Tag: nonfiction inspirational

Life Skills 101: All You Need, But Won’t Learn in School by Ivi Green Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

The collective team of Ivi Green takes readers on a journey to explore the highs and lows of teenage life, giving a comprehensive study of the expectations and lessons we can learn from those coveted years in the book, “Life Skills 101: All You Need, But Won’t Learn in School”. 

The Synopsis

The Most Valuable Life Lessons For Teens Told Through an Infographic, Essential Social Skills and Mindfulness for Developing Personalities.

Growing up is a painful process for everyone involved. Teens want freedom, while parents want their kids to be responsible. Teens struggle with heartbreak, friendship troubles, self-esteem issues, and overwhelming expectations. Parents worry about the choices their kids might make but can’t get through to them… and nobody knows what the #@!% they’re doing. It just so happens that we’ve got a manual for that.

It’s a colorful, practical, and engaging 100-page guide to every soft skill your kid needs to be happy. And you won’t have to rack your brain trying to get them to read it! While applying the scientifically proven method of visual learning, Life Skills 101 teaches important life lessons in a way that is accessible and easy to digest. Whether 10 or 18, your kid won’t be able to put it down (and neither will you).

✔ACCESSIBLE TO A WIDE RANGE OF AGES: although it is primarily targeted towards teens 12-16, the skills this book teaches are not age-specific; it’s never too late or too early to learn and work toward growing into the person you strive to be

✔SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN WAY TO LEARN: our infographics use attention-grabbing, and relevant illustrations to help your teen learn and retain valuable lessons long-term. Keep their attention with the most visual of all books for teen girls and boys

✔FOR TEENS, BY A TEEN: this is a unique book that has been written by a mom for her teen girl who then translated it into English. It won’t talk down to its readers; it’s a much-needed, fresh teen take on the self-help genre

The Review

This was such a comprehensive and detailed read. The collective creators and people who go by the name Ivi Green do a wonderful job of creating an easy-to-read guide and found the perfect balance between written content and bright and colorful imagery to help illustrate the points the passages are making. The amazing content allowed for readers to have some sort of information and guide to not only their teenage years but their adult years as well. 

I loved the wide variety of topics the collective group of creators brought to this book. From everyday topics like calculating taxes to more profound and meaningful topics like who we are as individuals and emotional intelligence, the book did an incredible job of providing a thorough and thoughtful collection of information to allow teenagers to understand the often confusing and difficult years of their teenage years. 

The Verdict

Thought-provoking, engaging, and interactive, the collective of Ivi Green’s “Life Skill 101: Everything You Need, But Won’t Learn in School” is a must-read book. The way the writers and creators were able to include both fact-based graphs and information with more personal and emotional-based writing allowed for a much more well-rounded read, and the book also makes for a great reference read in case teenagers need to go back and study up on issues facing them in certain moments of their lives. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Ivi Green is the curious bird peeking out at you from our logo. Her cheerful, curious, creative temperament helps her to navigate life with love and wonder. Ivi Green is also the alias for our big team of passionate parents, dedicated kids, and creative professionals who participate in the project with the same Ivi spirit.

It all started from a never-ending stream of questions that Sofiya, now 16, brought to her mom, Maria.

https://ivigreen.com/

Ethosism: Self-Enslavement Abolitionist Manifesto by Jo M. Sekimonyo Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Author Jo M. Sekimonyo takes readers on a journey to explore a way of leaving behind the inequalities of capitalism through a new system meant for the 21st century, Ethosism, in the book “Ethosism: Self-Enslavement Abolitionist Manifesto by Jo M. Sekimonyo”.

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The Synopsis

In the global environment of trade and commerce, humankind appears to have given up its natural journey of progression to improve the social order and universally accepted capitalism. But, whilst the richest continue to accumulate vast amounts of wealth, inequality grows and the poorest still live in extreme poverty. This passionate, academic study will go on to present that socialism is just another means of enslaving society under the capitalist model. So, is there a new social, political, and economic arrangement that fits the twenty-first century reality? Ethosism looks at the fact that in the twenty-first century more people than ever before have the means to acquire and own their means of engagement, participation, or involvement in an enterprise. As the result, capitalism, socialism, and communism have lost their raison d’etres.

By examining the foremost upheavals of the twenty-first century, wealth inequality and climate change, plus social class conflicts resulting from the paradigm shift, my conviction is that we are in dire need of a morales nuvem consensus which will herald new social, commerce, intermerce, and political covenants that will enable us to successfully traverse the twenty-first century and beyond.

The Review

This was such an incredibly moving and thought-provoking read. Immediately what stood out to me from the author’s writing was how one of the first lessons taught is how far too little morality is brought into the conversation regarding the economy and wealth as a whole. The capitalist nature that puts the self above all else and leaves behind those who fight to survive and can’t make any headway is something that has weighed on me for a long time, and reading the author’s words was powerful and fantastic to behold.

The exploration of not only why systems like capitalism and socialism don’t work in our modern age and are only hurting our current system, but the author’s ability to thoughtfully and honestly present a new approach to wealth and class systems as a whole through Ethosism was amazing to read. I was immediately struck by the balance of philosophy the author brought into the discussion of politics and economics throughout the book, and the writing style itself was so remarkable, as it moved smoothly from an almost poetic-like writing style to engaging non-fiction reading at its best.

The Verdict

Thoughtful, educational, and moving, author Jo M. Sekimonyo’s “Ethosism: Self-Enslavement Abolitionist Manifesto” is a must-read book on how to shape our society to fit the time that we are living in. The need for change has never been greater, and the only way a society can grow and prosper is by moving forward, not looking back to systems that no longer function. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Jo M. Sekimonyo is a theorist, human rights activist, political economist, and social philosopher. He is a Congolese born, American fermented and globally bottled Merchant of Ideas. He has been a strong critic of mainstream economists stating that, “these clown shows chip away the substance of economic disparity dialogues”.

On the Labor Theory of Value, Sekimonyo argues that in the twenty-first century, instead of the average number of labor hours, the quality of the means nested in an enterprise to produce a commodity or provide a service establishes relative prices.

In this context, labor is no longer viewed as a cost but one of the profiteers, as it ought to be. The working class is no longer a cost but one of the profiteers, as it should be.

Much of his writing has been concerned with “economic injustice, poverty, and egalitarianism”.

His work has been translated into over ten languages.

Sekimonyo argues that the ability of individuals to understand the world and creatively respond to challenges that confront humanity is key to alleviate poverty. He facilitates several workshops and seminars every year throughout the developing world geared towards stimulating debates around global social issues and mainstream economic theories.

He is the founder of “En Charge”, an independent, non-partisan organization that promotes the participation of young people in social, political and economic dialogues at the national and global levels.

His more recent work deals with an alternative to capitalism; ethosism.

https://www.sekimonyo.com/

https://twitter.com/JSekimonyo

Again. Again and Again: Awakening into Awareness – Essays and Stories by Mathias B. Freese Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Mathias B. Freese takes readers deep into his mind and life through a series of personal essays and third-person stories in his book, “Again. Again and Again: Awakening Into Awareness – Essays and Stories”.

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The Synopsis

Having once been a psychotherapist who’s never hesitated to turn the therapeutical gun barrel toward himself, Mathias B. Freese ramps up his radical reflexivity in this latest work, from confessional first-person narration to third-person “stories” starring “characters” named Matt. (This genre could be called meta-Matt.) “I write to know perhaps something about who I am,” Freese writes. “I write to arrive at some awareness, however dim, about self or other, for when I have that fleeting moment of awareness, I feel at one — true.” Truly, Again. Again and Again. is a song of himself.

Rocker Billy Idol proves to be an unlikely but apt echoer here: “When there’s nothing to lose and there’s nothing to prove, well, I’m dancing with myself.” As a one-man show, Freese puts the “dance” in “abundance,” stressing an author’s singularity, the innerness of writing, the sharing — rather than the proselytizing — purpose of artistic expression. In other words, as Freese says, “a book is one person’s awareness as he or she sees it.”

More than a few times, Freese had implied that Again. Again and Again. would probably be his swan song, his “final stirrings,” his ultimate testament. How laughable, considering both his prolificacy and “urge and urge and urge” (as Whitman would gush). Sure enough, the author is no longer so sure that he’s expressed enough, and it seems that yet another stirring idea spurs him to create again. Again and…

The Review

This was an incredibly profound and thought-provoking read. The author found the perfect balance between his 1st personal perspective essays and the more 3rd person short narratives that each highlighted an important theme or idea that the author presented. One line that immediately stuck out to me was one in which the author speaks of a friend of his who said literature always featured love and death, but in reflecting on that notion the author realized that his friend forgot time itself. This was so profound, as the author delves in one page into the heart of not only literature but life itself, for what is love and death without the time it takes to achieve both? 

The thing that stood out to me as a reader immediately was the author’s writing style. Whether he was writing a short story about man’s awareness of the universe around him or a personal essay on the pursuit of greatness and how the journey is far more often beautiful than the completed end as a whole, the author always wrote as if he were having a personal conversation with the reader. This very intimate and thoughtful approach to this style of writing was so well-conceived that I was on the edge of my seat the entire reading, mesmerized by the author’s words and the passion for which he wrote.

The Verdict

Heartfelt, engaging, and thoughtful in its approach, author Mathis B. Freese’s “Again. Again and Again” is a must-read book of short stories and essays on life’s most existential questions. The honesty and enlightening way the author weaves together a collection of writing that is both inspiring and philosophical really highlights the author’s sense of teaching and writing, making this one book readers will not want to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Nina’s Memento Mori Review
And Then I’m Gone Review
Interview with Author Mathias B. Freese
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About the Author

MATHIAS B. FREESE is a writer, teacher, and psychotherapist who has authored eight books. His I Truly Lament: Working Through the Holocaust won the Beverly Hills Book Award, Reader’s Favorite Book Award, and was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Book Awards, the Paris Book Festival, and the Amsterdam Book Festival. In 2016, Tesserae: A Memoir of Two Summers, his first memoir, received seven awards. The following year his second memoir appeared, And Then I Am Gone.

https://www.mathiasbfreese.com/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09VYC477V/ref=x_gr_w_glide_sin?caller=Goodreads&callerLink=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodreads.com%2Fbook%2Fshow%2F60686562-again-again-and-again&tag=x_gr_w_glide_sin-20

A Well-Launched Life: How Young People Can Live An Intentional, Fulfilling Life by Bruce Sheridan Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Author Bruce Sheridan helps readers to find the tools and lessons that young people transitioning into adulthood will need to lead a successful life in the book “A Well-Launched Life: How Young People Can Live An Intentional, Fulfilling Life”. 

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The Synopsis

Transitioning from teen year to becoming a self-sufficient adult can be a rocky road, littered with many choices to make and potholes to navigate. Choices like, should you go to college? What kind of career do you want? Will you make enough money to live and save for the lifestyle you want? What type of partner are you looking for? The choices you make during this time will impact the rest of your life, so you must choose carefully.

The purpose of this book is to introduce you to a practical and simple method to plan and live a God-centered life with few mistakes and regrets. A Well-Launched Life is chocked full of practical advice on these important questions and looks at more personal questions surrounding addiction, premarital sex, and dealing with all types of abuse. You’ll learn from author Bruce Sheridan’s hilarious and sometimes treacherous real-life examples about how to, or not to navigate this defining decade.

The Review

The author does a fantastic job of capturing the personal and real-life experiences of his own life in a way that feels both relatable to readers and teachable as a means of showcasing to younger readers the path to adulthood that he himself took. The fast pace and the way the author was able to tackle not just the more humorous or light-hearted lessons life dealt him, but the more in-depth and mistake-treaded paths he crossed, made this book just sail smoothly from the onset. 

The care and attention the author took to more sensitive subjects and troubling situations, from abuse to addiction and everything in between was great to see handled in such a delicate yet much-needed way. While I myself may not, in particular, be religious, I found the book to be greater geared towards young people who are seeking a means of keeping their faith and beliefs alive while striking a harmonious chord with their responsibilities and choices in life overall. 

The Verdict

Powerful, heartfelt, and engaging, to say the least, author Bruce Sheridan’s “A Well-Launched Life: How Young People Can Live An Intentional, Fulfilling Life” is a must-read nonfiction and inspirational book. The author’s honest and humbling approach to the topic, as well as his unique approach from a balance of faith and life lessons, will appeal to those seeking a more faith-based inspiration for growing up and taking on the challenges life will throw young people as they turn towards adulthood. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Bruce Sheridan was raised in Union City, New Jersey, the fourth child in a family of eight. He earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech while being a member of the Men’s Varsity track team. While working for Florida Power and Light he helped design and build the power grid that supplies electricity to residential and commercial properties. While working full time, Bruce earned a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami.

After working for General Electric and Bank of America for many years, Bruce became an entrepreneur and started a coaching business. Bruce knows that the foundation for his success is due to his relationship with God, and he weaves these messages into his coaching.

Bruce currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife Jan, an Irish Wheaten Terrier, and a Tabby cat. He enjoys spending time with his family, the outdoors, and serving his church.

New You! Who Knew? By David R. Edwards Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Author David R. Edwards guides readers towards a series of core skills and the foundation for which to build a life you would be proud of in his nonfiction, self-help stylebook on communication and skills, “New You! Who Knew?”.

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The Synopsis

Life is messy. It flashes by as you wonder what your future will be and how to influence it. You struggle to take charge of your life and it’s frustrating. Trying new things never works as well as you hoped. Why isn’t your story as wonderful as those you read about?

YOU are the focus in New You! Who Knew? Each chapter helps you build the core skills you need for everything else to fall into place. The surprising but enduring foundations encourage you to build a life to be proud of. Without these, many people experience unnecessary frustration and disappointment.

Be the captain of your own life! Follow step by step to learn the fundamentals needed to overcome challenges, accomplish goals and persist when the going gets tough. By making the principles your own, every relationship and effort will improve, guiding you to lead your own way through life.

The Review

This was a captivating and thought-provoking read. The author did a fantastic job of writing in a way that taught the readers new skills and tools to use in their own personal development but wrote it in a way that the average reader would be able to understand, something a lot of self-help books find themselves missing the mark on. The personability and honesty in which the author spoke established a trusting and thoughtful tone that readers felt comfortable reading in. 

The theme and messages that the author utilizes here in these teachings were remarkable to read. The exploration of self-efficacy and self-compassion was an inspired choice of organizing and utilizing these skills. The dive into the inner and exterior forces that diminish our self-worth and drive our lives out of our control was so brilliantly put, and the author did a great job of balancing the teachable moments of the book with engaging and heartfelt storytelling to help illustrate his points.

The Verdict

A mesmerizing, gripping, and memorable read, author David R. Edwards’s “New You! Who Knew?” Is a must-read nonfiction book of 2022 for those seeking to better themselves and gain the tools and skills needed to take charge of their own journeys. The passion and heart for which the author spoke through his words and the research and development that went into these skill developments really showed through the author’s work, and if you haven’t yet, I highly recommend you grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Hi, I am David R Edwards, author of “New You! Who Knew?”.  A few years ago I was CEO of a Community Health Center creating the leading integrated, person-focused, primary care center in the country.  In my interaction with patients, advocates, professionals from different disciplines, and my own pondering and study I had an epiphany, you know a “WOW” moment. People are missing core skills that if they had would make their lives so much better.  I left my well-paying job and embarked on researching and writing a book to help regular people learn the principles and skills needed to become the captain of their own life. “

https://www.davidredwards.com/

Hospisophy by Danny Blorian Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The emotional and spiritual journey that both patients and caregivers can undergo working and living within a hospice care situation can lead to times of contemplation and understanding, and in author Danny Blorian’s “Hospisophy”, the reader is treated to a series of personal experiences and stories from both the author’s work experience and the personal experiences of patients as relayed to him.

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The Synopsis

Every man, and every woman, has a story – and stories beget wisdom.

Those who know their days are numbered gain a certain clarity that far exceeds the common knowledge we are often trapped in during the day to day.

From the clear, sober perspective of people who know they are no longer dealing with an uncertain future, but with how to cope with impending death and the meaning of the life they have led, a moving, insightful string of stories emerges, stories of deep, penetrating wisdom and life lessons under whose reflective light an individual can better live.

This book collects the life stories of men and women who have related them in the last days of their lives. Stories of people who felt unable to leave this world without their telling. They are short, illuminating stories about the variety of ways a life can be lived, and the various ways it is possible to prepare for death.

It is surprising how simple things can appear to be when exposed to the core, and this is true of the stories in this book. All can be read from a healthy sense of curiosity, from a need to look into other people’s lives, as well as a guide to use to avoid all those missed opportunities in life, the crossroads where so many of us take a wrong turn.

The Review

This was such an emotional and heartfelt read. The author takes an inspirational and grounded approach to a very sensitive and emotional part of a lot of people’s lives. Whether it is the reader who finds themselves nearing this point in their own lives or the reader who has a loved one enduring this moment themselves, the book speaks to everyone and delves into the human condition in a raw and real way. 

Yet it is the way the author and the people he spoke with and shared their stories use these emotional moments and memories they share to inspire the reader. Delving into five areas under the subject known as “Regrets” in the book, each story and experience the author shares deals with an important life lesson that the author hopes will encourage others to take advantage of the life they have left and do the most with it. The writing was compelling and did a great job balancing storytelling with establishing an emotional connection between the reader and the subjects of this book. 

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The Verdict

A memorable, honest, and emotionally-investing read, author Danny Blorian’s “Hospisophy” is must-read nonfiction and inspirational read. Exploring the concept of death itself and how it impacts life, the author does a phenomenal job of taking these personal and impactful stories from these patients and their families and showing readers how to live a life without regrets. A life fulfilled, and with a sense of purpose that otherwise may have gone unnoticed. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10