The Public Library - Are Public Libraries Still Relevant?

The internet has competition. There is another, long neglected source of information available. Like the World Wide Web, it's mostly free and is an excellent source of entertainment and research, but it's been around much longer than any website.

It had been far too long since I'd set foot in my local library. I'd simply lost the habit. Life, as they say, had got in the way. It's one of those things that you don't do unless you make a special effort. So I made that special effort, and I'm extremely glad that I did.

The slightly stuffy atmosphere that I remembered from my youth was gone, replaced by a helpful, friendly ambience. The dark wood shelves and heavy velvet drapes had been replaced too, by a light welcome airiness. Most delightfully, I felt a return of the sense of wonder that visits to the library had always conjured up in my youth. The endless possibilities held within each book was still there, but now they had been joined by computer terminals and data discs which, just like their paper cousins, were filled with everything that an inquisitive mind might desire. The adventure, the horror, the learning of the ages and so much more were still there to be rediscovered by each generation just as I had done all those years ago. More information than any one person could ever hope to learn was held within this building, a living and growing thing available to anyone prepared to make the smallest of efforts.

The Impact of a Good Book or Magazine

Books Make Great Presents

Selecting the right gift can often be tricky but there is one type of present that will last a lifetime. Books are always appreciated. Even when the title may not be something they immediately relate to most folks will read when the opportunity presents itself.

Classics are among the safest to buy but now the range is so big that subscriptions to magazines, an e-book reader, and audio or talking books are all there as possibilities.

Most will recall the excitement felt when a great book came into their possession. It is made even more special when someone you love gave it to you. My dear brother gave me a book on a family who lived in the Australian outback and travelled to England by ship during WWII. The torpedoes barely missed them and the voyage was steeped in intrigue, excitement, mayhem and hope. For a young teenager it was a novel that was hard to put down and it is still recalled with fond memories to this day.

Book Summary: Better - A Surgeon's Notes on Performance - Written by Atul Gawande

Dr. Gawande is an excellent author. Anytime I can learn from a Harvard graduate then I will spend the time on it. "Better" talks about certain simplistic conclusions from complex problems. Being a positive deviant is how Dr. Gawande characterizes being successful and making progress in medicine or any endeavor.

Why is this important to me? Inevitably you will come across complex issues in your life. Taking a diligent approach to solving these issues will usually result in simple solutions. Better talks about how to do that. What does it take to be good at something in which failure is so easy, so effortless? Dr. Gawande tells a story of one of his patients that was admitted under his care when he was in medical school. The patient was stable and needed to be put under observation. She complained of insomnia and sweats the night before. The senior resident told him to keep a close eye on her and he agreed to see her mid-day. That one simple assumption almost cost the patient her life. The senior resident checked on her first and she had a fever and needed to be put into the ICU. She lived and was sent home fine a few days later. The point of this story is that a simple assumption to check on the patient in a couple hours could have cost her - her life. One simple thing to do separates life and death.

Better is broken down in three main parts which I will touch on briefly and then we will talk about Dr. Gawande's recommendations for becoming a positive deviant.

The Public Library - Are Public Libraries Still Relevant?

The internet has competition. There is another, long neglected source of information available. Like the World Wide Web, it's mostly free and is an excellent source of entertainment and research, but it's been around much longer than any website.

It had been far too long since I'd set foot in my local library. I'd simply lost the habit. Life, as they say, had got in the way. It's one of those things that you don't do unless you make a special effort. So I made that special effort, and I'm extremely glad that I did.

The slightly stuffy atmosphere that I remembered from my youth was gone, replaced by a helpful, friendly ambience. The dark wood shelves and heavy velvet drapes had been replaced too, by a light welcome airiness. Most delightfully, I felt a return of the sense of wonder that visits to the library had always conjured up in my youth. The endless possibilities held within each book was still there, but now they had been joined by computer terminals and data discs which, just like their paper cousins, were filled with everything that an inquisitive mind might desire. The adventure, the horror, the learning of the ages and so much more were still there to be rediscovered by each generation just as I had done all those years ago. More information than any one person could ever hope to learn was held within this building, a living and growing thing available to anyone prepared to make the smallest of efforts.

A Book Review: Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships Through the Unique Perspective of Autism

A Book Review: Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspective of Autism

By Dr. Temple Grandin and Sean Barron Edited by Veronica Zysk

Future Horizons, Inc 2005

One of the most difficult areas for individuals on the Autism Spectrum is to navigate social relationships. This is especially true for high-functioning autistic individuals and those with the more specific label of Aspergers. "Age appropriate" expectations are not met and anxiety and other emotions run rampant. Two well-known individuals on the autism spectrum have collaborated in this book addressing this important issue. While they do not come from the neurodevelopmental approach there is much that can be learned from this book. Dr. Temple Grandin and Sean Barron represent two different types of autistic individuals, thus reminding us that everyone is an individual even those who have been diagnosed with the same condition.

Grandin sees in pictures, maintaining an immense database of pictures that she has categorized as if on a well-organized hard drive. Therefore, the book has been arranged in Acts and Scenes as if in a play that she can visualize. On the other hand, as Barron grew up he developed his own a set of unwritten rules that he designed and expected everyone to follow. When people unknowingly broke the rules, he was angry. After telling their stories and introducing themselves to the readers, they give their ten main unwritten rules with personal examples and many sub-rules. Here are their ten main rules:

eBooks Rule - Treebooks Drool

I haven't had such a horrible reading experience since I think about 1998 or 1999. I had forgotten that it was like trying to wrestle an octopus in the dark. It's better when you have light, lots of light. The worst part is not so much trying to see the blurry, small print on cheap paper as it is trying to keep the page from curving and the whole thing closing and slipping out of your hands--hands because the unpleasant process takes two hands to make it viable. And your arms get tired and maybe cold if you don't have the heat turned up sufficiently.

Of course there's always the problem of losing your place when you set the bloody thing down for a minute. Or it can close on you unexpectedly when you're not paying attention. Forget bookmarks. They fall out, and you have to spend a half hour figuring out where you left off.

If the damn thing is borrowed from a friend or a library, you can't make annotations, highlight or draw in it for it would be a cardinal sin. And what if you want to copy a passage and paste it in another document? Fergetaboutit.

Document Management in the Information Age

A document can be described as a written representation of thoughts, ideas and or experiences. On the other hand, a book can be described as a collection of logically related documents. Documents come in different flavors. Some of the different types of documents include: audio documents, video documents, literary documents. In this article my references to documents will be of the literary type. Books, journals, and webpages are some of the different types of documents available to users out there. With the wealth of information available today the need for a veritable means of searching for high quality documents is imperative!

There are different methods of searching for documents. Some of the traditional ways of searching for documents or information include: Searching for books in a Public Library; Borrowing books from friends/acquaintances; Searching for books in a book store; Using search engines; and lastly Using online book portals [Library 2.0]. With the advent of the internet came about a proliferation of information: As at 2010, according to Google, there were about 130 million books in the world; As at 2011 also, there are about 267 million websites across the globe. With the overabundance of information available at the click of a mouse, a number of questions arise: how does a user find high quality documents/books? How does a user search through documents/books are at a reasonable rate? How does a user compare similar documents/books? How does a user collect documents/books? How does a user copy books/documents?

Da Vinci Code Revisited: Jesus Fathered A Child?

Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, a run-away best seller, acclaimed to have been read by more than 60,000,000 in its first year of publication alone, has amused, if not awed the readers' mind on the possibility of Jesus' surviving bloodline - in partnership with, of all women, Mary Magdalene.

Magdalene, however already made into a saint, was, from a very puritanical mind, a very unlikely woman candidate for Jesus' espouse; that there was a candidate for Jesus' espouse at all, is, in itself, a far removed idea from the traditional Christian believers' minds.

But with how the author Dan Brown dealt with the theme in his novel, Da Vinci Code, this remote idea became within reach - and grasped as a possibility, adding to the fact that it was very much entertaining; It appeared like a scholarly idea delivered through the mouth of the story's character or his thoughts.

The story plot was brilliant, the stuff conspiracy theories are made of, taking the readers outside the box of the usual gospel story to one of intrigues set in the contemporary time.

The Efforts of JRR Tolkien

This was a great writer and poet in the twentieth century. He was one of the greatest writers of our time and even today his works are still outstanding. Many generations of writers have in fact been inspired but his creativity and art in both writing and poetry. JRR Tolkien was not only a writer but was a lecturer and a professor of English and literature in the Oxford University between the year 1925 and 1945. Here he was known as the author of classics and fantasy due to his fiction stories. He was promoted to a Mentor Professor of English in the Oxford University where he held this position from 1945 to 1959.

His youthful time was rather interesting. His name was believed to be of German origin which has the meaning of being foolishly clever. This implies that he was very bright since childhood. His father was neither from the US nor the Great Britain but was believed to have come from Saxony in the late eighteenth century. He was believed to have had much interest in the English language and this could have motivated his son John Ronald. He did not have a very big job like his son had at the same age since he only managed to become a clerk in a certain bank in that country. But he much liked promotions though it seemed that he could not get it from his place of work. For this reason, he saw the need to move to South Africa to get all he wanted.

In South Africa, Arthur was lucky to meet his best half from an English origin particularly the West Midlands. This means that even John was not born in the English countries. His place of birth was actually in Bloemfontein in South Africa. This happened on the third of January two years after moving to South Africa.

Why Read Women's Fiction?

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

"...Memoirs gradually unfolds to reveal the courage, love, daring, and hope of an intensely human - and, it turns out, surprisingly modern - woman."

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

"...In a page-turner that brings new resonance to the moral issues involved, she spins a story of social awakening as seen from both sides of the American racial divide."

Something Blue by Emily Griffin

"Highly entertaining... Despite a happy ending, Giffin raises thorny questions. A long friendship can (like marriage) turn claustrophobic or abusive. Is infidelity the solution? And why are pretty girls so easily taken in by scheming Plain Janes?"

How to make an American Quilt by Whitney Otto

"An extraordinary and moving reading experience, How to make an American quilt is an exploration of women of yesterday and today, who join together in a uniquely female experience. As they gather year after year, their stories, their wisdom, their lives, form the pattern from which all of us draw warmth and comfort for ourselves."

Book Summary - That Used to Be Us - By Thomas L Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum

Thomas Friedman is a NY Times bestselling author. He wrote The World is Flat and Hot, Flat and Crowded which are excellent books. This book is a must read for anybody who cares about our country. It outlines the problems and discusses the methods for getting us back on track as a world leading innovative nation.

Why is this important to me? I ask this question as if I am sitting in your shoes. This book in my humble opinion is a must read. The lackadaisical nature of the masses along with the political gridlock is paralyzing the nation and that affects all of us. It makes no sense for China to have better rail systems than us, and Singapore having better airports than us. And we just learned that China now has the fastest supercomputer on Earth - that used to be us. President Obama - 11/3/2010 Thomas and Michael outline the significant problems and some of the positive energy that still existing in the U.S. For the sake of time, I will summarize each of the 5 parts. The big four challenges we face in the U.S. are: how to adapt to Globalization, how to adjust to the IT revolution, how to cope with huge budget deficits because of growing government and how to manage in a world of rising energy demands and climate change.

The Art of Non-Conformity - Set Your Own Rules - Written by Chris Guillebeau

It is interesting how things fall into place. I read the 4-Hour work week by Tim Ferriss and was skeptical until I read it. Then this book shows up on my desk. Needless to say Chris Guillebeau has the right idea. People are sleep walking through life. They get up, work, go to bed and get up again. Before they know it, they are 60 years old and wondered what the heck happened. When you're a kid and followed the crowd typically you got in trouble and were told - "If everybody jumped off a bridge, would you follow?" Now when you are older you go to school, get a secure job, buy a house and die. If you do not follow all the people off the bridge then you are an outcast. Chris is an outcast of excellent stature. This is a great book. Let's dig in.......

Why is this important to me?
Well let's consider some things: Education today in the U.S. is a bit of a joke. We rank 25th of all the industrialized nations. This is horrible. Worse than that, kids are graduating college with mountains of debt and not getting jobs. Education cost is the only market that has been rising steadily and far exceeding growth in other areas.

You may ask: Why is Education so expensive and not really helping in the job market? There is so much loan money out there that the universities know they can charge more because there is money to be borrowed. It sounds like a bit of a paradox - students cannot afford college so let them go get money and pay for it for the rest of their lives. Worse than that for every engineer/tech person that makes stuff, our universities graduate 18 Lawyers and 50 MBA students. This means that one person creates actual utility and 68 people manage it.

Earthing Book

Just came across this book while surfing the internet randomly for environment products. First I smiled to myself, looking at the hyped title. Then decided to see what it was all about. Since, the book cost only $13, I decided to give it a try.

The first few pages were as usual. I thought it is another fitness product manual boasting about their natural therapy. But, then the author caught my attention. I just wondered when the last time I wandered barefoot. It was in that summer camp before three or four years. My foot is constantly locked in plastic or leather.

God knows it will sue me for suffocating it always, if it had a chance. But, it does remind me that I am not taking proper care of it now and then. Sore foot, patched nails, unexpected swelling in the fingers everything occurs now and then. I even went to the extent of the taking a master check up to see whether the blood glucose level in my body was the reason for the swelling. But, never gave a thought about wandering in the garden. This book was like a real eye opener for me.

Kindle Fire Is a Good Competitor According to IT Experts

Few would disagree with the statement that Amazon's Kindle and the associated Kindle Store are revolutionary in the field of books and publishing. Their collection has millions of electronic books available for sale, such as popular Romance Books, cooking and recipe books, as well as popular classics by authors such as Jules Verne and William Shakespeare.

When the Kindle was first released, it became an instant success. But just like with any other electronic gadget, there had to be progress. The latest edition of this progress would be the arrival of the Amazon Kindle Fire, which offers many interesting features to its users. The device has not been released yet, but according to a Computer World report, it is expected to ship on November 15th 2011 and pre-sale orders are already being taken.

One of the main advantages of the Kindle Fire is its relatively low price point of $199. Its main features are a 7 inch color screen, capable of displaying at a 1024 by 600 resolution. It also contains a browser that lets users access multimedia content and social networking sites, as well as practically any other website on the web. Of course, it does retain the ability to read PDF files, which is a common format for many eBooks distributed outside of the Amazon Kindle store, such as independently produced online erotic books.

The Magic Of Making Up - Is It Really True?

If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing about specific strategies on mending relationships yet you are in for a treat. Without any hype or BS I have came across have seen in a long time. We all like to align ourselves with winners and good things, right? Well this is one of them!

The magic man is author T.W. Jackson. He is a good ol' southern boy who makes sure to use some southern hospitality to make sure he is able to help you repair a rocky relationship. T.W. literally became a guru in the relationship field. His course on repairing your relationship and getting your ex back has helped over 50,000 people in 77 countries. His "clean slate method" will assist you in starting your relationship back over from scratch, without any pain or discomfort and make you become aware of what you need to do to make it last this time around.

I used the "clean slate method" to help repair a relationship of mine that had been plaguing me for years. I realized that sometimes in life I need some assistance from people who are experts in areas I don't understand, this being one of them. If I had to give you my honest opinion on the course as a whole I would rank it a 9-10 or a 4.5 out of 5 stars. There was no greater feeling than taking control and starting all over, I felt as though an elephant had been lifted off my back and I know you will too.

Books to Read After Harry Potter

The epic Harry Potter series came to an end, with The Deathly Hallows. These seven book series captivated the reading audience with 'magic' and gave rise to a new generation of book lovers. Therefore, the conclusion of the series left a void among the ardent Potter fans, all over the world, who still craves for more.

Fortunately, there are several admirable books that can prove to be the best choice to read after Harry Potter. We will be covering ten such books that are mystical, innovative and endearing. These fantasy based books are meant for the adults and children alike and though these books may or may not follow the theme or genre similar to 'Potter', they are definitely excellent and can easily engross the reading world.

The Last Unicorn written by Peter S. Beagle is a classic novel that depicts the journey of a Unicorn, an immortal wizard and a cat. This fantasy based book narrates their pursuit to find what happened to the unicorns. The underlying theme of the novel reflects love, delusion against realism, failure, compassion and destiny. The story is an amalgamation of myths and folklore just like the story of Harry Potter. The fantasy has an emotional twist when the characters of the book give up their belief in the supernatural or mythological creatures.

Recommended Readings

I would recommend reading an article titled "How to Use Multimedia for Business Marketing," written by Lauren Folino and Michelle V. Rafter. I enjoyed reading the article to a great extent because of the idea that multimedia is not only used for entertainment, but it can and should also be used to market yourself or your business/organization. Overall, the article discusses the idea that multimedia, such as mobile marketing, livecasting and podcasting, photo, video and file sharing, can spread the word about your company and help build brand awareness in a very unique and powerful way. This type of media has the potential to go viral quickly.

The next article that I have read and recommend you to read is called "Teaching Effectively with Multimedia" by Jessica E. Zimmer. This is all about why a teacher should use multimedia at its fullest potential in a classroom setting. She explains that students respond to information differently. Thus, it is an advantage as teachers to use many different formats and modes to teach the subject matter of a lesson. As a student myself, I completely agree with the article that teachers should use more than pure lecture itself to try to teach his or her students. Like many other students, I have a tendency to space out or get side-tracked when sitting in a classroom. However, if there is a lecture that incorporates graphics, video, or audio, I am less likely to do so.

Green Lantern Rebirth

Rebirth offers a lot to comic readers especially those who are interested in the whole Green Lantern history and it's wide and long mythology. It is like key events in the GL storyline had been discussed or referred to as part of the over-all story of this book. Also, Rebirth marked the return of one of DC Universe's important characters whose popularity (along with others) sprung the Silver Age of comic history. Rebirth is about the Return of Hal Jordan.

The word rebirth is synonymous with the word restart, meaning to start all over again, and I believe this is what this book intends to do. It intends to start back to Hal Jordan and the character that he had made famous, the Green Lantern. And Hal is back as a wielder of a Green power ring and the main superhero in this book. More than that, it also intends to re-introduce Hal to comic readers who have no idea about his character.

Geoff Johns writing almost explained everything that needs to be understood in order to rightfully return Jordan in his superhero character. From the yellow impurity that all Green Lantern suffer from, to the white streaks of hair that Hal Jordan fashioned back then, were all discussed and were given explanation in this book. The formation of the Corps, the destruction of Coast City, Hal's final sacrifice to relit the sun; these are key events in the Green Lantern storyline and were referenced in here. And Jordan's return to becoming Green Lantern undergoes events which involved interaction with characters that were popular to Hal Jordan. Hal Jordan's separation from the Spectre and the Parallax entity were vital to return his soul to his mortal body. And as soon as he is back in his body, he faced an old enemy, the renegade Sinestro.

How To Utilize Mental Resources In Order to Decide

'Sources of Power' by Gary Klein is a highly complex but extremely intelligent interpretation of how our mind works and how it should work. Certain people are indecisive, not because they can't make decisions but they fail to utilize the various sources of mental powers.

Intuition and intelligence are two ends of the mental spectrum. Animals use the former primarily while humans use it only in times of crisis. If you are able to make great split-second decisions using your intuition, it doesn't mean you are gifted with a sixth sense. It indicates that you are better in calculating various options and then taking the decision that appears amazing even to you.

How does a trained mind work?

Suppose, an investigating team finds a dead woman with no clues, it will automatically start on basic principles leaning to intuition. The nature of the place; the injury; age of the woman, all give the team certain signals and they carry on their intuition. However, it is necessary to stop at intervals and check whether they are proceeding on the right path. The other sources of mental instincts come to the fore there.

Experience And Instincts: Two Hands Of Decision

Gary Klein's book Sources of Power is based on numerous surveys on the kinetics of decision-making. While most select the first applicable action, some compare and analyze the options available. Various factors contribute into this simple fact.

Experience is a teacher

You go through life getting rich with experience in various fields. Farming, cooking, stitching all teach you specific patterns even if you don't know these arts. There are different ways to grow different crops, to cook and to stitch different cloths. The plan of action is bound to change when you evaluate the task at hand.

Thus, when your own time to make decisions arrive, you involuntarily fall on these bookmarks. You begin to match the patterns and act likewise. However, those good at making decisions won't falter even if there is a change in this pattern. That is the moment of indecision for many and instincts for the rest.

Diversity Is Critical When Picking Members for Your Book Club

You love books, you love the experience of reading, and you want to share and discuss books with others. The criteria for selecting others to join you should be based on these things alone. I implore you to try to forget about gender, age or background, and focus on the love of reading.

First, all the members won't be your friends and in my opinion shouldn't be your friends. What I mean by this is that a gathering of friends will discuss everything from relationships to kids to dinner, to work. Remember, you're putting this group together with a very specific purpose; to read and discuss specific books. This might sounds strange but if all the members are your current friends, you'll likely end up discussing anything but the book. Trust me, a few acquaintances or even strangers will result in a more dynamic and enjoyable group.

Even though the members might not all start as friends, you share a common passion and you may and probably will eventually become friends. The world is filled with groups of people who share nothing but a common passion for something. Use this as an opportunity to reach out and include new people into your world.

Second, think diversity. The most dynamic discussion groups I've attended have both male and female members from diverse walks of life. Women make up the majority of fiction readers so statistically your group will be mostly or completely comprised of women. Still, I encourage you to try to get at least one male club member. In almost every discussion they will bring a very different and welcome insight to characters and actions.

For example, in a recent book club meeting I asked the question, who's the main character, Rick, the supposed hero, or Kay Summers, the heroine. Kay was in the story from the first page of the first chapter while Rick came in about a third the way through the book. Most of the women answered Kay, while all the male readers said it was Rick. This single question has occupied as much as half a meeting and the resulting conversation was amazing. The different perspective is enlightening and thought provoking.

Also, don't be afraid of younger or older members. They too will have a unique perspective and most likely pick up on things you miss.

Reading isn't age dependent, gender specific, expensive or hard. People from all industries, socioeconomic background and education levels read and enjoy talking about reading. I can practically guarantee that the more diversity you include in your groups makeup, the more you'll get out of it.

Critical Acclaim for Patrick Rothfuss and His Unique Style of Writing

Patrick Rothfuss is one of the most interesting and unique writers of this generation. You won't find Twilight love stories here. His unique writing style paired with his special sense of humor has given rise to some of the most mind capturing pieces of work of this decade. His work has been critically acclaimed for his unique sense of writing style and captivating story lines. It won't be long before he makes millions of dollars selling the book rights over for a major motion picture trilogy for his bestselling books. Patrick Rothfuss is a bestselling American writer who capitalizes on creating fantasy works and is also a guest lecturer at some of the major universities around the United States.

Patrick Rothfuss was born on June 6th, 1973 in Madison, Wisconsin. He was active at his school newspaper The Pointer at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. He is a naturally gifted fantasy writer which is demonstrated in all of his literary works of art. He currently works at his Alma Mata. He wrote the critically acclaimed The Kingkiller Chronicle which expanded into a three-volume series. But just because he is a best seller, it doesn't mean that this is the first honorable nod that he has received in the literary world.

B Is For Books: 5 Books That Made Me A Better Coach

Please join me for a fun series. My mission, and I've chosen to accept it, is to write a post based on each letter of the alphabet. The English major inside of me is very excited about this project...and my inner nerd is even more fired up! Keep checking back as I tackle the intangibles of sport...from A to Z.

I'm a book nerd...I love 'em! So much so that I put a summer reading list together every year to make sure that I get my reading fix in. These are books that have helped me over the years and I'm sure you'll find them helpful as well. I hope this article makes it easier for you to get your learn on!

Here are five books that I return to time and time again...and they never let me down.

Gender and Competition: How Men and Women Approach Work and Play Differently by Kathy DeBoer

I, like many female former athletes of my age, only played for male coaches. So when I decided that I wanted to be a coach, I did it the only way I knew how...like a man. The result? Utter disaster. Sound familiar? Or are you a male coach who wonders why your female team isn't "aggressive" enough? I bet you'll love this book because there are lots of good stories and tips in there.

Books Online: Digital Or Printed?

An Online Book may be confused with online books or e-book. The onset of e-commerce as ushered in by the internet was more of a happy circumstance than an adversity. It is not surprising to find people who may express or demonstrate dissatisfaction or disgust with the internet, as it is very normal for human beings to "resist" change and the intra and inter personal uncertainty that ensues.

Online books may mean a number of things

a) physical or printed books or their

b) digital or e-book forms.

The choice of how people collect or own books is a personal thing. Most book lovers before the advent of computers and the internet attach sentimentality on the printed book and prefer them over the more modern digital form preferred by the fast-paced-life living modern-day teenage kid and even older "tekkies".

The primitive beginnings and progenitors of what we now know as the book were of leaves, tree barks, wood blocks, bamboo slats, wax and metal tablets. It evolved across many centuries into the first bound volume or codex, where the Latin poet, Marcus Valerius Martialis, praised its compactness in his Apophoreta CLXXXIV. Despite Martial's praises, the codex did not overtake the scroll (made of papyrus or parchment in its absence) in terms of popular use as a writing material and method of preserving documents and writings.

We Are Talking About Practice!

"Excellence is not reserved for the lucky few but can be achieved by almost all of us" -- Matthew Syed

I recently completed reading the book "Bounce" by Matthew Syed. Syed is a United Kingdom table tennis champion player that has spent the last decade researching "purposeful practice". Syed recognizes that he became a champion not because of innate talent but rather due to learning from experts, being trained by dedicated teachers and putting in a great deal of practice.

"Bounce" made me reflect on my own development and how we develop as leaders. It's practice, not talent that counts. Many of us tend to give up when we can't do something new. I distinctively recall giving up golf in 1996 because I was not "good" at it after playing twice. I have not played golf since. I remember facilitating my first business meeting in 1991 and leaving that meeting terrified that I would be fired for lack of talent. Was I embarrassed? Yes. Fortunately for me, I did not give up facilitating and leading meetings. I decided to practice it.

The Hunger Games Series - Overview and Review of the Plot

The Hunger Games Series is set in the post-apocalyptic Panem. In it lays 12 districts and the city of Capitol, which holds control over Panem. Annually, an event called the Hunger Games is held by the Capitol to commemorate the rebellion set by the 12 districts against them before. Two participants, called the 'tributes', from 12-18 years old are chosen from each district to join the Hunger Games where they will kill each other off until one remains. This televised event is a punishment set by the Capitol to the 12 districts.

The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games Series begins in the coal mining district of Panem, District 12. The story starts with the introduction of Katniss Everdeen, a girl from a poor family who illegally hunts for food to feed her family. During the Reaping, the event where tributes are chosen from each district, a boy from a medium-class family, Peeta Mellark, and Katniss' sister Primrose, were chosen. Katniss volunteered herself to save her sister. Katniss and Peeta, guided with their mentor, embarked on the dangerous competition.

Top 5 Ebook Websites

Perhaps you are an avid reader like myself? I am constantly looking to find ebooks online or searching for the next ebook to devour and sometimes just seeking the next self help ebook to learn from. Well, if you are any of these things then I may be able to suggest the top 5 ebook sites which can quickly fulfill your quest for literary adventure, knowledge, self help or just fun reading!

In light of the many hours I spend daily reading and trying to find ebooks on my iPad, increase brain capacity, or just finding good online websites, I thought I might be able to offer some suggestions to assist others in diagnosing the best of the best ebook sites and what they REALLY offer so I can assist my fellow ebook readers to avoid wasting time searching the laborious ebook websites as so many of us have done!

Well, I have found that in evaluating websites for ebooks it can be tricky. Most of the paid ebook websites offer some free books but you will quickly find that the free ebook websites are just disguised marketing tactics upselling you on another product at some point down the line in your ebook read.

A Review Of Double Your Dating By David DeAngelo

There are as many books in the world that cover as many subjects and themes on human life and experiences, but rarely have I seen any as definite and helpful as David DeAngelo's Double Your Dating book. This is one book that goes all out to address issues that men face in the art of seducing women and keeping them. And please tell me, how much fulfillment and success can you achieve in life and in career when you are not fulfilled and successful with a woman of your dreams? Double Your Dating by David DeAngelo has solved this multi-faceted problem. You can now transfer the successes and fulfillment you derive from this book to make your romantic relationships work out as you would want, and thereby be all you can be in life and in business.

If you read the first major edition of this wonderful ebook, you would have seen how much change it has brought into your life and how much skills you have developed since reading the book to approach women and get them to do what you would love. But the second edition is much more of a bomb. It is a thriller and a pack of seduction tools packaged into a book. The author has added more tips and elaborated on earlier tips to help you have your way with women in the most rewarding and mutually satisfying relationships. This book is a rave, and many people who have read it cannot resist the urge to share their experiences and testimonials with others in blogs and personal emails to the author. It is enjoyed so much reviews and publicity within such a short time of its publication, to the extent that you run the risk of being considered archaic if you have not read this book on the art of seduction by the master himself.

My Favorite Book - 'Fortunate Life' By A B Facey

Is it just an act I have developed or is it nature taking its course?

At the age of only eight years, I started reading books ranging from short stories books, poems to biographies. I developed this norm from my young age to date and my conclusion is that books are our best friends. Books give us enjoyment, a deeper intuition on the mind and a spirit of nationalism. How does one make meaning of life, if I may ask? A major contributor is reading real life experiences of others in books. Do you read other peoples real life experiences from their writings? There is a wide variety of real life experience books on offer and it's your choice to determine what you want to read. I have read many interesting books in my life, but the one book I will keep repeating to read is 'The Fortunate life' by A.B. Facey.

This book is a true inspiration and guide in my life. Sometimes I build up feelings of giving up in some hard situations I face. However, when I remember words from this book, I get encouraged and find the inspiration to overcome the hardships and challenges I am experiencing.

Tips on How to Rate a Review on Online Writers' Communities

Online writers' communities have become commonplace. A community of writers, all aspiring for publication or simply to reach a larger audience than the collection of their friends and loved ones can be a tremendous boost for a writer, because every writer needs an audience-even those who write simply because they 'can't not write'. For many aspiring authors, writing communities and critique partners are a great tool for validation of their craft.

Glowing reviews from peers tell you what works, confirm the correctness of the direction you chose and boost your morale as a writer. While praise is an ego booster, a writer always needs to be level-headed in order to remain focused and keep a consistent quality in one's writing. Reviews that provide technical corrections (i.e. spelling, punctuation, grammar, typos, homophones etc.) can help improve the quality of a writer's work.