Category Archives: Reference Works

Child of non-fiction parent.

book review, Non-Fiction, Reference Works, Writing Reference

THE AUTHOR’S CHECKLIST – Review

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleThe Author’s Checklist: An Agents Guide to
Developing and Editing Your Manuscript
AuthorElizabeth K. Kracht
PublisherNew World Library (Febuary 4, 2020)
FormatKindle, Paperback, Audiobook
GenreAuthorship, Non-fiction Writing reference,
Fiction Writing Reference
Pages240
LanguageEnglish
ASIN #B083TPCNSF

AUTHOR

Elizabeth K. Kracht, is the writer of The Author’s Checklist. She is currently a literary agent with Kimberly Cameron & Associates and she is a freelance editor. You can read more about her here.

SYNOPSIS

The Author’s Checklist is Elizabeth’s Kracht’s debut publication. It is a monograph on the subject of improving your success when approaching an agent with your precious draft. The purpose is to help you increase the likely-hood of your work being accepted by avoiding the most common pitfalls.

The Author’s Checklist is meant to be utilized as a reference for aspiring writers wishing to become published authors through the traditional publishing route. 

The book’s format is purposefully set out in an alphabetic manner in order to allow users to skip through to the most important sections for the end-user. I found it to be eminently practical as a reference and I am confident that a new or unpublished author would find it an intensive course of what not to do. The sections have a checklist with practical suggestions to enhance your writing. The Conclusion and associated Appendix A and B contain: Query Letter and Synopsis Examples.

The fact that Kracht has a long history of experience both as a literary agent and a freelance editor instills confidence in her valuable opinions. It is a handy and helpful guide for all those looking for professional advice on the many aspects of getting published.

CONCLUSION

The Author’s Checklist is clear, concise and would be a valuable addition to any prospective author’s library. It sensibly delivered, and has practical guidance for novice author’s taking their first steps into the world of traditional publishing.

I would have liked greater elaboration in some sections, but the limited length may have influenced the verbosity of the finished work.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Elizabeth K. Kracht, NetGalley, and New World Library for affording me the opportunity to review The Author’s Checklist: An Agents Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript.

OTHER WORK BY THIS AUTHOR

book review, Medical Science, Medicine, Non-Fiction, Reference Works

50 SUCCESSFUL HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL ESSAYS – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

Title50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays
Author(s)Staff of the Harvard Crimson
PublisherSt. Martin’s Griffin (8 June, 2020
FormatKindle, Paperback
Pages240
LanguageEnglish
ISBN# 10/131250244471 / 978-1250244475

AUTHOR

The Harvard Crimson is a non-profit student run newspaper at Harvard University. You can find out more about it here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

Applicants for pre-eminent Medical School Universities.

SYNOPSIS

The “Personal Statement” has been an intrinsic part of the British Ivy league universities since the late 1980s. Their purpose was to separate the hard empirical scores presented in examination results from the candidates soft character traits. Those traits form an important part of the selection process for medical school. These soft characteristics include the candidates experiences, motivations, and suitability to train in the medical field.

The Medical Profession requires particular requirements. The prospective student must have a combination of technical and scientific knowledge; as well as being personable, approachable, compassionate and have fine interpersonal communication skills.

Admission boards use the personal statement in addition to the applicants grade point averages to asses their level of maturity, communication skills and their critical thinking ability.

Prospective applicants often make the critical mistake of misunderstanding the importance of their personal statement. It is part of the wider selection metrics; such as their past academic performance, reference letter or personal interview. Yet the personal statement forms arguably their best opportunity to make a winning impression. This is where 50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays becomes an excellent resource for those wishing to create effective applications that could give them the key to acceptance into the hallowed halls of medical school academia.

50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays can enhance the likelihood of success through improvements to your personal statement preparation. The Staff of the Harvard Crimson provides the reader with 50 real-world examples of previously successful applicants. They highlight the myriad of key traits that the medical school selection committee will be looking for, such as:

Motivation

Empathy

Honesty

Enthusiasm

Commitment

Humor

Perseverance

Compassion

Emotional Stability

Each of the 50 essays has an analysis with helpful recommendations and explanations of the qualities that hold the greatest value to the selection committee. 50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays will provide an advantage in your application process. I was happy to see that the editors made it clear that the process gives students with lower MCAT grades access to top medical schools. 50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays does this by alerting the prospective applicant to the importance of a well-rounded character; educationally, socially, emotionally and psychologically. These traits are required to face the rigors of the medical school assault course.

CONCLUSION

50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays is filled with important advice for anyone wishing to enhance their probability of receiving a placement offer at a leading medical institution. It provides practical guidance on how to approach a personal statement in order to make the best impression and showcase the desired characteristics universities are looking for.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank The Staff of the Harvard Crimson, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Griffin for affording me the opportunity to review 50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays.

Animal & Pet Care, book review, Non-Fiction, Reference Works

TIGERS – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleTigers: Stunning Photographs of the World’s
Biggest Cats (Animals) 
AuthorPaula Hammond
PublisherAmber Books Ltd (14 Mar. 2020)
FormatHardcover
Page224
LanguageEnglish
ISBN# 10/131782749659 / 978-1782749653

AUTHOR

Paula Hammond has worked as a publisher, copy-writer, ghost-writer, author, and journalist. She has written over 50 fiction and non-fiction books as well as sponsored resources, comics, poetry and scripts for DVDs and CD-ROMS. Clients include Harper Collins, Marshall Cavendish, Scholastic, World Book, Disney, Betty Crocker, and the BBC. She also contributes to a wide variety of news-stand magazines and journals. A selection of her publications can be viewed on Amazon and Pinterest (WriterPaula).

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

This work has broad appeal for all those who are interested by the wildest of wildlife.

SYNOPSIS

Tigers is more of a photographic folio of the Tiger species than a scientific examination of that big cat. That said, it does not detract from the sheer beauty of this hardcover. It might be more accurate to call it a gallery book.

This monograph is an extravaganza of large, oversized, full color, high quality, photographs. Some of the plates are accompanied by tracts describing aspects of this most noble of the cat species. I was so taken with the subject that I found myself repeatedly flicking through the pages again and again.

The presentation was concise consisting of the following:

Introduction

Tiger Species

Tiger Habitats

Hunting for Food

Tiger Cubs

Credits

CONCLUSION

Paula Hammond has produced a delightful work of photographic art. It is woven together with interesting tidbits of relevant and related information about the deadliest, most intelligent and magnificent animal that we share the planet with. “A thing of beauty is a joy forever,” describes Hammond’s book perfectly. If you love big cats, appreciate beautiful pictures or find the Tiger species interesting, then this is a must have book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Paula Hammond, NetGalley, and Amber Books Ltd for affording me the opportunity to review Tigers: Stunning Photographs of the World’s Biggest Cats (Animals) .

book review, History, Military History, Military Intelligence, Non-Fiction, Reference Works, World War 2

AGENTS OF INFLUENCE – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleAgents of Influence                          
AuthorHenry Hemming                        
PublisherPublic Affairs (October 8, 2019)     
FormatPaperback, Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook & CD       
Page400     
LanguageEnglish     
ISBN# 10 / 131541742141 / 978-1541742147     

“Foreign influence is truly the Grecian horse to a republic. We cannot be too careful to exclude its influence.”

Alexander Hamilton
(1757-1804) American statesman, Secretary of the Treasury
Pacificus, No. 6, July 17, 1793.
 

AUTHOR

The author of Agents of Influence is Henry Hemming. You can find more information about him and his other publications here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

I recommend this monograph to those with a general interest in military history and anyone with a particular interest in the asymmetric warfare of World War II.

SYNOPSIS

Agents of Influence is the true story of a British Intelligence team tasked with swaying a reluctant United States of America (USA) to join with Great Britain against the Axis Powers in WWII.

The central character, William (Bill) Stevenson is drawn into the murky world of undercover intelligence operations or a “war by other means.” He was assigned by the British Military Intelligence Agency (MI6) with the task of organizing a hand picked elite team of operatives to work behind the scenes influencing the U.S. populations opinions surrounding their role in the war. To this day His operation is considered to have been the most successful covert action ever to have taken place on U.S. soil. Spectacular in its scope, eye waveringly expensive in terms of cost and promethean in its use of an intelligence campaign, William’s enterprise is one of the greatest examples of mass population influence in modern history.

Hemming has us accompany Stevenson during the dark days of the 1940s following the tragedy of the evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk. In June of 1940 the U.S. population had no interest in becoming embroiled in the war across the “pond.” Through William and his teams influence, the national opinion slowly changed. Within a year and half, the attack on Pearl Harbor propelled the U.S. into World War II.

Hemming’s Agents of Influence unrolls the characters and the methods, including “fake news,” that changed the history of the world and the ultimate outcome of the war. He explains the British motivation behind the occult actions employed. He takes us on the ship with Stephenson and the wealth of a nation from across the Atlantic. From there he describes how Bill Stephenson uses his considerable talents to assemble an effective team, integrates them into U.S. society and begins his influence operations behind the scenes. That is just the beginning.

CONCLUSION

Agents of Influence is so outrageous that it seems too unbelievable to be true, and yet it happened. Put simply, it is one of those manuscripts that you find yourself carrying around so that you don’t miss an opportunity to read what happens next. I have just discovered a new favorite author. The next step is to get my hands on one or two of the five other works that Hemming has written. This is a superb read; but don’t take my word for it, go out and get a copy and discover for yourself the pleasure of a Henry Hemming volume. This is the first 5 star review of the year.

Written with academic prowess, scholarly skill, intensively researched, extensively referenced and reads as a compelling novel, Hemming has created a genuine winner.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Henry Hemming, NetGalley, and Public Affairs for affording me the opportunity to review Agents of Influence.

book review, History, Military History, Military Intelligence, Non-Fiction, Political Science, Reference Works

VICKSBURG – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

Vicksburg: Grant’s Campaign That Broke The Confederacy, Donald L. Miller
Title Vicksburg
Author Donald L. Miller
Publisher Simon & Schuster (October 29, 2019)
Format Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook     
Page 688     
Language English     
ISBN # 1451641370 ISBN -13   (978-1451641370)     

Author’s Bio

Professor Donald L. Miller is an established author of history related books since 2006. His earlier work: City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America is an award-winning publication. I am familiar with City of the Century, and Vicksburg is at least equal to or better than that book.

Who is the Target Audience?

This masterly study is an important read for those students of United States Civil War, those who enjoy Military Strategy and US Local History of the Civil War period. 

Synopsis

This book is written by Professor Emeritus Donald L. Miller and is already heralded as a potential best seller. Vicksburg possibly being a best seller doesn’t surprise me, because having read this rare gem I also hold that opinion. Miller guides us through the evolution of strategies used by Grant, Porter, and Sherman. The campaign at Vicksburg was the singular pivotal event leading to the final minutes of the South at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 

Vicksburg was thought to be completely impregnable due in part to: environment, geographic, natural and geological factors. Grant together with both of his cohorts Porter and Sherman managed to solve a seemingly impossible puzzle in breaching the unreachable. It wasn’t without losses, however, and illness and disease took their toll.

The retelling of the events leading to the conquest of Vicksburg is a compelling tale fixed in history, but now brought to life for a new audience. It is well paced, easy to understand and contains a plethora of facts. It is so well written that many people who usually don’t enjoy these subjects may find they do enjoy Miller’s style of writing.

Conclusion

I have no reluctance in highly recommending this book. It is likely to be an award-winning book in my opinion. I received this as a reviewer for NeGalley but I will be purchasing a copy because I like to support great writers. Don’t wait till it sells out, get your copy as soon as you can. 

Acknowledgment

My sincere thanks go to: The Author, NetGalley, and the Publisher Simon & Schuster for affording me the opportunity to review Vicksburg.

book review, Medical Science, Medicine, Non-Fiction, Reference Works, Regenerative Medicine, Science

STEM CELLS IN REGENERATIVE MEDICINE – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine by Mike K. S. Chan & Dmitry Klokol
Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine by Mike K. S. Chan & Dmitry Klokol

Comprehensive review coming soon.

Title Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine:
Carpe Diem – Carpe Vitam!
Author Mike K. S. Chan, Dmitry Klokol
Publisher Matador (July 31, 2019)
Format Kindle     
Page 551     
Language English     
ASIN # B07VVL2MS7     

Brief Synopsis

Quote: “The goal is to provide a once in a lifetime treatment to correct a specific medical deficit.”

Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine Carpe Diem-Carpe Vital! (July 31, 2019).

This is a seminal monograph on the subject of the therapeutic application and use of stem cells in “regenerative medicine.” The science described within the pages of this text may be leading edge, but Chan and Klokol have attempted to keep the information accessible to the average reader. However, in some parts the comprehension of the complex science may be challenging. Research scientists and students of medical research may gain the greatest benefits of this work.

The text guides you through the multiple applications of the utilization of Stem Cells and the medical illnesses that may be treated by the use of ‘Xenogeneic Cell Therapy.’ The authors posit the limitations and benefits of the scientific method as it relates explicitly to its use in human subjects. There is a brief description of xenotransplantation in the treatment of cells requiring regenerative assistance in a range of degenerative conditions through cross-species donated cells. Significant importance is placed in the use of cross-species hosts to be Scientific Pathogen Free Animals (SPF – Animals) through the use of ‘Closed Colony’ and proven clinical methods.

Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine describes the merits, the problemata, and the detailed methodologies of regenerative therapies. The book is replete with beautiful color illustrations that includes the Cell Cycle and the illustrations of the Noble Prize Winner, Günter Blobel, for Physiology or Medicine in 1999. His thesis is on how the distribution mechanism of biological active transport cells migrate, how proteins contain signals inside that direct their location in a destination cell, and how they are transported and where they may migrate to.

I found the Chronology of the development of stem cell research and application to be compelling reading.

Simply the most comprehensive book on the subject of Stem Cells as applied in ‘regenerative medicine,’ and most certainly the best illustrated. The illustrations combined with Chan and Klokol‘s vivid written communication provides you with an invaluable tool in comprehending the ground breaking subject of Stem Cell Therapy.

book review, History, Humor, Litercurious Archives, Litercurious Archives, Medical Science, Non-Fiction, Reference Works, Science

The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

The Mystery Of The Exploding Teeth and Other Curiosities From The History of Medicine, Thomas Morris
Title The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth: And Other
Curiosities from the History of Medicine
Author / Narrator Thomas Morris / Ruper Farley
Publisher Penguin Dutton; 1 edition (Nov 20, 2018)
Format Unabridged Audiobook, Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover
Time9 hours and 7 minutes
Language English     
ASIN # B07K1FC2C1  

AUTHOR

Thomas Morris was a successful radio producer for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) for many years. He is now a freelance writer and medical historian. His first book, The Matter of the Heart: A History of the Heart in Eleven Operations, wonthe Royal Society of Literature and the Jerwood Charitable Foundation award. The award is one of three annual awards, one of £10,000 and two of £5,000, offered to authors on their first works of non-fiction. Mr. Morris now lives in London.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

This book is for everyone 16 or older. The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth is written for the masses and not just for those who want to learn about historic medicine. The book is full of individual cases hand-picked through time to provide the reader with a glimpse of common medical procedures, some uncommon medical procedures, and allot of very interesting cases.

SYNOPSIS

The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth: And Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine, is a sojourn into some of the most interesting medical cases and the procedures used in those cases. It is told through the eyes of the people who were actually there. This book is a conglomeration of notes, letters, personal views of the doctors, and sometimes the patients. The author does a great job of finding the most interesting cases in history. There are some interesting cases that include various items escaping the bodies from all different places, some not very good places. How about the surgeries where the patient is not anesthetized and is an active participant? There is a chapter of patients who survived extreme injuries, some lived normal lives after their injuries.

CONCLUSION

After reading this book, I listened to the audible version and the narrator added so much more to the enjoyment. He does a great job with the inflection of his voice and the bits that are in French. The little jokes he throws in are awesome. This tome, at times, had me laughing, cringing, crying, and always wondering about the historic doctors and their sometime weird practices. The cases offer a wide variety of injuries and maladies; the causes of some of these will haunt me. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.

SIMILAR WORKS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

Dr. Mütter Marvels by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz #Medicine History & Commentary #History of Medicine #Trivia & Fun Facts

Dr. Mütter’s Marvels was established by Dr. Mütter who sadly died prematurely at the age of 48. He left behind an immense collection of medical oddities that form the basis of Philadelphia’s renowned Mütter Museum. Dr Mütter’s Marvel by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz is an insight into the dedicated surgeon’s career as well as his life and times. Aptowicz presents her view on Dr. Mütter’s medical practices and the prejudices he witnessed. Aptowicz draws upon Mütter’s speeches and lectures which reveals his humanist based approach.

Mütter Museum: Historical Medical Photographs Is a cornucopia of high quality photographs taken by professional photographers. Between the 1860s and the 1940s, photographers took pictures of these oddities as records for physicians to share among medical colleagues. They also functioned, at the time, to demonstrate various techniques used in medicine such as micrography and X-ray. During the earliest days, they utilized the method of photography known as the daguerreotype. This processing method required the photographer to polish a sheet of copper plate with silver halide coated to a mirror finish, and treat it with fumes that made its surface light sensitive. There is much more to the Mütter Museum however, and it is not for the squeamish.

Mütter Museum Historical Medical Photographs #Medicine History & Commentary #History of Medicine #Trivia & Fun Facts
book review, Humor, Non-Fiction, Reference Works

London A-Z – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

London A-Z
London A-Z
TitleLondon A-Z                           
AuthorGeographer’s A-Z Map Co.      
PublisherHunter Publishing: Geographers A-Z Map Co. Ltd. (6th Ed., October 30, 2006     
FormatPaperback     
Page288     
LanguageLanguage     
ISBN #1843483289 ISBN-13 (978-1843483281)    

Author’s Bio

The Geographer’s A-Z Map is the registered author of this 6th Edition publication; a paperback, dated: 30thOctober 2006.

Who is the target audience?

Those considering studying “The Knowledge” would be the first that would come to mind when considering who would benefit from this paperback. That said anyone wanting to know how to find anything in London would be well advised to get one.

Synopsis

The London A-Z, I know her well. 

I continue to use traditional methods of locating the places I wish to travel. I find looking at a  page of the London A-Z allows me at a glance to find the path I want to take. I avoid the constant directions of an electronic voice dictating the one and only route to a destination. I live for the times I get lost and find strange and interesting locations with intriguing back stories. I am not a technophobe; in fact I am an advanced user, designer, and educator in technology related subjects. I prefer my choice of directions and those happy times where I occasionally meet people or accidentally visit places that would have been missed if I used my GPS. 

Then there is the utility of humor built into reference materials such as the London A-Z. I have been known to flip through to the index of the book and look up the funny or unusual names contained therein. These names vary from crude and lascivious names from the deep and distant past of London. Names that echo from the Saxon roots, Roman street names, and the place names inspired by the work people did at that location in times now past.  The back stories of many of the locations you can find in the index of the London A-Z can be fascinating and add to your lexicon of humorous tales or intriguing myths to discuss with those who find such matters interesting. For example there is a place called Bleeding Heart Yard, you can find it in East Central 1 (EC1). It is in Clerkenwell and is reported to be so named owing to a murder that happened there in the year 1626. It turns out however, that the woman reputed to have been murdered actually died 20 years later and not of natural causes. If you are a reader of Charles Dickens work you may recall the case; he included in his book The Little Dorrit. 

Not far from the Tower of London there is a street named Knightrider Street  (Knyghriderstrete in 1322 language). The street is named after the knights that would traverse this area from the Tower old London to Jousting tournaments in Smithfeilds. Then there is the plethora of funny, licentious, and salacious Public House and place names; for example there is Wardrobe Place in EC4. It was at this location that King Edward 3rd housed his walk-in wardrobe. Sadly, the building was destroyed in the now infamous Great Fire of London 1666. Then there is Cock Lane, EC1, a wonderful erection if I do say so myself. Cock Lane is another, all be it humorous, example of a place name that has relevance to the trade plied there in the past. Cock Lane was the only street in the City (City of London, The square mile, a private corporation) where ladies of the evening were allowed to live and work. Last but not least there is Hanging Sword Alley in EC4. In medieval times most of the country was illiterate and so there was no naming or numbering of houses, they preferred instead to use symbols. In the case of a coffee house there would often be a ladies arm holding a coffee pot. At the house on Hang Sword Lane there was a mansion and they used a hanging sword as their symbol. The area was known for fighting schools and as a rough place to visit which is probably why the Blood Bowl Alley came to be named. Again those of you familiar with Dickens work will find a reference to such places in A Tale of Two Cities in the form of Jerry Cruncher body-snatcher. 

I suggest if you are bored and in search of adventure, turn off your GPS get yourself a London A-Z and go and lose yourself for a few hours in London. Visit the places you never knew existed and perhaps find your other self.  

Always remember that a book can be much more than its cover.

Conclusion

Be it the times of Pax Romanaus or Pax Britainica always have your trusty and reliable cartographic entertainment on your person, because you never know when you’ll need the London A-Z.