Reader Views

Why Do We All Love Dr. Seuss?: Discovering the Mystery and Magic of an Icon

Article first published as Book Review: Why Do We All Love Dr. Seuss?: Discovering the Mystery and Magic of an Icon by Lois Einhorn, Ph.D. on Blogcritics.

“Why Do We All Love Dr. Seuss?” by Lois Einhorn, Ph.D., provides an interesting and inspiring perspective to the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss! Dr. Einhorn offers her powerful insight into the magical words of Dr. Seuss. I was impressed with the connections she was able to make. Of course, it all seems obvious once she sheds light on those connections, but I know personally I would have missed out on many Dr. Seuss life lessons had I not read this book.

Some of the topics Dr. Einhorn includes are natural order, interconnectedness, balance, gratitude, respect, action, play and so much more. The chapter about the universe being one circle reminded me of how life is harmonious and whole. Dr. Einhorn says, “A circle has no borders, boundaries, or blocks, no corners, confines, or crevices… In an open circle everyone belongs.” That is powerful for adults and children alike. What comfort that must bring to young children just discovering the world.

Another chapter that spoke to me was chapter 11, “Gratefulness.” This chapter inspired me and reminded me to be truly grateful for my life, including my troubles. Sometimes simplicity carries great power and this chapter’s simple reminder served its purpose.

This book is sprinkled with thought-provoking quotes by interesting people, adding to the tidbits of wisdom throughout this book. My next read will be some of the old Dr. Seuss favorites so I can relive childhood joys with new insight. I will keep Lois Einhorn’s “Why Do We All Love Dr. Seuss?” as a reference for when I need to be reminded of how wonderfully whole our world is!


Why Do We All Love Dr. Seuss?: Discovering the Mystery and Magic of an Icon
Lois Einhorn, Ph.D.
Robert Reed Publishers (2012)
ISBN 9781934759585
Reviewed by Christine Watson for Reader Views (4/12)

Are You in A Pickle?: Lessons Learned Along The Way: Students’ Performance And Achievement Gaps

Article first published as Book Review: Are You in A Pickle?: Lessons Learned Along The Way: Students' Performance And Achievement Gaps by Patricia L. Pickles, Ph.D. on Blogcritics.

Educators serving in many different roles will find this book engaging and useful.  Dr. Patricia L. Pickles has been around the “education block” and offers helpful insights that allow educators to learn from her vast experience.  I found “Are You in A Pickle?” to be helpful in my role as a new private school owner.

Early on in the book, Dr. Pickles shares a few life lessons learned.  While all of them were interesting, I found one to be particularly powerful.  She says “To prepare students for today’s workforce, learning must be relevant.” This is very true because the needs of our society are constantly evolving, and education will also need to evolve to remain relevant.  This one life lesson is the main reason I left public education and started my own school.

Dr. Pickles provides valuable data that shows the reality of education and offers suggestions and advice for improving our current status.  In the book, there is a table showing the kindergarten readiness for different socioeconomic groups, and the importance of learning in the early years.  Dr. Pickles also asks some great thought-provoking questions in the book.  One in particular that struck me was “At the elementary level, are multiple intelligences embraced to determine and identify the unique gifts in young people?”  What are we doing for our students that will help them not only learn the skills necessary for the future, but to support them in strengthening their personal talents and gifts?

Dr. Pickles said, “A manager ensures that things are done right, but a leader does the right thing.”  As a school owner and leader, I found this statement to be one of the most powerful in the book.  She goes on to talk a little about a variety of great leaders in our country and world, and I was incredibly inspired to improve my own leadership skills.

Throughout the book, Dr. Patricia L. Pickles gives heartfelt insight along with facts to make “Are You in A Pickle?” a must read for educators in general, and school leaders in particular.  I plan to keep this book handy as a reference when I need a pick-me-up.


Are You in A Pickle?: Lessons Learned Along The Way: Students’ Performance And Achievement Gaps
Patricia L. Pickles, Ph.D.
AuthorHouse (2012)
ISBN 9781456796587
Reviewed by Christine Watson for Reader Views (3/12)

We’re Eating What?: A Memoir, Recipes, and How-To-Guide from America's Longest-Running Gourmet Group

Article first published as Book Review: We're Eating What?: A Memoir, Recipes, and How-To-Guide from America's Longest-Running Gourmet Group by Shirley Law Jacobus on Blogcritics.

When I picked up Shirley Law Jacobus’ “We’re Eating What?,” I immediately got really intrigued by its subtitle. “A Memoir, Recipes, and How-To-Guide from America’s Longest-Running Gourmet Group” sounded quite ambitious, and definitely interesting. Being quite a foodie myself, and not ashamed of admitting it, I am always curious about the path other people have taken in their discoveries of new culinary delights.

The story Shirley Law Jacobus wove in this book is a fascinating and deeply personal one, dealing with so much more than just the gourmet aspects of the group that was founded nearly 40 years ago. The reader gets to know a diverse cast of characters, most of which remained a constant for the entire time the group has been in existence, and follow them through life’s ups and downs, personal triumphs and tragedies, and all manner of changes. In addition to those stories, the reader is treated to description of dinners, some way more delicious than others, as well as many recipes guaranteed to inspire and rouse curiosity. If this book truly awakens a strong desire to experience something similar, Shirley Law Jacobus also includes a well-thought-out and helpful how-to guide on what to consider if one wishes to establish a similar dining group. Her many decades of experience clearly shine through in that part; I am certain that such a how-to section could prevent a lot of potential problems for any similar group.

The parts that I enjoyed the most were the ones dealing with the actual food, its sourcing and challenges in preparing it – and sometimes eating the less successful results. Possibly the most fascinating part for me was the description of the culinary landscape and the most common foods in the U.S. back in the 1970s, which was vastly different from what we ate in Europe during that same period of time. Such cultural tidbits always intrigue me, and “We’re Eating What?” was jam-packed with them. At the same time I had to chuckle out loud a few times at things such as a “German wienerschnitzel,” imaging the faces of the Viennese if they ever stumbled upon this reference.

While I truly appreciate the memoir portion of this story, particularly in view of courage it had to take to describe all of the tragedies that happened to the author herself as well as the other group members, I simply did not find it particularly interesting, and a lot of those minutiae slowed down the flow of the narrative and made it somewhat tedious to read. I would have preferred more recipes and fewer references to weddings, visits to the emergency room or merits of different types of hair goop.

Overall I found “We’re Eating What?” by Shirley Law Jacobus an enjoyable book, and I would recommend it to anybody who is curious about the culinary adventures in the U.S.


We’re Eating What?: A Memoir, Recipes, and How-To-Guide from America's Longest-Running Gourmet Group
Shirley Law Jacobus
PublishAmerica (2011)
ISBN 9781456075187
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (3/12)

The Drug DUI Handbook

Article first published as Book Review: The Drug DUI Handbook by David N. Jolly on Blogcritics.

Mr. Jolly has written a very comprehensive overview of how the drug DUI process works. It is easy to read and understand. Mr. Jolly is an expert in the field and is a Washington State DUI defense attorney. In addition he has written several other books on the DUI and Drug DUI process.

" The Drug DUI Handbook" covers topics from field sobriety tests and DUI-drug investigations to how they determine results for a variety of popular drugs. One of the interesting sections included the 12-step DRE  (Drug Recognition Experts) protocol. The 12 steps include: breathalyzer; interviewing the arresting officer; preliminary examination and First Pulse. I was really amazed at the thoroughness of this assessment. Some of the drugs that are examined include: simulants; depressants; hallucinogens and narcotics. Another interesting point about the DRE is that it is done behind the scenes and most individuals who have been arrested never see this. This assessment can last up to 45-minutes, depending on the type of drug ingested.

One section I thought he should have expanded more on was investigating individuals over the age 60.  Many of these individuals have medical problems, take medication and because of their age cannot complete the tasks required successfully. Another concern was the author citing lengthy references within the text; it was very distracting when reading. My suggestion would put footnotes and add the footnotes in the back of the book.

“The Drug DUI Handbook”is an excellent resource for those working in the field, or families that have been impacted by a drug DUI. It provides valuable information to use when consulting with legal counsel and education awareness in a Substance Abuse Program. This is one reference when teaching my Advanced Addiction Counseling college class.


The Drug DUI Handbook
David N. Jolly
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432777647
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (1/12)

Discovery of the Grand Unified Theory: The Greatest Discovery of 21st Century Opening the Door to a New World- Essential Reading for All Human Beings, Young and Old

Article first published as Book Review Discovery of the Grand Unified Theory: The Greatest Discovery of 21st by Arkay Nair on Blogcritics

In his new book, “Discovery of the Grand Unified Theory,” chemist and devotee of the pursuit of the Grand Unified Theory, Arkay Nair proclaims that he has discovered the definitive model of the Grand Unified Theory. He further asserts that “All the great scientists of the last century (most notably Albert Einstein) missed out on it because they were traveling on the wrong path searching for it.”

This book is only twenty-nine pages long. The author intends that it serve as a preface for an expanded model on his theory and its potential impact on the world. Take note that this reviewer is admittedly a layman physicist. Grand Unified Theory (GUT) models are very complex. Even the definition of GUT in the Yahoo! Kids Dictionary is complicated, stating that it is “A theory of elementary forces that unites the weak, strong, electromagnetic, and gravitational interactions into one field theory and views the known interactions as low-energy manifestations of a single unified interaction.” No “GUTs for Dummies” has been published!

The book is actually a paper that presents the author’s theory in five discourses, each composed of a short Abstract, expanded Discourse, and reinforcing Summary. The first two discourses challenge current scientific thinking. The third and fourth discourses elaborate on these contrarian ideas, and the fifth introduces Nair’s model and invites readers to react. The author strongly urges reader to read the book straight through, uninterrupted and in the order in which the content is presented. He is equally emphatic about the importance of reading the twenty-nine pages again before noting questions. If the reader still has questions after the second reading, Nair invites them to send their questions to him.

Nair’s hope is that everyone, young and old, reads his book, gains a greater understanding of how his version of the Grand Unified Theory can help solve problems like global warming and energy shortages, and contemplate and incorporate their own version of his theory into their personal philosophy. To his credit, he has effectively dealt with the complexity of this subject in an approachable and straightforward style which seemingly should make this subject more accessible to more readers. Given the numerous new terminology related to his model proposed by the author, a glossary would have been helpful for quick reference.

One issue of some importance to me related to the book is that information about the author was incomplete. For example, his bio indicated that “I worked as a chemist for a few years before emigrating to the United States…I received an MBA from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire in 1985 and spent the next twenty-five years in business.” No specific business sector or industry is mentioned. In the Epilogue, it is stated that the author submitted his paper to the American Physical Society (the second largest professional society for physicists in the world), that refused to publish the paper. No further elaboration is offered.

Overall, I found the book to be engaging and interesting. Arkay Nair’s passion for the pursuit of the true Grand Unified Theory model permeates the twenty-nine pages of his “Discovery of the Grand Unified Theory.” He has the spirit of an explorer. To be sure, this complicated scientific matter will simply be too daunting for some readers to engage. But this citizen scientist enjoyed this introductory exploration.


Discovery of the Grand Unified Theory: The Greatest Discovery of 21st Century Opening the Door to a New World- Essential Reading for All Human Beings, Young and Old
Arkay Nair
AuthorHouse (2011)
ISBN 9781463487317
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (12/11)

Liana Tips: Or More Than Most People Want To Know About Vines, Vine-Like Plants and Other Ramblings, Volume 2 of 2

“Liana Tips: Or More Than Most People Want To Know About Vines, Vine-Like Plants and Other Ramblings, Volume 2 of 2” is the second installment of author Gwen Kirtley Perkins’ extensive knowledge base on the subject of vines and related plants.  Like the first volume, she explores and expounds upon the where’s, when’s, how’s, and why’s of a myriad of different species.  Unlike the first volume, though, she takes on each plant and then delves into the details.  Organized alphabetically by ‘Family,’ she names a plant, then offers what type of stem, flower, fruit, habitat (noted as ‘range’), and miscellany.  For some, she offers colloquial synonyms and for others, she lists common names or generic names.  Throughout the pages, she includes autobiographical stories from her youth and marriage as well as poems, scripture, and quotes.

I found “Liana Tips…Volume 2 of 2” to be much more user-friendly than the first volume.  Being able to go to only one place in the book for information on a vine is much easier than going to several and having to navigate different lists just to get the basic information, which is what the first volume had the reader doing.  However, the headings under each plant weren’t standardized so you didn’t always get the same type of information from one plant that you did for another.  Granted, not all vines have flowers, for example, but lacking that heading under a vine left the reader wondering if it has simply been left out or if the vine didn’t produce flowers.  Having the same headings for each plant, even if the “Flowers” heading would have been followed with ‘none’ would have left no question in the reader’s mind.  I would have also expected the scientific name (in Latin) to be included as one of these headings but it wasn’t.  Further, some of the other headings weren’t self-explanatory so reading a heading like ‘Common and Specific Name’ and then having it followed by ‘Personal’ told me absolutely nothing.  Even with a college-level background in biology and an interest in genetics, I couldn’t grasp what the author was trying to impart.

I think what I found most difficult about this book was its use of random quotes, scripture, and poems, which regularly had no parallel to plants or nature in general.  They may have been favorite passages of the author’s and included as the book also serves as an autobiographic account.  I think the inclusion of these quips would have been much easier to navigate had they been located between species sections instead of in the middle of them.  While some are appropriately placed, there are many that aren’t.  I didn’t like starting to read about a species and then having it interrupted with an unrelated quote or a story, only to return again to the details of that species.  It felt disjointed and hindered the flow of the text.

As I said regarding volume one, Perkins writes with an enthusiastic passion for her vines and for her memories, which made the book charming.  Both “Liana Tips” volumes will serve as beautiful reminders of her love and her life for her beloved family and friends.

Liana Tips: Or More Than Most People Want To Know About Vines, Vine-Like Plants and Other Ramblings, Volume 2 of 2
Gwen Kirtley Perkins, PhD
Wheredepony Press (2011)
ISBN 9780981825243
Reviewed by Vicki Liston for Reader Views (10/11)

Liana Tips: Or More Than Most People Want To Know About Vines, Vine-Like Plants and Other Ramblings, Volume 1 of 2

“Liana Tips: Or More Than Most People Want To Know About Vines, Vine-Line Plants and Other Ramblings, Volume 1 of 2” is a collection of detailed information, drawings, and lists about these fascinating types of plants.  True to her title, author Gwen Kirtley Perkins supplies more than most would ever want to know.  She organizes the plants into different types of habitats, such as ‘watery,’ ‘wet,’ ‘moist,’ ‘dry’ and more and then further breaks down each category into very specific conditions like ‘field edges,, ‘forest edges,’ fence rows,’ etc.  There are also lists of rare vine species, native and introduced ones with regard to ‘invasive’ qualities, toxicity in humans and various animals, folk medicine uses, and an a myriad of other uses.  She continues the book with how to identify stem, leaf, flower, fruits, and other physical characteristics.  The book ends with a list of vines found in the Southeast portion of the United States and the scientific names in Latin.

“Liana Tips” is also an autobiographical account of Perkins’ journey into the world of vines and plants in general.  She speaks often of her childhood and of her marriage.  I had mixed feelings about these digressions.  While it was charming, it took the book off-topic quite often.  Just as an example, the ‘Introduction to this Book’ didn’t start until page 36, much further in than a typical intro section would be expected.  Another potential issue was that it was a mixture of fact-based information with personal opinion or preferences.  Her word ‘liana,’ for instance, is what she uses for ‘vines and vine-like plants.’  She’d come to use this term by discovering the word, ‘lianes’ (pronounced ‘lie-aye’ ns).  “Not particularly liking the harsh sound of that word and wanting a softer one, [she] kept looking.”  She later came upon the Spanish word ‘liana’ but changed its pronunciation to sound ‘more southern sounding.’  With this in mind, I would have a difficult time recommending this book to someone looking for fact-based information on these types of plants.

I did find the information written with a passion indicative of a deep love of the subject.  Obviously, Perkins is an adoring fan, even a bit obsessive, when it comes to these plants.  This gave the book an endearing quality.  There is no doubt that “Liana Tips” will be a treasured account of the 92-year-old author’s various hobbies and interests for her family and friends. 

Liana Tips: Or More Than Most People Want To Know About Vines, Vine-Like Plants and Other Ramblings, Volume 1 of 2
Gwen Kirtley Perkins, PhD
Wheredepony Press (2010)
ISBN 9781981825236
Reviewed by Vicki Liston for Reader Views (10/11)

The Origin of the Baltic and Vedic Languages

Although I speak several languages, I have to admit that my knowledge of the Baltic languages is practically non-existent. During my visits to the Baltic States I’ve always felt considerably lost, since I was not able to understand even the most basic street signs, nor recognize any words. But I have to admit that I never gave much thought to the origins of the Baltic languages, and even if I would have, I would certainly not have sought a parallel with the Vedic languages. Yet the arguments, presented in “The Origins of the Baltic and Vedic Languages,” sounded very persuasive to me.

The author approached the subject through a method of comparative analysis, which involved the study of Dainas, the mytho-poetical verses from Latvia and the Vedic hymns of Rg-veda and Atharva-veda. While the Vedic hymns have been thoroughly researched by a wide range of linguists, the research on the Dainas have been severely limited, and the reasons for that became much clearer to me after reading the chapter on the Latvians, their history and their language.

While the chapters dealing with the similarities and parallelism found in the Dainas and the Vedic hymns were somewhat difficult for me to follow, since I am not an ethnolinguist, I nevertheless found a lot of interesting information in this monograph. I was fascinated by the way information gathered from those ancient texts really opened a window into a life so distant from us. There was great information on the migratory patterns and paths taken by the Indo-Europeans; and even on the social structure, with an emphasis on the fact that the Indo-European social structure was not quite as patriarchal as it was previously thought – and taught.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the author’s conclusion about the Baltic languages being the oldest Indo-European languages in existence, the validity and true worth of the P.I.E. and some of the other deductions, I found the arguments to be well presented, nicely organized and written in a clear, concise and approachable way. While this is not a book that will attract a very wide circle of readers, “The Origin of the Baltic and Vedic Languages”will certainly be of interest to linguists, ethnologists and all those who possess an intensely curious mind.

The Origin of the Baltic and Vedic Languages
Janis Paliepa
AuthorHouse (2011)
ISBN 9781456729028
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (8/11)

Text-tionary: The Ultimate Decoder of Text Abbreviations

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review “Text-tionary” because I'm over fifty; in fact, I’m over sixty.  Texting for me is not in the realm of being easy let alone coming up with abbreviations that make sense.  My first hurdle was to get my thumbs to hit only one little tiny teeny-weeny key at a time.  Then, the next hurdle was to say everything I wanted to say in one short sentence with a bunch of letters, numbers, and symbols.  One thing I found out is that there is no explaining or justifying when it comes to texting.  You say it as it is, and that’s it.

Shirley Slee got my attention right from the beginning with real life stories.  They are a hoot and I can only imagine myself getting into some of the same predicaments.  For example, one woman thought she was texting her husband and said some mushy words only to find her young son texting back with “mom?”  And, then there was a woman who thought LOL meant “lots of love.”  She inappropriately inserted LOL after explaining “it’s cancer.”

For me the best part of the book was the alphabetical list of letters, symbols and numbers.  As I perused the lists, I realized I only knew very few of them; the usual LOL, :-), BF, BFF, IMO, and of course B-day.  Some, like BBQ, have been around a long time and it looks like nobody came up with an alternative for texting.

I can see that I will have to spend a considerable amount of time learning this whole new language BC SFAIK &  IA S2S I CUD B PITB when there is  2M2H. “Text-tionary” isn’t a WOM but an essential extension, like an appendix, to anyone that is just learning to text.  I commend Shirley Slee in presenting us with this very important book.  “Text-tionary: The Ultimate Decoder of Text Abbreviations” is one of those “must-have keeper” books.

Text-tionary: The Ultimate Decoder of Text Abbreviations
Shirley Slee
AuthorHouse (2010)
ISBN 9781452047249
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (5/11)

Henry Ford’s Moving Picture Show: An Investigator’s Guide to the Films Produced by the Ford Motor Company, Volume One, 1914-1920

“Henry Ford’s Moving Picture Show: An Investigator’s Guide to the Films Produced by the Ford Motor Company, Volume One, 1914-1920” by Phillip W. Stewart turned out to be a truly fascinating book. I have to admit that I had no idea that Henry Ford was ever in the movie business at all, and even after hearing about this book, my expectations were not particularly high. Okay, old cars are fascinating, and Ford certainly was a genius, but how many movies about cars could there be?

The Preface and Introduction sections alone piqued my interest greatly. As it turns out, the surviving footage either acquired or produced by Ford Motor Company (FMC) between the years 1914 and 1954 is housed in the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the collection holds approximately 1,800,000 feet of film. The present volume of the “Henry Ford’s Moving Picture Show,” which is Volume 1, covers the 935 titles made between 1914 and 1920, and also seven films, donated to the Ford family by the famous inventor Thomas Alva Edison. Those films are even earlier, dating from 1903, 1905 and 1909.

The book is wonderfully organized. The chapters are organized by year, and within that, by alphabetical order. Each film gets a unique numerical identification, which works great in conjunction with the two indexes at the end of the book, one by title and another by subject. Each entry provides NARA’s catalog card reference number and, if available, its Archival Research Catalog identification number, as well as a description of the film’s contents, its length and whether it had captions or not. I believe that this very detailed and logical organization would make searching for a particular subject easy and intuitive.

And what a vast array of subject those films cover! Sure, there is a plethora of films about automobiles, tractors, ships, trucks, traffic, streetcars and horses, but the fun by no means stops there. National parks, animals, travel destinations around the world – including Cuba!, sports, industries and so much more all make part of this quaint collection. And best of all, many of those films are accessible on the Internet, and Mr. Stewart generously provides instructions on how to go about seeing them there or at NARA.

I found “Henry Ford’s Moving Picture Show: An Investigator’s Guide to the Films Produced by the Ford Motor Company, Volume One, 1914-1920” to be an extraordinarily organized and fascinating glimpse into the early American history, and I would highly recommend it to those who are in need of reference footage for a wide variety of projects.

Henry Ford’s Moving Picture Show: An Investigator’s Guide to the Films Produced by the Ford Motor Company, Volume One, 1914-1920
Phillip W. Stewart
pms press (2011)
ISBN 9780981744476
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (5/11