Understanding Your Dog by Erica Peachley

Understanding Your Dog: An illustrated guide to understanding your dog's behavior, Erica Peachley. Bath, U.K.: Paragon Publishing, 2004, 2001. coffeetable hardcover book, 176 pps.

Understanding Your Dog is divided into four chapters concering the dog's nature, behavior, training, and problems. Complete with glossary, addresses, and index, this books is thorough and colorful. It offers practical suggestions and points to times when consulting a professional is necessary.

sapphoq reviews says: Erica Peachley is acquainted with her subject and writes well. Highly recommended. Your guests may learn something too!

Blondie standing on some grass alert and calmly waiting to find out what's next.
To copyright monopoly trolls: my photo, my dog, go away.

Dog Tricks: Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World Class Trainers by Captain Arthur J. Haggerty and Carol Lea Benjamin

Dog Tricks: Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World Class Trainers, Captain Arthur J. Haggerty and Carol Lea Benjamin. New York: Black Dog & Levental Publishers, 1978. small hardcover, 303 pps.

Blondie-- the older blond dog with a red field nose and black tongue on the left-- trotting on the sandy road is looking at Hermione coming out of the brush on the right. Hermione is a black and white dog, smaller who at first resembles a border collie with less hair. In fact she is  an Australian Cattle Dog mix with a bit of hound dog and retriever thrown in. She has black freckles on her white socks and her black tail with white tip on it  is low slung like those of Australian Cattle dogs. Note to copyright monopoly trolls: these are my two dogs, I took the photo myself, so go away.

I scored some old but well-kept books about dogs at a garage sale free recently. Dog Tricks was part of the haul. This little gem of a book became a valuable bit of my library as I discovered that my Australian Cattle Dog/ retriever/ hound dog cultivated secret dreams of being a trickster dog.

Hermione is Blondie's best dog buddy in the whole world. They met about a year ago and became walking companions. Blondie was diagnosed this past April [2015] as having terminal liver failure. Hermione came to live with use by her own choice at the end of August [2015] on a permanent basis. Both dogs are thriving from the arrangement.

Blondie's health has been steadily improving as much as a dying dog's health can be. She is happy, has a good appetite, solid fecal matter, enjoys hiking on a daily basis and swimming when we do that, and is pain-free. 

Hermione is delighted with all of the exercise that is now part of her daily routine, has made her peace with our two cats, and has several jobs around the backyard and homestead.

Both dogs love living together in the same pack.

But I have digressed.

sapphoq reviews says: The book Dog Tricks does exactly what it promises. There are indeed eighty-eight of them with decent directions, whimsical drawings, and a trick aptitude chart in the back. Highly recommended! Should you have a dog who wants to learn something else, grab this book if you get a chance! 

Cesar's Rules by Cesar Millan and Melissa Jo Peltier

Cesar's Rules: Your Way to Train a Well-Behaved Dog, Cesar Millan and Melissa Jo Peltier. New York: Crown Archetype/ Random House, 2010. e-book, 222 pps.

Friday night in our household is Cesar Millan night. The younger cat and I watch several episodes of Cesar 911 together. Of the three animals-- which include the older cat and the dog but not the frogs in tanks-- Sirius Black is the one most interested in the moving electrons on the magic box.

I have benefited from watching Cesar ever since I discovered him on television some years ago. An old guy who used to show Springer Spaniels and then switched to German Shepherd Dogs was the one who taught me how to train my dogs in formal obedience. Cesar Millan taught me how to train myself. 

Being the pack leader involves energy. I also include proper posture in the expression of this energy. My dog notices. 

The current dog is going to be thirteen years old on April 2nd [if she lives]. She has old age problems plus a current additional problem of a bacterial infection from eating rabbit turds. Other than the recent expression of her fascination with the wondrous snacks from heaven, she really is an intelligent dog. And she has been easy to train. I will miss her when she dies.

Cesar's Rules delineate the basics involving dog psychology. Chapters include techniques developed by other trainers as well as having a balanced pack and the stuff that makes Cesar Millan a great benefit to those dogs whose people get training from him. 

There is new material also. I had never heard of Dr. Ian Dunbar before reading this book. I was happy to have the information about puppies and off-lead work. If the next dog is a puppy, I am going to give that a try [in fenced-in and secure areas] also.

sapphoq reviews says: We are a Cesar Millan household. I endorse and highly recommend all of the Dog Whisperer's books. Naturally, this one also.

Living With Yorkies by Pruitt Farm Publishing

Living With Yorkies: Things You Should Know, Emily Pruitt of Pruitt Farm Publishing. self-published via Pruitt Farm Publishing, 2011. e-book, 62 pps.

There was a family yorkie that was sent to me when she was eight years old. I spent the first two weeks correcting her for biting me. She bit me whenever I put her in the car and bit me whenever I took her out of the car. After the first two weeks, she did settle down some but she remained a bit cantankerous for the rest of her life. She was a cute dog though, and smart too. She got the same obedience training that all of my dogs get and was subject to the same rules. She got to have a lot of fun with me and my dogified household. 

We went on numerous hikes and back-packing trips. I'd carry her when she got tired. She would sleep in the tent with me either on top of my sleeping bag or inside. The other dogs usually preferred to sleep right outside the tent and I had to drag them inside when storms were hitting. She swam some too. When I groomed her, she would pick out her own barrette for her hair. She would walk in my footprints or ski marks in the snow but refused anything that resembled dog booties. She was a determined dog for sure. She died of old age.

Living With Yorkies was written by Emily Pruitt, the daughter of yorkie breeders. She points out the good and the not so good about yorkies and also what to watch out for. My yorkie had chronic pancreatitis-- diagnosed before I got her but not treated until my vet discovered this fact in an old vet record-- but never did get any signs of hypoglycemia.

sapphoq reviews says: Anyone who is considering getting a yorkshire terrier for the first time ought to read Living With Yorkies first, along with doing other research. Highly recommended.

The Single Biggest Mistake People Make When Choosing a Puppy by Kayye Nynne

The Single Biggest Mistake People Make When Choosing a Puppy: And How You Can Avoid It, Kayye Nynne. self-published, 2012. e-book, 18 pages.

Kayye Nynne had the experience of owning a totally unmanageable dog in spite of lessons and doggie boot camps and doggie behaviorists etc. I have had that experience also. We both forgot that when our cute and adorable puppies grew, they would be big dogs and suddenly their endearing behaviors were a problem. I have since learned that "if it is unacceptable in a large dog, then correct it in the puppy."

Kayye Nynne recommends asking yourself a bunch of questions before going out to hunt up a puppy [or a dog] to bring home. If you would rather die than go tromping off into the woods or for a four mile walk, then don't get a dog that wants to do those things. Sporting dogs [and a few dogs in some of the other dog groups] are notorious for requiring huge amounts of exercise. The problem with dogs who want to exercise is that they want their human or humans to go with them. If you are of the can't sit still for a minute variety, then don't get a lap dog. Makes sense to me.

Attending a dog show and watching the dogs work in obedience is one way to get to know some of the purebreds. There are also dog shows for mutts these days. Attending a water trial or a field trial is also a good thing to do. 

If you get a mixed breed dog, that dog may have the personality of one of its ancestral breeds, the temperament of another, and the work ethic and interests of a third. Complicating the issue is the idea that within any litter of puppies, whether purebred or mongrel, each puppy is an individual and can vary greatly from its litter mates.

Kayye Nynne recommends using the Puppy Assessment Test that evaluators use to pick out potential service dogs. I think that is a good idea.

sapphoq reviews says: If you are a first-time dog owner, recovering from owning a disaster dog, or do not have your own way of evaluating a potential adoptee dog, then read The Single Biggest Mistake People Make When Choosing a Puppy. Highly endorsed.

Doggyvision by Wendy Darr

Doggyvision: How Dogs See, Wendy Darr. self-published, 2014. e-book, 35 pps.

sapphoq reviews says: Doggyvision was a delight to read. It is a short but fairly accurate description of what colors dogs can see. Also contained within are whimsical photos of dogs with added captions. The one on page 7 re: Doggy News Hour is especially adorable. The cover picture is of Wendy Darr's samoyed Casper, now passed on. Thirty five pages of science tidbits and whimsy is a winning combination. Highly recommended.

Franchising McChurch by Jon Mark Yeats and Thomas White

Franchising McChurch: Feeding Our Obsession with Easy Christianity, Jon Mark Yeats and Thomas White. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2011. e-book, 161 pps.

     Franchising McChurch is a wonderful book. I suspect that it was written with Christian pastors and church workers as a main audience. Nevertheless, there were many gems to be found in the writing of Jon Mark Yeats and Thomas White.

     The book takes issue with those who run their churches on the business model with pastors [or sometimes, "spiritual directors" in cases where rather than giving sermons, someone just throws the switch on a video] acting as C.E.O.s. Anything worth having is worth working for. This is as true of a meaningful Christian walk as it is of anything else. "Theotainment" is my new word of the day (page 92). 

     The authors state that Christian churches are traditionally good at either winning new souls [converts] or discipleship among members who are already believers but not both. They suggest that the number of people on the membership rolls is not a good enough indicator of success. Some churches, especially as they become mega-plexes, lose something in fellowship when there is more than one Sunday service. When music is choreographed and services are split according to musical or other tastes, the church body becomes splintered. People expect theotainment these days rather than true involvement with the work of their local churches.

     Yeats and White do an excellent job of describing various church structures (p. 135 on) and three things necessary for true success (pp. 94-95). So what is in this book for me as an atheist?

     I review books. I seek out books whose authors demonstrate excellent command of the language [yes, I read books in Spanish also but haven't reviewed any of them here] regardless of their political or religious affiliations. I don't usually read books that suck. Most of the books that I review are books that I own that I've chosen to read. A few books are from a place that has an active paperback exchange. By and large, I read mainly e-books because of my ocular motor dysfunction problems. It's easier for me that way.

     Back to the question: what is in this book for me specifically as an atheist? The information itself was excellent as was the thesis behind Franchising McChurch. Most valuable to me personally were the authors' thoughts on control-- (pps. 54 and 60 for examples). I have found that people controlling or attempting to control other people is a problem that is not limited to some congregations. As the authors state, in order to [attempt to] control someone, we must dehumanize them first. When I want to control the thoughts and actions of another adult human being, this desire points to something not quite right within me. I strive in my own life to restrain myself from the impulse to control others. A friend or lover who takes people hostage is not appreciated. A non-professional who enjoys "writing treatment plans" for others is wasting time and effort. When I [attempt to] control others, I miss out.

N.B. I don't have children. The rules may be different for raising kids but I don't profess to know anything about that.

sapphoq reviews says: I really enjoyed this book. Franchising McChurch has much to say about the state of Christian churches in the United States and ought to be read by any pastor or church leader who is seeking to emulate the best from early Christianity. Serious Christians will also benefit. Highly recommended.

Forged by Bart D. Ehrman

Forged: Writing in the Name of God-- Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are, Bart D. Ehrman. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2011. e-book, 256 pps.


Bart D. Ehrman is a scholar and college professor who has written some books about God, Jesus, The Bible, and Christianity. He was converted to evangelical Christianity in high school and first attended Moody Institute where he studied apologetics. [The word "apologetics" has nothing to do with apologizing. It actually involves composing arguments and defenses in favor of Christianity]. Ehrman went on to obtain a PhD from Princeton. He is fluent in [the reading of] several languages which include Hebrew and Greek. 

I attended several brief informal classes of Greek. Armed with a Greek New Testament and a Greek dictionary, the three of us did not get very far. I perhaps might try again but in a different setting with a different style of teaching.

I was taught about the perfect nature of the Bible and that all of it was literally true without any mistakes. I accepted this for several years until I started noticing contradictions in both the Hebrew and the Christian Bibles [Old Testament and New Testament are what we called them back in the old days]. The phrase "follow the evidence" means "follow the evidence wherever it leads, even when it doesn't lead where you want it to go." These days, I attempt to follow the evidence and the money.

Forged is a Bart D. Ehrman for the rest of us-- those of us who are not college students studying this stuff and not biblical scholars-- packed with information. Even so, I found that I did have to give this Ehrman book two full reads. Its pages contained some things that I was familiar with as well as quite a bit of new information.

I didn't realize that the pagans of old did not put an emphasis on the idea that one religion could be true and the rest of them false. Before Christianity took hold, pagans didn't care about such things. Worshipping the gods involved doing the proper prayers and whatever sacrifices were called for. Christianity was the religion that introduced the notion that some religious doctrines could be truth and others not so much. These days, some of the pagan camp fight over things like which gods can be invoked together and how pagan leadership positions are determined and whether or not Satanists are witches [some are and some aren't; also some Satanists are atheists and some are literal believers] and how the latest event went. This is not to say that the ancient days were better. Had I lived then, the appendicitis attack that I suffered in my late twenties would have killed me if something else hadn't gotten me sooner.

On page 19 of Forged, I found that we know about over one hundred forgeries pertaining to Christian writings between the first and fourth century C.E. Page 21 advised that a fellow named Cerinthus actually wrote Revelations, not a fellow named John and certainly not the apostle John. Ehrman pointed out correctly that Palestinian boys were not routinely taught even rudimentary Hebrew and that more than ninety percent of the population were illiterate.  Other pages broke down who wrote each book of the canonized Christian Bible, who wrote some of the books that were not accepted, definition of many terms, and the reasons behind forgeries back in those times. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were not actually written by those four apostles. The early church simply gave those gospels the names. There were many gospels floating around and believers had to be able to distinguish the ones they were using from the ones that they weren't.

Ehrman also pointed out that the literalism that is popular today was not how even the Puritans perceived the Scriptures. The current fundamentalist Christian movement started in the late  1800s [references below] at the earliest. Although Ehrman identifies as atheist, he does have some Christians among his fans. 

sapphoq reviews says: I found Forged a bit of a challenge to read but worth the effort. For those interested in what modern day [and some ancient] scholars are saying about the Bible, highly recommended.

https://twitter.com/bartehrman  not updated since August 11 ?2014.

http://ehrmanblog.org/


References re: fundamentalist Christian movement origins:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thepangeablog/articles/unpublished-papers/distinguishing-roots-discerning-the-origins-of-the-fundamentalist-movement/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_fundamentalism

http://www.conservapedia.com/Fundamentalism

http://theocracywatch.org/

http://christianity.wikia.com/wiki/Fundamentalist_Christianity

https://jesuswithoutbaggage.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/what-is-a-christian-fundamentalist/

http://www.acu.edu/sponsored/restoration_quarterly/archives/2000s/vol_42_no_1_contents/kragenbrink.html

http://wisdom4today.org/what-do-christian-fundamentalists-believe/

http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1861.cfm

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/Fundamentalism.html

https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/7944/what-is-fundamentalism

http://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/88697-fundamentalism.html   [discussion on fundamentalism on a chat board]



Although I am an atheist, I do read some well-written Christian books as I find them. My next review will be on Franchising McChurch written by Christian pastors Jon Mark Yeats and Thomas White.

Haunted by James Herbert

Haunted, James Herbert. New York: Jove Books, 1990. paperback, 338 pps.


James Herbert is an English writer apparently of some fame. Haunted is the first book by him that I've ever read.

David Ash is a skeptic of the supernatural who investigates paranormal claims for a society. The society employs psychic mediums but is not interested in furthering the cause of charlatans who give the genuine mediums "a bad name." Some of the claims of hauntings or ghosties are falsified but some others aren't. 

David is hired to investigate a ghostie at the Edbrook Manor. It is a tragic story that he finds there-- three young siblings had been left to the care of an old auntie after their parents died in a horrific car crash in France-- along with a terrifying dog and lots of dust and unkempt grounds.

Things happen. David drinks a bit to take the edge off of his nerves. There is an attractive young woman of course. And two past stories of investigations included within the pages of this novel.

To be fair, I know a bit about cold readings and how to fake psychic phenomenon. Even so, the story drew me in until the end.

sapphoq reviews says: Although the descriptions of the places in Haunted were a bit sparser than I like, the characters were well-developed and the whole book was eerie. I like that in a book. For a mature audience who are able to separate fantasy from reality and who want a good English horror, highly recommended.

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

A Dirty Job, Christopher Moore. Toronto: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009. e-book, 330 pps.

One of Sir Terry Pratchett Discworld novels had a Death character who even had a granddaughter! I love all of his books. The notion of becoming Death is one that tickles my imagination. Christopher Moore has a novel called A Dirty Job which I have just finished reading yesterday.

     "I have been chosen, so don't fuck with me."
                                                             ~Charlie Asher, page 93

Charlie Asher had a run-in as his wife died but his newborn daughter lived. This set of events introduced him to single parenting. He and his daughter live upstairs in the apartment building in San Francisco. The storefront on the first floor is his shop.

San Francisco is a wonderful place. It was the perfect setting for A Dirty Job. I appreciated that very much. Visiting places in literature where I've been in actual life is pretty cool. 

Charlie Asher wasn't planning to become a death merchant, but like any dirty job, someone has to do it.

sapphoq reviews says: Christopher Moore has a delicious sense of humor that I have enjoyed in the other books of his that I've read. Once again, I found myself laughing out loud as I read this one. A Dirty Job has so much going for it in terms of excellence. This one left me guffawing. Highly recommended.

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving: A Novel by Jonathan Evison

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving: A Novel, Jonathan Evison. Chapel Hill NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2013. e-book, 358 pps. including preview of another Jonathan Evison novel.

http://www.jonathanevison.net/

https://twitter.com/jonathanevison


The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving tells a [fictional] story about a man whose marriage is ending. Ben Benjamin suffers from depressive thoughts, mainly concerned with his lack of achievement and lack of success in his life. Down on his luck, he takes a course in professional caregiving. He is hired by Trev, a late adolescent suffering from Duchenne's [Muscular] Dystrophy. Trev is in the later stages and running out of time.

At first, Ben and Trev spend their time in Trev's home that he shares with his mother and then they branch out to trips to the mall and stuff. There is a sameness to Trev's routine, even when he is out. It is this sameness that drives Ben a bit bonkers at times.

Ben Benjamin and Trev go on a road trip. Along the way, they meet up several other people and a few of them are given rides in the specially equipped van. There are some funny things that happen along the way at various tourist traps, bars, and motels. Nothing and no one remains the same.

sapphoq reviews says: I enjoyed this book. I could relate to the job that Ben had as well as the opportunity to travel with someone in his care. Recommended. 

The Frugal Survivalist Disaster Preparations Under $500 by James Dakin

The Frugal Survivalist Disaster Preparations Under $500, James Dakin. self-published, 2006, 2013. e-book, 119 pps.

sapphoq reviews says: Unlike some shorter books dealing with how-tos, there is no evidence that James Dakin copied the ideas of others in his book The Frugal Survivalist Disaster Preparations Under $500. This alone is cause to recommend this free [at the time of my purchase] e-book. For those who are just getting into emergency prep on limited budgets, highly endorsed and recommended.

Python for Kids by Jason Briggs

Python for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming, Jason Briggs. San Francisco CAL.: No Starch Press, 2012.  e-book, 953 pps.

http://jasonrbriggs.com


I love No Starch Press. I haven't met a book from No Starch that I didn't absolutely love. And I love Python the programming language too. So when I saw Python for Kids, it was practically a given that I would purchase it. Coding is fun and so is this book.

The first chapter of Python for Kids gives easy to follow instructions for installing Python onto one's computer. There are distinct advantages to coding with Python. It comes with a full library. It is user-friendly. It makes sense.

The rest of the book is devoted to actually using Python [and some nifty exercises at the end of each chapter], vocabulary, and then creating two games with Python.  There is also a companion website called http://python-for-kids.com for those who want more.

sapphoq reviews says: Jason Briggs did a fine job with Python for Kids. All instructions and concepts were easy to follow. This one is a winner! If you don't know how to code, you really ought to learn at least one language. This book comes with the highest recommendation.

Crap Taxidermy by Kat Su

Crap Taxidermy, Kat Su. Berkeley CAL.: Ten-Speed Press, 2014. small picture book, 95 pps.


I have a category of books reserved for days when I need to laugh. Crap Taxidermy is one that belongs in that particular collection. This small book is packed with bad examples of taxidermy from places all over the world. Some of the featured places are both Koreas, Palestine, and Germany. Some of the stuffed dead animals have pasted eyes instead of the glassy eyeballs, goofy expressions, or really bad poses. And there are some morphs too, animals that appear to be combinations. 

sapphoq reviews says: I did not view any large game animals or animals hunted for the sake of weird trophies hanging on the wall in Crap Taxidermy. Those who especially sensitive to viewing examples of animals who have died regardless of the circumstances of their deaths would do well to stay away. So too any vegans or other non-meat eaters who are against this sort of thing. The bonus instructions for how to stuff a mouse were accurate. [I did that once for a demonstration in some sort of field days/career thingy]. Highly recommended for the rest of us. 

The Prince of Providence by Mike Stanton

The Prince of Providence: The True Story of Buddy Cianci, America's Most Notorious Mayor, Some Wiseguys, and the Feds, Mike Stanton. Toronto: Random House, 2002, 2003. e-book, 470 pps.

I have never run into Buddy Cianci, the subject of The Prince of Providence and a former mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. Vincent Buddy Cianci Jr. grew up in an Italian family in the Italian section of Providence. He went to law school and at some point ran for mayor on an anti-corruption ticket as a Republican. He was mayor several times and then once more. There was an extensive investigation of corruption and bad things happened.

I have only been to Providence twice and both times the trip was really to the outskirts. Once I went with friends to a dog show. That was pretty neat. I got to hang out with a retired champion. The next day we went to a huge hardware store. That was also pretty neat. But I haven't really been to Providence proper or to any of the places that the book talked about. I'd like to see City Hall and the waterfront and the gay bars and the places that Cianci used to live in. Maybe I will go on tour through some of the old mansions [I like architectural stuff] and then go hang on the beach. There is a beach there, yes? If I'm lucky, I will run into Dennis Aiken and tell him he done a great job!

Buddy Cianci has now published his own book Politics and Pasta, in the year 2011. I read the sample and I will probably read the rest of it and review that one as well.

sapphoq reviews says: I enjoyed The Prince of Providence. Mike Stanton illustrated the two sides of Buddy Cianci. Buddy could be charming or vicious, depending upon whether or not people were doing as he wished, according to Stanton. Highly recommended to anyone who likes a good true political story.

Dead Broke in Jarrett Creek by Terry Shames

Dead Broke in Jarrett Creek (Samuel Craddock Series #3), Terry Shames. Buffalo NY: Prometheus Books, 2014. e-book, 225 pps.


Jarrett Creek is broke. A deal with a water park promoter fell through and now a son of a banker is dead. Who killed him? Samuel Craddock is called from retirement and he has to find out. Dead Broke in Jarrett Creek is much better than this short summary might imply.

sapphoq reviews says: I enjoy the writing of Terry Shames and have quickly become a fan. I failed to anticipate whodunnit in this one-- a mark of a mystery well-told for me. If you like mysteries combined with a touch of life in a small town, then the Samuel Craddock Series is for you. Highly recommended. 

Fives and Twenty Fives by Michael Pitre

Fives and Twenty Fives: A Novel, Michael Pitre. Sydney: Bloomsbury, 2014. e-book, 317 pps

I believe Michael Pitre when he says he was there in Iraq. Fives and Twenty Fives is his first novel. It is a fictional Iraq in which a platoon is out fixing potholes blended in with the aftereffects for some members of the platoon. From the interpreter to the people he met along the way before landing in the somewhat safe haven of the Army as a terp to the leaders and the grunts, the smell of war is intermingled in its pages.

All of my paternal male relatives have served in various wars and actions. Of those who came back, they were changed. Those who didn't make it back live on in my memory.

As a youngster, I didn't understand the why behind wars. As I got older, I learned about the huge vastness of empty grayness between the over-simplified version of black-and-white that we were compelled to learn in school. 

My quarrel today is not with the veterans. My gripe is with the president who felt it his duty to show up in Saudi Arabia to honor an old now dead king and to greet a new king who is more of the same. Because Big Oil is more important than lost lives and because beheadings in the background become white noise that he can somehow sleep through. Those kings in Saudi Arabia support beheadings of the citizenry and human rights advocates who dare to disagree. Five beheadings happened during the first week of the new king's rule. I don't understand how the president was able to sleep at night in that country knowing that human beings were suffering and continue to suffer cruel deaths.

We as a country have to wake up and smell the gasoline. Campaigns for us to lessen our usage have failed. We need to develop our own resources in our own country NOW so that we can become independent from those other countries who provide us with oil but would just as soon kill us all or place us under the bondage of Sharia as look at us as human beings. We are the infidels who must rise up.

Secondly, we ought to continue to develop modes of transportation [cars and like that] which are "green," that is depend upon renewable sources to run.

But we, in our own stupidity, will not do these things. We will continue to have presidents who kiss foreign asses for Big Oil.

sapphoq reviews says: A true winner of a novel. Highly
recommended. Must read. It is haunting. Read this one.

Adolf Hitler by John Toland

Adolf Hitler: The Definitive Biography, John Toland. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2014. e-book, 1337 pps.


     A good historian is much like a good scientist, following the evidence and being prepared to dump out pet notions when necessary.  I didn't like history much in school. I never understood why I should memorize all those dates when I could easily look them up as needed. Textbook history pales in comparison to the ways in which my dad endeavored to make history come alive to me. I saw all of the places on the east coast that George Washington slept, every place that was someplace in D.C. and Philly, several battlefields, and many history happened here places that escape the common man. As an adult, I discovered history on television. Housemate was quick to point out where Hollywood had gotten things wrong. Gradually, I started reading books by "real" historians which weren't the canned syrupy textbooks of my youth. John Toland is indeed a "real" historian.  Adolf Hitler includes footnotes at the end of each chapter, pages of additional notes, and an extensive bibliography.

     It took me quite some time to plow through Adolf Hitler. 
Toland begs for a careful reading. Soon enough, my top reading speed dwindled to a leisurely pace. And I learned much stuff from this book.

     I knew that Hitler had a dog whose name was Blondi but I didn't know that there was no e on the end of the name. I knew Blondi got the cyanide first but not why or who suggested it. I'd heard the rumors that Hitler escaped to Argentina but not who perpetuated such gossip. I knew that Hitler was a whack-job but not the total details. Adolf Hitler delivered all of the details.

     One of the things that we ought to remember when looking back is that European Jews had a huge problem with p.r. long before Hitler's Nazis came to round them up. In the days of Martin Luther, antisemitism was evident. His own writings reflect seven suggestions on what is to be done about the Jewish population. Martin Luther was a man of his times. The relations between Christians and Jews were not good in the early1500s. Jews were despised as the killers of Christ. Martin Luther used quotes from Scripture to justify his prejudice. His hatred may have bordered upon the fanatical. The seven points of Martin Luther were pretty much the ones that Hitler put into motion. 

     Hitler started out as an art student in Vienna. After serving a tour and being wounded, his meglo-mania took over and he started delivering speeches. Germany fell under his spell in spite of his known proclivities to sudden outbursts of rage and (at first) his dismal clothing. The irony that was Hitler dictated that he not marry and not appear to be carrying on with Eva Braun because such things would not be seemly yet his direct orders delivered Jews to resettlement ghettos and then to the death camps. Hitler's hatred of the Jewish population was fanatical, although there is some question as to how much of that particular hatred was at the core of Hitler the young man and how much developed in the aftermath of his political meglo-mania. Hitler really could have been someone great. Instead, he is a mark of shame in the annals of human history.

sapphoq reviews says: John Toland's Adolf Hitler is a careful and exacting study of Hitler. For history buffs and those who appreciate detail, highly recommended.

Canada by Richard Ford

Canada: A Novel, Richard Ford. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2012. e-book, 423 pps.


     Dell-- the narrator-- and Berner Parsons were twins who lived with their parents Geneva and Bev in Great Falls, Montana at the beginning of the book. The family had a series of financial reverses which caused Bev to make a decision that also did not work out well. Neeva went along with it but fought not to have their son Dell included. Then some bad things happened which profoundly altered the lives of the family members. Although Neeva had a Plan B for both Dell and Berner, those plans also blew apart. Dell learned some hard lessons along the way but through the kindness of strangers made out alright.

sapphoq reviews says: Richard Ford's Canada is a haunting book. The narrator was deliberate in explaining his observations of each character in the book. The settings in the United States and in Canada were essential to creating the mood of the narrative. Canada is a worthy addition to any thinking adult's library and a classic in its own right. Highly recommended.

Playing Dead by Julia Heaberlin

Playing Dead: A Novel, Julia Heaberlin. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 2012. ebook, 293 pps.


     Playing Dead is for those travel buffs who enjoy a good fiction read with some mystery and intrigue thrown in. The setting for this one travels from Ponder Texas to ChiTown flawlessly. There is a mafia dude in it, a crazy dead mother, some other dead relatives, a stud, and some horses to boot. I was hooked from the first page.

     The narrator Tommie McCloud like me "learned early that nothing is what it seems." (page 9). The voice is both folksy and serious at the same time. I related to Tommie and her sister Sadie. I couldn't help but like them.

     The description of Ponder, Texas reminded me of several little sleepy Texan towns I spent some time in years ago [but I won't tell you what I was doing in them] complete with horses, a downtown, and pick-up trucks. And Chicago was very much the Chicago that I visited several years ago. 

     I've only seen wind farms in Maine but it was quite easy for me to transpose them into a Texan landscape. Bits of Texan history fleshed out Ponder for me, a place I could live in if I ever want to.

     Tommie's mother is certifiably crazy. Her dad and granddad are both dead. A brother was killed years ago. Some of her dad's friends are still in the background [and sometimes the foreground] watching over Tommie and defending her welfare. Being Texas, there were guns. I like guns.

sapphoq reviews says: Julia Heaberlin has written an intriguing book in Playing Dead. This is chick lit at its finest. Highly recommended.