The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon

Product Description: The Energy Bus, an international best seller by Jon Gordon, takes readers on an enlightening and inspiring ride that reveals 10 secrets for approaching life and work with the kind of positive, forward thinking that leads to true accomplishment - at work and at home. Jon infuses this engaging story with keen insights as he provides a powerful roadmap to overcome adversity and bring out the best in yourself and your team. When you get on The Energy Bus you’ll enjoy the ride of your life!

Hardcover: 192 pages

Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 22, 2007)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0470100281

First line: It was Monday and Mondays were never good for George.

My thoughts: After reading The No Complaining Rule last year our principal chose this book, by the same author, for our book study this year. I found it to be a quick, entertaining read. I liked that the author got his message across with this story. It seemed a little goofy (I had to roll my eyes in a couple of places) but the message is a good one. The story concentrates on work and how a leader and others can banish the negative, embrace the positive and become more productive. It helps you think about how you are living your life and how to make it better. The principles he sets down are easy to understand and apply.

Rating: B

Excerpt: When you get to work you have another choice. You can catch people doing things right or you can catch them doing things wrong. Guess which of those two activities energizes people more?

Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo

About the book: Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.

Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.
First line: The Fourth of July holiday calls up memories of patriotic parades, the savory scent of smoky barbeque,  sweet corn, and night skies bursting with showers of light. But for my family, the July Fourth weekend of 2003 was a big deal for other reasons. 

My thoughts: I found this to be a heartwarming, encouraging book. It was a short, quick read, told in simple language. I would have loved to have heard more from Colton but I enjoyed what there was and the biblical references the father added that supported Colton's experiences and connected them to scripture. I was brought to tears in a couple of places. I will rate this book an E, not for it's literary value but for the hope it presents.

Rating:E

The Quotable Rogue edited by Matt Lewis

My thoughts: I chose to read and review this book from Thomas Nealson Publishers because Sarah Palin intrests me. I thought what better way to learn about her than through her own words? If you like her or if you don't, I think Sarah is here to stay and this short book illustrates where she stands on many subjects. Matt Lewis collected these quotes, which span the time period from 2006 to 2010, and placed them in chapters organized by subjects such as Economics, Crime, Education and Foreign Policy to name a few. My favorite quotes as a whole were found in the chapters called "On Being Sarah" ("I don't like to shop") and "On Family" ("The toughest thing has been the shots taken against the kids, against the family. They're Kids. The mama grizzly bear in me comes out....") The chapter called "On Tina Fey" was just fun. Sarah is not shy about her faith, so I wish there had been more in that chapter.

While no two people can agree on every thing I found I do agree with her thoughts on many things. Reading these quotes I came to feel that she is a down to earth, real type person, one I might enjoy meeting. Some of these quotes made me laugh, made me think and shake my head in wonder. It is a quick read at about 180 pages and one I will recommend.

From the Publisher: Inspiring, impactful, and revealing words from political and cultural icon Sarah Palin.

Many a pundit has tried to define Sarah Palin, but this is one woman who chooses not to wear labels imposed by others but instead to define herself by her own words and actions. Today she is one of the most sought after speakers and commentators and is poised to help to frame the issues in the 2010 election and beyond. The Quotable Rogue encapsulates Palin’s thoughts on such salient issues as health care, taxes, and government spending, the right to life, climate change, what it means for a politician to serve the people, and more.

“We need to spend more time lifting up America instead of apologizing for the greatest country on earth.”
“How’s that hopey-changey thing workin’ out for you?”
“My dad always says, ‘Don’t retreat, just reload.’ Don’t let anybody tell you to sit down and shut up.”

Rating: C
Quote: pg 37 "Sarah Palin: I like running alone, and having the Secret Service with me added a little bit of pressure. I'm thinking I gotta have good form and can't be hyperventilating and can't be showing too much pain, and that adds a little more pressure on you as you're trying to be out there enjoying your run. Then I fell coming down a hill and was so stinkin` embarassed that a golf cart full of Secret Service guys had to pull up beside me...In the debate you could see a big, fat, ugly Band-Aid on my right hand. I have a nice war wound now as a reminder of that fall in the palm of my right hand. For much of the campaign, shaking hands was a little bit painful.

Runner's World: I don't remember news reports about it.
Sarah Palin: Heck no! I made those guys swear to secrecy."
 (This one made me laugh. How hard is it choosing a quote from a book full of quotes?)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck

About the book: John Steinbeck (Feb. 27, 1902 - December 20, 1968) embarks on a journey to discover America in the fall of 1960. He drives a brand new three-quarter ton pickup camper truck and travels with his dog Charley. His purpose is to learn something about the vast United States and write a book about his experiences.

First Line: When I was very young and the urge to be someplace else was upon me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch.

My thoughts: What can I say, I fell in love with Charley, but enough about that. This book has been on my TBR pile fro quite some time. I can't believe it has taken me so long to get to it. I love Steinbeck's writing, the way he uses words to describe, his turn of a phrase, the quiet, unexpected humor in passages. I enjoyed this book, enjoyed the fact that it was so much more than I expected. I thought I would find a humorous look at America, and there were parts that were funny. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the beauty he saw in his months on the road. However there were parts that were sobering, that took a close look at subjects like civil rights, racism, war, and waste, all precursors to troubles we face today. I would suggest this book to anyone. Get it and read it.

Rating:



Quotes:
* "Once Charley fell in love with a dachshund, a romance racially unsuitable, physically ridiculous, and mechanically impossible. But all these problems Charley ignored. He loved deeply and tried dogfully."

*“If manners maketh man, then manner and grooming maketh poodle”

*"For how can one know color in perpetual green, and what good is warmth without cold to give it sweetness?"

*“Submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder”

*“The mountains of things we throw away are much greater than the things we use. In this, if in no other way, we can see the wild and reckless exuberance of our production, and waste seems to be the index”

*“We Americans bring in mercenaries to do our hard and humble work. I hope we may not be overwhelmed one day by peoples not too proud or too lazy or too soft to bend to the earth and pick up the things we eat”

*Less than a mile from the entrance I saw a bear beside the road, and it ambled out as though to flag me down. Instantly a change came over Charley. He shrieked wit rage. His lips flared, showing wicked teeth that have some trouble with a dog biscuit. He screeched insults at the bear, which hearing the bear reared up and seemed to me to overtop Rocinante. Frantically I rolled the windows shut and, swinging quickly to the left, grazed the animal, then scuttled on while Charley raved and ranted beside me, describing in detail what he would do to that bear if he could get at him. I was never so astonished in my life. to the best of my knowledge Charley had never seen a bear, and in his whole history had showed great tolerance for every living thing.

Links:
wikipedia article
John Steinbeck Exhibition Hall
Review from 1962

Lesley Anne Ivory's Perfect Little Cats

Product Description:
A collection of cat paintings. 15 cats and kittens of all kinds and colours are depicted against a variety of decorative backgrounds. Every illustration is faced by an extract of verse or prose by famous writers, such as Champfleury, William Cowper and Charles Baude.

First line: Here by the sacrad hearth I lie, High priest of the silken mat, Guarding with imperious eye, The Precinct of the cat.

My thoughts: I love Lesley Anne Ivory's art and when I ran across this little gem at a used book store I snapped it up. It is a very slim volumn with 15 pictures and 15 quotations. The illustrations are lovely and the quotations about cats that face each illustration make for fun reading. Especially if you are a cat person. If you are not a cat person, don't bother with this one. I loved it.

Quote:
"He's delicately tough, endearingly reserved,
Adaptable, fastidious, rope-and-fibre-nerved.
Now an accomplished Yogi, good at sitting still,
He ponders ancient mysteries on the window-sill,
Now stretches, bares his claws and saunters off to find
The thrills of love and hunting, cunningly combined.
Acrobat, diplomat, and simply tabby cat,
He conjures tangled forests in a furnished flat."

My rating:






Links:
images
Lesley Anne Ivory

How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must) by Ann Coulter

About the book:Welcome to the world of Ann Coulter. With her monumental bestsellers Treason, Slander, and High Crimes and Misdemeanors, Coulter has become the most recognized and talked-about conservative intellectual in years—and certainly the most controversial. Now, in How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must), which is sure to ignite impassioned debate, she offers her most comprehensive analysis of the American political scene to date. With incisive reasoning, refreshing candor, and razor-sharp wit, she reveals just why liberals have got it so wrong.

In this powerful and entertaining book, which draws on her weekly columns, Coulter ranges far and wide. No subject is off-limits, and no comment is left unsaid. After all, she writes, “Nothing too extreme can be said about liberals because it’s all true.”

First line: Historically, the best way to convert liberals is to have them move out of their parents' home, get a job, and start paying taxes.

My thoughts: I've been curious about Coulter's writing so when I found this book on CD at the used book store I got it. It is somewhat dated, most of the articles that make up this book are from 1999 to 2004. She comments on such things as 9/11, John Kerry, media bias, the new York Times, terrorism and so on. Her comments are very biting and she holds none of her feelings back. Her writing made me laugh several times through out. I felt she had some good points but they were hard to see through the sarcasm and name calling. You will understand what the author is about once you finish it. If you are a moderate you'll like some of it, if you are a conservative you'll like more of it. If you are a liberal you'll probably want to take it out and burn it. I'm just saying.

My Rating:

Links:
about the book
Chapter 1
about the author

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

From the jacket: A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve it. The Lost City of Z is a blockbuster adventure narrative about what lies beneath the impenetrable jungle canopy of the Amazon.

After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century": What happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z?

In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history. For centuries Europeans believed the world’s largest jungle concealed the glittering kingdom of El Dorado. Thousands had died looking for it, leaving many scientists convinced that the Amazon was truly inimical to humankind. But Fawcett, whose daring expeditions helped inspire Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, had spent years building his scientific case. Captivating the imagination of millions around the globe, Fawcett embarked with his twenty-one-year-old son, determined to prove that this ancient civilization—which he dubbed “Z”—existed. Then he and his expedition vanished.

Fawcett’s fate—and the tantalizing clues he left behind about “Z”—became an obsession for hundreds who followed him into the uncharted wilderness. For decades scientists and adventurers have searched for evidence of Fawcett’s party and the lost City of Z. Countless have perished, been captured by tribes, or gone mad. As David Grann delved ever deeper into the mystery surrounding Fawcett’s quest, and the greater mystery of what lies within the Amazon, he found himself, like the generations who preceded him, being irresistibly drawn into the jungle’s “green hell.” His quest for the truth and his stunning discoveries about Fawcett’s fate and “Z” form the heart of this complex, enthralling narrative.

David Grann's site.

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Doubleday (February 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385513534
ISBN-13: 978-0385513531

My thoughts: This book is totally fascinating. I checked it out of the library thinking it might be interesting and probably dry. I was wrong. It was VERY interesting, well written, compelling, and not in the least bit dry.

The story follows several lines. Fawcett's life and several of his trips into the Amazon are explored. This is the main thrust of the book. Grann's research and his search for Fawcett is written about. Other searches for Fawcett are touched upon, as are the accomplishments of some of Fawcett's contempories. I was glad to learn about the Royal Geographic Society. I had read about it and seen in several books and movies but I hadn't paid much attention to it. Fawcett's wife, Nina, was a tragic figure at the end.The information about ancient civilizations in the Amazon, found at the end of the book, was amazing to me, a person who knows next to nothing about the Amazon. It was like reading an adventure novel, only I actually learned. Read it.

Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
5x4 Reading Challenge
Read Around the World Challenge
Support Your Local Library Challenge

Amazon, non-fiction, El Dorado, exploration, Fawcett

Belle Weather: Mostly Sunny With a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits by Celia Rivenbark

Synopsis: From the bestselling author of WE'RE JUST LIKE YOU, ONLY PRETTIER and BLESS YOUR HEART, TRAMP comes a hilarious new book.
Hang on to your hats! We're in for some fiercely funny weather and crackling-sharp observations from Celia Rivenbark, of whom USA Today has said, "Think Dave Barry with a female point of view." With her incomparable style and sassy southern wit, You'll hear from Celia on:

• The joys of remodeling Tara
• How Harry Potter bitch-slaps Nancy Drew
• Britney's To-Do list: pick okra, cover that thang up
• How rugby-playing lesbians torpedoed beach day
• Why French women suck at competitive eating
• The truth about nature deficit disorder
• The difference between cockroaches and water bugs
• The beauty of Bedazzlers
• And much, much more!

Whether she's doing her taxes or extolling the virtues of Madonna's mothering skills, Celia Rivenbark will keep you laughing until the very last page.

My thoughts: Well I think that synopsis about says it all. I laughed a lot while listening to this. I read another of her books and I don't remember so many "s" words. I found that a little off putting after awhile. There was a little political commentary, which I try to avoid. Otherwise it was a hoot! I have another of her books in a TBR pile for the Southern Reading Challenge 2009.

humor, southern humor, nonfiction, southern, commentary, essays

Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
RYOB Reading Challenge
Audiobook Challenge