Tag: self-published book review

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: Puppies and Poems

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review by Midwest Book Review:

Puppies and Poems

Nancy Sack

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432784706

Reviewer: Miles Cassells (age 2) and Mom

“Puppies and Poems” by Nancy Sack is a really cute book. It has rhymes for everything from a party leading up to bedtime. I didn’t connect with the rhythm on every page. Sometimes, I felt myself re-reading the lines because they didn’t really rhyme. Since Miles is only two, he didn’t notice.

His reactions to this book were good. He pointed at each illustration and said the words he knows, like dog and cat. I think that Miles enjoyed the book, and even though he cannot really tell us how much, his big smiles looking at the pictures make the point that he was interested.

The illustrations are so pretty and vibrant, and the words are short and simple. However, I do not know that I would purchase this book for $19.99. We will, however, keep “Puppies and Poems” by Nancy Sack on the shelf, and it will be a part of our book reading rotation.

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: Bodacious Blues

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review by Midwest Book Review:

Bodacious Blues

Whitney J. LeBlanc

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432773793

Reviewer: Deb Shunamon

Establishing a career in Hollywood is not easy, particularly if it is the 1980s and you are a young Creole actor. Author Whitney J. LeBlanc, a television director in Hollywood for many years, has clearly based “Bodacious Blues” on what he knows well.

To experience the inner workings of television at a time when series such as “Good Times,” “The Jeffersons” and “The Rhoda Show” were airing, this book is a must read. Had he been visually identifiable as a black man, I’m sure his stories would have been different, but Les easily passes for white so readers are given access to a wide variety of the often harsh experiences and people that Hollywood offers. And when he returns back home to Estilette, Louisiana, readers learn a bit more about Les’ family and its members. However, to truly experience and understand the family, I think the first two books in the series should be read beforehand. (This is the third book in the series.) Without their background it was difficult to understand Les’ actions at times, not to mention that some of his relatives were fascinating. I wished I had known more about them.

A delightful part of this book is the Reviewer Comments at its beginning, which show that LeBlanc has clearly touched many people with his stories and characters. By all accounts, “Bodacious Blues” by Whitney J. LeBlanc appears to be a satisfying conclusion to his series. Entertaining and relevant, this is also a good novel about following dreams, Hollywood and Louisiana cultures, and the maturing of a young man.

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: A Patient’s Guide to Liposuction: How to Make an Informed Decision

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review by Midwest Book Review:

A Patient’s Guide to Liposuction: How to Make an Informed Decision

Jeffry B. Schafer, MD, FRSM

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432777166

Reviewer: Vicki Liston

Reconstructive and cosmetic surgeon Jeffry B. Schafer hopes to inform his readers of the myriad considerations when contemplating having a liposuction procedure. In his new book “A Patient’s Guide to Liposuction: How to Make an Informed Decision,” he introduces the history behind the liposuction concept as well as the advances in the field over the last few decades. His aim is to give prospective patients plenty of information so they can feel more confident about the choices they make and the realities of what to expect during the planning stages, surgery, and recovery.

The book begins with ample history – from the first procedures through the updates to technique and equipment. He covers the science of fat cells, how to choose a doctor, deciding which procedure is right for your personal situation, what can be expected (as well as not expected) when undergoing “lipo,” recovery times, and cost estimates. Color photos of machines, tissue diagrams, and before and after shots all greatly assist in better understanding Schafer’s explanations.

All in all, the information given would be enlightening for someone who knows nothing about liposuction.

 

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: The Mind of the Historian: Causation in Philosophy of History

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review by Midwest Book Review:

The Mind of the Historian: Causation in Philosophy of History

Ali Parsa

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432769222

Reviewer: Andrey Bilko

The compelling title “The Mind of the Historian”grabbed my interest right away. Writing history is a fascinating and extremely tough job, requiring the author to juggle the often blurry facts with appropriate analysis and creative commentary while refraining from inventing history as much as possible. Nevertheless, there are a multitude of influences,  like the atmosphere of the time and place when the story is retold or written, affecting the writing of history. It is crucial to understand the author and where he is coming from in order to correctly judge his work. Besides these points, the main goal of Dr. Parsa’s book is looking into the causes behind historical events. Finding the causality between events is the prime role of a historian. The interrelationships between events and people have to be presented and united in a way, which explains their progression from the start to the finish.

The question of causation is a philosophical one. What is causation in the first place? What is the most applicable definition? Philosophers, scientists, and historians have been pondering and offering their opinions on the subject for thousands of years. People like Aristotle, Isaac Newton, and David Hume, just to name a few, all presented certain theories. The truth lies somewhere amidst the clash between the scientific method, social science, and philosophy.

Besides introducing the reader to causation in the Western philosophy, the main focus of the book is causation in Islamic history, which is supported by the case study of the work “Zayn al-Akhbar” by 11th century Persian historian Gardizi. In addition, there is another chapter devoted to analysis of twelve other historians writings between the 9th and 13th centuries in the Islamic world. Dr. Parsa aims to dig deep into these historians’ minds, who represent a broad spectrum of the overall historian community.

“The Mind of the Historian” is based on a dissertation, which gives it some dryness in certain parts. However, considering the subject matter, it reads fairly smoothly. It is a must have for those interested in Perso-Islamic historiography and a curious read for someone wishing to learn more about historical writing.

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: The Art of the Roman Catacombs

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review by Midwest Book Review:

The Art of the Roman Catacombs: Themes of Deliverance in the Age of Persecution

Gregory S. Athnos

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432774493

Reviewer: Vicki Liston

 

One would think that by reading a book about the art that adorns the Roman catacombs, one would purely concentrate on analyzing the style and technique of the ancient artists. However, author Gregory S. Athnos presents his thoughts on the subject from a unique and fascinating angle. “The Art of the Roman Catacombs: Themes of Deliverance in the Age of Persecution” is not your typical Sunday school lecture.

“The Art of the Roman Catacombs” is an amazing journey into the subterranean world of early Christian tomb frescos. While Athnos does make distinction between the rudimentary plaster scratchings and the sarcophagi carvings, he focuses mostly on the main themes of the artwork and how they differ from our current day Christian emphasis. Specifically, we tend to center our minds on the sacrifice – the crucifixion of Jesus Christ – when practicing Christianity. Athnos shows, through example after surprising example, that early Christians didn’t include crosses or any references to sacrifice or death in their art. Instead, they emphasize the resurrection and the newfound power over death. The messages they left were of hope, of deliverance, and of eternal life.

I found the first appendix at the end of the book to be especially interesting. Athnos uses recorded astrological events, historical data, and seasonal information to pinpoint Jesus’ birthday … and it’s not what you think. I grew up believing what he explains although I only had the “shepherds couldn’t have been out in the fields at night in December” reasoning. Athnos not only presents this appendix with ample information to back up his theory but can even utilize the catacomb art to further justify it. I was simply blown away.

Athnos writes with an authoritative tone, speaking with intelligence and eloquence. His style is straightforward and organized, which gives the book a sense of direction and flow. He also succeeds in imparting his enthusiasm on the subject to his readers. Overall, I found his novel way of interpreting the tomb art to be absolutely captivating. I think this would be a fantastic book for not only Bible historians but for small group Bible studies. Further, tourists looking to explore the catacombs would enjoy reading the book before visiting; I know I would have loved to have this before my travels there. It truly gives a fresh perspective on traditional Christianity.

“The Art of the Roman Catacombs” represents a thirst for greater knowledge, empathy for those early Christians living during the Age of Persecution, and a hope that those reading will have a better understanding of what the emphasis was in the religion’s beginnings.