Author: John H Manhold

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Loose Threads

Loose Threads: Cool Assassins in ISBN: 9780994070807 Creator/Distributor: Psignologic Services copyright written by J. O. Quantaman.

This story follows a number of members of the “Cool Assassins Series” – Cool Assassins 1. Hot Wheels: Cool Assassins 2 (in 2019. Soar Down: Cool Assassins 1 & 2 (in 2019)’ with a Cast List of members of the Dog Breakfast Co-op, an organization composed of seemingly well-trained martial arts specialists established to fight underworld organizations such as the Japanese Yakuza; Mishima Security members for the area, and others. The world described is an intergalactic one containing earth, as well as other parts of the all-encompassing universe. The story opens with a young girl, Jenna Marov whose love of adventure and amazing acrobatic ability leads her to a professional life as an aerialist and fearing burn-out, a move to Kuala Lumpur 17 years later. However, the main plot centers on Nyssa Person, a teen enticed into acting but eventually arriving under the control of a powerful Yakuza overlord from whom she escapes with aid from the Dog Breakfast Co-op, which as described above, but also is a well-organized training facility producing assassins loosed upon members of organizations such as the one from which she had been rescued. She joins the Co-op and begins training and continues for several months before earning an R&R trip to the nearby metropolis, TCP, a large city complex, with its residents and/or workers, endless shops and entertainment. Here she becomes involved with several ensuing adventures. In a somewhat unexpected manner, the reader encounters a second plot that one eventually learns involves Nyssa, in ninja-like activity that seemingly occurs a few years later. The tale continues with more varied activity.

Discussion: This is a sci-fi story set in 2073 and years following. It is a tale that no doubt will find readers who are devotees of the genre who will enjoy the tale as long as they understand that sexual innuendo and/or activity, whether intersexual or within the same sex and loose language are basic to the presentation. There also are numerous ‘new’ words for which the author has furnished a glossary. Regrettably, this reader found that although several of the characters were interestingly described, as well as some of the scenes, the action and individuals involved were combined in a quite confusing manner that provided frustrating moments that detracted greatly from any flow of enjoyment.

3* or less for this reader who prefers to enjoy rather than search for clarity.

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Management Practices of Successful CEOs

Management Practices of Successful CEO’S 9781734641417 Desert Haven Publishing copyright and written by James O. Armatas.

This is a Memoir of a Psychological Consultant to Management and consists of the usual dedication, preface, Introduction, The Genesis of Psychological Consultation including Background of Training, the Assessment Procedure and 8 Chapters. Number 1 presents three entrepreneurs; #2, Conglomerates (IBM Corporation and Colt Industries; #3 CEO’s of several Multidivisional Companies; #4, some CEO’s of Legal Monopolies; #5, Service Companies; #6, Restaurants; #7, Manufacturing Companies; #8, Final Comments (a summary – each group having its own pertinent comments); My Memoir; Postscript; Appendix that includes a variety of relatively pertinent material; About the Author” and endnotes.

Discussion: The author’s summary notes at the end of each chapter are quite explicit in some, and either general or selective in nature, of traits of others. He describes some of the entrepreneur’s characteristics as demonstrating dominant control and total commitment to their companies. One employed a conservative approach while another was willing to take bold risks. The third personally raised venture capital, spent it wisely on reduced operations functions/salaries to establish competitive contracts. The conglomerates he declares recognized the need for a tightly controlled central organization with proper status maintenance and system/department heads reporting to the proper superior. Many of the leaders in The Conglomerates exhibited supportive developmental training. With respect to The Legal Monopolies he presents most interesting pictures of AT&T and TWA and the different paths taken as a result of regulatory changes affecting their management. Other CEO’s success depends in large part on their social skills especially in acquiring and maintaining clients. Some had an inordinate ability to monitor and remember details, as a ‘turnaround specialist’, or even by employing a dedicated commitment to self-improvement to his advantage. Still other characteristics exhibited as the bases of their success in their particular field of endeavor was honesty and leadership, instilling integrity to an entire workforce as the basis upon which the entire business functioned, ability to meld all facets of a business into predictable, controllable monopolistic enterprise that generated extreme profits with controllable expense.

He has noticed that most of the characteristics of CEO’s have changed greatly as American business structure similarly has been changing substantially because of, and along with, a huge social revolution toward democratization in American and international institutions, Workers feel they have entitlement to greater job and management involvement. Additionally, technical advancement has been huge and entrepreneurs exist both within and outside working industries. Smart CEO’s keep the organization simple and basic with minimum hierarchy and bureaucracy and don’t lose their entrepreneurial perspective. Generally speaking, successful CEO’s are intelligent, conceptual, competitive and ‘managerial’ but flexible, adaptable and quite socially versatile exhibiting no narcissistic or autocratic tendencies. Some positions call for a greater or lesser amount of some characteristics and the author has presented the apparent differences most helpful for CEO’s to have to be able to be successful in each of the types of industries described.

Amusingly, perhaps, he brings forth the statement so often set forth, but frequently ignored (especially by governmental agencies) – “You can’t run a business, or anything else, on a theory”.

This reviewer also found the short discourse on well-known, non-Freudian psychologists Carl Rodgers (nondirective development of the individual’s ‘self-concept’). Abraham Maslow (humanist a requirement to satisfy an ascending group of needs’, Frederick Herzberg, Douglas McGregor and Kurt Lewin, interestingly pertinent.

Conclusion: The material presented here by the author is quite essential for individuals in, or contemplating entrance to, a position in the areas discussed. It also provides interesting material for any reader with eclectic interests.

5* Must read for participants. Fascinating for other eclectic readers.

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The DAR LUMBRE Chronicles

The Dar Lumbre Chronicles ISBN: 9780692086162 assumed published, copyright and written by Don Johnson.

The author has devised an interesting plot where a highly intelligent geneticist, Dar Lumbre, was about to be arrested by the government for his continued work in the field. Although he had engineered the only viable heart replacement available, one evolving from actual heart tissue. They were concerned about other of his experiments and decided he must be apprehended and kept from continuing. The heavily controlling government was unable to find him in spite of all their efforts. The book opens a hundred years later, where the government has evolved into an all-encompassing power where there were only two political parties that alternated years of control, but regardless, all housing, food allotment and distribution of other necessities were administered by the ruling body. There was a requirement for citizen enrollment in one or the other party with non-registrants considered ‘Outsiders” who were forced to survive the best they could. Trouble begins with the DL-666 heart tissue losing ability to function properly and two extremely intelligent geneticists Craig Hopkins and Annie Lee working for the owner, Cal Tech, are assigned to discover why it is failing. The new laboratory director who was hired to ‘turn the company around’ because it was losing revenue, ultimately dismisses Craig. Because the wife of the government’s President suddenly requires a heart transplant, Craig is rehired and he and Annie continue to make advances in repairing the damage. Numerous other complications arise with a long-existent, but secret, Dar Lumbre Society surfacing and registering the ‘Outcasts’, an overwhelming majority of whom believe that eventually  the missing Dar Lumbar wil reappear  a hundred years after he disappeared while in his late fifties or sixties. Numerous supportive characters add levels of suspense to the tale as it evolves and any further details would be a complete disservice to the prospective reader.

Discussion: a well written, spaced and paced, sci-fi, mystery, thriller with extensive details on genetics presented in a readable fashion.

5* Pleasant, easy to read sci-fi/mystery/thriller involving genetics.

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10-day Diet Detox Diet

10-Day Detox Diet ISBN: 9780316229982 Little, Brown Spark Hachette Book Group, First eBook edition 2014 written by Mark Hyman, M.D,

The author has written this book to set forth his plan to “Activate your Body’s Natural Ability to Burn Fat and Lose Weight Fast”. It provides an Introduction, How to use this book and his plan described in 7 Parts; Resources; Acknowledgements; Discover More Mark Hyman: About the Author; Praise for his book. Of the 7 Parts, # 1 About the Program Our Big Fat Problem contains 3 Chapters – Why are we losing the weight loss battle, Finding food problem, and The Solution: The 10-day Detox Diet; Part II About the Program sets forth # 4 and 5 – How the Program Works and The Two Steps to Detox Success; Part III The Prep Phase has #6 Getting Started; Part IV contains 11 chapters beginning with #7 Your Daily Practices and continuing through Day 10; Part V The Transition Phase contains # 18 After the Detox; Part VI It’s Bigger than Us – chapter 19, explains that getting healthy is a team sport; Part VII The 10-day Detox Meal Plan and Recipes consists of chapters 20 – the Meal Plan and #21 – The Recipes.

The book opens with an invitation that describes a typical woman attempting to maintain her weight but did not realize that many of the foods she was eating actually were producing the opposite effect and that she actually was unknowingly a Type 2 Diabetic. And her problems were not too much food or too little exercise but rather because her manner of eating and living were disrupting her insulin levels. He was able to restore her health simply by following his detoxification program allowing “the magic of biology” to do the rest. He further describes how his six-week plan for preventing, treating, and even reversing diabetes and pre-diabetes described in his previous book “The Blood Sugar Solution” had been proven to be helpful. Now he states that he has “a fast-track plan to shed upwards of ten pounds and radically reboot your entire system in just ten short days.” He is going to “stop your fat-storage hormone in its tracks, cool off the inflammation that contributes to weight gain, and upgrade your detox pathways.” (It will also improve your energy, sleep, mood, chronic problems including joint pain, digestive problem, autoimmune disease, headaches, memory problems and brain fog, sinus and allergy issues, even acne, eczema and psoriasis will get better or disappear). “Your sexual desire and function may even improve.” Why? Because “what makes you sick also makes you fat, and what makes you fat makes you sick” because health is a state of balance and disease imbalance.” The book also includes a test to take before the 10-day diet as a baseline and then after to ascertain the difference.

Part VII, The Meal Plan and Recipes include a Core Plan and Adventure Plan, this latter allows you to experiment, mix and match between as long as you pick all of your meals for any given day from that day’s plans. He also admonishes that you can eat as much as you like of non-starchy vegetables, providing a list of more than fifty.

Discussion: The author probably has written one of the most all-inclusive books on eating to achieve weight loss while correcting a host of other ailments this reviewer ever has read. It is authoritative and presents myriad details of the interrelationship of food and the body’s functional parts as well as a huge number of recipes and their preparation. Additionally he has provided both aspects of the subject in simple terms, easily absorbed by almost any level of intelligence. A truly remarkable book whose only fault is the amount of redundancy and repetition. This is not the least unusual for persons who constantly give lectures and lead discussions to use the repetition/redundancy for emphasis. However, it is annoying for most readers and especially those with any basic knowledge. Knowledgeable editing would greatly enhance reading enjoyment.

4* 5*material; -1* knowledgeable editing to enhance reading pleasure.

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Moments: This to the Next

MOMENTS: This to the Next ISBN 9780986090097 Vista View Publishing Copyright 2010, designed, inclusive of all art work and written by Gary W. Burns.

Subtitled Poetry, “Now and Eternity” is a collection of simplistically produced poems depicting nature’s beauty, time and its passage and love, often expressed in  a minimal selection of words. Some, even appear to be somewhat esoterically directed. A few examples:

     One Love   Morning was asked.

“Morning Do you miss the night?”

Morning’s light Replied

“I’m holding her hand;

Love’s grand.”

       Built

Built, The bridge is crossed.

       Somewhere

Somewhere In the wind

Your name begins

       So Much For Time –

Wherever you are

Whenever then is

Will be now

Summary: This book is the latest of several volumes of poetry created by this well-travelled and apparently well-known individual. They appear to express thoughts based upon his observations of individuals and the intertwining effects of nature and the passage of time has upon their lives and love. For this, and perhaps this reader alone, there is a large degree of disappointment with few memorable ‘takeaways’.

3* Regrettably, as explained.

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MONTAGNARD

MONTAGNARD ISBN 9781734602302 assumed published Copyright and written by D. C. Gilbert.

A JG Cordell Action Thriller consists of a number of intertwined threads of activities engaged in by an assorted number of characters of different nationalities and/or ethnic backgrounds. They include Dish, now somewhere around 70 is of one of the small tribes in the mountains (and known as a group by their name), the Montagnard. He has a Laotian wife whom he saved years ago from a stalking tiger. He was active with the Americans in the resistance to the Viet Cong.  Like many he was disappointed when the Americans moved out after winning the war (which American media had convinced them otherwise). Today he maintains a small guerilla group that still fights the hated communist regime now running Vietnam and the abundant gangs working for vicious drug lords that infest the jungles around the Golden Triangle after Thailand began cracking down on them. One of the worst and most powerful is a former Viet Cong Colonel, a vicious killer who had annihilated every male, female and child of Dish’s village. Ellen Chang, a physician with “Doctors without Borders”, who is the daughter of a Chinese couple who fled to America and survived by establishing a successful restaurant. The first thread followed is Tran’s kidnapping of Ellen. The second thread is when Tran kidnaps Dish’s adopted sister, Mia who had married an American Officer during the war and returned with him to the United States. Recently widowed, she returns to attempt to get Dish to come to America and retire quietly. Mia, of course is the mother of the protagonist, highly decorated, Navy Seal now just retiring after the involved series of activities demanded of him and his group to rescue Ellen. There are a large number of other characters involved in various activities of greater or lesser importance even up to and including the President of the United States. And most importantly, his attack canine Ajax who is a hero par excellence.

Discussion: This story is a thoroughly enjoyable, high octane thriller following the guidelines of the genre that made it so popular. The author, is an army veteran and highly respected Martial Arts specialist, who seemingly has acquired quite extensive knowledge of the area of the world and those involved in this book.

5* Thoroughly enjoyable read for thriller devotees.

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The Covid Legacy

The COVID Legacy assumed published, copyright and written by Lance Haynes,

The book opens with a description of areas of the country/world completely devastated from “The Dying Time’ when large portions of the world’s inhabitants were wiped out by a pandemic viral infection. It then introduces the reader to Brian, the son of Anders and Melissa Thorson and his wife Desta. He was from the northern section of the inhabited world and she was from Ethiopia. They discovered each other via an internet search and were allowed to get married and assigned to a home previously owned by a deceased billionaire near Jackson Hole by the UN Authority who functioned as the regulatory arm of the shadowy but all-powerful Dominus. They had been living here for 15 years and recently had been permitted to have children, or at least, a child. Brian possessed a brilliant mind and performed requested duties for the administrative body. The house assignment and other ‘favors’ signified their importance to the controlling authority. The story evolves as Brian attempts to learn more about his grandfather, Carl. From notes and other mementos of his grandfather he received and/or discovered from his father, he was able to discern the brilliance of the man and his manipulation by the controlling force of Dominus. Also revealed were the fate of his grandmother, existence of an equally brilliant aunt and more. Ultimately, the entire situation in large part designed and developed by his grandfather is addressed by the unexpected appearance of a believed long dead relative who with Brian, and a small cohesive group attempt to somewhat alter it for the good of all.

Discussion: The author has employed the present viral pandemic in a fictional setting that uses a tentative agenda where such an instrument, coldly but efficiently, was set in motion to solve the constantly discussed world problems of overpopulation, intercountry as well as personal greed and scrambling for dominance, cold and hot wars, global warming and the rest. It is a very readable thoughtful but in some ways ‘uncomfortable’, philosophical discussion brought to mind by China’s seeming culpable involvement. The discussion may be a little heavy for some, but coverage as set forth generally is acceptably comprehensible as pertinent to its placement within the story.

4* 5* story, probably -1 for (really required) lengthy philosophical passages.

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Money, Truth & Life

Money, Truth & Life ISBN: 9781734752830 Impact Driven Publishing, Copyright, written by Judy L. Copenbarger, JD, CFP, AIF.

Sub-titled Practical Wisdom to Strengthen Families for Life, the book opens with several Testimonials; an interesting Dedication; Special Thanks to several people. Following are 9 chapters; an Appendix; About the Author and an invitation to Continue Online. The discussion in each chapter is simply presented with an approach and verbalization set forth for the average family and its members. Chapters 1 and 2 discuss some basics of money and other fundamentals; #3, matters of taxation; #4, how to legally protect you, your business and your family; #5, cash flow planning; #6, growth and protection of your assets; #7, use of insurance to reduce financial risks; #8 how to live a life of Integrity; #9, preparing your next step summing up ‘The elements of mastery straightening your “life spokes” (elements explained earlier), Finances and Faith and Creating Your Plan. The Appendix includes in brief, a Spending Plan Template for Families, Additional notes on Laddering, an “Earn, Save, Sell” Exercise; 3 Methods to Pay Credit Cards.

Discussion: This is a most unusual book written by a woman of considerable talent married to an equally, but differently talented man, who has developed a rather unique ability to equate with and explain things in a simple manner understandable by families from any walk of life. The prospective reader acquires a quite definite implication both from the positions held by, and the friendly, personal tone used by, the providers of the opening Testimonials. Specifically that the book will set forth easily read and helpful prose for an audience that unfortunately more usually is overlooked or ignored.

5*  Highly recommended book specifically for targeted audience.

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Boot, A sorta novel of Vietnam

BOOT, A Sorta Novel of Vietnam published, copyright and written by Charles L. Templeton.

Now a Marine Sergeant assigned to the Presidential Helicopter Squadron after completing 150 missions in Vietnam, George Orwell (G. O.) Hill had just completed a flight mission for “one of the many alphabet organizations that crowded Washington, D.C.” He was sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and looking at the Reflective pool while trying to decide “Are you going to look at that damn Wall (Vietnam Memorial) or are you going to di-di (move rapidly) back to Georgetown?” “He squinted into the pool’s reflection. His face was a mask hiding his shadows…. His heart raced and his brain whirred, like a nickelodeon … replaying images from his tour in Vietnam forever camped in his memory. Why would he want to think about that crap anyway? That was then; this is now.” But thoughts came rambling through. His youth and desire to serve as had his father, uncles and grandfathers, his pride reflected in his grandfather’s eyes. But suddenly in the water of the Reflecting pool, he saw the image of a headless North Vietnamese regular. Some creative grunt had pinned a note on his blouse that read, “I just wanted to get ahead in life.” At the time he had lost his lunch. These days he chuckled about the grisly scene.” Such is the reader’s introduction to the ruminations of a man who has lived and experienced the repetitive re-interspersing periods of mind-numbing boredom with those of terror and horrifying activity experienced by any person who ever has participated in combat.

Discussion: Assuming the part of the protagonist, G.O. Hill, the author has examined the highly diversified cultural, religious and racial beliefs existing among the group of Marines involved along with those of the enemy. Additionally, he has injected a perhaps unexpected glimpse of a human tendency that exists even in enemies fighting for survival. His portrayal of characters is most realistically accomplished, the humor included, and the story provides, often unwanted memories for the initiated but is of tremendous educational value for the uninitiated,

5* Educational for the uninitiated; often unwanted recall for participants.

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The COIN

The COIN assumed published, copyright 2013 and written by Maria Elena Alonzo-Sierra.

A prologue finds a man searching an area in the mountains of the Côte d’Azur looking for a stash of coins and records he previously had hidden there. A recent naturally caused upheaval in this section had caused a re-arrangement of the territory that had eliminated any familiarity with its former formation. With intense frustration, he realized that it was impossible to find any remnants of the material he had secretly stashed away. Unexpectedly, a lost tourist stumbles upon him, thinking he had found someone who could help. Instead, he is slowly and cruelly put to death by the intensely frustrated man. The story then opens to follow the subsequent results of Gabriela Martinez discovering an unusually marked coin while hiking in the same area, La Marbriére, a short time later. Gaby, along with her parents, was a refugee brutally forced out of Cuba when Castro moved in. Quite sheltered while a Cuban resident, she now is happily married to her first love whom she met in college, and the mother of two young children who are visiting their grandparents in the United States for the summer. Her husband, Roberto, an innovative designer of new materials, frustrated by not being able to proceed, had been offered a position in Europe, had found a considerable degree of freedom and had extended his assignment. He loved his wife dearly, but with a totally ‘old-fashioned’ mindset that the husband was the bread-winner, and the wife a mother and housekeeper, was completely involved with his work. Simultaneously, Gaby had developed into an artist of tremendous talent and was being mentored by an enormously wealthy and influential man who was readying her for an exhibition of such importance as to launch her into a career that would make her one of the leading artists in the world. Unfortunately he had further designs on making her his mistress. Now, Richard Harrison, a lead member of an American special operations unit, as a courtesy to the Israelis’ request and favor to his boss is in France on vacation but has consented to interview Gabriela with respect to the special coin she had discovered during here trip to the mountain. Richard is a man typical of such operatives – handsome, pleasant and charmingly accommodating, but calculating, coldly uninvolved and with no compunction against killing when necessary. When meeting her, he is startled with the natural warmth and seeming degree of underlying naiveté – qualities he never had, or expected to, encounter in any woman. A set of circumstances develop, where Gabriela is to be introduced to a collection of world art connoisseurs with the latest of her works on the same night Roberto is to sign an important contract providing all he ever has wanted. Complicating the situation further is that Gabriela’s life has been threatened because of the coin that had been found and Richard has become her 24-hour-per-day bodyguard. The interrelationships that develops among these individuals, aided and abetted by an interesting group of supportive characters, develops into a mysterious, thrilling chase and sex-laced romance about which furnishing further details would be a great disservice to the prospective reader.

Discussion: The author has positioned three individuals in situations of almost insurmountable tension production with adequately supplied supportive personnel. The plot providing a thrilling, fast-paced tale and engaging climax. A number of inadequacies or unusual mental activities are difficult to totally accept, but no doubt are a personal consideration arising from this reader’s pragmatism. If noted at all by other readers, probably they will be observed as an unimportant ‘blip’.

5* Fast paced psychologically oriented mystery/thriller/romance.