Review: The Idiot by David Poulter

Original Title: The Idiot: I Was a Lunatic from a Geordie Grangetown

Author: David Poulter

Publisher: Chipmunkapublishing

Published Date: June 23rd 2010

Genre: Auto-biography, Non-fiction

"This world that you inhabit is really only your own mind. That is where you truly reside. And everyday you make decisions that affect your life. I give you an account of mine." This strange and thought-provoking story is about a man who experiences a traumatic event in his childhood and then later develops a severe mental disorder in his thirties. His experiences and "delusions" lead him to think that he may have discovered a great secret that concerns all of humanity. Is he sane? And is the world crazy? Here is a conundrum that you can decide for yourselves.

REVIEW

This book is about a common man's life.  The author has portrayed his fears, mistakes, desires, feelings and his decisions in life.  I am just explaining here some of the main moments, so you know what this is all about.

He has explained his life's moments, but major parts of the book is very hard to understand and follow through.  Initially, he had trouble finding a place where he belong..where he finally can rest in peace.  After some struggles, he, at last, found such a family and place.  But, when his wife left, he became insane - hearing voices, experiencing weird things, peculiar dreams and lastly becoming philosophical.

I actually gave up on the book, but stopped myself from doing so, when the book took a turn, narrating about the disease, that the author had.  After that part, it was understandable.  Its clear that his view of the world is much different from most of us and its quite interesting to read about them.

Towards the end of the book, the author turns totally philosophical.  Usually, I run away from philosophical air..so, maybe this part of the book is not my cup of tea.  The main problems with this book are vagueness and long paragraphs.

I don't think the protagonist, who I assumed is the author himself, is an idiot, but he had his idiotic moments, as most of us do.  I am not commenting on the philosophy here, because I am really not the right person for that.  But, other than that, this is a auto-biography of a man who tried to live and belong.

Book Feature & Author Interview: Reduce Your IRS Tax Penalties by Cora Parks

Original Title: Reduce Your IRS Tax Penalties
Author: Cora Parks
Genre: Non-fiction

How To Pay the IRS When You're Broke gives you various options to make payments to the IRS and the costs associated with them. Remember, if you do nothing, things will only get worse.

BOOK TRAILER

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR CORA PARKS

Cora Parks is a lifelong Atlantan whose vision is to bring proactive tax counsel and personal responsibility to the masses in the area of taxation. She has published seven books on taxation topics, including How To Pay The IRS When You Are Broke, Your IRS Refund, and Reduce Your IRS Tax Penalties.  Below is the interview that 'Books Are Magic' had with her.

Is there an inspiration behind why you chose writing?
Not really.  As a kid, I loved to read.  I feel that writing is an extension of that.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?
An astronomer.  I loved the stars and had books about the planets and stars that I loved to study.

Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is 
“The Power of Positive Thinking....”

What are your current literary works?
Reduce Your IRS Tax Penalties, Your IRS Refund, and How To Pay The IRS When You Are Broke to name a few.  Any sneak peaks? No

If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
I would definitely go back to the past, to the 1950s.

If you could be one of the Greek Gods, which would it be and why?
Vesta, the goddess of the hearth and home.  I loved her because I saw her as a traditional values god.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
To save money, live better, be educated, and avoid unnecessary trouble.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
The ability to go on radio shows and book tours talking about tax information and resources.

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Find a market for and market your book first.

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be?
There are so many possibilities.  I would choose the Bible, and to live during the time that Jesus walked the earth and performed miracles.

If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
“ A life not extraordinary.”

What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?
When I finally become a billionaire; what’s not to love?

What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you'd be embarrassed to admit?
“Dancing With The Stars”.

What is one book everyone should read?
The Bible.

One food you would never eat?
Pork

QUICK ANSWERS

Favorite place?

Washington DC

Best christmas present?

Cash

Favorite book?

Holy Bible

Favorite author?

Edgar Allan Poe

Favorite smell?

Fresh Laundry

Favorite series?

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Nickname?

Pinkie

Favorite writing spot?

Anywhere

Favorite movie?

Forest Gump

Favorite dish?

Capellini Pomodoro

Favorite color?

Black

Favorite quote?

“I’m just saying…”

Favorite flavor of ice cream?

Vanilla

Your best trait?

My desire to make peace.

Your worst trait?

Procrastination.

Bossypants

Original Title: Bossypants
Author: Tina Fey
Publisher: Hachetter Audio
Published Date: April 5th, 2011
Genre: Non-fiction, Funny, Autobiography

Recently winning the award of "Best Humor" from Goodreads Choice Awards 2011, I can't accept more with Goodreads about this award.  This is the best non-fiction, I have ever read.

I hope most of us know Tina Fey.  If any of you don't, please visit IMDB.  Her mini biography in IMDB shows the following trademarks for her:

• Black plastic-rimmed glasses
• Characters with embarrassing addictions to junk food
• Characters with unsuccessful or embarrassing relationships
• Frequent references to Star Wars (1977)
• Her Sarah Palin impression
• Characters wanting to be mothers

While Tina's memoir in Bossypants accept all these trademarks, she has a great way to carry her voice.  The book is a series of evocative episodes in Fey's life.  It jumps from topic to topic, like "when she felt as a woman" to "her prom dress" to "equality of woman in workplace" to "her accident while in honeymoon".  But its perfect for me.  When she shared about her childhood and her early stages of motherhood, I really thought her as a common woman with common fears, but learnt to bring herself out, in spite of all those fears.  When she answered some of her interview questions (very bad questions from her non-admirers), it was just awesome how she manages her life in front of such extreme criticisms.  Polite, sarcastic, smart humor and wit - that is Tina Fey.

I don't know about the some of the TV and movie references she made.  Other than this, no complaints.  While I don't know much about Tina Fey, somewhere along this book, I came to respect her and even admire her work and life.

If I ever got the opportunity to interview Tina, I would most likely either die of laughter or embarrassment.  I never thought non-fiction could be fun, before reading this.  Well, now I have to accept that I have not picked the right book.  Excellent job, Tina Fey!

If you are a fan of non-fiction genre, you should never wait to read this book.  Go pick it up..NOW!

Some of my favorite quotes:


“It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good. I don’t like Chinese food, but I don’t write articles trying to prove it doesn’t exist.”


“If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: who cares?”


“Lesson learned? When people say, "You really, really must" do something, it means you don't really have to. No one ever says, "You really, really must deliver the baby during labor." When it's true, it doesn't need to be said.” 


“Don’t waste your energy trying to educate or change opinions; go over, under, through, and opinions will change organically when you’re the boss. Or they won’t. Who cares? Do your thing, and don’t care if they like it.”


“Photoshop is just like makeup. When it’s done well it looks great, and when it’s overdone you look like a crazy asshole.” 


“I don’t hate animals and I would never hurt an animal; I just don’t actively care about them. When a coworker shows me cute pictures of her dog, I struggle to respond correctly, like an autistic person who has been taught to recognize human emotions from flash cards. In short, I am the worst.”


“THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, only opportunities.”


“Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.”