Reading Fanatic Reviews
Advice and How To NonfictionDay Trading for Beginners By Bill Sykes and Timothy Gibbs
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Day Trading for Beginners*
OK as an Intro to the Topic, But Lacks Depth
This book is full of hints and strategies for day traders. I don’t know enough about the markets or day trading to know if what they give is actually good advice. I always place a more substantial burden on books that claim to be for beginners. I do not think that this book alone will allow a beginner to start day trading successfully. While some terms are defined, the authors use other ones that are not as well explained, which would make the book confusing for some beginners. Plus, the book lacks the depth of explanation that a beginner needs. I definitely think there is some useful information here that would help somebody interested to start day trading, but they will need more to truly get them going. One bizarre thing, too: the names of the authors in the blurb are different than the names on the cover or inside the book; one author has a different last name, and the other has a different first name!
How to Make Money Writing Fiction by Nick Hoff
No longer available at Amazon.
Available at Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, and 24 Symbols.
How to Make Money Writing Fiction*
Disorganized Conglomeration of General Book Marketing Information
With the variety of marketing and writing books on the market, I can safely tell you to look elsewhere if you’re wanting solid advice about making money writing fiction. This book is a hot mess in many ways. In general, the information within is mostly what you can find in many other places, often for free; no new ground here. He also doesn’t go into any depth at all; just when it starts to get interesting, he says that he can’t go into detail even about his own story (sometimes also suggesting other, outside reading; Kindlepreneur seems to be a favorite site), and moves on to the next subject. This book mostly appears to be an advertisement for his free email course on book marketing; I think it was mentioned no less than four times in the book, in the beginning, the end, and even interrupting the middle. Of course, that links to a pricey, more expanded version. Some information in the book is just wrong as well, as there have been recent shifts in the Amazon search algorithm. Even though the book purports to be about selling fiction, only in a few places does he actually mention fiction, like in the section on genre; the rest of the book has general information that could apply to any book. The book is poorly organized as well, which is only made worse by the author jumping from topic to topic quickly. The entire text is all so poorly formatted for e-reading. The table of contents is a mixed-up jumble. The book comes across as a thrown-together grab bag of information from a variety of sources that is solely meant to lead the reader to further engage with the author.
Options Trading for Beginners by Tim Shek
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Options Trading for Beginners*
Well Organized, But May Be Confusing for True Beginners
This book is well organized, which I always appreciate in a nonfiction book. The author starts with the basics, first explaining the concept of options and then defining terms used in options trading. Then he goes into covered calls and even gives a step-by-step way to do the sell and the buy version of this. He then talks about buying and selling puts. The book ends with advanced strategies and information about bull and bear markets (and how to profit with either). I felt like the book needed more clarity to be fully accessible for true newbies to option trading. The definition section is definitely a good idea, but I found the definitions confusing. The book definitely had some issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. I don’t know enough about options trading to say if what he writes is good information or advice, but I do appreciate that he does address tricky issues like volatility and risk as well as how to be careful.
How Probate Works by Anthony S. Park
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
How Probate Works*
Perfect Guide to the Probate Process
How wonderful to come across a nonfiction book that promises precisely what it delivers! As the title says, this book is all about how probate works, and as the subtitle says, it is for executives, heirs, and families. The book starts with a definition of probate and other terms that are a part of the process. Then he goes into the beginnings of the probate process and follows with how to settle and close an estate. Ending chapters are specifically for executors and heirs. The last chapter looks at specific difficult situations. Each chapter ends with key takeaways. Each chapter is full of examples, so you can see that the ideas that he talks about in action. Probate is tricky business–complex, lengthy, and potentially expensive–and people have to handle it at probably one of the most challenging points in their lives, when they’re grieving someone they cared about. This straightforward, no-nonsense book is the perfect antidote so you don’t have probate overwhelm.
Assertiveness Training by Keith Coleman
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Assertiveness Training*
Big on Assertiveness, Not So Much on the Training
This is a relatively short book that purports to be about assertiveness training. I thought the book was heavy on the assertiveness, but not quite as focused as I would have liked it to have seen on the training aspect. The author seems to spend much of the book talking about many aspects of assertiveness, like why we may not be assertive or about how confidence impacts assertiveness, but not a lot of time until the end of the book on specific practices one can use to exude confidence and be more assertive. I didn’t find that first part of the book too terribly helpful, but I did like the practical suggestions at the end. I think if someone were having issues with assertiveness of self-confidence, they might find some of the tips and techniques of benefit.
Social Skills Training Collection by Gerald Confienza
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Social Skills Training Collection*
May Help If Socially Awkward or Introverted
This box set includes three different books that the author states will help you in social situations if you consider yourself to be socially awkward or introverted. The first book covers what the author considers to be social intelligence, including understanding body language and voice tonality, and then branches out into ways to put your best foot forward in conversation, work environments, dating, and social media. The second book is geared toward the social introvert. The third book is about conversation and drills down into specifics like how to maintain the flow at the beginning, middle, and end of a conversation as well as how to handle difficulties if they come up and specific ideas for particular scenarios. Each of these topics is relatively short, but the author actually does have some good tips and insights on all of these topics. Two of the books within the set end with a 30-day challenge to get the reader engaged. While this book wouldn’t teach a socially awkward or introverted person everything they need to know about these topics, it does provide some key concepts that could help make social interactions less awkward by giving the person strategies for different situations.
How to Find Your Passion by Steven Hopkins
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
How to Find Your Passion*
Not the Definitive Guide, But Some Useful Tips
At the beginning of this book, the author states that he believes this is the ultimate guide for finding your passion. While I don’t quite agree with that broad statement, I do think this book does have some worthwhile tips and processes that will help you figure out more about yourself as well as give you clues as to what could drive a more passionate life for you. There are some familiar tools here, like the Myers-Briggs test, but there are also some concepts that were relatively new to me, and I found to be actually quite helpful. I had heard of ikigai before but had never seen it really explained or explored. It fit in perfectly in this book and actually gave me quite a bit to think about.
This is a relatively short book, so there is no way that it could be the ultimate guide to finding your passion. In fact, in the section on how to turn your passion into a career, the length of the description of the steps is almost laughable. Still, in each chapter, the author does give some useful pointers as well as some exercises and other food for thought. All in all, I found this to be a good read that got me thinking. I like books that do that!
The Soul Frequency by Shanna Lee
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Soul Frequency by Shanna Lee*
Not Quite What I Was Expecting from the Subtitle and Blurb
I am trying, and having a hard time, to put my finger on exactly what this book is about. What the author says in the subtitle and the blurb of the book doesn’t quite match up with my experience of it. It felt like a series of small essays about things that happened in her life where she learned something, and each of these little essays ends with a series of questions for you to ponder the theme of the essay (or ideas brought up in it). Some of it was interesting and insightful, but a lot of it felt like just navel-gazing without depth or true purpose, an all too common ailment of books written by personal coaches. If you already know and like this author, you will most likely find this book that delves into much of her personal life (and the insights gleaned) to be interesting. As someone for whom this book is the first introduction to the author, at times I felt like I was experiencing a bit of TMI overload.
Debt Cleanse by Jorge P. Newberry
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Smashwords, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Bol.de
Debt Cleanse*
Excellent Tips (and Legal Ones) to Help if You Have Crushing Debt
As someone who was put into pretty deep debt by my ex-husband (tanking my credit rating for years), I can say that this book has some excellent tips and advice for people who are experiencing soul-crushing debt. The author clearly has a lot of personal experience with debt, and he generously shares his knowledge with us so that if we’re having problems with this, we can find legal solutions. The book is organized cleanly, looking at specific types of debt like mortgages, student loans, credit card debt, and medical bills. There are nine types that he gives specific strategies for. There’s also a section on living debt-free. A section of action tools at the end are further guides. I wish I had this book back when I was having debt issues with my ex. While not everything would have worked for me or us, there are definitely nuggets here which would have helped keep the wolves from the door.
Worthy by Josephine Faulk
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Bol.de
Worthy*
Stunning, Compassionate Blueprint to Help with Early Trauma
I am simply stunned by this book. I like to read in general, and I really love to read good nonfiction. Unfortunately, it feels like it’s harder and harder to find good nonfiction these days. With the ease of self-publishing, many would-be authors seemingly throw up any old thing online for immediate public display and hopeful purchase.
This book is what nonfiction ought to be. This author has written about a very personal and difficult topic, childhood trauma, which she has experienced herself, unfortunately. She also holds an advanced degree, which I imagine taught her good research skills, so she can bolster her own insights and experiences with science. What she has done here is put together the perfect blueprint for someone to heal from childhood trauma. The first chapters describe the symptoms and effects of it. The next chapters are a kind of “where are you now” section, explaining why it’s hard to understand healthy relationships if you suffered this way, why self-care may falter, and the monsters that still lurk even after time has passed. Then, she goes into how to dismantle and get past these traumas. But most remarkable, I think, are the sections on how to build a better now.
This book is meant to give you the baby steps to freedom from the effects of childhood trauma so you can embrace a better life. One might fear that an author with her credentials could be cold and clinical, but this book is far from that. While she has studied the subject in some depth, you can tell this is intensely personal for her. She not only openly shares her own trauma; she gives the impression that she truly cares that you heal and move on. Her compassion, as well as her insights, comes across on every single page. It has to be one of the most beautifully written self-help books that I’ve read. This book is not just for people who suffered sustained childhood trauma but also those who had the odd incident or two that may still affect them today. If you are a person has this in your past, no matter the extent, I highly recommend picking up this book and letting this author gently guide you through the difficulties that are still affecting you to a better place.
Used To Build My Websites
NetGalley Badges