Book Review: The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard

Book Review: The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard by Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (1925-2013) started his career as a professional writer by producing short Western stories for the pulp magazines.  According to the introduction, Mr. Leonard’s first attempt was not very good and was rejected, whereupon he decided that next time he… Continue reading Book Review: The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard

Book Review: Herb Kent West Point Cadet

Book Review: Herb Kent West Point Cadet by Graham M. Dean The United States Military Academy in West Point, New York was established in 1802 as a training ground for United States military (primarily Army) officers.   It’s known for its high academic standards, strong Code of Honor, oh, and its students’ athletic achievements. The last… Continue reading Book Review: Herb Kent West Point Cadet

Book Review: The Minneapolis Riverfront

Book Review: The Minneapolis Riverfront by Iric Nathanson The city of Minneapolis grew up around the Mississippi River, and in particular, Saint Anthony Falls, which provided hydropower for the many flour mills that at one time made Minneapolis the flour milling capital of America.  This book, part of the “Images of America” series, tells the… Continue reading Book Review: The Minneapolis Riverfront

Book Review: The Periodic Table

Book Review: The Periodic Table by Tom Jackson Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway to facilitate writing this review.  No other compensation was requested or offered. The periodic table was developed in 1869 by Dmitri Mendeleev   as a way of categorizing elements, substances that cannot be refined or purified… Continue reading Book Review: The Periodic Table

Book Review: The World Grabbers

Book Review: The World Grabbers by Paul W. Fairman Dane Morrow feels like a failure.  He used to be a bright young man, enthusiastic about becoming a writer, and seeing a lovely young woman.  But his stories didn’t sell, and his book vanished into the publisher’s slush pile without trace.  Plus, Dane began to feel… Continue reading Book Review: The World Grabbers

Book Review: A Force So Swift: Mao, Truman and the Birth of Modern China, 1949

Book Review: A Force So Swift: Mao, Truman and the Birth of Modern China, 1949 by Kevin Peraino In 1949, Chen Yong was an idealistic boy in his teens, his military uniform too large for him, cheering in Beijing as Mao Zedong declared that the People’s Republic of China was born.  Now, he is an… Continue reading Book Review: A Force So Swift: Mao, Truman and the Birth of Modern China, 1949

Book Review: Complete Speaker’s and Toastmaster’s Library

Book Review: Complete Speaker’s and Toastmaster’s Library by Jacob M. Braude Public speaking is a valuable skill.  You may be called upon to say a few words at a friend’s or relative’s wedding.  You might have to give a presentation at work.  You might even aspire to doing Youtube videos.  But it’s also a skill… Continue reading Book Review: Complete Speaker’s and Toastmaster’s Library

Book Review: My Ultimate Super Hero Manual

Book Review: My Ultimate Super Hero Manual by Steve Behling Almost every comic book-loving kid has gone through a phase when they seriously wanted to be a superhero.  Wearing a flashy costume, having neat powers, hanging out with people like Spider-Man and Storm; what’s not to love?   At the very least, designing your own super… Continue reading Book Review: My Ultimate Super Hero Manual

Book Review: Old Celtic Romances

Book Review: Old Celtic Romances by P.W. Joyce The Gaelic-speaking people of ancient Ireland told tales of their mighty ancestors and great men, not unlike the people of every nation and tribe.  When writing came, they began to put these tales into manuscripts.  Out of the large body of remaining literature, in 1879 P.W. Joyce… Continue reading Book Review: Old Celtic Romances

Book Review: Sex with Kings

Book Review: Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman One of the advantages of being a king is that the rules don’t apply to you the same way as they do to commoners.  For centuries in Europe, this also extended to tolerance of extramarital affairs, to the point that many kings had maitresse-en-titre, the “official mistress.”  This… Continue reading Book Review: Sex with Kings