tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85954598053131709832017-10-01T10:22:15.841-06:00Book Reviews by MorganMorgan Ecksteinnoreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-10155796294845374252016-04-12T00:54:00.001-06:002016-04-12T00:54:27.497-06:00Review: Stink Outside the Box: Life Advice from Kitty <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21942703" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397775569m/21942703.jpg" border="0" alt="Stink Outside the Box: Life Advice from Kitty" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21942703">Stink Outside the Box: Life Advice from Kitty</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1856026">Jeremy Greenberg</a><br/> My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1578956404">4 of 5 stars</a> <br /><br /> Favorite quote: "A little-known fact is that ancient Egyptians turned their water into beer to keep cats from drinking it."<br /><br />Cute pictures of cats. Cats giving other cats advice. Did I mention cats? What is there not to like?<br /><br />[This book was borrowed from the Denver Public library.] <br/><br/> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1578956404">View all my reviews</a> Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-9442411747124416742016-03-09T16:28:00.001-07:002016-03-09T16:28:03.052-07:00Review: The Good Luck Cat <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248667" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404967574m/248667.jpg" border="0" alt="The Good Luck Cat" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248667">The Good Luck Cat</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/267">Joy Harjo</a><br/> My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1574867186">0 of 5 stars</a> <br /><br /> This is a very cute story---reminds me of a cat I used to own (who died of old age). <br/><br/> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1574867186">View all my reviews</a> Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-15773042096231326682016-02-28T23:41:00.003-07:002016-02-28T23:41:36.407-07:00Pacific Rim--Tales From Year Zero (Travis Beacham)<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17277775-pacific-rim" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1367445658m/17277775.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17277775-pacific-rim">Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6902827.Travis_Beacham">Travis Beacham</a><br />My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1564211891">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />I loved reading the background stories of this world, and how much thought went into dreaming up the pre-movie part of this world. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/14983077-morgan-eckstein">View all my reviews</a>Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-63956416673105037432016-01-11T17:02:00.002-07:002016-01-11T17:02:38.463-07:00Custom made chalicesAnd now a word from my sponsor (aka my wife): <br /><br /><br />Here are some of the chalices that were made recently. There is a large variety of symbols that can be used: Templar cross, Wicca pentacle, triple moon, and horned god. There are also several scrolls that can be applied. We have a variety of glaze colors to choose from; all of them are food safe. The chalices are hand thrown, underglazed and fired, then overglazed and fired a second time. The whole process from start to finish takes seven to eight weeks. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/243855059/made-to-order-personalized-custom-wheel?ref=shop_home_active_3" target="_blank">If you are interested in ordering a custom made chalice, check out Khari's Wiccan Treasures on Etsy.</a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_YlQdOTzTY/VpQ7dPsTc_I/AAAAAAAAECI/Z4sU_heU2I8/s1600/fb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_YlQdOTzTY/VpQ7dPsTc_I/AAAAAAAAECI/Z4sU_heU2I8/s320/fb1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Templar cross blue chalice.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VTKdj9-H_QM/VpQ7c7C6QEI/AAAAAAAAECE/ClDr1WGxkcg/s1600/fb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VTKdj9-H_QM/VpQ7c7C6QEI/AAAAAAAAECE/ClDr1WGxkcg/s320/fb2.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Templar cross green chalice.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5hWkACYyb2c/VpQ7b6BDekI/AAAAAAAAEB8/yAW6YQh2h40/s1600/fb3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5hWkACYyb2c/VpQ7b6BDekI/AAAAAAAAEB8/yAW6YQh2h40/s320/fb3.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiccan trimple moon pentacle green chalice.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulaSyXD08ns/VpQ7fsk6BoI/AAAAAAAAECU/R9NydLL0yuY/s1600/fb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulaSyXD08ns/VpQ7fsk6BoI/AAAAAAAAECU/R9NydLL0yuY/s320/fb1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the selection of glaze colors to choose from.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EcNA25TcCTE/VpQ7kttT2aI/AAAAAAAAECc/QXYld5_8Bhk/s1600/fb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EcNA25TcCTE/VpQ7kttT2aI/AAAAAAAAECc/QXYld5_8Bhk/s320/fb1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red and black horned god chalice.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hDljV3xR3_U/VpQ7mEU4mHI/AAAAAAAAECg/q6OPKSKou5g/s1600/fb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hDljV3xR3_U/VpQ7mEU4mHI/AAAAAAAAECg/q6OPKSKou5g/s320/fb2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green triple moon chalice.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fpcaGbyw92Q/VpQ7mKQUxtI/AAAAAAAAECk/PVHbwfnC0Uw/s1600/fb3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fpcaGbyw92Q/VpQ7mKQUxtI/AAAAAAAAECk/PVHbwfnC0Uw/s320/fb3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden brown triple moon chalice.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YIZLYxs-2IA/VpQ7prBrrDI/AAAAAAAAECo/sQwQuRdttCE/s1600/fb4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YIZLYxs-2IA/VpQ7prBrrDI/AAAAAAAAECo/sQwQuRdttCE/s320/fb4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red and black triple moon chalice.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TMyfXZbJBNs/VpQ7r9goYQI/AAAAAAAAEC0/ZYXp_Fy-P3A/s1600/fb5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TMyfXZbJBNs/VpQ7r9goYQI/AAAAAAAAEC0/ZYXp_Fy-P3A/s320/fb5.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue and green pentacle chalice.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cPiClD9uP24/VpQ7rza-eYI/AAAAAAAAEC4/Q8SZqrJwoQo/s1600/fb6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cPiClD9uP24/VpQ7rza-eYI/AAAAAAAAEC4/Q8SZqrJwoQo/s320/fb6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue pentacle chalice.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-59400459607578437082014-04-15T22:38:00.001-06:002014-04-15T22:38:12.526-06:00The Magic Machine--The Golden Dawn Vault in Colour by Nick FarrellOne of the things that amuses me is the occasional outpouring of "secrets must be kept" when someone dares to publish something that is already well past its "keep secret until" date. Today, the source of my amusement was the debate on whether or not, Nick Farrell should have published pictures of the walls of the Vault of the Adepts.<br /><br />My own position...well let's see...<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cCvoNpTHu5Q/SkViT9WFu6I/AAAAAAAAAC8/h6i92Uy7g14/s1600/study+2000+venus+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cCvoNpTHu5Q/SkViT9WFu6I/AAAAAAAAAC8/h6i92Uy7g14/s1600/study+2000+venus+wall.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venus Vault Wall Study.</td></tr></tbody></table>...I first published <a href="http://gleamingsfromthedawn.blogspot.com/2009/06/color-and-vault-study-2000-part-one.html" target="_blank">a set of Vault wall studies on my occult blog starting in June 2009</a>, shortly after the<a href="http://gleamingsfromthedawn.blogspot.com/2009/05/book-of-tomb-is-now-public.html" target="_blank"> Book of the Tomb was open-sourced by Nick Farrell</a>. And I have kicked around actually doing some Vault wall <a href="http://gleamingsfromthedawn.blogspot.com/p/mer.html" target="_blank">merchandise</a>...something that I may still do. After all, a quick image search on Google will yield dozens of hits, and there are some crass people already doing Rose Cross lamen merchandise (all seem to be using the same picture to boot).&nbsp;So I really think that secrecy on this particular subject has flown the coop. It is now time to start making sure that people are getting it right. Now that my position on secrecy and much of it still apllies to the Vault walls is out of the way, let's move on to reviewing the book in question.<br /><br />As I have already said, secrecy has flown the coop on this one--it is time to make sure that people are getting it right. And this is what <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/nick-farrell/the-magic-machine/hardcover/product-21580543.html" target="_blank">The Magic Machine--The Golden Dawn Vault in Colour by Nick Farrell</a> is about, helping people get the vault colors right.<br /><br />The most valuable piece of this book is the eight colored plates showing the general key to the background color of the Vault walls, and the individual planetary Vault walls. And while I prefer mixed pigments over pixels, I wish I would had this book earlier in my occult career when I was preparing to build a Vault of the Adepts.<br /><br />(Before you ask, the project never got past the study stage, due to the sudden vacating of anyone who might have needed to be vaulted by the current lodge that I belong to...it was a strange summer that year.)<br /><br />Comparing my first study and later ones (I have done several over the years) to the plates in The Magic Machine, I am comforted to see that I am in the general ballpark, not exactly the same colors as Farrell is using, but close enough when one accounts for the difference in methods used. It was also comforting to read that someone else stumbled upon the problem with the Vault's ceiling--something that drives me a little batty.<br /><br />Now I imagine that some people in the Golden Dawn tradition will claim that he is wrong about how the colors are created. Of course, if he is wrong, then so am I--and I was initially working from the texts published by Regardie and some misc. unpublished notes from a modern Order, and not directly from the Book of the Tomb. Then again, I just shake my head about how the critics have done their own Vaults--it is like they are working from a completely different set of instructions that have nothing to do with any actual Golden Dawn material.<br /><br />Besides the meat of the book, Farrell does give hints on how to use the pictures, general information about the Vault of the Adepts, and a nice set of planetary deity calls to key your work with the Vault walls to.<br /><br />I recommend getting this book if you ever think that you might need to build a Vault or work with one.<br /><br />Five out of five stars.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/nick-farrell/the-magic-machine/hardcover/product-21580543.html" target="_blank">The Magic Machine--The Golden Dawn Vault in Colour is a limited edition hard-cover book available from Lulu.&nbsp;</a><br /><br />[Required FTC disclosure: This review was based on a low res electronic copy of the book given to the reviewer to ensure a timely review of the book.]Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-14727409262823741132014-02-16T20:43:00.000-07:002014-02-16T20:43:06.280-07:00The Shem Grimoire by Nick Farrell<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dFBAvXUnq1s/UwF2ds347yI/AAAAAAAACyc/lx7o7cJKOo8/s1600/contents+of+Shem+Angel+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dFBAvXUnq1s/UwF2ds347yI/AAAAAAAACyc/lx7o7cJKOo8/s1600/contents+of+Shem+Angel+book.jpg" height="320" width="304" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table of contents page from the Shem Grimoire.</td></tr></tbody></table>The first thing that a reader needs to know about this book is that this book is not for beginners. This is not a history of the Shem ha-Mephorash and the evolution of its associated angels, nor is it heavy on theory and philosophy. No, this is a grimoire with just enough history and theory to orient a Zelator Adept Minor (Z.A.M.) before turning them loose on actual working with the Shem Angels.<br /><br />The second thing that a reader needs to know about this book is that it is meant to be used. One of its center pieces is a ritual to actually get in contact with a Shem angel (one of the 72 angels created from the so-called 72 lettered name of God...which actually has 216 letters in it, but who is counting?). There is also an interesting Middle Pillar ritual, complete with head movements inspired by Abraham Abulafia (a mystic of the Kabbalah bent).<br /><br />(I might write a blog entry about the rituals contained in this book after I work with them for awhile. Or maybe not...it is always hard to tell with me.)<br /><br />Having worked with some of the Shem angels previously (using a combination of techniques grabbed from Golden Dawn, the Franz Bardon school, and ancient paganism), I mainly focused on the listings for the angels--the place I start with most books that list the uses and powers of spirits that I have previously worked with...because if they get that section wrong, then I have to wonder about the accurancy of the rest of the material.<br /><br />Based on Nick Farrell's descriptions of the Shem angels, I am confident that he has actually worked with them. While there are minor differences in the functions of the angels as Farrell describes them compared to my own experiences, the differences are so insignificant that one can see that they are based on differences in perception of the operators involved, and not ignorance. <br /><br />But one does not have to have extended working experience to double-check the general function of the angels. One of the things that I learned while working with the Bardon system was that the angels ruling the important positions of one's birth chart has a certain amount of influence over the individual. If one sits down with their birth chart and look at the position of their rising sign and their planets, one can often see how those planets and sensitive points of one's birth chart is colored by the influence of the angels that rule those astrological degrees. (This is a point that Farrell also mentions in his book--he suggests what order one might want to work with the angesl ruling one's birth chart.)<br /><br />(Important note--remember to round up when doing this. For instance, Leo 20 degrees, 33 minutes is actually the 21st degree of Leo, not the 20th.)<br /><br />Take for instance, the position of Mercury in my own birth chart, Leo 20 degrees, 33 minutes. This places my Mercury, the planet of communication and writing, in the section of the zodiac ruled by the Shem angel Meheshiiah (Mem-Heh-Shin-Yod-Heh). Given that I am one of the less evolved types, the influence of this angel tends to be more dubious and negative than positive. One of the things that Farrell says about Meheshiiah is, "There is little in the way of conciliation about him and Meheshiiah is unhappy to make a peace which does not involve total capitulation." Many people who have dealt with me will nod knowingly at this point, because I will not accept partial peace offerings, preferring to remain at war with people instead--a trait that often shows up in my writing.<br /><br />I am giving this book five out of five stars.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/nick-farrell/the-shem-grimoire/hardcover/product-21451554.html" target="_blank">The Shem Grimoire is limited to two hundred hard-cover copies, and is available from Lulu.&nbsp;</a><br /><br />[Disclosure: This review is based on a pre-proof stage file copy given to me by the author for review purposes.]Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-84838761053738215462014-02-13T21:54:00.002-07:002014-02-13T21:54:22.687-07:00What My Hierophant Should Have Taught Me (Nick Farrell) One of my favorite sayings is "If you want to understand the behavior of Secret Chiefs and their human representatives, think of the Secret Chiefs as being cats." Many people think that I am merely making a joke--I am not. It is a statement that I make in all seriousness. I don't think that a lot of people get my point. But if anyone gets my point (and the real useful advice that goes along with my statement), I suspect that Nick Farrell is one of them. <br /><br />Recently Nick Farrell wrote a limited edition book called "What My Hierophant Should Have Taught Me." It consists of a series of aphorisms applicable to the occult path, along with a commentary for each one. Some of the aphorisms are:<br /><br />*Magic is not a religion<br />*You crave power<br />*Understanding symbols is a key to understanding the universe<br /><br />and my personal favorite:<br /><br />*When things go wrong, do not panic<br /><br />(which I tend to lump in with my own personal aphorism--When working with Sister Amy, have a fire extinguisher ready...honestly, do not let her near any open flames.)<br /><br />This book is filled with useful advice, some of which I wish I would have learned sooner than I actually did. For the most part, I agree with the advice given in this book. There are a couple of things that I am going to have to experiment with (or pay more attention to) before I make a judgment on--mainly technical advice on working magic. <br /><br />I imagine that a lot of people are going to judge this book harshly. Some of the advice is about the warning signs that a group (or a group leader) is not on the up and up. It has been my experience that such dubious people turn nasty when they believe that someone is talking about them in a negative light; after all, someone might actually listen and not pay them the dues or accolades that they so richly deserve. <br /><br />Farrell also mentions advice about how groups react when someone leaves a group (either willingly or not)--this advice falls under the category of "Gee, I wish someone would have warned me about that sooner." <br /><br />Overall, this is a very useful book--one that I wish I had much earlier in my occult and esoteric career. I give it five out of five stars. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/nick-farrell/what-my-heirophant-should-have-taught-me/hardcover/product-21405702.html" target="_blank">What My Hierophant Should Have Taught Me (limited to just a hundred copies) is still available on Lulu.</a> <br /><br />[Disclosure: This review is based on an electronic file version provided by the author for review purposes.]Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-35660751681954396722014-01-28T20:21:00.002-07:002014-01-28T20:21:06.217-07:00Paganism 101--An Introduction to Paganism by 101 PagansWhen I first heard of this book, I muttered, "Do we really need another Paganism 101 book?"<br /><br /><br />After reading it, I have to say, "Hell, yes, we needed another one." <br /><br /><br />The concept behind the book is to have a 101 different pagans get together and write about paganism. Think of it as a big circle where various voices of the paganism came together to give a newcomer a broad overview of how varied the community really is. You may not agree with all the voices, but you have to remember that they are out there in the community. <br /><br /><br />The book is divided into three sections with multiple topics in each one. Twenty topics all together. Each topic has five writers committing on it. Plus there is an introduction...which is how the 101st pagan comes into the picture. <br /><br /><br />The first section is Who we are--Druid, Heathen, Witch, Wiccan, Shaman, Christo-Pagan, Goddess Follower, Eclectic Witch.<br /><br /><br />The second section is What we believe--Deities, Nature, Ethics, Afterlife, Ancestors, Past &amp; Present.<br /><br /><br />The third section is What we do--Ritual, Magic, Prayer &amp; Meditation, Healing, Herbalism, Celebrant Work. <br /><br /><br />No, I do not agree with everything said, but I do find it marvelous that we have such diverse set of voices in the community.<br /><br /><br />I highly recommend this book to both newcomers and to those who have been around the pagan block countless times. This is a wonderful book that I am going to end up re-reading several times, if only to remind myself how interesting our community actually is. <br /><br /><br />Five stars out of five.<br /><br /><br />[Disclosure: I received a pre-publication electronic copy of this book for review purposes.]Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-68310280471019899862013-12-17T23:57:00.000-07:002013-12-17T23:57:01.573-07:00Pagan Portals--Runes by Kylie Holmes There is an old saying that there is only one book about the Tarot and that each writer only publishes a few pages from it. I feel the same way about books written about the Elder Futhark--the so-called Norse runes. (Actually, the runes used by the Vikings were the abbreviated sixteen rune--Younger Futhark.) And just like one encounters the same information over and over again in Tarot books (or for that matter, books about the Golden Dawn), one reads the same material over and over again in books about the runes. Therefore, when one reviews a book on one of these subjects, one tends to only focus on the few pages of unique material that the writer includes (because the base-line is almost always the same--as in if you have read one book on the subject, you have read them all). <br /><br />Pagan Portals--Runes by Kylie Holmes is your typical book on runes--containing historical information on the runes, runic divinatory spreads, how to make your own rune set, basic meanings of the runes, and suggestions of how to use the runes in magic. <br /><br />So ignoring the standard stuff that finds its way into every book on the runes, what sticks out?<br /><br />The book is written in a conversational tone, which is common with all the books that I have read so far from this particular publisher--Moon Books. I will admit that I spent too much time in academia to be completely comfortable with the style when it comes to regular books, despite the fact that I spend a lot of my time in the blogosphere (both as a reader and a lunatic with a soapbox). Think of the style as a conversation or a letter to a friend--some people will like the tone; others won't. <br /><br />In the historical section, the author includes a diagram that shows the graphic difference between the Long Branch (Danish) and Short Twig (Swedish-Norwegian) Younger Futhark runes. That is a plus. And she mentions a few historical figures who studied and kept the lore of the runes alive--figures in rune history that I was not aware of. That is also a plus. <br /><br />But she also mentions the myth of Odin as if it is historical and not mythical--which touches upon a bugbear that I wish authors would not do, and that is the mixing of mythology with historical fact. And in the section where she talks about the basic meanings of the runes, she mentions on more than one occasion what the Norse ("our ancestors") believed about the runes...without ever stating her source. I suspect that her source is intuition and not a document (because I have never heard of a document covering this information--the field of runelogy is made up of best guesses)--if it is an actual document, I wish that she would have came out and cited it by name and number. The fact that I think that she is playing fast and mixing her opinions with the historical facts is a negative. (Remember that I suffered though a Bachelors in both literature and history--it tends to make me frown at the mixing of personal belief and historical facts without the writer coming straight out and stating which is which.)<br /><br />Holmes also includes the Anglo-Saxon, Norwegian and Icelandic rune poems (both in their original language and their English translation) in the historical section (this is important&nbsp;and/or nice&nbsp;if you are just want to read a single book on the runes, and not have to collect rune books like I do). And I will admit that she is the first writer on the subject of runes that I can remember coming out and stating that we do not have a poem for the Elder Futhark itself (the aforementioned poems deal with the Anglo-Saxon and Younger Futharks. <br /><br />Overall, if you are after one book on the subject of the runes, this book is a four out of five stars. If you are like me and own two boxes of books on the subject, it will depend upon on how important the unique bits are in filling holes in your knowledge base. <br /><br />[This review was based on a pre-publication e-file copy given to me by the publisher for review purposes.] Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-27566368548668585472013-12-07T17:33:00.003-07:002013-12-07T17:33:58.634-07:00Goetia Workbook by S. Connolly (book review)<div align="LEFT">One of the customs that most working magicians have been taught is the keeping of a magical journal, a record of one's magical experiments and experience. The custom goes back to Dee and Kelley--or at least, that is the point in history that the custom seems to originate from. </div><div align="LEFT">&nbsp;</div><div align="LEFT">Most of us, including myself, just buy a blank composition book or a blank journal and proceed from there. A few suggestions on what to record have been published over the years. In my case, I was using a template that Donald Michael Kraig published in his Modern Magick book for a long time. (My template has moved away from his example, and now looks more like Dee's and Crowley's style than it does Kraig's example.)</div><div align="LEFT">&nbsp;</div><div align="LEFT">Parts of the magical journals of Dee and Crowley have been published. In the case of Dee, there are large sections that are missing because Dee destroyed a lot of his journals to keep them out of the wrong hands (fortunately, some of the sections that he attempted to destroy survived, including a large hunk of the Enochian sessions). I have watched a couple of other working magicians destroy parts of their own magical journals; and over the years, some of my own records have been lost in various moves from residence to residence (it is what happens you do not move everything personally all by yourself).</div><div align="LEFT">&nbsp;</div><div align="LEFT">Given the examples available to us and the cheap option of blank journal books, I never thought that I would ever give a shout-out to any blank magical journal--even a pre-formatted one, considering that the only viable publishing option is the print-on-demand route. (While a traditional publisher could print a pre-formatted blank magical journal cheaper, the truth is that a large part of the print-run would just sit in a warehouse, due to the extremely low demand for such an item...seriously, are there more than a thousand working magicians in the world at any given time?)</div><div align="LEFT">&nbsp;</div><div align="LEFT">The Goetia Workbook by S. Connolly is a pre-formatted blank magical journal for those magicians working their way though the contact process with the Four Kings and the seventy-two Goetic Demons (or Daemons as Connolly prefers to call them--yes, they are a demonolator [daemonolator], one of those magicians who view the traditional spirits contained in the grimoires more as helper spirits than evil gone amok). </div><div align="LEFT">&nbsp;</div><div align="LEFT">The pre-format is nice, simply for making sure that you remember to include all the important bits in your notes. And I like the fact that it has pages for each of the Four Kings and the seventy-two Goetic spirits (yes, I prefer the term "spirits"...which makes me a ?!?!). There is a space provided for any additional sigils that the spirit gives the magician, and a space to note if blood was offered (I personally use milk mixed with certain herbs as a substitute), et cetera. There is also a brief description of the powers and precautions for each spirit--my favorite being "Sitri is a lust demon and causes men and women to be passionate and get naked around one another." </div><div align="LEFT">&nbsp;</div><div align="LEFT">But let's be honest the pre-formatting alone is not enough to justify a shout-out, so why am I suggesting that a working magician might want to consider shelling out money for something that they could do cheaper? The simple fact that you can get it as a paperback from Amazon and a hardcover from Lulu--the latter being what I would prefer. And why would that be important?</div><div align="LEFT">&nbsp;</div><div align="LEFT">Quite simply because it has been my experience that the most important and significant encounter that one has with any given spirit is the initial contact. The basis of your entire relationship with a spirit can often be determined (typically with a lot of hindsight) from that first initial working. Therefore, with something like a run though the seventy-two Goetic spirits, one wants to make sure that the record of your working is going to be as permanent as you can get it. &nbsp;</div><div align="LEFT">&nbsp;</div><div align="LEFT">Yes, this shout-out is based simply upon the fact that I think that a working magician needs to ensure that their notes with certain operations, such as the initial contact with the Goetia, is set in as permanent form as one can accomplish. Did you really expect more from me? After all, I am a blogger who uses other people's work as an excuse to talk about things that I consider important (if you did not catch what this review is really about, re-read it again looking for the sole sentence that the entry is built around). </div><div align="LEFT">&nbsp;</div><div align="LEFT">[This review is based on a preview file that the author lent to me.]</div>Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-66070508062385836392013-09-16T17:19:00.001-06:002013-09-17T21:45:29.831-06:00A Modern Celt--Seeking the Ancestors (Mabh Savage)A caution must be issued right up front about this book: this is not a book of lore or ritual/personal techniques. If that is what you are after, this book will not fit your needs. A Modern Celt--Seeking the Ancestors (Mabh Savage) is a "fire-side chat" book; it is a rather informal collection of the author's experiences, tales from her family, and accounts from her friends about experiences gained by coming into contact with the lore and deities of the Ancient Celtic people. <br /><br />For those people who have experienced the fire-side chat mode, that time after a ritual or lesson when you are sitting around a bonfire (or in the case of lodge members--during the after-ritual dinner) talking to your teacher and fellow students and seekers, the style of this book will be familiar. It is a rather informal book, one that my professors in college and university would have imploded upon reading. It is a step above gossip, generally on the level of the stories that one tells when one's coven (study group or lodge) has became a familial unit of sorts. <br /><br />This style may be strange to those who have been practicing and studying by themselves, or who have gotten involved in the "strict lodge" setting where students are forced to hang out only with others of their particular grade and degree of knowledge. Hint: the fire-side chat mode is the start of the oral traditions that one hears about. <br /><br />This book is not heavy on knowledge or techniques. It is a retelling of personal stories. And it will be a comfort for those who have experienced similar events, and educational for those with open minds who have not. I think that the book is worthwhile reading, despite the lack of spoon-fed lore and techniques; but I imagine that there will be readers who take issue with the book because of the lack of information and detail in it (one cannot say that I did not try to warn them off). <br /><br />Is the information that is given accurate? This is a hard question to answer, at least for me; I am not an expert in Celtic paganism. But I do have a benchmark to attempt to hazard a guess, and that is how the author treats the Celtic Tree Calendar. For those who do not know, the Celtic Tree Calendar was created almost completely out of thin air by Robert Graves during the "paganism has survived underground, and my wild theories is what the ancient pagans actually thought" mode of the pagan revival (the Golden Dawn of the 1880s and the Wiccan books of Gerald Gardner are other examples of that particular stage of the pagan revival). Basically, there is no evidence to indicate that the Ancient Celts used such a fixed calendar, not alone the one that Robert Graves expounded upon. <br /><br />There are three modes of dealing with the Celtic Calendar: 1) insisting on the truth of it...mainly because one loves the idea that paganism survived underground clear up to the start of the pagan revival; 2) completely abandoning it...because only actual Celtic practices should be used; and 3) splitting the difference...acknowledging the fact that Graves made the Celtic Tree Calendar up, yet using the result because it serves a purpose.<br /><br />Mabh Savage belongs to the splitting the difference camp. She acknowledges the fictional nature of the Celtic Tree Calendar, and then proceeds to gather some actual tree and plant lore from the Ancient Celts to illustrate that Graves was not pulling it completely out of thin air and that there might be a grain of usefulness in the Celtic Tree Calendar. As someone who belongs to a group that does much the same with the Celtic Tree Calendar, I like that approach (the group that I belong to uses the Celtic Tree Calendar because it needed a Celtic knowledge system that could be represented in diagram form...it is a lodge thing).<br /><br />Overall, given the fact that book is meant to be, essentially a set of fire-side style stories about how modern Celts are interacting with the deities and practices of the Ancient Celts, I give it five out of five stars. (It would suffer a loss of at least one star if one decided to judge it based on lore or techniques--something that the book is not really about.)<br /><br />[Disclosure: This review is based on a pre-publication version provided by the publisher.]Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-84859087618771290512013-08-25T19:20:00.004-06:002013-08-25T19:20:44.898-06:00Immersion Mastery (Zack Jezek)Immersion Mastery by Zack Jezek was a hard book for me to finish. I abandoned it several times since starting to read it in November. I only finished it though sheer force of will.<br /><br />One of my problems with the book is sheer amount of bragging that the author engages in; he is proud of the fact that he became a Reiki master and Mayan shaman at age ten, and that he is also a NLP master and a professional skate boarder. Jezek wrote this book at the ripe old age of nineteen. Yes, this book brought back flashbacks from earlier in my esoteric career, for I acquired a high degree far too young and said some damn stupid things earlier in my life believing that I actually knew what I was talking about. Maybe Jezek will be different, but I personally find my earliest writings as an esoteric leader and teacher to be almost physically painful to read. <br /><br />While I agree with Jazek's opinion that his generation are the&nbsp;leaders of the future, I do not necessarily agree with him that his generation is any more unique than any previous generation. Sure, they have their own set of brand-new problems which young adults have never seen before, but a lot of generations have been able to say that statement. <br /><br />So is there anything worthwhile in this book? And will it appeal to teen and twenty-somethings? <br /><br />Yes, it will appeal to his own generation who will believe that they are somehow special and that their problems and disadvantages are actually assets and special abilities. And yes, I do believe that attention and compulsive disorders can be assets--history is full of famous people who today would be labeled ADHD/ADD and/or OCD. In fact, I would probably be labeled with an attention disorder if I would have went though high school five years later than I did (ADHD was just being a bad kid when I was in school)--not that I will ever be famous, yet these things are a daily part of my own life to a certain extent.&nbsp;But&nbsp;Jezek lays it on so thick, it is like a commercial to remain immature forever. <br /><br />And maybe&nbsp;the book&nbsp;does have some worthwhile stuff in it. But it is buried deep in feel good talk aimed at making teen and twenty-somethings believe that they are perfectly ok just the way that they are. I am not sure Jezek is going to feel the same way when he is forty. <br /><br />As for esoteric techniques talked about in this book (after all, I review esoteric and New Age books), there is a version of the "grounding as a tree" mediation, some game console based mental reprogramming techniques, a watered down version of the immersion method (my regular readers will know this better as magical boot camp or power week), and a hint of the chaos magic technique of interchangeable personalities. But they are all so caked in happy talk that quite honestly, I can't imagine anyone over the age of thirty being able to tolerate this book; or for that matter, any parent that has been exposed to the techniques in a different setting. And there are better sources for each and every one of the exercise and techniques, or at least better written ones (Jezek is far away from being a good writer). <br /><br />I am giving this a weak two stars out of five. <br /><br />[Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book though a Goodreads First Reads drawing.]Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-51625877718705448592013-08-19T22:57:00.002-06:002013-08-19T23:08:39.148-06:00Candy Crush Saga Guide Advanced Edition (Tyler Davis & Emily Jackson) Candy Crush Saga [Player] Guide: Ultimate Advanced Edition, by Tyler Davis and Emily Jackson, is a follow-up of the previous game guide that they did for beginners to intermediate players. Starting off with a&nbsp;list of what they included in the first guide (but careful not to&nbsp;give away the actual contents), they then proceed to give hints on how to deal with the obstacles of the tornadoes, chocolates, and time bomb makers, as well as giving general hints for jelly and ingredient levels. <br /><br />This ebook focuses on what the authors consider the most difficult of the game. A quick list of the levels that they give hints for: 77; 135; 138; 269; 275; 285; 342; and level 417. <br /><br />Like&nbsp;their preceding&nbsp;Candy Crush Saga game guide, this book&nbsp;consists of general play hints, and not how crack the game level by level (even the levels mentioned are left to the player to completely figure out). <br /><br />The writing in this ebook is clearer than the last one, but occasionally it still irked me. And in this one, I found myself annoyed by the number of cheerleading statements the authors made about the worth of the ebook. Such cheerleading makes me wonder if the authors on some level suspect that their game guide is a little weak in content.<br /><br />The authors also assume in one place that you are able to play Candy Crush&nbsp;Saga both on Facebook and on your phone; this is not true in my case (I currently do not have a phone with the ability to play the game on...yes, I am still living in the Stone Age&nbsp;in many ways). <br /><br />I am giving this four out of five stars, but it is a weak four. <br /><br />[Disclosure: I grabbed this game guide on an Amazon free day that one of the authors told me about though Goodreads.] Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-34997573914647993252013-08-17T23:06:00.001-06:002013-08-17T23:08:20.147-06:00Candy Crush Saga Player Guide--Fire HD Version (Tyler Davis & Emily Jackson)The Candy Crush Saga Player Guide--Beginner to Intermediate Version (Fire HD Version) by Tyler Davis and Emily Jackson, as its full title says, is meant for those who are in the early stages of the Candy Crush Saga. My Facebook friends know that I am in the lower 200s on the game, so the question is: Did I find anything useful in this guide? Yes. But first, let's treat this game guide on its proper level--beginner to intermediate players.<br /><br />I would have found this game guide useful when I was a beginner, just starting the game. I blew a lot of games learning some of the basic information in this game guide. And I had many of a moment of "What the heck is that?" and "How do I get rid of that obstacle?" as I progressed though the levels of Candy Crush Saga. So I believe that it would be useful for its intended audience. <br /><br />My only complaint about the game guide is that some of the writing is a touch unclear (hence four stars instead of five). Please note that this game guide does not give specifics to beat particular levels; if that is what you are looking for, then you want to give this one a miss and head directly for Google. This is an overview book. <br /><br />Now, as an advanced player (or I like to think that I am advanced, considering that I am in the lower 200s level-wise), did I find anything of value in this guide? Yes. <br /><br />For instance because of my current budget, I can't afford to buy charms and boosters, so it was nice to have a reminder of what the various charms and boosters do in the game. Also a couple of the candy types mentioned, Frozen and Rainbow, I had not encountered yet at the time of my reading of this ebook (since my initial reading of this game guide, I have encountered the Frozen Candies). There is also an obstacle mentioned in the preview of the advanced game guide (which will get its own separate review...probably tomorrow or the day after that), the Tornado, that I have yet to see in game play. <br /><br />And to amuse all my friends, it was not until I read this guide that I realized the pattern behind the formation of the horizontal and vertical stripped candies. I thought that it might be random, but I could never be bothered enough to go Google it. I might be a little thick, or just stubborn. <br /><br />Anyways, I did find some useful information in this short game guide (it is short), so I am giving it four out of five stars (as I mentioned before, some of the writing is a touch unclear and therefore, I don't feel that I can give it a full five stars--call me a picky Virgo or a nasty ex-literature student if you want). <br /><br />[Disclosure: I received a review copy of this game guide from one of the authors, who contracted me though Goodreads.] Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-26384745877586153632013-07-30T16:42:00.001-06:002013-07-30T16:42:30.858-06:00Flash review of Commentaries on the Golden Dawn Flying Rolls Just realized that I have not posted my quick video post (flash review) of the most recent book about Golden Dawn--Commentaries on the Golden Dawn Flying Rolls by the Golden Dawn Community. So here it is.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WSc3uyk2FKY" width="400"></iframe><br /><br />[Full disclosure: One of the commentaries in the book was written by me; but considering that the royalties from the writers are going to the Golden Dawn Legal Defense Fund, I do not profit if you buy a copy of the book. And as I noted in my review, if you do not like the existence of the Golden Dawn Legal Defense Fund, just don't buy the book.]Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-25020608937269178592013-07-15T23:26:00.002-06:002013-07-15T23:26:30.544-06:00Lilith--A Snake in the Grass (Jack L. Chalker) Lilith: A Snake in the Grass (by Jack L. Chalker) is the first book in the Four Lords of the Diamond series. The series takes place in the future where a galactic Confederation has expanded to cover a third of the galaxy. The population is breed to be legally average, and only on the expanding frontier is random genetics and culture allowed to flourish. The reason that the frontier is allowed an element of chaos is to prevent the human race from ceasing to develop its advances. Interestingly enough, this does not completely eliminate crime; and given the fact that criminals are often the brightest of humanity, the Confederacy needs a secure place to imprison those criminals that might still make a brilliant advancement without having to worry about them escaping. <br /><br />This secure place is the Warden Diamond, a solar system with four habitable planets and a rather nasty problem. Once you set foot on one of the planets in the Warden Diamond, you cannot ever leave the solar system, thanks to an organism that infects all matter in the Diamond system. But with the bad comes the good, for the organism allows for the development of special powers--the abilities dependent upon what planet you first set foot on. <br /><br />Into this perfect prison system enters an unknown alien race with advanced technology, a definite danger to the Confederacy. To send an agent into the Warden Diamond is condemning them to a life sentence of imprisonment in the Diamond solar system. But the Confederacy has developed the ability to record the personality and experiences of a person, and imprint this set of memories into another's mind. Furthermore, it allows the Confederacy not only the ability to send an agent into the Diamond, the technology allows them to send the same master agent to all four Warden worlds inside four different bodies.<br /><br />In Lilith: A Snake in the Grass, we are introduced to the first world of the Warden Diamond system, Lilith, and to the nameless agent that is imprinted onto four bodies condemned to be imprisoned in the Diamond system. Much of the book is about the agent overcoming the shock of being sent into the Diamond (in a new body), learning to control the Warden organism which on Lilith does not allow items that are not natural to survive unless a powerful mind overrides nature's model, and realizing that the new body changes the mind of the agent. In the end, the agent is shaken by the recorded experiences of his mind-cloned counterpart, and we are not given many clues about the alien menace (or so, we think at this point in the series). <br /><br />I have read this book several times over the years. And it is a series that I have grown to admire more and more over the years as my skill as a writer and literary critic has grown. For instance, this reading I found myself admiring the first sentence of the novel: "The little man in the synthetic tweed jacket didn't look like a bomb." It is an accurate description of the first few paragraphs of the novel, and our first encounter with the technology of the alien menace. And honestly, I wish that I could come up with opening sentences for my own writing that was as good as this sentence. <br /><br />I recommend this book to science fiction fans. Five out of five stars. Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-13490318437375161922013-07-03T22:27:00.001-06:002013-07-03T22:27:35.786-06:00Let's Pretend This Never Happened (Jenny Lawson)I first discovered Jenny Lawson's writing though her blog--<a href="http://thebloggess.com/">The Bloggess</a>. I must admit that she occasionally writes the way I think. Which is probably not a good thing. I tend to blame my family for that...and the fact that I once fell off a roof and my father and his friends laughed for an hour (after making sure that I was all right--"Just walk it off!"). And given how Jenny writes about her family, I feel like we are kindred spirits. <br /><br />I do find it fascinating that I am referring to her as Jenny. I normally refer to writers by their last names. But then again, I believe that if I wrote a book about my upbringing, she would refer to me by my first name because people who can look at one another and say, "You just can't make stuff up like this about your family" tend to treat one another on a first name basis. <br /><br />And while some readers might be tempted to rack up some of these stories to an overactive imagination, I am less inclined to do so...because I have stories that are just as traumatic and weird. And so do my sisters. <br /><br />One of the things that I found extremely humorous was the ongoing notes from "the editor." This is something I am sure was created out of thin air; but it was darn funny, so who cares. Again, it hits a little close to home (I once had a publisher ask me not to mention my cats in my brief bio...but they are my beta readers--as in I read to them and they nap though the reading). <br /><br />Anyways, enough digression, I recommend Jenny Lawson's "Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)" to anyone who has a family that you have stories about that end with "And you can't make this stuff up."<br /><br />(Five out of five stars.)<br /><br />[I proudly brought this book at my local bookstore, The Tattered Cover, where I gushed that I read Jenny's blog all the time.]Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-66262159059457169872013-06-05T23:41:00.003-06:002013-06-05T23:41:39.803-06:00Composting by Bob FlowerdewOne of the Bob's Basics books, Composting is obviously about composting, building bins, mixing debris to create the perfect mix to easily compost, etc. The most important thing I learned from the book, oh yeah, dear Dad was doing it wrong. And considering I learned my gardening skills from Dad (and less so, from my mom), I am also doing it wrong. Opps, well, at least, I now know better.<br /><br />It is actually not surprising that both me and my Dad are guilty of composting in the wrong way. After all, we both learned though example, and in conditions where compost bins were frowned upon. Essentially we learned to use trenches (which Bob Flowerdew calls a lazy way) and a single bin. I am not sure what my neighbors, or my wife for that matter, will think if I set up an additional bin--and I think that I really two more after reading this book.<br /><br />One thing that this book has talked me out of is the idea that the small rotary (self-mixing) and "dalek" bins will do any good given the amount of plant debris that I have to deal with. If I am understanding the mechanics of composting properly, they are just not big enough to generate enough heat to properly cook the compost, as well as lacking proper air circulation. This bit of information probably saved me some money--I say "probably" because there always seem to be better things to spend the money on...I am never sure what I would do if I actually had money to spare.<br /><br />So I am hoping that the information in this book helps me. Time will tell. I did reset my compost bin today, and utilized some of the information from this book.<br /><br />On a sidenote, my wife has read a few pages of this book also, and she finds it interesting. That counts for a lot.<br /><br />I am giving this book five stars.<br /><br />[This book was brought at Tattered Cover, a local Denver bookstore. It was found on the bargain shelves.]Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-60140654667449397282013-06-02T23:51:00.002-06:002013-06-02T23:51:52.285-06:00Words (1982) by Paul Dickson<span id="freeTextreview631530598">Words: A Connoisseur's Collection of Old and New, Weird and Wonderful, Useful and Outlandish Words (1982) by Paul Dickson&nbsp;is a collection of words--literally, a collection of words. And just like the author, I must admit that I collect words. I think that most writers collect words; after all, words are our stock in trade. <br /><br />I brought this book in an used book store years and years ago. It was probably Capital Hill books; the penciled three dollar price on end page is a reminder of how much I paid for the book. My copy is well-used; the spine of the paperback (a Dell tradeback) is cracked in the middle, leaving the book in two parts; still I hang onto it, not wanting to throw away my old friend. <br /><br />Inside of it are chapters are collections of words that relate to the military, drinking, and how to describe someone who is drunk, some medical words, and a lot of areas that I initially would not have realized had specialized vocabularies. There is even a chapter of words relating to prophecy and divination, which inspired me to create my own such list of divinatory words.<br /><br />If you can find a copy of this, and love the curious words that the English language, buy it. I am not sure if it is in print anymore, but I am not parting with my copy--sorry.</span><br /><span></span><br /><span>[I gave this book a five star rating on Goodreads.]</span>Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-55251111249221408712013-05-30T16:59:00.000-06:002013-05-30T16:59:01.668-06:00Bad Monkey removed from Apple iBookstore<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nIV5IhPCEcQ/UKyd93OGYxI/AAAAAAAABuM/bgnSzRVMJNY/s1600/bad+monkey+blog+book+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nIV5IhPCEcQ/UKyd93OGYxI/AAAAAAAABuM/bgnSzRVMJNY/s320/bad+monkey+blog+book+cover.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad Monkey cannot be brought in the Apple iBookstore.</td></tr></tbody></table>[File this post under: Mysteries about the business world I will never know or understand.]<br /><br />As most of my regular readers know, I write a monthly column for the Hearthstone Community Church ("The OFM people") which I later collect into 99 cent ebooks. One of the collections (the 2011 articles) is called Bad Monkey.<br /><br />Now, awhile back Bad Monkey was uploaded to Smashwords, and then it made its way though the distribution network. Including the Apple iBookstore. I know--I searched for it--it was available on Apple. Pity, I did not take a screenshot of this fact...<br /><br />...because it has been removed from Apple.<br /><br />We have all heard of the difficulties that erotica writers have with the iBookstore. H***, I have experienced them firsthand (under two of the pennames that I wrote erotica under). Now, I am experiencing the same crop of problems as an esoteric/Wicca/pagan writer.<br /><br />And I will never know why my ebook was pulled from sale by Apple. One of the hazards with using Smashwords to upload my stuff is that I do not get to see the notices that Apple sends out when they remove stuff, or outright reject it. Why am I using Smashwords? Because I do not have an iDevice (yes, you need an Apple computer to upload to the iBookstore directly).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dGmOfeLJT3s/UafUNpqg7hI/AAAAAAAACSk/VLF7Aa3zhFw/s1600/is+this+why+Bad+Monkey+was+removed+from+the+iBookstore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dGmOfeLJT3s/UafUNpqg7hI/AAAAAAAACSk/VLF7Aa3zhFw/s320/is+this+why+Bad+Monkey+was+removed+from+the+iBookstore.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My paranoia says that this is the reason that it was pulled off of the iBookstore.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table>But I have a paranoid theory. And it involves another about-to-be published book...also called Bad Monkey. I really hope that I am wrong because if my paranoid theory is right, then if a traditional and very popular writer decides to use a book title that is also being used by an independent (indie) writer, then the indie writer loses part of their stock. Apple would never actually do something like this, right?!<br /><br />Oh well. Bad Monkey: The Collected 2011 Hearthstone Community Church Articles is still available on <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Bad-Monkey-The-Collected-Hearthstone/book-AB8jf85FoEedI72YO9s_Gg/page1.html">Kobo</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bad-monkey-morgan-eckstein/1113888144">Barnes and Noble</a>, and <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/257253">Smashwords</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-70136998876451343552013-05-06T22:52:00.001-06:002013-05-06T22:52:28.484-06:00Year of Little Lesson Plans (Courtney Loquasto)<br />One of the things that puzzles some people about my library is why do I own parenting and children books when I do not have children of my own...gee, I married a school teacher, and am best friends with someone who writes children stories--of course, I am going to have a certain amount of children and parenting books in my library. There is also the little fact that I occasionally need to remind myself of what certain age groups would know or be learning--it is called being a writer.<br /><br />That is why I entered a Goodreads contest for the book, Year of Little Lesson Plans: 10 Minutes of Smart, Fun Things to Teach Your Little Ninjas Ages 3-8 Each Weekday (by Courtney Loquasto).<br /><br />Overall, I agree with the concept of this book. One of my fondest memories is my father teaching me to count change at the dinner table (or was he teaching my sister?). Later in life, working as a cashier, people occasionally were amazed that I can do simple math in my head (in my universe, being able to figure out the correct change without punching it into the register is simple math). And I credit that ability to my father spending time to make sure that I liked learning things. Therefore, I encourage parents to buy books like this.<br /><br />Now, I did let my wife look at the book (she is a school teacher). She pointed out that a lot of these things were being taught to children in school; she also noted that re-enforcement by the parents was a good thing. But she also spotted something that had made me uncomfortable already--the occasional mention of God and Jesus--please remember that I am a non-Christian; no amount of lessons from my mother changed the fact that my heart belongs to another religion. And the history major in me shuddered occasionally at some of the American myths that were suggested as conversation starters. So with the good things that I see in this book, there is also some things that I feel strongly against.<br /><br />This book is more good than bad. I think that the lists of subjects and starting points for conversations are good for parents to have. But I do object to the conservative viewpoint (and anything that encourages it) that re-enforces the view that America is the greatest county in the world, and that the only real religion is Christianity--especially for the future generation that has to cope with a global world where America and Christianity are simply one way of looking at things and not the only possible way.<br /><br />[If you missed it, I won this book in a Goodreads contest.]<br />Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-24980341056684652812013-05-04T00:35:00.001-06:002013-05-04T00:35:18.586-06:00The Lady and Her Monsters (Roseanne Montillo)The book,&nbsp;The Lady and Her Monsters--A Tale of Dissections, Real-Life Dr.&nbsp;Frankensteins, and the Creation of Mary Shelley's Masterpiece (by Roseanne Montillo),&nbsp;is a delightful dance between the history of medicine and the development of one of the best known classics of Gothic and horror fiction, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and how science informed the writing of a literary classic. <br /><br />For a long time I have wondered about the extent that the body snatchers (such as Burke and Hare), and the doctors that they supplied bodies for, influenced what Mary Shelley wrote. While I would have liked to explore such things while I was in college, the program that I was in reserved such things for students much later in their studies (and I am not even sure if Master level students are allowed to pursue such ideas). Therefore, I greeted my winning of this volume with much delight. <br /><br />I knew some of the material covered in this book, in terms of broad strokes, but being able to put it all together was something that I was grateful that the author, Roseanne Montillo, helped me to do. Knowing the history brings a new level of understanding to the novel Frankenstein (which I read four times during the course of my college work, besides reading on a couple of occasions previously to getting my twin Bachelor degrees). <br /><br />Literary and history students familiar with the names Shelley, Godwin, Polidori, and Byron, will gain new insight of those individuals--who occasionally despite their fame, come across as really petty human beings (personal judgment call there). Plus the whole episode from a medical history viewpoint is just fascinating. <br /><br />Yes, I won this book in a Goodreads contest, and I am glad that I did. My only regret is that I somehow misplaced it for several weeks which delayed my finishing reading the book in a timely manner.<br /><br />I am giving this book five out of five stars. Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-85954877964879345632013-04-29T23:58:00.001-06:002013-04-30T00:07:27.718-06:00The Year Without Summer: 1816 (William and Nicholas Klingaman)As many people know, I actually have two Bachelor degrees--one in history, the other one in literary studies (aka literature). And both of my degrees are generalist degrees; the University of Colorado at Denver is not set up to specialize one's degree (not that I didn't end up with some areas that were more well-known than others). Therefore, I feel that I am the perfect person to review the book, The Year Without Summer: 1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History (William K. Klingaman &amp; Nicholas P. Klingaman). <br /><br />The book starts off with an account of the April 5, 1815 volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora. It is an event that even knowing something of modern meteorology (it was something of a childhood hobby) that&nbsp;I would not immediately associate with the effect on the weather that it caused. And at the time, no one alive had a clue what caused the strange weather that occurred the following summer with cold temperatures, strange rain and snow patterns, followed by vast crop failures; this led to people praying for better weather--if it was to happen today, I would imagine some of the same wild theories that were put forth in 1816 to be dusted off and put forth despite modern science.<br /><br />In 1816, many of the people that one encounters in Revolutionary History (both American and French) were alive and writing their impressions of the year. So were many of the writers one encounters in Gothic and English literary studies (ex. Jane Austen). In fact, reading this book brings another layer to Frankenstein, a book that I had to read four times during the course of my literature program--I would like to argue that some of the weather that one encounters in that book was actually based on the strange weather of 1816; if nothing else, it caused Mary Shelley to stay inside a lot, something that tends to force writers to work on their craft. <br /><br />Due to the wideness of my studies, I can see how Klingaman could argue that the events of 1816 had long term effects on politics (for instance, in emigration, and attitudes and governmental policies dealing with poverty). But the long term effects tend not to be well-spelled out by the authors--I am not sure that someone who wasn't exposed to the strange mixture of classes I endured will be able to see the long term effects. Still if one is actually interested in the era, hopefully one can fill in the blanks. <br /><br />This book quotes heavily from primary sources, and the bibliography is excellent; I was able to easily follow up on something that I became curious about while reading the book. I wish that the book had an index; if I ever have to use the book to support one of my wild theories (either in history or literature), I fear that I might have to re-read the entire book--not that would be a problem, it is just not something you want to have to do while fulfilling your Masters program. (Yes, I know that the Masters program is supposed to be a lot of reading; but considering how much is already piled on one's desk walking in, one wants to have indexes handy.)<br /><br />In places, I will admit that I was not completely invested in finishing the book, or remembering what it said--it is a history book, of course, it gets dull if you do not already know the players involved. Between the lack of an index and those spots, this book should get only four stars; but the overview of a single year (a little about 1815 and 1817) was generally interesting enough that as soon as my wallet recovers, I suspect that I am going to hunt down other books by William Klingaman--therefore, I am going to give it the full five stars. <br /><br />[This review was based on an Advance Reader Copy that I won in a Goodreads contest.]Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-66876767827292029442013-04-23T21:41:00.001-06:002013-04-23T21:41:46.136-06:00Scar and the Wolf (Plainfield Press)I have a question for Plainfield Press: Have you met my god-daughter? I ask because Scarlet does a pretty good impression of her. Or maybe it is that all tweens act the same way. (she is just entering her tweens.) Either way, I had to laugh because Scarlet reminded me of my god-daughter. Especially the idea of having to do chores on your special day.<br /><br />This is a book that I am surprised actually works. The idea of taking the fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood, and making it a story starring zombies, well, I just could not figure out how that was going to work. But it does. <br /><br />And they are zombies that I actually like. They are funny zombies, and the world has a certain type of logic to it. "Don't eat the [cleaning] beetles." There is also plenty of sentences that I like as a writer...because as writers, we play with words and language. And I laughed at the chapter title: The cloak smelled like squirrel pee--it sounds like something that one of my friends would write. <br /><br />I would definitely recommend this book...I&nbsp;just not&nbsp;sure&nbsp;that I agree with the grades 3 to 7 label; it feels a touch younger than grade 3&nbsp;to me. Of course, I imagine that this story would be a hoot to read out loud. If nothing else, it has its gross moments--gross as in "Listen, this is really gross." "Yuck!" So maybe, it is grade 3, or maybe not. <br /><br />I definitely believe that this story (and the others that are sure to follow) will find a set of loyal readers. I presume that Moldylocks will actually find bears. <br /><br />I am giving it five stars. <br /><br />[Disclosure: I received an ebook copy of this book from Plainfield Press.]<br /><br />Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8595459805313170983.post-21618228455039355812013-04-01T22:19:00.001-06:002013-04-01T22:19:03.380-06:00A Dictionary of Linguistic Absurdities (ChamberProof)I got this (A Dictionary of Linguistic Absurdities--by ChamberProof?) on a free day, and honestly even then it might have been overpriced. While I normally like silly dictionary style books, this one seems to be repeating the same blue jokes over and over again. And I do mean blue jokes. There is also the fact that quite a few of them depend upon you knowing British politics to understand, which I don't. My advice is to give this one a miss. It gets a whole one star out of the five. Morgan Ecksteinhttps://plus.google.com/104486925955534227656noreply@blogger.com0
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