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Sea Pay
Sea Pay by Bob Dorgan is a rollicking tale of an enlisted sailor making the most of his time in the United States Navy during the late 70s and early 80s. The straightforward, autobiographical story follows Dorgan through his early years at Valley Forge Military Academy and then onto his Navy career stationed aboard the aircraft carrier the USS Midway. While bending some rules (and breaking others), Dorgan goes into great detail about his day-to-day duties and the wild adventures he and his fellow sailors went on during their precious time off-duty.
Sea Pay is an interesting read. Dorgan’s attention to detail is quite remarkable. As an electrician working in the E Division of the ship’s engineering department, the author’s duties amounted to more than mere grunt work. His descriptions of the internal workings of the Midway really paint quite a picture. I could imagine working in the bowels of a steam-powered aircraft carrier and just how exciting (or miserable) that could be.
As he familiarizes himself with his duties and the rest of his crew, Dorgan does get up to some unsavory practices to increase his “sea pay.” I’m not sure how many boy scouts would approve of his other enterprises. While Sea Pay is a nice slice of enlisted life, it does run aground on the technical side of things.
Bob Dorgan’s writing style is extremely literal. Almost every detail is specifically told, but little is shown. There’s a kind of emotional detachment. For example, after an entire chapter describing “wild” liberty in Thailand, he rather nonchalantly ends the chapter with, “We were sorry to hear that several of our shipmates did not make it back to the ship alive, victims of the big H—heroin. They were gone but not forgotten.” It’s a jarring end, and there is little to no reflection by the author.
Sea Pay is a fascinating depiction of Navy life from that particular time told from the viewpoint of someone that was living it. This true story account will give readers an inside look at life on an aircraft carrier.
Pages: 356 | ASIN : B0B23CJ8S7
Embrace Grace; New Medicine for a Wounded World
At a young age, Arlene had already figured out her life’s goal; to be a doctor. As an American-Filipino deeply rooted in the church, and a devoted Catholic, she made both spiritual and physical preparations to realize this goal. However, the path to becoming the vessel of healing she was called to be was a tough and windy one. After years of obtaining certifications, winning numerous awards, and practicing in the field, Arlene realized something was missing in her service, and to reach her full potential she had to dig deeper and find the missing pieces of the puzzle. This opened a new chapter in her life.
Embrace Grace, by Arlene McCain, is an inspirational memoir that contains the candid thoughts and fascinating true life events of the author. Arlene McCain found some of the rules and regulations governing the organizations she served constraining and non-fulfilling. As time went by, she found her inner fire was beginning to deplete. An essential piece of her service was suppressed and she was contemplating quitting. However, after years of meditation, sitting with the word of God, and finding the right circle, she found the missing piece and through the light of God, was able to successfully integrate it into her work and step into her true essence. Embrace Grace is an uplifting testimony detailing Arlene’s journey of self-discovery. Readers will learn about her discoveries, her theories, and life lessons coined from one of the darkest periods of her life which birthed the perfect space to fulfill her life’s goal.
This is an emotionally-resonant autobiography that shows the power of faith, perseverance and the willingness to enact change. I enjoyed this memoir because of Arlene’s vulnerability, sincerity and candor. She invites readers into unheard and unseen moments of her life and her world of uncertainty and imperfection. I found this to be encouraging and I think it will inspire readers to brave the path to their respective life goals. Every page, right from her unrefined journal entries to the words in her memoir, drips with the unending trust, respect, and love she has for God.
Embrace Grace is an eloquent and heartening memoir and I enjoyed the candid account of Arlene’s journey towards her spiritual and religious calling.
Pages: 194 | ASIN: B0B3KHCMT5
Our Own Healing Journey
The Intuitive Detective inspires readers to listen to their inner compass and attune to their intuition, allowing themselves to be the detective in their own healing journey. Why was this an important book for you to write?
The answers we seek are always within us. However, there will be times we either seek those answers externally and/ or avoid and deflect the answers we receive within ourselves out of fear. I felt it was important to write this book to show how both of those avenues affected and shaped my life. Giving not only context to how we can listen and attune to our intuition but also how it can assist our own healing journey. It was important to show how choosing love over fear can be nourishing, nurturing, and empowering to our soul.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who struggles with listening to their intuition?
My advice is to always go back to the foundations. To first acknowledge what you are feeling in your body. Are you stressed, anxious, frustrated etc. Once you acknowledge how you are feeling, you can regulate your nervous system. This can be by breathing, using EFT, shaking, movement and other regulation tools to allow you to feel a sense of safety and connection back to your body. And finally, connect back to your heart intelligence, place your hands on your heart and breathe in the light from your heart to fill your whole body. This will allow you to attune to your intuition.
What is the biggest challenge you faced in your life and what did you learn from it?
The biggest challenge I faced within my life was believing within myself that I am enough, and to love myself just as I am. Facing this challenge allowed me to know I did not need to seek validation from others and be perfect to be loved. That, I did not need to lower my boundaries and people please to be loved. It allowed me to release the expectations I place on myself and love me for all of me.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
I hope readers bring awareness to their intuition. To see where abouts in their life their intuition may have been trying to communicate with them so they can be aware, listen, strengthen, and follow their intuitive guidance in the future.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Even when you know following it will result in your life-changing forever. Or do you later wish you had followed your intuition after realizing you have been avoiding and ignoring it out of fear? No one knows this better than Stacey Webb
A police officer for fifteen years, thirteen as a detective, and with a passion to assist people experiencing trauma, Stacey Webb shows how she has been guided by her intuition in her personal and professional life. Not only to do her job investigating serious crime but to create and hold space for people at a time where they are most vulnerable.
Stacey Webb shares snippets of her youth, early career, and present-day experiences to bring awareness to the intuitive guidance she receives. Showing how facing her fears brings forth her own self-acceptance and reveals the layers within her own healing journey.
Stacey Webb inspires us to listen to our inner compass and attune to our intuition, allowing ourselves to be the detective in our own healing journey.
Letters from Vietnam
The United States entered the Vietnam War conflict in August of 1964, though the US had been involved in the conflict in a limited capacity since the end of World War II. After an American battleship was allegedly attacked, President Lynden Johnson called for air strikes, thus taking a stand in the ongoing conflict. The United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War was heavily criticized for many reasons, but despite that, hundreds of thousands of US troops made their way to Vietnam to fight.
Letters from Vietnam by Dennis Hoy is an autobiographical account of Hoy’s time in the United States military during the Vietnam war. He details his time from basic training to the jungle swamps of Vietnam and provides a first-hand account of the dangers and perils for a young man at war. However, Hoy keeps a thread of hope alive by sending letters back and forth to the love of his life, Beth.
Hoy and his wife, Beth, kept every letter they exchanged during Hoy’s time in Vietnam. Encouraged by some friends, Hoy wrote down his experiences in Vietnam to preserve the story of a dark time in the United States and World history.
The oddest thing about this book is that there are no actual printed letters between Dennis and Beth, which could have enhanced the book’s drama by showing their thoughts and feelings straight from the time of the war. However, Letters from Vietnam is a well-written book in a very conversational tone that helps an average reader understand this point in history without the language being overcomplicated. As the reader, you can tell that Hoy’s time in Vietnam affected him profoundly and continues to affect him even to this day. I highly recommend Letters from Vietnam to anyone who loves history and wants a first-hand account of a soldier’s days in Vietnam.
Pages: 164 | ASIN : B09GXQMCJD
Rocky Mountains – A Self-Portrait
It isn’t often that we get to sneak a peek into the hows and whys of the jobs and hobbies around us. Assumptions are easy to make, and it takes very little to make a guess as to what causes a person to become drawn to a career. Photography is one of those interests. There is much more to taking photographs than most of us will ever realize. This endeavor requires a great deal more than just a love of being behind the camera.
Photographer and author, Kent Gunnufson, shares his lifelong love and dedication to creating artwork with the camera in his autobiographical book, Rocky Mountains: A Self-Portrait. Gunnufson’s book is filled with the most amazing landscape images from his time spent in the Rockies. In addition, he has included photos of people and objects that seem to defy all logic in their beauty. The purpose of the author’s work is to share the story behind his career and his love of photography and his subjects, but the stunning imagery he has captured will be, without a doubt, what fascinates readers from cover to cover.
Gunnufson’s story is compelling and is a must-read for those interested in photography. There is a story behind each of the images he has taken, and they are all fascinating. He not only relays to readers how he found each subject, but he explains in detail the intricacies of the composition of each photo. This is something I found especially interesting as I read. Taking photographs seems, at first glance, like a simple task. Gunnufson, however, explains in language all readers will understand exactly how much thought and preparation goes into each one of them.
I have always been drawn to black and white photography whether it be nature or portraits. Gunnufson provides wonderful insight into the history of black and white photography and how it compares with color imagery. It really is a treat to see this side of photography and hear directly from the artist himself about the ins and outs of the process.
Rocky Mountains: A Self-Portrait is an astonishing look at the life of one photographer. Photographers and students of the art will appreciate the advice, insight, and history provided by the author. I cannot say enough about the beautiful images Gunnufson has created. There is a softness to his work that readers will find absolutely riveting. I highly recommend Gunnufson’s book for both his enchanting images and the heart he has poured into his personal narrative.
ISBN: 978-0-9605366-4-1
The Making of a Physician
The Making of a Physician is a captivating autobiography written by Harry L. Graber, M.D. F.A.C.C.. In his book the author addresses why he chose his career and the people that influenced and shaped his career today. Graber makes an interesting connection between these choices and our DNA, exploring the nature vs. nurture debate, coming to the conclusion that he was meant to become a physician.
In his journey to retirement Graber describes interactions he had with patients that shaped his career outlook. In addition to his own story, he also includes interesting anecdotes from doctors that he knows, providing their perspective on the central question; ‘are you satisfied with your career choices’?
This fascinating biography will be incredibly helpful and insightful for any student of medicine, or anyone beginning their career in that field. Graber details many reasons why he chose the medical field and the fulfilling nature of becoming a doctor. This book will also be beneficial for jaded doctors, as the author gives them reasons to continue with their practice, showing them just how much they contribute to society.
I also this think is a fantastic book for anyone who is looking for a detailed and compelling look at someone that has built a substantial career. Graber provides readers who are not in the medical field an inside look from a doctor’s perspective, allowing the reader to better understand physicians and the sacrifices they go through. The author is straightforward with his stories, not using much medical terminology to confuse his readers, which makes this story easy to read and accessible to a wide audience.
The Making of a Physician: This Was My Calling is a enlightening memoir that explores a fascinating concept on the influences in our lives and how they shape up.
Pages: 202 | ASIN: B0794TYLT6
Journey Between Two Worlds
Growing up under the dictatorship of Hitler, author Karola M. Schuette was accustomed to a life that seemed monotonous at best. Always tiptoeing, always careful of what you say or do. You don’t want to be under surveillance, do you? She stayed affectionate to her aging parents as she developed into a young lady being the model German citizen to not attract attention. Around the same time, Hitler lost the war, and although she did not patronize their ruler’s tyranny, she was still German. The allied forces made sure she never forgot that. To Karola, it was as amusing as it was unfortunate. She relied on humor at times to get through. Even after the war, the hopelessness and destruction it left behind seemed unsurmountable. Life was difficult, but Karola was still grateful even for the smallest things. But right when she least expected it, she met the man who would move heaven and earth, just to make her happy and keep her safe.
Journey Between Two Worlds is Karola Schuette’s auto-biography that started from stories she remembered and the three binders of notes and photographs that she kept growing up. Despite moving across the world, the binders remind in surprisingly good condition. It is from this she started to tell her remarkable story.
It is a retelling of her journey as a young girl who grew up in a nation that Adolf Hitler drove to the ground. Then unexpectedly, she was swept off her feet by a German-born American soldier. Marrying him would mean moving to another country, thus her Journey Between Two Worlds. I found it hard to put this book down for two reasons: one is a realistic account of a woman’s adversities from girlhood to immigrating to another country, and two, Karola is hilarious. Her writing style feels as if you’re reading a letter from an old friend. Talking about the absurd amount of paperwork to get from one place to another, how nosy her neighbors were and how cigarettes turned out to be such an invaluable commodity are just the start of the entertaining topics she remembers.
Journey Between Two Worlds is a captivating memoir that has the perfect blend of history, comedy, and a retelling of a love that is so certain and unwavering. Readers will find her true story an eye-opening experience told with such personality they won’t want to put the book down.
Pages: 186 | ASIN : B097H4YMMD
Enough About Me
Richard Liu is an excellent storyteller. He eloquently and enthusiastically tells his story in Enough About Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness. His narration style is exceptional, with the reader getting to virtually live through his life. Richard Liu tells of his experiences like they happened yesterday. The words he uses to describe close relations, phrases he uses when describing events, objects, or people he has worked with, and his general tone make you want to interact with him in real life. In his beautifully written book, Richard Liu documents his life, the journeys he has taken, his highs, lows, good times, challenges, and everything in between.
At the start of the book, Richard Liu takes readers back to the days he worked with Channel News Asia, a significant period in his life. Liu talks about his father and his relationship with other family members. Reading about someone’s life is mesmerizing, as one gets to view life and its experiences in a different light. The author made the reading more attractive by including personal encounters without filtering out what he stumbled upon. The authenticity displayed by Richard Liu is charming and gets the reader excited to move to the next chapter.
More than a dozen personal stories are shared in this intimate book, with life lessons and stories that readers can relate to. The most touching story is about Richard Liu’s father, his battle with Alzheimer’s, and how readers can draw lessons on caregiving and compassion from the story. Richard Liu’s selflessness can be seen in more than one instance. I applaud the author for never giving up on his father and being the caring, loving, and hardworking son every parent strives to have. From this single story, I also learned to be grateful for good health. Having your body function as it should without complications is not something to take for granted. Finally, we also understand that family is essential from Richard Liu’s story.
Enough About Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness is filled with inspiring stories and motivation to keep moving. This biographical look into Richard Liu’s life will inspire readers to look beyond themselves and see the good they can do.
Pages: 252 | ASIN : B08PP3FS1H
LITERARY TITAN 