Timewatch Book Review

I was fascinated by the idea of time travelling and the transportation to previous lives. The story builds up fairly quickly. Maybe it was just me but I was a bit confused throughout the book with all the family members taking part in jumping backwards, forwards and lateral in the timeline.

Most of the time the story did make sense and was enjoyable. What left me perplexed was the idea behind it all.

The scope of the Morgan family is to go backwards in time and stabilise the timeline. During their 20th century lifetime there was a huge risk, that because of a time portal, others who had not so humanitarian motives would change events in the past and so change the present.

Nothing wrong with that idea…

What I couldn’t digest well was that all this hassle was being done so the history of the USA formation was not touched, the Indians defeated and eventually USA will become the world greatest war nation that will protect the rest of the world from evil nations.

Maybe because I am European. Maybe because frankly I think USA has been meddling too much with world affairs and its war tactics. Maybe because to me it felt more like a USA propaganda “we know the best for all you in the world”, this book didn’t sit quite right with me.

Pity because the idea on the whole was fascinating.

Published by Hay House available in paperback & ebook

Book Review: Journey to Civilization

I think the author of this book tried something very arduous and complex. He tried to narrate from the moment the Big Bang happened to when humans appeared on Earth. Now one can only fathom all the scientific study that it entails, the intelligence to comprehend it all, the bird-eye's view for synthesis and the capacity to divulge such complex matter in layman's language.

Well in my humble opinion I think he has done quite a good job about it. Mind you it is still a science book, it can become “boring” at times but it has zest in the prose that picks you up now and again to urge one's curiosity to read further.

One thing, I would recommend to read this book on a colour rendering electronic reader or computer. There are quite some stunning photos, obviously in colour, that if you read them on an ink rendering e-reader would just pass unnoticed. And more importantly, the colour in the photos, diagrams or graphs are needed to understand fully the accompanying text.

You will find that the book is full of hypertext. In fact more than 25% of the book is made up of Appendices to help smoothing the reading experience of the “more scientific stuff”.

So if all science books could be written in this way, then general science could be more digestible and easily accessible to many.

The book is also available as a paperback.

Well done!

Journey to Civilization The Science of How we got here

Published by Collins Foundation Press as paperback and e-book 

Review Book: Safe Passage

What a delightful book. Kate Owen knows well how to weave a story that captivates the reader's attention from the very start.

A narrative which we live through the main character, Julianna Delacroix, by being witness to a endearing story straddling two different time periods with a common denominator. 

An ancestor's murder that paves the way to a family secret and an untold love tragically cut short.

The account is ably sprinkled with enrapturing details sure to elate your curiosity, luscious romance with a beat and a lesbian sex scene piquant to the right point (at least for me).

Well done!

Available from Less Than Three Press on the 5th February 2014

Review of "Holland History of Netherlands"

I downloaded this book, Holland The History of the Netherlands, from Amazon while I was in Holland and it was written by Thomas Colley Grattan nearly 150 years ago.

It took me some time to read over 400 pages of names, intrigues, assassinations, princes, kingdoms and alliances that changed as quickly as today's Italian parlament. I researched quite a lot on wikipedia to get all the information to enable me to understand all the old dynasties. So at the end the pages read where double the book.
Written in an old-fashioned way where personal consideration and comments added flavour and spice to the history, I really enjoyed this book. Although I still had difficulty trying to remember all the names and their various correlation and to which small or big kingdom they belonged. But I think that is a problem of mine.
I particularly savoured the last chapter or else as he calls it Supplementary Chapter where the historian summarises all of his personal views about the Dutch country and its people. And I have to say the truth I quite agree with him.
"They are, in their own degree, remarkably prosperous and comfortable; and they have the good sense to be content with their condition."
"They are liberal and progressive, and yet conservative;...and they are wisely indifferent to the affairs of others" 
Very true..what impressed me while in Holland is that they have no curtains and if they do have them they don't use them. You can do whatever you like, no one is going to comment or tell you anything. The same behaviour however is expected.
"Their nature seems to partake of the scenic traits of their country; its picturesque, solid serenity, its unemotional levels, its flavour of the antique: and yet beneath that composure we feel the strength and steadfastness which can say to the ocean, Thus far and no further, and can build their immaculate towns, and erect their peaceful windmills, and navigate their placid canals, and smoke their fragrant pipes on land which, by natural right, should be the bottom of the sea".
I never noticed someone hurrying under the rain, they just keep calmly doing whatever they had started until completion...and believe me it does rain nearly everyday.
I liked the differences he listed between the Dutch and the Belgians. Giving not only political but also religious and environmental issues that slowly have forged the characteristics of the two neighbouring countries. It helped me understand their love and hate relationship that still exists to the present day.
Yes, as my Dutch friend said to me "Why complicate your existence, we are in Holland!" 
And yes I am in love with Holland.