Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Comprehensive Study of the Origin of Humankind: Objective Analysis and Vindication of Unofficial Evidence by Ryanne Maxine Meyersohn is an alternative explanation based on anthropological and ancient texts findings, includes a comprehensive investigation of all the events that led to the formation of human civilization. The author delves into ancient texts and scholarly translations to reveal a detailed history of everything that happened on Earth but includes information that has been swept under the rug, from the formation of the solar system to the arrival of the Anunnaki, which Meyersohn explains, and to the time of Alexander the Great. According to Meyersohn and the previously undisclosed evidence, our learned history does not include alien life or the rest of the universe. This extensive analysis and in-depth search for clues provided the knowledge necessary to determine the dates of all the major events in human history.

Ryanne Maxine Meyersohn deserves high praise, even from people who do not agree with it, for the amount of work poured into Comprehensive Study of the Origin of Humankind, and for the courage it took to put all these ideas out for public consumption. The research is meticulously conducted and the writing is scholarly without pretentiousness and thought-provoking. Meyerson connects the dots between seemingly disparate events that, if ever proven true, the findings have the potential to revolutionize human and religious history. The book is a treasure trove of information that is sure to challenge readers' understanding of connectivity in the universe and inspire further research. I finished this book and went to find out more about alien technology in ancient history but Meyersohn covers most of it in this volume. Overall, Comprehensive Study of the Origin of Humankind is an outstanding work of scholarship that is sure to be of interest to anyone interested in the civilization in which humans and aliens coexisted on Earth in the remote past, a story that maybe echoed in the writings of the Book of Genesis and ancient texts.

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

The Man Who Hacked the World: A Ghostwriter’s Descent into Madness with John McAfee by Alex Cody Foster is a fascinating insight into the world of one of the most notorious and misunderstood software geniuses, John McAfee. The book is neatly split into two halves. The first section tells the story of the author’s descent into madness in his early twenties. Deciding to hitch-hike across America, and while filming a documentary highlighting the plight of the homeless in Los Angeles, he becomes part of the great tide of unwashed wandering the streets of Venice Beach searching for food, companionship, and most importantly searching for purpose. The second half of the story focuses on his recruitment into team McAfee, as he joins the software billionaire in his constant attempts to escape private people and government representatives determined to close him down or terminate him. As McAfee’s ghostwriter, Foster enters a world he could only imagine in his wildest dreams; a world of wealth, power, glamour, and intense paranoia. Alex is determined to write the true story of the McAfee legend but will circumstances and, indeed, McAfee allow him to do so?

The Man Who Hacked the World is, in many ways, a cautionary tale but also a deeply moving and educational journey. Author Alex Cody Foster has already plumbed the depths of despair in his descent into madness and he comes out the other side full of certainty, conviction, and a desire to seek the truth regardless of the potential consequences. This is a powerful narrative that readers will be instantly swept up in and carried along until its somewhat inevitable conclusion. What I particularly appreciated about this work was the author’s sidebar conversations with himself about morality, love, purpose, and life in general. He poses and attempts to answer, through both his and McAfee’s actions, some of the big questions we ask ourselves, especially about selfishness, love, and redemption. As one of the few individuals prepared to stand up to McAfee’s bullying tactics and overwhelming presence, the author sets himself apart from almost all the coterie of sycophants who surrounded McAfee at the time. This gave him the unique opportunity to examine the man in minute detail and reach some rather startling conclusions about McAfee, government, society, and humanity in general. I found this story unforgettable and utterly impossible to put down. I can highly recommend this read.

Reviewed by Susan van der Walt for Readers' Favorite

Author Melissa Jacobus has raised two adopted children, both diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), an invisible but preventable developmental disability. FASD is caused when a mother consumes alcohol during her pregnancy which can present in the child in various ways. The main factor is that FASD sufferers can fool others because they can appear credible, believable, and mature. However, adults with FASD can't make good choices due to poor judgment, suggestibility, and limited understanding of the consequences of their actions and they will always need a parent to advocate for them. In The Accomplice, we see the battles a parent faces looking out for these adult children who have the legal rights of adults but no capability in taking care of themselves, and how this legal adult status limits parental rights and the assistance they can give to those in their care.

The biggest challenge for parents and people with FASD is ignorance. The ongoing challenge of educating people about a disability that people can't see is exhausting and often frustrating when people show no interest. Melissa Jacobus faces resistance from her ex-husband who doesn't believe in FASD and thinks his children's issues are due to her poor parenting. I admire Melissa's persistence in helping her children despite their poor choices and her ongoing campaign to educate and advocate for FASD patients. The Accomplice is a valuable resource to create awareness about FASD and poses a challenge to the legal system to incorporate processes to deal with offenders diagnosed with FASD, and to get them the help they need instead of prison sentences that only create a vicious circle of criminal activity.

Reviewed by Philip Van Heusen for Readers' Favorite

David E. Guggenheim tells the story of discouragement replaced by the story of hope found, of all places, in Cuba. In The Remarkable Reefs of Cuba: Hopeful Stories from the Ocean Doctor, David shares his involvement in analyzing Cuba’s coral reefs. While coral reefs are dying everywhere else in the world, the reefs of Cuba are healthy and growing. This book discusses why and how such an excellent environment survives a toxic Earth. While David is a scientist, he makes sure his stories and insights are accessible for the nonscientist to understand. What has happened to the reefs affects every living human on planet Earth. It is of ultimate consequence that we all understand what is happening and how we can be part of the cure. The history of Cuba and its people is nicely woven into the story of life and the corals.

The Remarkable Reefs of Cuba shares the love of nature with the care of nature. David E. Guggenheim shares his journey from his introduction to sea life as a teen to his involvement as a scientist and professor of ocean life. His stories involve those who are working furiously to save the environment. It tells the human side of environmental heroes, including one of the heroes of my younger days, Jacques Cousteau. I watched and read everything I could find by Jacques. David includes his connection with him; talk about a throw-back moment. This book will enlighten those who are not marine biologists or ocean scientists. I highly recommend it to learn more about the environment’s danger. David tells stories of real people, challenges, and work in the background; he aims to make science understandable to nonscientists and elevate science above the dry and dull. He has accomplished both through his excellent storytelling.

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

The Climate Pandemic: How Climate Disruption Threatens Human Survival is an environmental non-fiction book by Dennis Meredith that details the peril planet Earth faces at the hands of the most destructive animals in the history of the world: us. Eschewing what they call bland generalized words such as 'global warming' and 'climate change', Meredith pinpoints specific issues, how we created them, whether or not they can be slowed or repaired, how to do it, and why we aren't. The biggest reason why we are not is overwhelmingly economic, and therefore political. What is most painful about these reasons is that there is ironclad, irrefutable scientific evidence that denialists, or 'de-nihilists' as Meredith calls them, either wilfully ignore or ignorantly contradict. Human survival is threatened and yet, here we are, watching sea levels rise, temperatures rise, extreme weather, agriculture failures, and scarcity of water.

I have a sister-in-law who has never pumped a single gallon of gas in her entire life. Can you imagine that? This is a generation where it is possible that gas stations will be shut down because they are obsolete. And yet, for all of the laziness, complacency, and entitlement that we attribute to Millennials and Generation Z, they aren't the ones who have messed everything up. The Climate Pandemic by Dennis Meredith is eye-opening in how comprehensive it is, and scary in the way it reveals how long we have known what would occur; not could, but what would occur, and still we cracked on. From a social standpoint, I was most surprised by corporate 'greenwashing' which, my apologies, I had never heard of before. Environmental initiatives are all smoke and mirrors but people buy into them because it makes them feel good, and makes companies look good. Meanwhile, entire cities have to pay for water not because the water bottle looks cute tucked in with their yoga mat, but because there is no water left for them to survive on. It's going to take some time for me to absorb all I have learned from this book. I sincerely hope it gets into the hands and hearts of those who control these factors on a macro level. Very highly recommended.

Reviewed by Marie-Hélène Fasquel for Readers' Favorite

The Captivating Public Speaker: Engage, Impact, and Influence Your Audience Every Time by Peter George is a comprehensive guide. It appealed to me straight away as I always want to dig deeper into topics and improve what I do. As a speaker and also as a teacher, I benefited immensely from the author’s advice, experience, and comprehensive guidance. It is everything that was advertised and much more. The author explores all the areas that could prove difficult from before the talk to well afterward. He also focuses on the audience, not only on the speaker and the talk itself. This is excellent thinking as we do not usually get such complete and deep analysis. To top it all, this book is extremely well-written, engaging, fun, and serious at the same time.

The Captivating Public Speaker by Peter George is a fabulous guide that I highly recommend and that I would have loved to read before I gave my TEDx talk in Rennes, France! However, as I keep giving talks and am in front of an audience most days of the year as a teacher and trainer, it is still going to help me greatly. I already know that I will change a few things in the future. For instance, I will focus much more on the audience, manage my nerves (not my strongest suit) and try to tame the power of the pause. I will re-read passages as I get ready for talks and try Peter’s methods. Thank you so much for such an effective and amazing book that I’ll use regularly and promote without hesitation.

Reviewed by Munir Muhammad for Readers' Favorite

In Secrets of the Kashmir Valley by American scholar Farhana Qazi, the author tells an unforgettable true story. It is about the women of the Kashmir Valley as peaceful protestors, political activists, and the prime victims of a brutal war. It is a place of great beauty and immense tragedy. It is also described as Paradise on Earth. But in this land of magic and myth, some madmen and militaries trample on Kashmir’s beauty. Kashmir is in the midst of an active conflict, unsettling and unpredictable. It is not about the politics of war, but the people living inside it. It shares the true, emotional, personal stories of women who struggle, sacrifice and survive against all odds. Every day, someone dies, someone is detained or someone disappears. After seven decades of war, Kashmiris go on living. They go to school. They fall in love. They get married. Many have children. They do what seems normal, despite the protests, politics, and paranoia of living in a place that is not free.

Secrets of the Kashmir Valley is a brilliant book that describes the author’s unique personal observations with a deep knowledge of the region, its people, and its culture to describe Kashmir. The author's bravery, open-mindedness, intelligence, and tenacity take her into danger, real lives, and raw emotions during her journey. It is a very daring story and the style of writing creates ample awareness of what is happening in Kashmir. It gives one the ability to sense other people's emotions and imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. Farhana Qazi's writing style is profound and provides insights into the veil of Kashmir. It gives a heart-breaking reminder that military occupation must end to allow the Kashmiri people to be free. It is so compelling that readers will end up reading the entire book in one sitting. This is a story that must be read by those who wish to understand the role of women in one of Asia’s longest-running wars, almost seven decades, and the motivations, lives, and thoughts of the women in Kashmir.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

From the Boxing Ring to the Ashram: Wisdom for Mind, Body and Spirit is a self-help book that touches on life lessons and holistic health. It is best suited to the general adult reading audience and was penned by Deborah Charnes. In this intuitive, engaging, and deeply wise work, our author takes us through many of the difficult challenges we may face in our lives through the attitudes and experiences of a wide variety of mentors. Whilst some are what you’d expect from a work about self-improvement and harmony within oneself, there are also gurus from much more unexpected places, forming a fascinating picture of how we can develop into our best selves.

Deborah Charnes knows exactly how to pitch her work to give access and empathy to as wide a range of readers as possible. Even the most cynical audiences who might not usually find self-help works empowering or relatable would be hard-pressed not to find Charnes’s tone engaging or resist her well-organized collection of wisdom nuggets. There is charm to be found in everyday moments without the need for huge gestures or big spiritual trips to find oneself, and this book certainly helps you on your journey to find small ways to combat big problems. As someone who lives with chronic pain, the journey to healing and being at peace with your body is often fraught with mental anguish that’s just as damaging as the physical sensations. This book teaches you how to just go easy on yourself and accept new forms of healing into your life. I would certainly recommend From the Boxing Ring to the Ashram to any reader seeking a well-written, friendly, and balanced approach to spirituality, healing, and harmony.

Reviewed by Marie-Hélène Fasquel for Readers' Favorite

The Stress Book: Forty-Plus Ways to Manage Stress & Enjoy Your Life by D. Terrence Foster, MD. is a comprehensive approach to help us reduce our levels of stress. These were already high before the pandemic, and they are (understandably) much higher now generally speaking. This is a burning issue and Dr. Foster wrote this guide to help us navigate the most complicated challenges in the quest for more quiet and calm. The book includes four main sections including the basics of stress and its management, the physical actions, the mental actions, and the community actions we can put in place to reduce our stress levels.

The Stress Book: Forty-Plus Ways to Manage Stress & Enjoy Your Life by D. Terrence Foster, MD. is a completely holistic guide that will help and support many of us navigate life in a complicated world. In fact, the environmental crisis, the pandemic, the wars, and our continued hunger for progress are all factors of aggravated stress. This book helps us deal with stress one baby step at a time, one section at a time. We need to focus on the physical actions we can take to feel better, quieter, then the mental ones and the community ones. This guide is deeply holistic and comprehensive. We are given grids and worksheets to help us evaluate our stress levels, and to identify what really stresses us out. Dr. Foster’s Action Plan is devised for us to implement diverse actions to improve our lifestyles and make us less prone to stress. This book is amazing and simple to understand even if the author explains in detail the science behind stress. The index and list of resources and links are extremely helpful too. Thank you for this gem of a book.

Reviewed by Randy B. Lichtman for Readers' Favorite

As a reader with health administration experience, I have read several books on Alzheimer’s disease; however, Alzheimer’s: The Uncertain Journey by Dr. Renee Despres and Guy Slowik is one of the most thorough and practical ones I have ever read on this subject. This extraordinary book is easily readable by those with no background experience in healthcare and is extremely interesting reading for those with experience in this area. It is a roadmap through a disease that is uncertain. The resources and ideas presented can assist caregivers, families, and healthcare professionals. The perspective is a very empathetic one, providing real-life situations, including case studies, with practical tips on how to help those in their care. The authors focus on all aspects of caregiving including emotional and family issues; effective communication; Alzheimer’s and other dementias: stages, causes (as known), behaviors, and medications; safety and injury prevention; tools and gadgets for improved independence; approaching the driving issue; and the transformative power of music, art, and pets.

In addition, the issues of appropriate placement in a variety of settings are discussed including level of care; selection of a facility; admitting an Alzheimer’s patient to a hospital with challenges; financial considerations (including Power of Attorney, Living Wills, Guardianship, etc.); and even explaining to children and teens how to accept and assist the family member. The resources are excellent and often suggest searches are offered for the reader to research through Google and other resources ways to assist their loved one. Alzheimer’s: The Uncertain Journey is an amazing guide for those needing assistance in dealing with a loved one or someone who is challenged on how best to help their loved one. The authors bring a variety of expert backgrounds to the book. The knowledge, practical techniques, and wisdom apply to those who are caring for patients with Dementia, not limited to Alzheimer’s disease. I give this book my highest recommendation for providing an amazingly thorough guide for caregivers, families, and healthcare professionals!