Walking on Water When You Feel Like You're Drowning
By Tommy Nelson and Steve Leavitt
Publisher: Tyndale House Books
Release Date: October 18, 2012
ISBN: 978-1589977228
ASIN: B008VTTYA4
Pages: 176

Review: 

I received Walking on Water When You Feel Like You're Drowning back in October courtesy of Tyndale House Books in exchange for my review. I meant to review the book earlier in the month, but I got swamped with other things and the book got shoved aside until I started reading it a few nights ago. The book covers anxiety & depression, which are something I have dealt with for most of my life and the reason why I wanted to review it in the first place.

Unlike the majority of anxiety/depression books that are written by doctors, Walking on Water is written by two men who have both experienced anxiety and depression. Tommy Nelson has been the senior pastor at the Denton Bible Church for past thrifty-five years and Steve Leavitt is a Christian Biblical counselor in New Braunfels, Texas. Together they have co-written Walking on Water which details their struggles with depression and how a biblical approach can help you crawl your way out of depression.

Anxiety and Depression can occur to anybody at anytime. Sometimes it is triggered from a life changing event, like being bullied or abused, or the death of a loved one. Other times stress can cause anxiety that leads to depression.

The Anger Workout
By Les Carter, Ph.D. and Frank Minirth, M.D.
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 978-1401675431
Pub. Date: October 30th, 2012 (Reprint)
Pages: 256

Review:

I signed up to review this book, courtesy of Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review, because anger is part of everyone's lives. Some people can control their anger easily, while others have a difficult time with it. There is not one person that can say that they don't get angry over something every week. With the failing economy, the job market collapsing, and the continuing increases in gasoline prices, there are many things to be angry at.

The Anger Workbook was originally released back in in 1993 and has now been reprinted in an updated version. The authors, Les Carter and Frank Minirth, have written an interactive workbook to help you live a better life by going through thirteen steps toward anger management. Anger is not just slamming doors, screaming at a random stranger, or getting into fights. It is about shutting your feelings down, non communicating with others, feeling frustrated, and being over aggressive.

A Short History of the Short Story
by Glunaz Fatma, MA, MBA
Publisher: Modern History Press
ISBN: 978-1615991662
Pub. Date: September 5, 2012
Pages: 46

Review: 

In fewer than fifty pages, author Glunaz Fatma successfully gives us the basic history of short fiction stories from Western and Asian Traditions. Being an author of short stories myself, I was very eager to review this book courtesy of Modern History Press.

Many famous writers, such as H.G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, Alphonse Daudet, Miguel de Cervantes, Shirley Jackson, Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Rabindranath Tagore, and many others, have written numerous short stories as it gives them more freedom to express their creativeness without being classified by a genre.

Just like a novel, a short story must has a well-written plot that leads to a conclusion. A short story is between 1,000 to 20,000 words. Anything over is either a novella or a novel, and anything under is considered as short stories or flash fiction.

The Way of Oz: A Guide to Wisdom, Heart, and Courage
By Robert Y. Smith
Illustrations by Dusty Higgins
Publisher: Texas Tech University Press
ISBN: 978-0896727403
Pub. Date: September 1, 2012
Pages: 288

Review: 

It seems there is a new self-help book being released every week that is suppose to magically change your life if you buy it. I am one of those people that fell into the hype, but I have found the majority of the books offer nothing new, just common sense that every human being already knows.

Even though I wasn't in the mood to read another so-called self-help, I went ahead and signed up to review The Way of Oz: A Guide to Wisdom, Heart, and Courage by Robert Y. Smith, only because it showed Dorothy, Toto, Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow walking on the yellow brick road toward the Emerald City.

Author Robert Y. Smith shows how you can learn about life lessons through the original L. Frank Braum's fourteen Oz children books, which teaches kids to read, write, and communicate with others. The first two chapters is a biography of L. Frank Braum and the Oz books. The author then focuses on the characters and plots from the books and how they can be applied to our daily lives.

Escaping the Cauldron
By Kristine McGuire
Publisher: Charisma House
ISBN: 978-1616386979
Pub. Date: September 4, 2012
Pages: 240
Buy Links: Amazon.com

Review:

In this memoir, author Kristine McGuire tells her story about her fall from Christ, her dabble into the occult, and her new found freedom. The interest in the occult first occurred when she was a kid. She would play fortune-teller with her friends by reading each others' palms. She would drag out a clear plastic baby toy and use it as a crystal ball.

After attending a Christian college, marring a Christian man, and becoming a mother, she still had an interest in the occult even though she was still a follower of God. Kristine started reading books on witchcraft and the occult. For eight years she devoured her life into the occult, until she suddenly realized that it wasn't the life for her and she made her way back to being a Christian.

Understanding Other People: The Five Secrets to Human Behavior
Written by: Beverly D. Flaxington
Publisher: ATA Press
ISBN: 9780615272290
Pub Date: Second Edition, Feb. 2010
Pages: 100

We have put men on the moon, we’ve created tiny microchips, and we’ve created the world wide net, but the one thing we can’t figure out is how to understand other people. No one human being is the same, we’re all ordinary with are own personal thoughts and desires. This can make it difficult for us to understand other people, let alone us.

Author Beth D. Flaxington is a corporate consultant, hypnotherapist, a certified behavioral analyst, a college professor and a professional coach. And now she was written Understanding Other People: The Five Secrets to Human Behavior to help us understand what people are saying when they are speaking to us. Understanding human behavior can improve your everyday life, such as getting along with a co-worker or your boss, or understanding your partner or spouse’s needs.

The Brain That Changes Everything
By: Shaahin Cheyene
Publisher: Accelerated Intelligence Inc.
ASIN: B007HRABY4
Pub Date: March 5, 2012
Pages: 75

The author, Shaahin Cheyene, is an herbalist and the creator of Excelerol, has written the short non-fiction book titled The Brain That Changes Everything, in which he explains the benefits of using natural herbals to increase your memory, concentration and Alertness. Of course taking a supplement alone can't help you as you must have an excellent diet and frequent exercise routine to give that extra boost that your brain desires.

You'll learn about how important nutrition is in your diet and how it will reduce your cortisol release and maintain your blood sugar. What is a cortisol? Well, it is a stress hormone and it can negatively impact your overall brain and body function.

Making Sense When Life Doesn't
Written By Cecil Murphy
Publisher: Summerside Press
ISBN: 978-1609362249
Pub. Date: April 3, 2012 
Pages: 208

 The Litfuse Publicity Group and Summerside Press sent me a review copy of Making Sense When Life Doesn't last month free of charge for a honest review. I read the book right away, but for some reason I have been having the hardest time trying to start this review for it. As it says on the back cover, "Life is Messy. Cluttered. Disorganized." So I think my life is currently cluttered too, with all the books and papers piled up on my desk.

The Complete Tax Guide for E-commerce Retailers
Written by Martha Maeda
Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
ISBN: 9781601381248
Pub Date: 212
Pages: 288

    With the economy continuing to get worse every week, more and more people are finding a second income by becoming an online seller on popular sites like Amazon, eBay and Etsy. Even television is getting into making money by selling used items such as Pawn Stars, American Pickers, and Storage Wars. Of course Amazon and eBay have been available to the public for many years before these shows existed. Some people may find it as a hobby selling collectables, antiques, old books, used items, or handmade crafts online, while others are making a small if not large income from having an online store.

    Just as bloggers now have to have a disclaimer on what review copies they receive, the government is now cracking down on e-Sellers. When the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 went into effect in 2011, e-Sellers now have to turn in your newfound income to the IRS, especially if you are bringing in at least $20,000 from your e-Selling.

Tales of the Not Forgotten
Written by: Beth Guckenberger
Published by: Standard Publishing
ISBN: 78-0784735282
Pub Date: 2012
Pages: 208

I did not really know what Tales of the Not Forgotten was about when I signed up to review it courtesy of Liftuse and Standard Publishing. This is a non-fiction book about the lives of four orphans, Joel, Seraphina, Ibrahim, and Christiana, all from other countries - Mexico, Haiti, Nigeria, and India. These young children are unlike any I have ever read about, as, for such a young age, they have so many unthinkable challenges thrown at them everyday.

The book is written for both children and adults to understand what these orphans go through and what we can do to help. The author and her husband go on missionaries to other countries, where they offer their help to those in need, from food to medical supplies.

Yahoo! Income: How Anyone of Any Age, Location, and/or Background Can Build a Highly Profitable Online Business with Yahoo!
Written by: Dana E. Blazis and Sharon L Cohen
Published by: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
Pub Date: 2009
Pages: 334

Yahoo! blasted onto the worldwide net in 1994 and has grown into much more than just a search engine, by providing a new unique ways for people to purchase products and services from anywhere around the world.

Yahoo! Income: How Anyone of Any Age, Location, and/or Background Can Build a Highly Profitable Online Business with Yahoo! is written in nonprofessional’s terms, so anyone with any educational background can learn how to get the best experience on there. Yahoo! helps businesses connect with new customers, and some businesses earn close to one million dollars a year by using these services.

GOOGLE INCOME: How Anyone of Any Age, Location, and/or Background Can Build A Highly Profitable Online Business With Google
Written by: BRUCE C. BROWN
Published by: ATLANTIC PUBLISHING GROUP, INC.
ISBN: 978-1-60138-300-6
Pages: 504
Pub Date: 2009

    GOOGLE INCOME: How Anyone of Any Age, Location, and/or Background Can Build a Highly Profitable Online Business With Google is written with the purpose of educating businesses, authors, or bloggers with ways to use the internet for marketing for brand/product. Millions of people use the internet everyday, which can be potential customers/clients for you. The first step is performing a market analysis, increasing your public profile, and establishing the best marketing strategies.

    In chapter three, you’ll learn about how to generate website traffic and income by using successful search engines, meta tag definitions, title tags, description tags, search engine registration, and site maps. You’ll learn the importance of what the inbound and outbound links on your site has on your Google rank. The author brushes you up on pay-per-click advertising, aka Adwords, and how you can benefit from a Google Adwords Campaign.

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ADWORDS
Written by: LARISA LAMBERT
Published by: ATLANTIC PUBLISHING GROUP, INC.
ISBN: 978-1601383181
Pages: 288
Pub Date: 2011

    Whether you are a small or lager business owner, a writer, or even a blogger, Google Adwords is an easy and smart way to take your business into a whole new direction. I have seen the Adwords information on blogger, but I never actually knew what exactly it was about until I read The Complete Guide to Adwords that I received courtesy of Atlantic Publishing.

    Author Larisa Lambert consults on advertising, marketing, publishing, and other business endeavors, and has helped businesses grow by using Google Adwords. For any successful business, getting the word out about your company takes time and with the world-wide-net, you can successfully market your business.

The Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Flowers, Fruits, and Herbs From Containers
AUTHOR: Lizz Shepherd
PUBLISHED BY: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1601383471
PUB DATE: 2011
PAGES: 288

    Having your own garden can be difficult if you live in an apartment or you just do not have a very big yard to use. With the rising cost of groceries, growing your own vegetables and fruit is becoming more popular. No longer will you have to run to the grocery store just to get a few tomatoes. The Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Flowers, Fruits, and Herbs From Containers is to help any newbie or veteran gardener learn how to plant in plastic, clay, concrete, wood, paper, glass, and even recycled and “art” planters.

    Depending on your climate, you can leave your containers outside during the day and bring them inside at night, or just keep them inside your home, balcony, or deck. Just remember that some plants need light, so a UV light would be handy. In addition, a humidifier in the room helps too.

This Land of Strangers
AUTHOR: Robert E. Hall
PUBLISHED BY: GreenLeaf Book Group Press
ISBN: 978-1-60832-299-2
PUB DATE: 2012
PAGES: 342

    If you ever catch a rerun of a 50’s sitcom, you will notice how the neighbors are not strangers, kids do not argue at their parents, and the families sit around the dinner table talking about their day. Today’s kids would just laugh at the old sitcoms, probably referring to them as ‘unrealistic.’ When the truth is that today’s families have lost touch with what real relationships are.

    Author Robert Hall has written a clever, funny, and realistic book titled “This Land of Strangers” that touches on the subject about the relationships in our lives. From our families, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, fellow church members, to the stranger sitting next to you on the subway, Robert writes about how our relationships is threatening our society.

How To Apologize To Your Woman
AUTHOR: Karen Field Bolek
PUBLISHED BY: Bolekian Perspective Publishing
ISBN: 9780983364603
RELEASED DATE: 2011
PAGES: 219



There is not one man in the world that understands what a woman is thinking, let alone how to apologize to her when you have done something wrong. Author Karen Field Bolek has written an interesting book titled How to Apologize to Your Woman . . . So that she won’t use it against you in the future to help us men to apologize. She shows the reader how to use simple step-by-step methods for delivering a thoughtful apology, so no more lying, just be honest. To give a meaningful apology you have to really mean and feel what you are saying. You must also understand what you are apologizing for. Also taking in consideration your wife’s/girlfriend are feeling about what you said or done to cause the difficult situation in the first place.

Purr-fect Recipes for a Healthy Cat
AUTHOR: Lisa Shiroff
PUBLISHED BY: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN: 978-1601383983
RELEASED DATE: 2011
PAGES: 288

  



    I am a cat lover, so when I saw the title Purr-fect Recipes for a Healthy Cat: 101 Natural Cat Food & Treat Recipes to Make Your Cat Happy, I had to review it. Author and fellow animal lover Lisa Shiroff takes you through the basics, which provides great information for new cat owners, like what a healthy cat looks like; a cat’s natural diet; cat friendly foods; and foods that are dangerous. You’ll also get a brush up on the current trends of the commercial pet food industry, where you’ll learn what and what not to buy for your cat.

How to Start and Make a Conversation: How to Talk to Anyone in 30 Seconds of Less
BY: Christ Gottchalk
FORWARD BY: Deanna Anderson, M.ED, CCC/SLP Speech Language Pathologist
PUBLISHED BY: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60138-383-9
Pages: 288

 Before there was Facebook and Twitter, there was a thing called talking - actual face to face communication. In the book How to Start and Make a Conversation you'll learn how to talk to anyone in thirty seconds or less. You may think this is easy and just text somebody, but in the competitive business world, or just life in general, good communication skills are required.

The book's target readers will be mostly shy men and women who have a hard time getting up the nerve to talk to someone, but it can easily be used by students, teachers, business owners, etc. The author quickly takes you through the basic reasons of why conversation is important in our society. There are many reasons why someone can struggle with communications, like social anxiety, fear of rejection, self-esteem, etc. Throughout the book you'll learn about how important body language is; speaking to a stranger in thirty seconds or less; how to make small talk; how to leave a conversation; communicating at work; making friends; the romantic art of conversation; and learning how to communicate in the social media world.

 
Lightning-fast Chinese for Kids and Families
EDITED BY: Carolyn Woods
PUBLISHED BY: CreateSpace
PUBLISHED IN: 2012
ISBN: 978-1470138820
Pages: 78


    Growing up in a small town, my high school only offered French as a language class. Honestly, I never planned to use French in real life. Three of the most used languages in America are English, Spanish, and Chinese. Knowing these three languages is necessary if you want to succeed in the job market today.

    Lighting-fast Chinese for Kids and Families is written for parents/guardians to help their children to learn Chinese in a fast and simple manner. There are fifteen different conversations that you can learn while performing daily tasks, like preparing dinner; walking outside; etc. During meals you can simple ask the question ‘What’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner?’, and teach your family how to reply by repeating a few Chinese words. Children can easily learn a language by pointing to a favorite toy and teaching them what the word is in another language.

Writers on the Edge
EDITED BY: Diane M. Raab and James Brown
PUBLISHED BY: Modern History Press
PUBLISHED IN: 2012
ISBN: 978-1-61599-108-2
Pages: 188

    Addiction and depression can consume anyone, even us writers. From Modern History Press comes a bold new book Writers on the Edge, where 22 writers speak about their own addiction and dependencies. Editors Diana Raab, award-winning memorist and poet, and James Brown, author and Professor of English in the M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing at California State University, San Bernardino, has complied together memories, poetry, and essays by contemporary authors who bring a new truthful edge with the world of addiction.