Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Nonfiction ReviewsHow to Read Faster by Steven Hopkins
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
How to Read Faster*
Overview of Speed-reading Techniques
I have read several different books on speed reading, so I was interested to see what this author’s spin on it would be. The book is well-organized, following a logical progression. He first defines what speed reading is and then talks about the proper mindset and how to prepare for it. The next several chapters talk about specific speed reading, visualization, and comprehension techniques. He gives ideas about how to read both fiction and nonfiction books and encourages developing good reading habits and applying your skills regularly.
I thought the book was overly repetitive in the beginning. The book is rather short, so the repetition really stood out. There is nothing truly new in this book, but the author has collected much of the major techniques of speed reading and comprehension under one cover. I didn’t think, at times, that the explanations were enough for someone to actually implement the concepts. Perhaps he could have given specific exercises with detailed instructions for the reader who has not read a lot of speed reading books as I have.
Having read so many, I find myself wondering if one thing that is said in all of them, including this one, is true. Every book on speed reading talks about the dangers of subvocalizing–reading the words in your head as you read. Personally, I don’t see how you can read and NOT subvocalize. If this is the cornerstone of speed reading, as it seems to be as stated in all these books, I think we are all doomed to failure. When I have attempted it at various times, I found it impossible. Yes, eyes could skim the words, but without hearing at least some of them in my head, comprehension fell to nothing; speed reading became an eye exercise.
If you have an interest in speed reading, this book is actually a reasonable compilation of ideas and techniques that will help you realize if you want to dig deeper into the topic.
U. S. Taxes for Worldly Americans by Olivier Wagner
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Angus & Robertson, and Bol.de
U.S. Taxes for Worldly Americans*
A Great Guide to Taxes for Americans Living Abroad
If you are an American, whether by birth or by choice, and you spend a lot of time out of the country either as a full expatriate, a perpetual traveler, or an “accidental American” (someone born in the U. S. but has spent most of their life abroad), this is the book you need to figure out what precisely your tax burden is to the United States government and what to do about it. It is written by a man who is French by birth but became an American citizen before becoming a global traveler on a large scale. He does have some background in finance, and he offers this book to help you understand the processes of taxation for the global American. He gets very detailed about specific forms, exemptions, and other tax information. Truly, if you are an American who spends much of the year outside of the U. S., whether making money or not, this is a book that will help you get and stay tax compliant. The author has done a wonderful service for traveling Americans, and Americans who dream of travel, by writing a book with such solid information.
Greater than a Tourist: Lake Tahoe by Katarina Elliot
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Greater than a Tourist: Lake Tahoe*
Poorly Organized Set of Travel Tips
I enjoy traveling, and I am familiar with the Lake Tahoe area because we went there quite often when I was a child. I will admit it has been some time since I have been there. While I did like the tips themselves given by someone who knows the area, I thought the book lacked organization, was too short to be genuinely of much help, and was flawed in its basic design.
In terms of organization, there truly is none. This is a pamphlet of 50 random tips. Some are on similar ideas, so it would make sense to group them together. For instance, there are several tips about skiing or what to do in the snow. These would have been great to group together. Instead, there are some at the beginning, and one sneaks it at the end. This book could have been organized in so many different ways: by season, by activity, indoor versus outdoor, things to do in Tahoe itself versus things to do in other cities and towns, etc. To me, too, it felt like there was a bit of cheating to inflate the numbers. For instance, the “castle” of Tahoe is actually given two tips out of the 50, the hidden castle and learning about the castle; those certainly could have been combined into one tip! I also thought that some tips should be grouped together into one recommendation, like all the breweries in a particular town or area. This would have given more space for other tips, of which I know there has to be many because there is so much to do in and around the Tahoe area
The book is shorter than you might think from its number of pages. The text of the tips starts around the 15% mark in my Kindle for PC app and actually stops at the 63% point; the rest is a “bonus book” that purports to be about traveling light, but it is more about packing in general and some trip prep. So, only about half of the book is tips about Tahoe.
To me, there is an inherent flaw in the design of this book. Namely, it really revolves just around these 50 poorly organized tips. There’s a very brief opening paragraph, but that is the extent of the “orientation” you get to the area. So I found it lacking a true orientation to the area, which I think is really necessary for a book like this. Luckily, I know the area because I have visited it so many times, but I can imagine that a tourist from another state or country might find themselves scratching their heads while trying to read this book. If the tips had been organized, they could have had header sections that described more generalities about the combined topics before diving into the details. Orienting, overarching information grounds the reader so he or she can better take in the information.
The ARC copy I received didn’t have any maps, diagrams, or photos in it. In looking at the 10% availabe at Amazon, I see that it does have a general high-level map of the area and a diagram of sorts but no photos. I think photos are an essential part of any travel book. Armchair travelers like to imagine the places they read about, perhaps envisioning themselves there; photographs scratch that itch.
The book, or at least the ARC version of the book I received, is full of issues with grammar, punctuation, usage, and formatting. In one of the first tips, Tahoe itself was not capitalized! There were other issues with capitalization and spelling, even of some business names. I’m hoping this has been cleared up for publication. The most crucial mistakes were made after the 10% mark, so I cannot check on Amazon to see if these have been corrected.
I wanted to like this book because I am fascinated by the idea of the series, learning more about a place from a local. (And arguably, the author of this book may not be considered a local as she is not a permanent resident.) I am mostly an armchair traveler who does travel on occasion. I was hoping to find a series that I could count on for cool information about other places I might travel. But I do not think that these books, if this is a fair sample, would serve that function. Unless you have other books or information about the areas covered in this series, you would most likely find yourself more confused than enlightened by reading this book.
Chess Opening Names by Nathan Rose
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Chess Opening Names*
A Look into the Origins of Chess Openings
This is a surprisingly interesting book about the origins of the names of chess opening strategies. The book is divided into three main sections, depending on the origin of the opening: people, places, and stories. For the people section, he gives a little background about the person for whom an opening is named, sometimes putting the man and the moves into historical context as well. If there is a written source for the opening, that is included as well.
There is only one downside to this book. The author has chosen to use algebraic chess notation but doesn’t explain what that is and how to interpret it. Rather, he refers you to a video about it on his website. In a book where so much depends upon each individual move in the opening, I think that an explanation of this system is required for both chest novices and more experienced players who don’t know about this notation. As a visual person, too, I might have liked to have seen the chess diagram boards with arrows and/or numbers showing the move. I will admit to being a chess novice, having only played on occasion, but I do find it an interesting mental challenge. If you have an interest in chess, or even the history of the game, you might find this as engaging a read as I did.
The Health Recovery Zone by Cary Kelly
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Thalia, and Bol.de
The Health Recovery Zone by Cary Kelly*
Too Personal and Often Tangential
This book is an intensely personal view of one woman’s own health recovery and her suggestions about what you can do if you feel you need help in this area. Unfortunately, I think the book is too personal and a bit scattered in its organization. She needed to focus more on her core message and make it applicable to others. Buried deep in the middle of the book, she has what is, for the most part, a good plan for more healthful living, including eating more whole foods, getting enough rest and exercise, and avoiding as many food chemicals as possible. But the book does not follow a logical flow. It feels like a personal rant against a variety of people and institutions. A message on its own is important, of course, but the delivery needs to be right as well.
Along with the major quibbles that I have with this book, as I have somewhat outlined above, I do have one small issue. I am an RN, and she mentioned us, stating that nurses she knows have admitted to not having much training about nutrition. At least in the state where I received my license, we were required to take one full semester of nutrition. I don’t know what it is like in other states, but I actually think that is more education than doctors get on nutrition.
If you enjoy reading books about one person’s personal journey to health as well as that person’s take on a variety of sometimes tangential topics, you may enjoy this book.
Neurology Rounds with the Maverick by Bernard M. Patten, MD
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Neurology Rounds*
A Window into the “Golden Age” of Medicine
I am an RN–a generalist, not a neuro nurse–so I found this collection of this doctor’s patient stories from what he calls the golden age of medicine (back before the heavy influence of administrators and insurance companies) to be quite a fascinating one. Given what I know of HIPAA, I’m actually surprised that he could publish a book like this, but it is a fascinating read. There’s not much of a distinct organization to it. The bulk of the book is a set of patient stories, and at the end, he talks about malpractice, being an expert witness, and gives one detailed case study. If you have an interest in medicine, or neurology, you might find this book to be an intriguing one like I did.
10 Life Hacks by Ryan E. Winner
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NOT with Kindle Unlimited
10 Life Hacks*
Life Hacks… Or Common Sense?
Perhaps it’s my age, somewhere north of 50, but I have an issue with the word “hack” being used everywhere for everything. Yes, it’s silly; I know. Sometimes, I actually feel like I’m still kind of fuzzy on the precise definition because different people seem to use it in different ways.
But enough about that. This is a very short and quick read. Because of my aversion to the word “hack,” I might call this more social common sense–that probably isn’t quite as common as it should be. He has clearly organized each of the ten hacks, talking about it in general, giving an exercise, and providing a similarly structured FAQ. Surprisingly, he does have some good insights into how these small changes which can actually make a positive influence on social interaction. None are tricky or difficult; they just take a little bit of thought and remembering. But I imagine if one started to practice them, they would become second nature in no time–especially if you get good results. These simple but good ideas, if followed by more people, would indeed make the world a more pleasant place to be in.
Heal Your Body, Cure Your Mind by Dr. Ameet Aggarwal
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Mondadori and Angus & Robertson
Heal Your Body, Cure Your Mind*
Broad Swath of Mental and Physical Health Topics Addressed
The topics that this book explores are vast. The author is a naturopathic doctor and gestalt psychotherapist who practices holistic integrated medicine. All of this is quite obvious when you read the book. The book is split broadly into three parts. The first part looks at emotions, the second how the body affects the mind, and the last covers a variety of topics and healing modalities. He explores mental as well as physical issues and ways to heal each. He does explain some of the science that is the background for some of his recommendations, like neurotransmitters and hormones. Much of the latter part of the book explores issues with hormones, like with the adrenals and the thyroid, as well as common issues like gut and liver issues. I am an RN, and I don’t wholly agree with everything that he says in this book, but he has given the reader much to think about, and I do believe he has the right of it in many places. He explores such diverse topics as sex, insomnia, and nutrition. He does give suggestions for different supplements throughout the book and shares some meditative practices. All in all, I found it to be a fascinating read.
The Art of Minimalism by Olivia Telford
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Art of Minimalism*
More than Just the Art of Minimalism
I have read another book by this author on mindfulness, and in this book, she brings mindfulness to minimalism in a variety of ways. The book is roughly divided into thirds: generalities and mindset about minimalism, specific strategies for decluttering your physical environment, and ideas for decluttering your relationships, your thoughts, and your day. What I like about this book is that you can tell that the author walks the talk. She isn’t just cobbling together a variety of information from online sources and other books as happens far too often in nonfiction books these days. Instead, she shares personal stories and insights as well as tips that she herself has come up with. I particularly loved the section on how to naturally clean all the areas of your home after you’ve decluttered. I’m planning to implement some of those ideas very soon.
I have read several books on minimalism, but her approach draws you right in because she helps you understand your thinking about the excess of “stuff” in your life and the history of consumerism. Much of her advice is very detailed, like the specific recipes for natural cleansers and how to use the pomodoro technique in your decluttering. The book has some unusual topics for a book on minimalism, like affirmations and time management—and of course, the entire last section that is more about the mental aspects, like clearing toxic relationships and thoughts from your life and replacing those thoughts with more positive ones. It might seem from the outside like it’s an odd combination of ideas, but the ideas do work together to help support you in decluttering all aspects of your life.
The Influential Author by Gregory V. Diehl
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Bol.de
The Influential Author***
Required Reading for Would-Be Nonfiction Authors
On so many levels, I found this book to be an absolute delight and would recommend it to anyone who is considering writing a nonfiction book. It seems like these days most nonfiction authors are going for the quick reads category on Amazon, so unfortunately so many nonfiction books are more flash than substance, sometimes with just a paragraph or two given to a meaty topic. That’s part of what makes this book a refreshing change. The author goes into deep detail about the process of writing a nonfiction book. That’s not entirely accurate. He actually starts well before the writing begins. The book begins by discussing, in what he calls the philosophy section, whether or not you should write a book and what you may have to offer the world. Later sections dig deep into the preparation, writing, and publishing process, with step-by-step instructions with lots of details and advice given. As an author and a freelance copy editor myself, I don’t always agree with everything that he says in this book, but for the fledgling nonfiction writer, he gives you much to think about and consider as you approach and work through the process of conceptualizing, writing, and publishing your nonfiction book. I liked, too, that he gives information about how to think about your book even after publication so that you can learn lessons that will take you further in your writing career. With his book, the author is trying to set up future writers for success. Well done!
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