About a month ago, I told you how to get a free book (see here). Well, if you didn't act then, you're too late to get it free, but you can still follow the directions I listed and get the book for just $9.99. And I'd say it's worth it.
I want to do a review of Kindle, but I'll save those comments for another day. Today, I want to tell you about the book The Simple Dollar, by Trent Hamm. The author has a blog, conveniently titled The Simple Dollar, that focuses on day-to-day financial management. I strongly recommend his site.
But the book is more than just "How I got rid of credit cards and made my life easier." Trent starts by telling you his story, of being in a "prison made of plastic." But he goes on and talks about life in general, looking at "What's missing?"
Hamm interleaves stories from his personal life along with stories for your personal life. He helps understand the power of goals and the simple fact that life really is more random than you think. He looks at the sense of community in this Facebook/Myspace social networking world. He goes beyond how to get out of debt and discusses how to stay out of debt. It's not just beans-and-rice and rice-and-beans, he discusses alternatives. If you like rice-and-beans, that's fine, but most of us don't. He acknowledges that and shows how to live frugally, while still enjoying life.
But as said earlier, it's not just finances. Hamm talks about family relationships (ok, as they relate to finances) and retirement. I especially liked his discussion of a partial crossover point, a time when you can let go of your current career and start working on something new, something more exciting.
Chapter 15 of Hamm's book talks about Setting Your Child Apart. I've not read any financial planning books that discuss child rearing. He helps parents help their kids. Then he talks about giving. Not just in dollars and cents, but in giving to the community and why you should give (don't expect to be preached at - just reasons to give).
I highly recommend Hamm's book, even if you have to spend a few bucks.
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Who needs states anyway?
I recently started reading a book I picked up from the bargain bin while on vacation. It's called "Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention" and it's pretty good. It's not what I would call a must-read or a spell binding book, but it helps fill some gaps in my understanding of the Constitution and helps you get inside the minds of the people who drafted it.
Part of what I was reading talked about the need for a strong central government and then I heard something on the radio that basically said - "who needs states anyway?" With the push towards national control of education, national control of health care, national control of banking and finance laws, etc, etc. Why have individual states?
Of course my friends and family who cheer for University of South Carolina who have to adjust to a new name if the states went away and Columbia College is already taken. But they could keep their beloved mascot and change the name to something like Gamecock U.
In all seriousness, I'd like your opinion. Who needs states? Why not let the federal government dictate everything. Why should my state laws be different than yours?
Part of what I was reading talked about the need for a strong central government and then I heard something on the radio that basically said - "who needs states anyway?" With the push towards national control of education, national control of health care, national control of banking and finance laws, etc, etc. Why have individual states?
Of course my friends and family who cheer for University of South Carolina who have to adjust to a new name if the states went away and Columbia College is already taken. But they could keep their beloved mascot and change the name to something like Gamecock U.
In all seriousness, I'd like your opinion. Who needs states? Why not let the federal government dictate everything. Why should my state laws be different than yours?
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Upcountry - Book Review
The other day, I posted a quote about the book Upcountry, by Nelson DeMille. I finished reading the book and thought I'd post a review. I had read other DeMille novels - Plum Island, The Lion's Game and Nightfall, and knew this would be an adventure. The further I got into the new novel, the more adventurous it became.
Upcountry is set mostly in Vietnam. The lead character, Paul Brenner, is a retired Vietnam War veteran who stayed in the Army for several years in the Criminal Investigation Division. After his exit from CID, he is called back for one case - to investigate a 30 year old murder that occurred during the height of the war.
Brenner's travel to Vietnam brings back a lot of memories, some of them quite graphic (not for kids). While I was too young to know details back then, the details provided in this book seem accurate and an epilogue explains DeMille's background and gives authenticity.
Of course there has to be a woman involved, in this case it's Susan Weber. She's been in Vietnam for a number of years and likes the fact that she's living in a new territory, likened to the Old West. Susan decides to accompany Brenner and he's not sure he wants her there.
Typical for DeMille, the novel is action packed. There's some romance in it, and a lot of unanswered questions at the end (but none that affect the quality of the story). The novel is somewhat of a sequel to The General's Daughter (which was made into a John Travolta movie), but I didn't know this until half-way through and I didn't miss anything.
Vietnam War veterans may find this book brings back memories and that could be good or bad. Also, the graphic descriptions could prove too graphic for some people - on at least one occasion I had to take a break from reading to wash my hands. But the story line was excellent and kept you guessing as to what would come next. The ending questions (what happens to Susan Weber?) are not so bothersome as to leave you hanging - I hate it when that happens and often refuse to buy the sequel on purpose alone.
Lately, the idea of race relations has been forefront on my mind, and this book helped understand the issues a little deeper. As noted in my previous post, the regional pride of the North and South Vietnamese, seemed to echo the regional differences in the U.S.
All together, a very good read, I recommend it. I'm interested in your opinion.
Upcountry is set mostly in Vietnam. The lead character, Paul Brenner, is a retired Vietnam War veteran who stayed in the Army for several years in the Criminal Investigation Division. After his exit from CID, he is called back for one case - to investigate a 30 year old murder that occurred during the height of the war.
Brenner's travel to Vietnam brings back a lot of memories, some of them quite graphic (not for kids). While I was too young to know details back then, the details provided in this book seem accurate and an epilogue explains DeMille's background and gives authenticity.
Of course there has to be a woman involved, in this case it's Susan Weber. She's been in Vietnam for a number of years and likes the fact that she's living in a new territory, likened to the Old West. Susan decides to accompany Brenner and he's not sure he wants her there.
Typical for DeMille, the novel is action packed. There's some romance in it, and a lot of unanswered questions at the end (but none that affect the quality of the story). The novel is somewhat of a sequel to The General's Daughter (which was made into a John Travolta movie), but I didn't know this until half-way through and I didn't miss anything.
Vietnam War veterans may find this book brings back memories and that could be good or bad. Also, the graphic descriptions could prove too graphic for some people - on at least one occasion I had to take a break from reading to wash my hands. But the story line was excellent and kept you guessing as to what would come next. The ending questions (what happens to Susan Weber?) are not so bothersome as to leave you hanging - I hate it when that happens and often refuse to buy the sequel on purpose alone.
Lately, the idea of race relations has been forefront on my mind, and this book helped understand the issues a little deeper. As noted in my previous post, the regional pride of the North and South Vietnamese, seemed to echo the regional differences in the U.S.
All together, a very good read, I recommend it. I'm interested in your opinion.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
This animosity between the North and South...
It's unusual for me to comment on a book before I finish reading it, but in this case I just had to do so. I'm reading Nelson DeMille's story about an Vietnam War Veteran who goes back to investigate a murder that took place during the war. I'll do a full review on the story in a few days when I finish the book.
The subject line is part of a quote from the book and it struck me in that it could pertain to the struggle we in the U.S. continue to have with race. I've always thought that if the Civil War and the Reconstruction had taken place differently, race relations would be different. Maybe I take it a little to personally, but I've always felt that we Southerners unfairly get the blame for a lot of racial issues.
The book has nothing to do with race relations (or does it?) but everything to do with war. DeMille has some very colorful descriptions of battles and the characters "detective work." Bottom line, it's not a story for children.
The entire quote: "This animosity between the North and South Viets, the victor and the vanquished, went on, and it was a very complex thing, having less to do with the war, I thought, than what came after. War is simple; peace is complex."
What do you think? Does this apply to the Yankees and the Rebels?
The subject line is part of a quote from the book and it struck me in that it could pertain to the struggle we in the U.S. continue to have with race. I've always thought that if the Civil War and the Reconstruction had taken place differently, race relations would be different. Maybe I take it a little to personally, but I've always felt that we Southerners unfairly get the blame for a lot of racial issues.
The book has nothing to do with race relations (or does it?) but everything to do with war. DeMille has some very colorful descriptions of battles and the characters "detective work." Bottom line, it's not a story for children.
The entire quote: "This animosity between the North and South Viets, the victor and the vanquished, went on, and it was a very complex thing, having less to do with the war, I thought, than what came after. War is simple; peace is complex."
What do you think? Does this apply to the Yankees and the Rebels?
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Great War: American Front - Book Review
The cover declares this book is "the definitive alternate history saga of its time." I have to agree. Harry Turtledove does his expected excellent job of telling a story that could be from a parallel universe. It's history, but not the way you remembered it.
At the beginning of the book, Turtledove sets the tone. It's near the end of the Civil War, but things have not gone well for Lincoln's USA. In fact, they have lost the war. The middle part of the North American continent is split into two nations, USA and CSA. The story line jumps to 1914 and the outbreak of The Great War. But the alliances aren't what you would expect. The Confederate States are joined by England and France. Which means that the USA allies with Germany.
The American Front details the battles between the USA and Canada and between the USA and CSA. President Roosevelt (Teddy) is guiding the USA, while President Woodrow Wilson guides the CSA. Slavery has ended long ago, but blacks are treated poorly in both nations. Armies discover machine guns, tanks, and chlorine gas. Trench warfare breaks out in Virginia, Kentucky and Utah.
Not only are there strange international alliances, there are a couple of intra-national alliances (or at least intra-continental). The Mormons of Utah originally were part of the USA, but they rebelled and tried to secede. Some Indian nations also sided with the CSA and fought against the USA.
Turtledove moves from the USA front lines to the Canadian, then to the CSA, then back again. You look at the war from the view of the soldiers, the workers in the steel mill, plantation owner and plantation workers. Socialism is about to break out and you see the war from a socialist's view.
A good bit of the book deals with the way blacks are treated. There's a lot of foreshadowing to indicate that the next book will focus on this issue as well. It's clear from this and other Turtledove books he believes that part of the reason for the Civil War was States' rights. But he also acknowledges the fact that slavery played a major part and shows that the problems didn't end in 1865.
I was very impressed with the book and have just ordered (thanks to my wife) the sequel and the third book in the series. Race relations have been on my mind a lot recently and all the political talk about socialism from the right wing feeds right into the story line. The book isn't negative on any of this, the reader is left to determine the impact.
Some of the language used in the book will probably offend a great many people. Words that were commonly (but rudely) used in the 1915 time period are used throughout the book. Being set in the middle of a war, there is a lot of profanity as you might expect. And there are some scenes described that would probably warrant keeping kids away (both for sex and violence).
My favorite quote from the book is a real quote from Vegetius of the Roman Empire "Let him who desires peace prepare for war."
I highly recommend the book.
At the beginning of the book, Turtledove sets the tone. It's near the end of the Civil War, but things have not gone well for Lincoln's USA. In fact, they have lost the war. The middle part of the North American continent is split into two nations, USA and CSA. The story line jumps to 1914 and the outbreak of The Great War. But the alliances aren't what you would expect. The Confederate States are joined by England and France. Which means that the USA allies with Germany.
The American Front details the battles between the USA and Canada and between the USA and CSA. President Roosevelt (Teddy) is guiding the USA, while President Woodrow Wilson guides the CSA. Slavery has ended long ago, but blacks are treated poorly in both nations. Armies discover machine guns, tanks, and chlorine gas. Trench warfare breaks out in Virginia, Kentucky and Utah.
Not only are there strange international alliances, there are a couple of intra-national alliances (or at least intra-continental). The Mormons of Utah originally were part of the USA, but they rebelled and tried to secede. Some Indian nations also sided with the CSA and fought against the USA.
Turtledove moves from the USA front lines to the Canadian, then to the CSA, then back again. You look at the war from the view of the soldiers, the workers in the steel mill, plantation owner and plantation workers. Socialism is about to break out and you see the war from a socialist's view.
A good bit of the book deals with the way blacks are treated. There's a lot of foreshadowing to indicate that the next book will focus on this issue as well. It's clear from this and other Turtledove books he believes that part of the reason for the Civil War was States' rights. But he also acknowledges the fact that slavery played a major part and shows that the problems didn't end in 1865.
I was very impressed with the book and have just ordered (thanks to my wife) the sequel and the third book in the series. Race relations have been on my mind a lot recently and all the political talk about socialism from the right wing feeds right into the story line. The book isn't negative on any of this, the reader is left to determine the impact.
Some of the language used in the book will probably offend a great many people. Words that were commonly (but rudely) used in the 1915 time period are used throughout the book. Being set in the middle of a war, there is a lot of profanity as you might expect. And there are some scenes described that would probably warrant keeping kids away (both for sex and violence).
My favorite quote from the book is a real quote from Vegetius of the Roman Empire "Let him who desires peace prepare for war."
I highly recommend the book.
Monday, April 14, 2008
the five people you meet in heaven - book report
Ok, just for the record, the book is fiction and probably not scripturally accurate. But it's a good book.
So what happens when you die? Does your entire life pass in front of your eyes? Do you see your family? Do you come back as some other being? Is heaven the Garden of Eden? Well, Mitch
Albom says you meet five people. These are people who have had some impact on your life and have passed on before you. In some way, they changed your life forever. Their purpose is to tell you one thing about your life. To answer one question.
Mitch tells a story about Eddie, the maintenance man at the amusement park down by the pier. Eddie was a veteran who felt like his life never quite amounted to much. Then on his 83rd birthday, he dies in an accident at the park, trying to save a young girls life. He feels two small hands in his hands, then nothing.
Eddie meets his five people and they explain details about his life that he never understood. Why did he get shot in the war? Why do some people live and others die?
I really enjoyed reading this and went through it in short time. I kept wondering, who would my five people be? Which people in my life had the most impact? Mr Gaines, my high school history teacher? Mrs. Jones the math teacher? How about Dennis from my first real job?
Who would be the five people you meet?
So what happens when you die? Does your entire life pass in front of your eyes? Do you see your family? Do you come back as some other being? Is heaven the Garden of Eden? Well, Mitch
Albom says you meet five people. These are people who have had some impact on your life and have passed on before you. In some way, they changed your life forever. Their purpose is to tell you one thing about your life. To answer one question.
Mitch tells a story about Eddie, the maintenance man at the amusement park down by the pier. Eddie was a veteran who felt like his life never quite amounted to much. Then on his 83rd birthday, he dies in an accident at the park, trying to save a young girls life. He feels two small hands in his hands, then nothing.
Eddie meets his five people and they explain details about his life that he never understood. Why did he get shot in the war? Why do some people live and others die?
I really enjoyed reading this and went through it in short time. I kept wondering, who would my five people be? Which people in my life had the most impact? Mr Gaines, my high school history teacher? Mrs. Jones the math teacher? How about Dennis from my first real job?
Who would be the five people you meet?
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
State of Fear - Book Review
I just finished this book by Michael Crichton. If the name doesn't ring a bell, he wrote The Terminal Man (1972) about a computer "troubleshooter" who was afraid of machines - they implanted one in his body to control epilepsy (my alltime favorite book). He also wrote the Andromeda Strain which was made into a great Sci-Fi movie. Most people will know one of his other works, Jurassic Park (not my favorite). Congo was also one of his good books. Sphere was one of his works, but to be honest if left me confused.
This book promised to be good and I was VERY impressed. The characters are all involved with the Global Warming movement. I don't want to give the plot line away, but I will say that it is intense. The action keeps you turning page after page. There's even a lecture about the banning of DDT, a recent topic of one of my blog-friends (see "Dangerous environmentalism" on Neil's blog here.)
The chapters in the book are short, some as short as two pages. That helps those like me who have inherited ADD from their kids. It allows you to put the book down and breathe a little. Even with those breaks, I finished the 600+ page book in record time (for me). It's an excellent book.
While the book is fiction, Crichton uses references to real material that he says are factual (I don't doubt it, but haven't checked it). He finishes the plot line, then adds an Author's Message to give you insight into how he really feels. If he hasn't made you mad with the plot-line, you'll find his message enlightening. He ends the message with two simple sentences: "Everybody has an agenda. Except me."
He also includes an appendix explaining why he thinks politicizing of science is a bad idea. He shows a scientific idea that warned of an impending crisis supported by leading scientists, politicians and celebrities, supported by distinguised philanthropists and researched by leading universities. Supporters included T. Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Churchill, supreme court justices, inventors, novelists and playrights. I won't tell you the "scientific" idea, but will tell you it was discredited in the 1940's and isn't even discussed in proper circles today (If you really want a spoiler, email me and I'll tell you).
To says this is a must-read book uses an overused and abused term, but I'm not sure what else to say. Other than I enjoyed it and it's probably the best $8 (paperback) spent in recent times.
* Corrected typo. I really should proofread *
This book promised to be good and I was VERY impressed. The characters are all involved with the Global Warming movement. I don't want to give the plot line away, but I will say that it is intense. The action keeps you turning page after page. There's even a lecture about the banning of DDT, a recent topic of one of my blog-friends (see "Dangerous environmentalism" on Neil's blog here.)
The chapters in the book are short, some as short as two pages. That helps those like me who have inherited ADD from their kids. It allows you to put the book down and breathe a little. Even with those breaks, I finished the 600+ page book in record time (for me). It's an excellent book.
While the book is fiction, Crichton uses references to real material that he says are factual (I don't doubt it, but haven't checked it). He finishes the plot line, then adds an Author's Message to give you insight into how he really feels. If he hasn't made you mad with the plot-line, you'll find his message enlightening. He ends the message with two simple sentences: "Everybody has an agenda. Except me."
He also includes an appendix explaining why he thinks politicizing of science is a bad idea. He shows a scientific idea that warned of an impending crisis supported by leading scientists, politicians and celebrities, supported by distinguised philanthropists and researched by leading universities. Supporters included T. Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Churchill, supreme court justices, inventors, novelists and playrights. I won't tell you the "scientific" idea, but will tell you it was discredited in the 1940's and isn't even discussed in proper circles today (If you really want a spoiler, email me and I'll tell you).
To says this is a must-read book uses an overused and abused term, but I'm not sure what else to say. Other than I enjoyed it and it's probably the best $8 (paperback) spent in recent times.
* Corrected typo. I really should proofread *
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
I Walked the Line - My Life with Johnny
I recently finished reading this book. Not to be confused with the movie or song "I Walk the Line" which I commented on back in November, this is the story of Johnny Cash's first wife, Vivian.
My main comment from the movie was "it turns out that the man who wrote the song 'I Walk the Line' simply didn't." (Read the full post here)
But this story is different. Vivian Cash did walk the line. While her husband was off on tour, she was busy at home raising four daughters. She kept her faith in God (mentioned several times in the book) and tried to straighten out her husband. Even when she realized he was cheating, she tried to make things work.
The first Mrs. Cash expressed some of her doubts, some of her regrets, but it's clear she holds her head high. It's also clear that her love for Johnny never died.
A large part of the book (over 1/2) is basically a reprint of love letters Johnny sent to her while he was stationed in Germany. While it gets rather soupy, it establishes the way that he felt. You can also see (if you look) the early stages of the abuse he later sent her way.
What was most interesting to me about the love letters was that you could see Johnny's love for Vivian growing during the time he was away. Writing an average of one letter a day, the bond between them grew. I wonder how many people would write that many letters today?
This book is a good read. I had to wade through the soupy love letters, they will be interesting to others. I would encourage anyone to read this book.
My main comment from the movie was "it turns out that the man who wrote the song 'I Walk the Line' simply didn't." (Read the full post here)
But this story is different. Vivian Cash did walk the line. While her husband was off on tour, she was busy at home raising four daughters. She kept her faith in God (mentioned several times in the book) and tried to straighten out her husband. Even when she realized he was cheating, she tried to make things work.
The first Mrs. Cash expressed some of her doubts, some of her regrets, but it's clear she holds her head high. It's also clear that her love for Johnny never died.
A large part of the book (over 1/2) is basically a reprint of love letters Johnny sent to her while he was stationed in Germany. While it gets rather soupy, it establishes the way that he felt. You can also see (if you look) the early stages of the abuse he later sent her way.
What was most interesting to me about the love letters was that you could see Johnny's love for Vivian growing during the time he was away. Writing an average of one letter a day, the bond between them grew. I wonder how many people would write that many letters today?
This book is a good read. I had to wade through the soupy love letters, they will be interesting to others. I would encourage anyone to read this book.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Call to treason
If you like Tom Clancy and just don't have the time to read one of hus 600+ page books, but can handle 400 pages, this Op-Center book is a good read.
If you are into politics and you've ever wondered how much change politics can implement, or how much government agencies should carry out political changes, you should read this.
If you're concerned about Homeland security, CIA involvement in politics, etc, you should read this.
In all cases, remember that it's fiction.
Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Call to Treason is a good read. As with all of the Op-Center books, this is not real Clancy, but it's close. Clancy sketches an outline, passes it to some "junior" writers and then reviews it. As with other Op-Centers, this book is exciting.
The characters in this book are passed along from the other Op-Center books. If you've read other Op-Center books, you'll know them and have ideas about them. But if you haven't read those, don't worry, the book can be enjoyed without any other knowledge. This book may encourage you to read all of them (they're always on my list, for lighter reading).
In the book, Op-Center faces budget cuts. The organization is down-sized and one of the guys goes to work for a new political party. The new political party is aiming to win the presidency and change things. First on the agenda are immigration and trade.
But some folks related to the new party have a habit of getting killed (as with most of Clancy's stuff, killed in a spectacular way).
Trying to figure out who the good guys are and who are the bad guys is intriguing. I had trouble deciding if the head of the party was good or bad. And also for the guys below him
One question that was raised was how far is too far to go to stop a bad politician? If you didn't like one of the political candidates, and you thought he/she might win, to what lengths would you go to stop him/her? The book doesn't try to answer that (it's just entertainment, not ethics), but you should think about it.
Overall, a very good read.
If you are into politics and you've ever wondered how much change politics can implement, or how much government agencies should carry out political changes, you should read this.
If you're concerned about Homeland security, CIA involvement in politics, etc, you should read this.
In all cases, remember that it's fiction.
Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Call to Treason is a good read. As with all of the Op-Center books, this is not real Clancy, but it's close. Clancy sketches an outline, passes it to some "junior" writers and then reviews it. As with other Op-Centers, this book is exciting.
The characters in this book are passed along from the other Op-Center books. If you've read other Op-Center books, you'll know them and have ideas about them. But if you haven't read those, don't worry, the book can be enjoyed without any other knowledge. This book may encourage you to read all of them (they're always on my list, for lighter reading).
In the book, Op-Center faces budget cuts. The organization is down-sized and one of the guys goes to work for a new political party. The new political party is aiming to win the presidency and change things. First on the agenda are immigration and trade.
But some folks related to the new party have a habit of getting killed (as with most of Clancy's stuff, killed in a spectacular way).
Trying to figure out who the good guys are and who are the bad guys is intriguing. I had trouble deciding if the head of the party was good or bad. And also for the guys below him
One question that was raised was how far is too far to go to stop a bad politician? If you didn't like one of the political candidates, and you thought he/she might win, to what lengths would you go to stop him/her? The book doesn't try to answer that (it's just entertainment, not ethics), but you should think about it.
Overall, a very good read.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)