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My Personal War Within: A Struggle to Find Inner Peace
![My Personal War Within: “A Struggle to Find Inner Peace “ by [Ted Bagley]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51QXyTjARNL.jpg)
My Personal War Within is a journey through Ted Bagley’s upbringing and life until adulthood. Growing up in a world of prejudice and not quite understanding the sense in it. Wanting to worship but not being able to do it at any house of worship. This book offers a look at the fight for civil rights from the perspective of a little boy. Wondering about segregation but somehow accepting it as the norm.
Ted Bagley takes the reader on a scenic journey through his life. His descriptions are vivid and help the reader develop the appropriate mental image. It is a well-written book with a historical backdrop. It is lovely how the author has woven history into his story in a way that makes the book incredibly enjoyable.
The book flows easily and is written in simple language. The author’s writing reads like a velvety baritone narration. The story while not flashy or sprinkled with pizzazz is very much enjoyable. It provides a different perspective on civil rights and the struggle for it during Ted Bagley’s youth. This book does not make that generation feel out of place in a different era. It embraces all and bares all. While I enjoyed the candid nature with which this engaging story is told, I felt that is sometimes digressed, swerving occasionally into little side stories.
This book has a different tone from Ted Bagley’s other book, Demolition of Democracy, but it still has the Ted Bagley spirit. It is an important book especially with the current wave of racially charged violence playing out in our country. It is important to understand how unfounded and unnecessary racism is. Ted Bagley says that some of the people who hated him in his childhood do not actually remember why they did today. Hating him for the color of his skin was sort of just required.
My Personal War Within is well written and eye-opening. The language is polished and I recommend this book to anyone looking for an intriguing civil rights history lesson with a personal touch.
Pages: 180 | ASIN: B0793SPWP5
In the Midst of Blitz: My Personal Journey to Medicine
Ever wondered how health insurance works? How about why healthcare is so expensive? There is a lot of dealings behind the scenes that make life quite difficult for healthcare practitioners to provide good quality care. In The Midst of Blitz is about a doctor who has worked in different medical fields. He tells his story of the inner workings of different specialties and shines a light on the challenges as well as provides an insider perspective on the healthcare industry. Alexander Rogerson, MD is a proponent of prepaid systems, and goes as far as giving a solution to the healthcare payment issue. He explains his reasoning in detail and will have you considering it, maybe for the first time ever.
This is a book written by a doctor with decades of experience gained as both a civilian and military doctor working in many different locations and practices. In The Midst of Blitz provides a first hand account of the inner-workings of the healthcare system in the United States. Dr. Rogerson provides an in depth analysis of the field and his commentary is thought-provoking and illuminating.
I found it refreshing and interesting to hear stories told from the trenches of the medical field. All to often medical professionals are reserved when speaking out their profession. With this book I really got the sense that Dr. Rogerson is passionate about his work and is willing to share it all with us. Whenever I go to a doctors office, or hospital, thing seem so orderly. Alexander Rogerson, MD opened my eyes to the storm that is brewing behind the professional façade. This book will help the reader understand a lot of what they encounter every day as a patient.
At only about 100 pages, this book is succinct yet poignant. It is not riddled with unnecessary details. The author is very intentional about how he delivers his message. We are living in a period where a large percentage of the population has to make a difficult choice between healthcare and other basic needs like food or shelter. The author shares his personal stories, however interesting the stories are they ultimately led me to realize that our current medical system is not working.
Pages: 110 | ISBN-10: 164550624X
A WEE HISTORY OF MINE
![A WEE HISTORY OF MINE by [Ian MacKenzie]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WXcAOsO5L.jpg)
A Wee History of Mine is a short and enlightening biography by author Ian Mackenzie who writes about everything from his childhood to his life as an adult. He also writes about his thoughts on a wide variety of topics such as religion, money, and death all in a short yet fascinating read.
Although this is a short book the author has managed to write about many areas of his life and his beliefs in a good amount of depth, albeit this depth does vary here and there. If you enjoying reading biographies filled with stories from someone’s experiences and life lessons then this is the book for you.
Mackenzie has written an engaging and witty book. Personally, the beginning of the book was one of the most enjoyable parts. I enjoyed reading about his views on memory and death and taking the time to reflect on what I had just read. While I enjoyed the book, some parts of the book felt a too expository. But don’t let this dissuade you, because A Wee History of Mine will keep you entertained right up to the very end. This makes for a quick read to pass the time as it is funny, witty, and charming.
Pages: 97 | ASIN: B088YK5ND8
Sky Ranch: Living on a Remote Ranch in Idaho
Sky Ranch is a riveting memoir about a young suburban woman who trades in her city life for an Idaho ranch. Living in rural America is not easy, as Bobbi quickly learns. While the challenges are numerous Bobbi’s determination often helps her overcome them. This compelling memoir delivers one of the best contrasts between rural life and city life. Bobbi shares her true story and how she adapted to a new life during the 80’s, a time without modern technology, when all you had to rely on was yourself, family and friends.
I have lived most of my life in the city, visiting farms only in passing, so I can’t even imagine what it’s like to live on a farm. Bobbi Phelps paints a vivid picture of life on an industrial farm. This is a memoir, but it feels like a movie made for the Hallmark channel. It is a heartfelt story and I found Bobbi to be endearing. She shares many of the things she learns along the way and I appreciated the candor with which she tells her unique story.
I have not spent time on a farm, so all of the different obstacles she had to contend with were incredible to me. For instance Bobbi faces Rocky Mountain blizzards where there’s moments of ‘white-outs’, ugh… “Alexa what is a ‘white-out’?” There were so many new things that I learned about rural life from this book. What fascinated me the most was that Bobbi was also learning about these things while having to live through them.
This is an emotional, but ultimately uplifting story, about a suburban woman adapting to life on a cattle farm. It is an intriguing story filled with humor, drama, and even moments of terror. If you enjoy stimulating memoirs about a life quite different from your own then I heartily recommend Sky Ranch.
Pages: 234 | ASIN: B07V1WCK5X
Bullying in Platonic Friendships
Bully Friends educates readers on bully friendships and the dangers those relationships create. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I had several bully friendships in grade school and I knew how painful that was for me. I wanted to prevent another person from experiencing the heartache that I had experienced.
I also felt that the media talked about bullying and abuse in romantic relationships and families but rarely talked about abuse and bullying in platonic friendships. I wanted to start that conversation.
What do you feel is a common misconception people have about bullying?
People do not realize how damaging bullying really is. I developed PTSD from my bullying experiences. PTSD was very challenging to deal with. It has literally taken me years to get over the trauma that bullying caused me.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
I hope that readers understand the seriousness of bullying and refuse to tolerate it under any circumstances. I also hope that students will reach out to someone that will take their bullying situation seriously.
If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice what would it be?
I absolutely love this question! I would, first of all, give myself a big hug, and then I would tell myself that this situation is not permanent. The bullying will stop and you will go on to do big things in this world and be an inspiration to many. The bullying which was used to harm you and literally end your life will be used by God to save many lives.
I would also tell myself to report the bullying to a trusted school official and/or my parents because nobody should tolerate being bullied. Back then I just kept my head down and excelled in school and I didn’t even realize how dangerous doing that really was because I felt super depressed and isolated.
Author Links: Amazon | Website
Literary Titan Book Awards August 2020
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and imagination of these talented authors.
Gold Award Winners
Silver Award Winners
Those Who Watch From Afar by Zack Hacker
The Art of Losing by Nooshin Mohajerin
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information and see all award winners.
A Dancer In Depth
A Dancer in Depth provides an in-depth look at one mans unique journey through life and the entertainment industry from Broadway to television. Readers are given a personal view into Stanley Howard Mazin’s life where he holds nothing back and treats readers to his many encounters with celebrities over the years, or just encounters with generally interesting people. Stanley Howard Mazin has lived a fascinating life, one that few people get to experience, but one that we can all now enjoy and be a part of thanks to this compelling biography.
The subtitle is ‘Paragraphs from a Theater Life’, which I think is apt as it is more of a collection of interesting anecdotes that range from heartwarming to funny. But each piece is succinct and rarely wanders, keeping focus on either Stanley or his interactions and varied relationships. I really got a feel for the hard work and dedication that Stanley put into his work. He makes it seem like anything is possible in 60’s showbiz. But contrast that with his struggle with sexuality during this time and we get a contrast of the light and dark sides of showbiz. This dichotomy is subtle in this riveting biography, but nevertheless it paints a fuller picture of that moment in history. Stanley Howard Mazin has done so many things in the entertainment industry, so numerous I stopped counting. Instead I allowed myself to be completely absorbed by his life, and the simple but alluring way in which he relays it.
This was a much more intense experience than I was expecting. The book cover is unassuming, a man dancing on the cover, but what it hides is a passionate pursuit through life, theater life, dancing, and how Stanley Howard Mazin put it all together to create a life all his own. Readers are treated to all of it with this enthralling biography.
Pages: 248 | ASIN: B07V39LX8R
Bird People – Trailer
After moving from New York City to rural Illinois, writer Letitia Moffitt met veterinarian Ken Welle. As she began to share more of her life with him, Letitia realized this would also mean sharing her time with animals. Yet she never suspected how tense, terrifying, and noisy those moments would be. Ken loved birds—big, beautiful macaws in particular—and he did not merely want to own them. He wanted them to fly free.
Bird People tells the story of Ken’s struggle to make his dream come true, and how Letitia found her own way to share that dream. It’s a tale of love, delight, sorrow, adventure, and truly massive amounts of work, as Ken and Letitia trained the birds – a blue-and-gold named Boston, and a green-wing named Phoenix – and transformed their living space to be not just bird-friendly, but bird-centric. It’s the tale of two adult humans, the dog who helped them find each other, and the birds who became the focus of all their lives. It’s a story about living your dreams, even when they don’t turn out how you expect. Above all, Letitia Moffitt’s touching, inspiring, often-hilarious memoir is a reminder that hard times are as valuable as good times, and that all the moments matter.
LITERARY TITAN 