Buried Alive

Buried Alive is a book about an American contractor who has his trust in others torn from him when a fellow colleague goes against the American Government and joins forces with a group of Iraqi Terrorists and kidnaps Roy Hallum, the contractor, and others. The book follows the trials and tribulations Roy and the others must go through while being held captive and what they had to go through in order to survive.

I was very excited about reading this book because I thought it was going to be an inside look into what really goes in with the Iraqi people when they kidnap and possibly a better look into what is really going on there. I was disappointed with this book. Although it is a quick read, I found it difficult to start and at times found myself dosing off mid-page. I've read other books about Americans being held captive, and I have found them very interesting. This book just did not do it for me. I found the writing to be a little bland and boring at times. Although it is a fascinating story, especially considering what this man went through, but the way in which it was presented fell flat with me.

The King

Having been made to believe Elvis died of a drug overdose by “ the hands of those around him”, I was very interested in hearing the doctors’ side of the story. In today’s world, you are constantly hearing about a different celebrity overdosing on some drug- be it Heath Ledger or Michael Jackson. The first thing all reporters say is “Who was their doctor? Or How did they get all those pills?” Having just read a book about Marilyn Monroe, I came to find out measures in which many celebrities will use to obtain the drugs they want. It’s not only their main physician anymore; it’s more of a “shopping” method many of these celebrities use to get what they need from whomever will give it to them.
Dr. Nichopoulos does a great job of explaining his position with Elvis- from his many ailments to his family and social circle to his touring life and how it affected him to the pills he prescribed Elvis while under his care. He goes into detail about his relationship with Elvis and the many methods Elvis used to get the drugs he wanted when Dr. Nichopoulos would not prescribe him any. Although no one will really know what happened that night, Dr. Nichopoulos explains their relationship in such a way that you do truly believe he cared for his famous patient. Whether you believe him or not, this book is worth reading, especially for people like me- those who are interested in finding out what happened to celebrities who died way too soon.

The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister

Having seen this book on the list of possible books to review I was very excited. Being a lector at church, I thought this book would be very helpful for me in understanding the gospel a little better.

I began reading the book and quickly had flashbacks to my Ancient History course in College. I am very interested in history and learning about why certain days are named for certain Saints and what they did and why we celebrate certain holidays the way we did but something about this book made me feel as if a quiz was going to be handed out when I finished and I better take notes! The book reads like a textbook and when it isn't giving you pure, basic information, the author gives you some real life comparisons that really don't help. It took me quite a while to get through this book. I am still interested in all the aspects of the church and the liturgical year but I feel that this book did not help me answer the questions that I had. It is a great reference book for people who want to know what a particular event in the Catholic Year.

The Power of Respect

A lot of people today tend to forget about a little word called RESPECT. Be it for themselves, for those they know or even someone they do not know, people tend to forget that in order to receive respect you must give respect. Deborah Norville writes about the power respect can have on one's life and why it is so important to not only respect yourself but to respect those you encounter everyday. Everyone can point out a person they see during the day who does not respect themselves. Deborah shows why it is so important to respect everyone and everything around you. Just because you may become a high paying executive in a multi-million dollar company, that does not mean that you should not respect the person who sweeps your office every night. Every living thing on this planet deserves the same respect. We all came in this world the same way. No one is better than anyone else. Everyone should read this book because although many have been taught this their whole lives, I think we all need a little reminder every once in a while.

The Tallest of Smalls

In Max Lucado's new children's book, The Tallest of Smalls, a young boy name Ollie wants desperately to fit in with all the other people in the town of Stiltsville. The cool people of the town decide who can and who can not wear the stilts. One day he is finally chosen but soon finds out that it Is not what he expected it to be. When Ollie needs help, he finds that none of the cool people are there to help him. Ollie soon discovers what it is really like to be cool. It isn't until Jesus comes to him that he realizes he is perfect the way he is and that is he loved by those who matter most just the way he is.

More children's books need to be made and read to children with this message. Just because someone is in the cool crowd, it doesn't mean they are a good person. You really have to become a part of that group to find out that popularity does not make a person good. This is a wonderful book for parents to read to their children and keep reading to remind them of what it means to be loved. You are made the way you are and you shouldn't change it to fit in!

The Search for God and Guinness

Mostly everyone knows the name Guinness, the dark beer made in Ireland mostly drank on Saint Patrick's Day. But unless you have gone to Ireland or read about Arthur Guinness, the man who started the company, you would not know much else about this product. Returning from a trip to Ireland, relatives informed me of the nutritional value found within a Guinness. No one knew the spiritual and giving side that can be found inside each bottle. I had no idea the man who started a company brewing beer did such well for an entire country. You would never think someone who brews beer would care about the well being of a country and all the workers they employed. What amazed me more was the fact that as the years have gone on, the Guinness ancestors who took over the company kept on caring and doing all they could and more than what was already done to help the workers and families of this company. This book is great for anyone interested in both the wonderful company Guinness is and the amazing history of beer. Never would I have imagined it was around for so long. I chose to read this book because it was about Guinness, and being Irish you tend to have a special place in your heart for anything Ireland-related, but quickly found myself proud of the nation I came from and proud of the people it creates. Arthur Guinness was one of the few great business men of the late 18^th early 19^th century. He's the type of man who makes you proud to be Irish!

Kabul 24

In the book Kabul 24 by Henry O. Arnold and Ben Pearson, the story of Shelter Now International workers capture, trial and release from the Taliban is told in a profound way. The story goes further into detail than the news ever gave. How these individuals survived this event is unbelievable. To sum up the story, these individuals were set up by the Taliban and the people they thought they were helping. They were invited into these homes and used as game pieces in a well thought out game of strategy. These men KNEW what they were doing and actually thought out the best way to get the US!!! The capture of these workers happened just before 9/11 and it was planned to happen that way in order to attack the US. These amazing people dealt with the most uncivilized, disgusting people I have ever read about! The way these workers and some of their families describe what they went through actually made my heart beat in my throat at times. These workers used their belief in God to get through this unbelievable experience. All this took place because they THOUGHT these people were teaching Christianity and they weren't. No facts were checked, no investigations… It was almost like the Salem Witch Trials! No justice can take place when you are dealing with people like the Taliban. They don't care who you are, where you come from… they will kill you just for not being a Muslim. The charges these individuals faced were made up and in no way would they have stuck in the United States Judicial System. This is an AMAZING book… If you want to learn about how the Taliban and some people in Afghanistan treat foreigners you must read this book. I had no idea some of these people do the things they do to Americans. A movie based on this book will be coming out soon and I will be watching it! The authors did such a great job describing the pain these individuals went through. Although the book is about Christian missionaries, the majority of the book only discusses what they went through and doesn't make it all about the Christian faith so if you are concerned that this book will be filled with religious sentiment, I can honestly tell you it is not. Everyone should read this book… especially those who think the Taliban is not a real threat!