descriptions never linger, but give the reader enough to see Marisa and Slade’s world.

Both Slade and Marisa are interesting characters. Marisa is trying to turn her life around after her divorce and make up for previous mistakes. She’s courageous in the face of danger. Slade is heroic as he protects Marisa, embodying the nobility a hero should have. He’s also very human as his feelings for Marisa are rekindled. Should he or shouldn’t he get involved with her again after she broke his heart?

The story is sophisticated/intense for romance readers. Atkins love scenes are sensual and tasteful. Overall, Prime Suspect is a story that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat as they turn the page.

Written by: Melanie Atkins
Desert Breeze Publishing
ISBN: 1-936-00038-5
Ebook Format
5 Stars
Reviewed by: S. Burkhart

Book Review For "Prime Suspect"

Book Review For "Prime Suspect"

Atkins pens a romantic, nail-biting suspense with “Prime Suspect,” Book Two in the New Orleans Detective Series.

Set in the Big Easy during winter time, ADA Marisa Cooper returns to her home after a hard day’s work and finds her ex-husband, Nickolai Assimov, dead in her garage. She calls the police right away. Marisa’s ex-boyfriend, Slade Montgomery (who she left at the altar) draws the case. Before he can conduct a gunshot reside test (which would help prove her innocence) Marisa’s dog, Daisy, discovers a bomb. Slade manages to throw it out of harm’s way, but it still goes off.

After the preliminary investigation, Marisa is the prime suspect in her ex-husband’s death and Slade is forced to arrest her.

Slade is also investigating a series of murders involving the Assimov siblings. He’s convinced whoever killed Nickolai, killed his siblings.

Marisa makes bail and Slade takes a vacation from the police force, hoping to keep her safe. Slade’s boss, Cole MacAlister, takes over the case. Safe house after safe house is compromised, and Slade is led to believe there might be two separate killers involved in Marisa’s case – one targeting her and one targeting the Assimovs. He’s also led to believe that one of the killers might be in law enforcement.

As Slade and Marisa go from safe house to safe house, the sexual tension between them grows until it explodes in a powerful lovemaking session between them. Can Slade keep Marisa safe so they can have a second chance at love?

Atkins’s writing is exciting. The plot flows well, slowing down just enough for the reader to get a breath before picking up again. The tension is as taunt as a bowstring, keeping the reader turning the page.

Atkins uses a good economy of words to paint New Orleans. Her descriptions never linger, but give the reader enough to see Marisa and Slade’s world.

Both Slade and Marisa are interesting characters. Marisa is trying to turn her life around after her divorce and make up for previous mistakes. She’s courageous in the face of danger. Slade is heroic as he protects Marisa, embodying the nobility a hero should have. He’s also very human as his feelings for Marisa are rekindled. Should he or shouldn’t he get involved with her again after she broke his heart?

The story is sophisticated/intense for romance readers. Atkins love scenes are sensual and tasteful. Overall, Prime Suspect is a story that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat as they turn the page.

Written by: Melanie Atkins
Desert Breeze Publishing
ISBN: 1-936-00038-5
Ebook Format
5 Stars
Reviewed by: S. Burkhart

Book Review For "Prime Suspect"

Gift of the Yucatan - A Different Mexican Cuisine by Trudy Sauri

Authentic Yucatecan Meals

“A Different Mexican Cuisine” created by Trudy Sauri introduces children, ages nine through twelve, to a people and culture of the Yucatan peninsula of southern Mexico. This is the fifth in the Gift of the Yucatan series.

Colorful pictures and illustrations used throughout the book are mouth watering and enticing. The book provides twelve menus, for twelve individual meals with complete recipes with short cut ideas. These short cuts are especially helpful for younger chefs.

Although I am not a gourmet expert myself, I have come to appreciate the uniqueness of authentic food native to a country or culture. I have learned to enjoy together with them the experience of sharing a meal prepared from their recipes with their flavor preferences.

Trudy Sauri models this opportunity as she gives the details of a different Mexican Cuisine, an authentic Yucatan Meal. She talks about a holiday menu including stuffed cheese ball (Bola de Queso Relleno). This is followed by a hearty stew menu of chickpea stew (Sopa de Garbanzo). She adds a Sunday dinner of rice with chicken (Arroz con Pollo). There are eight additional menus which conclude with a party treats menu of meat turnovers and crisp Tortillas (Empanadas y Panuchos). The barbeque menu of beef steak Yucatan style sounded mouth-watering.

Sauri includes a quick reference guide, a listing of exotic flavors, and three tasting tips to help the reader get the most from their experience in the cuisine of Yucatan, Mexico.

Your Culture Gifts, 978-0979763748,

As Reviewed for Midwest Book Review

Gift of the Yucatan - A Different Mexican Cuisine by Trudy Sauri

No Rhema From God is Void of Power

No Rhema from God Is Void of Power

…For no word from God shall be void of power
(Luke 1:37 ASV).

When the bible says “no word from God shall be void of power,” it’s actually referring to the rhema-word from God and not the logos. Logos is the revealed word of God that expresses His thoughts, character, plans, purposes and personality. But rhema is the active word from God, to a specific person, for a specific purpose, at a specific time. So, put in the right context, the Scripture above denotes “No rhema from God shall be void of power.”

In other words, every rhema-word you receive from God has power. When you need to effect changes at your work place, in your family, your finances r your physical body, the logos of God will not work; you need rhema. The rhema of God is the sword of the Spirit by which you prevail against the adversary.

Until God’s Word becomes rhema to you, it will not change your situation. This is the reason some people wonder why they quote Scriptures in the face of adversity and nothing happens. Things don’t change because they fail to realize that it’s not just the quoting of Scriptures that produces result. It’s receiving rhema from that Scripture you’re quoting that works. You make war by rhema. That’s what you use to cut the devil down and causer him to bow before you.

So, when you’re facing challenge, begin to meditate on God’s Word that addresses your peculiar situation. Keep talking the Word until it becomes rhema to you. Remember, no rhema from God is void of power; and a child of God, you can receive rhema. Jesus said, “He that is of God heareth God’s words’….” (John 8:47); in other words he receives God’s rhema.

Therefore, when you are facing challenges, charge your spirit by speaking in other tongues and declaring God’s Word. That way, your spirit will be fine-tuned to God’s frequency and you’ll receive rhema.

No Rhema From God is Void of Power

An African Safari - Ernest Hemingway's Experiences

Undoubtedly, we would have all come across the life and the work of the famous writer Ernest Hemingway. Certainly, nobody could make a connection between Hemingway and a hunting expedition in the wilderness. All those who read his books will be more familiar with his swashbuckling stories on bull fighting, hard living and drinking. He was an ardent sportsman who even wrote the famous book ‘The Sun Also Rises’ about the annual bull running in Spain. What you may not be aware of is that Ernest Hemingway twice traveled to Africa in his life and even wrote many novels and short stories on his experience. The credit of the inclusion of the Swahili word ‘Safari’ in the English vocabulary also goes to him. Although not a very good hunter, he loved the experience so much that he was propelled to understand better the Kenyan people’s lifestyle, something that was never done during him time.

He made is first visit to Africa in the year 1933 along with Pauline, his second wife. They visited Tanzania and Kenya together. During this trip, before he even went out for a hunt, he became sick due to dysentery. For many weeks, he was lying in Nairobi, in a hospital where he met many adventure seeking European and American men. He returned home to write the book, The Green Hills Of Africa, which did not sell well. This depressed him but his other two short stories The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, proceeded to become classics.

Hemingway made his second trip to Africa in 1954 with Mary, his fourth wife. By this point of time, he had become addicted to alcohol and was drinking far more than he should, but his love for the area beckoned him. This period was a dangerous period as there were rebellions against the British colonists in these areas. But these were not the dangers that Hemingway had to face. They suffered two almost fatal plane crashes that plagued him for the remainder of his life. True at First Light was written by him on his returned, and though written as a fiction, is considered to be autobiographical. It is a story about his second trip and his relationship with an African girl.

There are a number of companies seeking to emulate the safaris. There are quite a few packages available for Kenyan tours, for taking pictures and enjoying the wildlife. These modern tours usually involve good high quality lodges as opposed to the traditional camping experience. Although it is expensive, these modern safaris boast of fine lodges as well as private guides for tourists who wish to experience the Dark Continent. There is also the availability of private itinerary and trial guides and cars. Although connected to the beautiful African landscape, only controlled environments are offered, mostly consisting of national parks and preserves. Touring the continent brings to memory Hemingway’s famous books. There is a company that offers a three thousand dollar tour of Kilimanjaro for fourteen days. There are also offers to visit Uganda to see the gorillas.

One cannot help but recall the things Hemingway has written about Africa and the African life, and it would be a good bet to read some of his work before embarking on a tri p of your own.

An African Safari - Ernest Hemingway's Experiences

An African Safari - Ernest Hemingway's Experiences

Undoubtedly, we would have all come across the life and the work of the famous writer Ernest Hemingway. Certainly, nobody could make a connection between Hemingway and a hunting expedition in the wilderness. All those who read his books will be more familiar with his swashbuckling stories on bull fighting, hard living and drinking. He was an ardent sportsman who even wrote the famous book ‘The Sun Also Rises’ about the annual bull running in Spain. What you may not be aware of is that Ernest Hemingway twice traveled to Africa in his life and even wrote many novels and short stories on his experience. The credit of the inclusion of the Swahili word ‘Safari’ in the English vocabulary also goes to him. Although not a very good hunter, he loved the experience so much that he was propelled to understand better the Kenyan people’s lifestyle, something that was never done during him time.

He made is first visit to Africa in the year 1933 along with Pauline, his second wife. They visited Tanzania and Kenya together. During this trip, before he even went out for a hunt, he became sick due to dysentery. For many weeks, he was lying in Nairobi, in a hospital where he met many adventure seeking European and American men. He returned home to write the book, The Green Hills Of Africa, which did not sell well. This depressed him but his other two short stories The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, proceeded to become classics.

Hemingway made his second trip to Africa in 1954 with Mary, his fourth wife. By this point of time, he had become addicted to alcohol and was drinking far more than he should, but his love for the area beckoned him. This period was a dangerous period as there were rebellions against the British colonists in these areas. But these were not the dangers that Hemingway had to face. They suffered two almost fatal plane crashes that plagued him for the remainder of his life. True at First Light was written by him on his returned, and though written as a fiction, is considered to be autobiographical. It is a story about his second trip and his relationship with an African girl.

There are a number of companies seeking to emulate the safaris. There are quite a few packages available for Kenyan tours, for taking pictures and enjoying the wildlife. These modern tours usually involve good high quality lodges as opposed to the traditional camping experience. Although it is expensive, these modern safaris boast of fine lodges as well as private guides for tourists who wish to experience the Dark Continent. There is also the availability of private itinerary and trial guides and cars. Although connected to the beautiful African landscape, only controlled environments are offered, mostly consisting of national parks and preserves. Touring the continent brings to memory Hemingway’s famous books. There is a company that offers a three thousand dollar tour of Kilimanjaro for fourteen days. There are also offers to visit Uganda to see the gorillas.

One cannot help but recall the things Hemingway has written about Africa and the African life, and it would be a good bet to read some of his work before embarking on a tri p of your own.

An African Safari - Ernest Hemingway's Experiences

Kim, by Rudyard Kipling

Few modern English readers could enjoy Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Kim’ in the way Kipling intended it to be enjoyed. Kipling was an Imperialist, and ‘Kim’ embodies attitudes towards British rule in India which these days are unacceptable. But as a work of fiction it does have fine literary qualities, and it and deserves its unique place in the history of English literature.

The novel embodies a panoramic celebration of India, presenting as it does, a magnificent picture of its landscapes, both urban and rural, and a fascinating array of native characters who, for the most part, are warm, generous and tolerant.

Beyond that, ‘Kim’ is an adventure story of the Empire, giving it something in common with the novels of Joseph Conrad, such as Heart of Darkness (which is now also attacked for its colonial attitudes). The readership in 1901 would have been fascinated by ‘Kim’ as an exotic tale of adventure overseas.

By birth Kim is an Irish boy, Kimball O’Hara, whose father was a soldier. But he has grown up as an orphan on the streets of Lahore, ‘a poor white of the very poorest’, looked after by a half-cast woman, probably a prostitute.

The story begins when Kim teams up with a Tibetan lama, Teshoo lama, who wanders into Lahore to look at the Buddhist relics in Lahore museum. The lama is on a Buddhist quest, following ‘The Way’ to free himself from the ‘Wheel of Things’.

Kim is fascinated by the wandering stranger, and when the lama assumes that Kim has been sent to him as his ‘chela’ (disciple) Kim readily accepts the role and joins him on his journey, with the intention of also following his own quest, to find the meaning of a prophecy that was made by his father. This prophecy eventually gives rise to the second strand of the plot – Kim’s recruitment as a spy in the British Secret Service.

The friendship between this unlikely pair is one of the main attractions of ‘Kim’, which is a novel about male friendships, primarily between Kim and Teshoo lama, but also between Kim and Colonel Creighton and his colleagues.

Women do play a role in the novel, but not as objects of romantic or sexual attachment. Women feature as prostitutes, or providers, though some respect is shown for the two principle women characters, the woman of Shamlegh, and the widow of Kulu, the latter taking on a motherly role towards the end, healing Kim when he is ill.

The two companions become interdependent, Kim’s association with the lama providing him with an excuse to travel around India, and an ideal cover (later in the story) for his role as a spy, while the lama often relies on Kim to do their begging and find them shelter, often physically leaning on Kim’s shoulder as they travel.

Kim defines his identity during his adventures by being open to influences; responding positively to people he can look up to, while warding off influences which he finds abrasive. When the story opens the influences on him have been almost exclusively Indian. His white skin, his identity papers, and his in-built tendency to own and rule will prove to be central to the identity he is seeking to build, but neither at the beginning nor the end does he think of himself as a ‘sahib’, and his encounter with the white man’s world is at first a traumatic experience.

In chapter 5, when he finally finds the prophesied ‘Nine hundred first-class devils, whose God was a Red Bull on a green field’, (his father’s old regiment), he is captured by the soldiers and his instinct is to escape back to the lama. This is the first close encounter with a group of white men Kim has had in his life, and Kipling uses it to show a clash of native and British mentality, with Kim and the lama showing the native side, and the members of the regiment showing aspects of British mentality which Kipling holds up for criticism.

Kim is effectively imprisoned by the soldiers, forced to wear for the first time ‘a horrible stiff suit that rasped his arms and legs’, and told that the bazaar is ‘out o’ bounds’. And his torments grow worse as Kipling continues to subject him to the worst that the British have to offer. The schoolmaster is a brutal insensitive man from whom Kim scents ‘evil’, and the drummer boy who guards Kim, representing the average young British soldier, is shown as an ignorant fool who calls the natives ‘niggers’.

In Colonel Creighton Kim finds a white man he can respect; a father-figure, a European counterpart of the lama. Creighton is wise, educated, experienced, and compassionate; the opposite end of the spectrum to Reverend Bennett, the drummer boy, and the schoolmaster. He recognises Kim’s intelligence and special skills, and although he plays a small part in the story he is, as the highest-ranking representative of the British Government, and the person to whom Kim is responsible, a pillar of the whole novel and one of the most important influences on Kim in his quest to define himself.

When his schooling is complete Kim’s training as a spy under Creighton’s associates continues, one of his teachers being the ‘shaib’ Lurgan. Lurgan, in his house adorned with ritual devil-dance masks, and his ability to heal sick jewels, seems to be a practitioner of the occult, and perhaps in creating this character Kipling was drawing on his interest in the mysticism of Madame Blavatsky and Theosophists which was popular during his youth.

Kim takes to the ‘Great Game’ of spying like a duck to water. It suits his independent, inquisitive, adventurous personality perfectly, being a natural development for the child who loved the ‘game’ of running secret missions across the rooftops of Lahore.

During his schooling and training Kim and the lama have to part, although Kim insists on joining the lama in his holidays, and re-joins him permanently when his schooling is complete, though now using him partly as a cover for his spying operations.

At the climax of the novel Kim is sent on a mission to intercept two foreign spies, one Russian, one French, who are operating in the Himalayas.

High in the Himalayas Kim and the lama reach the road’s end, and both of their journeys reach a crisis point. Kim is instrumental, along with the Babu, in thwarting the foreign spies, their mission being particularly successful because the foreign spies never realise that Kim and the Babu are secret agents.

The lama is involved in bringing about the climax, because it is one of the spies tearing the lama’s diagram of the Buddhist universe, then striking him in the face, that provokes Kim into fighting him, which in turn leads to a mutiny of the foreign spies’ coolies, which enables Kim to get hold of the spies’ secret documents. The fight also seems to precipitate the end of the lama’s quest, by making him aware of all his remaining attachments.

Both are weakened and suffer as a result of the battles. Kim develops a worrying cough, and the lama is so weak that he needs to be carried down the mountains on a stretcher. Back on the plains their missions are completed. Kim passes on the secret documents, which have been weighing on his mind, to the Babu, and the lama, finds his River of the Arrow and comes face to face with the ‘Great Soul’.

One theme which might be felt to be running under the surface of ‘Kim’, is Kim’s search for parents. At the beginning it is emphasised that Kim is an orphan, who never knew his mother, and that his deceased father was a drunkard. Perhaps he is looking for new parents, and finds a combined father figure in the lama, who in the closing scene calls him ‘Son of my Soul’ and Colonel Creighton, who has been a father-figure since his time at St. Xavier’s.

As a mother figure, Kim finds the woman from Kulu, who, in the final chapter of the novel, heals and restores him. ‘She looks upon him as her son’, says the lama. Kim calls her ‘Mother’, and tells her, ‘I had no mother, my mother . . . died, they tell me, when I was young’.

This need for mothering comes to a head in the final chapter, but throughout the novel the orphan Kim has seemed to get along perfectly well without real parents, with surrogate mother and father figures being available when he needs them. The novel ends at the point where, on the brink of adulthood and secure in his career with the Secret Service, Kim no longer needs parents.

According to many accounts Kipling himself was happy growing up in India until the age of 6, then, when his family moved to England, he was sent to live with foster parents who were cruel and made his life a five-year-long trauma, (which Kipling recorded in his short story ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ and alluded to in the opening of ‘The Light That Failed’). Perhaps the young Kipling was furious with his parents for abandoning him and his sister without warning in this lodging house for five years, and perhaps the novel ‘Kim’ is the adult Kipling’s wish-fulfilment fantasy of how good life might have been if instead of being uprooted he could have stayed on in India, on his own, without his parents.

In the final chapter, as well as receiving ‘mothering’, Kim comes as close as he ever does to feeling he has discovered his identity:

‘I am Kim. I am Kim. And what is Kim? His soul repeated it again and again . . . tears trickled down his nose and with an almost audible click he felt the wheels of his being lock up anew on the world without.’

Copyright Ian Mackean. Read the full version of this essay at:
/essays/kipling.html

Kim, by Rudyard Kipling

Kim, by Rudyard Kipling

Few modern English readers could enjoy Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Kim’ in the way Kipling intended it to be enjoyed. Kipling was an Imperialist, and ‘Kim’ embodies attitudes towards British rule in India which these days are unacceptable. But as a work of fiction it does have fine literary qualities, and it and deserves its unique place in the history of English literature.

The novel embodies a panoramic celebration of India, presenting as it does, a magnificent picture of its landscapes, both urban and rural, and a fascinating array of native characters who, for the most part, are warm, generous and tolerant.

Beyond that, ‘Kim’ is an adventure story of the Empire, giving it something in common with the novels of Joseph Conrad, such as Heart of Darkness (which is now also attacked for its colonial attitudes). The readership in 1901 would have been fascinated by ‘Kim’ as an exotic tale of adventure overseas.

By birth Kim is an Irish boy, Kimball O’Hara, whose father was a soldier. But he has grown up as an orphan on the streets of Lahore, ‘a poor white of the very poorest’, looked after by a half-cast woman, probably a prostitute.

The story begins when Kim teams up with a Tibetan lama, Teshoo lama, who wanders into Lahore to look at the Buddhist relics in Lahore museum. The lama is on a Buddhist quest, following ‘The Way’ to free himself from the ‘Wheel of Things’.

Kim is fascinated by the wandering stranger, and when the lama assumes that Kim has been sent to him as his ‘chela’ (disciple) Kim readily accepts the role and joins him on his journey, with the intention of also following his own quest, to find the meaning of a prophecy that was made by his father. This prophecy eventually gives rise to the second strand of the plot – Kim’s recruitment as a spy in the British Secret Service.

The friendship between this unlikely pair is one of the main attractions of ‘Kim’, which is a novel about male friendships, primarily between Kim and Teshoo lama, but also between Kim and Colonel Creighton and his colleagues.

Women do play a role in the novel, but not as objects of romantic or sexual attachment. Women feature as prostitutes, or providers, though some respect is shown for the two principle women characters, the woman of Shamlegh, and the widow of Kulu, the latter taking on a motherly role towards the end, healing Kim when he is ill.

The two companions become interdependent, Kim’s association with the lama providing him with an excuse to travel around India, and an ideal cover (later in the story) for his role as a spy, while the lama often relies on Kim to do their begging and find them shelter, often physically leaning on Kim’s shoulder as they travel.

Kim defines his identity during his adventures by being open to influences; responding positively to people he can look up to, while warding off influences which he finds abrasive. When the story opens the influences on him have been almost exclusively Indian. His white skin, his identity papers, and his in-built tendency to own and rule will prove to be central to the identity he is seeking to build, but neither at the beginning nor the end does he think of himself as a ‘sahib’, and his encounter with the white man’s world is at first a traumatic experience.

In chapter 5, when he finally finds the prophesied ‘Nine hundred first-class devils, whose God was a Red Bull on a green field’, (his father’s old regiment), he is captured by the soldiers and his instinct is to escape back to the lama. This is the first close encounter with a group of white men Kim has had in his life, and Kipling uses it to show a clash of native and British mentality, with Kim and the lama showing the native side, and the members of the regiment showing aspects of British mentality which Kipling holds up for criticism.

Kim is effectively imprisoned by the soldiers, forced to wear for the first time ‘a horrible stiff suit that rasped his arms and legs’, and told that the bazaar is ‘out o’ bounds’. And his torments grow worse as Kipling continues to subject him to the worst that the British have to offer. The schoolmaster is a brutal insensitive man from whom Kim scents ‘evil’, and the drummer boy who guards Kim, representing the average young British soldier, is shown as an ignorant fool who calls the natives ‘niggers’.

In Colonel Creighton Kim finds a white man he can respect; a father-figure, a European counterpart of the lama. Creighton is wise, educated, experienced, and compassionate; the opposite end of the spectrum to Reverend Bennett, the drummer boy, and the schoolmaster. He recognises Kim’s intelligence and special skills, and although he plays a small part in the story he is, as the highest-ranking representative of the British Government, and the person to whom Kim is responsible, a pillar of the whole novel and one of the most important influences on Kim in his quest to define himself.

When his schooling is complete Kim’s training as a spy under Creighton’s associates continues, one of his teachers being the ‘shaib’ Lurgan. Lurgan, in his house adorned with ritual devil-dance masks, and his ability to heal sick jewels, seems to be a practitioner of the occult, and perhaps in creating this character Kipling was drawing on his interest in the mysticism of Madame Blavatsky and Theosophists which was popular during his youth.

Kim takes to the ‘Great Game’ of spying like a duck to water. It suits his independent, inquisitive, adventurous personality perfectly, being a natural development for the child who loved the ‘game’ of running secret missions across the rooftops of Lahore.

During his schooling and training Kim and the lama have to part, although Kim insists on joining the lama in his holidays, and re-joins him permanently when his schooling is complete, though now using him partly as a cover for his spying operations.

At the climax of the novel Kim is sent on a mission to intercept two foreign spies, one Russian, one French, who are operating in the Himalayas.

High in the Himalayas Kim and the lama reach the road’s end, and both of their journeys reach a crisis point. Kim is instrumental, along with the Babu, in thwarting the foreign spies, their mission being particularly successful because the foreign spies never realise that Kim and the Babu are secret agents.

The lama is involved in bringing about the climax, because it is one of the spies tearing the lama’s diagram of the Buddhist universe, then striking him in the face, that provokes Kim into fighting him, which in turn leads to a mutiny of the foreign spies’ coolies, which enables Kim to get hold of the spies’ secret documents. The fight also seems to precipitate the end of the lama’s quest, by making him aware of all his remaining attachments.

Both are weakened and suffer as a result of the battles. Kim develops a worrying cough, and the lama is so weak that he needs to be carried down the mountains on a stretcher. Back on the plains their missions are completed. Kim passes on the secret documents, which have been weighing on his mind, to the Babu, and the lama, finds his River of the Arrow and comes face to face with the ‘Great Soul’.

One theme which might be felt to be running under the surface of ‘Kim’, is Kim’s search for parents. At the beginning it is emphasised that Kim is an orphan, who never knew his mother, and that his deceased father was a drunkard. Perhaps he is looking for new parents, and finds a combined father figure in the lama, who in the closing scene calls him ‘Son of my Soul’ and Colonel Creighton, who has been a father-figure since his time at St. Xavier’s.

As a mother figure, Kim finds the woman from Kulu, who, in the final chapter of the novel, heals and restores him. ‘She looks upon him as her son’, says the lama. Kim calls her ‘Mother’, and tells her, ‘I had no mother, my mother . . . died, they tell me, when I was young’.

This need for mothering comes to a head in the final chapter, but throughout the novel the orphan Kim has seemed to get along perfectly well without real parents, with surrogate mother and father figures being available when he needs them. The novel ends at the point where, on the brink of adulthood and secure in his career with the Secret Service, Kim no longer needs parents.

According to many accounts Kipling himself was happy growing up in India until the age of 6, then, when his family moved to England, he was sent to live with foster parents who were cruel and made his life a five-year-long trauma, (which Kipling recorded in his short story ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ and alluded to in the opening of ‘The Light That Failed’). Perhaps the young Kipling was furious with his parents for abandoning him and his sister without warning in this lodging house for five years, and perhaps the novel ‘Kim’ is the adult Kipling’s wish-fulfilment fantasy of how good life might have been if instead of being uprooted he could have stayed on in India, on his own, without his parents.

In the final chapter, as well as receiving ‘mothering’, Kim comes as close as he ever does to feeling he has discovered his identity:

‘I am Kim. I am Kim. And what is Kim? His soul repeated it again and again . . . tears trickled down his nose and with an almost audible click he felt the wheels of his being lock up anew on the world without.’

Copyright Ian Mackean. Read the full version of this essay at:
/essays/kipling.html

Kim, by Rudyard Kipling

Review of Catch Him and Keep Him by Experts, Created by Christian Carter

One of the best dating coaches for women I’ve seen is Christian Carter. He wrote one of the biggest sellers for women in Catch Him and Keep Him.

And the latest package he designed is Catch Him and Keep Him by Experts. And what is it exactly? Well, it was created for any woman that wants a lasting connection with a man that only wants to be with her…

Let me explain…

This program was filmed live onstage in Los Angeles, California. In it, Christian Carter helps you figure out all the intense questions you have about understanding how men think, why they pull away from you and how to get your next boyfriend that only wants you.

Some of the things you will learn:

* How attraction works for guys and how to make them feel it so everything falls in place for a great relationship

* What a man is really thinking about when he says he isn’t ready or some excuse for pulling away from you…

* and much, much more…

And then Christian pulls up on stage his friends and fellow peers to interview them and even put them on the “hot seat” to reveal the latest insights in each important area of dating and relationships.

In my opinion, the Catch Him and Keep Him by Experts and Christian Carter will help you learn how to make a man feel a deeper and more lasting attraction with you that goes way beyond the usual, everyday physical attraction. If you feel that your dating and relationship life is stuck, then you should absolutely check out the program to more your love life forward to bigger and better possibilities.

Review of Catch Him and Keep Him by Experts, Created by Christian Carter

Review of Catch Him and Keep Him by Experts, Created by Christian Carter

One of the best dating coaches for women I’ve seen is Christian Carter. He wrote one of the biggest sellers for women in Catch Him and Keep Him.

And the latest package he designed is Catch Him and Keep Him by Experts. And what is it exactly? Well, it was created for any woman that wants a lasting connection with a man that only wants to be with her…

Let me explain…

This program was filmed live onstage in Los Angeles, California. In it, Christian Carter helps you figure out all the intense questions you have about understanding how men think, why they pull away from you and how to get your next boyfriend that only wants you.

Some of the things you will learn:

* How attraction works for guys and how to make them feel it so everything falls in place for a great relationship

* What a man is really thinking about when he says he isn’t ready or some excuse for pulling away from you…

* and much, much more…

And then Christian pulls up on stage his friends and fellow peers to interview them and even put them on the “hot seat” to reveal the latest insights in each important area of dating and relationships.

In my opinion, the Catch Him and Keep Him by Experts and Christian Carter will help you learn how to make a man feel a deeper and more lasting attraction with you that goes way beyond the usual, everyday physical attraction. If you feel that your dating and relationship life is stuck, then you should absolutely check out the program to more your love life forward to bigger and better possibilities.

Review of Catch Him and Keep Him by Experts, Created by Christian Carter

Mended by God - The Tony Pack Story by Don Smarto

A Miraculous Story of the Power of Perseverance, Prayer in Recovery

“Mended by God” is a story of prayer, perseverance, recovery, rehabilitation, hope and triumph. It is Tony Pack’s miraculous account of his recovery after a closed head injury left him in a deep coma as a result of a near death auto accident. Tony was twenty-four years old, athletic, ready for college, with plans to major in the filed of law. The accident left Tony with a dismal prognosis. His family determinedly held to their faith in God and looked for a miracle.

During Tony’s recovery and therapy he was blessed with a support team of prayer warriors, his family, his pastor, hospital chaplains, members, as well as countless friends and members of the medical profession.

The sixty pages of photos and a detailed one year journal faithfully kept by Tony’s mother Carol relate the events from that fateful day in 1986. Carol kept a day by day account of Tony’s progress throughout the trials of his three month coma, his recovery, and his rehabilitation.

“Mended by God” is filled with helpful information for anyone working through similar trials. The story is an uplifting and inspiring testimony of God’s grace. It tells of the highs and lows of recovery and of day to day miracles. This is a book for anyone going through the challenge of meeting the difficulties faced in time of the sickness of a child, a son or daughter injured in battle, other times of family crisis, unemployment, or the loss of a loved one. Smarto beautifully weaves the story of how family love and a strong faith played an important part in Tony’s healing. These lessons provide spiritual guidance for others going through the testing of adversity.

Strong writing with a powerful message.

Frontline Press, 9781424323432

As Reviewed for Midwest Book Review.

Mended by God - The Tony Pack Story by Don Smarto

Mended by God - The Tony Pack Story by Don Smarto

A Miraculous Story of the Power of Perseverance, Prayer in Recovery

“Mended by God” is a story of prayer, perseverance, recovery, rehabilitation, hope and triumph. It is Tony Pack’s miraculous account of his recovery after a closed head injury left him in a deep coma as a result of a near death auto accident. Tony was twenty-four years old, athletic, ready for college, with plans to major in the filed of law. The accident left Tony with a dismal prognosis. His family determinedly held to their faith in God and looked for a miracle.

During Tony’s recovery and therapy he was blessed with a support team of prayer warriors, his family, his pastor, hospital chaplains, members, as well as countless friends and members of the medical profession.

The sixty pages of photos and a detailed one year journal faithfully kept by Tony’s mother Carol relate the events from that fateful day in 1986. Carol kept a day by day account of Tony’s progress throughout the trials of his three month coma, his recovery, and his rehabilitation.

“Mended by God” is filled with helpful information for anyone working through similar trials. The story is an uplifting and inspiring testimony of God’s grace. It tells of the highs and lows of recovery and of day to day miracles. This is a book for anyone going through the challenge of meeting the difficulties faced in time of the sickness of a child, a son or daughter injured in battle, other times of family crisis, unemployment, or the loss of a loved one. Smarto beautifully weaves the story of how family love and a strong faith played an important part in Tony’s healing. These lessons provide spiritual guidance for others going through the testing of adversity.

Strong writing with a powerful message.

Frontline Press, 9781424323432

As Reviewed for Midwest Book Review.

Mended by God - The Tony Pack Story by Don Smarto

How Are Book Reviews Important?

Having been a small press for less than ten years (I’ll be at 7 in April), I use to think that getting reviews were one of the most important parts of the book promotion process. That was also at a time when competition for a reviewer’s time and attention were fierce. Now, that a book review can be purchased the review serves a very different purpose. If I could get a titled reviewed in the N.Y. Times, LA Times, Foreword Review, Book Pages or Midwest Review I think jackpot! Because a review in any of these journals (whether good or bad) can generate more attention, we in the business call it “buzz”. For a publisher “buzz is what we want. It means people are talking about the title and more coverage maybe forth coming. It also means book buyers; think B &N and distributors will consider giving up shelf space in their establishments. Times have changed however.

The word of a gifted book critic can no longer out pace the “buzz” that the new word of mouth can do for a title, (think book clubs, blogging, twitter, Facebook and oh yes Oprah!). Winning book awards is also another way out distances a review in a jump in sales almost over night. I have to say the major thing that I have found that really impacts on a books selling power is author motivation. The author continues to promote long after the publisher has to move on. Unless you are a Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Dan Brown, or any author in that league. But even these authors are constantly out there meeting their readers and maintain a mastery of their craft that keeps the fans loyal and the movie producers busy.

With regard to Amazon, they provide a vital service to the publishing industry. They keep titles available. If a reader has access to the Internet and a book is registered, it can be ordered. Even if it is out of print. Here is were reviews still make a difference. If comments are posted then an interested party can read what has been said about the book. Amazon is doing a pretty good job in making access by authors and publishers to update and add information regarding a title. As far as booksellers compare with Amazon the reason there are fewer of them as Amazon grows is the same reason some authors have success and others don’t. They stop making a connection with the audience they want to buy from them.

How Are Book Reviews Important?

How Are Book Reviews Important?

Having been a small press for less than ten years (I’ll be at 7 in April), I use to think that getting reviews were one of the most important parts of the book promotion process. That was also at a time when competition for a reviewer’s time and attention were fierce. Now, that a book review can be purchased the review serves a very different purpose. If I could get a titled reviewed in the N.Y. Times, LA Times, Foreword Review, Book Pages or Midwest Review I think jackpot! Because a review in any of these journals (whether good or bad) can generate more attention, we in the business call it “buzz”. For a publisher “buzz is what we want. It means people are talking about the title and more coverage maybe forth coming. It also means book buyers; think B &N and distributors will consider giving up shelf space in their establishments. Times have changed however.

The word of a gifted book critic can no longer out pace the “buzz” that the new word of mouth can do for a title, (think book clubs, blogging, twitter, Facebook and oh yes Oprah!). Winning book awards is also another way out distances a review in a jump in sales almost over night. I have to say the major thing that I have found that really impacts on a books selling power is author motivation. The author continues to promote long after the publisher has to move on. Unless you are a Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Dan Brown, or any author in that league. But even these authors are constantly out there meeting their readers and maintain a mastery of their craft that keeps the fans loyal and the movie producers busy.

With regard to Amazon, they provide a vital service to the publishing industry. They keep titles available. If a reader has access to the Internet and a book is registered, it can be ordered. Even if it is out of print. Here is were reviews still make a difference. If comments are posted then an interested party can read what has been said about the book. Amazon is doing a pretty good job in making access by authors and publishers to update and add information regarding a title. As far as booksellers compare with Amazon the reason there are fewer of them as Amazon grows is the same reason some authors have success and others don’t. They stop making a connection with the audience they want to buy from them.

How Are Book Reviews Important?

Revenge Has Never Been As Sweet

Revenge is sweet, one saying goes, and another from Shakespeare says that it’s “a dish best served cold.” But, what about the people that it hurts? I’m sure they would have a far different opinion about revenge, that it more often than not hurts not just the person who you perceive has done you wrong, but frequently, everyone around that particular person. Best Served Cold, the superb, tension-filled thriller by Karina Dolehide, is about what happens when revenge by an ex-wife becomes all-consuming, and leads her to a scheme involving kidnapping her own son, and to murder. We’ve all felt wronged at one point or another in our lives; and have contemplated revenge, but most of us have not acted on our feelings.

What happens when we act on our impulses? Does it make things better, or worse? Does the act of revenge really also hurt the person who attempts it, as much or more than the victims of it? These are the types of themes and questions that the talented author Karina Dolehide explores in her novel, Best Served Cold. Maureen, the ex-wife of the successful businessman, Alex Sanders, felt that she deserved more from her divorce settlement than she received, despite the fact that she frequently cheated on him while they were married, and she seemed to think of her son, Shawn, as more of a burden than a blessing. To remedy this, she hatches a plan with a thug called Gerald to kidnap her son and hold him for ransom, knowing that her ex loves Shawn and believing he would pay any amount of money to get him safely back.

Alex works out of his house, and at the beginning of the novel, he is searching for someone to hire as his personal assistant. This person would help him with his business and his busy schedule, and make sure to also arrange for his schedule to allow time with his son. The person he eventually hires is Rose Watson, an attractive young woman with a troubled past. Alex is somewhat afraid that he might fall for Rose, but she seems to be the right person for the job, better than anyone else he’s interviewed, and his relative and Gal Friday, Patty, also gives him her opinion that he should hire Rose.

Rose Watson is the main character of the novel, though the author also writes parts of the novel giving us the points of view of the other main characters, like Alex and Patty. Rose is excited and believes that she’s found the job of a lifetime, though she knows that her new boss has told her that the hours would sometimes be long, and that the job involves becoming almost a member of the family, in that she’d need to spend time with Shawn and Patty and be accepted by them. There’s no problem with that, and Patty even invites Rose to rent an apartment above her house. Rose jumps at the chance, as the place is closer to Alex’s house, and Patty is such a nice lady.

The relationship and friendship that Rose establishes with Patty is one of the best parts of this highly entertaining novel. I really enjoyed reading about their friendship, and when I read that Maureen and Gerald were spying on them, as well as Alex’s house, as a part of their scheme to kidnap Shawn, I hoped that nothing bad would happen to either Rose or Patty, and that Maureen’s plans for revenge would fail. Karina Dolehide successfully created characters that readers would find very likable, and that makes the villains, Maureen and Gerald, seem even more villainous as a result.

Besides the tension that the author weaves by her plot and making her readers wonder if Maureen and Gerald’s plans will succeed, she also includes the possibility of a romance blooming between Alex and Rose, though Alex is several years older than Rose and, at first, just wants the best personal assistant he can find. He needs someone to handle the many details his job entails, as well as someone who will make sure that he still will have time available to spend with Shawn. Neither he nor Rose feel anything like a love at first sight experience, but during the course of the novel, they get to know each other and feelings of romance develop.

Why should you buy Best Served Cold? What makes it a novel you’ll want to spend your money on? I can only speak for myself, but I found it to be a suspenseful, tension-filled novel, with three-dimensional characters that are likable and that you’ll want to see succeed against the efforts of Maureen’s burning desire to seek revenge on her ex-husband. For her to not care if she uses her own son and other people close to Alex to enact revenge upon him reveals her extremely cold-hearted nature. If you enjoy reading edge-of-your-seat novels filled with taut suspense, likable characters, and memorable villains, I would strongly recommend that you check out Karina Dolehide’s novel Best Served Cold!

Revenge Has Never Been As Sweet