Blog Archives
Toward a Model of Constitutions
Toward a Model of Constitutions by Williams Kuttikadan is a comprehensive yet easy read that breaks down the complex anatomy of constitutions, democratic systems, and how they impact society, human rights, and the expectations of individuals and societies. The author does an excellent job of presenting highly detailed information in a book that is simple to digest and understand.
Kuttikadan breaks down the fundamentals of constitutions with charts, illustrations, and straightforward explanations so that the reader gets a clear and concise version of the constitutional model and its importance in a democratic society. While the fundamentals of democracy are built on individual freedom and liberty, the author draws from history, governance, and corporate influence. The author goes a step further by stressing how vital it is to build a constitution with a solid structure in place so that it can adequately protect individual human rights and liberties while guarding against the attempts of large corporations and businesses to skew these rights in their favor, and above individual rights.
This book covers the foundations of a constitution exceptionally well while discussing the impact of oligarchies and institutions that wear a thin veil of democracy to keep citizens and societies convinced that there are no deficiencies in their human rights. These areas of concern include propaganda, false promises, and a lack of transparency that lead to gaps in equality, even in democratically successful nations. The author is passionate about promoting a more critical analysis of democratic constitutions, which must include constant feedback from the public to remain fully democratic in every sense of this definition.
I rate Toward a Model of Constitutions by Williams Kuttikadan a 5 out of 5 for its well-written portrayal and breakdown of modern constitutions and the importance of maintaining democracy with continuous review and improvements to ensure the complete protection of human rights and liberties. While the book is highly detailed with charts and illustrations, which may take a while to digest, it’s a quality read that’s both through-provoking and educational.
Pages: 290 | ASIN: B0B4DZTMDG
Lies of an Indispensable Nation
Lilvia Soto’s Lies of an Indispensable Nation is a powerful collection of poems and essays that shed light on America’s invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq under the pretext of ‘counterterrorism’. The poems explore the sorrows, inhuman treatment, death, and helplessness of those who were affected by the war, on both the American side and the Middle Eastern side. Parents lost their sons, daughters lost their lives and dignity, babies were snatched from the laps of their mothers, and families were broken apart in heinous ways.
It is widely believed that the invasion and war against terrorism began after 9/11, but in this book we learn that it was really started by Jimmy Carter back in 1979. Ever since then, U.S. presidents, one after the other, have been involved in keeping the war alive. This book shows readers that, while on the surface the war seems like a glorious attempt to curb terrorism, in reality it is fueled by selfish motives and is full of lies, bloodshed, and horror.
The poems carry a deep sense of compassion for the victims of the war—the innocent citizens. Through these poems, the author critiques the jingoistic tendencies of ‘blue-blooded’ men, who declare wars and let others suffer. The words of the poems are simple, but they effectively capture the sadness, horror, and pain of loss through their cadence.
The prose section of the book is replete with thorough research that gives readers a fresh perspective into this long-standing war. One of the most striking things is the parallel drawn between Mozart’s unfinished Requiem, and the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan—both are covered with lies and manipulations and are collaborative works of many.
Lies of an Indispensable Nation is a thought-provoking collection of poetry that uses incredible research to point a finger at our obsession with war, murder, and invasion in the name of maintaining peace.
Pages: 225 | ASIN: B0B34L8B8N
America: Standing Strong
Robert J. Emery’s America Standing Strong is a detailed analysis of the latest catastrophes in American politics. Backed up by a plethora of quotes from historical- and present- day visionaries, scholars, and politicians, Emery reviews the political and legal pratfalls of the previous administration while offering brief lessons on America’s accomplishments and shortcomings.
Emery covers such topics as tribalism, conspiracy theories, the environment, gun violence, BLM, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He relates many current events back to historical parallels, but the common theme seems to be that the American people have never been on such a precarious precipice of losing their democracy.
America Standing Strong is not a light read, but it is a useful and necessary lesson and provides readers with a worthy and informed reflection on how and why we, the American people, got here. Emery does a great job of laying down a baseline of American history, including failures and accomplishments. The main focus of the book is on how to recover from the damage done by the Trump administration. To his credit, Emery uses polite language, and the message to the American people throughout the book is a plea for togetherness, forgiveness, and reconciliation. This is a worthy undertaking, as the author presents problems with solutions, that will appeal to anyone that is willing to listen without bias.
America Standing Strong is an enlightening and impactful read and presents compelling evidence that has the potential to change political discourse in the U.S. Whether you pick up this book up to get a better understanding of the contemporary issues America faces or because you want to find new solutions to those problems, this is a book that will surely get people talking.
Pages: 228 | ASIN: B0B2KSLN5D
Poems For The End Of The Age
Author H. Peter Zell’s Poems for the End of the Age is his interpretation of The Book of Revelations. In these thought-provoking poems, the author tells of a catastrophic war between the U.S. and Russia. The poems titled ‘Reflections of a Believer’ and ‘Empire of the Apocalypse’ are the author’s interpretations of the apocalypse. The poems ‘Discourse on the Mosel or The Century Poem’ are from other poets who provide their views of recent historical events and predictions for the future.
I found the preface in the book to be an insightful addition that corroborates the author’s poems which touch upon Christianity and politics and how it all comes back to the apocalypse. In addition, the author’s writing style is conversational and informative. This style allows the reader to form their own opinion of The Book of Revelations, and this combination of providing insight while allowing me to find my own path made this book engaging. I also appreciate that the author acknowledges that some readers may not agree with his interpretation, but the author still discusses his findings and his truth.
After reading the author’s poems, I found it alarming that The Book of Revelations does touch upon many events that have happened and are currently happening in the world today. The most disturbing one of all is the War between Russia and the U.S. by 2030. Zell’s poems serve as a wake-up call for awareness and early intervention of U.S. nationals. The author provides a fresh perspective of The Book of Revelations and challenges readers to question how our nation’s current actions affect the future.
Poems for the End of the Age is a thought-provoking book for those interested in politics and religion. This interesting read will help readers understand how the two topics correlate with one another. In addition, this is a perceptive and intriguing collection of poetry that will stay with you long after putting the book down.
Pages: 70
Coming Soon
Radical Humility
Humility is a virtue that we all should possess. Being humble means that you recognize the presence and importance of others. Understanding that everyone matters and that you are not the only worthy person is an important life skill. In this educational book, authors Jamie Vander Broek and Rebekah Modrak compiled a collection of essays about humility in different contexts. I love that the essays are by multiple writers from different backgrounds and career paths. By including more than 20 writers, Rebekah and Jamie are able to apply diversity even as they spread their message of humility. In addition, the reader can experience different cultures and viewpoints through this diverse collection.
The variance in delivering the self-effacement message makes reading this book exciting. Radical Humility: Essays on Ordinary Acts is for you if you enjoy deep discussions and texts that show you a different side of the world.
The writing style used by many of the writers is well-paced and informative without being dry. There is a bit of technical jargon within some chapters, though the reader can still understand the message. Readers will appreciate that the writers explain any foreign or technical term to clarify their message.
Radical Humility: Essays on Ordinary Acts is an excellent book for readers that like to read a section and reflect on the message. After reading this book, readers will have a vast amount of information to digest and reflect upon, evaluating their own level of modesty that they demonstrate or display to others in the different areas of their life. For example, how do those in government, heads in schools, and leaders at work show humility? Are you humble yourself? How do you keep yourself and those around you in check? Rebekah Modrak and Jamie Vander Broek’s book is a fantastic resource for contemplating these questions.
The discussions by all the writers were insightful. However, there are some writers whose works stood out for me. Lynette Clemetson was among my favorites. The discussion on journalism in the era of Likes, Follows, and Shares was eye-opening, and the author shares the impact technology has on modern society. Russell Belk was another writer whose works I deeply connected with. The writer discussed Humility Vs. Humiliation in Old Age and this is a conversation that everyone should be having.
Radical Humility: Essays on Ordinary Acts is a collection of essays dealing with Social Philosophy and human interactions. It can be read as a self-help book for self-improvement and as a study of human nature.
Pages: 234 | ASIN : B093X3MPZ5
Troubled By How Divided Our Nation Had Become
We the Presidents: How American Presidents Shaped the Last Century talks about how policies and actions from past administrations have led the country to where it is today. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Starting around 2015, I became troubled by how divided our nation had become. Politicians and the media have divided us making it difficult to discuss even life-threatening issues such as COVID and vaccines objectively. History and economic books have taken on a partisan bias catering to their respective audiences. It was this growing political tribalism that motivated me to write a non-partisan presidential issue that ignored politics and rather focused on the issues which actually affect individuals and the nation from personal income to national security.
While researching facts for this book, what was one thing that you discovered that shocked you?
During World War II, Ho Chi Minh was a loyal ally of the United States fighting a guerilla war against the Japanese in IndoChina alongside the American OSS. After the war, Ming repeatedly asked President Truman to support Vietnam’s independence from the French. His requests were ignored. Thirty years of war resulted with Vietnam ultimately gaining its independence after 58,000 American soldiers, and millions of Vietnamese, lost their lives.
What is one event in history that you feel had the greatest impact on how we live today?
Today, it is certainly Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO chose to expand eastward threatening Russia’s borders. America’s most experienced Cold War diplomat, George Kennan, predicted: “…it is the beginning of a new cold war. I think the Russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies. I think it is a tragic mistake.” (pages 340 – 347) Kennan was, unfortunately, right.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have several ideas, but nothing firm, yet.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon | Website
Rather than politics, WE THE PRESIDENTS focuses on the issues which affect Americans today. Soaring inflation, resurgent nativism, income inequality, budget deficits, the Ukraine crisis and other critical issues, all have their roots in presidential administrations over the past century. For example:
President Harding’s treasury secretary, Andrew Mellon, promoted radical, new tax policies which later provided the rationale for deep tax cuts under Reagan, GW Bush and Trump — and ballooning deficits.
President Clinton’s encouragement of NATO’s eastward expansion after the end of the Cold War contributed to Russia’s evolution into a dangerous adversary rather than an ally as are Germany and Japan.
Presidents Reagan, Clinton and GW Bush promoted the deregulation of the financial industry which eventually led to the 2008 Financial Crisis..
WE THE PRESIDENTS is more than an absorbing read; it is a great education about how our country works. The author’s engaging and straightforward writing brings alive a century of presidencies and how their actions have led to what America is today.
Many Surprises Detailed in the Book
Trust and Confidence -The 1998 Battle Between the Secret Service and Ken Starr is about the high-profile cases of former Director of the United States Secret Service, Lewis Merletti. Did you find anything in your research of this book that surprised you?
I never expected to obtain a copy of the Harris report—a special counsel investigation into possible misconduct charges by Ken Starr’s attorneys when they confronted Monica Lewinsky at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.
Harris was told her report had been sealed. After many months I had located the report and discovered it had not been sealed by the court. Harris opened up in a series of interviews regarding her interview with Ken Starr and several attorneys in the office of independent counsel. While Harris did not find any misconduct by the attorneys, her report points out that they had crossed an ethical line when Lewinsky asked to speak to an attorney several times and was dissuaded. The Department of Justice had stressed the importance of ethical conduct for all prosecutors.
The discovery of that report led me to track down and obtain documents related to the Secret Service matter. All the documents I received from the National Archives and utilized in “Trust and Confidence” had not been previously released and led to many surprises detailed in the book.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Trust and Confidence?
A much fuller account of the Starr investigation regarding the Clinton/Lewinsky relationship and how Ken Starr believed an anonymous source inside the Secret Service that director Lewis Merletti had a deal with Clinton: keep quiet about Lewinsky and I’ll make you director.
All false.
This is one of the best untold stories of integrity whereby readers will learn how valuable personal integrity is today.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’ve spent 12 years researching and writing “Trust and Confidence” I haven’t had a chance to think about what’s next.
LITERARY TITAN 