Author: Bergers Book Reviews

Author and book reviewer.
finance

Tax-Free Retirement

Bergers Book Reviews

taxfree
Author: Patrick Kelly
Publisher: Strategic Financial Concepts
Genre: Personal Finance
ISBN: 142511082-7
Pages: 176
Price: $19.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Retirement is a long way off, and you’ve planned carefully. You maximize IRA contributions and take advantage of your company’s 401(k). But have you ever given any thought to the amount of tax you may be paying when you finally retire?

One of the benefits we’re sold on in tax-deferred plans is the idea we’ll be in a lower tax bracket when we retire. But the author suggests just the opposite may be true. As the US national debt continues to rise, taxes may be on the upswing instead.

So how can we be sure the assets we’ve accumulated won’t be taxed heavily by Uncle Sam? That’s what Tax-Free Retirement will show you. By investing in a specific life insurance product, you can maximize your funds in a tax-free manner.

I have to admit, I didn’t know where the author was going with this, but when he mentioned he was an insurance salesman, I had an idea he might be endorsing an insurance product. So I read this book with a degree of skepticism. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that this concept is not recommended for everyone. Certain people with certain levels of income will benefit the most, and the author suggests this strategy won’t be beneficial at all to others.

As with all major financial decisions, research this plan carefully and don’t take any risks you can’t afford to lose on. But if the information in this book is utilized properly, you may find your key to a tax-free retirement in its pages.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Paws, Claws, Hands, and Feet

Bergers Book Reviews

paws
Author: Kimberly Hutmacher
Illustrator: Sherry Rogers
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-934359-88-4
Pages: 32
Price: $16.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Kids may know they have feet with toes, but what kinds of feet do animals have? A boy and girl go on a nighttime dream journey of discovery to see for themselves.

Vibrant rhyming phrases describe each animal’s activities using their feet. Colorful images created by Sherry Rogers show them digging, leaping, splashing and hopping. This nocturnal adventure takes the kids outside their home, off to the arctic, deep into Africa, and to the wilds of Australia to see the various animals.

Finally the kids arrive back home to their own beds, surrounded by the animals they’ve gone to visit. The last section of this book includes a quiz matching the animals to the feet, as well as facts on the different types of feet.

Paws, Claws, Hands and Feet is an active, rhythmic story that kids will enjoy reading over and over. A fresh look at the animals and their feet educates as well as entertains. This fun and informative book would make a great addition to any kid’s collection.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

DIDYANO?

Bergers Book Reviews

didyano
Author & Illustrator: Timothy D. Thomas
Publisher: Thomas Expressions
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9771059-2-2
Pages: 64
Price: $17.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Did you know that kangaroos can’t walk backwards? Or that puffins can stand on their tippy-toes? Well if you didn’t, you need to read Didyano?

This flip book provides a one-page summary of facts on many aquarium and zoo animals. Names of the males and females, as well as the group name, are included, plus some details about their young and how they are born or hatched. “Be aware and care” by learning what the threats are to each, and how we can try to protect them.

Colorful cartoon illustrations of the animals demonstrate the group names. A sleuth of pandas wear Sherlock Holmes attire and carry a magnifying glass, and a knot of snakes is shown all tangled up.

Cute, fun and informative, Didyano? would make a great addition to any animal lover’s collection.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, health, parenting

Sadie’s Sore Throat

Bergers Book Reviews

sadie
Author: Charlotte Cowan, M.D.
Illustrator: Katy Bratun
Publisher: Hippocratic Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 0-9753516-4-8
Pages: 32
Price: $17.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Sadie the giraffe doesn’t feel well. Her throat is sore and her tummy hurts. And when her mom takes her temperature, she has a fever of 102F. It’s time for Sadie to visit Dr. Hippo to see what’s the matter. Dr. Hippo takes a throat culture, diagnoses the problem, and Sadie is soon all better. She even gets to go to the fair.

Sadie’s Sore Throat is part of the Dr. Hippo series, designed to explain illnesses to children so they understand what’s happening to their bodies. This book shows us the stages of Sadie’s illness, her visit with the doctor, and how she gets well once she takes her medicine.

In addition to the story, a guide for parents is included, which explains what to look for when a child has a sore throat, and how to handle it. I highly recommend this cute and informative story for all families with young children.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

health, self improvement

Truth Heals

Bergers Book Reviews

truth
Author: Deborah King
Publisher: Hay House
Genre: Self-help / Psychology
ISBN: 978-1-4019-2301-3
Pages: 216
Price: $22.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Most people don’t want to look very closely at their painful pasts. But they probably don’t realize those memories are still hurting them physically. In Truth Heals, author Deborah King explores how these experiences affect our energy centers and shows us how we can reverse their effects.

Focusing on each chakra (energy center), King shares some of her own childhood traumas and those of her clients. She explains how these might affect a person’s health and emotional state today. Then she provides some thoughts on letting go in order to heal.

The reader doesn’t need to be familiar with chakras in order to benefit from this book. King explains what they are, along with the kinds of illnesses that manifest in each. She encourages those being treated for a specific illness to continue to work with their medical practitioners, while also integrating some emotional work to help the body let go of disease.

Practical, helpful and uplifting, Truth Heals is a reminder that we are all that we put into our bodies – including our thoughts. Since we can change our thinking, we can also help reverse disease in our bodies. Anyone who wants to improve their health will find this book helpful in making positive changes.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Gassy the Cow

Bergers Book Reviews

Gassy
Author: Garth Dahl
Illustrator: Reka Hegedus
Publisher: Modern World Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-978-2839-2-6
Pages: 32
Price: $11.00

Buy it at Amazon

Gassy only thinks about one thing – food. He has a secret patch of herbs and vegetation that he won’t share with anyone. But eating these fine delicacies tends to leave him bloated and gassy with an obvious tooting problem.

One day Mona shows up on the farm, and Gassy falls in love. His rival, Bruno, catches her fancy, since Gassy can’t stop his smelly toots. Now Gassy needs to come up with a plan to win Mona’s heart.

There were a couple of things that didn’t work for me in this book. I found the illustrations to be odd, since these bovines stand on two feet, and Mona has both an udder and breasts. The author calls them all cows, even though that term usually refers only to the females, and he calls Bruno a heifer, which is a young female. Gassy also thinks he is lactose intolerant, but he has trouble digesting vegetation, not milk.

Gassy the Cow is full of farting humor which is popular with kids, and they will probably giggle over Gassy’s problem. Silly and cute, this romance ends on a happy note.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, holiday

Santopia – Book One: Santa and the Lost Princess

Bergers Book Reviews

santopiaAuthor: Sir Nicholas Throckmorton
Publisher: Gramercy Park Press
Genre: Children / Christmas
ISBN: 0981715400
Pages: 116
Price: $12.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Far north, in the magical realm of Santopia, the current Santa has a new son. The Wizard issues a prophesy for this new heir to the kingdom, which says baby Nicky will marry the first girl born after him.

But over in the kingdom of Drear, the Countess is nearly about to give birth. After hearing the prophesy, she induces labor and is pleased when her daughter, Dazzle is born. That is, until she learns another couple has also given birth to a daughter, who may have been born before Dazzle.

Upsetting the Countess of Drear is never a good idea, so this poor couple needs to do something quickly before they and their new daughter lose their lives. Escape is dangerous and nearly impossible, and intrigue and treachery abound.

This story is set at Christmas, and is full of colorful holiday imagery. Many of the Santa traditions are included, making the story feel real. But one thing I found a little confusing was the different races at Santopia that all ended in “elves” – Gelves, Trelves, etc.

I enjoyed this story, and found myself cheering for the young couple to save themselves and their daughter. But I have to admit I was a little disappointed in the ending, which left the story at an obvious cliff-hanger. If you love Santa and Christmas, I think you’ll enjoy this fast-paced and fun tale.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Weebeasts Plight

Bergers Book Reviews

weebeasts
Author: Micah Linton
Publisher: Beast Stew
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9821734-0-4
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Once upon a time, the weebeasts had a home. As a result of some unfortunate choices, they find themselves in search of a new place to live. And during their journey, they make some fascinating discoveries.

In Weebeastology, Vol. 1, author and illustrator Micah Linton introduced us to these fictional beings. By providing the pictures without the words, he invited children to discover the story of the weebeasts for themselves. Weebeasts Plight was created for a younger audience and provides the story line along with pencil and watercolor illustrations.

The weebeasts learn a lesson in how to play nice with others. They also discover that it’s exciting to go out and explore new places. Kids will have fun joining these unique creatures on a wonderful journey to their new home.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

finance

The SmartestWay to Save

Bergers Book Reviews

smartest
Author: Samuel K. Freshman & Heidi E. Clingen
Publisher: Straightline Publishers
Genre: Personal Finance
ISBN: 978-1-4196-5683-5
Pages: 220
Price: $16.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

In this uncertain economy, we’re all looking for ways to cut expenses and put money in the bank. Authors Samuel K. Freshman and Heidi E. Clingen have created a system called The SmartestWay to Save to help make it easier.

This book is all about saving, not investments. You won’t find any advice on where to put your money once you’ve accumulated it. Instead, you’re encouraged to do your own research and choose wisely. But if you want to learn how to build your savings, The SmartestWay to Save offers some ideas.

Many of the concepts discussed are pure common sense – don’t spend to keep up with others, don’t worry about what other people think, think before you spend, pay yourself first, comparison shop, and avoid debt.

But at times I wondered about their suggestions. They strongly tell us to avoid debit cards and ATMs, but if you keep careful tabs on your checking account balance, you can very safely use them to avoid credit cards. Shop discount stores like Sears and JCPenney? The last time I stepped inside either of these stores, I hardly thought their prices resembled “discount” prices. And Avon is “inexpensive” makeup? I don’t think so.

Many internet sites are sprinkled throughout the book, but these are simply store links easily found through a search engine. Instead I’d have liked to see information on finding “discount codes” at websites we shop on a regular basis – they’re out there if you know where to look for them. Tips on using the internet to find the best prices around would also have been helpful.

I’m a very frugal accountant, so my opinion may be slanted a bit, but to me, this is a very basic book designed to sway a spender to think about and start saving money. If you’ve been frugal for a while, I’m pretty sure you’ve been doing many of the suggestions already, and you’ll find this book too basic for your needs.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Love, Elmo

Bergers Book Reviews

loveelmo
Author: Meg McLaughlin
Illustrator: Tom Brannon
Publisher: Dalmatian Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 1-40375-323-7
Pages: 24
Price: $3.50

Author’s website

Abby Cadabby has never received a letter, so Elmo decides he will make one for her with the help of his Sesame Street friends. As he visits with each of them, they all add their special thoughts to the letter. Elmo then puts the finishing touch on it with his signature.

This adorable little book is full of wonderful learning opportunities. New vocabulary words are sprinkled throughout to help children learn to express themselves more fully. Alphabet references are used with new and interesting combinations, like C is for cantaloupe. All of the drawings explained in the story show up in the final letter given to Abby, so children can match the words to the pictures.

Children will enjoy this sweet story of Elmo being kind to Abby, but they’ll also learn so much from the clever educational tools. I highly recommend Love, Elmo.

Reviewer: Alice Berger