Books at the Beach

Author: Ann Marie Ackermann Title: Death of An Assassin: The True Story of the German Murdered Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee Publisher: The Kent State University Press Year of Publication: 2017 Bönnigheim is a sleepy little village in the Stuttgart district of Germany that is home to about 7500 people. In the modern era, travelers are wooed to visit by its idyllic landscapes, historical buildings, and its penchant for wine, as this village has been a site of viticulture for its entire documented history. On a fateful night in October 1835, perhaps after having indulged in some of this notable wine, Mayor Johann Heinrich Rieber was murdered by a rifleman who hid among the shadows. After gunning down the village’s mayor, the unknown rifleman dashed out of the village and was seemingly lost to history. Into this inauspicious murder mystery, Ann Marie Ackermann, has produced a worthy tome that seeks to identify this killer. Those who enjoy true crime nonfiction or are int...

Who has not experienced living life and suddenly feeling beat down by one’s circumstances? The feeling that your feet are stuck in miry clay, and, no matter what your effort you never break free. You feel as if you have fallen into a pit and cannot get out. There is no comfort in the pit; rather the continual reminder that you are stuck. Into this common reality, Beth Moore’s Get Out of That Pit breaks through with alacrity that is certain to resonate with the sullenest pit dwellers. Her message is one of both hope and deliverance – a way to break free of the pit.  Relying upon a recent event of deliverance in the Psalmist’s life, Moore culls her thesis from Psalm 40 [NET]: 1 I relied completely on the Lord, and he turned toward me and heard my cry for help. 2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing. 3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God. From a biblical expositional point of...

Author: Dick and Emily Axelrod Title : Let’s Stop Meeting Like This: Tools to Save Time and Get More Done Narrator: Wes Bleed Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers Unabridged Length of Production: 3 discs/2 hours: 58 minutes Year of Publication: 2014 In the great world of American business, it seems that corporations are in love with meetings.  Perhaps you can identify with humor columnist Dave Barry who opined, “If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be ‘meetings.’”  To combat the stiffness of horrific meetings, Dick and Emily Axelrod have produced a quality audiobook in Let’s Stop Meeting Like This. In this work, they present “The Meeting Canoe,” which provides a fitting analogy of the overall shape that a meeting should take.  The components of an effective meeting include: ·          Welcome people ·...

Let me wish you a happy Friday--if you're looking for a good book to restore a balanced perspective, you will not go wrong with Raf Adams'  The Suited Monk: A guide to life purpose and happiness.   Is it just our external experience that dictates our response to life? Hardly...don't forget the peace that only derives from inner balance. My review is presented for your enjoyment. Feedback is always appreciated. Available at Amazon.com The Suited Monk: A guide to life purpose and happiness Raf Adams WOW! Books ISBN-13: 978-1-936400-66-9 196 Pages (Includes front and back matter) Eleanor Roosevelt once quipped, “Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.”  If the truth of that statement were allowed to sink into most people, half of what is written about happiness would become obsolete. Literature abounds with promises that equate to if you will but do this , and then you will be happy—as if happiness were dependent upon some extern...

There's nothing quite like immersing oneself in a good book.  Typically, I do not review fiction since I have found so much "junk" purported as being good writing.  When you find a book that takes you to another time and helps instill pride and passion for your country - you have found a tremendous thing. Take The Angels' Footpath , for example. A prescient look at what America could look like if there's ever too much informational control. It does not end on a sullen note, instead opting to have the characters inspire the reader to consider what is wholesome about humanity. After all the arguing, political wrangling, and selfishness---there is really much more that unites us than separates us. My review is enclosed below, I hope you enjoy it. Kindly, Books at The Beach Available at Amazon.com T he Angels’ Footpath: Let’s take this walk together… Ronald R. Cooke Self-published ISBN-13: 978-0615367798 296 Pages (Includes front and ba...

May 9, 2012        Real Riches by Charles R. Swindoll In [Christ] are hidden all the  treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ---Colossians 2:3 From the looks of things, you're pretty impressive. You've got a nice place. And I suppose your neighbors would agree that you're a hard worker . . . climbing right on up that ladder toward success, right? . . . Your salary is good and your material possessions are growing in number, but . . . the truth is you are empty on the inside and you're faking it on the outside. Not one thing you own in your "kingdom" has brought you the happiness you long for. So you're thinking, "Maybe if I could land that better job," or "get into that bigger house," or . . .  or . . . . But don't allow the smoke screen of more money to blind your eyes to the truth. There's a lot more to being rich than making more money. Seneca, the Roman, was right: "Money has never yet made anyone rich." Do y...