Reader Views

40 Días: La inmortalidad al alcance de la mano

Me entusiasmé  muchísimo al recibir este libro para producir una reseña ya que me llama mucho la atención los conceptos  de metafísica y Chakras, y he leído libros sobre el tema tanto en Inglés como en Español.  Pero debido al hecho de que nunca he tenido una instrucción formal en el tema, anticipaba leer “40 Días: La inmortalidad al alcance de la mano” con la esperanza de obtener cierta estructura ideológica mientras profundizaba mi conocimiento sobre la materia.

Cuando leí la cubierta trasera del libro (con mucha dificultad ya que el  los caracteres son bastante pequeños y su color blanco sobre un fondo negro hizo el contenido casi ilegible),  comprendí inmediatamente que este libro me proveería un sistema completo para los 7 Chakras, y que  este sistema es solo la primera parte “del Método Pempenides.” Es por eso que asumí que este libro es una guía la cual introduce este Método al lector. Fue precisamente en esta expectativa que este me desilusionó.

El libro comienza con una clarificación terminológica, por la cual estuve muy agradecida porque fue la única porción del libro que tuvo sentido para mí. Desde la página 14 hasta la 81 estuve totalmente perdida. Comprendí  lo que el Autor estaba tratando de exponer en la página 82 ya que mostró finalmente cierto grado de estructura cuando el método tomo una forma cronológica, desde el primer día hasta el cuarentaiseisavo. Luego regresó a tratamientos y ejercicios de meditación en la página 261 hasta el final.

Mientras leía deseaba que el Autor hubiese buscado ayuda profesional para estructurar el libro, ya que la organización y el formato presentaron el proceso de manera sumamente confusa.  El formato del libro en sí no me ayudó ya que no pude comprender el significado en la utilización mayúscula de decretos completos en ciertas secciones pero no en otras, aun cuando se trataban de las mismas invocaciones.  También note un par de errores ortográficos. En general el libro se hubiera beneficiado con los servicios de un Editor profesional.

Debido a la complejidad de la información se desea exponer al lector, yo opino que el Autor debió hacer lo siguiente:

    Determinar quién es su audiencia. Este libro no está estructurado definitivamente para personas que no tienen conocimiento sobre el “Método Pempenides,” o sus conceptos básicos.
    El titulo debería ser “46 Días,” ya que es el número real requerido para terminar el proceso.
    Estructurar el libro con reglas estandarizadas de formato para producir un libro legible.
    Finalmente, ser consistente en la presentación de ideas para facilitarle al lector su seguimiento.

Quizás mostrando el método cronológicamente (día a día) primero para ser seguido con una guía bien organizada con los ejercicios de meditación al final, hubiera hecho la diferencia. Sin embargo, en su formato actual con todos los problemas mencionados anteriormente me fue imposible seguir el  “Método Pempenides,” aun utilizando las grabaciones en la página de internet. – Una lectura laboriosa y confusa – 3 Estrellas.

 

English Version of Review:

I was very excited to receive this book for review, as I have been fascinated with metaphysics and Chakras concepts for a while, and have read few books (in English and Spanish) in the subjects. But because I have never had formal education about these topics I was eager to read “40 Dias: La inmortalidad al alcance de la mano (40 Days: Immortality at the reach of your hands),” in hopes to get some thought structure as I deepened my knowledge.

When I read the back cover (with much difficulty as the font was tiny and the white color on black background, made it almost illegible), I quickly understood that the book would provide me with a complete system for the 7 Chakras, and that this system was only the first part of the “Pempenides Method.” I assumed that this book was a guide to introduce the reader to the whole method. It was on this expectation that I found this book disappointing.

The book begins by providing a terminology clarification which I was very grateful for because it was the only portion of the book I could make some sense of. From page 14 through page 81 I was totally lost. I understood what it was all about on page 82 when the author finally showed some kind of structure as the method took chronological shape starting from Day 1 – Day 46. Then it went back to meditations exercises and treatments on page 261 through the end.

I wish the author would have sought help of a professional to structure the book as the formatting, and organization of the process was presented in a very confusing manner. The formatting offered no help as I could not comprehend the capitalizations of decrees on some sections but not in others, even though they were the same rulings with the same functions. I also found a couple of spelling errors. Overall, the book would have benefited by a professional editor.

Because of the complexity of the information the author wishes to convey to readers, I think the author should have done the following:

1)  Pre-determined his audience. This book is definitely not structured for people who are not                                                                                                               
     familiar with the “Pempenides Method,” or its basic concepts.

      2)  Title the book “46 Days,” as that is the true number of days required to finish the process.
      3)  Structured the book with standard formatting practices, to make it more legible.
      4)  Finally, be consistent on the presentation of the ideas to make it easier to follow.

Maybe by showing the day-by-day method first and a well-organized meditation exercise guide in the end would have made the difference. But in its current format all the above problems made “40 Days: Immortality at the reach of your hands” impossible to follow the method, even with the help of the audios on the website. -  A confusing and laborious read – 3 Stars.

40 Días: La inmortalidad al alcance de la mano
Don Juan Martín González
AuthorHouse (2011)
ISBN 9781456746452
Reseña de libro por Susan Violante para Readers Views (11/9)

Son of (Entropy)2: Personal Memories of a Son of a Chemist, Joseph E. Mayer, and a Nobel Prize Winning Physicist, Maria Goeppert Mayer

With “Son of (Entropy)2,” the author peels away the fancy, and prestigious, resumes of his parents to show the people he knew simply as mom and dad. This could be seen as a daunting task when you consider that his mom won two Nobel prizes and assisted with the Manhattan Project, while his father earned numerous awards and had the Joseph E. Mayer Chair of Theoretical Chemistry created in his honor at the University of California.

Even though the author provides some warning at the beginning by saying the book is a “collection of vignettes,” it was still a jarring experience to read about so many disjointed segments of life, with each segment having little to do with the segments that came either before or after. Just looking at each section, it’s easy to find plenty of amusing anecdotes, but there is no real flow or rhythm to the book, which prevented me from enjoying this dual memoir as much as I could have.

Joseph Mayer and his wife, Maria, were definitely interesting people to know, with Maria taking the majority of the spotlight in my eyes. Whether it was working for no pay simply because her husband was already employed at the same place or sharing her views during the war (“We’re fighting Hitler, not Germany”), Maria Goeppert Mayer constantly reveals herself to be a bright and thought-provoking woman.

In addition to the disjointed stories causing a problem, I thought it was a bad move to refer to the subjects of the book as Joe and Maria. The author makes no secret about these two being his parents so I saw no reason for placing that distance between himself and his parents. There are various sections of the book where he does use the terms ‘mother’ and ‘father,’ but there are many more sections where we simply read about Joe and Maria, and it became easy to forget that I was reading about a son sharing stories about his parents.

While “Son of (Entropy)2: Personal Memories of a Son of a Chemist, Joseph E. Mayer, and a Nobel Prize Winning Physicist, Maria Goeppert Mayer” won’t appeal to everyone, the book does a decent job of showing two exceptional individuals in an ordinary light.

Son of (Entropy)2: Personal Memories of a Son of a Chemist, Joseph E. Mayer, and a Nobel Prize Winning Physicist, Maria Goeppert Mayer
Peter C. Mayer
AuthorHouse (2011)
ISBN 9781463420697
Reviewed by Marty Shaw for Reader Views (9/11)

Ding Dong the Diva’s Dead

I like proverbs and old sayings of all kinds. Very often I even try and live by what they tell us, and in such endeavors I could be more or less successful. Here is one of my favorite ones: “Don’t judge the book by its cover.” And yes, this is one that I try to follow as often as possible. When it comes to “Ding Dong the Diva’s Dead,” that was truly a good decision. If I judged this particular book by its cover, I would have never opened it. The slightly cartoon-like cover showed a voodoo-doll-crossed-with-an-inflatable-object-from-the-adult-store depiction of a diva and a cast of sinister looking people. The title with its weird yellow script and the shadowed sub-title did little to make me any more interested in the story. But I decided to be brave, and I opened the book on a randomly selected page. After the first couple of sentences I was giggling uncontrollably, deciding to start it from the beginning, as it should be read. Granted, being fluent in more than one language certainly helped me to catch some of the well-placed barbs, but even without that I would have found the book to be an absolute delight.

Deborah de Lille is an opera singer. Just not of the Maria Callas caliber. So she is more than thrilled when her agent secures her a minor role with a small town opera company in Ville d’Aurore, an idyllic looking and sounding setting. The production? Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffman,” a rather spooky opera even in its classical form, but even more so under the direction of Corabelle Swift, the stage director with peculiar ideas on how to make it more contemporary and relevant. When one adds three leading ladies with huge egos, an assorted bunch of cocky males, a suspicious death of a prominent singer, and various creepy incidents to the mix, Debbie certainly has a lot to worry about. Who is out to get her? And more importantly – why?

The “Ding Dong the Diva’s Dead” was a well-paced and utterly charming mystery. Its cast of characters, although large enough to be difficult to keep track of, was extraordinarily charming, even when it came to the villains. The dialogue, the story line, the twists and turns, author’s obvious insider knowledge of all opera related things and her wicked sense of humor kept me turning the pages until I finished reading the story late the same day. My favorite part? It would have to be some of the names. Kopfschlager, Perlmutter, Mannschliesser and Poubelle?  Chapeau, Madame Melodia, and “Brava!” for sure.

I would recommend “Ding Dong the Diva's Dead” to any lover of unpredictable mysteries with a hefty dose of intelligent humor. If this person happens to be an opera lover, even better - but I certainly do not believe love of opera would limit the enjoyment of this clever whodunit.

Ding Dong the Diva’s Dead
Cat Melodia
Camel Press (2011)
ISBN 9781603818070
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (9/11)

That’s Where You’ll Find Me

Finding yourself is an enlightening experience. For Eligh Reese, an eighteen-year-old high school student, and central figure in the new book, “That’s Where You’ll Find Me,” by Simone van Zyl, the need to begin his journey of self-discovery takes on a sudden sense of urgency. It all begins when his mother, who is raising him by herself, is killed in an accident when Eligh is a young boy of just seven years. “She was all I had, I was all she had.” With this bit of background, the reader sets off with Eligh on what proves to be yet another life changing experience in his young life.

Eligh’s quest is actually more about reconnecting with the person his mother had molded and nurtured than about finding himself. After his mother’s death, he knew he had lost his identity, but he just didn’t know how to regain it. The process for doing so is at the core of the story, and the device for implementing that process is a backpacking trek through parts of the U.S. and Europe. As the book’s back cover notes proclaim, along the way, Eligh “experiences hardship, elation, finds friendship, and encounters a host of eclectic characters.” Ultimately, described in what is perhaps the author’s best piece of writing in the book, the epiphany for which Eligh is awaiting occurs.

“That’s Where You’ll Find Me” is told in a chronological, journal format that pleasantly engages the reader all along the way. The author’s writing style is comfortable and conversational. But there is something about Eligh’s character, and the trek itself, that make the story seem not genuine. Eligh and his story have an almost Disney-like quality. He faces no true hardships or real danger. He experiences kindness, (indeed, it seems everyone he encounters is inexplicably kind to him) but he spends too little time in any one place to develop any legitimate friendships. And, the promised cast of eclectic characters is predictable and stereotyped.

Simone van Zyl’s “That’s Where You’ll Find Me” is an easy, pleasant read. And, that’s another thing. Finding yourself is not easy, and often unpleasant, so how can a book about this daunting pursuit be such? Perhaps books are like people; perhaps this book is simply in need of finding itself. I like the way the author writes. I hope her next book is her epiphany.

That’s Where You’ll Find Me
Simone van Zyl
TwentyOne Press (2011)
ISBN 9780620504751
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (9/11)

Gathering the Indigo Maidens

When rare art and book collector Paloma Zubiondo receives a disturbing phone call from a young woman speaking in her native Ecuadorian language, begging to be rescued, her peaceful existence is shattered.  Along with receiving pleas to be saved, Paloma is also accused of being in the possession of a rare stolen painting.  She is told that she can help this girl by giving the artwork back to its rightful owner.  Knowing that she carefully selects what she purchases for her collection, Paloma believes that she is being set up.  In spite of this, she wants to keep the authorities out of it because she doesn’t want any suspicion or doubt cast upon her reputation.

Until this phone call, Paloma has prided herself on living comfortably among her prized possessions.  Unlike most people who just see dollar signs on valuable works of art, Paloma looks at their intrinsic worth.  When she gazes upon her paintings, she is able to experience the feelings that the artists try to convey through their art.  To have someone accuse her of illegally obtaining items that she holds as sacred in her heart is a terrible travesty.

While living in her peaceful world, Paloma has remained aloof from the evils of our society. When this desperate caller tells her that she is being violated, Paloma is introduced to the vile world of the sex trade.  She desperately doesn’t want to be involved with this case, however, she cannot allow herself not to do anything, especially when this young woman reminds her of a treasured family employee from her childhood.

As Paloma seeks information to vindicate herself from the accusations, she also learns more about how young women are being taken from their poor homes with false promises of employment and turned into prostitutes.  She discovers that it is a huge problem that has taken place all over the world throughout history.  Knowing that her own life is in danger, Paloma cannot sit back and do nothing. She has to turn to friends that she can trust for help.

“Gathering the Indigo Maidens” tells an incredible story that incorporates both the beauty and history of Spanish art into a modern story about the evils that come with greed in our society.  The author does an excellent job of taking us to different times in history where we can see that things weren’t much different even going back as far as 1699.  Lack of respect and abuse towards women existed then and still exists today.  By sharing this story, my eyes were opened.

While paintings which depict women don’t suffer physically, they do experience some of the same disrespect that the young women do.  Neither the paintings nor the women are seen as anything more than their monetary worth.  There is no humanity or appreciation for the beauty of both.  The exception to this is in Paloma’s eyes.

“Gathering of the Indigo Maidens” is an exceptionally written story that is guaranteed to hold you captive and stir at your heart strings while you read it.   I highly recommend it, especially for readers who enjoy a mix of history, art and mystery.

Gathering the Indigo Maidens
Cecilia Velastegui
Libros Publishing LLC (2011)
ISBN 9780983745815
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (8/11)

Sleeper’s Run

“Sleeper’s Run” is built on a plot in which the characters have inflated egos and are motivated by greed and the thirst for power. Author Henry Mosquera has created a non-stop action thriller exposing the protagonist Eric Caine to conflict, after conflict, after conflict with only brief respites of resolution. He includes action, romance, deception, and intrigue in this fast-paced international thriller.

Special Forces veteran Eric Caine is found wandering the streets of Miami as a result of a car accident. He has no memory of the details of the accident. As a result of his service in the War on Terror, Eric is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), resulting in a way of life destined to end in self-destruction.

An unexpected timely chance meeting at a bar and the events that follow provide Eric with an opportunity to start on new a new path of life fulfillment. The new job requires that he relocate to Venezuela, the land of his childhood. Eric pours himself into the job, impressing his employers; however, things take a turn for the worse as suspicious incidents signal the threat of something evil. Suddenly Eric finds himself involved in a catastrophic event that threatens the political and economic stability of the country. Eric is forced to clear his name by exposing an elite team of CIA assassins in an international conspiracy.

Mosquera has a broad scope of understanding of international current events; the crime and corruption often found intermingled with political ideologies. He writes intelligently of subjects including: martial arts, self defense weaponry, security systems, internet hacking, and world travel. He introduces interesting aspects regarding paramedic techniques and provides insight into PTSD. All of these areas of expertise are interwoven into his writing.

I was also impressed with Henry Mosquera’s character development. He effectively uses a combination of back story, dialogue, inner dialogue, narrations, and flashback to introduce his main characters. Mosquera carefully combines a protagonist first person narration with sequences where his protagonist is not present. Occasional verb tense changes add interest to specific scenes but triggered insecurity into my own editorial instincts.

“Sleeper’s Run” may be a book that many will find so compelling that they will read it in one sitting. For me, the rapid pace of the action was so intense I had to take breathers, however, I found myself quickly drawn back into the mêlée.  If you like super-heroes, non-stop action, and intrigue and suspense you are destined to become a fan of Henry Mosquera. I am looking forward to reading his next intrigue and adventure novel.

Sleeper’s Run
Henry Mosquera
Oddity Media (2011)
ISBN 9780615505442
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (8/11)

Plan B: 5 Differences That Make a Difference in your Small/Home Business

Times are tough, there is no denying it. Our economy is in shambles, previously solid companies are folding daily, and unemployment is looming on the horizon for many fellow Americans. If you are one of those who have been contemplating a change in their career, and if such change includes a possibility of opening a small business, you could do much worse than invest in the “Plan B: 5 Differences That Make a Difference in your Small/Home Business”. Although a slim volume, “Plan B” contains enough information to enable anybody curious and brave enough to switch, in the author’s words, from “being stuck in a full-time job and a part time life to having a full-time life and a part-time job – living life on your own terms.”

The author, Cesar V. Teague, defines the five basic differences as:

   1. Multiplication vs. Addition,
   2. Success vs. Struggle,
   3. Focus and Flow,
   4. Aligning Opportunities and Goals,
   5. Action Steps for Geometric Gains.

Each of those differences is outlined in a separate chapter, complete with examples, personal stories and truly powerful quotes. While the book is obviously geared towards the novices in the small business field, I am certain that it could also prove useful for those of us who have been working for ourselves for a while already. I have found the content of “Difference 5, the Action Steps for Geometric Gains,” particularly enlightening. The breakdown in the “Identify Your Business Activities” made me look at some of my work practices again, and I was amazed at the difference this made nearly instantly.

The appendix, containing forms and worksheets, should be an invaluable resource as well, particularly for those readers who are just starting to think about a new business venue. Just the business plan outline alone is well worth the price of the book, and some of the tax issues mentioned in the last couple of pages were extremely useful and eye-opening.

I have enjoyed Mr. Teague’s clear and direct writing style, which remained pleasantly conversational, yet precise. I would highly recommend this book to those who are toying with the idea of branching out on their own, as well as any current owners of small or home businesses, since even those already established ones could clearly learn some valuable lessons from “Plan B.”

Plan B: 5 Differences That Make a Difference in your Small/Home Business
Cesar V. Teague
Xlibris (2011)
ISBN 9781465334787
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (8/11)

House of Cards: Dead Men Tell No Tales

A seemingly random murder on Halloween leads Detective Louis Martelli into an elaborate conspiracy that threatens more than just the financial security of the world, as the FBI tries to keep him from learning the truth.

“House of Cards: Dead Men Tell No Tales” has a plot that was ripped from the headlines and then blended together with the colorful characters that were first introduced in “Death by Wall Street: Rampage of the Bulls.” Martelli and his IT assistant, Missy Dugan, are once again using their combined expertise to dig through the lies and uncover the bad guy.

Martelli is probably one of my all-time favorite crime-fiction heroes because he’s a good cop, but he’s not perfect. He’s the type of guy that believes in the law, but he also believes that laws can be bent a little bit if the end result is justice being served. Missy Dugan, his partner in both law and illegal activities, is a feisty counter to Martelli’s gruff demeanor, providing more than one laugh with her verbal sparring against Martelli. She might not be pounding the pavement with Martelli but she’s definitely an essential member of his team.

The plot moves at a steady pace, and Cohen provides plenty of depth and description to the story, allowing the reader to easily get lost within the pages. The machinations of Wall Street and the banking industry play an integral part in the storyline, and I am far from being a Wall Street guru. Fortunately, an in-depth understanding of the industries is not required because Cohen is able to walk a fine line that allows him to provide the necessary information in an easy-to-understand manner without actually talking down to us. The story took a couple of unexpected twists that I didn’t see coming, keeping me thoroughly engrossed in the book as Martelli does what he has to do to uncover the truth. The FBI, depicted as the bane of local police in numerous works of fiction, are up to their old tricks once again, hoping to keep ‘the little people’ in the dark because there’s no way they could understand ‘the big picture.’ The only complaint I have about the story is that Martelli’s partner, Sean O’Keefe, didn’t play a larger role. I understand that Martelli and Dugan are the main characters, and I wouldn’t dream of destroying that chemistry, but O’Keefe often seemed to exist just so Martelli would have someone to talk to. I’m not saying the crime-solving duo needs to be turned into a trio but I think, for future stories, it would be best if O’Keefe either had a beefier role or just went away completely.

If you enjoy the ‘ripped-from-the-headline’ stories of shows like Law & Order, then you should definitely take a ride with Lou Martelli and Missy Dugan. They’ll keep you educated, informed, and entertained all at the same time.

House of Cards: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Theodore J. Cohen
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432779801
Reviewed by Marty Shaw for Reader Views (10/11)

What to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants, Second Edition

I would be willing to bet that the number of consultants and freelancers is increasing nowadays, what with the ever changing job market, huge advances in technology, and our economy being in such dire straits.  While being your own boss definitely has a bunch of advantages, one of the toughest parts of a self-employed individual is certainly the decision on how to properly price any particular project. Most of us learn as we go, usually as a result of several quite costly miscalculations, and with time probably become more able to price things right, but even the very experienced consultants and freelancers could probably use some help in this area.

That’s where “What to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants” by Laurie Lewis comes in. It covers just about every area of the pricing dilemmas that I have ever encountered, documents the different examples with interesting case studies, offers excellent suggestions on pricing methods, record keeping, means and ways of gathering information about jobs and even some legal background, including contracts and letters of agreement.

While it is clear that not every method or suggestion would be applicable to every field, I am certain that every self-employed consultant or freelancer would be able to find truly useful and comprehensive ideas that could be implemented with minimum effort for maximum impact. Two areas that were of particular interest to me were the pricing methods beyond the usual hourly rate and the task-based logs to help one with better estimates of the potential use of time on a certain type of a project. In addition to those two, I also found the chapter on “losing the job” very eye-opening. I have to admit that some of the scenarios in there never crossed my mind before.

When it comes to pricing, all too often we calculate the price at the very beginning, but very seldom we actually take a step back after completing the job and re-evaluate how much have we truly earned, and that’s where more valuable lessons could and should be learned. If you are one of those guilty of such omissions, do yourself a favor and pay particular attention to chapters 11 and 12, which deal with the end-of-job analysis and the year-end analysis. I played with some of my numbers after reading those two chapters, and I am definitely making some considerable changes to my fee structure as well as my choice of clients after taking into consideration the constructive advice by Laurie Lewis.

I found “What to Charge” to be a very useful and detailed guide to evaluation as well as re-assessment of pricing strategies used by those individuals who have to set their own price for the tasks they perform. I would highly recommend it to freelancers and consultants regardless of their field of expertise.

What to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants, Second Edition
Laurie Lewis
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432767648
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (9/11)

101 Reasons to Live

“101 Reasons to Live” by Loretta Faith Harris is an interactive journal designed to help the reader to think about her purpose in life despite the ups and downs of everyday life.  The author states in the beginning, without being specific, that she has had many difficulties in life that she has overcome.  Her desire in life is to help others through tough times, too, and realize their purposes for living through self-reflection.

The reasons are alphabetized, which makes organization streamlined.  There are two pages for writing one can use for each “reason for living.”  The one or two word reasons for living are used in sentences at the bottom of the first page to cause the readers to ponder the meaning for them.  The second journal page has a quote or question related to the reason.  For example, reason to live number 98, “Volunteer.  Volunteering your time is the best way to say, ‘I care.’  How much of your time is dedicated to helping others?”

I think the premise of this book is terrific- learning to rise above adversity by seeking the fulfillment of your destiny no matter what bumps life may give you.   The author’s heart is in the right place.  However, I was very confused throughout much of the book and had to go back and reread the premise and introduction.  The title is “101 Reasons to Live” and many of the reasons just didn’t seem to make sense to me.  For example, reason number 63, “Obey.  Be willing to obey the advice provided throughout life’s journey.  Obedience produces success.”  Whose advice am I to obey?  Friends?  Family?  God?  And what if it’s bad advice?  How does that make “Obey” a reason to live?  Another example is reason 45, “Have joy.  You made it this far.  The least you can do is have joy!  Are you living out each day filled with joy?”  My question is, what if a reader is reading this book because of the title, “101 Reasons to Live” and reads this reason, “Have joy.”  How does a person just “have joy” when they are really in the depths of despair?  That is way too simplistic.

I think that Ms. Harris has positive reasons for living, too, such as reason 91, “Teach” where she makes you question how you can teach someone else a life lesson you have learned (thus, using your own experiences to help others) and reason 94, “Travel” where she asks us to travel outside our comfort zone as we seek meaning for life.

Overall “101 Reasons to Live” causes self-reflection upon the part of the reader to consider what her own reasons for living are.  I love the blank pages in the back that allow the reader to write down these personal reasons.  But titling the book “101 Reasons to Live” is a bit confusing as many reasons don’t seem to answer that question.  I saw the book more as moments of reflection that help to clarify the important things in life.

101 Reasons to Live
Loretta Faith Harris
Children’s Heart Publishing (2011)
ISBN 9780978668174
Reviewed by Marissa Libbit for Reader Views (9/11)