Review of Ambassador: Seeing Red by Patty Jansen

This review was written by Eugene Kernes

Book can be found in:
Genre = Novel, Science

Collection: Galactic Empires: Seven Novels of Deep Space Adventure

Intriguing Connections = 1) Once Upon A Future, 2) Adventures Of The Space Faring Kind

Watch the Review

Elaborate Description

Overview:

Long separated human species have reconnected after many millennia.  But they have not evolved as humans on Earth.  Having different physiologies and cultures.  Cultural differences spark accusations and generate misunderstandings.  This makes diplomats life difficult, figuring out how to navigate the various cultures effectively, trying to bring understanding, without offending or exacerbating the situations.  Cory Wilson is a diplomat, a representative, an ambassador between Nations of Earth and Gamra.  Caught in an attack that killed the Human president.  Cory’s loyalty is tested from all sides, while trying to prevent bloodshed and further misunderstanding.  While trying to handle very precarious situations with calm resolve, Cory needs to figure out who to trust, and who is responsible for the attack.  There are those who want war, making Cory their enemy because of Cory’s want for peace and cooperation.  Thrusting Cory into a vitally important position for all sides.

Caveats?

This story contains many different factions and cultures, making it hard to keep track of their connections and their political roles.

Questions to Consider while Reading the Book

•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?

•Who is Cory Wilson loyal to? 

•Why was the Human president assassinated?

•What cultural aspects are highly misunderstood?

•What is the Gamra?

•What is needed to explain cultural differences?

•What are some interesting traits of extraterrestrial humans?

Book Details

Edition ISBN:  2940152784091

Pages to read:   289

Publication:     2017

1st Edition:      2013

Format:           eBook

Ratings out of 5:

Readability    5

Content          5

Overall           5

Review of Elevating Equity and Justice: 10 U.S. Supreme Court Cases Every Teacher Should Know by Robert Kim

This book review was written by Eugene Kernes

Book can be found in:

Genre = Law

Intriguing Connections = 1) The Persecuted and The Persecutors, 2) How to Teach? How to Learn?, 

3) Get To Know The Peoples Of The World (United States of America)

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Elaborate Description

Overview:

Educators are extremely influential not just for academic outcomes, but also in life’s outcomes.  Educators set up many expectations for students as to what the student is capable of, and how to treat one another.  This book is about the cases that have changed how schools operate.  Elucidating what educators can and cannot do.  Informing who is to be taught and how.  Each case is a product of the changing time.  Each case is a product of parents wanting what is best for their children, and educators wanting what is best for their students.  Every case is presented with what happened to lead up to the problem, how the problem got resolved by the supreme court, who is impacted by the case, and practical stories of the impact that the case had on academic life.  Education is a very important factor in social life and the presented cases show how education has been modified to improve outcomes, but there are still many ways that education can be improved.  

Caveats?

This is a short book directed at busy teachers, who will be able to find more resources on how to handle certain situations at the end of each case.  Although the book’s efforts are for the betterment of school life, it has a slight political bias which can undermine understanding the issues from different perspectives. 

Questions to Consider while Reading the Book

•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?

•How did each case impact the function of teaching?

•How did each case impact the students?

•How can education be improved? 

•Who is to be taught?

•How should schools select their students?

•What do parents want from schools?

•What rights do students have? 

Book Details

My edition was provided by NetGalley

Edition ISBN:  9780325092140

Pages to read:   140

Publication:     2019

1st Edition:      2019

Format:           eBook

Ratings out of 5:

Readability    4

Content          4

Overall           4

Review of The Backworlds by M. Pax

This review was written by Eugene Kernes

Book can be found in:
Genre = Novel, Science

Collection: Galactic Empires: Seven Novels of Deep Space Adventure

Intriguing Connections = 1) Some Kind of Friendship, 2) Once Upon A Future, 

3) Adventures Of The Space Faring Kind

Watch the Review

Elaborate Description

Overview:

This a space faring future in which competition means ruthlessness against everyone, even family.  This is part of the reason Craze’s father Bast betrays Craze.  Even though Bast and the Verkinn council had planned to remove Craze from society for some time, to Craze it came all of the sudden.  Given a meager sum of money and told to leave.  Get on a transport and make a fortune on another planet.  Craze has never left the planet, and does not know the politics off world.  What Craze has is strength, and skills in manipulation.  With what Craze has, Craze immediately sets on trying to make allies, but it is hard to trust after being betrayed by family.  Falling in with different crowds, and meeting different alien species, Craze begins to learn the ways of the Backworlds.  The first venture came about quickly, and was about obtaining the much coveted chocolate that only comes from the fabled planet of Earth.  This is a story of falling into trouble, and understanding the meaning of loyalty and trust.   

Caveats?

A slightly slow start, but picks up pretty quickly midway, and is a quick read. 

Questions to Consider while Reading the Book

•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?

•Why did the Foreworlders and Backworlders declare a truce? 

•Why does Craze need to leave his planet?

•What are some of the species found in the Backworlds?

•How does behavior in this future different from your time?

•Who can be trusted? 

Book Details

Edition ISBN:  2940152784091

Pages to read:   115

Publication:     2017

1st Edition:      2011

Format:           eBook

Ratings out of 5:

Readability    4

Content          2

Overall           2

Review of Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond

This book review is written by Eugene Kernes

Book can be found in:

Genre = History

Intriguing Connections = 1) How To Allocate Resources?,

2) Get To Know The Peoples Of The World (World History)

Short Description

Elaborate Description

Overview:

The planet has scarce resources which societies need to choose how to allocate.  Some societies choose to modify their actions, decisions, behavior when resources cannot sustain the level of extraction, thereby surviving past the danger.  Other societies choose to exacerbate the environmental problems which has led to their collapse.  The environment is not the only reason why societies collapse, nor is it always a choice that societies make.  This book highlights a variety of societies in which it was the environment that precipitated in a society’s collapse, and a choice because societies within very similar environmental condition chose different actions and have survived within the environment.  Lessons drawn from ancient and modern societies can guide current societies into a sustainable future.  Resources need to be used, but using them too much leads to collapse.  What matters is how much and what resources are used for what purposes.  

Past societies and current ones are different.  The lessons cannot readily be applied to different situations, but the past can still be used to learn from.  The book is written for environmentalist and businesses alike.  Environmentalists and businesses tend not to want to negotiate how resources are used, but this book indicates that negotiation and communication are needed if societies are to be sustainable.  The public is very influential in making environmental policies, but rarely want to pay for the sustainability efforts. 

Failure of a society is a failure of group decision making.  They can fail in four different ways which are 1) failure to anticipate the problem, 2) failure to perceive the problem, 3) failure to try to solve it once perceived, 4) failure of solutions.  Alternative resources and technology do not become readily available, and may not solve the problems.  

Caveats?

The book is a bit difficult to read with examples giving a lot of details and information, of which some information would be best left to an appendix. 

Questions to Consider while Reading the Book

•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?

•Why did great societies of the past collapse?

•What role did environmental have in shaping societies? 

•What choices did societies make to survive their situations? 

•What are the contributing factors to a societies collapse? 

•How do environmentalists want to use resources?

•How do businesses want to use resources?

•What are the differences between the short-run and long-run views on resources use?

•Can alternative resources and technology be me available? 

•What are failures of group decision making? 

Book Details

Edition ISBN:  9780143117001

Pages to read:   539

Publication:     2006

1st Edition:      2011

Format:            Paperback

Ratings out of 5:

Readability    3

Content          3

Overall           3

Review of Divided Loyalties by Nilofar Shidmehr

This book review was written by Eugene Kernes

Book can be found in:
Genre = Novel

Intriguing Connection = 1) Some Type of Romance

2) Get To Know The Peoples Of The World (Iran)

Short Description

Elaborate Description

Overview:

Choices need to be made.  But some choices are hard, and have consequences long past when they are made.  Within each of the stories in this book, the protagonists have to make choices.  Choices that pit dearly held values against each other.  Sacrificing some values, to uphold others.  Choosing between sibling, friend, parent, spouse, child, honor, faith, and politics.  Loyalty to different values has consequences, as it becomes ever more difficult to choose which to uphold.  Values that seem compatible, can cause a rift between people.  What the protagonists choose, and the reasons why, are deeply felt.  Each protagonist has to own their choice, their voice, and take responsibility for their lives.  Some of the stories take place in Iran, others in Canada, while utilizing Iranian history and cultural values.  The protagonists are all Iranian women with different backgrounds, experiences, and problems.  An underlying theme of women’s rights. 

Caveats?

The book is well written but some of the values that come from faith and culture might not be readily evident.  Although the difficult choices are understood for the difficulty they represent, some nuances are only understood when some knowledge of the faith and culture are known.  

Questions to Consider while Reading the Book

•What is the raison d’etre of the book?  For what purpose did the author write the book?

•Why are choices difficult?

•Why is it hard to have loyalties to different values?

•What are some values that the protagonists sacrifice and what did they make the sacrifice for?

•How do the protagonists make their choices? 

Book Details

Edition ISBN:  9781487006020

Pages to read:   306

Publication:     2019

1st Edition:      2019

Format:            Paperback

Ratings out of 5:

Readability    5

Content          4

Overall           4