tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67158939220531638202024-03-14T00:04:09.738-07:00A READER-RESPONSE JOURNALWhat interest, puzzle, anger or bore you most about your reading? Lets link life and literature...take a plunge, dive into a book! Good readers are great leaders!Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-78060314699517656182020-06-16T03:53:00.001-07:002020-06-22T11:47:15.361-07:00The Big Magic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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I find the use of bright colours on book covers very intriguing. While I may never judge a book by its cover, I definitely judge an author by his or her book cover. I love the creative use of bright colours, without fear of getting it wrong and for this 'The big magic' will be my favourite book cover for a very long time.</div>
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'The big magic' is described by the author as a manual for creative living. It’s a 274 paged book divided into 6 parts namely: Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust and Divinity which are the characteristics she believes one must possess for creative living.</div>
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Using quotes from each chapter, here are the six lessons I take away from 'The big magic' </div>
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1. Fear is not to be thrown away, we all need a healthy amount of fear to protect us from actual dangers. In the realm of creative expression, we have to learn to travel alongside our fears because creativity is always ready to inspire and stimulate us only when we have the <b>courage</b> to say “Yes” to it.</div>
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2. Every creative person has his or her own of tale of <b>enchantment</b> about ideas, for some ideas comes as hard labour while for others a fairy dust. These tales prove that the planet is inhabited not only by animals and plants and bacteria and viruses, but also by ideas. Ideas are energetic life forms made manifest to the world through human collaboration. </div>
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3. You don’t need anyone’s <b>permission</b> (not my parents, not an authority figure not even an institution) to be creative because you are already one. Creativity is the hallmark our species, we have the senses, the curiosity, the opposite thumbs, the rhythm, the language, the excitement and the connection to divinity for it.</div>
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4. The people standing at the gates of our dreams are autonomous, they are just people just like us; whimsical and quirky. They are a little different everyday, there is no neat template that can predict what will capture anyone’s imagination but since the right moment is unknowable, maximize your chances. You must never surrender because thoes miraculous turns of fate can happen to those who show p<b>ersistence</b> in putting themselves forward in stubborn good cheer.</div>
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5. <b>Trust</b> that your craft loves you in return just as you love it.</div>
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6. Creativity is sacred, and it is not sacred. We toil alone and we are accompanied by spirits. Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege. Only when we are most playful can <b>divinity</b> finally get serious with us. Make space for all the paradoxes to be equally true inside your soul and I promise you can make anything.</div>
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Liz Gilbert is a very witty writer, my first encounter with her work was her best selling memoire ‘Eat, pray, Love' and I went on to read ‘Committed’ which was more like it’s sequel. What I like most about her books is her voice; it so easy to listen to and its so easy to tell that she is very passionate about her work.</div>
Chiomarhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13470947013245374707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-65016757743219557472020-05-10T13:49:00.002-07:002020-05-10T13:51:02.483-07:00Mastery by Robert Greene<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Every setback is a set-up to make a strong come-back :) </div>
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I'm back to reading books! And yes, Happy Mother's Day 2020!!</div>
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Currently reading... <b>Mastery</b> by Robert Greene. Review coming shortly! :)</div>
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Yours Sincerely,</div>
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Jennifer Okaima Piette :)</div>
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<br />Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-51385521716965462792015-12-23T18:54:00.002-08:002015-12-23T19:08:49.378-08:00How is your faith? By David Gregory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It took a while to get into this book but when I finally did, my reading speed became a sprint. I didn't put it down until I got to the last page [except for when I had to use the bathroom] and even found myself digging into the acknowledgment pages.<br />
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David wrote this book with a soul. There are few writers who have mastered the art of weaving words into sincere memoirs. Any reader would be endeared by this style.<br />
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Judging by the title of the book, I expected to be bombarded with information overload about religion and all that but to my surprise the book ended up to be a beautiful piece of ethnography mixed in autobiographical narrative.<br />
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I was intrigued by his zest for journalism. I was also intrigued by his love for life and life of love, as expressed in the pages that narrated how he bonded with his father and sparked up his relationship with Beth, who became his wife despite age and religious <i>gaps</i>. It was interesting that what appeared to be a traumatic upbringing did not destroy his ability to raise a family.<br />
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David talked openly about his mother's alcoholism, family struggles, betrayal, workplace politics and the hustling to climb up the ladder. He talked about small and big victories. He didn't present himself as a saint and spoke easily about when he fell short and how he struggled to make amends.<br />
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And yes-- he talked about how faith helped him through each phase.<br />
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Yay, yay, yay-- I was a bit paranoid when I first started reading... my little knowledge about Judaism and Jewish culture didn't ignite any enthusiasm at all. But like I said earlier, the soulful way David told his story broke down every paranoia and I soon found myself drawn into the pages as the story unfolded.<br />
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David's many interpretation of faith - Judaism, Christianity, Islam etc. - didn't cause me to lose anything by reading the book. Instead, it strengthened my believe in God and His love expressed through Jesus Christ. The book also encouraged me to learn not to separate my faith from my work. I especially appreciate how David discussed these things by putting a human face to each of them. Yep, it wasn't another of those abstract discourse.<br />
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You might not meet a President George Bush who might ask you "<i>how is your faith?" </i>[David says that is what spurred him to embark on his journey]<i>. </i>But you can open you heart and be liberated.<br />
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We live in a secular world that takes pride in stigmatising people who believe in God through His son Jesus Christ. How can you believe in a God that you cannot see? Well, that is why it is called faith! Look closely, you will see God in everything and everywhere. There is a God. He has expressed His love to us by sending us His only son Jesus Christ. Our role is to believe. Of course, the doubts will always set in but it won't quench our faith if we don't let it.<br />
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I'll recommend <i>How is your faith?</i> to everyone interested in journalism or interfaith marriage. But most importantly to anyone out there interested in diving deeper in their spiritual journey, beyond the peripheral of this secular world. I don't 100% agree with the principles shared in the book but I appreciate David for having the courage to share his story.<br />
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<br />Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-78578308363385317172015-05-23T12:52:00.001-07:002015-05-23T13:05:10.214-07:00Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg<div>
I like this book, "Lean In" very much. The author's voice is very authentic. No pretentious high sounding i-want-to-sound-intellengent innuendos one often finds in these genres of literature. </div>
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<i>"Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" by Sheryl Sandberg.</i><br />
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I started reading this book at a point in my career when I was pulling back-- and I'm so glad I found Sheryl's <i>Lean In</i> just in time. All I am doing now is leaning in, all weight forward :-). May God bless everyone who has the courage to share their stories for those coming up to learn from.</div>
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This book puts everything into perspective and gives you the courage to have that one-on-one conversation with yourself-- yes, that honest talk we cease to have after a certain phase of life. </div>
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As ambitious as I look and sometimes appear, there are times when I have been so sure of myself and then, not to sure of myself. <br />
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Sheryl shares her story and through her story you'll see that it is okay not to know it all. But she doesn't stop at that, she encourages you to learn to put a step forward and be better than you have become. Her honest approach in picking different issues and addressing them one after the other is commendable. There is no rush.</div>
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I'm still reading it. But just thought to stop by here and say-- highly recommended!</div>
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Every girl, boy, woman and man should read this.</div>
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But most importantly, every girl, lady and woman should read it. Now I wish I had read this book in 2013! Anyway, life saving principles are never too late to apply.</div>
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Happy reading!<br />
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Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-19771814775112536882015-05-11T21:10:00.001-07:002015-05-23T12:39:11.756-07:00Adultery by Paulo Coehlo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If we are connected on Social Media [WhatsApp especially], you'd have received one of my broadcasts about my search for Paulo's Adultery. Finding a local bookstore to purchase this book was a hard nut to crack. Just at the point of almost giving up, my very good and kind friend, <a href="https://twitter.com/wata4yamynd" target="_blank">Zika</a>, bought me a copy from the <i>jand</i>! Woot!!<br />
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Bookstores in Nigeria, we can do better!<br />
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Now back to my review:<br />
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I read Paulo's <a href="http://ireviewcovertocover.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-alchemist-my-thoughts-on-book.html" target="_blank">The Alchemist</a>.<br />
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That book set a certain standard for what to expect from any book written by him. So when I started reading "Adultery," it was with the same enthusiasm, interest and fondness.<br />
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I was a bit disappointed. This is not to say the book isn't a good read. I think it might appeal better to a certain group of people at a certain phase of life.<br />
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And yeah, I'm going to hide the book far away from my baby niece who has a penchant for reading my books. That is to say, if you think "<a href="http://ireviewcovertocover.blogspot.com/2012/12/war-is-very-ugly-agha-ajoka-review-half_7.html" target="_blank">Half of a Yellow Sun</a>" was sensual or provocative, wait until you read Adultery.<br />
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The plot wasn't so bad.<br />
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I admire Paulo's ability to infuse so many other important sub-themes under the main theme of adultery.<br />
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It covered love, jealousy, the futility of playing with fire, redemption, insecurity, hope, forgiveness, pretence, lies. loneliness etc.<br />
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“It’s loneliness. Even though I’m surrounded by loved ones who care about me and want only the best, it’s possible they try to help only because they feel the same thing—loneliness—and why, in a gesture of solidarity, you’ll find the phrase “I am useful, even if alone” carved in stone. Though the brain says all is well, the soul is lost, confused, doesn’t know why life is being unfair to it. But we still wake up in the morning and take care of our children, our husband, our lover, our boss, our employees, our students, those dozens of people who make an ordinary day come to life. And we often have a smile on our face and a word of encouragement, because no one can explain their loneliness to others, especially when we are always in good company. But this loneliness exists and eats away at the best parts of us because we must use all our energy to appear happy, even though we will never be able to deceive ourselves."</blockquote>
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Taking it out of the context of marriage-- I think we can all identify with Linda and Jacob -- the two main characters.<br />
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Everyone think our lives are perfect. No one notice the struggle and discontentment. Yeah--sometimes we experience that discontented emotion with our lives and crave for something more-- more exciting. We find what we think it is and realize what we had was way better. Linda was lucky to not to loose it all before <a href="http://aheartfullofgod.blogspot.com/2014/07/confession-time-story-about-my-first.html" target="_blank">she found her way back</a>.<br />
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Redemption c'est possible!<br />
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<b>Some more quotes from Adultery:</b><br />
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“You only need to hide if you’re doing something you shouldn’t.”<br />
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“Going after a dream has a price. It may mean abandoning our habits, it may make us go through hardships, or it may lead us to disappointment, et cetera. But however costly it may be, it is never as high as the price paid by people who didn’t live. Because one day they will look back and hear their own heart say: ‘I wasted my life.’ ” </blockquote>
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"Learn to love better. </blockquote>
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This should be our goal in the world: learn to love.</blockquote>
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Life offers us thousands of opportunities for learning. Every man and every woman, in every day of our lives, always has a good opportunity to surrender to Love. Life is not a long vacation, but a constant learning process.<br />
And the most important lesson is learning to love.<br />
Loving better and better...</blockquote>
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The book had a lot going on. Isn't that what adulthood is all about? A lot going on!<br />
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I'll rate the book a four star. BUT like I mentioned to someone who asked if it was worth reading: what you'll get out of this book is very personal. This is one book you need no blanket feedback to decide on whether or not to read.<br />
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By the way, I found this picture of other collections by Paulo. I have only two checked off the list so far:<br />
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Have a good read!<br />
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Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-61066769989655617592014-11-03T08:31:00.003-08:002014-11-03T08:31:57.575-08:00"The Digital Economy" - A McGraw-Hill Publication<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Digital Economy ANNIVERSARY EDITION: Rethinking Promise and Peril in the Age of Networked Intelligence</div>
<br />By Don Tapscott<br /><br />With a new foreword by Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google<br /><br /> ISBN: 9780071835558<br /><br />Price: $38.95 CDN<br /><br />When Don Tapscott wrote The Digital Economy in 1994-95, The Digital Age was in its infancy. The pioneering Netscape Web browser 1.0 was in beta, websites didn’t do transactions, we all used dial-up modems, and smartphones didn’t exist. Google, YouTube, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter wouldn’t appear for many years.<br /><br />Yet Tapscott’s analysis, raising issues such as networked business models, the impact of technology on privacy, the inevitable demand for corporate transparency, and the influence of new media on successive generations, deftly captured the many opportunities and challenges that lay in store for society. His pioneering term “digital economy” is now ubiquitous.<br /><br />The Digital Economy is still a solid primer to understanding the impact of digital technology. In this 20thAnniversary Edition, Tapscott reflects on what has occurred since 1995 and how we arrived where we are. Even with 20-20 hindsight, most analysts fail to understand what the past two decades have meant.<br /><br />In THE DIGITAL ECONOMY, Anniversary Edition: Rethinking Promise and Peril in the Age of Networked Intelligence (October, 2014; HC, $38.95), Tapscott offers fresh commentary on today’s ever-accelerating digital churn, and how we can all prepare for the next wave of innovation.<br /><br />As with all disruptive platforms and social revolutions, networked intelligence destroys as it creates, writes Tapscott. “Technology is also the foundation of new species of businesses that are capable of wiping out entire industries. Digital Conglomerates such as Google are achieving leadership roles in a dozen industries, where they do a better job with a fraction of the employees. Excess Capacity Networks like Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb hold the power to wipe out jobs in industries ranging from taxis to hotels. Data Frackers like Facebook are acquiring vast treasure troves of data that position them to dominate multiple industries.”<br /><br />In this new edition, he also covers:<br /><br />· Frictions between present-day Industrial Capitalism and the Digital Economy<br />· The radical effects of the Internet on the traditional corporate structure<br />· Social media’s dramatic influence on business collaboration and culture<br />· Government transparency, citizen empowerment, and the creation of public value<br />· How digital content and collaboration is overhauling teaching and learning.<br /><br />In an era where information has the ability to transform society, corporations, business, media, and learning, Tapscott still believes we all have the power to control the flow, and even shut it off if necessary. “Adopt a values statement for yourself and your family, and constantly revise it as the world and conditions change.Harness the power of new technologies and transparency for the good; design them, rather than having them control you.” <br /><br /><br /><b>About the Author:</b><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d55RkJhSzv8/VFetq56eYZI/AAAAAAAAD5w/XalfZUn1ZbI/s1600/don.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d55RkJhSzv8/VFetq56eYZI/AAAAAAAAD5w/XalfZUn1ZbI/s1600/don.jpg" /></a>Don is one of the world’s leading authorities on innovation, media, and the economic and social impact of technology and advises business and government leaders around the world. He has authored or co-authored 15 widely read books including Macrowikinomics: New Solutions for a Connected Planet; the 1992 bestsellerParadigm Shift; and most recently Radical Openness: Four Unexpected Principles for Success. The 20thAnniversary Edition of Don’s hit The Digital Economy contains 12 new essays addressing the original topics of the book. His book Wikinomics was the best selling management book in the United States in 2007.<br /><br />Over 30 years Don has introduced many seminal concepts that are part of contemporary understanding. Don recently collaborated with Thinkers50 and the Rotman School of Management to create the groundbreakingDon Tapscott App -- an interactive tool that explores Don’s thinking in a number of key areas.<br /><br />In 2013, Thinkers50 awarded Don the Global Solutions Award for launching and leading the Global Solution Networks program at the Martin Prosperity Institute. This program is investigating how the digital revolution enables new models of global problem solving, cooperation and governance. Thinkers50, the definitive list of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world, listed Don as the 4th most influential management thinker alive. In 2011, Don was 9th on the list. In 2012, Don opened TEDGlobal in Edinburgh where his talk, 4 Principles for the Open World, was viewed by more than a million people online.<br /><br />He is an Adjunct Professor of Management at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and the inaugural fellow at the Martin Prosperity Institute. In 2013, Don was appointed as the Chancellor of Trent University. He also plays a Hammond B3 organ in the band Men in Suits that has raised millions of dollars for worthy charities.<br /><br />You can read more about his CV, experience, and background at <a href="http://dontapscott.com/">http://dontapscott.com</a> where there are links to Tapscott’s work in many of the world’s most important publications, radio and television networks. <div>
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Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-52551684125736181962014-03-03T19:12:00.001-08:002014-03-03T19:12:31.029-08:00For your reading pleasure! youth #education #volunteering #entrepreneurship<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
Hard copies available at:</div>
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<li>Terra Kulture Bookstore, Tiamiyu Savage street Victoria Island, Lagos</li>
<li>Florence and Lambard publishers and booksellers, 202-204 Ikorodu road, Palmgroove bus stop, Lagos</li>
<li>Media store, Silverbird Galleria, Abuja</li>
<li>And a university campus near you!</li>
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/210221423/Half-A-Loaf-A-Bakery-by-Jennifer-Ehidiamen-and-Funso-Bukoye" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Half A Loaf & A Bakery by Jennifer Ehidiamen and 'Funso Bukoye on Scribd">Half A Loaf & A Bakery by Jennifer Ehidiamen and 'Funso Bukoye</a> </div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.704456606724003" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_94264" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/210221423/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-1b9e0n5kipeegtekfqf9&show_recommendations=true" width="400"></iframe>Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-71703651710849939012013-12-18T13:04:00.002-08:002013-12-20T19:20:44.204-08:00THE BOOK: HALF A LOAF & A BAKERY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-57cRq-YWtTM/UrINQIvWbcI/AAAAAAAADsE/tjyD5OCDPts/s1600/BOOK2-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-57cRq-YWtTM/UrINQIvWbcI/AAAAAAAADsE/tjyD5OCDPts/s320/BOOK2-small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In the present age of Information overload where youths can easily get confused about how to chart their future path, Half A Loaf & A Bakery provides tested practical survival ideas and guides for youths to make the best of whatever situation they find themselves.<br />
<br />
More than ever before, the global economic depression has brought to the fore the need for youths to have total education beyond academic knowledge, not only to compete for the available limited job opportunities, but to come up with new ideas and concepts.<br />
<br />
Divided into five sections, Half A Loaf & A Bakery covers critical issues every youth should have a clear understanding of, which includes challenges of getting started and survival strategies, money matters and overcoming fears that can easily abort dreams if not properly addressed.<br />
<br />
The importance of acquiring education in the face of tempting opportunities and the need for adequate preparation for adulthood were also properly articulated based on the experiences of the writer, those interviewed and others cited.<br />
<br />
<b>The main key lessons in the book are summarized in the following subtitles:</b><br />
<ul><b>
<li>Before graduation: get started</li>
<li>Money matters</li>
<li>Don’t freak-out of fear</li>
<li>Don’t drop out</li>
<li>Learn the art of transitioning.</li>
</b></ul>
<b>
</b>
Unlike in the past when youths have to wait to graduate before thinking of what to do with their life, this book lives up to the promise of inspiring them to know what and how to learn before graduation.<br />
<br />
There are many cited case studies for readers to learn from and convince them about how practicable the ideas contained in the book are.<br />
<br />
Half A Loaf & A Bakery is indeed a valuable resource material and should be a recommended text for Entrepreneurship courses being offered by higher institutions in the country.<br />
<br />
By: <b><i>Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin.</i></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Managing Editor, Online, The Nation.</i></b><br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>HALF A LOAF & A BAKERY</b> </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Have you read it?</b><b><br /></b><b>ISBN: </b>978-978-936-307-0<br />
<b>Author:</b> Jennifer Ehidiamen<br />
<b>Interviewer: </b>‘Funso Bukoye </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Foreword: </b>Mrs Oby Ezekwesili<b><br /></b><b>Publisher: </b>Click Weavers Communication (CWC) Limited</blockquote>
<b>ORDER FOR COPIES!!</b><br />
To buy your copies, please visit:<br />
<br />
<b> The Media Store (bookstore) at Silverbird Galleria Abuja.</b><br />
<b>Florence & Lambard Publisher and Booksellers 202-204 Ikorodu road, Palm Grove, Lagos.</b><br />
Or buy online: www.okadabooks.com.<br />
<div>
Google playstore: Okadabooks:<br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.okadabooks">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.okadabooks</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Read and share your review!! Thanks.</div>
</div>
Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-7864020056490131372013-09-05T06:45:00.000-07:002013-09-05T06:45:00.683-07:00Memoir of a Kidnap-Victim Parent: Bringing Elizabeth Home.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Title:
Bringing Elizabeth
Home – A Journey of Faith and Hope<br />
Author: Ed & Louise Smart with Laura Morton<br />
Genre: Non-Fiction<br />
Publishers/Year: DoubleDay/2003<br />
Pages: 211<br />
Chapters: 25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">ISBN:
0-385-51214-7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Reviewer: Sotunde Oluwabusayo<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><b>“Hope like faith is the evidence of
things not seen. You can’t have faith without hope.”</b></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Every
parent had one time or another thought about the unspeakable,
unthinkable question: “What would you do if one of your children was taken from
you?” – The worst nightmare any parent or family could ever face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">At
first I was skeptical about picking the book on the shelf of the book store. It </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">wasn't</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> the usual book I read but I read the summary on the flap of the book and
I was hooked – I wanted to know what happened and how the parents coped </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 24px;">(Sometimes reading other people's story can help you put things into perspective).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">The
Book: “Bringing Elizabeth home” tells the story of young Elizabeth Smart (the eldest daughter of Louise and Ed Smart) who
was kidnapped by Brian David Mitchell aka Immanuel and his partner Wanda Barzee
for 9 months. It is a true-life horrific review of a parent </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">dilemma, facing the possibility of loosing a child to an horrible experience.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 150%;">Elizabeth
Smart’s story was one of the compelling true crimes that rocked the
international media in 2002.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I
did not know about Elizabeth’s story during the time it made global news in
2002 but hearing or reading about stories of children kidnapped is not new to
me. It’s all in the media. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">But when
Elizabeth was kidnapped, she became everyone’s daughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">At
first her parent thought she had gone to sleep in another room as it was the
norm if Mary Katherine, their nine years old daughter had kicked her in her
sleep – but the girl persisted that Elizabeth has been kidnapped. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Her
father assumed that she had had a bad dream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">But she went on, “You won’t find her. A man
came and took her. He had a gun.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Mary
Katherine’s account later proved true as it will take Elizabeth’s parent
another nine month to find their fourteen years old daughter. This was just few
days after her maternal grandfather passed away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Through
it all, memories and family kinship as well as the parent’s marriage were
tested as they were all subjected to media and police scrutiny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">They
had to cope with the press outside their home twenty-four hours a day, the
invasive line of questioning from the police and the pressure of Elizabeth’s absence.
The family was on edge all the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Leaks
to the media were occurring - leading to mistrust between the Elizabeth’s
family and the police.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The
police asked several questions and even went as far as pointing fingers to the
victims. As they say, “Everyone is a suspect.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Elizabeth’s
father – Ed said on his daughter’s disappearance: “They tried to rip apart
everything we held near and dear. Our marriage, our children, our integrity,
our faith – all of it was put to question after Elizabeth kidnapping.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">At
a point after Elizabeth’s disappearance, world famous forensic expert, Henry
Lee, who consulted on the OJ Simpson trial, was invited to look into the case
to see if there was a missing link in the investigation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">But
eventually, with the help of the media and a 911 call from good-willing citizens,
they were able to find Elizabeth and her abductors - Brian David Mitchell and Wanda
Barzee. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Mary
Katherine’s description of Elizabeth’s abductor which had been ignored by the Salt
Lake police was later televised on the TV show: “America’s Most Wanted” - thanks
to the photos provided by Wanda Barzee’s son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Elizabeth’s
parent met Brian David Mitchell (the man who would later kidnap their daughter)
as one of the local homeless persons who
do little yard work for them. But he did not give them his real name; rather he
called himself “Immanuel.” It was after he kidnapped Elizabeth that “Immanuel”
was not his real name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Though
not many parents are as lucky as Elizabeth’s parent, the book gives a sense of
hope that miracle still happen and even if you have lost a child or relative to
kidnapping, you can channel your pain towards helping other people – at least
in your own little way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">While
noting that regretfully, such miracles do not always happen in kidnapping
cases; Louise and Ed in their word said: “Having our daughter back home, in our
arms, is nothing short of a miracle. It is the ultimate proof that God answers
prayer. Granted sometimes the answer is not the one we pray for, but still it
remains an answer.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">One
of the good things that however came out of the ordeal was that the family became
stronger than before and even the Amber Alert bill and the Child Protection Act
was signed into law by then US president, George W. Bush.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Bringing Elizabeth home” though tells the
story of a parent’s struggle through the time of waiting, the pain, guilt, suspicions,
disappointment and frenzy media who would
do anything to sell their story (to the extent of brandishing the story to suit
their purpose); life lessons on hope, faith, survival and the importance of
family and friends in everyday life were quickly brought into the attention of the readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The
book was written by Elizabeth’s parent, exploring the pain in their heart
concerning the situation and the joy that goes with finding their missing
daughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Indeed,
the story drove one important point home: that no matter how we try in this world,
there are always sick and twisted people that may want to mar your happiness
but with faith, everything can return to “normal” - There is always a light at
the end of the tunnel and good do triumph evil if there is hope and strong
faith in God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Though
our experience was painful, through our faith and a trust in God’s power we
gained tremendous strength, which became the cornerstone of how we survived,”
Elizabeth’s parent recounted in the book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Another
point driven home in this book is that: Nothing is more important than family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Family,
the prayers of so many friends and strangers and trust in God are what got them
through this experience –and having survived, they have no doubt that they can
preserve any situation as long as those three things are in their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">However,
Ed and Louise, though I respect their privacy, somewhat fail to give a detailed
account of what it was like to "cope" during this trying period and most of the time their religion and being a
devout Mormon family came into bear too
many times to count.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Regardless,
the book is an emotional and enjoyable read – giving hope that all is not lost
if only there is faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">After
reading the story, I could not help but find out how Elizabeth is fairing. Today
Elizabeth Smart is a “Smart” young lady living her life as an example of faith
and hope with her husband. Her abductor, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee
are both serving time at the federal prison.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 150%;">Elizabeth’s
book “My story” will be out on October 7, 2013 - recounting her nine months ordeal - eleven years after her painful and rewarding journey .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> </span><img alt="My Story Autographed by Elizabeth Smart" src="http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server4600/13a06/products/2964/images/2363/Elizabeth_Smart_My_Story__47539.1364369091.251.374.jpg" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I
hope I get to read it </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Georgia; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Georgia; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> - to remind me once again that Miracles
do happen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05289882297079232651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-39037367763114713632013-08-27T04:06:00.000-07:002013-08-27T13:44:48.410-07:00Book Review: “I Do Not Come To You By Chance” - An Eye-Opener To The Troubles Of Everyday Nigerian<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong>Title: </strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
Do Not Come To You By Chance<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author: </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani<br />
</span><strong>Genre:</strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Fiction<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Publishers/Year:
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cassava Republic/2009<br />
Pages: 339<br />
Chapters: 45<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ISBN: </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
9784851824<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Reviewer: Oluwabusayo Sotunde</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">With struggles of unemployment, social decadence and the zeal to
make it in a society that is ridden by corrupt people, the novel “<i>I Do Not
Come To You By Chance”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>chronicles
the realities that lead people into a life of crime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Presented in a satirical form to open the window into the
realities of the “socially-declined populace” who got themselves involved in a
fast-paced life,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“I Do Not
Come To You By Chance”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>tells
a familiar story from an unfamiliar angle in a twisted and funny way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">It<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>chronicles the
life of a young man, Kingsley Ibe, who assumed the role of a loving son,
self-sacrificing brother, disappointed lover, and savvy 419<i>er</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>– a distinction from the way his<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>England-educated, civil servant father
would have wanted him to turn out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Kingsley Ibe, the protagonist in the novel, is the first-born son
(<i>opara</i>) of his family. A fresh graduate of engineering from a family
that has highly prized education and despised those who chase money instead of
knowledge, Kingsley is committed to his college sweetheart, Ola, and he is
confident that his brilliant results will get him a good job in an oil firm so
that he can support his and Ola’s families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Sadly, Kingsley receives multiple rejection letters while Ola -
with the pressure from her mother loses faith in his ability to ever provide
for her needs; particularly in doing the right thing by her in paying the
‘shuddering’ bride price associated with the Igbo tribe of the eastern part of
Nigeria. As Kingsley put it; <i>“Marrying an
Igbo girl entails much more than fairy-tale romance and good intentions.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">While he was still battling with how he was going to win back Ola
and his mother, a family crisis ensued as his father’s illness took a worse
turn thereby taking the Ibe’s family from the edge of poverty to its depths.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Kingsley becomes more desperate as his<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>ailing father's health dwindles and he<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>had to either succumb to the wills of
the fast-lane life of his uncle Boniface, aka Cash Daddy (a secondary school
dropout turned email scam billionaire) or hold on to the moral principle that
“stripped” his parents of everything but their pride, particularly when he had
learnt that one must have a “long leg” to survive in his country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Kingsley gradually made his choice by succumbing to his maternal
uncle’s fraudulent world.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Cash
Daddy, a conman of blubbery greed and unabashed naked exhibitionism was happy
to help as long as Kingsley uses his formally educated brain to aid his immoral
schemes. As Kingsley puts it, "He could probably even talk a spider into
weaving silk socks for him."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Cash Daddy represents the image of a bushman rising from grass to
grace. His behaviour is disgusting and at the same time daring whether he is
devouring a meal with his hands, quoting the Bible or taking a business meeting
while defecating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Kingsley journey into an immoral lifestyle was gradually woven
from Kingsley’s parents’ courtship in the prologue to establish that Kingsley
and his immediate family were not the type who would bend to any scam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Its short chapters and grueling descriptions of some of Nigeria’s
discomforts on health care and public transport are used to exhibit the reality
of everyday life in the Nigerian society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">The novel is an eye-opener to the troubles of everyday Nigerian –
from the struggles of unemployment down to the struggle of trying to make it in
a society that is ridden by corrupt people; the mind- boggling lifestyle of the
419ers (Referenced by their Nigerian penal code number, the 419 scam) as well as
the poor health services in which patients have to buy their own bandages and
IV fluids are also some of the issues that endear one to read the novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Even Kingsley’s old school mate, Andrew Onyeije, whom he met at
the airport crooned <i>“I love Nigeria
soooooo much, whatever happens, I’m gonna come back here and settle someday.
With my family.”</i> But he was quick to change his patriotic tune when his
American passport was stolen at the airport, he screeched, <i>“This country is seriously fucked up.”</i> But Kingsley was quick to
interject in his narrative voice that “The country is not fucked up and
certainly not a place for idealising and auld lang syne” but that “Once you
faced the harsh facts and learned to adapt, Nigeria became the most beautiful
place in the world.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Nwabani weaved the Kingsley’s story in such a way that you begin
to see things from a con-artist point of view and even cheer him on in his
escapade. It becomes more enchanting when one sees how Kingsley systematically
cons a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>mugu<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>who blindly falls into the trap he
set for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s a fairly overwhelming scenario with Kingsley using his
education to draft e-mails urging anonymous<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>mugus.</i>
No one will buy it, Kingsley thinks at first. “Who on this earth was stupid
enough to fall prey to an e-mail from a stranger in Nigeria?” Then the replies
begin to come. Someone in Auckland, another in Cardriff , then a woman in
Wiscosin. “Soon we were on first-name terms. It was almost like staying up to
watch a dreadful movie simply to see what happened at the end.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">As Kingsley falls reluctantly under his mentor's spell and discovers
his own innate flair for the art of the confidence trick, Nwaubani takes us
deeper into the intricate world of the Nigerian e-mail scam. She gave detailed
exposition of the methods deployed to string along Western suckers who are
gradually converted into a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>mugu</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Targeted<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span><i>mugus</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>get emails like -<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>"Dear Friend, I do not come to
you by chance. Upon my quest for a trusted and reliable foreign business man or
company, I was given your contact by the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry. I hope that you can be trusted to handle a transaction of this
magnitude"</i>- and surprisingly the victims get caught in the fraudster’s
web. People like Winterbottom, Mirabelle and Hooverson were silkily dubbed
through Kingsley gang fraudulent act.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Kingsley method of conning his victim is also humorous that one
finds himself laughing out loud at the gullibility of the victims. The one who
stole the show the most was Cash Daddy, who with his bush-like attitude of
conducting business meetings in the toilet and eating with his mouth open
inject humour and his witty sayings and proverbs endear us more to understand
the world of the con-artist the more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">As a narrator, Kingsley infuses his own story with humor, warmth,
and no small amount of rueful regret bemused him by the place in which he finds
himself. In his own view, he sacrificed himself as the family messiah to haul
them out of poverty and yet he believed he was not appreciated for his effort.
In the end, he yielded to using Cash Daddy’s word that “relatives are the cause
of hip diseases.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Meanwhile, Cash Daddy, tired of just making money, dabbles into
politics and gets himself killed. Upon Cash Daddy’s death, Kingsley refuses to
take over the reins of leadership of the organisation as he felt in control of
his destiny for the first time in years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">The theme of a good person tempted by circumstances to do bad
things is not a new one in literature, but author Nwaubani makes it fresh by
plunging the reader into a dizzying new world of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>419ers</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(scammers) and the <i>mugus<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>(victims). Her characters are
fully fleshed out and dimensional. The novel reveals larger-than-life
characters, impressive operations and the greedy westerners that make up both
sides of the 419 business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">The strength of the novel becomes apparent when the good versus
evil distinction begins to blur – especially for Kingsley. The narrative soars
when Kingsley is detailing the 419 work of Cash Daddy’s inner circle – a much
more complicated world. It is a world where a gullible<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>mugu</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>deserves no sympathy. When Kingsley
expresses doubt to his uncle, Cash Daddy responds:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“Do you know this is the man whose
money is going to feed your children and your children’s children children?” He
condemns Kingsley’s ‘holier than thou” attitude by telling him, “You say you
don’t eat rat but you want to taste only the tail. Please don’t close my ears
with all this rubbish about education. Me I don’t believe in film tricks. I
believe in real life action.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Cash Daddy further reassures him that his sympathy is misplaced.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“Why are you taking Panadol for
another person’s headache?”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>he
asked. “Don’t think America and Europe is like Nigeria where people suffer
anyhow. Over there, their governments know how to take good care of them. They
don’t know anything about suffering.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Thus, readers are invited to see the whole fraught relationship
between Africa and the West in the microcosm of deceptively simple e-mails from
Nigeria. There is a vivacious anger underneath all the tricks and the levity.
When challenged regarding the immorality of ripping off unsuspecting
Westerners, Nwaubani's characters explicitly cite slavery and the Western
exploitation of the Niger Delta's oil wealth as justification; they're merely
repatriating capital that they feel was taken from them unjustly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">The picture is further complicated by the charitable use to which
a great deal of the embezzled money is put to build schools, pave roads and
fund orphanages.<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span><i>"No
matter what the media proclaimed," says Kingsley, "we were not
villains, and the good people of Eastern Nigeria knew it."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">While the novel has a serious undertone, there are many
laugh-out-loud moments. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">However, Nwuabani simply rushed the ending of the novel as an
eight-page epilogue was quickly constructed to indicate that Kingsley has set
up his own organisation where his ever-admonishing mother pays him a visit,
showing her acceptance of his new, seemingly legit, status. In reality, it’s a
cover up as we see him take a call from a former mugu, Mr Winterbottom, and it
is business as usual. This is done perhaps to show that fraudsters like
Kingsley still exist in the society under false pretences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Also, Nwuabani’s<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>elongated
the ‘back-grounding” - as she used almost half of the book- the first part of
the book- (144 pages) - to explain the circumstances that led to Kingsley’s
decision into the e-mail scam world could have been done in a couple of
chapters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> We knew from the start that
he was going to make that decision. Probably because of this elongation, the
decision to join Cash daddy scam group comes across as escapist as he could
have find a way out of the family problem by other means since he had already
told his mother that he would be going to live with Aunt Dimma to get a job in
the banking sector.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">In spite of these imperfections,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>I
Do Not Come To You By Chance</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is
a highly recommended read as it is a no-boner into the realities of the social
issues in the Nigerian society. It is alternately funny, tender, satirical and
sad and the dialogues are sharp with laugh-out-loud moments. The plot is also relatively
simple and the language was easy to follow.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Though the novel has its flaws, the positives far outweigh the
negative as the flaws are compensated as the issues that Kingsley faced were
both believable and real.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05289882297079232651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-40287359084963749972013-08-22T13:14:00.006-07:002013-08-22T13:14:55.877-07:00The Alchemist: My thoughts on the book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XAFDByjrihY/UhZw-xOVJZI/AAAAAAAADkA/viSU9dFUoWo/s1600/alchemist.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XAFDByjrihY/UhZw-xOVJZI/AAAAAAAADkA/viSU9dFUoWo/s1600/alchemist.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
The Alchemist. So much to learn from it. Two lessons I picked out: <div>
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<div>
1. We must all find our purpose/Personal Legend in life. No one can do that for us. We'll find help but it is for us to make that decision. </div>
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<div>
2. In the process, we learn many things and grow through life. We'll discover that each and everyone of us carry within us a unique power as we take lessons from everything. Of course the journey is never a piece of cake. But, at a point, we'll find out that which we seek is right where we started We must return to embrace it and learn to live life to the fullest. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
The Alchemist is an interesting book. Highly recommended.</div>
Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-42754238725636261522013-07-02T05:46:00.003-07:002013-07-02T05:46:40.279-07:00Will Nigerians Read Books On Mobile Phones? @ofilispeaks<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
The reading culture of Nigerians has been on a steady decline for some time now. The decline can be attributed to many factors from a tough economy to a general lack of reading interest in the younger generation. Some have even gone as far as blaming the poor reading culture on mobile devices.<br /><br />Now there is a new app called okadabooks that is putting Nigerian books on mobile phones in a bid to get people to read on phones. The app has a diverse collection of books from Nigerian authors and even past WAEC/JAMB questions with answers.<br /><br />This all sounds like a good idea, but the question is will Nigerians actually read and buy books on their phone and will students actually study with their phones. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kGDrJSNz4OY/UdLLZQWQ-ZI/AAAAAAAADgg/RMSGDqHx1JY/s738/okadabooks+lite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kGDrJSNz4OY/UdLLZQWQ-ZI/AAAAAAAADgg/RMSGDqHx1JY/s320/okadabooks+lite.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>
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Check out the app at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.okadabooks and let us know what you think about it and the Nigerian reading culture in general.</div>
Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-5585116313196387122013-02-25T09:23:00.001-08:002013-02-25T09:27:04.001-08:00What are you reading? Keep it short and simple (2)Here is a sequel to the blogpost "<a href="http://ireviewcovertocover.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-are-you-reading-keep-it-short-and.html" target="_blank">What are you reading? Keep it short and simple</a>." Well, I promise not to make it a habit of keeping reviews this short.... :-)<br />
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I'm currently reading "<b>Quiet</b>" by Susan Cain. The book got a lot of reviews... very good reviews for that matter. Usually, I set my expectations low for books that receive high praises, just so I do not get disappointed. But honestly, even though I'm just in the first couple of pages, I am totally blown away. <b>Quiet</b> makes a good case for us introverts out there. But I think every extrovert, in all their <i>glory, </i>should sit still and read this book. I am loving it so far! Will let you know if I change my mind but I doubt it. <i>Cain</i>, well done! :-)<br />
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I decided to punctuate my list of books with this hilarious novel, "<b>Lucy Sullivan is getting married</b>" by <i>Marian Keyes. </i>I think I have read one of Keyes' book before but I'm not so sure. The front cover does not hold much promise but trust me, as soon as you flip past the first chapter, you are glued. The first day, I read it straight into the night. I could not put it down. Reason I slept 3.24am-ish. My alarm went off 5.30am-ish and i finally got out of bed 8.00am-ish with a nagging headache. But the adventure was worth it. I can think of 3 other people who would love to read this book right now! Pure comedy and beautiful romance. Each character play a significant role, one we can all identify with in our day to day life. No long narration from me, go get your copy!</div>
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"<b>The Best Advice I Ever Got</b>"<b> </b>by Katie Couric is a collection of powerful "essays" from famous and somewhat famous individuals, each telling us one or two life lessons that served as a pivotal force that helped them get to where they are today. I almost flipped out of my seat when I read Matt Lauer's <i>Sometimes You Gotta Go Off Course. </i>An experience I could totally relate to! What is that saying again? There is nothing new under the sun! Well, I'll recommend this book to every young people, aspiring to be something more :-) And oh, this book was originally bought as a gift... I had to sneak through it to be sure it was worth it. And yes, it was!<br />
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I bought this book for my niece. She said that she enjoyed reading it. Now I can't wait to read it too :-) Have you read a copy? <b>Girl in Translation </b>by <i>Jean Kwok. </i><br />
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Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-1805775932890190202013-01-13T09:06:00.003-08:002013-01-13T09:06:55.053-08:00Preserve my Saltiness: An eBook version now available!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many people have asked, where can we get a copy of "Preserve my Saltiness?"<div>
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The book is still on sale at Florence and Lambard bookstore, 202 Ikorodu road, Palmgrove busstop Lagos.</div>
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For people outside Lagos Nigeria, "Preserve my Saltiness" is now available on <a href="http://3minutesbuy.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=69" target="_blank">3minutesbuy.com</a>! click on the link to buy a copy now!! <a href="http://3minutesbuy.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=69">http://3minutesbuy.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=69</a></div>
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Thank you!! :-)</div>
Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-35783101332203280042012-12-07T02:21:00.003-08:002012-12-07T02:21:44.197-08:00“War is very ugly” Agha ajoka. A Review Half of a Yellow Sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Book: Half of a Yellow Sun<br /><br />Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie<br /><br />Publisher: Farafina<br /><br />Year: 2006<br /><br />Chapter: 37 (450pages)<br /><br />One of the works that brought Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie into limelight was her book, “Purple Hibiscus.” Often described as 21st century feminist, for her continual advocacy for women to have a high sense of achievement and not be apologetic about being independent, the award-winning novelist has also distinguished herself as a remarkable culturalist.<br /><br />Her authentic cultural voice was expressed in a 2009 TedEX presentation, “the dangers of a single story” where she reiterated her believe in the power of stories. But she warns about the downside of telling a one-sided story. “The single story creates stereotypes and the problem with the stereotypes is not that they are untrue but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story,” she said.<br /><br />In “Half of a Yellow Sun,” Adichie tried to tell a complete story. She told an authentic but fictitious story about the Biafran war, dispelling any cultural misunderstanding of the war that took place even before she was born. Her ability to tell the story accurately is drawn from an in-depth study of what others have written and first-hand stories her father and elders who witnessed the war shared with her. These sources- books and people- were acknowledged in her author’s note. She also pointed out that the intent of the story “is to portray my own imaginative truths and not the facts of the war.”<br /><br />Half of a Yellow Sun depicts the struggle of the Igbos during the Biafra war. Adichie creatively weaved the novel around the lives of three people- Ugwu, a teenager; Olanna, one of the daughters of the elite; and Richard, a British writer. Drawing from the complex relationship of each of the characters, Adichie narrates their experiences in an interesting way. Her powerful ability to make each character come alive made the historic event a mesmerizing one.<br /><br />The story in Half of a Yellow Sun is divided into three phases- Pre-Biafra era, Biafra era and Post-Biafra era. The story begins with Ugwu, a young boy being taken from his village to serve as a house-boy of a university professor- Odenigbo. The rich culture of the Igbo ethnic group was seen in Ugwu’s character as he experimented with his cooking skills.<br /><br />Using an omnipotent point of view (first-person narration), Adichie unveils each of the other characters. Describing Odenigbo, his master, Ugwu says, “Master was little crazy- he had spent too many years reading books overseas, talked to himself in his office, did not always return greetings and had too much hair.” True to his words, these were the traits Odenigbo exhibited throughout the book. Albeit a mathematician, Odenigbo’s character was more like an activist than someone rooted in the mathematical field as his character was first presented. No wonder Olanna’s sister referred him to as “revolutionary lover.”<br /><br />Olanna, who returned to Nigeria after her study in the U.K moved in to live with Odenigbo at the University in Nsukka. Even though they later married during the eve of Biafra war, the duo portrayed the theme of love, betrayal and perseverance.<br /><br />Adichie let out her feminism through Kainene, Olanna’s twin sister. Although not as beautiful and affectionate as Olanna, Kainene exhibited a strong personality- fearless and outspoken. Described as one who always dated White men to the embarrassment of her sister, Kainene showed more interest in their father’s business and flirted with the crème de la crème. She eventually fell in love with Richard, a British writer who was infatuated with the Igbo culture. She naturally took over some parts of her father’s business.<br /><br />Using the flashback technique, Adichie narrated how Odenigbo betrayed Olanna by sleeping with a maid from the village whom his mother cunningly forced on him. The lady later gave birth to a baby girl, who was referred to as “Baby” throughout the novel. Olanna and Odenigbo officially adopted the child and raised her as their daughter.<br /><br />Meanwhile, still on the theme of betrayal- Olanna, while estranged with Odenigbo for betraying her, slept with Richard, her sister’s boyfriend. Kainene later found out and in revenge burnt Richard’s manuscript.<br /><br />The novel is not shy of romance. The author allowed herself the freedom to present twisted passion and sensuality in its raw form.<br /><br />The main characters soon recovered from the heat of betrayal and heartbreak, as the Biafra war forced everyone to embrace forgiveness and struggle to survive while looking out for one another.<br /><br />Kainene’s enigmatic and powerful feminism is humbled by the war. She volunteered to supply food and shelter for the refugees at the relief camp during the war. However, just before the end of the war, she went on affia attack- to trade for more food- but never returned. Her family’s search for her whereabout was futile.<br /><br />Despite the weight of pain and agony in the novel, the author maintained a healthy sense of humour. For instance, when one of the children at the refugee camp is impregnated, the girl’s mother wondered if her belly was swollen from kwashiorkor. Also in the search for Kainene, Olanna asked her uncle Osita to go and consult the dibia. “She gave him a bottle of whisky and some money to buy a goat for the oracle.”<br /><br />After carrying out the ritual Kainene still did not return home. To pacify his wife, Odenigbo then interjected, “the war has ended but hunger has not, nkem. That dibia was just hungry for goat meat. You can’t believe in that.” But Olanna insisted that she would believe anything that would bring her sister back.<br /><br />In terms of language, Adichie’s style is simple but rich. Her writing prowess and endearing storytelling ability is seen in the naturalness of her characters. The heroes and the heroines were not flawless or devoid of challenges. She developed the role of her protagonists with care but did not leave them isolated on a pedestal of superiority. During the outbreak of Biafra war, each of the characters felt the negative impact of the war.<br /><br />For instance, Olanna’s baby almost died of malnutrition, forcing her to join the queue of those seeking succour from relief efforts. Ugwu was drafted on the Biafran army in spite of Olanna’s several attempts to shield him. He experienced the brutality first-hand and on one occasion gang-raped a bar attendant. At one point, news about his demise while on a mission was spread like wide fire and everyone who knew him mourned. However, Richard soon found him in hospital and informed Olanna and Odenigbo. He was later reunited with them.<br /><br />After the war caused by political misunderstanding, the Igbo ethnic group tried to pick back their lives again. In one of the last chapters, Adichie sheds light on how Odenigbo and Olanna returned to the University in Nsuka but they met the home in ruin. Ugwu made attempts to clean up the mess. “He wanted to clean. He wanted to scrub furiously. He feared though that it would change nothing. Perhaps the house was stained to its very foundation and that smell of something long dead and dried would always sting to the rooms and the rustle of rats would always come from the ceiling.”<br /><br />While Richard passionately wanted to write about the Biafra war, as a result of his “connection” to the culture, he however left the experience to Ugwu. The latter wrote the book, “The world was silent when we died,” and dedicated it, “for my master, my good man.” It is ironical, as Odenigbo used to call him “my good man.”<br /><br />The balance in the characterization is commendable. Adichie developed characters fitting both elite personalities as well as those at the bottom of the pyramid to tell the story well. The accolades Half of a yellow sun has received till date is well deserved. However, in an attempt to portray the Igbo culture, the author fell short. The characters were sometimes presented as speaking in Igbo dialect without any provision for translation. Her tone of narration was also a bit exaggerated.<br /><br />The book also unnecessarily made the sexual escapades and fantasies of Ugwu and other protagonists explicit. This automatically classified it as adult-content.<br /><br />What could have been an eclipse of other Nigerian cultures in the novel was salvaged by the loyalty of friendship displayed by Mohammed, Olanna’s former lover and Mrs Adebayo, Odenigbo’s colleague. Nothing much is said about these cultures in details. The dismissive way they were also presented made them appear disenfranchised in reality.<br /><br />The gripping title, “Half of a yellow sun” is derived from the Biafra flag. During the war, the Igbo ethnic group adopted a rising yellow sun on their flag. The thirty-seven-chapter novel was worth every read. The intensity and graphic narration would leave one feeling emotional at some point. No scene in the impact of war was left out- the violence, the famine, the despair, the loss, the greed and hate trailed on even after it was called off. “War is very ugly” Agha ajoka. And like Adichie wrote in her author’s note: may we always remember.<div>
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Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-14640876591661144662012-10-23T00:28:00.002-07:002012-10-23T00:28:27.951-07:00Portrait of an extraordinary man [Nelson Mandela]<br />
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Nelson Mandela, Portrait of an extraordinary man by Richard Stengel. I have been reading this book. Actually just a few pages away from the last chapter.<br />
I like the book. It basically shares insight into Mandela's extraordinary life. The author is not pretentious in his narration. He did not make Mandela appear like some saint. But his strengths and weaknesses were portrayed in the same tone.<br />
What I do not get though is how some traits that are usually frowned upon in a "normal" society sound acceptable and extraordinarily "sexy" because it is Mandela exhibiting those traits.<br />
Well, I guess that story is for Stengel to tell. Our role is to read and be inspired to be more and do more! I totally enjoyed this book. If you haven't read it, now you know- it is worth the read!<br />
Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-68292845992103640472012-07-22T06:39:00.004-07:002012-07-22T06:39:56.428-07:00What are you reading? Keep it short and simple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">"How come THAT idiot's rich and I'm Not?" is an interesting business book that reiterates the basic principles we often ignore. The author, Robert Shemin, draws from life experiences to point out the "how" of wealth creation and sustenance. You'll love the quotes and "callouts"in all the twelve chapters! But you won't get mega-rich by merely reading the book :-) ACT, he says. You have to apply these principles wisely.</span></div>
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Another book that will leave you feeling better off and more empowered is "Aesop and the CEO." In this book, David Noonan shares different Aesop fables and gives their business perspective- ancient wisdom applies to today's world! I totally love how he punctuated the flow in the book with real life examples. The lessons in the book are categorized to keep things in perspective- from Rewards and Incentives to Management and Leadership, to Effective management and leadership, to Business strategies that worked and failed to Human Resource- on hire or fire, coping with a difficult boss who wants to have you for lunch :-).<br />
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It does not matter what field you belong, you'll find the content in this book applicable to your work and personal life! When the book was first recommended for our "Brand Management" class, I was like, "what"? But truth be told, there is definiltely a lot in there on brand management. If you are into Marketing and services, you have an interesting pool of wisdom to draw from in the book as well!<br />
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"Aesop and the CEO" is what I now call the little red book on managerial wisdom. I hope more managers, budding managers, entrepreneurs and employees read it! It is a tiny book you can read in one sitting but I'll recommend you read, chew on each lesson before moving to the next :-)<br />
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In few weeks, I'll be reviewing Brian Kurth's "Test-Drive Your Dream Job" for <a href="http://www.ireviewcovertocover.blogspot.com/">Readers-Response Journal</a>. But here is a paragraph that jumped out at me while flipping through the pages recently:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You know- if you 're considering a dream job- that the push toward a dream career is not just about how you spend your working hours. It's about meshing your work like with your deepest sense of self. It's about having work that matches your values, that feeds instead of exhaust you, that doesn't require you to leave your priorities at home and check your heart at the door. When we imagine a dream job, we imagine a job in which we are fully ourselves, in which our hearts and minds are equally engaged."<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qApE26KxUD8/UAwBhypANjI/AAAAAAAAByY/Muhqac1muco/s1600/2012-07-22+13.39.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qApE26KxUD8/UAwBhypANjI/AAAAAAAAByY/Muhqac1muco/s320/2012-07-22+13.39.22.jpg" width="240" /></a></blockquote>
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Aha! :-) </div>Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-11711775573959478462012-04-28T07:38:00.000-07:002012-04-28T11:15:21.221-07:00SHADOW FALL BY HAJO ISA<br />
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If i were to judge "Shadow fall" by it's cover i would call it a blast
from the past, the beautiful black and white picture of four free
horses whom I assume had just escaped from the stable. The prints are
reader friendly accompanied by sketches to relate the message of each
poem.<br />
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Hajo's poems are divided into four parts: Heart in bloom, Curator of
thoughts, Spectrum of passion and Reverie of flight and are best described as Undiluted,deep and raw . Each word was
carefully chosen to reflect her thoughts and then presented honestly
without fear or farvour they came out with a unique and original
voice filled with passion, I wish her poems were more entertaining and spontaneous especially since poetry is something that is still in the process of capturing the hearts many in an environment like ours but aside that Shadow Fall captured my heart. My farvourite poems are June, Untitled and Father's house.<br />
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I could have argued with anyone who told me Hajo is a Lawyer not until
I read her short bio also reading shadow fall has revealed alot
about her too. I had seen her from afar as a bubbly, jovial and
flexible lady but shadow fall has exposed the firm, meticulous and
evolving personality in her, indeed Hajo Isa is a thought leader.Chiomarhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13470947013245374707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-71428622243144787842012-03-02T07:14:00.001-08:002012-03-02T07:27:50.467-08:00Africa Reading Challenge<span style="font-family: arial;">Kinna reads is hosting a reader's challenge just read</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">5 books. That’s it. There will be no other levels. Of course,</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> participants are encouraged to read more than 5 books.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> Eligible books include those which are written by African writers,</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> or take place in Africa, or are concerned with Africans and with</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> historical and contemporary African issues.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> Note that at least 3 books must be written by African writers. </span><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br />This sounds like great fun for us readers, I signed up and I think u should do the same<br />Click <a href="http://kinnareads.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/africa-reading-challenge/">here</a> to sign up<br /></div>Chiomarhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13470947013245374707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-61236121557665120332011-12-09T17:08:00.001-08:002011-12-09T17:16:59.996-08:00“Preserve My Saltiness,” I savoured every piece... - Chioma Chukwuneta (@Cheeomarh)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>A review:</b> <br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">From the catchy red face to the picture of a young
lady who appeared engrossed in her thoughts (though having savoured the
book I realized that lady was actually listening to everything happening around
her from the wisdom of the old/aged to the words of her Creator, whom she
describes as the “Lover of her soul," and the cries of her society), I was
convinced that I was holding a book with a beautiful content. If “judging a
book” and “judging its cover” were synonymous, books like “Preserve My Saltines”
would break the gravel.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l6mFfBtoRVw/TuKwAX7BkUI/AAAAAAAABT8/GZl0t4-V_kg/s1600/IMG00562-20110929-1711.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l6mFfBtoRVw/TuKwAX7BkUI/AAAAAAAABT8/GZl0t4-V_kg/s320/IMG00562-20110929-1711.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> For the first time I come across poems
that tell my story to the world, my love story, my daily struggle between
desires and the expectation of the God I serve, my environment, my dreams and
prayers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Each time I pick up “Preserve
my saltiness,” I savour every piece with reflection. It's a collection of poems
full of wit and wisdom written with so much simplicity and creativity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Jennifer certainly has grey hair, these words of
wisdom certainly didn't come from a woman with hairs as dark as mine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thank you Jennifer for sharing your thoughts, thank
you for standing for young women and for Christianity and thank you for
believing in our generation.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">By
Chioma Chukwuneta, </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Follow
on Twitter: </span></b><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/Cheeomarh" target="_blank"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-family: Arial;">@Cheeomarh</span></b></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-family: Arial;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85z_0UUo4Xc/TuKxOIqxMvI/AAAAAAAABUM/9DAvaWIDaVY/s1600/Preserve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85z_0UUo4Xc/TuKxOIqxMvI/AAAAAAAABUM/9DAvaWIDaVY/s320/Preserve.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<i><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-family: Arial;"> </span></b>
Thanks for the review Chioma! May God be praised! His grace is ever sufficient! <span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></div>Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-27642474257890002952011-11-13T15:52:00.001-08:002011-11-13T16:40:38.159-08:0031 Dates in 31 Days by Tamara Duricka Johnson @31dates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hfhWvc-mmrI/TsBb4odFYqI/AAAAAAAABOg/AbQnhAc8F0w/s1600/31+dates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hfhWvc-mmrI/TsBb4odFYqI/AAAAAAAABOg/AbQnhAc8F0w/s1600/31+dates.jpg" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Imagine
this- A few weeks to your 31<sup>st</sup> birthday, your boyfriend suddenly
realizes there is nothing more between you two, especially when you were still
hoping he is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the one, and</i> breaks up
with you before you could point out the silver-linings in your relationship.
What do you do? Well, Tamara Duricka Johnson’s response to such predicament is
what has evolved into a much talked about <i>31 Dates in 31 Days</i>! </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Except,
Tamara’s case is not an imaginary one. It actually happened to her! It must have been a
big blow on her self-esteem. But she did not allow the blow to
keep her down for too long! With the support of her witty friends, she launched a project!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">When
I first got an email from Andie Atwood of Seal Press, requesting for a review
of <i>31 Dates in 31 Days </i>on this blog, I had no idea what I was
setting myself up for!</span><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Wow!
If there is any book I’ve read so far on dating and relationship, that made a
lot of sense and left me with a plate full of life lessons, this is it!</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Okay
I must admit I was cynical when I first heard about the book. The shocking
title at first might make your wonder- Was she crazy dating so many guys in such
a short space of time? How did she cope frolicking with all of these men? Is
she a slut? But again, who are we to judge a book by its cover? No, the story is definitely different
from the impression we first perceive from the title or synopsis!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The
minute I opened it and started reading, I knew the book was not just another
fictitious do’s and don’t’s about dating and relationship. It is a true-life
story, written in its raw form. No male bashing. No cranking feminism. Just a pure story
told to empower others. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The
author re-defined what dating should entail, bringing the fun back into the center of it. How ladies/women ought to perceive
the men in their lives or the men that come their way. The author took us to the very
basics of dating. What we often forget or are never told.</span></div>
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<i><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Stop
seeing every guy as The One! Enjoy
the friendship first and it will grow if it must.</span></b></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Experience
they say is the best teacher. But we can’t all experience everything so we must
be open-minded and learn from other people’s experience. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Reading about Tamara’s
experience and following her through the journey of shaping the future is thought-provoking as it allows you, the reader, develop a new knowledge of self. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">At
some point, I felt the author’s fatigue of the marathon dating exercise. It was
pretty hard to keep up. Twenty dates into the book, I was
tempted to flip to the last chapter to see how the story ended. But then, that
will mean missing out on the lessons each character unfolded in the story.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The
story took a dynamic turn when the author was asked on Air (yep ABC
interviewed her in the course of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">project)</i>
what advice she had for people going out on the first date-</span></div>
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<i><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">“First,’”
I said, “don’t take first dates too seriously. Second, don’t judge too quickly.
And third, every guy is somebody’s Prince Charming. Maybe not yours, but he
could be someone else’s. so respect him.” </span></b></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">How on point!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">From
her narrative point of view, the author certainly presented the guys, with whom she had 31
dates in the 31 days, with much respect. She carefully pointed out as much good in them she
allowed herself to focus on during the few hours they spent together, making
the book sound too nice. Well, isn’t that the whole purpose of sharing the
lessons through which others can grow?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The
men formed a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gracious and alluring
backdrop</i> for the author to learn that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">self-worth,
identity and fulfillment don’t come in a package labeled “boyfriend” or
“husband.” </i></span></div>
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<i><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">She
tells us “Love is something to offer, not to seek.”</span></b></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Is
there anyone (yes, the book is NOT for ladies only!) out there trying to understand the complexities of dating,
relationship and finding true love? Go pick up a copy of 31 Dates in 31 Days,
read it and learn from 31 years old Tamara, as she wriggle her way out of a
history of broken relationship into enjoying the experience of dating and the
many lessons that come with it. It might not teach you everything, but it will help you get a grip of the basics, that has become almost extinct these days :-)</span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>31
Dates in 31 Days</i> certainly make some of the other books on dating and
relationship look pale. The simplicity through which it was written makes the
story worth reading. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">It
is wrapped with a rich sense of humor that would
crack you up. I caught myself laughing as I flipped through the pages, exploring each scene and character.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The
author shares her story of giving love and finding her true love. She highlights her struggles, insecurities, frustration and faith. </span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The story also focuses on the important role
friendship plays in shaping destiny. </span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Although the central theme of the book
focuses on dating and the characters of the 30 dates (men), other sub-themes were expressed through the loss of her father and
step-father, the strength of her mother, the dedication of her girlfriends,
support of her colleagues and the broken relationship she experienced with a
couple of men, who indirectly inspired the story itself.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">So
even if you are not interested in dating, there are other lessons equally
expressed through these characters, all of them played an important role in
shaping the story.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I
hope we have more unpretentious writers willing to draw from their own
experience to share insights into dealing with every day issue, instead of just sharing complex theories
that are not really applicable in reality.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><i><b>31 Dates in 31 Days</b></i> gets all the 5 star ratings! I totally enjoyed reading
it! I hope you find the book thought-provoking but inspiring!</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Synopsis of the Book</span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">31 Date in 31 Days (Seal Press / October 2011 )</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> is the true story of Johnson’s journey toward
changing her outlook on life, love, and modern dating. Her dating marathon
teaches her to keep things in perspective, helps her let go of her
preconceptions, and opens her eyes to how many single, smart, and attractive
guys are out there—even in a super-sized metropolis like New York City.
With a few rules (never the same place twice, don’t spend over $31, and
no second dates until after the 31<sup>st</sup> date), her dating project
unexpectedly turns out to be a series of authentic and unpredictable
experiences. With each of her dates—whether it’s the shy dance teacher, the
sweet surfer, or the 21-year old Coast Guardsman—Johnson learns to open up and
have more <i>fun</i>; which is, after all, what dating should be about. Ckeckout the website: http://31datesin31days.blogspot.com/p/book.html</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-58969166415882313792011-10-18T12:08:00.000-07:002011-10-18T12:08:21.991-07:00Rotary Dial Politics in an iPhone World<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><div align="center">
<br />By Ange-Marie Hancock,<br />Author of <i>Solidarity Politics for Millennials: A Guide to Ending the Oppression Olympics</i></div>
<div align="center">
<i><br /></i></div>
So
we've occupied Wall Street. Millennial generation protesters have
joined forces with an unlikely assemblage of the older generation: Nobel
laureate Joseph Stieglitz, Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon. The
protests united folks concerned about a variety of different issues
around the idea that "Wall Street causes inequality."<br />
<br />
Now that the media attention is focused on the Occupy Wall Street protests, how do we fundamentally resolve such inequality?<br />
<br />
It
has been difficult to resolve inequalities in the United States because
our politics has not kept up with the advances that have emerged in the
past 20 years. It's as if the scholars who have developed new models of
politics all have iPhones, while the media, average citizens and policy
makers are still using politics that works like a rotary dial phone.<br />
<br />
Today's
political discourse does not fully consider the linkages between the
public needs of multiple generations -- whether it's strong public
schools or college affordability on the Millennial side or having
sustainable Medicare and Social Security on the Baby Boomer side. There
is, in other words, <b>a cultural generation gap</b> that prevents us from connecting the dots to resolve persistent inequality in a comprehensive way.<br />
The <b>cultural generation gap</b> is considered the product of two demographic trends that are causing anxieties in times of economic hardship:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>the aging of Baby Boomers</b>, who have spent their entire lives in a United States that is a white majority nation, and <b>have no intention of withdrawing from the public arena,</b> and</li>
<br />
<li><b>the ascent of Millennials (and increasingly their children)</b>,
who are not simply the most racially diverse generation in U.S. history
but also have the largest percentage of foreign-born individuals. <b>By 2015 Millennials will be the second largest adult generation and are transforming the workplace.</b></li>
</ul>
Demographic
trends are a lot like tectonic plates -- they are very difficult to
stop once they are set in motion. But the cultural generation gap isn't a
predetermined outcome. It because we have failed to eradicate the
persistent overlapping disparities along the axes of race/ethnicity,
gender, national status, and economic class.<br />
<br />
Now resolving these
overlapping layers of inequality would be challenging and complex in
times of peace and prosperity. Throw in a global economic recession
alongside two wars and the cultural generation gap grows ever bigger.<br />
What
are we to make of these compounding trends? Although cross-generational
protesting is an important step forward to resolving overlapping
patterns of economic inequality, we cannot simply protest in the same
20th century way, which most Americans are socialized to tune out.<br />
First,
eradicating inequality must go beyond generational spokesmen stating
the talking points of the other generation. 68 year-old Stieglitz linked
the slogan, "Wall Street Causes Inequality" to the case of young people
who face prospects of spending the next few years underemployed or with
no job at all. However, media coverage of the speech and interviews by
Stieglitz himself failed to connect the impact of such underemployment
and other issues facing Millennials to the needs of his own generation,
which would move the conversation in a 21st century direction. Today's
Boomers aren't going anywhere, but they will increasingly need
healthcare and other forms of services that will be provided by
Millennials. Who doesn't want their own healthcare worker to have the
proper training, education and employment opportunities in order to
receive quality care? Shifting the narrative reveals the interdependence
between needs across the generations.<br />
<br />
Second, we ignore the
racial, ethnic, gender, and national status aspects of college access at
our peril. Stieglitz's comments referred to a specific subset of the
Millennial generation who have had access to college, who, most
statistics show, are also more likely to be members of the majority
class, race and national status groups in the U.S. But the challenges
facing young people in terms of employment go beyond not being able to
pay off student loans.<br />
<br />
It is clear to me that recent college
graduates face unemployment rates that are patently unacceptable. But
increasing the coverage to all Millennials allows us to talk about the
youth Stieglitz missed in his comments: the youth who were tracked away
from college and into a host of dead-end opportunities, the youth
products of a failed K-12 public education system in many low-income
communities of color, and those who lost hope and left us too soon as a
result of homophobic bullying. The longer they remain outside the
employment sector, the less money is funneled into current benefits for
Medicare and Social Security, programs that help keep Boomers and their
older counterparts out of poverty in their older years. When AARP only
organizes its members to protest government cuts -- a rotary dial,
defensive approach -- they ignore the 21st century reality that support
for policies that increase employment for younger folks is one of the
best forms of insurance against future cuts -- an iPhone approach that
puts them back on offense.<br />
<br />
Linking intergenerational values and
interests helps us leave our rotary dial phones behind in favor of
iPhone politics that can enable us to cultivate civic relationships
across demographic groups, foster cross-generational dialogues and
create 21st century solutions.<br />
<br />
<small>© 2011 Ange-Marie Hancock, author of <i>Solidarity Politics for Millenials: A Guide to Ending the Oppression Olympics</i></small><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Author Bio<br />Ange-Marie Hancock, </b>author of <i>Solidarity Politics for Millennials: A Guide to Ending the Oppression Olympics,</i> joined
the Department of Political Science at USC Dana and David Dornsife
College in 2008 after five years as Assistant Professor of Political
Science and African American Studies at Yale University. Prior to
graduate school at the University of North Carolina, Hancock worked for
the National Basketball Association, where she conducted the preliminary
research and wrote the original business plan for the Women's National
Basketball Association (WNBA). She has served as an international expert
in American Politics for the U.S. Department of State and during the
2008 presidential election. She has been quoted in the New York Times,
Forbes, on National Public Radio, KNBC, and she regularly supports USC's
Annenberg TV News by serving as an expert. She currently serves as the
associate director of the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration
(CSII) in the Dornsife College and as one of the inaugural Dornsife
College Faculty Fellows.<br />
Over the past eight years Professor
Hancock has authored two books and 11 articles. She is a globally
recognized scholar of the study of intersectionality -- the study of the
intersections of race, gender, class and sexuality politics and their
impact on public policy. Her first book, <i>The Politics of Disgust and the Public Identity of the "Welfare Queen,"</i>(2004, New York University Press) won two national awards.<br />
For more information please visit <a href="http://www.ange-mariehancock.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ange-<wbr></wbr>mariehancock.com</a>, and follow the author on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/angemarie.hancock" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and </span></span></div>Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-46778521300516310462011-08-01T04:26:00.001-07:002011-08-01T04:26:46.574-07:00A Heart to Mend by Myne WhitmanReview coming soon!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPSV50mua1U/TjaNVW8ixDI/AAAAAAAABEc/cSfii93FVDE/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPSV50mua1U/TjaNVW8ixDI/AAAAAAAABEc/cSfii93FVDE/s400/cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-26320713035395075192011-06-26T00:07:00.000-07:002011-06-26T00:27:27.864-07:00Preserve my Saltiness: Comments and Reviews<style>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8BlMGNP5fM8/TgbbDyvscfI/AAAAAAAABC0/tBNkZjM38dA/s1600/225179_1994878387724_1116368769_32397156_5273802_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8BlMGNP5fM8/TgbbDyvscfI/AAAAAAAABC0/tBNkZjM38dA/s320/225179_1994878387724_1116368769_32397156_5273802_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poetry Reading at Atlas Service Corps Gathering, Washington DC</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<blockquote><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">First a wonderful presentation, from the very beginning. The preface, dedication, all of it. From 'an idle heart' to "under the shadow of the almighty' you captivated me. Your passion, desire, and love you have for the written word is demonstrated beyond the readers imagination. It lifts ones heart and takes us on a journey that only one can do when they have been blessed with a talent that only our Lord can give. And blessed are we the readers for you answering his call! This book is amazing and Jenifer I will highly recommend to anyone." - Shannon Wendler, Writer and Poet- Founder of www.Poetryclub.com</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"></span></blockquote><br />
<blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="il"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"> was going <span class="il">to</span> wait until <span class="il">I</span> had read through it <span class="il">to</span> send you <span class="il">a</span> note so <span class="il">I</span> could comment at the same time. That was <span class="il">a</span> mistake. After taking <span class="il">a</span> couple opportunities over the weekend <span class="il">to</span> read into it, <span class="il">I</span> <span class="il">realize</span> <span class="il">this</span> <span class="il">is</span> <span class="il">a</span> <span class="il">book</span> <span class="il">not</span> <span class="il">to</span> <span class="il">consume</span>, <span class="il">but</span> <span class="il">to</span> <span class="il">savor</span>. The individual pieces demand reflection, which requires <span class="il">a</span> quiet time and full attention…Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, and others, through <span class="il">this</span> special <span class="il">book</span>.” John K </span></div></blockquote><br />
<blockquote><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">In this book I see that Jennifer has wrangled in the electrifying bull of creativity to possess her words in a way that will speak to others deeply. She speaks to you in these pages from a place of strength and the calm assuredness that this is exactly what she would like to say. I hope you listen. Because by recording her truth, she has recorded our truth. So, take a moment and learn of your soul as you read the poetry of hers. Jennifer, you speak truth in a way that seems as though you are a hundred years old and have lived the lives of many. Your truth is unforgivingly raw, uncut crystal - like all truth that is worth telling. Thank you for sharing your gift of poetry with the world. Because, as we know, the world needs it. My favorite poem is My Brothers Wrestle.” --Jess Rimington, One World Youth Project</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"></span></blockquote><br />
<blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">As a writer, I have carefully looked at these poems and believe that you will enjoy reading Preserve My Saltiness. You will enjoy reflecting on the threads of meaningful didactic and philosophical images, which help to enhance the encoded meanings. These poetic thoughts could only emanate from one who stayed close to grandma, picking eternal words of wisdom; I bet Jennifer did, as shown in these poems which are all her original pieces.” Isi Agboaye, Step Out Creatives</span></div></blockquote><br />
<b>THE BOOK</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSMaKIHXnsk/TgbbhK1YoAI/AAAAAAAABC4/AoDzd-UyuiE/s1600/Preserve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSMaKIHXnsk/TgbbhK1YoAI/AAAAAAAABC4/AoDzd-UyuiE/s320/Preserve.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 44pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Author: Jennifer Ehidiamen</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 44pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Paperback: 81 pages</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 44pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Publisher: Step Out Creatives Publications U.K; First Edition edition (20 Feb 2011)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 44pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Language English</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 44pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">ISBN-10: 1906963266</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 44pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">ISBN-13: 978-1906963262</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 8pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Preserve My Saltiness by Jennifer Ehidiamen is a collection of poems, featuring various topics. You will enjoy reflecting on the threads of meaningful didactic and philosophical images, which help to enhance the encoded meanings. Copies are now available in some local bookstores in Lagos- </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">To buy your copies, please visit:</span></b></div><ol><li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"> <b>Naija-Sistas Book-stop</b>- Henry Nelson Consulting, 26 Festival Road off Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Terra Kulture (Bookshop)</b> Plot 1376 Tiamiyu Savage Street Victoria Island Lagos.<b> </b></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Florence & Lambard Publisher and Booksellers</b> 202-204 Ikorodu road, Palm Grove, Lagos. </span></li>
<li><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Latter Rain Assembly Bookshop: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Plot 4 Akilo Road Ogba, off Oba Akran Avenue Ikeja Lagos Nigeria<b> </b></span></li>
</ol><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><i><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Don’t forget to share your comments after reading! THANKS</span></b></i></div>Jennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6715893922053163820.post-63560196355593961282011-06-17T16:05:00.000-07:002011-06-17T16:05:08.920-07:00Keys To The Kingdom by Senator Bob Graham<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uuxGvQV6aRc/TfvdE0LQelI/AAAAAAAABCQ/jizefRaJ5Z8/s1600/Keys-To-The-Kingdom2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uuxGvQV6aRc/TfvdE0LQelI/AAAAAAAABCQ/jizefRaJ5Z8/s320/Keys-To-The-Kingdom2.png" width="211" /></a></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A new political thriller by Senator Bob Graham, <b><i>Keys to the Kingdom <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">(Vanguard Press; June 2011). </span></span></i></b></span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div>Respected and trusted by leaders on both sides of the political aisle, Senator Bob Graham was Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, a presidential candidate with 18 years of service in the United States Senate, and two-term Governor of Florida. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Now, based on actual events, he has written a compelling political thriller, w<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">ith a story line that cuts chillingly close to true-life dealings, it raises penetrating questions an all-too-real, alarming predictions.</span></b></div></span></span> </blockquote><b>An excerpt:</b><br />
<b><br />
July 15<br />
Washington, D.C.<br />
By Senator Bob Graham,<br />
Author of Keys to the Kingdom</b><br />
<br />
At 10:15 Friday morning Tony arrived at the senator's hideaway in the Capitol, one of seventy offices secreted throughout the Senate wing. Ranging from cubbyholes to ornate suites, they were assigned depending on that truest acknowledgment of status in the upper chamber, seniority. As seventeenth in years of Senate service, Billington had a room that overlooked the east lawn, decorated with furniture from the Senate storeroom and landscape art of his state.<br />
<br />
"Mr. Ramos, have a seat," the senator greeted Tony.<br />
<br />
"Thank you." He sat on the end of the sofa closest to Billington's desk.<br />
<br />
The approving smile and tilt of the head indicated the senator was intrigued with Tony's athletic grace and presence. "Mr. Ramos, before we go to the subject of our meeting, may I ask if you had a relative with your name who played infield for the Havana Sugar Kings? As I recall, you look a great deal like him." <br />
<br />
<br />
Impressed but not flustered, Tony replied, "Yes sir. That was my grandfather in the old Florida International League. I'm surprised you would remember that." <br />
<br />
<br />
Billington placed his hands behind his head and stretched out in the desk chair. "My father loved baseball. When I was growing up, we had season tickets to the Miami Sun Sox, and he and I drove in from the farm to almost every home game. The Sugar Kings were the dominant team in the league. Dad especially liked your grandfather's grit and hustle." <br />
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"I wish I'd been able to see him play." <br />
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"You would have been proud. I remember when Dad told the sports editor of the Post about Tony Ramos and several of the other Cuban ballplayers. He said the Washington Senators should pick them up; the only thing they could do would be to improve the weakest team in the American League. But that was a couple of years before Jackie Robinson broke the color line, and the Senators were not about to do that in a southern-culture town like this one." <br />
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"That was my grandfather's dream, to play in the major leagues, and I know he would want me to thank your father." <br />
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Billington paused to pour two glasses of water. After offering one to Tony he sipped and continued, "That was yesterday and today is now. I'd like to ask a question." <br />
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"Yes sir." <br />
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"Mark Block is not an easy grader, and he has given you very high marks. I'm satisfied you have several of the aptitudes we will need for the inquiry, so I'm more interested in motivation. Why do you want to break your INR career path to take this on?"<br />
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Tony leaned forward. "I think the president has fundamentally mischaracterized 9/11 as the beginning of a war on terrorism. It is not a war unless we make it one. This is not a war. It is an intelligence and paramilitary operation against a relatively small and enormously out-gunned enemy." <br />
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"What do you mean by ‘relatively small'?" the senator asked. <br />
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"A week after 9/11, my current boss asked the head of the INR how many terrorists were there in the world?" <br />
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"And what did he estimate?" <br />
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"He said if you define a terrorist as a person who has been through training camps like al-Qaeda's in Afghanistan, or Hezbollah's in Syria or Lebanon, and who belongs to an organization prepared to use those acquired skills, he estimated 100,000. I don't disparage that figure, but it's hardly the Viet Cong, or Saddam Hussein in the Persian Gulf." <br />
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"So, that's why you want to join our inquiry staff?" <br />
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"Yes sir. To understand the nature, objectives, and capabilities of our enemy. And also to understand why we have exaggerated its threat. Those are some of the questions I think your inquiry can answer." <br />
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"Tony, that is a very thoughtful statement of our mission. I want you on the team."<br />
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The above is an excerpt from the book Keys to the Kingdom by Senator Bob Graham. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.<br />
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Copyright © 2011 Senator Bob Graham, author of Keys to the KingdomJennifer Ehidiamenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15524521223368416891noreply@blogger.com0