31 Days of Praise: A Closer Walk Vol. II, by Alexis Hamlor - Book Review

 

Alexis Hamlor’s 31 Days of Praise: A Closer Walk Vol. II follows on the warm reception of her previous volume. The book of devotional exercises, which is intended for the guidance and inspiration of Christians everywhere, consists of 31 two-minute devotional exercises, based largely on Hamlor’s own experience. Each day’s entry includes, in addition to the brief devotional, a short prayer and a few appropriate verses quoted from the New International Version Bible. 31 Days of Praise ends with a piece on the purpose of praise, which she regards as enabling us to “communicate with God on a deeper, intellectual level.” Hamlor also includes a praise report, which she encourages each reader to complete with a list of those blessings for which they are most grateful.   Hamlor relates each exercise in 31 Days of Praise: A Closer Walk Vol. II to her personal experiences, with her very openness and vulnerability drawing the reader closer to her, so that I felt that I was coming to trust her more deeply each day, as well as the message that she has to convey in such a searching and meaningful way. The ease and flow with which she writes must come, at least in part, from her being a Special Education-Middle School Teacher. Hamlor’s firm belief in the value of family resounds throughout the work, with her personal history being particularly compelling to read, especially in the light of her recovery from a six-year-long abusive relationship. As she says on multiple occasions: “God Bless Family!”

 

In the Waters of Time / Bette Lischke - Book Review

The intensity of In the Waters of Time lies in its exploration of the pathways taken by two women who live life in the same body, one, Elizabeth, who finds a meaningful existence in the arms of her lover, despite the grim surrounds of a Victorian workhouse, and the other, Jane, who flees her unfulfilling life in the modern-day corporate world to find a more personal sense of contentment in reshingling a friend’s home. Both of the characters have much in common, including a love for children, who are described in joyful detail, and their yearning to express themselves creatively. Elizabeth encourages the poverty-stricken and abused children in the workhouse to draw in colored chalk on the walls of their school room, while Jane finds an innate sense of accord in the world of interior decoration and design. No wonder, then, that one finds that the author of this metaphysical novel, Bette Lischke, is a well-known dowser and watercolorist who takes a keen interest in all things spiritual. Like Jane, she, too, has worked as an executive recruiter, and her own love for children is shown by the fact not only did she once work as a nanny, but also by her writing of numerous songs for children.

The Jungian influences on Lischke’s work are clear, in that the narrative is primarily focused on Jane, who lives in modern-day Portland, Maine, and who is able, first through dreams, and then by means of a steadily increasing emergence of her subconscious through her waking moments, to become ever more emotionally and spiritually in touch with what one assumes to be her previous life, as the initially socially constrained and duty-bound Elizabeth. As the flashbacks to her earlier existence become increasingly more powerful, Jane’s awareness of her own innermost conflicts in the present day develops in its intensity. By being open to her presence in this world on an earlier occasion, Jane is able to reconcile herself to the demands that are made on her in the present day.

In the Waters of Time is a genre-crossing (containing elements of history and mystery, as well as romance) and deeply sensitive portrayal of the role of women who wish to avoid the constrictions and restrictions that society has, for so long, sought to impose upon them. Lischke’s poetic use of imagery mirrors her depth of feeling, and anyone who appreciates the lyrical descriptiveness of the English language is bound to be sensitive to the nuances of this text. Do not expect the commonplace and mundane from In the Waters of Time, and you will not be disappointed. This novel is for all lovers of romance and the unexpected, who can appreciate sound character development and a well-written exposé of the human spirit as it travels through time.

The Lovers' Tango / Mark Rubinstein - Book Review

Smooth-flowing and fluid as silk,The Lovers’ Tango: A Novel (Thunder Lake Press; ISBN: 978-0-9856268-2-2) by Mark Rubinstein is a fast-paced read that one would dearly love to consume in a single sitting—the sensuality and suppleness of the text are ideally suited to the intimacy of the subject. In retrospect and through timely glimpses, the reader is invited to witness the attraction between the male lead, Bill Shaw, and his beguiling partner, in the dance of life that has now become one of death, in which Bill is ensnared as the most likely suspect.

Central to the core theme of the work is the image of the Argentinian tango, the nature of which is described in the Preface to the novel. The dramatic nature of the dance is a fitting symbol of the life and death struggle that occurs in the sick room, which is later painfully borne witness to in the courtroom. Elements of the dance have much in common with the unfolding drama of the novel. The fact that the tango was originally danced only by women foreshadows the close relationship between Bill Shaw and his lawyer, and longtime friend, Ben Abrams, who comes from a working-class background, as, too, does the dance. The thrust and parry of the courtroom brings to mind the head-snapping action that characterizes the South American dance. The exotic nature of the tango can be seen as being embodied in the sensuous Nora Reyes, with the riveting first encounter between the lovers, which is described early on in the novel, totally sweeping Bill off his feet.

The sensuality of the imagery (“Her skin appeared moist; I inhaled deeply, her essence filling my nostrils.”) draws the reader into the intensely lived moments between the lovers, but with the continuously present sense that they are living on borrowed time, as one is aware from the start that their love is doomed, with Nora ultimately succumbing to the depredations of MS (and perhaps to the willing hand of her ostensibly loving partner). Just as the romance of the tango liberated the poor from the squalor of the Buenos Aires slums, so, too, does the loving and erotic relationship between Bill and his wife lift them out of the mundane and banal to a transcendent state of ecstatic intimate union, albeit one that ultimately ends in her tragic demise.

The Lovers’ Tango: A Novel should intrigue a broad spectrum of readers across the genres of medical thriller, courtroom drama and romance. The characters are so well described and have such appeal that the novel should attract a wide range of adherents from young to old. Mark Rubinstein is a well-known author of both fiction and nonfiction, with an extensive background in medicine and psychotherapy, which enables him to give great depth to his writing. His work deserves to be prescribed for creative writing courses, as many a novice author could well benefit from acquiring his economy of style, coupled with his breadth of theme.

When Eagles Roar: The Amazing Journey of an African Wildlife Adventurer / James Alexander Currie, with Bonnie J. Fladung; Illustrated by Margo Gabrielle Damian - Book Review

Selected as "one of the best nature books of 2014" by The Guardian's science blogger, When Eagles Roar: The Amazing Journey of an African Wildlife Adventurer (Ukhozi Press;
ISBN-10: 0990766004; ISBN-13: 978-0990766001) is a memoir of James Currie’s experiences as a game ranger and birder in Africa, in which he tells of many a narrow escape from the jaws of death, whether they be those a puff adder that literally catches him with his pants down, or those of a lioness charging him while out birding.

Each chapter in When Eagles Roar is prefaced by a few lines of poetry from the renowned Zulu poet, Mazisi Kunene, whose literary goal was the retelling of African history in a way that he believed would make it relevant and authentic to the non-African.  In such a way does Currie, with the assistance of Bonnie Fladung, share the wonders of life in the bush (including a great deal more than just the Big Five) with those of us who have only limited awareness of what such a life entails.

Currie prides himself on his ability to tell stories well, which he certainly does. His acute awareness of both the dangers and the lyricism of the African bush comes alive in these pages, which are illustrated with many an artful line drawing by Margo Damian. The threats to which those living in Africa are subject not only come from the never-ending cycle of predator and prey, of which humans form an inevitable, and largely dominant, part, but also from the onslaught of one of the most deadly of modern-day scourges, AIDS. Currie’s solid bond with his trackers, who come from the local African communities, is made heartbreakingly real in his telling of how they and their families are affected by this dread disease. His ability to make close connections with them can, to a large extent, be attributed to his knowledge of their native isiZulu language. Although Currie does not dwell on politics, one is made aware of his opposition to the apartheid regime of yesteryear, which has left so much poverty in its wake, to which the country as a whole is still subject, in the form of its depredatory legacy.

This book is likely to have widespread appeal to both old and young, and should especially be made available to youngsters who are intent on choosing a worthwhile career path for themselves. However, those who are prurient of mind should be aware that they might find some of the wording in When Eagles Roar offensive, as this is a tale that does not pander to the euphemistically inclined, but which is rather one of nitty-gritty existence in the bush, despite much of it revolving around the trials and tribulations of a game ranger living on the five-star Phinda Game Reserve in the more rural areas of northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

In short, this memoir roars with the pulsating life of Africa, which, although under threat, nevertheless has a magic all of its own. The humanitarian nature of this work gives it a power that transcends the individual magnetism of the author, with it having a transcontinental appeal that should prove a true draw card worldwide not only among conservationists, but also among all those who are intrigued by other life forms that hopefully will continue to share our planet for eons yet to come. 

Unintelligent Humans…: Questions to Stimulate Your Soul / Richard A. Singer Jr. - Book Review

Singer describes his work, Unintelligent Humans…: Questions to Stimulate Your Soul (Author House;

ISBN 13: 978-1-4490-5623-0),  as a “little book of important questions” which are intended to open the reader’s mind and to allow the accessing of wisdom contained within one’s soul. He regards his brief guide as a tool by means of which to gain access to “that inner part of ourselves that contains infinite wisdom and divinity”. The book is divided into two sections, with the first (“Are You Living Intelligently?”) comparing our behavior to that of other living creatures, and the second (“Approaching Life’s Questions with an Open Mind: An Internal Quest”) containing essays providing insight into certain issues that, once resolved, may contribute to leading a more peaceful and meaningful life. As emerges from the personal interview conducted with the author by Sue Vegan of BookPleasures.com, with which the guide ends, Singer is a clinical psychologist, based in Grand Cayman, who holds with the teachings of Carl Rogers and Irvin Yalom.  

“Are You Living Intelligently?” consists of a series of questions, each of which is illustrated with a highly amusing cartoon featuring a wide array of animals, ranging from ants to whales. The two pivotal questions with which the section starts are “Are human beings really more intelligent and wise than all other living creatures? Are you?”. The questions reveal how unintelligent humans are in the way in which they act prejudicially and hurtfully towards one another, in contrast to the cooperation and understanding that prevails in the animal kingdom. By starting out in such a humorous way, Singer gains the empathy of his readership, so that one finds oneself opening up to the rest of what he has to say.

 In “Who is Your Soul Mate”, Singer offers six suggestions for embracing and nourishing your relationship with yourself and others, including “Practice mindfulness” and “Acknowledge impermanence”. In “What is Truth?”, Singer provides three steps by means of which one can get in touch with one’s own inner truth.  In “What are Your Core Beliefs?”, Singer reveals the eight core beliefs or principles that he utilizes as guidelines for the “How” and “Why” he lives, urging readers to adopt them as their own guideposts for daily living. In “Does Heartache Suck?”, Singer explores five specific actions that we can take to deal with emotional pain, based on his own direct experience and coming to grips with his own personal pain. In “How Important are Children?”, Singer describes some actions that you can take for honoring your own children, based on his experiences with his twin boys. In “Are Certain Human Beings Helpless”, Singer advises that one should “Never, Never, Never, Never give up on a human being”.

One of the most impressive aspects that I found about Unintelligent Humans was the way in which Singer was unafraid to reveal the nature of his own troubled past, as he has had to suffer through addiction, depression, anxiety and countless other difficulties. A key aspect of this work is that he has been able to recover from a position in which he was basically homeless, and estranged from his own family to where he is now, a practicing professional living in one of the most beautiful island groups on the planet. Clearly, he did not make this transition alone, but with the assistance of the spiritual guidance of a wide range of mystics, philosophers and spiritually enlightened leaders, from whose work he quotes widely. For those who are struggling to come to terms with the meaning of life and the importance of self-worth, Unintelligent Humans: Questions to Stimulate Your Soul is a must read. Brief it may be (consisting of only 60 pages), but the insights that it offers may well serve to revolutionize your life.        

Young Michelangelo: The Path to the Sistine / John T. Spike - Book Review

The biography Young Michelangelo: The Path to the Sistine (Vendome Press;

ISBN: 978-0-86565-166-8) covers the years in which Michelangelo was striving for public recognition of his artistic genius, so should be of interest not only to all those interested in Renaissance art, but also to all up and coming young professionals. In those days, prior to our current unprecedented levels of mass media hype, how did one gain widespread publicity and attain elevated levels of self-promotion? How, in brief, did one make a name for oneself? Starting by drawing over his master’s drawings so as to improve the latter and challenging the older students in the sculpture studio was not bound to win him any popularity with either his instructor, or with members of his peer group, though it did start Michelangelo on his way to greatness. In short, he was lacking neither in talent, nor in ambition, having much in common with many of our modern-day winners of “Idols”. After the initial rejection of some of his early work, most notably that of a Bacchus reeling from drink, he restores his own credibility by unleashing the virile David from a ruined block of marble. His obsession with the telling of his own story is also not unique to his time – how many aspirant hopefuls are not obsessed with the telling of their own tale? Underwriting Ascanio Condivi’s biography of his life, as well as two editions of Giorgio Vasari’s The Lives of the Artists, sounds all the more familiar in the modern age of ghost writing and vaunting by publicists of the greatness of artists’ work.

However, the truth will out, and that is exactly where John T. Spike’s biography excels. Through painstaking research and a determination to get to the bottom of things, he reveals the reality of both the life and times of the young Michelangelo. His writing exposes to us the vulnerability of the great man, as well as the fallacies and foibles of his age – a heady experience. Spike also does not stint on illustrations of Michelangelo’s work in this fascinating 312-page biography, containing 60 illustrations, many of which are in color. His 17-page bibliography attests to the extent of his research and to the depths of his insight into the life and early artistic emanations of this master of the Italian Renaissance. As critic, curator, and art historian, Dr. John T. Spike is eminently suited for the task of unraveling the intricacies of the past. With more than twenty culturally significant books on Renaissance, Baroque, and contemporary art to his name, and a career during which he has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Oxford, Spike has established himself as a leading expert in the field. Not only that, but he’s also a damn fine writer too, who will have you glued to the page from start to finish.

Labeled by Rosa King, author of Brunelleschi’s Dome and Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling as “one of our most astute and readable authorities on the Italian Renaissance…[who] approaches the artist through a compelling blend of solid scholarship, animated storytelling, and shrewd insight”, Spikes does merit to the artist and his work.  Young Michelangelo: The Path to the Sistine should be prescribed reading for all with an active interest in Renaissance art, whatever their level of knowledge and expertise on the subject.   

Life in the Hothouse: How a Living Planet Survives Climate Change / Melanie Lenart - Book Review

Award-winning ex-journalist turned academic, Melanie Lenart sets out in Life in the Hothouse: How a Living Planet Survives Climate Change (The University of Arizona Press; ISBN: 978-0-8165-2723-6) to see what lessons from the past, including from the two especially hot periods of the Cretaceous and the Eocene, can teach us about our present-day situation and about how we can prepare ourselves for our future on what promises to become an increasingly hot planet. Her intention is to show how we can work with the planet to limit some of the potentially disastrous impacts of global warming. Though she is convinced that life on Earth will survive, no matter what humans do to it, Lenart’s key concern is that many species and individuals might not.

True to her previous role as an investigative reporter, Lenart relates personal experiences of those affected by natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina. She includes quotes from interviews conducted with leading experts in the field, as well as excerpts from relevant e-mail exchanges. Her skill in expressing the most scientific and complex phenomena enables her to convey her message so clearly that even someone with only a very basic knowledge of how the planet functions will be able to understand what she has to say. No surprise, then, that Lenart also teaches environmental writing at the University of Arizona (check out her webpage on their site, which contains details of her schedule), as well as conducts workshops in her field. 

In this comprehensive and entertaining text, Lenart helps to bring contemporary thinking in America in line with the age-old thinking of the Native American people, citing many of the latter’s strongest voices. She shows her humane side as a scientist by revealing anecdotes of how her own life has been affected by climate change, whether it has meant cowering under an overturned couch during a hurricane or sweating profusely on an unexpectedly muggy July day.

Though she refers to leading bodies that are concerned with monitoring climate change, such as to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), she does not overwhelm one with countless names. After all, this is not an academic treatise, but rather a text that sets out to explore the implications of global warming for the average person. In straightforward, jargon-free prose, Lenart simply and objectively tells of life-threatening climate changes, such as that of rising winter temperatures in Alaska, which is leading to the need to relocate entire river-side towns.

By assuming that the average reader has sufficient intelligence to be able to understand the implications of what she has to say, Lenart establishes a certain rapport with her audience, which makes her arguments all the more convincing. She contextualizes the writings and work of those researchers to whom she refers, citing many popular articles than can be found in such magazines as Science and the New Scientist, which are widely available. Those who find that they wish to read further on the topics that she covers can, therefore, easily do so.

Life in the Hothouse does have some failings. The chapters could have been better signposted with subheadings, replacing the curlicues that currently are used between the subsections of each chapter. The text might appear daunting, as it contains no illustrations, which are always a powerful way of communicating any message, but specifically one that is scientific in nature. (Witness, for example, the transformation of the once print-dense National Geographic magazine over the years into a medium that is currently dominated by illustrations. In an age in which sound bites have become the desired mode of communication, it would be wise to follow their venerable example.)

I also found the index not to be as comprehensive as it should be. For example, it omits any reference to the Tribal Lands and Climate conferences and to the MIT, as well as to some of the researchers whose research is briefly described in the body of the text.

However, overall this work is highly relevant, especially given the chaos that can occur due to the onset of unanticipated and unprecedented climate-related events. Witness the five-day grounding of all air traffic throughout Europe that occurred in April 2010, due to the clouds of volcanic ash spewing from a volcano that erupted under one of Iceland’s larger glaciers. The publication of Life in the Hothouse could not have been timelier.