The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World by Jack Hanna

The premise of the book is pretty much explained in the title. The book devotes a page to each wacky animal. There are beautiful photos of the animal with facts that explain why they are wacky.

This is an oversize beautifully done children’s book. My 3 & 5 year old grandchildren liked the pictures and having the book read to them. From the blue footed booby to the naked mole rat, they laughed and giggled. Well, the naked mole rat was more like, ugh. My 10 year old grandson read the book himself and was amused by many of the animals; he liked the naked mole rats. My personal favorite was the duck billed platypus. I really liked the book, it gives a good overview on each animal and the photos are just great. There is a DVD included with bloopers. That is nice but the book is just great. The two little ones have returned to it several times to see the “funny” animals.

I would recommend the book for all ages of children. You will have to read it to the younger kids and most likely just the balloon captions as opposed to all the text. The older kids will read it themselves and all ages will enjoy the photos. Guaranteed all of you will learn something from this enjoyable book.


Body of work of Jack Hanna


Web Site: http://www.jackhanna.com/


Review: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/AmazingAnimals/Story?id=7730489&page=1

Web Hosting Reviews and Ratings Site

Periodically I write about web related stuff. I find that a lot people are still a bit intimidated by the Internet. I belong to a lot of book blog sites. Many of the forums have questions about how to do web related things like selecting the best host for your web site or blog. If you are uneasy about setting up a website or don’t know where to go, I found a site that can be a big help. It is called Web Hosting Geeks. The site rates and reviews web hosting companies on a wide variety of classifications. For example if you have a need for multiple domain web hosting, they have a section that rates and reviews the best host for creating and maintaining multiple sites. They have ratings on the most economical domain host and ratings and reviews on the best domain host for a reseller. All hosts are not created equal. They all have characteristics unique to their business. A host with terrific tech support may be more expensive than one with better features and abysmal support. It is best to discover what your needs are before you commit to a lengthy contract.

Web Hosting Geeks note whether the hosting company has gotten any awards. They have reviews from actual customers of the web hosts they rate. There are checklists to help you determine the most important thing in a domain host for your specific type of site.

In addition Web Hosting Geeks has a blog with tons of information on how to select the best host for your web site or blog. They have articles that explain things like data base hosting and articles like Avoiding Common Web Hosting Traps.

Overall I found the site very helpful and it is now bookmarked in my web utilities folder for continuous use. If you are uncertain what direction to go for your domain hosting, I think you should visit this site.

Woman Into Wolf by Alysse Aallyn

This is a tale of insidious growth from a loving, malleable and dominated wife to a more resilient, strong and implacable woman. It is characterized as a true crime story. Sadly if it is true, there are more tortured souls out there seeking release than we can imagine.

I found it difficult to like anyone in this book. All the characters were dysfunctional in so many ways. Persey as the main characters was entirely too accepting of a domineering spouse. Roy as the spouse was psychopathically disabled. Be glad that you can’t identify with any of these amoral creatures. Aallyn does a good job in painting the faces of evil. I found the story somewhat disjointed but considering the topics of serial killing, spousal abuse, homicide and violence the disjointed aspect seemed to fit. I did like the author’s success in keeping the end results a true mystery.

Psychologists should have a ball with this book. Part of my master program involved abnormal psych and the visiting of inmates and if I hadn’t had that exposure to psychopaths I would find the book hard to believe. Be prepared to be disgusted with the characters and be willing to delve into the cesspool of their aberrant behavior. The book made me uneasy, to accept these types of people is very uncomfortable. It truly is a psychological thriller and worth reading if you like that genre.

Body of work of Alysse Aallyn

Review: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.books.reviews/browse_thread/thread/705543e1e1619692/8f1e09d12e993e90?lnk=raot&pli=1


Web Site: none found

The Forever Hero by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

This is a trilogy compiled under one cover. I like that since it means I only have to buy one book to get the whole enchilada. “Dawn for a Distant Earth”, “The Silent Warrior” and “In Endless Twilight” comprise the trilogy. These were all published in the 1987 time frame and considered Modesitt’s first major work. The characterization shown in Modesitt’s later work is displayed in these three works. A strong, self depreciating, angst driven, goal oriented, terse protagonist is a recurring theme in his stories. In these stories a strong statement of concern for what we are doing to our planet is central to the story line. Earth is a backwater of the galaxy due to depleted resources and life ending pollution. The central plot is the resurrection of the planet’s ecology and livability.

The heroic efforts to that end by Devulkid, Greg Gershwin, provide the action and motivation of the books. Modesitt clearly illustrates that progress or innovation may not necessarily be a positive move for the average person. I have read most all of Modesitt’s books and there is most definitely a pattern to his characters and plots. I don’t find that to be a bad thing. There is a warm, ill defined, pleasant familiarity when reading his stories. I recommend all three of the books, there is enough action to satisfy the thrill seeker and enough meat to placate the moralizer.

Body of work of L.E. Modesitt

Site: http://www.lemodesittjr.com/

Promise Me By Harlan Coben

I like the hard nose private eye genre. Myron Bolitar isn’t the typical gumshoe. He is too open with his feelings and too insecure in his motivation to be the typical hard nose PI. I like that, it makes him much more believable. In this story Myron sticks his neck out for a couple of teenagers and discovers that is a perilous choice. Having worked with teens, I found a great deal of accuracy in the portrayal of teen behavior. Living in a small town, I also saw distinctly accurate portrayal of small town politics. A good story about risking a great deal in trying to do what you feel is right regardless of what others think you should be doing. Once again the ancillary cast of the story is highly entertaining. I really enjoy this series from Coben and recommend it.

Body of work of Harlan Coben

Web Site: http://www.harlancoben.com/static/novels/nsc.htm

Review: http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews2/0525949496.asp