Book Review: "Of Fleas and Fleadom, A Tale of Two Vermin" by Lewis Goldstein (2014)

"Of Fleas and Fleadom, A Tale of Two Vermin" by Lewis Goldstein (Author), Arianna Grinager (Illustrator)
Reviewed by Avraham Azrieli
Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. His website is: www.AzrieliBooks.com

This intricate story, which is categorized by its creators as a “Graphic Epic Poem,” combines prose and illustrations to seamlessly deliver a truly touching tale of adventure, suspense and humor.

Exploring humanlike notions of quality of life and disruption, personal security and risk, skin-of-your-teeth survival and disaster, intimate love and faith, it tells the story of Finnigan T. Flea as he travels through a life filled with all of the above—and more. The title of Chapter Four defines it best: “Paradise Gained, Paradise Lost.” And then gained and lost again. And again.

Telling a story from the point of view of an animal is not a novel concept, but doing it well is a great achievement. Besides, featuring a flea (in an epic story, no less) is truly creative—and often uproaringly funny. Moreover, reaching for an authentic voice is a high bar, which this unique book achieves with flying colors.

The story is told in prose arranged like a string of poems, intertwined with magnificent illustrations that compound the drama. In fact, the harrowing events are communicated to the reader with a lively mix of words and images that merge to communicate as one. The story is nicely divided into scenes and chapters, its poetic stride accomplished without diminishing from the steady pace of narrative suspense and the characters’ emotional highs and lows.

In essence, the hero wonders about the mother of all existential questions: “As he settled on his new found hide, he wondered about freedom, about how to decide what that really was for a flea.” And, as each of us, human readers, leap from rock to rock down the treacherous river of our own life, don’t we often ask the same question?

To sum it all up, this original, creative work is unusually clever, really funny and emotionally stirring. Highly recommended!

* This review was originally published at The Columbia Review:  www.TheColumbiaReview.com

Avraham Azrieli is the author of ten published books, most recently “Deborah Rising” (HarperCollins 2016) a novel portraying the dramatic rise of the first woman to lead a nation in human history. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Book Review: “Girls Like You” (2015)

“Girls Like You” by Margot Douaihy  (Clemson University Press, 2015)
Reviewed by Avraham Azrieli
Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. His website is: www.AzrieliBooks.com

“Girls Like You” by Margot Douaihy is a collection of poetry and poetry-styled short prose. It is deceptively lighthearted, or whimsically serious—or both, and full of surprises.

What at first glance appears to the reader as an interesting collection of unrelated yet uniquely perceptive observations, gradually emerges as a wholesome work of integrity. Despite the variety of styles and modulations of voice, there is a theme here, distinguished by a keen eye and a sense of humor about the serious business of living.

Take, for example, the welcoming piece (an initiation for the unwary reader), with “Maidservant.” It’s not until one is halfway down the poem when ominous words hint at danger. ‘His skin tore easily as he tangled the sheets,’ yet ending with ‘How I wish I could be as pure as darkness, taking whatever it wants.’ (Disclosure: A poster of Gustav Klimt’s ‘Judith’ has looked down for over two decades from the office wall of this reviewer.)

As with all good poetry collections, the fun is in searching for the gems that glow most brightly for one’s eyes, or that most clearly reveal the poet’s mindset. The title poem, “Girls Like You,” perhaps gives away the store with one-half sentence: ‘—the danger of defining nature.’ Fittingly, this work explores timely human and social issue of today, such as relationships, passions, gender choices, homosexuality, and even marriage—as in the poem “Wife” that posits: ‘Wife means your, mine. Two lives find tune, like jasmine on one vine.’ Now, think about it.

The writer’s style is not only approachable, word-playful and full of descriptive richness, but the presentation also adds an occasional visual catch. Take a look at the poems “Rock” and “Neither,” which are placed on the page with an added graphic twist. It is a contemporary creation, very much of out times, as in “Text me,” which is how the previous generation would have said: “Talk to me.”

To fellow writers, “Wax” would speak volumes: ‘What if we never edited, revised?’ Yes, what if.

And to philosophers, “My Money” would bring a pause: ‘My money is on Sisyphus. Sure, the hill is high & rock is heavy, but look at those arms.’ Yes, look!

Especially intriguing are the writer’s observations about the physical aspects of a relationship and its natural flow from beginning to last base. ‘I went first; Your lips so cold; You didn’t blink, looked so serious, like you wanted, to cry.’ (“First Time”) And on to: ‘I ride her hard, though one inch to the left or right would be fatal.’ (“Modern Woman”) Now, catch your breath and think about that!

In summary, with this irrepressible combination of reflections, emotions, and observations about life, Margot Douaihy composed a wonderful volume of creative and memorable pieces that fit together and make you turn the pages, knowing that you will be surprised again when you look at the next page. Excellent!

* This review was originally published at The Columbia Review:  www.TheColumbiaReview.com

Avraham Azrieli is the author of ten published books, most recently “Deborah Rising” (HarperCollins 2016) a novel portraying the dramatic rise of the first woman to lead a nation in human history. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Book Review: "Brain Change Curriculum for Domestic Violence Offender Treatment" (2015)

"Brain Change Curriculum for Domestic Violence Offender Treatment" by Ronald T. Potter-Efron, MSW, PhD and Patricia S. Potter-Efron, MS. (164 pages; Growth Publishing, 2015)
Reviewed by Avraham Azrieli
Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. His website is: www.AzrieliBooks.com

“Brain Change Curriculum for Domestic Violence Offender Treatment” by Ronald T. Potter-Efron, MSW, PhD and Patricia S. Potter-Efron, MS offers a comprehensive curriculum (of 13, 26 or 52 Sessions) for the treatment of domestic violence and anger management. This is a highly innovative work with a strong emphasis on proven treatment procedures and processes, ensuring safety while aiming for a brain change and behavior modification with consistent results and pro-active, long-term maintenance.

This work is both practical and inspiring, with a perfect balance between well-tested treatment methods and fresh innovations in the highly challenging field of behavioral science and treatment-inducing modification. Clearly, this work is the result of extensive clinical experience and theoretical scientific knowledge. The book offers clinicians and trainers an invaluable resource, as the authors relied on their combined, decades’ long clinical, academic and research involvement as leaders in the treatment of domestic violence offenders and anger management. (See authors’ biographical information below.) The result is truly impressive.

“Brain Change Curriculum for Domestic Violence Offender Treatment” provides excellent training session outlines and descriptions, log book and homework, as well as insightful yet accessible discussions of brain change, cognitive and behavioral modifications, stress management skills, conflict resolution skills, substance abuse, selfishness vs. mutual caring, as well as “The big three: depression, impulsive anger/aggression and bing drinking. It is most comprehensive and detailed volume, yet straightforward and accessible, well written and fair-minded. The appended lists, worksheets, and sample reports would be very helpful to clinicians and therapists, as well as the individuals involved.

In our opinion, anyone called upon to work with, or assist individuals or couple affected by anger management or domestic violence challenges, would benefit tremendously from studying this work with the greatest attention. It be highly effective and helpful for lecturers and trainers, as well as clinical mental health professionals, community service providers, domestic violence volunteers and pastors, as well as legal professionals active in the fields of family and divorce law.

In their Preface, the authors stated: “We attempt in this volume to interweave the fields of anger management, domestic violence and neuroscience while delivering a practical, useful product facilitators can immediately use with participants.” Our review of “Brain Change Curriculum for Domestic Violence Offender Treatment” confirms that the authors indeed met their goals and have even gone beyond, producing a truly rich and practical work that’s sure to become a constant reference volume at practitioners’ back-and-call, and in general advances the field of domestic violence and anger management understanding and treatment. This is an excellent and highly beneficial work.

About the Authors:

Ronald T. Potter-Efron, MSW, PhD, is a clinical psychotherapist who specializes in domestic violence, anger management, and the treatment of addictions. He is a Distinguished Diplomate of the National Anger Management Association (NAMA) and the author of many books including “Angry All the Time” and the “Handbook of Anger Management and Domestic Violence Offender Treatment”.

Patricia S. Potter-Efron, MS, is a clinical psychotherapist, domestic violence group facilitator, and co-author of numerous books including “Letting Go of Shame”. She is a Distinguished Diplomate of the National Anger Management Association (NAMA) and a Certified Anger Management Specialist-V (CAMS-V) and Certified Domestic Violence Specialist-V (CDVS-V).

* This review was originally published at The Columbia Review:  www.TheColumbiaReview.com

Avraham Azrieli is the author of ten published books, most recently “Deborah Rising” (HarperCollins 2016) a novel portraying the dramatic rise of the first woman to lead a nation in human history. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Book Review: Thomas Jefferson’s Enlightenment (2015)

"Thomas Jefferson’s Enlightenment" By James C. Thompson
Reviewed by Avraham Azrieli
Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. His website is: www.AzrieliBooks.com

From the author of “Thomas Jefferson’s Enlightenment – Paris 1785” (Commonwealth Books of Virginia, 2014) comes this wonderful companion volume of eighteen closely related assays: “Thomas Jefferson’s Enlightenment – Background Notes” by James C. Thompson (Commonwealth Books of Virginia, 2015).

As the author explains in his Opening Comment, in “Thomas Jefferson’s Enlightenment – Paris 1785” he sought to show “how the self- described savage from the mountains of America became immersed in the world’s most cultivated and elegant society.” On that journey, Jefferson is in Paris bearing close witness as the Assembly of Notables completes the process leading to the end of France’s bankrupt monarchy and the onset of a French constitutional government.

In this book, modestly entitled as “Background Notes,” Thompson beautifully enriches the first book with extensive commentaries, details and supplemental information.

The first seventeen assays expose the reader to various aspects of the Paris that Jefferson experienced from August 1784 to October 1789. Not a man to remain a passive observer, Jefferson immersed himself in the debates over social and economics ideas, the rights of man, and the needed political change. He experienced first hand the historic events as French society collapsed and the people stormed the Bastille. In the process, Jefferson himself was changed forever.

Most fascinating, in the eighteenth and final assay, the author traces the evolution of Jeffersonian historiography through the succeeding two centuries. This last assay contains a meticulous survey and a comprehensive analysis of much of the literature dealing with Jefferson’s philosophy. The author clearly traces the evolution of scholarship in that realm and demonstrates the emergence of a “new Jefferson” – most intriguing!

Many volumes have been written and published about the man who, more than anyone else, fueled the new American republic with his extraordinary intellectual creativity. James C. Thompson, in the two volumes culminating with this “Background Notes,” adds a fascinating, fresh perspective on the development and transformation of Jefferson’s political philosophy and ideological maturity.

Indeed, as the excellent last assay demonstrates, only through studying his Paris experience can we truly understand the man who returned to become the second president of the United States and, in many ways, transformed the nation in fundamental, lasting ways. This is an invaluable book to any student of President Thomas Jefferson, adding a wealth of new details and a deeper understanding of this most brilliant subject. Furthermore, the author’s expansive scholarly scope, coupled with careful substantiation, makes this book richly authentic and highly credible. Excellent!

* This review was originally published at The Columbia Review:  www.TheColumbiaReview.com

Avraham Azrieli is the author of ten published books, most recently “Deborah Rising” (HarperCollins 2016) a novel portraying the dramatic rise of the first woman to lead a nation in human history. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Book Review: Stockholmed (2015) By David Larson

STOCKHOLMED: 11 YEARS SURVIVING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
REVIEWED BY: AVRAHAM AZRIELI
Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. His website is: www.AzrieliBooks.com

The clever title of this book holds both ends of the proverbial rope. At one end is the Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological condition characterized by an unusually close mental bond formed between captors and captives to the point of affection and total identification by the victims with the victimizers. (The name comes from a hostage situation in a Stockholm bank in 1973.) At the other end of the rope, hinted at by turning Stockholm into passive-tense “Stockholmed,” is the victim’s self-deprecating humor, but not just any victim of the Stockholm Syndrome, but a victim who no longer suffers from the syndrome and can reflect on the experience with candor and wit.

This book is unique not only because it provides an incredibly sincere and honest description of the unique degradation involved in severe cases of domestic abuse. It is further exceptional because the writer first takes us on the journey downwards into the pits of irrational cruelty and manipulative torture, and then on the upward struggle of an incredibly courageous victim determined to regain his freedom and sanity.

Author David Larson should be commanded for sharing so openly and candidly an extremely painful life story, detailing his suffering, defeat and victory. His writing is distinguished by a voice that strikes a perfect balance between fidelity to gruesome details and an even, authentic tone, avoiding shrill and exaggeration. It is rare to find a memoirist capable of seeing the comedy even in painful events and emotional heartbreak.

Having recently reviewed “Brain Change Curriculum for Domestic Violence Offender Treatment” by Ronald T. Potter-Efron, MSW, PhD and Patricia S. Potter-Efron, MS (Growth Publishing, 2015), reading Mr. Larson’s story is like moving from the therapist’s armchair to the patient’s sofa. Only that Mr. Larson does not write as a patient, or even as a victim (which he no longer is). Rather, Mr. Larson writes with the insight of a man who first experienced the horrors and then grew to understand the psychological science behind it all.

For readers who are reluctant to read “sad stories”, this book is no such thing. In “Stockholmed,” the author will make you laugh and cry simultaneously. The writing is sharp, absorbing, and full of humor. Some of the scenes are outright shocking, suspenseful, and indelibly memorable. In the end, “Stockholmed” is a wonderful true-life story of suffering and redemption, and the courage it take to prevail against all odds. Bravo!

* This review was originally published at The Columbia Review:  www.TheColumbiaReview.com

Book Review: “In Season’s Dream” by R. Tirrell Leonard Jr. (2015)

IN SEASON'S DREAM (2015)
REVIEWED BY: AVRAHAM AZRIELI
Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. www.AzrieliBooks.com

“In Season’s Dream” by R. Tirrell Leonard Jr. (2015) is a second volume of poetry from Mr. Leonard. It exceeds even the high expectations generated by his excellent first volume, “In The Murmuring Trees” (2012).

As the title implies, this volume of poems embraces the four seasons of the year as its general structure, dividing the poems into four sections named after the seasons. But this work goes far beyond a calendar breakdown of weather patterns or human moods. Take, for instance, the launching “Spring” piece of the book, “On a Misty Spring Morn,” which opens with a first line that could be coming straight out of fall, or even winter: “I wander out in fog and rain…”

To the reader thus expecting more surprises, your expectations will be met with gusto.

Mr. Leonard manages to take the seemingly mundane subject of weather and seasons, mix it with unique and original observations, and produce a work of great depth, originality, and pleasant surprises. The poems are infused with the magical scenery that typifies the Northeast, with its contrasting sea and rocky coasts, inland lushness and stretches of desolation, and the main theme—the moody weather that regularly makes a total misfit to the concurrent season.

Particularly powerful are Mr. Leonard’s poems that straddle the line between reality and fantasy, between internal emotions and external environment, between joy and sadness—as well as between life and death. An excellent example is “Numbered Are the Hours” that starts with a lovely and familiar nature image and goes to the other end—literally: “I walk the reach, a long paved path; Between the swamps and pond; And hear the calls of geese and ducks; Beyond the veils of fog.” Yet, it goes on to “And one day, I’ll ride his ancient boat; To float beyond the veil, And touch the isle’s beach out there; Where none has ever returned.”

In summary, “In Season’s Dream” by R. Tirrell Leonard Jr” is a rich collection of poems with a powerful theme, deep insight, and vibrant imagery. It is both enjoyable and intriguing, striking a perfect balance between tangible and elusive threads that would no doubt instigate further reflections in the reader’s mind. Excellent!

* This review was originally published at The Columbia Review:  www.TheColumbiaReview.com

Avraham Azrieli is the author of ten published books, most recently “Deborah Rising” (HarperCollins 2016) a novel portraying the dramatic rise of the first woman to lead a nation in human history. www.AzrieliBooks.com