A poignant and vivid personal story designed to help others recognize their mental roadblocks.
In this debut self-improvement guide, the author uses his own tumultuous past and eventual redemption to counsel the reader toward betterment.
Abramson knows a thing or two about overcoming adversity. As a young, misguided teen, he found himself sinking into a group of troublemakers. With low self-esteem and little direction, he fell into the wrong crowd and, soon, the life of crime that went along with it. Before he was old enough to even legally drive, he made a fatal mistake one night of stealing a car. Like falling dominoes, one bad decision led to another, and the result was an event Abramson will never forget: a crash that killed an innocent driver and an arrest that left him imprisoned for 18 months. The author uses his own personal story as fuel to propel this positive reality check on what it means to be truly autonomous. Sure, most people believe they rule their own lives, but hidden narratives, repeated stories, and firm belief systems ingrained within all individuals direct their actions and choices more than they know. As Abramson explains, the notion that he wasn’t smart or capable became a catalyst for the insecurity that fueled his terrible deeds (“Based on what my father, teachers, and friends said and did, I began to believe I was not very intelligent. It is no wonder that I didn’t put much effort into school and cut classes in junior high and high school as much as I did. I had completely bought into the conversation that I was stupid”). The book offers useful suggestions for breaking out of “mental prisons,” such as participating in group work, tackling writing exercises to challenge inner beliefs, journaling, and list making. Each chapter offers a short set of questions at the end titled “Your Turn” that supplies an effective, private space for the reader to reflect. The book is concise, weaving personal narrative with lucid solutions and adept explanations of the tricky business of mindful awareness. In all, Abramson tells a powerful and eye-opening story that sets this book apart from other self-improvement titles. Infused with humility and self-awareness, his expertise feels hard-won, credible, and real.
A poignant and vivid personal story designed to help others recognize their mental roadblocks.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Capucia Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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