Lit List Short Reviews: Creating Abundance and Living Generously by Anne Denys; If Your Mouth Could Talk: An In Depth Guide to Oral Health and Its Impact On Your Entire Life by Dr. Kami Hoss; Newton Gritters 1: The Foundation by Eddie Beasley Jr
By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
I apologize for not being active this month.. Our WiFi connection was so bad that we changed providers. Now we're on T-Mobile which seems to be working. So hopefully, I will be more productive.
Creating Abundance and Living Generously
By Anne Denys
In dark times when scarcity and division are apparent, a book like Anne Denys' Creating Abundance and Living Generously is what is needed. It suggests that a person can get through life by being abundant with kindness and generosity. It opens up topics of collaboration, trust, being in the flow, and giving.
Many of these tips are suggested to make a better, healthier, and happier work and lifestyle. For example, in workplaces where collaboration is key, people are less stressed about losing their jobs, keep away from the flight or fight response, share and brainstorm with peers more willingly, feel at ease and are motivated to come to work.
Denys uses personal examples from her life and others to demonstrate her points. While discussing the idea of flow psychology, she discusses the man who introduced the concept, Mihaly Csiskzentmilhalyi. A former prisoner during WWII, Csiskzentmilhalyi observed much pain and suffering. After the war, he studied the work of Carl Jung and psychology. He became a pioneer on positive psychology and happiness research. He described being in the flow as "being involved in an activity for its own sake."
Denys also writes about her own struggles and how they contributed to her own realization of her self-worth. A childhood with a hardworking father, a spoiled mother, competitive siblings, and constant infighting gave her limited self beliefs. By the time she was in high school, she had the urge to leave and make something of herself. However, she kept having negative critical thoughts. She had to learn where those thoughts came from and how they impacted her life. In writing this book, Denys is helping Readers with their own issues and self doubt as well as her own.
If Your Mouth Could Talk An-In Depth Guide to Oral Health and Its Impact on Your Entire Life by Dr. Kami Hoss
Dr. Kami Hoss' book, If Your Mouth Could Talk An-In Depth Guide to Oral Health and Its Impact on Your Entire Life is a guide to help contribute in giving its readers a lifetime of happy and healthy smiles.
Hoss covers assistance on obtaining good oral health that goes beyond brushing and flossing teeth.
Many of the chapters suggest that Readers look at the whole picture of their health including genetics, upbringing, and physical health that can help and harm how their mouths are treated.
Epigenetics is the study of traits that are inherited through the DNA. Hoss suggests that these traits could affect someone's health including their oral health. For example, Hoss cites studies where people who were obese when they were young end up later with children and grandchildren who could develop shorter and potentially unhealthy lives.
Even different stages throughout a person's life could result in poor dental health. If a mother is pregnant for example, she should not miss a trip to a dentist or orthodontist. Poor oral health could result in conditions like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia as well blockage of airways. These could then lead to ill health for the baby. Hoss also cites various childhood illnesses like tongue-tie which could lead to bigger health problems later.
This book is especially geared towards parents to encourage their children to practice good health habits such as dieting, exercising, making regular dental and medical health check ups, and obtaining a regular sleep schedule. Of course the parents themselves should practice these habits as well to pass those genetic markers and provide a good example so their children can learn by example.
Newton Gritters 1: The Foundation by Eddie Beasley Jr.
Eddie Beasley Jr.'s short novel, Newton Gritters 1: The Foundation, is an all too brief but gripping character study about a young man entering a life of crime and the beginnings of his potential criminal empire.
3 (just the number with no name) is released after a stint in prison. He moved from Baltimore to Canton, Ohio to live with his sister. He tried to go straight with legit jobs such as welding, but the lure and the thrill of danger, big money, and infamous notoriety are too tempting to resist. With his friends, Tboy and Mike, 3 gets involved in drug dealing in Newton. He builds up a tidy sum and a reputation as a criminal leader.
Beasley informs us that 3's empire lasted for ten years and The Foundation is the beginning of this journey.
There isn't very much to the plot of this volume. 3 gets introduced, meets his new friends, they start selling drugs, get betrayed, and have a few near misses with the law. It's the kind of thing that is seen in many crime movies, TV shows, and in real life too. It's not much of a plot in the beginning. Beasley's foreshadowing suggests that there are more exciting things to come.
However, what The Foundation doesn't have in plot, it makes up for in setting and character. The Newton setting is almost a character itself with its residents with eccentric street names and slang terms. For example one character called Homeboy says "Yo! This s#$_'s got me feeling like when Smokey was in the pigeon -coop….This is a for sure money maker (sic)."
Sometimes, it can be a bit difficult to understand what's going on because the slang is a constant presence even in the narration. However, it helps characterize Newton and its people telling readers exactly who they are reading about, where they come from, and what they want.
Characterization is also important in this book, particularly with the main protagonist, 3. It would be tempting to make 3 a naive fool or a hard hearted crook, but Beasley does not do this. He isn't irredeemable nor is he overly soft. He provides a series of rules for himself and his associates to follow, such as selling only to addicts instead of getting first timers addicted, to reveal that he has standards. He is loyal to his friends and while he objectifies women for their bodies, he can show a gentlemanly demeanor with them. 3 knows the score and has a few opportunities to get out and live a legit life. However, his criminal history and the lessons about mistrust that he gleaned from his past convince him that the criminal path is the only one that can provide him with what he thinks that he needs. It would be easier and more lucrative to continue dealing drugs than it would be to take a legit job where people would judge him for his past and appearance.
The Foundation is an interesting start to what should be a suspenseful, dishonest, but absorbing series. It's criminal how good it is.
