My Buy Essay

Archive for July, 2009

In a year marked by war and natural disasters, there is good news: Americans are committed to service, charitable giving and volunteering.

For example, charities and philanthropic organizations are thriving-even after a period filled with an unusually high number of natural disasters. According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, “Many of the nation’s biggest charities are raising as much or more than they did in the late 1990s, when the strong economy and booming stock market boosted charitable donations a startling 50 percent.”

In addition to record monetary contributions, volunteerism in certain population segments is booming, too. It’s estimated that more than 64 million Americans annually volunteer their time, talent and energy to make a difference in their community and in the lives of those around them.

Some say that commitment to service is one of the more enduring legacies of President George H.W. Bush’s presidency.

A new book, Points of Light: A Celebration of the American Spirit of Giving by Robert Goodwin and Thomas Kinkade, with a foreword by former President Bush ($19.95, Center Street), tells the story of this rise in philanthropy and volunteerism.

Each of the 12 chapters presents a different story of people making a real difference, from Timothy Miller, who organized the Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team after the abduction and murder of his daughter, to Lt. Jim Mayer, who lost his arm in Vietnam but not his spirit to serve. Mayer dedicates his life to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and spends his spare time as a volunteer amputee peer adviser at Walter Reed Army Hospital.

The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network engages and mobilizes millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities.

Robert Goodwin has served as president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation since July 1, 1995.

Described as a “painter of light,” Thomas Kinkade is said to be America’s most collected living artist, according to CBS News.

Moon Child by Simone Maroney is a larger sized adventure, fantasy novel with 55 chapters. The story line involves complex relationships between six main characters, which are delicately balanced leaving room for intrigue.

Hanna, the chief character, was selected from birth by the Goddess, given special training and endowed with ‘gifts’ the elders call the ‘Memories’. As Hanna goes through many travelling adventures, she becomes respected and known as the ‘One’ a ‘Reader’ and a ‘Healer’.

Her father, a priest and a shaman in the village tries to protect her while making Hanna learn to stand on her own. Manon, a dear friend and fellow ‘Healer’, helps Hanna find a position in the same village that tried to kill her. Raer, her childhood friend, whose brain was inadvertently injured during play, becomes a valuable aid to Hanna and her adopted village. Janna, Hanna’s archenemy, keeps people at attention with her evil and treacherous behavior. A little romance is thrown in with Jio, also known as ‘Maih’, who is actually Janna’s brother.

So much is going on in the book that readers may find themselves stopping to retrace a few pages. I enjoyed reading this novel and found that it reminded me a little of Clan of the Cave Bear &ndash because of the tribal differences, traveling and ‘gifts’ the chief character endures. Sometimes being selected by the Gods brings a tumultuous life!

ISBN#: 1933157046

Author: Simone Maroney

Publisher: Draumr Publishing

A new book points out that many scientists and clinicians are concentrating their energies on umbilical cord-derived stem cells from healthy babies. Recent research shows human umbilical cord stem cell therapy (hUCSCT) can help many conditions.

“Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Therapy: The Gift of Healing from Healthy Newborns” by David Steenblock, M.S., D.O, and Anthony G. Payne, Ph.D. (Basic Health Publications, $24.95) explores this medical frontier, including current research, descriptions of how various conditions respond and the personal stories of many patients. The Steenblock Research Institute is at the forefront of the groundbreaking umbilical cord stem therapy research. Researchers indicate improvements with:

• Cerebral palsy

• Traumatic brain injury

• Diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy and other eye conditions

• Stroke and other circulatory problems

• Multiple sclerosis

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

In the book, Drs. Steenblock and Payne describe how scientists retrieve stem cells, expand their numbers and apply them to patients. The doctors explain what happens after a stem-cell treatment and what makes treatments more effective.

A question-and-answer section tackles such frequently asked questions as: is the treatment safe, how quick are the results, what is the cost, what are the pre- and post-treatments, does insurance cover the costs, what are side effects, what is the current status of FDA approval for stem cell treatments and why is this type of therapy permitted in some countries but not others.

There is increasing evidence, the authors report, that relates aging and disease to lack of normal stem cell growth and repair. A new area of study, they explain, is dedicated to exploring the ability to mobilize one’s own stem cells to help a body repair itself. Additionally, there are scientifically validated ways of ensuring that stem cells are not compromised in terms of function or ability to mobilize in response to injury or disease.

Over the past 20 years, the personal computer has evolved from a high-tech toy for brainiacs with pocket protectors, into a vital part of virtually every American home and business. And with the help of the Internet and the latest software, PCs can be used for everything from communication and productivity to entertainment and leisurely pursuits.

Unfortunately for the new or inexperienced PC user, there’s no techie boot camp or PC driver’s license to ensure a core competency in personal computing, and it’s easy to get confused or overlook critical details in a new computer system.

However, help is on the way. Wiley Publishing, the premier personal technology publisher, has created a new series of computer books in conjunction with Geeks On Call-America’s premier provider of on-site computer services. Together, they are rolling out four titles that will help home and small-business users with everything from tuning up and maintaining a Windows XP system to installing and securing a wireless network.

The “Geeks On Call 5-Minute Fixes” series aims to clearly explain the most commonly diagnosed issues troubling PC users and save them both money and time on service calls or telephone tech support. The first four titles in the series include “Security and Privacy,” “Windows XP,” “PCs” and “Wireless Networking.” With these books-which list at $14.99 each-readers learn straightforward ways to have a better and more secure personal computing experience.

Geeks On Call is the leading independent provider of on-site computer services. Its certified, trained and tested technicians provide expert computer installation and networking services, on-site repairs, security solutions and system upgrades for residential and commercial customers alike.

Within the first few pages, I was engrossed and deeply moved by Apina Hrbek’s eloquent writing skills. Tears of compassion were in my eyes at several points in this moving story of survival.

The main character, Edita, was raised by a heartless mother who became twisted after helplessly watching the communist government steal her family’s vast fortune. Her nonconformist father was her only source of comfort and it was from him that she learned about these forbidden things called “choice” and “freedom”.

The setting is a land under strict Soviet rule where people are in a constant state of fright and can not afford to trust anyone &ndash not even their own kin. To trust was an invitation for disaster.

The story of their escape to a land of freedom was wrought with circumstances going wrong &ndash and yet it all worked out in the end. Resettling in a place where they must learn new customs, new languages and find employment to support their small family was no easy task for Edita and her husband. Through poverty and displacement, the family struggled to find their dreams and learn how to deal with this new idea – the freedom to make choices.

Pandemonium is certainly an educational book that may be beneficial for children and grand children of immigrants who wish to understand what it was like. It also could serve as a useful reminder to appreciate, protect and expand upon the rights of all mankind.

Publisher: Publish America, Inc.

ISBN#: 1413756670

Author: Apina Hrbek

Debra Warren has appropriately titled her book of poetry ‘Pausing to Catch My Breath’. The pages depict this mother and grandmother as someone who I would personally love to sit across from at a kitchen table with a huge pot of tea and talk for hours.

Her style implements simple vocabulary with an honest appeal, yet her work is astoundingly moving. This is the kind of poetry that I like to read at a slow pace in order to allow the statements to really sink in. ‘I think’ is a good example of what I mean. ‘Today’ challenges readers to see beyond the mundane, by considering what others are experiencing that very moment. ‘Its Never Too Late’ was a moving piece about many kinds of incarceration. I related with ‘Trapped’, especially where she wrote, “I am trapped inside a body that betrays”. ‘Pausing to Catch My Breath’ is a particularly beautifully written piece. I hope to retain in memory my favorite line of this poem, “Hearing the music, I dance to my yesterdays”. Debra also displays an appealing sense of humor in her work. I loved the imagery of viewing cruel and stupid people as “human speed bumps” along the road of life.

‘Pausing to Catch My Breath’ most certainly displays Debra’s ability to use uncomplicated prose to create deep emotion, intellectual thought and crisp images.

ISBN#:14137767478

Author: Debra Warren

Publisher: Publish America, Inc.

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a field overshadowed by sensational claims and sometimes dubious practices. If your business has a website, you naturally want it to obtain high rankings in the major search engines so that potential customers can find you. Yet you might be suspicious of companies that promise to catapult your website to #1 ranking in almost no time ot announce that they will submit your site to thousands of search engines and web directories.

Peter Kent’s book in the For Dummies series offers a useful introduction to search engine optimization. He starts out by surveying the various search sites and search systems and explains who gets results from whom. He then suggests how yo give your website a quick makeover to give it greater visibility.

Throughout the book, Kent repeatedly emphasiszes functionality over slick web technologies that might actually hinder search engines in finding your site. His second emphasis is on content as a lure for search engines.

Kent uses a fictitious website on “rodent racing” to give the reader very specific advice on picking the right keywords, getting into search engines, optimizing code, finding specialized directories, and much more. With over 350 pages (and a detailed index), this book offers you a wealth of suggestions and useful advice, whether you want to improve your website’s ranking by yourself or hire a SEO firm to do it.

While the “For Dummies” series of books varies quite a bit in quality, this volume can be recommended. What is particularly useful is the associated website that contains all the links mentioned in the book.

At a time when new poker books are pouring onto store shelves, Dennis Purdy is the first author to offer a unique approach to learning poker with The Illustrated Guide to Texas Hold’Em. The former gambling pro uses a visual problem-solving approach rather than a textual approach at teaching poker strategy.

The first three chapters of the guide start off very similarly to many beginner books on the poker market, covering the basic rules of how to play Hold’Em, what you might wear to a table, how much you should buy-in for and some rules of good poker etiquette. The fourth chapter presents eight brief rules of ‘good basic poker strategy’ followed by a detailed explanation of actual odds and pot odds. Chapter five is where this book becomes unique as the next 300 pages are filled with 150 different, illustrated Texas Hold’Em poker scenarios, matched with the author’s answer to each of the practice situations! Purdy ends the book with a noteworthy 30 page poker terminology glossary.

The cover indicates that this guide may make a winner out of an advanced player but this book was really designed to captivate those unlikely readers that shy away from the other poker books already published. The introduction warns that this book is not ‘targeted towards sophisticated and knowledgeable players’, and I would agree. Advanced players will find too many examples stating ‘the obvious’ like situation #2: folding 27 offsuit before the flop.

Purdy’s advice is mostly in-line with most other poker authors however there are certainly some debatable answers to a few of his problems (i.e. Problem #46 suggests to cap the betting with 36s pre-flop?). There is often more than one correct way to play any individual poker hand however I sometimes found myself wondering why Purdy would suggest such advanced plays, especially since these situations can be easily misinterpreted by new players. The intention of this guide may have been to give definitive situational advice to poker scenarios, however, I suggest that readers actually place more importance on the general strategy advice given in the answers rather than the specific action to take. It’s really the whole strategic approach you take to the game that will make the most difference in your results.

The visual representation of each of the poker situations is by far this book’s greatest asset. I personally know readers to have picked up this book after ignoring the other acclaimed texts on the premise of its simple and fun-looking learning method. Another quality point is that no commitment is needed as the reader can easily review a couple pages and put the book back down again without losing the value of the material. The teaching pattern also follows through with its ideas, enabling the reader to encounter the same notions and strategies in various problems throughout the book (for example, each of situations #17, #38 & #148 address folding small pocket pairs in early position before the flop).

Due to the popular nature of problem solving game books, this style of teaching poker is expected to appeal to many players and will most likely be adopted in more books to come. Like many books of its nature, The Illustrated guide to Texas Hold’Em is not recommended as the only book to teach you sound poker strategy, but as a visual practice supplement for those players not interested in studying the more technical texts. Readers that insist on keeping the fun and excitement first and foremost in their poker education will appreciate this chance to learn without being bogged down with abstract concepts or complicated terminology.

It is hard to specify exactly what genre Larry Roth’s new book can fall into. Political, frugal living, gay rights, taking care of the body and more are covered in Political Frugality &ndash Guerrilla Economics for the Demonized, Devalued and Disenfranchised.

Larry was a high income-earner who gave it up to be a relaxed gardener; he exercises, eats right and lives frugally. This retired professional walks-the-walk, and raises several interesting points of view on society and communities.

Discussions on how we dictate each other’s belief system to one another without even realizing what we are doing were definitely thought provoking. Larry also brings to light the unrealistic discrimination that still slides in and out of our daily lives – and we find this normal.

I found the author’s ideas on social security just fantastic. When you think about it, where does our money go if we die early and are not married? For that matter, why should the spouse left behind be penalized by receiving only a portion of the mate’s coverage?

The true cost of climbing the social ladder is certainly a point well made by Larry and his thoughts on how consumerism is a vote with the wallet is enlightening. He talks about corporations that build items without replaceable parts or limited availability in order to force more consumer spending. According to Larry, it does not have to be like this.

Although Political Frugality begins a little heavy and political for my tastes, just past these first few pages the real life stories will entertain and shock the reader. Larry’s nightmare situation with the credit bureau is pretty shocking. This is not another “victim of fraud” story folks, but rather a bureaucratic goof taken to an extreme!

Larry also makes some excellent arguments for the benefits of walking. It can be so much more than frugal and responsible transportation, exercise and meditation &ndash it can actually bond communities. How? I can’t tell you here, you’ll have to read the book to find out!

So many beliefs and views on issues were similar to my own that I found myself thinking “Exactly!” repeatedly. Larry certainly brings attention to some very ironic and illogical social issues. Folks that read Political Frugality will learn new ideas on how to live in a more socially and fiscally responsible way.

ISBN#: 0962522848

Author: Larry Roth

Illustrated by: Andy Dandino

Publisher: Living Cheap Press

Proof Evident is a newly released crime fiction novel by lawyer and controversial psychologist, John Dicke. The story line is based around a criminal case for Judge Avery Jackson who coldly murdered Sheriff Hardacre during his speech to 150 city officials. The problem is, Mr. Jackson has no memory of the event at all…

Jack Maine leaves the public service and starts up a private practice with the assistance of his talented wife while taking on this difficult and seemingly doomed case. His dedicated and patient staff includes a master investigator and a phenomenal young novice lawyer &ndash both of whom are fully aware they may not see a paycheck for some time. Jack’s nemesis is the quick-witted and well-financed defense team led by an ambitious attorney that is set on becoming “seen”. Death follows this case everywhere. Just when the lawyers feel they are getting somewhere – people start dropping like flies. Soon a CIA scandal is discovered that threatens national security, which powerful people are desperate to cover-up; meanwhile a drug ring threatens to take control of every aspect of the community.

John Dicke addresses the issue of pleading Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity, which is a much larger issue than I had previously been aware of. Even mentioning the plea will turn off a jury, who are hardened by the preconception that the plea is repeatedly used to falsely gain sympathy, and therefore, receive a lighter sentence for a crime they are guilty of committing.

John also shows the intense stress of an exhausting case, which can be exhilarating to intrigued lawyers bored with the mundane courthouse activities, and the temptations that could destroy those that have more desire than sense. Mr. Dicke uses elements of real life, historical events &ndash including the government scandal.

It is my opinion that Proof Evident is a book for deep-thinking individuals who favor courtroom drama – because there is a lot of it. I found myself wanting to skip through those sections, but had I done so the ending would have left me shocked and baffled. I loved the eventful conclusion and was surprised by a few characters as well. Overall, I think John Dicke has created an interesting novel that deserves to be given a chance by readers of this genre.

ISBN#: 0-9764981-5-4

Author: John Dicke

Publisher: Synergy Books