Author: John H Manhold

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Nachash’s narrative

NACHASH’S NARRATIVE ISBN: 9781733957106 Seacoast Press, a novel copyright and written by Volker G. Fremuth.

The story begins with DC Metropolitan Police Officer Leroy (Roy) MacRay patrolling his beat when he finds a young woman on the ground violently coughing copious amounts of blood and struggling for breath. She does not respond to his chest compressions and is pronounced dead by ambulance personnel upon arrival. They inform him that they will take her to “our medical examiner” rather than the usual “the medical examiner”. This simple phrase causes a question in his mind and initiates a tale describing terrorist activity among the population of the city along with betrayal, deceit, treachery and misplaced trust reaching the highest levels of government along with relentless activity by rabblerousing fear mongers aided and abetted by a biased media. Roy, along with long-time buddies in the FBI and CIA and Rebecca (Becky) Glendale, a young and very talented Investigative reporter attempt to unravel the complicated situation only to be most seriously affected, as are the inhabitants of Mac’s beat in a depressed area of the city in which he is its most respected and liked figure of authority.

Discussion: In fictional form, the author has set forth a stunning portrayal of activities that do not seem too far removed from a situation that could easily develop in the United States in its present state of disarray. It is conjecturally informative and tremendously thought provoking. Much of the action is thriller-like and the descriptions of characters and their thought and action patterns most creditable. Some of the descriptive material at times makes for sections of heavy reading but really are quite pertinent to the overall theme. Thus, after a considerable amount of thought, I believe I can add little to what has been said in introductory material in the book itself. The author dedicates the book “To the men and women of law enforcement, though peril is your kin May you combat the demons before you, and cope with those within. Be wary of the demons behind you, their contempt is set afire. They’re lurking in the shadows, with Nachash they conspire.” A Forward follows from a man who is attempting to ‘do something’ “about the decline of our country”. He states “This book reflects many years of close observation and deep consideration of our nation’s trajectory …… From top to bottom, our society is vulnerable, and Volker captures the threat to our nation in a novel that ranges from the White House to the poorest urban block.” And the author’s Epilogue provides a final note of interpretation of the ancient Hebrew presentation of Eve, the snake and the Garden of Eden. This is a book you will remember and ponder long after reading the last line.

5* A book you will remember as the unrest within the country escalates.

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In Search of Natural Support for Diabetes Well-Being

In Search of Natural Support for Diabetes Wellbeing ISBN: 1950336043 The Books Factory copyright and written by John F. Burd, PhD.

Subtitled “The Discovery of Lysulin” the book contains 15 chapters, a Conclusion, an Appendix containing four impressive studies of the effectiveness of this new substance in treating the cause of Diabetes, several Testimonials and “About the Author”. Included are an explanation of Diabetes, Obesity & Heart Disease; the Misinformation Campaign on Diabetes; the Culprit: Glucose Toxicity; the Symptoms and Complications of Type 2 Diabetes; the Discovery of Lysulin; the Unfavorable view of Natural Supplements; the Politics of Food, Science and Diabetes; Putting Lysulin to the Test; Diabetes Drugs and Advertising; Metformin and Insulin; comparison of Effectiveness of Lysulin to Big Pharma’s Drugs; the Fundamentally Misguided approach to Medical Education; Where do we go from here? And the concluding chapter summarizing and amalgamating all of the material provided within the individual chapters.

Discussion: The author is an entrepreneur with an impressive record of successes in discovery, use and/or advancement of worthwhile biochemical elements. The thrust of presentation is obvious from the chapter contents. There is a certain amount of repetition and redundancy. However, the overall impression is highly favorable in that the activities of the pharmaceutical industry are well known and now under investigation, the gullibility of consumers obvious and the prevalent lack of attention to nutrition in medical and dental education shamefully apparent. The reasons advanced by the professions for these missing educational inclusions are just as inexcusable as the probable influential feature suggested by the author. Further, the missing instruction is a sad commentary (along with much that is occurring in these schools today) because, from personal experience, nutritional lectures still were a large part of instruction sixty – eighty years ago.

5* Highly recommended for ALL readers.

(Note – search for title may be easier using sub-title – it’s shorter)

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How to Calm Down

A Guide on how to CALM DOWN ISBN: 9781951028107 Absolute Author Publishing copyright and written by C. J. Kruse.  (Possibly Caleb Kruse to download.)

The book’s title also admonishes one to do “Quickly Effectively before you do or say something stupid.” The format is a presentation of 14 individual chapters and a conclusion that take the reader from an explanation and discussion of “what it means to be worked up” through various causes leading up to the condition followed by proposal of numerous mental and physical activities to rectify the situation. Much emphasis is placed on introspection and self-analysis in evaluating the factors most effective for your individual case and decisions which must be made with respect to how best to employ them for their greatest effect.

Discussion: The author states that he is “a father, husband, musician and writer of self-help books, and Christian non-fiction books”. His style is laid back and unaffected, occasionally humorous, thus a manner of presentation that can be quite effective, especially with his re-emphasis on certain features. Additionally, individual helpful lists are provided. In summary, this is a self-help book that should appeal to a sizeable group of readers.

5*A self-help book that should appeal to a sizeable number of readers.

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Health Wealth For You 11 Steps to save you money

Health-Wealth for You ISBN: 9781642250817, Advantage Media Group, copyright and written by Josh Luke.

This volume, sub-titled “11 Steps to save Big & Live Healthy”, opens with a pertinent Preface, and is followed by three Parts. Part I, “Healthcare in America: Where Capitalism went Wrong” that contains 4 chapters – The affordability crisis, A culture of greed; A system broken beyond repair; and Millennial Culture meets Healthcare: Keeping Patients Healthy and at Home. Part II, “Ownership of Healthcare Decisions and Spending’ contains 2 short chapters, #5 explaining that “Americans Must Become EHC’s – Engaged Healthcare Consumers”; #6 “Creating a Health-Wealth Family Culture”. Part III; “11 Steps to Save Big and Live Healthy”, sets forth and describes in detail individual strategies to accomplish these goals. These include such actions as: “Enroll in an alternative Insurance Model”; “Engage in Integrative and Functional Medicine Approaches”; “Full Genome Sequencing and DNA Testing”; “Participate in Local Tourism” and more. A Conclusion follows along with a “3P Plan to Personal Health-Wealth: Personal Health-Wealth Plan”; a short reiteration of the “11 Steps to Save Big and Live Healthy”; a “Health-Wealth Personal Loss Assessment Sample” and a “Wealth Certified Partners” – a list of 24 references the author suggests to be worthwhile reading.

Discussion: The first part of the book is simply a shortened version of much of his book “Ex-Acute” and repeated in “Health-Wealth for You: 9 Steps to Financial Recovery”. This latter purportedly was directed more specifically to members of the business sector. However, at least to this reviewer, the direction appeared to be directed at least equally to the consumer. Regardless, from my perspective, if you have read this second book and understood the implications, there is little new for you in this author’s third book. I had highly recommended the volume with a necessary caveat included. IF however, you did NOT understand the material I strongly recommend that you read and absorb the suggestions set forth here in Part III because, with his stated desire to present this volume specifically for the consumer, he has provided quite extensive discussion of each individual suggestion that should answer most questions the average reader could have. As a pertinent aside, I might suggest for readers in the US, as I did for my review of the author’s last book (similarly noted by other readers) that one should not be ‘sidetracked’ by references made by the author that conjure up political overtones. Instead concentrate on the really helpful suggestions offered by the main theme. The author has prescribed a most viable and helpful way to face the burgeoning health costs everyone experiences.

3* 5* for those as described; at least -2* for reasons presented.

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Roadhouse Rendezvous

Roadhouse Rendezvous ISBN: 9781515162094 Creative Space Independent Publishing, First printing 2015. Copyright and written by Hal Savage,

The author has put together ten rather unusual stories, two labeled as novellas. The first, entitled “The Woman across the Hall” is one of misinterpretation of body language while most of the others deal with some form of mystery, crime and/or detection with also a missing persons, a sick practical joke tale and one of revenge.

Discussion: From this reader’s point of view the collection is unique in that the stories are rather unusual with some dark turns that lead to somewhat unexpected endings. The 4th, 5th and 10th are perhaps the best detective stories and the 9th is as labeled “One Dumb Stunt”, but to reiterate, all terminate unusually and several strain credibility to a degree.

4* A collection of unusual stories.

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Africa Rise and Shine

AFRICA Rise and Shine ISBN: 9781945533408 ForbesBooks, copyright and written by Jim Ovia.

This book consists of 30 intensely interesting chapters, notes about the Jim Ovia Foundation Programs and Resources, 2 Appendices and a list of most worthwhile “Recommendations for Further Reading”. It is the story of a young Nigerian boy who lost his father at a very early age but who, through the foresight of a struggling mother and help from an older brother, managed not only to finish his schooling but extend it far beyond. As a result and in true entrepreneurial style, he established a bank with its first office actually in part of a duplex apartment house. From these humble beginnings, it grew to be the leading bank in Nigeria with assets of more than 16 billion. But beyond this, he initiated an internet service where none existed, established a telephone service to replace a poorly functioning government run facility, constructed a new highway leading to his bank, and established numerous other national and international relationships of great worth not only of great value to his bank but to his country as well. A country incidentally that is the largest in the entire African nation.

Discussion: In actuality, there is little more that can be said about this highly intelligent and motivated man. He has exhibited all of the traits of an entrepreneur, but has slanted them in a rarely seen altruistic manner. Additionally, it provides a completely different picture of Africa, than more usually is set forth. Thus, this book not only is highly recommended, but in a manner this reviewer seldom employs. It is one which a reader cannot afford NOT to read.

5*+ A MUST READ!

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APEX

APEX, A Max Algren novel ISBN: 9781543966428 Design and Production by Book Baby. Copyright and written by Ryan W. Aslesen.

Max Alegren, a former Special Forces, CIA, and now private operative is still attempting to avenge the death of his family but requires another name for his ‘hit list’. Congressman, former General Marklin, for whom he works sporadically, has such a name but will not provide it until Max has accomplished a seek and extract operation for a senator’s son who has disappeared. He encounters a rather weird young woman reporter who is interested in the situation and manages to be helpful enough to join him. Together they deduce where the young budding geneticist is probably being held. It is an island in the infamous “Devil’s Island” group owned by the French Government. Indications are that it also is under control of a dangerous geneticist who has escaped other missions to apprehend him. The French closely guard all evidence of the island’s existence which is rumored to house dinosaur-like creatures and even more vague tales of a hunting area where humans can be hunted for a million/day. Max assembles his team from former acquaintances and the story proceeds at break-neck speed, with only an occasional ‘break’ to provide pertinent material.

Discussion: The author is a former Marine officer and now security consultant as well as “a bestselling writer of military science fiction that is both authentic and replete with intense action and suspense”. This volume is another in the same pattern. The only regrettably negative aspect, and possibly from this reader’s overly developed pragmatic perspective, is a degree of discomfort mostly with parts of the action and the realities of weaponry, its supply, usage and results which in this volume seem to have moved, unfortunately, into the realm of difficulty with respect to credibility. But to reiterate, this could be as a result of many years spent in very practical activity.

3* Most enjoyable but providing an unfortunate personal impression as explained.

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Life Unleashed

Life Unleashed, The quiet evolution. Published, copyright by Surging Life, written by Stephan Frost.

This little volume presents “4 Incredibly Simple Techniques That Expand Your Mindpower Exponentially And Transform Your Ability To Manifest The Life You Desire.” The techniques specifically are listed late in the book: “1) Reframing – Shifting Your Focus. II) Zen meditation – Empowering Emptiness. III) Ho’oponopono – Cleansing Your Life. IV) Visualization.” Leading up to the listing of these steps are a large number of individually listed explanations of how one uses them to help “you change your life and become empowered, your altered state enhances the world around you. And that is a beautiful thing.” The presentation begins with a Prologue to this “Life Changing Empowerment” and an Introduction presenting “The First Steps to Unleashing Your Mind” and gradually progresses with the explanations and suggestions through to an “Epilogue and Mathematical Proof to Drive You Forward.”

Discussion: The basic theme of this book purports to explain the importance of reaching a point of ‘mental emptiness’ that provides the ideal place to begin to implant seeds that will mature to fruition as your greatest desires. Meditation is suggested as the most effective way of achieving this state. One particular school of Zen is believed to be best when combined with Ho’oponopono, a Hawaiian version of meditation. The message delivered by the author is a powerfully and repetitively expressed call for development of absolute positive thinking, as well as at least some level of dedication on the part of the participant – the greater the amount, the greater the results. This material should be highly motivational for any reader who requires such a stimulus. Regrettably however, a reader gains the impression that implementing the procedures by ‘self-help’ alone, would be quite difficult. Thus, a mentor’s close attendance in managing the techniques set forth would be almost mandatory. As a perhaps unnecessary aside, readers for whom a certain level of proper verbal presentation is expected (e.g. sentence and paragraph construction and similar), occasionally may be somewhat annoyed while reading the book.

3* 4* for strong endorsement of positive thinking; -1 for self-help restrictions.

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Haliden’s Fire

Haliden’s Fire, A Pine Tree Book, published, copyright and written by Christopher R. Sendrowski.

The plot is centered in a time of the past in a land comprised of nine kingdoms with Circle and Tritan the governing houses. The protagonist is a particularly famous artist who has returned home while fleeing from a conflagration that is engulfing the entire collection of kingdoms. It is being accepted as the will of the gods by a cult of ‘Firestarters” who aid and abet the carnage. To act as a carrier of the entire town’s important documents, he becomes a “runner’ for them in the hope of reaching a safe place and must dispose of all of his wealth and most of his pictures to join the masses fleeing before the rapidly moving flames. He is assailed by constant thoughts of the wife he lost by neglect through his incessant need to paint, although during his flight he does experience some happiness with his very first love, whom he again encounters and also loses. The flight takes him through numerous most unappealing and perhaps even revolting, situations and places during which he is under constant threat and actual attacks by others in flight, as well as by horrendous beasts. The story eventually reaches an unpredictable but logical finale.

Discussion: Basically this book is a dark fantasy thriller and has been very well received by several reviewers and they have provided their reasons. Contrarily and most regrettably, this reviewer is far from being in accord. Although I can appreciate and enjoy selections from among fantasy tales, this one impressed me rather negatively as repetitive activity on the same theme with the only differences being in slightly different approaches in similarly unpleasant circumstances and places. Unfortunately, from my perception the author has described quite succinctly the reason for our ‘differences of opinion’. In his “About the Author” statements at the end of the book he says that writers “dig and toil among our private wastes, sifting through toxic sands and sipping swill alongside beggars and scoundrels. It’s where I’m most at home, at peace. But like all things in life, it sometimes comes from darker times, darker places. It’s a toll worth paying, though, and perhaps what’s necessary to spur my particular muse.” This reviewer has published 4 award-winning novels (plus several text books) and most fortunately has not found it necessary to delve into such depths to gain the necessary insights to compose. Neither have any of the authors of my acquaintance. However, this is not criticism per se. It simply offers an explanation for this reader’s opinion of this book.

2* Explanation for this reader’s review above.

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The Chosen Man

The Chosen Man ISBN: 9781942756057 Penmore Press LLC, an adventure/Romance copyright 2015 and written by J. G. Harlond.

Time and Place: The first half of the seventeenth century was a period of intense political and religious intrigue. The Hapsburg Emperor Ferdinand had vowed to impose Catholicism throughout the empire before his death and was harrying the Spanish monarch, Don Felipe, to regain the Netherlands. Cardinal Richelieu of France signed a treaty with the Dutch, and French ships raided the Spanish galleons as they brought supplies to their troops as they attempted to regain the lost terrain. The Vatican aligned with the side espousing Catholicism, of course, and wide-ranging attacks by the Mediterranean corsairs known as Turks in such places as Cornwall estates in England for plunder and slaves was a constant concern throughout Europe.

Plot: John Hawthorne, a somewhat frail English priest is given the assignment by a conniving Cardinal of the Vatican aligned with Spanish Noblemen to make an offer to the “chosen man” to manipulate the tulip market in Holland so it eventually would collapse. The underlying idea was to take advantage of the “Tulip Mania’ affecting the country by undermining the country’s monetary system, thus a need to curtail funds for continuing war with Spain. “In the 1636 tulip bulbs in Holland were weighed on ‘goldsmiths’ weights but many of the bulbs were worth more than their weight in gold. One Dutch merchant paid 6,650 guilders for a dozen bulbs at a time when 300 guilders would have kept an entire family for a whole year.” The priest finds the ‘chosen’ Ludovico da Portovenere, a large, handsome, competent, purported Genoese Merchant who also appeared to have an unexplained working relationship with the Mediterranean corsairs. The story develops following Ludo’s activities but simultaneously rather equally interspersed with those of several others: Marcos Alexendro, son of a Spanish tavern keeper with ideas and hopes of upward mobility beyond his present station in life; Alina, the oldest daughter of a deceased mother and still living Spanish Grandee father impoverished by his constant attempts to continue court life, has dreams of romantic rescue and return to the life she had known; Sir Geoffrey, owner of the large estate, Crimphele in Cornwall England; Thomas, frail son and close friend of John Hawthorne since childhood who inherits the land. Additional interesting characters that contribute variously to the story include: Crook-back Aggie, the estate’s hunchback (?) cook who has occult powers; Meg, a young maid: Molly, another and sometimes caretaker of the young heir-apparent to the estate with her husband; McNab, the estate’s hired controller who had a hidden dark background and numerous nefarious plans; Elsa, a wealthy widow now enamored of the tulip market, as well as Ludo; and even more characters with still lesser influence on the plot, or rather intermingled plots.

Discussion: This is a tale consisting actually of quite complicatedly interwoven plots with a large number of characters. They are wrapped together in a manner that provides details of a most fascinating occurrence in history in just as fascinating and chaotic period of world turmoil. If the prospective reader is interested if fictionalized history with action and romance thrown in, this book is for you.

5* For readers as designated.