Review: Pretty Little Killers by Daleen Berry and Geoffry C. Fuller

Pretty Little Killers by Daleen Berry and Geoffry C. Fuller

Link to buy Pretty Little Killers: The Truth Behind the Savage Murder of Skylar Neese

Story Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review:

This book tells a tale of a horrific murder and teaches the lesson to trust no one. If this story was presented in a movie many people would say "Come on, are you kidding me?" But this very aspect is what makes this book a page turner. Can these girl killers and their victim be for real?

What sets this story apart is the social media angle. There have been murders committed in the past where someone sends an email to another about the crime. Some killers have kept written diaries describing all the gruesome details. But in this instance all the tweets, texts, and calls make this even more interesting. Following the social media you can see a diary as the murder was planned, executed, and covered up. And after reading this book you have to wonder what were these girls thinking.

In my opinion they absolutely would have gotten caught at some point. The electronic forensic trail was leading right towards them without anyone confessing. The murder takes place on July 6, 2012 and by February 2013 both girls had been sentenced. Most murder cases don't have guilty pleas and case closure this fast unless there is overwhelming evidence. In many cases that are solved the killer just can't keep their mouth shut. In this case the killers just couldn't stay off of social media.

Reviewed by Joseph

Review: What Do You Want To Create Today: Build The Life You Want At Work by Dr. Bob Tobin

What Do You Want To Create Today: Build The Life You Want At Work by Dr. Bob Tobin

Link to buy What Do You Want to Create Today?: Build the Life You Want at Work

Story Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review:

It took some time to figure out exactly what this book is attempting to do. On the surface, it reads like a collection of stories from Dr. Tobin's own work experiences. It was unclear how those anecdotes could offer much help to others. But because I'm reviewing the book, I had to dive deeper to try and decipher the central unifying theme among those stories. And, pleasantly enough, there is one.

Part of what threw me off and caused some confusion about the purpose of this book was the title. "What Do You Want To Create Today?" suggests entrepreneurship and creating a new business or pursuing some artistic career path. But it's not. It's primarily about taking the job you've already got and making small changes to turn it into the job you want where you can start loving your work.

Some of the changes suggested in the book are more about re-working your own attitude than any physical shift. For instance, the chapter "Tough is Good" focuses on the idea that sometimes the hardest projects are the most rewarding. People who are bored by the same old, same old are more likely to make mistakes, but if you're mentally engaged, your work is better.

Many of the ideas and suggestions here are pretty basic when you think about them, but taking the time to sit down and think about them is the advantage of having a book in your hands. The notion behind "Get rid of the jerks" is simple enough, but how do you get jerks out of your cubicle when you don't have the power to fire them? Some suggestions are offered, including strategies the author has personally had success with.

One downside of the book has already been mentioned. Its title might be misleading and might cause some readers to pick it up in search of entrepreneurial advice. Another downside is that it's unclear whether the average person's work life will be vastly improved by implementing these suggestions. Yes, it's nice to think that if you ignore a jerk, he'll go away, but does he always? In my experience, that depends on the jerk. And the idea that following this book's simple suggestions – for instance how you should focus on dreams instead of spinning your wheels putting together shorter-term goals – seems overly simplistic. It's also got a very heavy focus on the author's personal experience, which might or might not translate into anyone else's work situation.

Overall, this is a decent career-centered book that has some nuggets of good advice to offer people who want to improve their work lives. Before quitting your current job in disgust, it might help to pick up a copy and see if you can make some changes that will make your situation more palatable, or even enjoyable. And if those don't work, there's still time to quit that time-wasting crummy job tomorrow.

Reviewed by Peter

Review: Andy Kaufman: The Truth, Finally by Bob Zmuda and Lynne Margulies

Andy Kaufman, The Truth, Finally by Bob Zmuda and Lynne Margulies

Link to buy Andy Kaufman: The Truth, Finally

Story Rating: 4 out of 5

Review:

This book starts with death and ends with the possibility of a staged resurrection. In the chapters in between the story told lays the groundwork for the Second Coming of Andy Kaufman. Some of the explanations of why Kaufman would do something as faking his death for thirty years seen plausible due to Kaufman's oddness and idiosyncrasies. But other stories seem to take the premise over the top and are not so believable. Three quarters of the book present an interesting read into the mind of Kaufman. These parts are truly enjoyable. Lining up the dots seems to be the thrust of how Kaufman pulled off this stunt.

What is interesting is that as I read the book promoting its' theories, the more I remembered the movie 'Eddie and the Cruisers". Kaufman died in 1984 and the above mentioned movie came out in 1983. The rock star has been supposedly dead for twenty years and indeed at the end of the movie Eddie lives. Maybe Andy Kaufman had seen this movie and thought to himself "wait! Wait! You're stealing my idea!" So maybe if we wait a little bit longer Andy will return. We've already been waiting thirty years.

Reviewed by Joseph

And Tango Makes Three gets banned

It's about time someone took a stand against gay penguins. Those characters who march around on the bottom of the world in their rainbow-colored tuxedos need to be knocked down a peg. And Singapore is just the country to do it. 

According to a BBC News story, the Singapore Library Board has banned a children's book that tells the true story of a pair of male penguins at the Central Park Zoo who team up to raise a penguin chick. Not only did the Library Board ban the book, but they ordered all existing copies to be destroyed. Good idea. You can't let a book like that accidentally fall into the public's hands. This is clearly a shocking story that flies in the face of traditional penguin family values.

The Board's action isn't universally popular, and there are petition drives to have the decision reversed. The gay penguin lobby seems pretty well-organized in Singapore. Oh, and the lobby for all humans who want the government to stay out of their bedrooms is on the case, too. You see, in Singapore, gay sex is still illegal, and there's a push for that law to be overturned.

It's stories like this that make the right to free expression and freedom from censorship so valuable. Sure, some people are offended by the gay rights movement. Sure, some people are offended by the gay penguin book. It's called And Tango Makes Three, by the way, if you want to buy it to read or buy it to cluck your tongue at the perverted exploits of homosexual waterfowl. But the beauty of freedom is that it's up to you to decide what literature or movies or music you want to be exposed to. So take advantage of your freedom and pick up a book that's been banned in at least one country. Then savor the thrill of being a rebel.