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book review

'Community for Understanding' at St. Mark's church in Le Roy

By Leslie DeLooze

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church’s monthly discussion series called “Community for Understanding” will meet on Thursday, March 12 at 7 pm. to hear Millie Tomidy-Pepper review “The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World” by Melinda Gates.

Millie is the Executive Director of the YWCA Genesee County, and she will also discuss the work of this organization. All are welcome to these monthly conversations on current concerns. More information at www.stmarksleroy.org or 585-768-7200.

Event Date and Time
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Advance Access: Present Tense Staff Review Upcoming Books

By Darrick Coleman

The publisher is billing this book as fatherhood for dummies, and that about sums up this honest and funny memoir. Lewis decided to keep a written record of what actually happened immediately after the birth of each of his three children. This book is his record; it is an account of ordinary family life recorded from the man’s point of view. Lewis finds himself expected to feel things as a father that he doesn’t feel, and to do things that he can’t see the point of doing. At first he feels guilty but then he realizes that many other fathers share the same feelings. The humor and writing is very similar to a Bill Bryson book complete with brash, witty jokes. A good Father's day gift for Dad!

--Darrick

Present Tense Books - www.presenttensebooks.com

101 Washington Ave. Batavia, NY

 

Release date May 18th.

Conversations with Calliope- Alpine Americas

By Joseph Langen

 

(From Alpine Americas Cover)

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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Still thinking about how people's world views shape their perception of reality.
CALLIOPE: Sounds involved.
JOE: Not really. For example, focusing on nature's wonders can affect how you deal with the world.
CALLIOPE: Show me how.
JOE: Okay, I'll share with you a review I did recently. Here goes:

Alpine Americas: An Odyssey Along the Crest of Two Continents Don Mellor and Olaf Soot, Horizon Editions, 2008.

Recently I had the opportunity to review Alpine Americas. I have always been more fascinated by the sea than by mountains, that is until this book arrived. I was immediately drawn to the grandeur, hidden recesses and inhabitants of the mountains which the authors took years to document in photos and words, based on their exploration on foot and by air. I was glad to see the wonders of the Denali Range which I hope to visit some day. I was surprised to find glorious photos of hidden mountain recesses from Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego.

I had not imagined such wonders existed. Exotic photos of these mountains matched my favorite sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. Tearing myself away from the photos long enough to read the text proved a challenge. When I finally succeeded, I was rewarded by glimpses of the peoples inhabiting the various ranges and their ways of life. I enjoyed meeting the explorers who discovered, mapped and photographed these environs which remain mysterious to most of us. I also relished up-close meetings with the wildlife and domestic animals in these high places. High mountain ranges always seemed to me lonely, desolate places. The text makes clear that most of them are not easy to access. Once you do, either in person or through this wondrous volume, the trip is well worthwhile. I closed the last page captivated and humbled by nature's vast spectacle.

While many of us are prone in our day to day life to lose sight of all but our personal microcosm, Alpine Americas helps us maintain a healthy respect for the glory of our hemisphere and a spiritual context in which to view our own small lives. I would highly recommend this book to anyone needing a reminder of the breathtaking environment we take for granted.

CALLIOPE: Wow!
JOE: Reading Alpine Americas brought me out of my preoccupation with the writing grind and gave me a larger perspective on life.
CALLIOPE: Thanks for sharing your review.
JOE: You're welcome. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen

 (New York City)

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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Reeling from yesterday's market research.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I worked hard to find an affordable auto responder for readers to sign up for my columns online without advertising attached.
CALLIOPE: Did you find one?
JOE: Yes and I downloaded it. Then I found all sorts of complicated direction about things I have never heard of. I don't know if is even possible for me to use it. I wasn't ready for such a challenge.
CALLIOPE: Maybe it's the price of going cheap. Anything else going on?
JOE: I am busy reading Richard Bayer's The Good Person Guidebook which I agreed to review.
CALLIOPE: Sounds a little more manageable.
JOE: It is. At least I am on familiar ground. I am enjoying the book and have learned some lessons I can use in organizing Commonsense Wisdom for Teens, my next project after I finish Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: Have you thought any more about offering your book free?
JOE: I have and found that Booklocker has a program of offering most of a book free but not all. Since I have used them before, I will consider this program.
CALLIOPE: Probably easier than doing it on your own.
JOE: I agree. Talk with you tomorrow.

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