Last November, legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese made his debut into the world of streaming with “The Irishman.” After ViacomCBS deemed the project too costly, Paramount withdrew support from the movie and Netflix picked it up, willing to give Scorsese the creative freedom (and $159 million budget) he needed to see his vision come alive.
Click to buy “Killers of the Flower Moon” and at the same time help Lynxotic and all independent local bookstores. Also on Amazon
Now, it looks as if that recent history already about to repeat itself. Scorsese’s next big project, titled “Killers Of The Flower Moon,” has been in development under Paramount since early 2019. However, its budget has been perpetually increasing, now requiring an estimated $200 million. This is a tall price for any studio to pay for a film, but ViacomCBS in particular is already in a precarious financial situation as it struggles to keep up with conglomerate competitors like Disney, WarnerMedia, and Universal.
Furthermore, Paramount (like all other studios) is currently dealing with the COVID-19 setbacks and economic crashes. Now is not a safe time for anyone to take extravagant risks in the entertainment industry, and a $200 million Scorsese project is far from a conservative investment.
While Paramount has not officially detached itself from the film yet, Scorsese has already started eyeing other production companies, most notably his old pals at Netflix and some new faces at Apple. Last year’s “The Irishman” was one of Netflix’s biggest selling points, especially as the streaming wars started taking off in mid-November. The film set a new standard for Netflix as a company that supports creative and prestigious filmmakers. During awards season, “The Irishman” earned the streaming site an unprecedented 10 Oscar nominations. Sadly, it took home none.
Apple is the New Kid on the Block but with Very Deep Pockets
Apple, on the other hand, would be new territory for Scorsese. The tech company’s new streaming site, Apple TV+, launched just last November, and has focused more on creating quality television series than films. However, the platform recently released its first original movie—“The Banker” starring Samuel L. Jackson—and is allegedly spending big money on a Will Farrel-Ryan Reynolds musical adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” for an upcoming holiday season. Adding the new Scorsese project to the platform’s budding filmography would likely benefit Apple’s rising studio image.
Scorsese reportedly talked with executives at Universal and MGM as well, so there remains a possibility that the film will not end up on a streaming site at all.
Of course, whatever studio or website “Killers Of The Flower Moon” ends up on, the adopting company will have to go through ViacomCBS first. Paramount is not required to sell the film, and it will definitely want compensation for all of the money it has already invested. The way things are going, though, selling will probably be in Paramount’s best interest, for the film is becoming far too expensive to hold on to.
In addition to Paramount, a smaller, independent company called Imperative Entertainment is also attached to the film. Unlike Paramount, though, Imperative will likely continue its attachment, for it bares far less of the financial burden.
“Killers Of The Flower Moon” is meant to come out sometime next year, but with the coronavirus affecting schedules across the board as well as the current studio mix-ups, it very well might take longer to finish.
Book Origin is Intriguing as a Backdrop to a A-List Team Effort
The film is an adaptation of the 2017 book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” by bestselling author David Grann. The book follows the federal investigation into the murders of Osage County Native Americans in 1920s Oklahoma. It’s a slow burning true story that will lend itself well to Scorsese’s hardboiled, historical take on narrative film.
Scorsese veterans Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro are meant to star in the movie. Di Niro starred in last year’s “The Irishman” and has appeared in nine Scorsese features since they first collaborated in 1973’s “Mean Streets.” The much younger DiCaprio last worked with Scorsese in 2013’s “The Wolf Of Wall Street” and has done a total of five movies with the auteur since 2002’s “Gangs Of New York.” He is also expected to star in a Theodore Roosevelt biopic, which Scorsese has been developing and hopes to start directing after finishing “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
This project will be the twenty-sixth feature in Martin Scorsese illustrious directorial career, which has lasted over half a century now. Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro are two of his most loyal collaborators, and their creative relationships with the director have been quite fruitful from artistic and financial perspectives. Both actors are Oscar winning leads, yet “Killers Of The Flower Moon” will be the first time they share the screen in a feature since 1996’s “Marvin’s Room.”
Regardless of where it ends up studio-wise, “Killers Of The Flower Moon” is bound to be a cinematic spectacle and a much talked about movie in the coming years. Whoever ends up getting their hands on the film will be lucky. That being said, it comes at a hefty ($200+ million) price, which is a sizable gamble even in the most normal of circumstances.
Independent Bookstores, closed and struggling due to Shelter in Place orders, see Massive Surge in Online Sales
Click to buy “Three Dog Tales” and at the same time help Lynxotic and all independent local bookstores.Also on Amazon
Bookshop.org, where our sister site Cherrybooks.org is currently housed, seeing a huge surge in sales: starting on March 27th the world appears to have run out of streaming shows to binge-watch and decided to consider reading as a serious alternative.
Some stores are reporting a 300% jump, interestingly focused on this weekend in particular. Our sister company has seen similar numbers. More interestingly the titles that people are buying are like a window into all of our thoughts, hopes, fears and desires.
It’s an encouraging sign to see that people are literally taking this serious, daunting situation to heart and rethinking their own lives and even life itself. Naturally, entertaining escape from reality fiction and romantic fantasy fills a need and there is plenty of those kind of titles in the mix.
And, particularly, in the initial surge of interest, books related to epidemiology and any previous history titles related to pandemics and viruses enjoyed a spike in interest.
It’s Amazing to See how Millions are Searching for ways to Learn and Expand Knowledge, as We Hope to Transform Crisis into Opportunity
The depth and breath of the interest appears to be swelling into a second wave of sorts. Just as we are all going through various psychological stages in our reaction to the crisis we appear to have reached a stage where we are learning to accept that the length of self-isolation or physical separation in the name of “flattening the curve” will not be a week to ten days but could stretch into April and even May.
Click to buy “Dare to Repair” and at the same time help Lynxotic and all independent local bookstores. Also on Amazon
Lots of time on your hands? Need to save money due to unemployment? Want to do something that you can do alone in quarantine? All of the above apply to these titles and all DIY and How-to books !
This reality has triggered what appears to be a healthy and even heroic response in many. When viewing the titles people are choosing, and the depth of the thought that appears to have gone into those choices, it’s as if there is a massive worldwide army of people with a tsunami of desire to solve problems. From personal, individual problems and hopes, to world wide challenges in matters of health, economics, ecology, politics and so on.
Know of somebody who is lying all the time? Is he on TV every day? Finding it hard to cope? This one’s for you. Also available on Amazon
Looking inward and toward the rear view mirror, people are researching history, particularly the 1st world war and its massive flu epidemic, along with the great depression as we ponder our financial and economic fates.
Even deeper inward philosophy, religion and all kinds of introspective longing to understand ourselves and societies and our history can be seen in the book titles. Stoicism books are selling by the dozen, as are, not surprisingly books on christianity and faith. Other religions and philosophies are represented also.
Humor is a big draw at a time we can all use a laugh and a smile. Everything can be seen and felt in the choices people are making as they search for ways to use this mandated time to reflect and regroup. How better to reach out for answers than the oldest technology for wisdom and the progression of ideas: books and solitary reading.
Below: a random smattering of titles from actual orders to illustrate this phenomenon along with our descriptions of the impulses that led to these selections:
This one is an obvious choice. Eyes tired from binge-watching for 37 hours straight? When you wake up tomorrow you can soothe them by forgoing the video version and going straight to the original. We find a surprising number of people become interested in the original book version of a title after the film or video version already hit the streets…
Want to do good? Thinking of role models sorely needed in this world of ours? Thoughts leaning toward what a person can do to help others during this time of crisis and suffering? Biographies of inspirational figures, such as Mother Teresa are very popular now, showing a trend towards introspection and the meaning of life and serving others.
How huge is poetry during self isolation? Very. This is one that has been surprising, from modern to romantic to historic classics, poetry books are flying off the shelves like there’s no tomorrow. Which we all hope is not the case. Even if it does turn out that way, what better last thought to savor than one from a great poet?
From Charles Bukowski to Rumi or Thich Nhat Hanh people are letting words flow from the pages and letting their souls devour the sweet nectar. Whatever style or epoch tickles your fancy it’s out there waiting. Take it and run with it. What have you got to lose?
Religion and Spirituality are huge, which goes without saying. The impulse to look within ourselves is growing stronger even as the world around us appears to be devolving into chaos. Perhaps it’s a feeling of wanting to reach back to our roots and traditions of our families or childhood.
Or it could just as well be a strong desire to explore what’s absolutely new and unknown to us. Either way the solitary time in this unexpected environment we find ourselves in is perfect for exploring things we may not have had an opportunity to investigate during “normal” times.
Or maybe it’s time to figure out how to solve all the world’s problems. Sure it’s great to start with epidemiology and search for a coronavirus vaccination. But what about the rest of our problems? Or how about just great ideas for better ways to live and organize society? Or political solutions and movements? With enough time on our hands to study and reflect there may not be any problem too big or too complex.
Somebody said we are all in quarantine and spending all our time eating and fighting with spouses and relatives. Why not take a break and read about how not to fight with each other. Many have apparently taken that advice to heart as some of our biggest sellers are books and how to get along with each other, and ourselves! Reading has a miraculous influence on us to give us the strength and courage to believe that we can fix anything. Even solve our own inner dilemmas and weaknesses.
Of course there is always the pleasure of exploration. Novels and guilty pleasure reads, cookbooks and food, Romance, Sex, Relationships, Children’s Entertainment, Movies and Music, the list goes on and on. The old saying “there’s an app for that was preceded many, many years earlier by a simple truism that has stood the test of time. There’s a book for that.
Rita Wilson calls it Quarantine Stir Crazy – which is far nicer than turning into a Homicidal Maniac… but then she’s a nice and talented lady who happens to be married to Tom Hanks. While Idris Elba is writing his own Sci-fi script, while, along with all the rest of us, concurrently living it –
“Like: ‘Hey, hey, hey – you are kicking me and what you’re doing is not good, so we will get rid of you.’ “As any organism would do, (the world) is trying to get rid of an infection, and maybe this is it for the world.”“As any organism would do, (the world) is trying to get rid of an infection, and maybe this is it for the world.”
– Idris Elba. while face-timing from Quarantine with Oprah
While perhaps slightly less creative and mind-bending – seeing Rita rapping to Naughty by Nature – “hip hop hooray” straight off an Ender’s Game sci-fi reading session could conceivably qualify as BSC or at least stir-crazy:
Enders Game, is a great Sci-fi book and series and, of course film. The choices show a hunger for distraction, diversion, stimulation and overall entertainment. After witnessing the cute yet vaguely disturbing image of the reading / rap hybrid video by this celebrity shut in, somehow our common plight begins to get real.
It’s as if we have all reached, or are reaching, stage two or maybe in this epic yet unwelcome journey and are all trying to search within ourselves for the creativity to turn it positive. Once again, Idris Elba deserves the final word for today with hit thoughtful take on how we might all actually benefit from the bizarre and challenging state of the world in the time of the coronavirus:
“One of the upsides of this whole drama is that we are forced to think together as a race.
“Our world has been taking a kicking. We have damaged our world and it’s no surprise that our world is reacting to the human race.
“One of the upsides of this whole drama is that we are forced to think together as a race. Our world has been taking a kicking. We have damaged our world and it’s no surprise that our world is reacting to the human race. It is no surprise that a virus has been created that is going to slow us down, and ultimately make us think differentlyabout our world and ourselves.
Find Sci-fi, Epidemiology, Fiction Reads, as well as books on many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org
Extremely fitting reading for today’s current events
Looking for something to read? Most of us are heavily inundated with reading about the novel coronavirus, so if you are interested in reading a title about epidemiology, Steven Johnson’s nonfiction book “The Ghost Map” is about the London Cholera epidemic in the 1850’s and details the journey of Dr. John Snow and a clergyman Henry Whitehead to find the source of what is making the city’s population drastically ill.
Imagine millions of people living with their livestock and with no proper way to dispose of waste – causing for the city to stink real bad. London officials were so convinced that the horrible smell was at the root of why people were falling ill. As a result, citizens were told to clean/purify their living quarters by flushing water out of their cellars into the Thames river, which inevitably poisoned the water supply and contributed to the cholera epidemic.
Very relevant right now. Thanks!
— Madison Santel 🏊🏻♂️🌎🎭 (@santel_madison) March 18, 2020
The overcrowding and lack of effective waste systems made cities in the 1800 highly susceptible to disease, yet the silver lining with urban environments was the diverse demographics of people that ultimately allowed for Dr. Snow and Whitehead to share their expertise to help solve the problem. It’s not a spoiler that the transmission for Cholera in 1854 was not through the air and because it smelled, but rather waterborne and being people were drinking the contaminated water.
Click to Buy “The Ghost Map” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon and Walmart.
From the New York Times bestselling author of How We Got To Now and Farsighted, a National Bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and an Entertainment WeeklyBest Book of the Year.
It’s the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure-garbage removal, clean water, sewers-necessary to support its rapidly expanding population, the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure. As the cholera outbreak takes hold, a physician and a local curate are spurred to action-and ultimately solve the most pressing medical riddle of their time.
In a triumph of multidisciplinary thinking, Johnson illuminates the intertwined histories of the spread of disease, the rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry, offering both a riveting history and a powerful explanation of how it has shaped the world we live in.Also Available on Amazon and Walmart.
“More than anything else, though, it is an argument for seeing that terrible week as one of the defining moments in the invention of modern life”
As the preventive measures being implemented to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, many of us are beginning to wonder if, along with the deprivations, there may also be hidden benefits, or at least alternatives to sadness or worry. Movie theaters are closed, gyms are closed, dining in restaurants forbidden, you’ve binged all the latest shows and movies and are looking for something to do other than read news headlines about the novel coronavirus.
What about focusing inward and changing up some of those bad habits/behaviors we’ve been wanting to modify but never seem to have the time? Now seems to be the perfect time to make some personal changes in our lives. And sometimes all is takes is just a little help to be able to implement small changes consistently over time to discover more of your potential.
In case you decide to refresh the ways you think and care about your mind, body or thought process, below we have curated a list of the most popular and time tested titles you can read to make positive changes in your everyday life.
Click to Buy “Get Out of Your Head” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
Are your thoughts holding you captive? I’ll never be good enough. Other people have better lives than I do. God couldn’t really love me. Jennie Allen knows what it’s like to swirl in a spiral of destructive thoughts, but she also knows we don’t have to stay stuck in toxic thinking patterns.
As she discovered in her own life, God built a way for us to escape that downward spiral. Freedom comes when we refuse to be victims to our thoughts and realize we have already been equipped with power from God to fight and win the war for our minds.
In Get Out of Your Head, Jennie inspires and equips us to transform our emotions, our outlook, and even our circumstances by taking control of our thoughts. Our enemy is determined to get in our heads to make us feel helpless, overwhelmed, and incapable of making a difference for the kingdom of God. But when we submit our minds to Christ, the promises and goodness of God flood our lives in remarkable ways.It starts in your head. And from there, the possibilities are endless. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Atomic Habits” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.
Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Also Available on Amazon.
In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.
For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. “F**k positivity,” Mark Manson says. “Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it.” In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is–a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.
Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited–“not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.
There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Make Your Bed” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Based on a Navy SEAL’s inspiring graduation speech, this #1 New York Times bestseller of powerful life lessons “should be read by every leader in America” (Wall Street Journal).
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university’s slogan, “What starts here changes the world,” he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better.
Admiral McRaven’s original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life’s darkest moments. Available on Amazon and Walmart.
Click to Buy “Daring Greatly” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon and Walmart.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.“–Theodore Roosevelt.
Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable or to dare greatly. Based on twelve years of pioneering research, Bren Brown PhD, LMSW, dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.Brown explains how vulnerability is both the core of difficult emotions like fear, grief, and disappointment, and the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity. She writes: “When we shut ourselves off from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives.”
Daring Greatly is not about winning or losing. It’s about courage. In a world where “never enough” dominates and feeling afraid has become second nature, vulnerability is subversive. Uncomfortable. It’s even a little dangerous at times. And, without question, putting ourselves out there means there’s a far greater risk of getting criticized or feeling hurt. But when we step back and examine our lives, we will find that nothing is as uncomfortable, dangerous, and hurtful as standing on the outside of our lives looking in and wondering what it would be like if we had the courage to step into the arena–whether it’s a new relationship, an important meeting, the creative process, or a difficult family conversation. Daring Greatly is a practice and a powerful new vision for letting ourselves be seen. Available on Amazon and Walmart.
One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose of-fice she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.
As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients’ lives — a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can’t stop hooking up with the wrong guys — she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell.
With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is rev-olutionary in its candor, offering a deeply per-sonal yet universal tour of our hearts and minds and providing the rarest of gifts: a boldly reveal-ing portrait of what it means to be human, and a disarmingly funny and illuminating account of our own mysterious lives and our power to transform them. Available on Amazon and Walmart.
Read More:
Check out more of our Book recommendations below. You can also find more books on Self-Help, Personal Transformation and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org
With mass closures of schools, many working remotely, and even more practicing social distancing, TV and reading will be a primary source of entertainment as just some of the ways to distract ourselves in the next coming weeks.
Hulu will be premiering its new miniseries this week based Celeste Ng 2017 bestseller title “Little Fires Everywhere” starting March 18th. The series will have eight – one hour long episodes exclusively on the streaming site.
Reese Witherspoon selected the title as her book pick of the month in September of 2017. She fell in love with the story and was compelled to see in on the big screen. Reese later teamed up with Kerry Washington, where they worked together, alongside with writer/executive producer Liz Tigelaar to adapt the novel into the upcoming TV series.
Aside from being producers – Reese and Kerry play the main characters in the show. Their fellow costars include: Rosemarie DeWitt, Joshua Jackson, Lexi Underwood, Jade Pettyjohn, Jordan Elsass, Megan Stott and Gavin Lewis.
One way to stream – Click to Buy “Fire Stick” Available on Amazon.
The first 3 episodes will be available on March 18th, with reports of the subsequent episodes to premier weekly after that; March 25, April 1, April 8, April 15, and the finale on April 22.
The only way to currently watch the show is through a Hulu subscription – the streaming service offers a free month long trial, after that the most basic plan is just $5.99 a month. Subscribers can watch via the Hulu app using: smart phones, tablets, Fire TV stick, Roku and most Smart TVs.
Click to Buy “Little Fires Everywhere” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon and Walmart.
From the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You, a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned–from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.
Enter Mia Warren–an enigmatic artist and single mother–who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.
“Celeste Ng writes with stunning accuracy about the power of motherhood, the intensity of teenage love and the danger of perfection – and the fire that destroys it all.”
Quote Reese witherspoon on her website hello-sunshine.com
When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town–and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.
Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood–and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster. Also Available on Amazon and Walmart.
Click to Buy “Little Fires Everywhere” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon and Walmart
From the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You, a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned–from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.
Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood–and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster. Also Available on Amazon and Walmart.
Click to Buy “American Dirt ” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Lydia Quixano Perez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable.
Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy–two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.
Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia–trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?
American Dirt will leave readers utterly changed. It is a literary achievement filled with poignancy, drama, and humanity on every page. It is one of the most important books for our times. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “House of Earth and Blood” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom-and the power of love. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Long Range” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
#1 New York Times bestseller C.J. Box returns with a blazing new Joe Pickett novel, in which the Wyoming game warden must investigate a murder that happens on his turf–a murder committed from a confoundingly long distance.
When the wife of a prominent local judge is wounded on Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett’s turf, all signs point to the shot having been taken from an impossible distance. At the same time–just as he’s adjusting to the arrival of his first child–Joe’s best friend, Nate Romanowski, is suspected of being the assassin. All this happens while Joe is attempting to decipher a startling grizzly attack.
Beset by threats both man-made and natural, the two men must go to great lengths to keep their loved ones safe. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Where the Crawdads Sing” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon and Walmart.
For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.
Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps. Also Available on Amazon and Walmart.
Click to Buy “The Outsider” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Now an HBO limited series starring Ben Mendelsohn. Evil has many faces…maybe even yours in this #1 New York Times bestseller from master storyteller Stephen King.
An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is discovered in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens–Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon have DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.
As the investigation expands and horrifying details begin to emerge, King’s story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Ulysses” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
The greatest and most Irish book ever written. Credited with the invention of stream of consciousness prose and widely considered the most important work of the 20th century. “Ulysses will immortalize its author with the same certainty that Gargantuaimmortalized Rabelais, and The Brothers Karamazov James Joyce, the twentieth century’s most influential novelist, was born in Dublin on February 2, 1882. After receiving a rigorous Jesuit education, twenty-year-old Joyce renounced his Catholicism and left Dublin in 1902 to spend most of his life as a writer in exile in Paris, Trieste, Rome, and Zurich. His writings include Chamber Music (1907), Dubliners (1914), A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), Exiles (1918), Ulysses (1922), Pomes Penyeach (1927), and Finnegan’s Wake (1939). Ulysses required seven years to complete and Finnegan’s Wake, took seventeen. Both works revolutionized the form, structure, and content of the novel. Joyce died in Zurich in 1941.immortalized Dostoyevsky…. It comes nearer to being the perfect revelation of a personality than any book in existence.” –The New York Times
“To my mind one of the most significant and beautiful books of our time.” -Gilbert Seldes, in The Nation
“Talk about understanding “feminine psychology”– I have never read anything to surpass it, and I doubt if I have ever read anything to equal it.” -Arnold Bennett
“In the last pages of the book, Joyce soars to such rhapsodies of beauty as have probably never been equaled in English prose fiction.” -Edmund Wilson, in The New Republic
Oscar Wilde – “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1890)
Click to Buy “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
Dorian Gray is the subject of a full-length portrait in oil by Basil Hallward, an artist who is impressed and infatuated by Dorian’s beauty; he believes that Dorian’s beauty is responsible for the new mode in his art as a painter. Through Basil, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, and he soon is enthralled by the aristocrat’s hedonistic worldview: that beauty and sensual fulfilment are the only things worth pursuing in life. Newly understanding that his beauty will fade, Dorian expresses the desire to sell his soul, to ensure that the picture, rather than he, will age and fade. The wish is granted, and Dorian pursues a libertine life of varied and amoral experiences; all the while his portrait ages and records every soul-corrupting sin. This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.
C. S. Lewis – “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” (1950)
Four adventurous siblings–Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie–step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice. Journey into the land beyond the wardrobe The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis’s classic fantasy series, which has been captivating readers of all ages for over sixty years. This is a stand-alone novel, but if you would like journey back to Narnia, read The Horse and His Boy, the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia.
James Joyce – “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” (1916)
His family name is derived from a Greek craftsman who created the Labyrinth and designed wings for himself and his son to fly away from the island they were imprisoned in. But Stephen Dedalus, the young hero of James Joyce’s first novel, is a young man who rises above his baser instincts and seeks a life devoted to the arts. This quintessential coming of age novel describes the early life of Stephen Dedalus. It is set in Ireland during the nineteenth century which was a time of emerging Irish nationalism and conservative Catholicism. Highly autobiographical in nature, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man draws heavily on real events and characters from Joyce’s own life, though he adopts an ironical and often satirical tone. The book is also notable for its being the first one in which Joyce uses innovative “Stream of Consciousness” writing style. A Portrait… follows Stephen Dedalus from his babyhood into early adulthood. One of the most remarkable things about Joyce’s style is that the early chapters are expressed in child like language. For instance, the famous opening lines of the book are, “Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down the road….” These are lines from a story that Stephen’s father tells him as a baby. The final lines “Welcome, O Life I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience…”
Four years ago, Russia played an illegal hand in deciding the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, using social media to spread misinformation, disenfranchise voters, and contribute to the Trump campaign in ways that reaped obvious results. Following the election, social media and tech moguls behind companies like Facebook, Twitter, Google, and more have been called into question, pressed by politicians to provide greater cyber security and proactively catch instances of foreign powers trying to infiltrate American politics.
While actual amendments made by these social media companies have appeared lackluster and hollow—changes in leadership, marketing ploys, logo changes, etc.—Facebook and Twitter did recently find and suspend several accounts that were linked to Russian operations.
Feb 26, 2020: Twitter suspends all accounts associated with EBLA office in Ghana
– CNN
These accounts, ran by people from Ghana, were targeting African/Black American constituents, making radical posts about liberation, identity, and rebellion. Although the posts did not show preference for any specific candidate, they were unambiguously voicing a political message and attempting to influence the American populace at this integral time.
The Ghanaian-based group that ran these accounts was dubbed EBLA online. Across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, the group had over 150 pages and accounts, and over a quarter-million followers. It also had a false headquarters location of Charleston, South Carolina to appear authentically American.
March 12, 2020:Facebook removes 49 accounts, 69 pages and 85 Instagram accounts associated with the troll farm. Twitter removes 72 EBLA accounts.
– CNN estimate based on multi-month investigation
Obvious Inauthentic Behavior Masked by Human Trolls
Tech company personnel, AI security software, and a few active users noticed the conspicuous aspects of these page’s posts and flagged them. Further analysis eventually ousted them as inauthentic. Oddly enough, however, the investigation revealed that the posts were not created by bots (which is typical for such scams), but by actual people in Ghana. Thus, it took real digging along with some cross references with Russia’s previous posts to realize that EBLA was tied up and led by Russian operations. The Ghanaian representatives were essentially a ploy, an extra layer of protection for Russia to carry out its sneaky offenses
In the end, EBLA got the boot from social media, kicked off of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. While EBLA never endorsed or even mentioned a 2020 candidate, this seemed like an appropriate precaution on the social networks’ behalves, for the foreign accounts were clearly attempting to sway the American political climate.
Ever since its social media exile, EBLA has gone silent and reporters have been unable to reach anyone involved in with the suspicious organization. In the digital age, disappearing becomes quite easy. Such is why social network users have to be all the more vigilant, critiquing false information and halting suspicious online behavior before it overtakes the truth this election year.
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Although these titles are all coming from a perspective that challenges the current resident of the White House, the details are stunning and do matter – great research and reporting can help us to get beneath and beyond the slogans and the rhetoric. With this year being possibly the most important election year in history, staying informed is key. If you are one of the millions of Americans that have suffered during the chaos that President Trump has instigated during his time in office these books might add a deeper level of understanding just how we got to this point and what will be required to change the direction for the better in the next four years.
Click to Buy “Running Against the Devil” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
Donald Trump is exactly the disaster we feared for America. Hated by a majority of Americans, Trump’s administration is rocked by daily scandals, and he’s embarrassed us at home and abroad. Trump can’t win in 2020, right? Wrong.
As 2016 proved, Trump can’t win, but the Democrats can sure as hell lose. Only one thing can save Trump, and that’s a Democratic candidate who runs the race Trump wants them to run instead of the campaign they must run to win in 2020. Wilson combines decades of national political experience and insight in his take-no-prisoners analysis, hammering Trump’s destructive and dangerous first term in a case-by-case takedown of the worst president in history and describing the terrifying prospect of four more years of Trump. Like no one else can, Wilson blows the lid off Trump’s 2020 Republican war machine, showing the exact strategies and tactics they’ll use against the Democratic nominee . . . and how the Democrats can avoid the catastrophe waiting for them if they fall into Trump’s trap. Available on Amazon.
If you’ve asked yourself the question, what more can I do to make sure Donald Trump does not continue to occupy the Oval Office on January 20, 2021?–then this book is for you. A playbook for the common citizen, A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump addresses the many things individuals can do in 2020 every day, without having to leave their jobs, move to Iowa, or spend every waking moment on the election. In A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump, Plouffe’s message is simple: the only way change happens, especially on scale, is one human being talking to another. It won’t happen magically, it won’t happen because of debates and conventions, it won’t happen because of ads.
It will happen because citizens take action. And Plouffe is here to help, with specific strategies and tailored talking points to make sure your time and energy aren’t wasted. He lays out why different activities the average citizen can take can make a difference to getting to 270 electoral votes, how people can go about doing them and examples of where it’s worked in the past. There are at least 65 million Americans who are likely committed to voting against Trump. It is entirely in our control to grow that number and make sure the support materializes in actual votes. Plouffe arms us with advice on how to defend against misinformation online, how to create and spread content, how to register and get out the vote early, how to make a difference in the battlegrounds and how to stay involved after the big election. Filled with stories from the last sixteen years, both successes and failures, as well as political strategies that have evolved in the wake of the breakthrough campaign that Plouffe masterminded, A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump is a pragmatic, specific, and very motivational guide for the path forward. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Un-Trumping America” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
Dan Pfeiffer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Yes We (Still) Can and cohost of Pod Save America, is back — a sharp political playbook for defeating Trump and saving the nation from Republican-driven disaster.
There is nothing more important than beating Donald Trump in 2020, but defeating Trump is just the start of this timely book. Un-Trumping America offers readers three critical insights: first, Trump is not an aberration, but rather the logical extension of the modern Republican Party; second, how Democrats can defeat Trump in 2020; and third, preventing the likes of Trump from ever happening again with a plan to fix democracy.
“[UN-TRUMPING AMERICA] lays out the path for Democrats to save the day, not by beating Republicans at their own (dirty, he convincingly claims) game but by, like, actually doing democracy.”–Booklist. Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “A Very Stable Genius” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
Washington Post national investigative reporter Carol Leonnig and White House bureau chief Philip Rucker, both Pulitzer Prize winners, provide the definitive insider narrative of Donald Trump’s unique presidency with shocking new reporting and insight into its implications.
“I alone can fix it.” So went Donald J. Trump’s march to the presidency on July 21, 2016, when he accepted the Republican presidential nomination in Cleveland, promising to restore what he described as a fallen nation. Yet over the subsequent years, as he has undertaken the actual work of the commander in chief, it has been hard to see beyond the daily chaos of scandal, investigation, and constant bluster. It would be all too easy to mistake Trump’s first term for one of pure and uninhibited chaos, but there were patterns to his behavior and that of his associates. The universal value of the Trump administration is loyalty – not to the country, but to the president himself – and Trump’s North Star has been the perpetuation of his own power, even when it meant imperiling our shaky and mistrustful democracy. Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Everything Trump Touches Dies” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
In the #1 New York Times bestselling Everything Trump Touches Dies, political campaign strategist and commentator Rick Wilson delivers “a searingly honest, bitingly funny, comprehensive answer to the question we find ourselves asking most mornings: ‘What the hell is going on?’ (Chicago Tribune). The Guardian hails Everything Trump Touches Dies, saying it gives, “more unvarnished truths about Donald Trump than anyone else in the American political establishment has offered. Wilson never holds back.” Rick mercilessly exposes the damage Trump has done to the country, to the Republican Party, and to the conservative movement that has abandoned its principles for the worst President in American history.
Wilson unblinkingly dismantles Trump’s deceptions and the illusions to which his supporters cling, shedding light on the guilty parties who empower and enable Trump in Washington and in the media. He calls out the race-war dead-enders who hitched a ride with Trump, the alt-right basement dwellers who worship him, and the social conservatives who looked the other way. Publishers Weekly calls it, “a scathing, profane, unflinching, and laugh-out-loud funny rebuke of Donald Trump and his presidency.” No left-winger, Wilson is a lifelong conservative who delivers his withering critique of Trump from the right. A leader of the Never Trump movement, he warned from the start that Trump would destroy the lives and reputations of everyone in his orbit, and Everything Trump Touches Dies is a deft chronicle the tragicomic political story of our time. From the early campaign days through the shock of election night, to the inconceivable train-wreck of Trump’s first year. Rick Wilson provides not only an insightful analysis of the Trump administration, but also an optimistic path forward for the GOP, the conservative movement, and the country. Available on Amazon.
Eat meals from diets that are balanced, taste good and that also shed pounds
There are many diets and weight loss trends that come and go, making it hard to decide which is the “best” as well as easiest to follow, while also yielding improved health and weight loss results. Below we have curated some information about the top 4 ranking diets: The Mediterranean Diet, The DASH Diet, Intermittent Fasting, and The Weight Watchers Diet. Also included are a handful of corresponding books and/or cookbooks that can help implement better health tips, meal plans and eating behaviors in whichever diet method works best for you.
The Mediterranean Diet
Ranked as the #1 diet by U.S. News’ health experts, the Mediterranean Diet is actually not a structured diet plan, but rather a change in eating patterns. Those living in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea have been known to live much longer and experience less cardiovascular illness and cancer than most Americans. The secrets, which is now well known – is the low intake of red meat, sugars and saturated fats and instead high intake of produce, olive olive, nuts, and lean proteins (including fish and chicken).
Bring the Mediterranean–from Italy and Greece, to Morocco and Egypt, to Turkey and Lebanon–into your kitchen with more than 500 fresh, flavorful recipes. This comprehensive cookbook translates the famously healthy Mediterranean diet for home cooks with a wide range of creative recipes, many fast enough to be made on a weeknight, using ingredients available at your local supermarket.
The structure of the book follows the guidelines of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. You’ll find large chapters devoted to Beans and to Vegetables, the Seafood Chapter is larger than Poultry and Meat, and the Fruits and Sweets chapter, while shorter, is packed with recipes you can truly feel good eating. Recipes include Spiced Baked Rice with Potatoes and Fennel, Tagliatelle with Artichokes and Parmesan, Orzo with Shrimp, Feta, and Lemon, Za’atar-Rubbed Chicken, Greek-Style Braised Pork with Leeks, and Orange Polenta Cake. Also Available on Amazon
(Above) The Mediterranean diet is more a way of life, it does involve eating more produce, healthier fats, less sugar and less red meat, yet it is far more comprehensive than that, there is the physical and social elements that makes it all work.
The DASH Diet
DASH – short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (also known as high blood pressure), the diet has been promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute as a heart healthy and nutritionally sound diet. One key component means capping sodium intake initially at 2,300 milligrams and eventually lowering all the way down to 1,5000 milligrams. The emphasis is on fruits, vegetables, grains, low fat diary and lean proteins (similar to the Mediterranean diet) that include high potassium, calcium, protein and fiber, as these include the nutrients necessary to decrease high blood pressure.
The DASH diet isn’t just for healthy living anymore-now it’s for healthy weight loss, too. Using the key elements of the DASH diet and proven, never-before-published NIH research, bestselling author, foremost DASH dietitian and leading nutrition expert Marla Heller has created the most effective diet for quick-and lasting-weight loss.
Based on the diet rated the #1 Best Overall Diet by Us News & World Report, this effective and easy program includes menu plans, recipes, shopping lists, and more. Everything you need to lose weight and get healthy With a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat and nonfat dairy, lean meats, fish and poultry, nuts, beans and seeds, heart healthy fats, and whole grains, you will drop pounds and revolutionize your health, while eating foods you love. In just 2-weeks you’ll experience: Faster metabolism, Lower body fat, Improved strength and cardiovascular fitness. Plus lower cholesterol and blood pressure without medication, without counting calories. Also Available on Amazon.
Intermittent Fasting
Scheduling eating around a cycle between eating and not eating (fasting) is the most basic breakdown of how intermittent fasting works. There are several different fasting methods including the every other day diet, 16/8 method and the 5/2 diet, with the focus of “when” you eat rather than “what” you are actually eating – although there is usually a caloric restriction (usually around 500 calories) that needs to be followed in order to see loss in pounds.
Click to Buy “The Every Other Day Diet” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
Dr. Krista Varady has been researching intermittent fasting for over ten years and has written the widely popular title on the subject, “The Every Other Day Diet”.
That’s the satisfied declaration of a dieter who lost 41 pounds on the Every-Other-Day Diet. (And kept it off ) You too can expect dramatic results with this revolutionary approach to weight loss that is incredibly simple, easy, and effective. Created by Dr. Krista Varady, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois, the Every-Other-Day Diet will change the way you think of dieting forever. Among its many benefits:
It’s science-tested, science-proven. Dr. Varady has conducted many scientific studies on the Every-Other-Day Diet, involving hundreds of people, with consistently positive results published in top medical journals such as the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Obesity. Unlike most other diets, the Every-Other-Day Diet is proven to work. Also Available on Amazon.
With all the different types of weight-loss strategies available, it can be difficult to choose what the best method is, and what’s right for you. What is Intermittent Fasting One recently popular way to lose weight is through intermittent fasting, which is an eating pattern where a person will regularly alternate between time periods of …(photo link at right)
Weight Watchers has been around for over 50 years and has been a guiding light for many struggling with weight loss. WW has always followed the belief that dieting is one factor in the long term process of managing weight. This includes taking a holistic approach and flexible program style to fit the needs of anyone. The SmartPoints system which is WW’s guide to what most diets strive for, lower caloric intake, less sugars and saturated fats. The guides are color coded (green, blue, purple) depending on how many overall daily points you want to stick with. Weight Watchers allows you to eat what you want with no foods off- limit as long as you don’t go over your points and givers people the flexibility to shape their their own diet (not a cookie cutter nor structured diet plan).
In this book, you will find the best Weight Watchers Freestyle recipes under various sections such as:
Helpful Tips and TricksDetailed Ingredient ListsDelicious Meals the Whole Family Will LoveRecipes for VegetariansRecipes for Busy PeopleEasy-to-follow Instructions on Making Each Dish
Epidemiology and History may Shine a Light on the Current Crisis
We must all hope for a vaccine, for methods of containment and for guidelines on how to prepare and avoid infection. Excluding the first two titles here – which are new and tackle the current situation directly, these are some of the established histories and best known works on the potential threat of just such an outbreak like the coronavirus, which is rapidly approaching pandemic status and proportions.
CAlso available on Amazon.lick to Buy “Wuhan Coronavirus” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also available on Amazon
The newest coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19 (AKA 2019-nCoV ARD), has spread to at least 40 nations and sickened 81,000+ people. This concise, 251-page guide to the illness offers a rational, non-alarmist approach from an Amazon #1 best-selling author. (Updated on February 26, 2020)
Learn everything you need to know about the virus that originated in Wuhan, China, including what a coronavirus is, how you can protect yourself, the truth behind some of the most prevalent rumors, and much more. Per the CDC’s announcement that everyone should begin preparing for the inevitable outbreak in the United States, this book also includes a starter list of items that can help you get through a lock down or self-isolation period. Also available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Coronavirus” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Coronavirus is the word that is one everyone’s lips right now. The rapid spread of this new flu, combined with the high rate of infection, steadily rising death rate and ease of international travel, means that it is likely that it will reach every part of the world eventually. You are probably worried that it may reach you and want to be able to take preventative measures to keep you and your family safe.
Coronavirus is a problem that is going to get bigger but that’s not to say that it can’t be contained. By taking the sensible precautions that are outlined inside this short but impactful book, you can stay one step ahead of possible infection and remove much of the danger associated with it. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “The Great Influenza” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
The definitive account of the 1918 Flu Epidemic. “Monumental”-Chicago Tribune. At the height of WWI, history’s most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision of science and epidemic disease. Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research and now revised to reflect the growing danger of the avian flu, The Great Influenza is ultimately a tale of triumph amid tragedy, which provides us with a precise and sobering model as we confront the epidemics looming on our own horizon. John M. Barry has written a new afterword for this edition that brings us up to speed on the terrible threat of the avian flu and suggest ways in which we might head off another flu pandemic. Also Available on Amazon
Click to Buy “The Coming Plague” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Unpurified drinking water. Improper use of antibiotics. Local warfare. Massive refugee migration. Changing social and environmental conditions around the world have fostered the spread of new and potentially devastating viruses and diseases HIV, Lassa, Ebola, and others. Laurie Garrett takes you on a fifty-year journey through the world’s battles with microbes and examines the worldwide conditions that have culminated in recurrent outbreaks of newly discovered diseases, epidemics of diseases migrating to new areas, and mutated old diseases that are no longer curable. She argues that it is not too late to take action to prevent the further onslaught of viruses and microbes, and offers possible solutions for a healthier future.” Also Available on Amazon
Click to Buy “The Ghost Map” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
From the New York Times bestselling author of How We Got To Now and Farsighted, a National Bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and an Entertainment WeeklyBest Book of the Year. From Steven Johnson, the dynamic thinker routinely compared to James Gleick, Dava Sobel, and Malcolm Gladwell, The Ghost Map is a riveting page-turner about a real-life historical hero, Dr. John Snow. It’s the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure — garbage removal, clean water, sewers — necessary to support its rapidly expanding population, the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure. As the cholera outbreak takes hold, a physician and a local curate are spurred to action-and ultimately solve the most pressing medical riddle of their time. In a triumph of multidisciplinary thinking, Johnson illuminates the intertwined histories and interconnectedness of the spread of disease, contagion theory, the rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry, offering both a riveting history and a powerful explanation of how it has shaped the world we live in. Also Available on Amazon
Click to Buy “Pandemic” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Over the past fifty years, more than three hundred infectious diseases have emerged or reemerged in new territory. Experts around the world are bracing for a deadly, disruptive pandemic.
In Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond, prizewinning journalist Sonia Shah reveals how that could happen, by drawing parallels between cholera—one of history’s most deadly and disruptive pandemic-causing pathogens—and the new diseases that stalk us today. As Shah traces each stage of cholera’s dramatic journey from harmless microbe to world-changing pandemic, she reports on the pathogens that have followed cholera’s footsteps—from the MRSA bacterium that besieges her own family to the never-before-seen killers emerging from China’s wet markets, the surgical wards of New Delhi, the slums of Port-au-Prince, and the suburban backyards of the East Coast. A true story that is both gripping and alarming, Pandemic delves deep into the convoluted science, strange politics, and the checkered history of one of the world’s deadliest diseases, offering a prelude to the future that’s impossible to ignore. Also Available on Amazon
Click to Buy “Deadliest Enemy” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
We are facing an overwhelming army of deadly, invisible enemies. We need a plan — before it’s too late. Unlike natural disasters, whose destruction is concentrated in a limited area over a period of days, and illnesses, which have devastating effects but are limited to individuals and their families, infectious disease has the terrifying power to disrupt everyday life on a global scale, overwhelming public and private resources and bringing trade and transportation to a grinding halt. In today’s world, it’s easier than ever to move people, animals, and materials around the planet, but the same advances that make modern infrastructure so efficient have made epidemics and even pandemics nearly inevitable. And as outbreaks of Ebola, MERS, yellow fever, and Zika have demonstrated, we are woefully underprepared to deal with the fallout. So what can — and must — we do in order to protect ourselves from mankind’s deadliest enemy? Drawing on the latest medical science, case studies, policy research, and hard-earned epidemiological lessons, Deadliest Enemy explores the resources and programs we need to develop if we are to keep ourselves safe from infectious disease. The authors show how we could wake up to a reality in which many antibiotics no longer cure, bioterror is a certainty, and the threat of a disastrous influenza pandemic looms ever larger. Only by understanding the challenges we face can we prevent the unthinkable from becoming the inevitable. Deadliest Enemy is high scientific drama, a chronicle of medical mystery and discovery, a reality check, and a practical plan of action. Also Available on Amazon
Click to Buy “Spillover” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
The next big human pandemic–the next disease cataclysm, perhaps on the scale of AIDS or the 1918 influenza–is likely to be caused by a new virus coming to humans from wildlife. Experts call such an event “spillover” and they warn us to brace ourselves. David Quammen has tracked this subject from the jungles of Central Africa, the rooftops of Bangladesh, and the caves of southern China to the laboratories where researchers work in space suits to study lethal viruses. He illuminates the dynamics of Ebola, SARS, bird flu, Lyme disease, and other emerging threats and tells the story of AIDS and its origins as it has never before been told. Spillover reads like a mystery tale, full of mayhem and clues and questions. When the Next Big One arrives, what will it look like? From which innocent host animal will it emerge? Will we be ready? Also Available on Amazon
Skyline of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Headquarters of Deutsche Bank – Photo / Adobe Stock
Great Title, Extensive Research, ‘Follow The Money’ at its Best
Based on its title, David Enrich’s new book “Dark Towers” might sound like an appendix to the nine part horror-fantasy series that Stephen King wrote between 1982 and 2012. In reality, though, Enrich’s book is a true story of financial corruption, with the full title “Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump and an Epic Trail of Destruction.” Nevertheless, the tale is just as riveting as any novel, and is perhaps even darker than any work of fiction.
Enrich’s book, recently released on February 18th, follows the trajectory of Deutsche Bank, a German bank that formed in 1870, helped finance the Nazi’s through World War II, and then came to America in the late 20th Century to get in on the deregulated American economy. And, in particular, during the most recent decade when Deutsche started financing a volatile real-estate tycoon named Donald Trump.
As Enrich makes clear over the book’s 400+ pages, Deutsche has been a portrait of Wall Street depravity and recklessness. The company grew to be the largest bank in the world, with 90,000 employees and nearly $2 trillion in assets. It took on Trump as a client when no one else would, for the bank, as is well documented in this tome, relished in rule-breaking and loaned the young(er) Donald billions of dollars for risky projects. According to Enrich, without the help of Deutsche, Trump probably would’ve never become the ragged edge gambler that he did, and subsequently, he probably would’ve never become President.
At the Heart of the Corrupt Story, of course, is Russia
Click to buy “Dark Towers” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
The book was researched over a long period of time, most notably during the period Enrich was Financial Editor for the New York Times. His direct contacts and stories relating to several top officials at Deutsche Bank that died via suicide under mysterious circumstances gave him access to some unique documents and data. During a period between 2010 and 2015 massive sums of money were loaned to Trump at a time when no banks other than Deutsche would even consider a loan, due to his multiple bankruptcies and other irregularities. Ultimately, through some complex maneuvering a Russian financial concern called VTB was involved in the process. The same VTB that was also involved in negotiations for a project to build Trump Tower Moscow.
Due to Trump’s seemingly endless legal battles to prevent his tax returns from being seen, even within a closed trial setting, it is likely that the ultimate truths in this part of the saga will only be revealed once he has left office. Needless to say, along with many other legal issues there will be a lot riding on the November elections for the Nation and, in many ways detailed in this book, for Trump personally.
Aside from the bank’s dealings with Trump—which are now the topic of federal investigation—Enrich also describes Deutsche’s multiple cases of criminal behavior. In a promotional interview the author did with NPR, he explains that Deutsche “had more money-laundering schemes than I can even count off the top of my head. They were evading taxes. They were bribing people. They were violating international sanctions. Look at any major financial scandal in the past 10 or 15 years, Deutsche Bank has been at or near the center.”
Naturally, this all leads up to the financial crash of 2008, where the bank yet again narrowly escaped dreadful consequences by using shady methods of exploitative foresight.
Some Hard Evidence is Here but the Reckoning will Require A Legal Battle
Click to buy “The Uninhabitable Earth” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
However, Enrich’s book is not a dry account of contemporary American finances, nor is it a bland record of numbers and figures. With the voice of an accomplished journalist, Enrich shares a compelling narrative through “Dark Towers,” one filled with colorful characters and interwoven plotlines.
While it is certainly a work of non-fiction, reading the book is a novelistic experience. It opens with the mysterious death of former Deutsche employee Bill Broeksmit, which Enrich uses as the starting point to unravel the bank’s incredible history—one that spans interactions with everyone from Trump to Russian oligarchs.
As aforementioned, “Dark Towers” is an entirely true story, but that just makes it all the more twisted. It is a telling tale for the post-truth age: a story of power constructs and hard-to-digest realities that will leave you second-guessing the burden of knowing the cold hard facts.
David Enrich is the Financial Editor for the New York Times. He is the recipient of the 2016 Gerald Loeb Award for feature journalism amongst other awards. “Dark Towers” is his second book, following 2017’s “The Spider Network” which was shortlisted for the Financial Times’ Best Book of the Year award.
This year political news has been non-stop and included the good, the bad and the very ugly. With a very real and consequential presidential election fast approaching, staying informed is key. Below we have curated a list of top ranking political books currently available in the market.
Click to Buy “Why We’re Polarized” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
“The American political system–which includes everyone from voters to journalists to the president–is full of rational actors making rational decisions given the incentives they face,” writes political analyst Ezra Klein. “We are a collection of functional parts whose efforts combine into a dysfunctional whole.” In Why We’re Polarized, Klein reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics.
Over the past fifty years in America, our partisan identities have merged with our racial, religious, geographic, ideological, and cultural identities. These merged identities have attained a weight that is breaking much in our politics and tearing at the bonds that hold this country together.
Klein shows how and why American politics polarized around identity in the twentieth century, and what that polarization did to the way we see the world and one another. And he traces the feedback loops between polarized political identities and polarized political institutions that are driving our system toward crisis. This is a revelatory book that will change how you look at politics, and perhaps at yourself.
Click to Buy “Running Against The Devil” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
As 2016 proved, Trump can’t win, but the Democrats can sure as hell lose. Only one thing can save Trump, and that’s a Democratic candidate who runs the race Trumpwants them to run instead of the campaign they must run to win in 2020. Wilson combines decades of national political experience and insight in his take-no-prisoners analysis, hammering Trump’s destructive and dangerous first term in a case-by-case takedown of the worst president in history and describing the terrifying prospect of four more years of Trump. Like no one else can, Wilson blows the lid off Trump’s 2020 Republican war machine, showing the exact strategies and tactics they’ll use against the Democratic nominee . . . and how the Democrats can avoid the catastrophe waiting for them if they fall into Trump’s trap.
Running Against the Devil is sharply funny, brutally honest, andinfused with Wilson’s biting commentary. It’s a vital indictment of Trump, a no-nonsense, no-holds-barred road map to saving America, and the guide to making Donald Trump a one-term president. The stakes are too high to do anything less.
Click to Buy “Bag Man” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
The year was 1973, and Spiro T. Agnew, the former governor of Maryland, was Richard Nixon’s second-in-command. Long on firebrand rhetoric and short on political experience, Agnew had carried out a bribery and extortion ring in office for years, when–at the height of Watergate–three young federal prosecutors discovered his crimes and launched a mission to take him down before it was too late, before Nixon’s impending downfall elevated Agnew to the presidency. The self-described “counterpuncher” vice president did everything he could to bury their investigation: dismissing it as a “witch hunt,” riling up his partisan base, making the press the enemy, and, with a crumbling circle of loyalists, scheming to obstruct justice in order to survive.
In this blockbuster account, Rachel Maddow and Michael Yarvitz detail the investigation that exposed Agnew’s crimes, the attempts at a cover-up–which involved future president George H. W. Bush–and the backroom bargain that forced Agnew’s resignation but also spared him years in federal prison. Based on the award-winning hit podcast, Bag Manexpands and deepens the story of Spiro Agnew’s scandal and its lasting influence on our politics, our media, and our understanding of what it takes to confront a criminal in the White House.
Click to Buy “A Warning” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
On September 5, 2018, the New York Times published a bombshell essay and took the rare step of granting its writer anonymity. Described only as “a senior official in the Trump administration,” the author provided eyewitness insight into White House chaos, administration instability, and the people working to keep Donald Trump’s reckless impulses in check. With the 2020 election on the horizon, Anonymous is speaking out once again. In this book, the original author pulls back the curtain even further, offering a first-of-its-kind look at the president and his record — a must-read before Election Day.
It will surprise and challenge both Democrats and Republicans, motivate them to consider how we judge our nation’s leaders, and illuminate the consequences of re-electing a commander in chief unfit for the role.
This book is a sobering assessment of the man in the Oval Office and a warning about something even more important — who we are as a people.
Click to Buy “The Nancy Pelosi Way” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
In 2007, Nancy Pelosi became the highest-ranking elected female government official in US history when she started her tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives. In January 2019, she began her third term as Speaker during a tumultuous time in American political history. Having represented San Francisco for thirty-two years, Pelosi has become well-known for her work to expand health care, lift up workers, protect the environment, promote human rights, and make progress for the American people regardless of the president in the White House or the party controlling Congress.
In The Nancy Pelosi Way, author and daughter of the Speaker Christine Pelosi takes a close look at how her mother went from homemaker to House Speaker to become the most powerful female politician in America and at the many important lessons from her actions and dialogue along the way. This book weaves substantive issues and Nancy Pelosi’s advice on politics, family, and friendship gleaned from her life from her childhood in Baltimore to her hands-on motherhood in San Francisco to her national leadership, to demonstrate how this mother of five and grandmother of nine achieved her success. This book serves as the perfect guide for anyone looking to enter public service or prosper as a leader in their own field.
Click to Buy “Trump and His Generals” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Trump and His Generals is New York Times-bestselling author Peter Bergen’s jaw-dropping intimate account of life inside that storm, foregrounding the experiences of the four generals whose relationships with Trump have done so much to define his presidency–McMaster, Kelly, Mattis and Flynn. From Iraq and Afghanistan to Syria and Iran, from Russia and China to North Korea and Islamist terrorism, Trump and His Generals is a brilliant reckoning with an American ship of state navigating a roiling sea of acute threats without a well-functioning rudder. Bergen is both an intrepid and exquisitely well-sourced journalist and a very wise head himself on national security issues, and the combination of intense human drama and trenchant big-picture analysis results in a gripping read that offers tremendous clarity on the complex landscape of America’s geopolitical place in the world. Clarity, unfortunately, is not the same thing as reassurance.
Click to Buy “Impeachment” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Impeachment is a double-edged sword. Though it was designed to check tyrants, Thomas Jefferson also called impeachment “the most formidable weapon for the purpose of a dominant faction that was ever contrived.” On the one hand, it nullifies the will of voters, the basic foundation of all representative democracies. On the other, its absence from the Constitution would leave the country vulnerable to despotic leadership. It is rarely used, and with good reason.
Only three times has a president’s conduct led to such political disarray as to warrant his potential removal from office, transforming a political crisis into a constitutional one. None has yet succeeded. Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 for failing to kowtow to congressional leaders–and, in a large sense, for failing to be Abraham Lincoln–yet survived his Senate trial. Richard Nixon resigned in August 1974 after the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment against him for lying, obstructing justice, and employing his executive power for personal and political gain. Bill Clinton had an affair with a White House intern, but in 1999 he faced trial in the Senate less for that prurient act than for lying under oath about it.
Click to Buy “Democracy in Chains” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Behind today’s headlines of billionaires taking over our government is a secretive political establishment with long, deep, and troubling roots. The capitalist radical right has been working not simply to change who rules, but to fundamentally alter the rules of democratic governance. But billionaires did not launch this movement; a white intellectual in the embattled Jim Crow South did. Democracy in Chains names its true architect—the Nobel Prize-winning political economist James McGill Buchanan—and dissects the operation he and his colleagues designed over six decades to alter every branch of government to disempower the majority. “Democracy in Chains leaves me with hope: Perhaps as books like MacLean’s continue to shine a light on important truths, Americans will begin to realize they need to pay more attention and not succumb to the cynical view that known liars make the best leaders.” —New York Times Book Review
Click to Buy “The Mueller Report” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
The long-awaited Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election. An introduction by The Washington Post titled “A President, a Prosecutor, and the Protection of American Democracy”. A timeline of the major events of the Special Counsel’s investigation from May 2017, when Robert Mueller was appointed, to the report’s delivery. A guide to individuals involved, including in the Special Counsel’s Office, the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Trump Campaign, the White House, the Trump legal defense team, and the Russians. Key documents in the Special Counsel’s investigation, including filings pertaining to General Michael T. Flynn, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Roger Stone, and the Russian internet operation in St. Petersburg. Each document is introduced and explained by Washington Post reporters.
One of the most urgent and important investigations ever conducted, the Mueller inquiry focuses on Donald Trump, his presidential campaign, and Russian interference in the 2016 election, and draws on the testimony of dozens of witnesses and the work of some of the country’s most seasoned prosecutors. The special counsel’s investigation looms as a turning point in American history. The Mueller Report is essential reading for all citizens concerned about the fate of the presidency and the future of our democracy.
Click to Buy “Fascism” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
A Fascist, observes Madeleine Albright, “is someone who claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is utterly unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use violence and whatever other means are necessary to achieve the goals he or she might have.” A personal and urgent examination of Fascism in the twentieth century and how its legacy shapes today’s world, written by one of America’s most admired public servants, the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state. Fascism: A Warning is a book for our times that is relevant to all times. Written by someone who has not only studied history but helped to shape it, this call to arms teaches us the lessons we must understand and the questions we must answer if we are to save ourselves from repeating the tragic errors of the past.
Click to Buy “Blowout” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
In 2010, the words “earthquake swarm” entered the lexicon in Oklahoma. That same year, a trove of Michael Jackson memorabilia–including his iconic crystal-encrusted white glove–was sold at auction for over $1 million to a guy who was, officially, just the lowly forestry minister of the tiny nation of Equatorial Guinea. And in 2014, Ukrainian revolutionaries raided the palace of their ousted president and found a zoo of peacocks, gilded toilets, and a floating restaurant modeled after a Spanish galleon. Unlikely as it might seem, there is a thread connecting these events, and Rachel Maddow follows it to its crooked source: the unimaginably lucrative and equally corrupting oil and gas industry. With her trademark black humor, Maddow takes us on a switchback journey around the globe, revealing the greed and incompetence of Big Oil and Gas along the way, and drawing a surprising conclusion about why the Russian government hacked the 2016 U.S. election. She deftly shows how Russia’s rich reserves of crude have, paradoxically, stunted its growth, forcing Putin to maintain his power by spreading Russia’s rot into its rivals, its neighbors, the West’s most important alliances, and the United States. Chevron, BP, and a host of other industry players get their star turn, most notably ExxonMobil and the deceptively well-behaved Rex Tillerson. The oil and gas industry has weakened democracies in developed and developing countries, fouled oceans and rivers, and propped up authoritarian thieves and killers. But being outraged at it is, according to Maddow, “like being indignant when a lion takes down and eats a gazelle. You can’t really blame the lion. It’s in her nature.”
Click to Buy “Our Revolution” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
When Bernie Sanders began his race for the presidency, it was considered by the political establishment and the media to be a “fringe” campaign, something not to be taken seriously. After all, he was just an Independent senator from a small state with little name recognition. His campaign had no money, no political organization, and it was taking on the entire Democratic Party establishment.
In Our Revolution, Sanders shares his personal experiences from the campaign trail, recounting the details of his historic primary fight and the people who made it possible. And for the millions looking to continue the political revolution, he outlines a progressive economic, environmental, racial, and social justice agenda that will create jobs, raise wages, protect the environment, and provide health care for all–and ultimately transform our country and our world for the better. For him, the political revolution has just started. The campaign may be over, but the struggle goes on.
Two authors have made headlines as of recent. Passages from Dean Koontz’s book “The Eyes of Darkness” and Sylvia Brown’s book “End of Days” have begun to surface on the web, spooking people out on what many feel is an eerie prediction to what is happening in our world today.
The first book, “The Eyes of Darkness” originally published in 1981 by Koontz is a science fiction novel. The excerpt reads:
They call the stuff ‘Wuhan-400’ because it was developed at their RDNA labs outside of the city of Wuhan, and it was the four-hundredth viable strain of man-made microorganisms created at that research center. ‘Wuhan-400’ is the perfect weapon.
dean koontz “the eyes of darkness” page 333
Although the creep factor is definitely present in Koontz’s book as it specifically names Wuhan which is the city of origin allegedly responsible for the coronavirus. In reality there are no current facts or evidence to suggests that the virus is a lab-made “weapon” and instead most likely transmitted from animals to humans, although World Health Organization (WHO) is still researching the source .
Even more users on social media dug deeper in attempts to decipher potential codes, one being that 400 in the fictional virus name “Wuhan-400” is broken down mathematically when you multiply 20 x 20 that obviously connects to our current year of 2020.
“End of Days: Predictions and Prophecies About the End of the World” by Brown was published in 2008.
In around 2020 a severe pneumonia-like illness will spread throughout the globe, attacking the lungs and the bronchial tubes and resisting all known treatments.
slyvia brown’s “end of days” page 136
Sylvia Brown's book "End of days" predicted the outbreak as far back as 2006. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ito8rlyJ0I
There are also the same minimal similarities in Brown’s book and reality. The coronavirus which causes the disease now known as COVID-19 has no factual backing that it is resistance of treatment. The human immune system is believed to be able to fight off the disease like that of other cold and flu virus strains, obviously those that have compromised immune systems along with the young and elderly are more at risk. The CDC and WHO have both reported early trials of potential vaccinations and treatments are in clinical trials and are expected to be available soon.
With lots of talk of the coronavirus becoming a pandemic, it is easy for hysteria, panic, and even alarmist behaviors to set in. In general the coronavirus appears to spread from person to person via respiratory (ex: coughing or sneezing) so the best prevention is to maintain and practice good hygiene including washing your hands with soap and hot water and by disinfecting commonly used areas. Also masks don’t do much to prevent infection (only helpful if you are already sick).
Infamous or just Out of Control, New Origin Story Details could Shed light on the Gargantuan Beast
Facebook has been one of the most important enterprises of the twenty-first century so far. With well over a billion users worldwide, few companies have received more coverage and attention than Mark Zuckerberg’s social network, which is only celebrating its sixteenth birthday this month.
Naturally, as the World Wide Web enters its thirties in the 2020s, tech writers and modern scholars in all fields are starting to reference Facebook as a contemporary relic and topic of interest. In the future, we will likely find entire library sections worth of books dedicated to Facebook and its impact on the planet. We have already seen a handful of texts as well as an Oscar nominated David Fincher movie (“The Social Network”) that flesh out the website’s story and societal intricacies.
On February 25th, however, we may finally get an initial, definitive book written about Facebook. Steven Levy’s “Facebook: The Inside Story” is part Zuckerberg biography, part corporate history, part digital humanities study, and part sociological analysis, focusing in intimate detail on the rise, development, impact, and complications that Facebook has undergone since its initial lowly launch out of a 2004 Harvard University dorm room.
Steven Levy is a lead editor at Wired.com and has also written for The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and Esquire amongst other publications. He is one of the world’s foremost technology journalists, covering the latest of industrial achievements (and pitfalls) over the past couple decades. He has published seven books before “Facebook: The Inside Story,” including ones centering on the Macintosh computer and on the iPod. “Facebook” is his first book to focus on a singular website, though, and it is the amalgamation of over ten years worth of research, journalism, and reporting on the topic.
Click to buy “Facebook: The Inside Story” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Levy’s relationship with Zuckerberg goes way back to 2006, when the entrepreneur was but a young university student trying to get his inter-collegiate social network site called “TheFacebook” up from the ground. As a devoted reporter, Levy has naturally met with Zuckerberg many times over the years and has religiously followed Facebook since its beginnings.
These years of relationships, interviews, and studious dedication have given Levy a keen insight into Facebook. In addition to unparalleled interpersonal access to Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg, the author also incorporates the experiences of other Facebook employees and users into his book, painting a holistic picture of the website from the inside and out.
Levy expertly chronicles the site’s somewhat tragic-hero trajectory, from Facebook’s nefarious beginnings to Zuckerberg’s infamous trial against the Winklevoss twins, from its “golden age” of uncontroversial influence in the early 2010s to its current hot-water situation following the 2016 election Cambridge Analytica scheme and the modern awareness regarding data rights.
Thoroughly Researched with an Attempt at a Definitive Take
Over five-hundred and ninety two pages, the book shares everything in a riveting narrative fashion, but Levy does not spare the reader some thoughtful analysis in the process. Today, we might associate Facebook (not to mention its extensive subsidiaries such as Instagram and Whatsapp) with contentious matters of privacy and ethicality, with grey legal areas and questionable security practices. Mark Zuckerberg’s name alone might evoke feelings of contempt, and one might immediately link him to his blundering appearance before Congress in 2019 or gross examples of an algorithmic dictatorship.
Levy does not shy away from these interpretations and complications surrounding Facebook, but he also reminds us that a time once existed when Zuckerberg was seen as an ingenious hero and Facebook was praised as a platform that could connect the world.
And connect the world it did… but now the consequences of doing so are coming to the foreground. Whether your deleting your account, boycotting the website, or fervently posting updates every hour of the day, Facebook has likely impacted you in someway or another over the past two decades. Thus, Levy’s book is not just an interesting read, but an important one—what is likely to be the first of many exhaustive books written about the network that tethered, shaped, and perhaps shrewdly deformed the modern social world.
Even if you’re Already Convinced of the Danger, this Book could propel you into Accelerated Action
In 2017, climate change journalist David Wallace-Wells published an essay titled “The Uninhabitable Earth” in the New York Magazine. The essay outlined in grave, uncompromising detail, the effects that climate change will have on the planet. Far beyond just talking about temperature increases and sea level rises by the numbers, Wallace-Wells dug into harrowing specifics about global warming, dissecting everything from the scientific to the socio-political impacts this unprecedented phenomenon will throw back into the face of humanity.
Now, Wallace-Wells has expanded his groundbreaking essay into an entire book, with the full title “The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming.” Like the essay before it, Wallace-Wells’ new book looks deep into the climate crisis, sparing not a shred of honesty in explaining how the human race will suffer from this ongoing environmental catastrophe.
The book is far beyond defining or describing the causes of climate change. As its subtitle explains, “The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming” centers on the horrifying consequences of climate change and paints a truthful image of what the planet will look like once this behemoth comes to irreversible fruition.
Click to buy “The Uninhabitable Earth” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
That image is grim, almost dystopian. The future Earth that Wallace-Wells describes feels like something out of “The Hunger Games,” “Wall-E,” or “Children Of Men.” Ecosystems collapsing, civilizations running amuck, and planetary ecocide leading to mass extinction are all likely climate change aftermaths according to the author, and his rationales are backed with extensive research and scientific evidence.
Even the aspects of climate change that seem most commonplace at this point, Wallace-Wells analyzes with an unparalleled degree of depth and severity. Semi-palatable effects such as melting ice sheets or rising temperatures have profound interconnected layers. As Wallace-Wells explains, a warmer planet will not only create inescapable heat-waves, but it will also lead to heightened illnesses, lethal air quality, biodiversity loss, and migration disruption for humans and other species.
Likewise, while a rising ocean will tragically submerge many of our coastal cities, the book further explains how moving inland will not solve all of the problems, for with an eroding coastline, humanity will lose massive amounts of its food supplies, and our global race will cease to be a people of plenty.
Hope is still Possible but Our Hourglass is Running Out of Sand
This leads to many of the political aftermaths that Wallace-Wells covers in the book. He argues that with climate change displacing, infecting, and literally suffocating so many people, class divides will become sharper (the poor suffering insurmountably more), the nation-state ideology will shift, and more wars will break out. Likewise, economic systems will collapse, as entire markets will disappear and capitalistic gains will lose relevance in the face of Armageddon—a hard-to-swallow reality for those who prioritize fiscal profits over environmental reformation right now.
This is just the surface of what “The Uninhabitable Earth” covers. The book is truly a wide-ranging, almost all-encompassing study of the modern environmental world and where it is heading. Wallace-Wells follows in the esteemed footsteps of eco-critical writers such as Rachel Carson, Elizabeth Kolbert, Alan Weisman, and Amitav Ghosh.
The Economist, The Washington Post, and The New York Times amongst other review publications have heaped high praise on the book, and several critics listed it as one of the best books of 2019. The overarching consensus is that Wallace-Wells’ book is insightful, impactful, and absolutely terrifying, frightening the reader with its unbending image of reality and its harsh truth about where the planet is heading, short a total immediate commitment to counter the threat.
Amazon represents a New Normal but Not Everybody is Happy with That
From a consumer perspective it’s hard to argue with buying things at a very low price, often, in the case of books, below wholesale and with ridiculously fast free shipping. But who is paying for this? Mainly, it’s complicated, but it has traditionally been people and companies that sold books before the existence of Amazon, later known as the grim reaper, destroyed their businesses and livelihoods.
Recently, deep inside the Amazon system the rot is starting to show. Just as a camel is unlikely to pass through the eye of a needle, you don’t get to be a trillion dollar eCommerce retail giant without some internal corruption. A lot of internal corruption. Who knows? …as a customer, you might even encounter expired lemon curd or a used diaper along the way.
Compare this to Apple, a company that charges a premium for the best products and service. And for the caché of being part of a greater whole that stands for something other than “the cheapest no matter what”. Not without soiled hands perhaps, but on the other end of the spectrum from winning by selling at impossible prices. Instead it is a company known for building a brand that stands for quality, luxury and innovation above all.
Somewhere, on the good-guy side yet between these diametrically opposed behemoths now stands a new, tiny, alternative for the book world: Bookshop.Org
A Formula that just might Work, as People Gradually Realize that a Monopsony is Just as bad as a Monopoly
The ORG is important as it signals the true fact that this is a company with a purpose beyond profit and that it is a cooperative venture in nature. The site is founded as a bet that true Booklovers can be persuaded forego a few dollars of artificial price reduction to support a better entity, and still get a premium product and experience.
Bookshop.org is registered as a B-Corp and therefore pledged to place social good ahead of profit. Since profits are predivirted to help independent booksellers, authors and others that choose to affiliate, profits are limited inherently in the business model.
The idea that the thought content of the books themselves can bind together producer, seller and reader, along with the sharing of an affinity towards authors and ideas, is something that has been all but lost, after the decimation of bookstores of all kinds in the wake of the Amazon explosion.
This is also true of other product categories, say, consumer electronics, but books and bookstores were the first target for extermination, thus the experience of sharing a like-minded love of books with a store that will provide them is now, truly, an all but extinct concept.
Created to help those independent book sellers across the country that have survived in spite of the “success” of the below-cost dumping strategy employed by the “Death Star”, Bookshop.org is an alliance that includes the American Booksellers Association as well as the largest book distributer in the US, assuring a vast current selection and an established fulfillment network.
Communicating the value of opting out of the status quo will fall on the booksellers and new partners that join the Bookshop in its quest. By the way, you too can contribute and become an affiliate member at no cost, for example if you are and Author or an Influencer, or if your blog can send potential book buyers to the site.
Finally, For Booklovers who Love Booklovers a site that Loves Indie Booksellers
John Warner of the Chicago Tribune has likened the endeavor to the Starwars Rebel Alliance fighting against Amazon’s Death Star, and the analogy is certainly apt. However, this is more about the option to inhabit a world where there is a book buying choice beyond the obvious and ubiquitous.
Where, in an Amazon world, is it possible to choose an experience that is, in a sense, also an investment in dignity and diversity, and who better to make such an unique choice than the well-read Booklover?
Ammunition on the supplier side is a commission, more like a stipend really, of approximately double the amount a seller receives if they send buyers to Amazon (known as an affiliate commission and attached to virtually all offers across the web), with the extra bit paid for by not being an only for-profit entity. That’s high concept if ever there was.
For a detailed breakdown of the site’s concept and financial structure you can go directly to Bookshop or read Joan Verdon’s excellent article in Forbes.
So, while the richest man on planet earth pays hundreds of million$ to PHDs to come up with new ways to destroy existing competitors – even those that pose no threat whatsoever, you can side-step all that noise and chose to be Hans Solo, reluctant but ultimately heroic, and support the people who love books more than just money.
If you see Lynxotic book reviews, from now on, they will likely have a link to an offer to buy from our Bookshop.org independent bookstore partner cherrybooks who, yes, will reap a small but meaningful reward for joining the cause.
A Preview of Coming Conflicts that will Determine if Our Planet will Survive
Blowout is Rachel Maddow’s 3rd book and features a journey of intertwined stories that shine a light on the rise of Oil, Power and Corruption. Only after absorbing these fascinating fragments comes the realization that this history is either moving inexorably toward the brink of extinction, or, if somehow other forces intervene, an almost utopian potential.
A New York Times Bestseller upon release, its true weight and import is likely only to be recognized over the decades to come.
The narrative is built as a series of naturally staged and clearly factual anecdotes tracing the genesis and roots of the fossil fuel industry, followed up through the past two decades. Ultimately the story takes us to the moment (now) that represents a final crossroads leading to total world destruction, carbon burning suicide, or to a chance at redemption by replacing the corrupt empire of prettified organic matter with clean, renewable alternatives.
Maddow chooses to omit, for the most part, any discussion of climate change or the crisis that it is already unleashing on the planet, and focuses instead on the corrupt power, money and environmentally destructive nature of all the forces that led to is. As a result, the impact of the book is made all the more potent.
Please click on photo to buy “Blowout” and at the same time you can help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also available on Amazon
Perhaps a Film or Docudrama could be in the Works?
Cinematically told from various POVs, almost sympathetic to even the least admirable characters, and by featuring the minutiae of the lives of individual actors in the drama, there’s a great feeling, as if the reader is privy to the inner workings of this almost infinitely powerful yet secretive society. It’s a wild ride and dramatic twists abound, but in the end the facts and seriousness of the subject matter inspires deeper reflection… and thoughts toward action.
As the narrator bounces from Oklahoma City to New York to Alaska to Moscow, there is a sense that these wildly disparate fates will eventually intertwine into the story’s climax. Meanwhile, the detail and texture of the players and locales is engrossing and even entertaining, like a sometimes shocking virtual tour in the shoes of her heroes and villains.
It’s a wild ride, dramatic twists abound, but in the end the facts and seriousness of the subject matter inspires deeper reflection…
D.L.
Putin’s rise to power and his decision to use oil and natural gas spoils as a way to rebuild Russia into a personal empire of crime is one fascinating thread deftly woven into the narrative. The enormous impact and bizarre facts of the fracking industry is another. And where this all comes together is in twisted links between US industry and politics, International corruption and, yes, the current administration in Washington.
Ultimately, without so much as hinting at this idea, at least until the final chapters, the underlying message is that the events, actions and characters portrayed in this tale are what stands between the survival of all the humans on this planet (not to mention life itself) and extinction. And, that these are the last people on earth that should ever be allowed to have innocent lives in their hands (although, in essence, they already do).
While the timing might be coincidental, the fact is that the book has appeared on the scene at precisely the moment when a showdown is emerging between those that are working to undo the damage of the past 100 years, and those that are hell-bent on continuing down a suicidal path of greed and destruction. A turning point in sustainable transportation, solar and other renewable sources and even computer assisted breakthroughs from mass-transit to agriculture are threatening to leave carbon burning technology in the dust. But, as the book so skillfully points out, the carbon Barrons will not relinquish power without a fight.
As the book comes to a close, the reader is left with a stark realization that the current occupant of the White House is little more than a tiny, powerless pawn when compared with the virtually infinite resources and greed of this cabal consisting of history’s most destructive beings.
Further, that the awesome power and hidden conspiracies are fighting, not just for a continuation of their own reign, but for an increase in all the destructive and dangerous plundering and daemonic infrastructure that they have been building and exploiting for the past century.
The hope, and there is hope, is only in the entire corrupt, dying system somehow being replaced with not only a sustainable clean energy infrastructure, but also a system of cooperating democratic organizations free of the rapacious greed and murderous evil that continue to push the failed agenda of the past. That only the complete eradication of the soon to be redundant fossil fuel industrial complex can lead to a world without the dangers and crimes as detailed so meticulously in “Blowout”.
Marie Kondo wants to help others find joy in the act of tidying up. The opportunity to reassess and bring more awareness to our personal belongings in a more mindful way is her unique approach to cleaning.
Best Known for her bestselling books, “ The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, “Spark Joy”, more recently Kondo is gaining fans for her Netflix show, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo”.
On a mission to inspire others and to “spark joy”, she’s aided by her expertise in tidying along with her organizational method called KonMarie.
Thoughts of tidying often conjure up an end result of little more than a somewhat cleaner and more tidy outward appearance. Marie Kondo’s special talent is to help illuminate many indirect personal benefits that can arise as a result of confronting your sub-conscious attachments to belongings.
Marie’s unconventional and heart-warming approach is refreshing and helpful in comparison to how most people view cleaning (example: as a dreaded chore).
Take the clothes in your hands and see what you feel. If they make you feel happy and motivated, keep them. On the contrary, if they make you feel guilty or bring you unhappy emotions, let them go. By letting go, you can make space for clothes that make you happy and support you.
Her methods are systematic and start by organizing items based on categories (versus by location). There are five categories that are in a specific order: clothing, books, paper, komono (which encompasses kitchen, bathroom and garage), and lastly, sentimental/emotional items.
As can be seen in her Netflix Show, when first coming into any clients home, Kondo first greets the home, allowing the residents to give thanks to the home for shelter and protection, and as a formal way of communicating the beginning of the tidying process.
Under her system, each category requires you to accumulate all the items together (e.g. gathering clothing from all rooms and creating a large pile) in order to pick up and touch each individual item.
The very act of collecting all belongings within each category forces one to confront the possessions and, in some cases, take a hard look at any excessive materialism.
Only items that spark joy, creating a warm and positive feeling (“holding a puppy feeling”) should be kept and items no longer wanted or needed, are to be thanked and and then let go.
By choosing to keep only items that spark joy and letting go of unnecessary items a cathartic refocus can occur, leading to understanding of what is most important and, ultimately, learning to cherish what you have, in order to achieve greater happiness in life.
