The Ultimate Survival Manual by Rich Johnson

Great Book!  My only disappointment was that my E-ARC was missing pages so I didn’t get the entire manuscript.

Rich Johnson has written an entertaining and informative guide to survival.  I’m big on survival information and I know that not everyone is.  This is an important book because we are in an environment that is unstable.  You don’t have to go out in the wilderness to be in a situation that requires survival techniques.  There’s a chance that there is a large amount of information in this book you will never need.  However, the one technique that you learn that later saves yours or someone else’s life is invaluable. 

This is a short book and each segment is brief.  Keep it in your bathroom and learn a trick or two every time you sit down.  On page one, I learned something.  Okay maybe learned is not the right word but I realized there was something I hadn’t thought of. Rich recommends that you keep an emergency bag in your office or place of work that includes rugged clothing, socks and a pair of tennis shoes.  The bag is available if you need to leave your work in a hurry and are not dressed for an emergency.  I would, almost, have thought it unnecessary but I guarantee that one day you wear the tight skirt or new dress shoes is the day that the weather turns and you have to evacuate or a shooter comes into the area and you have to flee.

It’s a scary and dangerous world out there.  I just think this book is an inexpensive way to protect yourself.

Hippo Says “Excuse Me” by Michael Dahl

This is the cutest book. The colors are so bright and cheerful that it made me happy just looking at it. Little Hippo is so darling, I just want to take it home with me.
Hippo and its mama are out about town and because they are so big they have to say “excuse me” often. The other animals are not always so happy about this but wait until Hippo is on the elevator and no one wants to let little chick on.
Because this is an e-galley, I can’t be certain what type of picture book this will be. I hope it’s a board book because it just has that sort of texture to it. No matter what it’s like this book is fun and inviting to small children. And what a great introduction to manners.

Terrible, Awful, Horrible Manners by Beth Bracken

“Once there was a boy named Pete who had terrible, awful, horrible manners.”
Pete is horribly rude. He’s loud, unclean and forgets to say please and thank you. His poor manners got him attention and made him laugh until one day his family decided to act like Pete. It didn’t take long for Pete to start reminding them of their manners.
This is a cute book and would be loved by most boys. Pete is loud and likes body noises which would appeal to the male persuasion. Some girls might enjoy Pete but they may be turned off by the burping and farting.
I’m not really sure this is a great manners book but it’s enjoyable and can open up a dialogue with a young child. This is definitely a young child book but wouldn’t make it long into grade school. This would be a perfect pre-school or kindergarten library book.

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

I picked up this book from the library when a friend of mine asked a group of us to go through the book with her. The Artist's Way is designed to be worked through over 12 weeks. Because it was a library book, I did it in six. My friends had started the book a few weeks before me but I still think I finished first.
The concept is to learn how to nurture your creative side and avoid creative blocks. I had picked up the book years ago but it didn't make an impression. I don't think I took it seriously. This time, I found I wanted to recommend it to everyone I know. Even though I did it in half the time and didn't quite do everything, I gave it a lot of effort. It's a great book but it's not perfect.
I did notice that it had a way of bringing to light the weirdest issues. The first time I read it, I had a real problem with Julia Cameron's use of God. Looking back, that was a time I was working through my own issues of faith. A friend of mine has the same issue but she also took issue with Julia Cameron's use of twelve step programs. This was something that no one else noticed making us wonder where the issue for her lies.
For me, I struggled with some of the more old fashioned wording. I am a woman in my thirties with a lot of future left. I struggled with Julia Cameron's questions like "If it wasn't too late, I would...." For me, it's not too late. I want to live in the now - not the past or the future. There's an issue there but I can't say what it is but it gives me something to explore.
I read a number of reviews of this book and find that you really have to be in the right place for this book to be helpful and, sadly, it's a place of recovery. The book is designed to help those recover from their blocks but it's a hard place to pull out of. I can understand why - Julia Cameron wrote this as a substitute to her workshops. The problem is that a workshop is more supportive than a book. I can picture that people use the book alone without support of others. You need a sounding board and someone to hold your hand when it gets too tough. You need accountibility that just doesn't come with a book.
I do recommend this book and have been contemplating using it to start my own workshops in my area but I don't recommend going it alone. Find other creative beings who want to work through it as well. It doesn't matter if they have blocks or not - there's still things to be learned.
I start this book over (I bought a copy for my husband) next week and plan on working through it with my husband so that he can discover the tools to prevent creative blocks as he starts his own blogs and persues his own dreams.

Tao Girls Rule by CJ Golden

I, originally, review CJ's first book Tao of the Defiant Woman on budgetartists.com http://budgetartists.com/node/134
I was excited to get the opportunity to review this "sequel" on the same site but things change I didn't get the chance. I finally pinned myself down to finish reading this book and share my thoughts about it.
I loved Tao of the Defiant Woman because it was the sort of woman I wanted to be. Tao Girls Rule is a book that just comes too late in my life. I would have loved to have had a copy in my teens, which is the point of this book. Tao Girls Rule is for young woman who are finding their footing in this world. It's designed to help them feel better about them selves and make choices that will lead to lingering happiness not momentary happiness.
I think what's really great about this book is that it encourages girls supporting girls. CJ Golden runs workshops and invites the girls to participate on her website. I'm sure that in this day and age of technology there is a way for these lost girls to find each other and connect through the book. (I just don't know how). I, almost, wish I had my own teenage girl to pass the book on to.
Now I think it's time for CJ to find someone to do the teenage boy equivilent.
Take the time to check out her books - you will not be sorry.