the Overton Window

By AB in SC (South Carolina)

I am not sure on the politics or whatever everyone else is talking about, but as a work of fiction this book is great. Clancy doesn't get reviews from political psychos that only read a book because they love or hate the politics of the author, not sure why this one does.

Solid thriller, great window into a government technique that exists just because of human nature. Does not matter if your a conservative or liberal, this technique is used by both parties and is scary when put into a scenario as the book lays out.

A friend of mine is a book reviewer for a national publication and shared this with me, I am glad he did. If you are looking for a thriller that is in line with any major political intrigue book, then you will most likely enjoy it. For being a first crack at this genre, Beck seems to have a gift.

Things to remember, this is a work of fiction, and as such should be read as such. Anyone reading it as a political guidebook, whether whining about the politics behind it or even for it, should see a psychologist and start living life outside of talk radio and politic blogs.

the Overton Window review

A plan to destroy America, a hundred years in the making, is about to be unleashed . . . can it be stopped?
There is a powerful technique called the Overton Window that can shape our lives, our laws, and our future. It works by manipulating public perception so that ideas previously thought of as radical begin to seem acceptable over time. Move the Window and you change the debate. Change the debate and you change the country.

For Noah Gardner, a twentysomething public relations executive, it's safe to say that political theory is the furthest thing from his mind. Smart, single, handsome, and insulated from the world's problems by the wealth and power of his father, Noah is far more concerned about the future of his social life than the future of his country.

But all of that changes when Noah meets Molly Ross, a woman who is consumed by the knowledge that the America we know is about to be lost forever. She and her group of patriots have vowed to remember the past and fight for the future--but Noah, convinced they're just misguided conspiracy-theorists, isn't interested in lending his considerable skills to their cause.

And then the world changes.

An unprecedented attack on U.S. soil shakes the country to the core and puts into motion a frightening plan, decades in the making, to transform America and demonize all those who stand in the way. Amidst the chaos, many don't know the difference between conspiracy theory and conspiracy fact--or, more important, which side to fight for.

But for Noah, the choice is clear: Exposing the plan, and revealing the conspirators behind it, is the only way to save both the woman he loves and the individual freedoms he once took for granted.

After five back-to-back #1 New York Times bestsellers, national radio and Fox News television host Glenn Beck has delivered a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that seamlessly weaves together American history, frightening facts about our present condition, and a heart-stopping plot. The Overton Window will educate, enlighten, and, most important, entertain--with twists and revelations

no one will see coming.

(edited by author)

Product Details

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Threshold Editions (June 15, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1439184305

ISBN-13: 978-1439184301

Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

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Immortality

This review is from: Immortality (Perennial Classics) (Paperback)

First of all - don't read this if you haven't read either "The Book of Laughter and Forgetting" or "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." "Immortality" is more difficult than both of them and should therefore be read later; but not only that, the allusions to some of Kundera's earlier ideas (the border, the unbearable lightness of being) will missed if you read this first.

Second - how much you put into will be how much you get. Don't read this as a novel; read it as a treasure buried under 350 pages of prose - you'll find many nuggets, but it will take work to grasp them and they won't combine to form a fully-formed unified slab of gold. 

Third - it's not really about immortality. It's about life, existence, and so on - the essential human themes.

Fourth - it suffers from Kundera's fatal flaw, his refusal to use the literary technique of a book's climax to make the sharpest point. The effect on the reader (and the point of literature, in my opinion, is to make the largest possible effect on the reader) would be much greater if the ending of part five ended the actual novel. I have nothing against Kundera briefly giving away the end in the middle of the novel, which he does in "Being" as well. It's a technique that he uses very well. But how much more so if the characters' ending came at the *book's* ending!

Finally - I'm not sure which rating to give to "Immortality." I first put 4 stars, as it has serious flaws (namely, it doesn't truly form exactly one work and the experimentalism does not always work - put at the climax where it belongs!). But I'd be kidding myself if 20% percent of the books I read are better than "Immortality," I think. I'll end up giving it five, but with caution. The more I reread it, which I have done recently, the more I like it. Five it is, barely. However, I think I hold Kundera to a higher standard - he has such talent; he could use it better. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

'The Boy Abyssinian'

book 'The Abyssinian Boy' by Mr. Onyeka is interesting to think of. Within ourselves we dream high But to realize dreams We must work towards it Nice to know you, man!
Onyeka 24/04/10
that's one very menarik.kekuatan footage deskrptif places and events from Onyeka very strong. events and people described with great intensity and without raising eyebrows. TAB clearly a timeless novel but definitely not for fuddy-duddy or duddies unsophisticated people, the 'old but young at heart' will surely appreciate this wonder literal content. Focal point of this novel cultural settings, settings with intonation Indo-Nigerian culture. Writer turned through two continents at will and with mudah.Saat reading this book, you will find alternate travel to the metropolis of New Delhi and the roads and other cities throughout India, while I lay in your bed. The authors also explore the paradox of racial conflict (speak the truth in a very subtle and not bother about the cow is gored). After many considerations that you observe maybe you can say that the message of this novel is strong enough and you begin to see the book as a tragedy. TAB, a book that the government should raise awareness for certain issues
1. Ensuring youth-development should be a priority (such as Mr. Onyeka Nwelue youth make sincere efforts and positive) 2. Strengthening diplomatic ties with countries in the world should be seen as a necessity. 3. The nation has stood tall against racism disaster.

"The Ultimate Gift" - Jim Stovall

The book talks about some gifts that each and every individual has but we never realize it until we lose it. The way these concepts are presented simply out of this world. This book is truly extraordinary! Red Stevens was a grand multi-millionaire father who died, but when going to write, he realizes that his money has done much injustice to his family in terms of learning the truth about life. Convenience never let them grow in life. He has a great kingdom but there were not enough eligible to inherit.
Jason Stevens is the grandson and Red always see the spark in him. However, like others, he was not aware of any reality. So he conducted a series of lessons (so called as a gift) to him every month with the help of his lawyer friends. 12 gifts left for him and so he inherited after 12 months equals one year. After one year, Jason was changed and he grew to be mature enough to handle the inheritance. This book teaches an important lesson hidden, no money / knowledge / resources are not enough, knowing how and where to spend it should be studied throughout this life and that is what Jason is learned in a year. Absolutely wonderful book to read and reread again and again!

The Glamour of Old Hollywood

Peter Joseph Swanson has been fun playing with a detailed biography of Joan's life in his novel. He was born in Texas, and he tried like the devil to remove traces of Southwest twang of a voice speaking to him. William Haines was the closest friend, and she gave him the nickname "Cranberry" (a play on "crayfish," said she must serve Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and cranberry sauce).
You do not need to know the real history of Joan Crawford to enjoy this book, though. Peter brought him down to the page as the characters in a larger-than-life Hollywood stars with excesses of all the stars and the desire of the half believed some of his movie is real. He rumbled through the pages real diamonds and fake fur with a gun in the gun, tore the young stars is lower (according to Joan, everyone but himself) like Esther Williams and Marilyn Monroe to shreds with his words-sharp letter-opener. But Joan's caliber stars would not really tear a young star (or transvestites) apart, is he? In her vodka-and diet pill-induced haze, Joan did not even believe myself anymore.
Read carefully, or you could lose a few clever one-liners Peter. Despite all the gruesome murders and shady backroom Hollywood affairs, this book is fun, fun, fun. There's even a sprinkling of sex here and there, though of course to mislead is observed through the lens of literature Peter offbeat style. Would you like mystery and crime novels, Old School Hollywood, or both, this book promises to be just like what you've read before.

Sister Hoods - The Battle to Save a Magic Forest

P.L. Blair, author of fantasy/detective novels, has written her fourth book in the Portal series, Sister Hoods. Readers will be delighted to discover intrigue and mystery in a world of nymphs, satyrs and a herd of unicorns in - of all places - magical woodlands on the Texas coast. Characters, Kat and Tevis, form a band of heroes in an attempt to save the woodlands from devastation -- and their inhabitants from becoming homeless.

All of Blair's books are based on the perception that there are magic worlds adjacent to our own which exist in "portals." Before time as we know it existed, the portals were open and free, permitting their inhabitants to access the "real" world. Our ancestors were at liberty to hang out with wizards, elves, trolls, hobgoblins, thus creating the legends that we know of today.

If you've read Blair's Portal books, you know that her characters, Kat (a human) and her partner, Tevis (an elf) are detectives with the Corpus Christi, Texas police department and go about solving crimes caused by magic gone awry. In Sister Hoods, Kat and Tevis catch up with magical nymphs who have just robbed a bank.

Why did the nymphs need to rob a bank for money? Because the woodlands in which they live are being threatened by forces they must deal with - or lose their home. If they don't do something about the situation, a wyvern will be released when the woodlands are destroyed. Wyverns are the less intelligent relative of dragons, and their sole requirements are to sleep, breed and eat. Wyverns will eat anything - but, they prefer humans!

It's clear to Kat and Tevis that something must be done to help the woodland creatures, but what and how will lead them into a run of fantasy and mystery they never expected. The woodlands they must save are a wondrous land of magic that turns out to be ancient, powerful and dangerous in a way that could threaten the world in which humans live.

The plot thickens as Kat and Tevis realize that the woodlands are also threatened by a developer who wants to bulldoze these fragile lands and build condominiums. Even worse - the developer is backed by a group of menacing wizards who would like to seize the land and its magic and use it for their own sinister purposes.

Sister Hoods will appeal to a wider group of readers than simply fans of fantasy novels. Those who enjoy detective, mystery and suspense novels will also find Sister Hoods a wild and thought-provoking read. The Portal series books focus as much on building characters and interactions between the characters as it does on plots, and readers will find that the characters in Sister Hoods will remain in their minds long after the book is closed.

It's easy to see why readers of Blair's books range from children to senior citizens. There's something for everyone in the magical land that lies somewhere between fantasy and reality, and the action-packed and mysterious drama keeps readers wanting to keep turning pages until the surprise ending.

Fantasy novels are evolving into a cross-genre that everyone can enjoy, and Sister Hoods, by P.L. Blair is a book that has something for fantasy, detective, mystery and intrigue fans -- and anyone else who wants a well-written and entertaining read.

Lauren Smith is editor for the Virtual Book Review Network - reviews books by well known bestselling authors and books by soon to be recognized names. This book review covers Sister Hoods by P.L. Blair.

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Michael Jackson - "The Love He Saved"

By Carol Denise Mitchell

 Frankie Mae Tyson had never been a popular girl. In school the boys had made fun of her; but, Michael Jackson saw her class picture in a vacant store window before he met her and he saw the plain girl in a special light. He cared about her. She cared about him and they were both successful in keeping their union secret from the world. He truly loved her. She had self confidence after meeting Jackson and she made it clear to him from the start she did not want anything but his love.

For many years Frankie refused Michael's attempts to free her from the ghetto. Michael and Frankie were careful to keep their relationship a secret from Oprah and the world, as Michael used doubles to cover for him when he was with his secret love, Frankie Mae. He even surprised her one day when just hours before his famous Moonwalk on Motown 25 he attended her Security Guard of the Month Award ceremony. "As Michael watched me through a peephole that day, I was proud of him for supporting me always as I was stunned to see the determination of opportunists and the media to bring Michael Jackson down."

"When you love a man as much as I love Michael, death can be a surreal thing to go through. I am not going to take my life; I am going to live my life in memory of Michael Jackson. I am not worried, for he knows that I will be with him one day as I promised."

When I began reading The Love He saved, I looked back to see if it was based on fact. This book is a work of fiction yet it reads like nonfiction. Frankie's language bothered me a bit at first. It leans toward street slang. However, the language is necessary for it helps define the character. While on the surface author Carol Denise Mitchell appears to be writing about Jackson, this book is actually a character study of Frankie.

I see two options in this book:

1. Frankie Mae actually met Jackson and had a relationship with him for many years. After all he was a unique character and always did unusual, unexpected ways.

2. Frankie Mae was so obsessed with Jackson that she spent years day dreaming about him. In her mind they actually had a relationship.

I suspect the author will be pleased that she had me guessing and analyzing this much. Frankie Mae's obsession for Jackson makes the most plausible part of this plot. Carol Mitchell is a talented author and her characters are very life-like. Remember the name Carol Denise Mitchell.

Carol Denise Mitchell is the author of What Happened to Suzy, (First Edition) 1995 and What Happened to Suzy, (Second Edition), 2008. The prolific writer crossed genres when she penned, "Your Rights, What the Employer Does Not Want You to Know," in 2006 and took great risk in her award nominated novel, "Michael Jackson," "The Love He Saved".

Carol calls one of her latest novels, Rovella Starr, (2008) her best work.

Writer, Carol Denise Mitchell was born and raised in Watts, California during the noteworthy era of the Civil Rights Movement, and she is the sixth of sixteen children born to Zebbie and Tasceaie Carise Charles.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carol_Denise_Mitchell