Print and Product Reviews, Plus Projects and How-Tos

USS Montpelier CL-57 War Diary, September 1942-March 1943—the predecessor of the Navy Deck Log records the daily activities for the first six months of this Cleveland Class Light Cruiser, from commissioning through its first major battle in the Solomon Islands.

James G. Robertson, Jr.—a skillful genealogist, past president of the Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution, World War II veteran and former systems and sales engineer for IBM died August 10, 2011 in a Plano, Texas, hospital.

Lost in Transmission by Jonathan Harley—Lost in Transmission tells a journalist's gritty adventures and near misses on a shoestring budget from his base in New Delhi. He says everything you hear about India is right and so is its opposite.

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah MacDonald—This light-hearted travelog and memoir recalls with humor and self-assured zest two-years in Delhi. Beginning by hating everything in India, she would still rather live in Australia.

Sneaking Out Prudence Mackintosh—This teller of parenting tales closes her story of raising three sons in Dallas, Texas, with a third work, Sneaking Out, highlighting the high school and college years, plus reflecting on her own parenting.

The Trouble Begins At 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West by Sid Fleischman—Written for a middle school age audience, this biography contain plenty of meat satisfy their Mark Twain appetites of even an adult audience.

The Shack by William P. Young—this story points to the one hope for healing the anguishes and torments of a materialistic world dying from its lack of spiritual understanding.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller—this book provides encouragement to those searching for Christ-like spiritual depth, with its sometimes frightening and lonely paths. A timely positive lift among so much phony faith.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to fight Terrorism and Build Nations–One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin—a true tale of building humanitarian ties in Pakistan.

Forgiving and Reconciling: Bridges to Wholeness and Hope by Everett L. Worthington Jr.—the why and how of forgiving, from an author whose mother was murdered.

How to Write Your Life Story by Ralph Fletcher—everyone has an interesting story. Fletcher provides guidance to writing your memoir. Memoir coaching and editing is also one of the primary services of Village Hiker.

Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, An International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent

The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer’s Life by Sid Fleischman—although the details of his life are interesting, even better are his guidelines for writing to engage your audience with interesting tales.

The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande—while this book needs a heavy edit, its principles are excellent. Best is the slippery slope chart summarizing various responses to conflict.