Book Description
Tom Henderson (a.k.a. King Dork, Chi-mo, Hender-fag, and Sheepie) is a typical American high school loser until he discovers the book, The Catcher in the Rye, that will change the world as he knows it. When Tom discovers his deceased father’s copy of the Salinger classic, he finds himself in the middle of several interlocking conspiracies and at least half a dozen mysteries involving dead people, naked people, fake people, ESP, blood, a secret code, guitars, monks, witchcraft, the Bible, girls, the Crusades, a devil head, and rock and roll. And it all looks like it’s just the tip of a very odd iceberg of clues that may very well unravel the puzzle of his father’s death and–oddly–reveal the secret to attracting semihot girls.
Being in a band could possibly be the secret to the girl thing–but good luck finding a drummer who can count to four.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, excellent voice-- I fell in love with it........2007-09-27
The boy narrating this story has a perfect teenage voice-- funny, a little too smart and self-conscious about it, alternately defensive and searching. I was in love with it after the first page: I handed the book to someone else with instructions to read the first page. She loved it too. I had a hard time getting the book back.
The voice keeps its magic all the way through. I liked the device of using a class assignment of one of those "30 days to a better vocabulary" books to justify the narrator's use of words most teenagers wouldn't use.
The events in the book were nicely balanced between realism and farce. Some plot points were a little larger than life, but nothing too over the top.
Four stars instead of five? Near the end, the book veered off track on the murder-mystery subplot and lost steam. It recovered a little before the very end, but not fully. This was the last ten pages or so: suddenly I just wasn't interested in picking the book up and finishing it.
I feel this book is aimed at people my age (late 30s) more than at teenagers. There's something fishy when I know more than half the bands mentioned in the book. Boomer-resentment and Catcher In The Rye backlash are also Gen X phenomenon, I suspect. It didn't bother me, but I can understand why other reviewers called the book dated.
Beautiful writing, funny, and well worth the read.
Catcher in the Wry.......2007-09-15
"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is how my dad died, and what my lousy high school years were like, and how my mother and her aging hippie second husband were occupied, and all that Catcher in the Rye kind of crap, and I feel like going into it, too, if you want to know the truth, so here goes..."
No, KING DORK doesn't start this way, but so large is the shadow of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE that it darn well could. The protagonist, a sarcastic and wry high school dude named Tom Henderson (well, to himself -- he's called "Chi-Mo" among other slanders by the "normal" population of the school), describes himself as a "brainy, freaky, and oddball" kid who's interested in playing in a rock band, creating outrageous titles for songs and albums, and finding out how his father really died.
Tom (self-proclaimed "King Dork") comes from a long and rich literary tradition of precocious teens with good vocabularies and allusions before their years (one reference to Ronald Reagan's "I paid for this microphone" speech was a real giveaway). Still, the reader is willing to go along because Tom is... well... funny. Yeah, it's often immature, geeky teenaged boy humor, but Gen X (as well as Y) should be all over this book -- especially seeing how author Frank Portman goes out of his way to trash the Baby Boomer generation and its (ironically, considering its iconoclastic intents) iconic book, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE.
The plot rolls along at a leisurely pace, and if readers appreciate it, the reasons will have less to do with what happens and more to do with the wonderful characterization of a persecuted but highly intelligent young rocker and his non-stop wise-guy jokes and asides. Plot developments with girls and especially with the search for how his father died stretch credibility beyond the suspension bridge of disbelief at times, but overall, humored readers will be willing to overlook this. Why? In addition to Tom, there's his fellow-loser best bud, Sam Hellerman; his full-throttle hippie step dad, Little Big Tom; his mysteriously sad, hard-smoking and drinking mom; his vocabulary-destroying English teacher, Mr. Schtuppe; his romantic (OK, mostly lusty antics) interests Fiona and Deanna; and the evil vice principal from Hell, Mr. Teone.
I thought KING DORK was a bit (devil head) prolix (inside joke with the devil head, folks), going around 50 pp too long, but still enjoyed it overall. The punch line, when all is said and done, is that a book made to trash THE CATCHER IN THE RYE ultimately pays homage to it. This means that Boomers, too, may take a shining to the book, even though it is quite "young" in tone. It'll be interesting to see what Portman produces for an encore. Hopefully he doesn't hole up in New Hampshire and get all squirrelly on us...
Very Funny and Smart.......2007-08-29
I enjoyed this book a lot--smart, original and funny. Not a whole hell of a lot happens, but it's all about the characters and writing here. A great talent in Portman. Can't wait to see what he does next. Long live The Chi-Mos!!
Yes, the sex is gratuitous and most unlikely!.......2007-08-26
O.K. so I am 49 years old and the only reason I would not give this book a 5 star is that the sex just doesn't seem real. Admittedly I haven't been in High School for 30+ years but I just cannot believe that dorks do any better today or in the late 80's (when I guess Frank was in school) or the late seventies when I was in school. Why would a girl put herself out for a member of a band that stinks?
The voice if the book is really genius until about the last fourth of the book when the sex gets kind of crazy. Even being female and lots older I know this character...I don't really qualify as a "baby boomer" and I certainly wasn't raised by them but there is enough here that would have anyone laughing...I have definitely met these people.
I, unlike the High School teacher(see the reviews!) that read half the book to sophmores and had to quit, would have read the book through BEFORE I started a read a long with the class! If she could have finished without losing her job there is a lot here for discussion of why so little character development of the girls in the book and also what might have been their motivation. Too bad she had to quit the read...
Read the book but be ready for a disappointing ending...
fizzles...........2007-08-19
I did really enjoy this book for about the first third, even half,of the story. But then, a funny thing happened...I stopped caring. I got sick of our hero. I found his comments becoming repetitious. I guess the author deserves credit for allowing his voice to become annoying. I actually think this book is a bit flipped...I think it's too "normal" for me. "Nerdy" outcast likes girl,has social issues, has family quarrels, etc.etc. Kind of typical, frankly. Still, he's a good writer and this book isn't bad...just not as good as its cracked up to be.
Book Description
Keeping the Gift of Sex PureTV, the movies, and the radio bombard young adults with sexual temptations. Constantly tempted to experiment with sex, many youth wonder if it is really worth staying pure. In Who Moved the Goal Post? Bob Gresh helps young men understand the benefits of abstinence. Bob Gresh dismantles the lies regarding sex that Satan has told the world and replaces it with the truth of God. Using sports analogies that young men easily identify with, he also lays down a game plan for a healthy, pure relationship.
Customer Reviews:
Great for guys.......2002-07-28
This book is *the best* book out there for guys in the area of sexual purity. Not too descriptive (which only defeats the purpose) yet real and plain and straight to them. I saw it and got it for my brothers. It's amazing.
Avoiding Pre-Marital Sex.......2002-01-28
I thought your book was really good. With all the stuff that the media is shooting at us, and just being a guy it can be hard to avoid sexual temptations. Your book really helped becuase it seems like no one ever talks about it, and it therefore is hard to avoid the temptations becuase you don't know how and your book just helped give ways to avoid the temptations.
Avoiding Pre-Marital Sex.......2002-01-28
I thought your book was really good. With all the stuff that the media is shooting at us, and just being a guy it can be hard to avoid sexual temptations. Your book really helped becuase it seems like no one ever talks about it, and it therefore is hard to avoid the temptations becuase you don't know how and your book just helped give ways to avoid the temptations.
An Amazingly Honest Look at Male Sexuality.......2002-01-24
This book is an honest and indepth look at how guys work and how hard it is sometimes to keep that in line with the standards of God. The emphasis of the whole book is keeping yourself pure by avoiding the same mistakes and finding victory and more importantly God's forgiveness. There's not a Christian guy out there who's required reading should not list this book.
Wish I read this 20 years ago.......2002-01-21
Sex. It's sells everything from cars to toothpaste. Yet very few are willing to talk honestly about it. Bob Gresh not only is frank, but also funny as he tackles issues every teenage guy needs to hear about. The book is layed out in an almost magazine format, with intersting tidbits and sidebars on almost every page, making it an entertaining and easy read. He opens up with stories and struggles from his own life that I was able to learn from. In a solidly biblical format, he spells out not only the truth and lies about sex, but also a gameplan to win the war on lust. I really wish something like this had been around for me when I was a teenager. I am now a youth pastor and plan on getting this book into the hands of all my guys.
Book Description
Only two obstacles stand between Napoleon's mighty army and its seemingly certain conquest of Portugal: a land wasted and stripped of food at Wellington's orders . . . and Captain Richard Sharpe. But perils from within and without threaten the bold captain of the Light Company -- the hatred and incompetence of a superior officer, the vicious treachery of a false ally, and the overwhelming numbers of a fierce, determined enemy -- combining to make Sharpe's escape a near impossibility.
Download Description
"
It is 1810, and in Napoleon's determination to conquer Portugal -- and push the British back to the sea -- he sends his largest army yet across the Spanish frontier. But between the Portuguese border and Napoleon's seemingly certain victory are twoobstacles -- a wasted land, stripped of food by Wellington's orders, and Captain Richard Sharpe.
But Sharpe is in trouble. The captain of the Light Company is threatened from inside and out: First by an incompetent British officer, who by virtue of family connections is temporarily given Sharpe's command. An even greater danger is posed by two corrupt Portuguese brothers -- Major Ferreira, a high-ranking officer in the army of Portugal, and his brother, nicknamed ""Ferragus"" (after a legen-dary Portuguese giant), who makes no claims to respectability, preferring instead to rule by crude physical strength and pure intimidation. Together the brothers have developed a devious plot to ingratiate themselves with the French invaders who are threatening to become Portugal's new rulers.
Sharpe's interference in the first stage of their plan earns the undying enmity of the brothers. Ferragus vows revenge and plots a merciless trap that seems certain to kill Sharpe and his intimates -- battle-tested ally Sergeant Harper, the Portuguese officer Jorge Vicente, and a prickly but lovely English governess. As the city of Coimbra is burned and pillaged, Sharpe and his companions plot a daring escape, ensuring that Ferragus will follow on toward Lisbon, into the jaws of a snare laid by Wellington -- the massive lines of Torres Vedras, a daring and ingenious last stand against the invaders. There, beneath the British guns, Sharpe is reunited with his shattered but grateful company, and meets his enemies in a thrilling and decisive fight.
Customer Reviews:
Cornwell continues his betrayal.......2007-07-28
I read all of the original Sharpe series in the eighties and thought that the series had come to it's natural conclusion with Sharpes Waterloo in 1990. I was very suprised to see Sharpes Devil a couple of years later and to my mind this was a book too far in the series. Cornwell was always writing other books including the excellent Redcoat as well as his nautical thrillers. When he started the Starbuck chronicles I was delighted and followed Nates adventures in the same manner as I had Sharpe's. Then, after the Sharpe series had been shown on tv Cornwell abandoned "The Starbuck Chronicles" mid-series (after four books)and resurrected Sharpe. Not to sound too cynical but the only reason for this betrayal of fans who had bought the new books and were following Starbuck could only have been money...Cornwell betrayed and sacrificed the Starbuck fans for a newer and more lucrutive market...the new Sharpe fans worldwide who came to the books after the tv series. In order to continue to cash in along came all the new books each one inserted in a different period of Sharpe's career. If you have read the original series you won't recognise Sharpe's description in the new books..because it's Sean Bean!...Thanks Bernard, how's the yacht?
Sharpe And The Battle For Poutugal.......2007-06-04
Captain Sharpe is a tough "rough" officer in his majesty's forces. Having risen through the ranks, unlike some of the refined officers. Resourceful, a bit crude, and a heck of a commander, he has the respect and loyalty of his men and seems always to get into, and out of a scrape.
The story is set in 1810 Poutugal, with the French advancing on Lisbon to drive the English from the peninsula. In between dealing with the drunkard Lieutenant Slingsby taking over his battalion, he also manages to get into a scrape with the Portuguese Major Ferreira and his brother Ferragus, as they attempt to circumvent the British scorched earth strategy by hoarding food to sell the French.
What I found especially interesting Cornwell's work is the detail he puts in to describing the ins and outs of the various battle scenes throughout the book. Very detailed and puts you right in the heat of the battle.
Also, even though this is one of a number of books in the Sharpe series, it is certainly possible to read this without reading the others first.
Richard Sharpe.......2007-03-18
Sharpe's Escape: Richard Sharpe and the Bussaco Campaign, 1810
by Bernard Cornwell. I like all of cornwell's books I like the Sharpe's series!
Another Sharpe adventure worthy of the name.......2006-10-11
At some point, I'm going to have to stop reviewing the books in Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe series. Each book is an enjoyable thrill-ride through various battles and clashes for the British Army, and Sharpe and his cohorts change very little from book to book. Cornwell mastered the battle scene early on, and his skills show no signs of flagging. And so there is very little to distinguish one book from the next.
Sharpe is a lethal killer and leader of the lethal bunch of ruffians the Brits employ as skirmishers. He's also an uncouth seducer of women and despiser of (most) officers. One of Sharpe's charms is that he never changes - he is a cuss, but a reliable cuss. And while this charm works well with fighting men and with damsels in distress, it does little to endear him with the officer's corps, so Sharpe's position in the army is rather tenuous. His achievements merit advancement, but his rough edges deny him that opportunity.
Cornwell explores this element of Sharpe in great detail in "Sharpe's Escape." Colonel Lawford, Sharpe's comrade since the early days, must promote the advancement of his brother-in-law, Cornelius Slingsby. And so he gives Slingsby Sharpe's command - a slight that earns Slingsby Sharpe's undying hatred and Lawford some of Sharpe's contempt. Cornwell, true to form, makes Slingsby into a comically reprehensible character - almost the anti-Sharpe. But the reader, along with Sharpe, gets to experience the infuriating classism that permeated the British Army.
Slingsby isn't the only villain of the piece. As the French Army marches south toward Lisbon, the last bastion of the British Army on the Continent, the French must starve through a wasteland created by Lord Wellington. Two Portuguese brothers, Major Ferriera and the brute merchant Ferragus, conspire to feed the French Army and negate Wellington's brilliant, desperate strategy. But Sharpe catches them at their game and stops a preliminary transaction, thereby incurring the brothers' undying hatred.
Most of Cornwell's villains are mustache-twisting noblemen of great panache. Ferragus is a surprising creation, a demon of a man who loves nothing more than money, unless it is beating another man to death with his bare fists. A giant who towers over even the Sharpe's close friend Harper, Ferragus plans to hear Sharpe whimper for mercy as he pounds his bones into powder.
All in all, between Slingsby, the traitorous brothers, and the French Army, Sharpe has his hands full as he finds himself caught in various traps behind enemy lines. That Sharpe solves the problems by using his bulldog tenacity and his cunning mind should be no surprise. It should also be no surprise that Sharpe once again finds a beautiful woman in dire need of rescuing. But the lack of surprises doesn't mean that this is anything less than a vintage Sharpe expedition. Check it out.
Wonder audiobook reader. Perfect for the Sharpe series........2006-08-17
I've been working my through the audiobooks for the Sharpe series (written by Bernard Cornwell), and when I got to Sharpe's Escape, the reader changed from Frederick Davidson (who died in 2005) to Patrick Tull. Mr. Tull is wonderful and he hits the comic elements beautifully. I hope he reads the unabridged audiobook for Sharpe's Fury, due out September 2006. M. Tull also reads the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey Maturin series (Master and Commander, etc.), so I've also begun working my way through that series.
Average customer rating:
- Acceleration
- reluctant reader teacher
- Courtesy of Teens Read Too
- Page turner couldnt put it down
- omg just wait till the end!!!
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Acceleration (Readers Circle)
Graham Mcnamee
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
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ASIN: 0440238366
Release Date: 2005-05-10 |
Book Description
It’s a hot, hot summer, and in the depths of the Toronto Transit Authority’s Lost and Found, 17-year-old Duncan is cataloging lost things and sifting through accumulated junk. And between Jacob, the cranky old man who runs the place, and the endless dusty boxes overflowing with stuff no one will ever claim, Duncan’s just about had enough. Then he finds a little leather book. It’s a diary filled with the dark and dirty secrets of a twisted mind, a serial killer stalking his prey in the subway. And Duncan can’t make himself stop reading.
What would you do with a book like that? How far would you go to catch a madman?
And what if time was running out. . . .
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Acceleration.......2007-05-10
Acceleration was written by Graham McNamee it is a mystery book. It is about a few boys that have a summer job working in the lost and found of a subway. They find many interesting things while working there. The most exotic thing they found was a little black book that was written by a anonymous man who is a serial killer and writes a dairy of dark and dirty secrets about crazy ideas. The boys are very scared and dont know what to do about it.I really liked this book! It kept me on my toes wondering what was going to happen next.I would recomend this book to older teenagers because it can be confusing to follow.
reluctant reader teacher.......2007-03-08
As a high school teacher of a class full of reading haters, I highly recommend this book. My students were sad when it was over, they couldn't wait to get to class to read this suspenseful thriller.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-03-03
Duncan is having a very boring summer, working at his mind-numbing job at the Toronto Transit Authority's lost and found. He sorts through old junk no one wants anymore and boxes up all of the "expired" items to be donated.
One very ordinary day he was looking for a book to read when he comes across a brown leather bound journal. He begins reading it and soon figures out that the person who is writing this is seriously deranged! It's like this journal is the book of weird and twisted science experiments this person has been conducting. There are even women in the book that he follows that he plans on killing.
Duncan, along with his two best friends, take it upon themselves to find out who this freak is!
I really liked this book. The story is very addictive; I couldn't put it down!
Reviewed by: Taylor Rector
Page turner couldnt put it down.......2006-09-26
Acceleration book review
Have you ever been inside the head of a serial killer? The first person perspective you get of "Roach", the would-be serial killer, through his misplaced diary, makes you want to jump into the book and protect his targets. In this single-book thriller, the protagonist, Duncan, is a teenager growing up in the projects or, the "Jungle", of Toronto. With his longtime friends, Vinnie, the slacker know-it-all who happens to have a deformed hand, and Wayne, the small time criminal who works at dairy barn, Duncan has settled in for an average summer of minimum wage and messing around. He knows that's not all he is in for when he discovers a diary in the Toronto transit lost and found where he works. This diary is not just the fretting of some teenage girl, it's the cold, deadly calculations and plans of an accomplished arsonist who is also stalking 3 complete strangers. After attempting to turn the diary into the cops, who seem to him to be blind to the threat Duncan decides to enlist his childhood friends to track down the psycho before he hurts anyone, using the insight into Roach's twisted mind that he gains from the diary, he tracks him down and trys and turn the tables on the evil diarist.
The information about psychopaths in this well-researched book seems credible. Graham McNamee's extensive knowledge of his subject helped create believable characters. While I was reading this book I was aware of being creeped and wanting not to believe that there are actually people who love the feeling of power they get from killing animals, committing arson or stalking human beings. If you liked The Body of Christopher Creed, Acceleration might be a good choice. They are both dark, angled towards sending shivers down your spine. What makes Acceleration able to hold your interest, even while being disturbing, is that the characters are average people you can relate to. Duncan forgets to call his parents, eats fast food, wonders what is in it and sleeps till 11 at least. But the problem that Duncan, Wayne and Vinnie face; tracking down one deformed mind in a city of a few million people, is not something I ever expect or want to face. I think it was a great choice to use the first person because you feel the mounting pressure to do something and understand Duncan's panic as he thinks time is running out. In the book Duncan would ride the subway next to the first target of "Roach", and then go swimming or go to Dairy Queen. The contrast in the pacing and subject matter contributed to the everyday/surreal theme of the book. The author, Graham McNamee, also used a lot of flashbacks in this book. The flashbacks brought unexpected elements to the story and made the plot a lot more interesting. The most effective of which was a reoccurring one about the past summer when he was the last to see a girl before she drowned. In Duncan's words "I was the one who didn't save her." I think that if you like thrillers or mysteries at all, you should read this book. It is one of the best books about an average teenager who becomes a hero I have ever read best of all it comes without a corny moral.
omg just wait till the end!!!.......2006-07-08
i seriously could not put that book down!!! especially when it got near the end. suspensfull...
the mice thing was a little... disturbing but I'm a girl so maybe thats why?
Book Description
Okay, it's a fact. God made guys and girls different in more ways than just the physical. But how different could we really be? After all, we are all made in His image, right? Well, yes, but . . . Let's just say that guys and girls view the world in such different ways, that it's a miracle we communicate at all. What's worse is girls this age often think they know what makes guys tick and . . . that couldn't be more wrong!
Chad Eastham tells it like it is . . . to girls . . . from a guy's perspective. His stage presentation transfers beautifully into this book, putting the facts in black and white for girls to see. You think that short skirt says to guys, "I'm a fashion billboard!" Think again. Chad tells girls how guys see such fashion statements as advertising something completely different than a hip dresser. Chad wrings out every ounce of experience from his colorful life and uses it to help teens make informed choices.
Customer Reviews:
Parents: buy this book for your daughters.......2007-08-29
I predict that this "must read" will take the nation by storm. This is a crucial, can't-put-it-down message. Don't worry--no embarrassing content; just straight talk--presented convincingly--regarding the practicality and advisability of maintaining personal boundaries.
Very important read for all teenage girls!.......2007-08-04
This author of this book knows just how to "talk" to teenagers. I read the book before giving it to my 14 year old daughter and was very impressed with his writing style. The small amount of references to biblical versus was just enough to remind me (and my daughter) how loved we are. That we have so much love from God that we do not need to "seek" love or approval from others. Being ourselves is good enough. The person who loves us for who we are, not for who we "try" to be is our match. The confidence that this book instills in the reader that they are already loved and are a treasure is wonderful! I recommend for all teenage girls!
Very helpful for young women.......2007-07-05
My daughter really loves this book! She found it to be very helpful in understanding the male brain and how they think about girls. It made her think about how she was presenting herself in front of guys and what changes she needed to make in order to present herself in order to receive more respect from guys. She wasn't behaving badly, but with our current culture our young women are constantly bombarded with the wrong message, and this book was great to help her see how guys really are and how she needed to change some things so that further interactions will be more positive and less painful. I am hoping that these insights will save her from making the common mistakes that current culture deems normal and OK.
All of the answers you need.......2007-03-08
Hey girls! Are you wondering why guys are so confusing? Well in the book The Truth About Guys by Chad Eastham, he reveals everything a girl should know about guys.
In the book The Truth About Guys Chad writes about the differences between girl's and guy's brains. Girl's brains are like spaghetti. They're all interwoven and they can talk about 50 random topics in 1 or 2 sentences. Guy's brains on the other hand are like waffles. Their brains have compartments and their thoughts can't flow. For example, in one compartment may be about his dog. When he thinks about it he will only talk about that one topic, until he stops and remembers another compartment. Chad also talks about how different girls are from guys. For example, girls like to ask guys about their feelings and talk about what they're thinking. Guys would rather not talk about their feelings. They would rather discuss topics along the line of sports, cars, dirt, and fire.
This book is really good for guys as well because they can read it and figure out why girls get mad so easily, and what we are looking for in a guy. This book shares really good tips about dating, communicating, and understanding guys. Find all the answers to all of your questions and know how to have a good and healthy relationship with the opposite gender.
Great for Girls.......2007-01-11
I saw Chad Eastham at a conference and my daughter and I loved his talks so we got the book. It is wonderful... funny and very informative. An excellent read for young and teen girls!!!
Book Description
What drives a man? What God-given passions are built into his soul, equipping him to be all that God has intended? Mark Elfstrand offers clear insights into the spiritual foundation of topics such as power, adventure, purpose, pleasure, wealth and other people. With personal transparency s well as historical and contemporary examples, he helps you to discover the truths which reflect ''authentic manhood''.
Customer Reviews:
The stuff that drives us.......2007-06-21
"Today we see a disturbing lack of understanding about real manhood. One reason is a lack of good role models..We also suffer from a lack of vision as to what a manis and how he should act." This book was developed from a course for men by the author for his church's ministry to men.
The ten passions of men are for Purpose, Adventure, Power, Winning, Wealth, Self-preservation, the Hunt, Pleasure, Relationships, and Legacy. The author then breaks them into smaller components.
The Passion of Purpose has four : ambition(which must be tempered by self-control), a duty (which must be connected to honor), a calling (which is best when directed by God) and a cause (which must be worth pursuing).
The Passion of Adventure is composed of The Unknown, The Thrill, The Risk, and Living Dangerously. "You will not experience the depth of your manhood until you experiment with adventure..(but) choose wisdom over foolsihness in making decisions."
The components of the Passion for Power are strength, intimidation, leadership, control and domination. You can use these elements selfishlessly or for a higher good. Remember, "there is power in humility".
The Passion for Winning needs an opponent, a game plan, the engagement, crisis points,and a reward. Competition is healthy, but we must play fair and play to win, remembering that losing is temporary, and building each other up because "life is a team sport".
The Passion for Wealth includes accumulation, your spending nature, quality preference, stewardship and philanthropy.
The Passion for Self-Preservation is made up of basic needs, identity, emotional survival, and protected care.
The Passion for the Hunt needs the assignment, the provision, the calling, the mastery,and the challenge of keeping perspective.
The Passion of Pleasure involves the biological response, the satisfaction quotient, contrasts, consequences. "God wants us to celebrate life--but always within His design."
The Passion of Relationships is composed of the relational levels, priorities, fundamentals and risks.
The Passion of Legacy requires a purpose statement, set of values, and impact criteria.
If you want to understand what it means to be a genuine, fulfilled and mature man, you'll gain great insight from Mark Elfstrand's "10 Passions of a Man's Soul" from Moody Press.
10 Passions of a Man's Soul.......2006-11-10
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author's insight to life and the religious association to the everyday cycle of living makes for a good read. This is an enjoyable book; good for young and old.
The whole family should read the book.
Practical Purpose Drive Life for Men.......2006-08-26
Ten Passions reads like a Purpose Driven Life guide for men. Going through this book felt more like spending time with a good mentor and counselor than just reading. I found many concise and valuable insights into manhood that will help me. What sets this book apart is the author's transparency on his own life and his practical implementation steps for changing areas that are wanting. The other experts Elfstrand profiles throughout the book make Ten Passions a reference book for timeless wisdom on manhood.
Book Description
“Cherry Adair writes for those of us who love romantic-suspense fast and hot.”
–Jayne Ann Krentz
Customer Reviews:
Enjoyed the Edge series.......2007-03-30
I read the second book before I realized that it was a series. My suggestion is to get all three Edge brother books at once. They happen fairly simultaneously. The stories are sexy, the women are bright and successful, and the heroes are a cross between strong FBI types and wizard warriors. The series made me think of the Catherine Coulter FBI series with a mix of Nora Roberts' magical books intertwined.
Edge of Darkness.......2007-03-09
This was a super end of a series. The characters were great and the story took some turns that kept you reading to find out the end. I really liked how it tied all three books together yet made it so if you read the series out of order you still enjoyed it just for the two main characters.
Fun read.......2007-01-04
I enjoy Cherry's work. Enjoyable, escapist literature. If it has her name on it it is always worth a read.
An Exciting and Satisfying Conclusion to a Thrilling Trilogy!.......2006-12-30
This third and final book in the trilogy about the Edge brothers, Gabriel, Caleb and Duncan who are wizards, work for the psi-section of T-FLAC, an private anti-terrorist organization and are under a 500 year old curse, truly wrapped up the story in very exciting ways!
Duncan or "Hot Edge" as Lark (his T-FLAC boss and a wizard in her own right) calls him loves being a wizard and was happy to agree with his brothers that none of them should marry and thus the Curse would end with them. The Curse says the brothers haven chosen "duty o'er love" 500 years ago, will now be denied love in that if they find their true "Lifemate", she will die. So all the brothers have avoided romantic entanglements all their lives and now in the early thirties each of them as the previous two novels cover, are finding a Lifemate!!
Duncan has received several mental "shouts" from Henry, current Head of the Council of Wizards and Duncan's teacher and mentor that say "Help her!" They sound frantic so Duncan tries to reach Henry but voice mail, email, etc. receive no reply. Duncan assumes that the "her" Henry wants him to help is Henry's former ward and Duncan's former schoolmate, Serena Brightman Campbell. Serena is also a wizard who controls water. She is famous for her temper which can cause all kinds of havoc. Duncan sends some "Halves" -- part human/part wizard to keep an eye on her where she is in the desert doing work for the Campbell Foundation that she runs. Her late husband, Ian Campbell died just over a year ago and left the Foundation to her.
As Duncan begins a meeting with fellow members of the psi section of T-FLAC, one at a time his 3 operatives who were "watching" over Serena are sent back -- dripping wet!! Duncan gets a kick out of her temper but in the meantime, a couple of wizards -- full level ones, twos -- have been killed so there is serious business and trouble. Once back at his place, Duncan decides to bring Serena to him to see what she is up to and what Henry is so concerned about. He teleports her to his apartment while she is finishing up a shower so she arrives wet and naked. You begin to sense her temper as items in Duncan's kitchen start flying around and you also sense both Duncan's amusement and attraction to her.
As Duncan begins following Serena to Siberia where her Foundation is developing a thermal blanket to help produce crops in frigid areas, the two of them plus another old classmate (and former boyfriend of Serena's) Trey Culver are summoned before the Wizard Council and told the three will be in competition to be the new Head of the Council. This is a coveted position as the Head wears a medallion that contains the powers of all wizards who have lived since it was created. There are 4 Tests total and the first candidate to pass 2 Tests is the new Head.
Mysteries and danger abound as Duncan and Serena are shot at, more wizards are killed, Serena's assistant Joanne has a full wizard lover and Duncan's brothers also fight their own battles!!
I loved this as it not only wrapped up Duncan and Serena's story but also Gabriel and Caleb's stories plus the story of Nairne's Curse!!
A very satisfying read!
I don't normally read Cherry Adair..........2006-10-11
I'm a sucker for smut romance like this (this is an affectionate name, I promise!). Typically I prefer historical romance that's more realistic, and one other novel I read by this author didn't really trip my trigger all that much. Now, I work in a bookstore, so I see thousands of books every day that I'm there. The first one of the Edge series was on display at the front of the store, and I was bored. So I read the synopsis on the back cover, and it caught my attention. I can't say it was one I stayed up and read from start to finish, but it went by quick. Luckily I read them all in the correct order, so that helped. I would have to say the first one is the best. I felt Caleb should've been the youngest based on his personality, and that Duncan could've passed for the oldest. But I suppose my bias toward historical romance is why I like the first one most, being based in Edridge castle. I must say that I love the spell/rhyme/curse Adair came up with. And though I love the amount of hot romance she uses, I felt she rushed too much through the other conflicts in the stories. I guess I didn't feel enough tension when the final fight scenes played out (the first one at most). But I loved the Epilogue. I knew there was something about Lark that was different, but couldn't put my finger on it. Overall, I really liked the series, and will probably someday reread them.
Book Description
Journalist Steven Bereznai — presentable, accomplished, well educated, successful, and in his early 30s — has never had a boyfriend. “Is Singlesville my final destination?” Bereznai wonders. Or does a partner await? And what does he really want? To pair up, or to maintain the independence of a single life? Now in Gay and Single . . . Forever?, Bereznai investigates the basic question of whether there can be acceptance for him and other single gay men—as single men—where the push to partner with a man has replaced the pressure to marry a woman.
Bringing together a perfect mix of personal narrative, historical research, interviews with dozens of gay men — including Andrew Holleran, Michael Bronski, and Wayson Choy — and intensely penetrating social and psychological insight, Gay and Single . . . Forever? will resonate deeply among gay men —many of whom, even today, spend most of their lives not in a relationship.
Customer Reviews:
Not a practical book for the single guy.......2007-07-26
Sorry, this book wasn't for me. I gave it a chance, but its language just didn't reach out to me. But mostly, it just wasn't practical enough for me. There were interesting stories shared, like the one where the "friends with benefits" guy actually steps up and helps the author paint in a moment of crisis. Don't get me wrong, that was really sweet. There were a few moments like that.
But I'm newly single and trying to figure out how to date, and this didn't help me do that. I was looking for bulleted lists. Checklists. Nuts and bolts. Succinct and discrete steps. I didn't get that.
LOOKING FOR LOVE....or not.......2007-01-27
Bereznai, Steven, Gay and Single...Forever?: 10 Things Every Gay Guy Looking for Love (and Not Finding It) Needs to Know. Avalon 2006
Wow!!!!!!! That is a title for you. Here in this original, quite brave and easily arguable book comes a formula on what and what not to do about being single. The thesis concerns whether it is better to be single or not. It seems that since we became "liberated" after Sonewall, after the marches on Washington and after the multitude of changes in attitudes toward us, that gay men are opting to be, shall we say, unattached. Yet, on the other hand, there is a great deal being said about being partnered. Bereznai examines the issues of whether there is room for a single gay guy in today's modern society. He does this by interviews with gay men, through personal revelations and with detailed commentary based on both psychological and social thought. He wrote this book for us, and especially for the man who wants to stay single.
Berenzai starts off by telling us that the talk of gay marriage and being partnered, which has been such a hot topic of conversation, is "whimsy" as long as there are so many more important issues facing us. Yet essentially the struggle today is for equality--the enemy has not changed--it is still hate and fear. In other words, it is the same old war, just the battles are different.
This book is the result of a search for intimacy at a time when "gay singles are the new pariahs". (Interesting thought). Bereznai uses his own state of perpetual singledom as he sets out to explain his work. And what he has discovered while being single releases his thoughts about the needs of gay men and thereby gives a chronology of the shifting of relationships and how this has affected the cultural and political life of the entire gay community. His writing is heartfelt and witty at the same time. Although he writes from the heart, he doesn't ignore the mind or the other parts of the body. His remarks are "right on", sometimes so true that they hurt. This is a book for all those who live without love but want it very badly. There are times that I felt I was reading Carrie Bradshaw's column. One critic has called this book the "new gay bible". It certainly will help you understand why you never brought the lucky guy home to meet the folks.
Allow me to share some of the chapter titles with you. We start off with "Gay is good--being gay and single used to be, too". How about "Husbands and boyfriends don't guarantee happiness" and "Boyfriends can be like prostitutes---Prostitutes can be like boyfriends". And then there is my favorite, "Wanting to be with someone is natural....not wanting to stay with him is, too" Paul Rudnick, the gay playwright is quoted on the back cover, "Being gay and single is the new smoking. It won't be socially acceptable anymore, and you will have to go outside." That pretty well sums the book up.
Highly recommended.......2006-11-15
This book gave me a new perspective on life. Being gay and single most of my adult life I felt a sense of guilt when not in a relationship. Bereznai analyzes some of the reasons why westernized culture puts pressure on everyone, including gay men, to be a couple. His writing is both funny, intelligent and inspiring. I highly recommend this book to any gay man that is having guilt over not being in a relationship.
A book that tells it like it is........2006-10-28
When I first started reading 'Gay and Single....Forever?' I wanted others to read it. I then thought that my coupled friends wouldn't understand it so why tell them about it. When I finished it I wanted to give a copy to all my friends that are in a string of never ending long term relationships and say, "you want to know what it is like being me? - read this book!"
Steven Bereznai touched upon so many things that you don't talk about with your coupled friends so you think that you are the only one experiencing them. He has so many of the same memories and experiences that I myself have had, it was uncanny at times. I have read other books about Cultures of Desire and Male Couple guides, and many had some interesting points, but I related to this book from start to finish. It was very hard to put down.
As I began reading, I found there were many things I wanted to highlight, as I do when I am reading a book or article for work, but I felt that it would be absurd to use a yellow highlighter on a book I was reading for pleasure. I decided to just turn down the corner edge on a page where I read a phrase of interest. By the end, I had marked so many pages, because there was a phrase or paragraph that hit home, that half the corners of the book are now turned down.
There should be discussion groups set-up to discuss this book and I'd be the first to sign-up.
What a great read!
Very thorough!.......2006-10-07
This book is one of the most thorough works of the existing literature around on gay men and relationships. The author has done an excellent job researching romantic love and the love lives of gay men and why so many are still single. Without pathologizing single gay men or the gay male community he presents a balanced and objective viewpoint of why so many gay men stay single. Hopefully this will end any shame single gay men might feel and take on all the blame!
Books:
- Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
- Exile
- Family Tree
- First Day Forever and Other Stories for LDS Youth
- Flight Volume 2
- Follow the Drinking Gourd
- For Whom the Dinner Bell Tolls: The Role and Function of Food and Drink in the Prose of Ernest Hemingway
- Goodbye, Good Men: How Liberals Brought Corruption Into the Catholic Church
- Half Life: A Novel
- Heaven
Books Index
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Every Young Man's Battle Workbook: Practical Help in the Fight for Sexual Purity (Everyman: Sexual Integrity)
Every Young Woman's Battle: Guarding Your Mind, Heart, and Body in a Sex-Saturated World (The Every Man Series)
Every Man's Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time (The Every Man Series)
Preparing Your Son for Every Man's Battle: Honest Conversations About Sexual Integrity (The Every Man Series)
Every Young Man's Battle Guide: Weapons for the War Against Sexual Temptation (Every Man Series)
Overwrought, Underthought.......2007-06-19
"King Dork"
