Reader Views

Seouled Out

Article first published as Book Review: Seouled Out by Andrew Henderson-Henderson on Blogcritics.

Andrew Henderson-Henderson is unique to say the least. His literary style in "Seouled Out" is refreshingly different and extremely funny. The book is a tickler from the intro to the last leaf of this 357-page volume. As a law school graduate, the author admits to being a failure. He admits to flunking the Bar Exam right at the beginning of the book. The reason he tells the reader this little truth about himself is so that the reader will be aware of the loathsome feelings he has for lawyers and law school. He goes on to explain that he was such a success at law school that he had to take a teaching position in South Korea.  His escapades getting the job, traveling to the job and what happens when he gets there are a mix of comedy and tragedy. The horrors of international travel are brought out in vivid detail in his commentary.

Upon his arrival at his designated work area, he is confronted with many challenges - some of which are confusing, to say the least, while others are just plain ridiculous. One of the biggest challenges Andrew Henderson-Henderson has is the language barrier. But as in most countries of the world, he managed to learn the swear words first. His experience with Korea is such a dismal one that he picks up and moves on to Bangkok, Thailand.  What he does there and his escapades in that country are nothing short of hilarious. With the number of bar girls running around it’s a wonder he manages to retain his composure and keep it in his pants; good thing, too, because to hear his narrative one would think they all had HIV. He winds up stuck in Bangkok with promises of money that is owed him but never shows up and so he becomes a street vagrant till his father comes through with money for him to fly home to Idaho.

“Seouled Out” by Andrew Henderson-Henderson is funny and tragic at the same time. There are periods of great sadness along with great humor when you think about everything that happens to this poor guy.  The events that the author describes should not happen to anyone. I gave “Seouled Out” a very solid B on my scale and if it were not for the pages falling out of the book I would have rated it higher. The writing is good and the editing up to par but the quality of the binding leaves a lot to be desired. There is some foul language in the book so I do recommend the book to all adults that appreciate a good funny story.


Seouled Out
Andrew Henderson-Henderson
Lulu Press (2011)
ISBN 9781257868049
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (2/12)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I’ve Lost My Damn Mind: A Manic’s Mood Chart

Article first published as Book Review: Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I've Lost My Damn Mind: A Manic's Mood Chart by Derek Thompson on Blogcritics.

Except for being personally diagnosed, every aspect of my life is touched by people with bipolar disorder. From friends, to family, to my students, it seems like this disorder is more common than most people would think.  Many years ago, before it was well known, a close friend’s mother was diagnosed with it. Her symptoms were severe. When my friend’s sister and nine-year-old son also received the diagnosis, I tried to learn as much as I could about it from her. One thing that always stayed with me was that she said, “Imagine that the rest of the world is crazy and you are the only normal one.” This was what she felt her family members were experiencing.  I always tried to keep this in mind when working with my students who are bipolar.   Reading Derek Thompson’s memoir, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I’ve Lost My Damn Mind: A Manic’s Mood Chart,” about dealing with this disorder was truly a blessing for me because I feel it will help me deal more effectively with my students who have this diagnosis.  The more I can understand about what it is like to experience this, the more effective support that I can provide to them.  Providing the proper support can help have a huge impact on them completing their educational goals.

Organized in blog entries, Derek tells his personal story by organizing the symptoms into sections rather than chronologically.  I felt this idea was incredibly creative and seemed to help the book flow better. I would have expected it to seem disjointed, but since each entry stands alone, it was actually very helpful to do this in this manner.  Organized as a mood chart, he breaks the book down into three sections with differing levels of severity which are reflected by colors of the rainbow. The first section covers depressed, then normal and finally elevated (manic).

I really admired the author for writing in a manner than included a great deal of both insight and humor.  Readers will find themselves captivated by his experiences and the fact that he is able to maintain a sense of humor about all that has happened to him.   The amount of personal information that he shares is also extremely helpful because I felt that by sharing everything, even the embarrassing experiences will help others relate to him, and in turn gain a greater understanding of the experience of being bipolar.

I also think that “Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I’ve Lost My Damn Mind: A Manic’s Mood Chart” will help remove some of the stigma associated with being bipolar. Obviously, it isn’t an easy mental health condition to have to live with; however, reading Derek’s story will help people who don’t have it understand that the ones who do are human beings who deserve compassion and respect for having to ride the rollercoaster that they are on.  I highly recommend this book for people who are diagnosed with it, and for those who deal with those who have it, including both professionals and loved ones.  Derek Thompson’s memoir has had a huge impact on my life, and I really appreciate his willingness to put it all out there.


Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I’ve Lost My Damn Mind: A Manic’s Mood Chart
Derek Thompson
CreateSpace (2012)
ISBN 9781467935234
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/12)

Poop, Butt, Booger & Snot: Poem Jokes You Will Like a Lot

“Poop, Butt, Booger & Snot” by L.W. Lewis is a collection of 89 short, funny and rhyming poems.  The poems are about things like being mean, sisters and brothers, silly names and leopard spots.  One of my favorite poems was “Rover.” It is about Rover who won’t do anything that a normal dog does, but it turns out that Rover is really a cat.  Another favorite was “Why Johnny Missed Church.”  It is about Johnny and all the animals that followed him to church.

Almost every poem has a drawing.  The drawings aren’t very detailed, but they are colorful and cute.

I wish that the author had picked a different title for this book.  Most of the poems aren’t crude or vulgar like the title might make you think.  There are a few poems about boogers and calling people brats, but most of them were silly in a nice kind of a way.  I don’t think that very many parents will buy the book because of the title, and that is too bad.

I would recommend this book to people who like silly poetry or who like to read rhyming things out loud.  “Poop, Butt, Booger & Snot” might inspire some kids to make up silly poems of their own.


Poop, Butt, Booger & Snot: Poem Jokes You Will Like a Lot
L.W. Lewis
Red Pumpkin Press (2011)
ISBN 9780971157224
Reviewed by Evan Weldon (age 9) for Reader Views (3/12)

The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak: A New Orleans Family Memoir

Article first published as Book Review: The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak: A New Orleans Family Memoir by Randy Fertel on Blogcritics.

Randy Fertel’s “The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak” opens with a quintessential New Orleans scene of his mother’s funeral, complete with a second line. Thus he assures the reader that this will be no ordinary family memoir, and also confirms my belief that there is no place like New Orleans on this planet. While those of us familiar with New Orleans will find the scene quite familiar, readers from other places might well shake their heads in disbelief at the scenes of the family dancing to the sounds of the brass band. Well, if they think that is not very believable, I would love to be a fly on the wall a page or two later when they will encounter the scene of the “tomb picnic,” an event so wonderfully weird and outrageous that it managed to slightly shock even the citizens of New Orleans. Yet I can assure you that what Mr. Fertel is writing about is an accurate depiction of the fantastic gumbo pot of Louisiana, and more specifically its grande dame, New Orleans. He had the great fortune, as well as the great misfortune, to have two extremely colorful characters for his parents, and his family memoir will take the reader on a truly magical tour of this unique place, as well as on a number of extremely bitter side trips into his family’s past and his own experiences of growing up in a totally dysfunctional world.

I have enjoyed Mr. Fertel’s storytelling enormously, and I found myself laughing out loud more than I expected I would, despite the pervasive discomfort I felt every time he lamented the chasm between his parents and himself. It was clear that some wounds could and would never heal. The narrative went from fast-paced and very engaging in many chapters to some that held preciously little interest to me, and those seemed to drag quite a bit, yet the overall sense of time and place Mr. Fertel invoked were such that I kept wanting to know more. In many ways I think the recipe for crawfish bisque, which he graciously provided midway through the book, illustrated both the book and story within quite well. See, this recipe starts with 40 pounds of crawfish. And yes, one is supposed to shell them and clean the heads for stuffing. So much work, yet so delicious – and this was exactly how I felt about Randy Fertel’s “The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak.” Just like the bisque is worth every minute of time invested in it as well as any calorie consumed, this book is well worth your time, as long as you can keep in mind that it is not an impartial biography of two extraordinary people, but rather a deeply personal memoir of their child.

I would highly recommend “The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak” to anybody who has ever been intrigued by New Orleans, and particularly to those who have had the great luck to experience the original steakhouse, before it was sold to the corporate investors. Hilariously funny, poignantly sad, and uniquely New Orleans, this is a welcome addition to the books about my favorite place on Earth.


The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak: A New Orleans Family Memoir
Randy Fertel
University Press of Mississippi (2011)
ISBN 9781617030826
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (1/12)

Blacklisted from the PTA

Let’s face it- most women want to be the perfect mom, have perfect kids and no stress. Unfortunately, for many of us in the real world, this is just a far, far away dream. We have kids!

In several stories, the author has been able to capture those wonderful moments when, as a parent, you want to run away or stand up to those so-called perfect moms who give you the “evil eye.”  For those of us like Ms. Davidson, we dance to a different drummer. When we think things are going well, a crisis jumps up and bites us and then we are on a downward spiral.

I could honestly feel like Ms. Davidson lived in my house when my kids were growing up and now I watch my granddaughter follow the same pattern. She is funny, honest, and inspirational. Her insight and thoughts are so well tuned.

Many of us didn’t grow up with the technology that kids have today and the author tells how she would never give in to that for her kids- guess what?  Readers will laugh, cry and say “Oh, that’s not me.” Right!

“Blacklisted from the PTA” is a great lighthearted book to read and reminisce about different times and just trying to be the best parent you can. I’m still looking for the award for “Mother of the Year,” are you?


Blacklisted from the PTA
Lela Davison
Jupiter Press (2011)
ISBN 9781936214433
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (9/11)

Just Like That!: How to Get Anything You Want

There are so many self help books out on the market, many of which reiterate the same information. While some of us may need to read the same stuff over and over again, I have to admit that it is incredibly refreshing to get my hands on a book that I truly feel might be the only self help book that anyone could ever possibly need. As you might guess, I am referring to “Just Like That!: How to Get Anything You Want!
          
I found “Just Like That!” to be intelligently written in a way that is easy to understand.  At the beginning of the book, the author helps you to discover who you really are and then discusses the importance of loving yourself.  Next she breaks the book down into six sections. Each section is organized into chapters that cover specific topics. At the end of each chapter are a summary of the main points and exercises to help guide you through the area being discussed.

“Just Like That!” is written in an empowering and motivating way. Instead of feeling tired after reading some incredibly thought-provoking material, I felt inspired to get started with working towards making my life even more extraordinary. One of the areas where I found the most inspiration was with how the author handled potentially negative subjects about certain behaviors, such as people who feel a need to surround themselves with an excessive amount of materialistic items. Instead of teaching about this with a negative voice, the author writes in a manner that is informative, yet non-judgmental to help explain why people, including ourselves might engage in this behavior.            
          
“Just Like That!” covers so many topics that it would be too numerous to mention all of my “Ah ha” moments.  But I can say that there were many that helped me to better understand my behaviors and thought patterns, and those of others. In looking at how and why other people might act like they do, it helped me to feel more compassion towards them.  I also learned a lot about not getting sucked in to other people’s issues or letting them control me with their negativity or letting myself get sucked into helping them when it might not be in my best interest or theirs.  The main points and exercises at the end of the chapter provide perfect tools for journaling these lessons.  I highly recommend “Just Like That!” for both individuals and self-help groups.

Just Like That!: How to Get Anything You Want
Janet Poole
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781439280607
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (10/11)

Growing Up Snook (eBook)

Author David Snook explains his motivation for writing his book, “Growing Up Snook,” in the same simple, unaffected way he writes his book. “I have a life full of stories that need to be written down so that my children and grandchildren do not forget them.” And indeed, his ten siblings and adult family members provided him with a treasure trove of delightful and poignant stories of growing up. To be sure, a great many people have whimsically considered writing such a book for the same reason, but “Growing Up Snook” is a serious proposition. The author writes in a genuinely warm and friendly manner that graciously compels the reader to want to get to know more about Snook and his childhood. The timeless and universal themes of this collection of short stories provide a spontaneous connection to our own memories of being a child.

“Growing Up Snook” touches down at various points in the author’s life from age six to high school graduation. I was strongly attracted to the stories of his early years. A favorite for me is “The Wounded Soldier,” a wonderful childlike remembrance of finding a much wished for cherished gift under the tree on Christmas morning. It was a most amazing robot, in part, because its right arm fell off as soon as David removed it from its box. Snook’s recollection of how his young childlike thought process coped with the calamity is at once both humorous and touching.

Snook’s telling of the story of one especially memorable Halloween captures all of the richness of holidays and special occasions that touch children’s hearts and minds. “I got my Superman duds before all those pesky safety codes concerning Halloween costumes went into effect. My plastic mask must have been made from some type of industrial waste...the fumes caused my face to sweat and after some time, would give me headaches. It was either that, or the rubber band which held the toxic dump mask firmly to my face and thus shut off the flow of blood to my brain.”

In the category of “story of every family,” every reader who grew up in a large family will find humor in “The Winter of Our Discontent.” The situation is universal! “In my house, the ‘perfect storm’ hit in the winter of 1983...it was a collision of intestinal flu and eight family members living at home and only one bathroom.” The last two stories, “Old and Wise,” and “In Defiance” (of time) poignantly remind us that “time catches up, even when you are a teenager.”

“Growing Up Snook” is just that, told in a delightful, heart warming way. “They are events from my life life as best as I can remember them.” David Snook’s writing style is reminiscent of Jean Shepherd, the author of the collection of short stories on which the now classic movie “A Christmas Story” was based. If you like Ralphie, you’ll like David Snook and his stories!

Growing Up Snook (eBook)
David Snook
David Snook/Smashwords (2011)
ISBN 9780983689508
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (8/11)

Padman: A Dad’s Guide to Buying...Those and Other Tales (eBook)

As a young man just out of high school, author Mark Elswick experienced a devastating traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a car accident. Although doctors wrote him off, he beat the odds, and not only regained his life, he discovered a single act that is critical to the recovery process for both patients and caregivers. This is a giving back book for Elswick on more than one level. He is donating a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of each book to support TBI research. But, his kindest gift, given to all who will read “Padman: A Dad’s Guide to Buying...Those and Other Tales” is the book’s collection of humorous short stories. Elswick writes in his preface that he hopes to “...entertain you with humorous stories taken from my life, but also to sprinkle in some more serious stories about my traumatic brain injury incident and other survivor stories.” His aim is true; he hits the mark!

While the book targets multiple audiences, the short stories will especially entertain the diverse reader population that can relate to a single parent, in this case the author, living the challenges of raising his daughter. Elswick also hopes his personal stories will provide much needed stress relief and an emotional pit stop for daily caregivers. There are many amusing books, blogs and articles out there chronicling the “Dad raises daughter” scenario. What creates point of difference for this book is Elswick himself and his stream of consciousness writing style. Elswick is quaintly macho - a source of humor in itself, and his story telling is based almost entirely on a streaming dialog in his mind, in which he encourages the reader to join. Among the stories included just for amusement and laughs, I laughed out loud at “Red Flags of Age, Frogger Shopping, Newborn to Dad: No Multi-Tasking and In Front of Me? (‘Listen punk! If you ever kiss my daughter again, there will be consequences that you won't like.’)” 

The stories which explore various aspects of TBI are sprinkled in, as directed by Elswick. The design is seamless, a result of the author’s clearly established persona, giving the reader a feeling that they are having a relaxed, informal conversation with the author. Among the best examples of these stories is “Little Brooke: A TBI Story ALL Parents Need to Read.” In fact, Brooke’s story will be compelling for anyone who reads it because it awakens the realization that on any given day, anyone could be affected by TBI. This is the story that is most likely to stimulate a greater interest learning more about the brain and the buzz around TBI. And it that regard, Elswick hits the bull’s eye again.
 
I like Mark Elswick’s book a lot. My own personal commitment to being of good humor every day is buoyed by these stories. And, I understand that we are not likely to care deeply about a problem like TBI unless we are familiar with it.  Elswick’s book compels me to care; to contemplate how I would cope if TBI affected me or someone I loved some day; how I can help those affected now? As Elswick notes, “Learning about traumatic brain injuries can, and does, have that big an influence on one’s thinking.”

So, as of this writing, I am officially announcing my own support for Mark Elswick, the writer who won his own battle with TBI and is now giving back of himself to those who are continuing or just beginning theirs. “Padman: A Dad’s Guide to Buying...Those and Other Tales”offers an “edutaining” read on a subject that is anything but humorous. And it underscores the importance of embracing now the devastation of TBI among the general public, as well as in the face of our affected troops returning home. In the opening paragraph of this review, I mentioned that during his own experience, the author discovered a single act that is critical to the recovery process in general. As the patients and caregivers echo in their stories, that act is support. I highly recommend you begin giving yours by reading the book. 

Padman: A Dad’s Guide to Buying...Those and Other Tales (eBook)
Mark Elswick
Modern History Press (2011)
ISBN 9781615999026
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (8/11)

Cure Your Democracy: The Infection, Spread and Treatment of Contagious Opinions

Mr. John Cooker has written "Cure Your Democracy: The Infection, Spread and Treatment of Contagious Opinions" to explain the serious diseases that have inflicted the American people; diseases that until now, had never been discovered. Cooker has been able to identify and classify them and has discovered a remarkable cure for them. The FDA has not approved this miraculous cure but the author swears that it worked in seventy-five percent of the cases. These highly contagious viruses, Democratitus and Democratosis, have spread to epidemic proportions lately and Mr. Cooker’s book explains the reasons why.

His presentation is an acute infliction of humor, aimed at the most basic of American beliefs, Democracy. From contaminated buildings to conspiracy theories and everything in between, the author finds these viruses almost everywhere and in everyone. They have no barriers and can be found in Liberals and Conservatives alike. They lie dormant in places like the Capital till something awakens them.

Later in the book Mr. Cooker includes an “Allergy Test” that the reader can take to find out if they have the virus. In the two-part test are some interesting questions that ask your reaction to different things and your feelings on such things as “Ivy League colleges, Sushi, Unions and the NRA," just to name a few.

 Your Democracy" continues to fester, sprouting insights like the history of the viruses and an aggressive prognosis of treatment. The treatment explained sounds much like that of the AA program; it has twelve steps. Some of the other cures have to do with rituals and old methods from history such as dueling.

I had fun reading this humorous 264-page report on such wide spread, but yet not well known, viruses. It kept me reading and I found it hard to put down at night. Well written, it is a general audience, G-rated book that will appeal to everyone. I gave it a well-deserved B and decided that I’d better take the cure because I too, am infected.

Cure Your Democracy: The Infection, Spread and Treatment of Contagious Opinions
John Cooker, MRI
Spin Doctor Press (2011)
ISBN 9780983572404
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (7/11)

Stilettos No More. . .and Other Delinquent Thoughts

When I began reading “Stilettos No More,” I was interested in learning what the author Diana Estill’s take is on what happens to women as we age.  Since I am only, ahem, 43, I didn’t expect to be experiencing too many of the “symptoms” yet. Boy was I wrong.  I guess the title should have clued me in.  No, I do not have stilettos anymore.  I gave them away to a friend who is still in her twenties and has no problems with wearing them all day at work.  I don’t think that I could ever do that. I didn’t think that giving up on those shoes was an ageism issue.  I was injured in a car accident.  From that injury I discovered that I have accelerated arthritis for a woman “my age.”  But since it was considered accelerated, I assumed that it had more to do with twenty plus years of karate. I guess not.
          
As I continued to read on, I kept finding myself thinking, “That’s me too!”  I guess I don’t have to wait until I hit nifty-fifty to start feeling it now.  Unlike the author, I haven’t been offered a senior plate special yet; however, I am getting flyers from The Scooter Store in the mail.  It’s coming.  I have also discovered the errant hairs that seem to pop up from nowhere. Why didn’t anybody ever tell me about those?  I’ve learned more about hair issues from reading “Stilettos No More,” than from reading any beauty magazine.  It definitely isn’t pretty! By the way, the Epilady hair removers work great on removing toe hair without slicing up your feet.  Not that I would be speaking from experience.

Ms. Estill mentions body slimmers a few times.  She also talks about how our bladders seem to fill up faster as we age.  I don’t wear the body slimmers because of the pressure that it puts on my bladder!   So she has one up on me.  Her discussions about how our bodies change are absolutely hysterical and right on the mark.  Once again, I know what I have to look forward to.

“Stilettos No More” seems to cover every topic that a woman will face as she hits her middle ages.  From looks, to cooking, to shopping, to relationships, this book has it all.  Being that it is just sixty pages, you would assume that it would be a fast read, but it is not.  I spent way too much time laughing and being grateful that I don’t have a weak bladder.  As I read, it occurred to me that I might be getting more laugh lines, from laughing so hard.  Then I pondered how many calories one might burn while laughing heartily.  I think it is a fair trade.  I can’t remember ever reading anything so entertaining in my life.  Trust me I have done a lot of reading.  I highly, highly recommend reading “Stilettos No More.” I also suggest giving it as a gift to every woman that you know.

Stilettos No More. . .and Other Delinquent Thoughts
Diana Estill
Kindle Edition (2010)
ASIN B004D9FW0W
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (12/10)