Book Spectrum

Harry Houdini’s magic, career and life were all fascinating. He escaped all kinds of restraints, encasements and situations. Still, there was one thing even the great Houdini could not escape: mortality, which hit him at an early age in 1926. He did, however, say he would try. Houdini reportedly told his wife, Bess, “If there is any way out. I will find it… I will find you and I will make contact with you on the anniversary of my death.” While that never happened, the escape artists’ fascination with spirituality and communication with those in the afterlife from his attempts to contact his deceased mother though to his own passing provide the background for this highly intriguing “what if” historical fiction book, Houdini’s Last Handcuffs, by Charles C. Young and Cheryl L. Young.The Young siblings drew from their own childhood and family background, providing a real-life scenario for the book. Their father, Morris Young, was a stellar magician in his own right and hugely influenced by Houdini. In this alternative world, the authors take Houdini’s own dabblings into the spiritual realm to a new level, hypothesizing the potential of the performer’s resurrection.Charles and Cheryl Young brilliantly balance Houdini’s own explorations into spiritualism, skepticism of the realm’s grifters, real artifacts from the escapologist’s performance years and the showman’s mystique while telling a captivating story through their younger selves’ eyes about what started as a mere curiosity which snowballed into a battle between good and evil involving not only powerful forces, but their own childhood friends.Pick up the book here: Houdini's Last Handcuffs by Charlie and Cheryl Young - VINE LEAVES PRESS

Registered Nurse and Psychotherapist Laurie Elizabeth Murphy draws from her own experience working in the field to create a uniquely intellectual and entertaining mystery in her new book, Dream Me Home.The idea of one’s real life and dreams intersecting into an interwoven story fascinated me. While I expect twists and curveballs involving the main characters, Laurie Elizabeth Murphy brings the reader into different planes and with this psychological mystery and, dare I say, mind’s adventure.Ms. Murphy’s background as a nurse and in the psychological field enables her to present to the reader a more unique and thought-provoking journey quite different from the regular whodunnits and love/relationship stories. Many authors have combined the two, but Ms. Murphy introduces us into the minds and motives of the main protagonist through several means: her experiences, her conversations with a therapist and through her own dreams – all realized after a traumatic home invasion which gradually changed her life in several ways. The writer also looks more deeply into our own human emotions, desires and failings through the other main characters.In Dream Me Home, Ms. Murphy offers the reader not only the thrills of a mystery, psychological drama and unexpected turns, she conveys real-life ponderances about marriage, crime, passion vs. true love, control and finding one’s true self.Laurie is a full-time author of both non-fiction and fiction books. She previously worked as a Registered Nurse and Psychotherapist with degrees from the Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing and St. Joseph’s College. Growing up, she was a ballet student at the MET in New York City and The Juilliard School of Music and Dance. She currently resides in Florida, and she has four children and six grandchildren. She has published many nonfiction books, co-authoring with her late husband to write In the Best Interest of the Child: A Manual for Divorcing Parents, Eight Strategies for Successful Step-Parenting, and You Don't Know Anything: A Manual for Parenting Teenagers. She has also written and self-published Satori, Wherever the Wind Blows Me, and Cellophane Memories. Additionally, she writes a bi-monthly column for My Living, a local magazine. Her most recent work, Dream Me Home, is her debut fiction novel, a psychological thriller drawing from her own career as a therapist. She is currently writing a sequel to Dream Me Home

As someone whose hair is thinning, I was intigued when hearing about Laser Phototherapy (LPT), which is eight times more powerful than any drug. That's why I invited former NASA scientist Sayyid Tamim Hamid, LPT's inventor and author of the book Grow it Back, as the first and only book to cover all aspects of laser treatment for hair. Tamim references extensive clinical studies and translates decades of research into easy-to-grasp terms so anyone can appreciate the benefits of this technology.Grow it Back could be a benchmark guide to understanding hair, a step by step guide on how to stop and regrow one’s hair and LPT through research, development, and innovation while educating readers about the advantages of using LPT over other types of treatmentBroken down into distinct sections, Grow it Back covers every aspect of hair growth and loss, hair treatments, and LPT, as well as the science behind how lasers can stop and regrow hair using LPT, Tamim’s own invention for treating hair loss. He begins with a discussion on the benefits and uses of light in health and the medical field. Next, he dives deep into the science behind hair, covering everything readers could possibly want to know about hair. This includes what types of shampoos to use, why biotin is worthless, what supplements are best for hair loss, and much more.Get the book here: Grow It Back: How Laser Phototherapy Stops Hair Loss and Regrows Your Hair - Kindle edition by Hamid, Tamim. Professional & Technical Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

The American Revolution did not only lead to the birth of the United States as its own nation, but set the tone for the creation of what would soon become the Free World as many other countries followed suit with roads to their own independence. Sadly, however, political tones controlling the public education system and academia have either failed to teach or purposely minimized the true importance of the Revolutionary War. Historian Jack Warren, Jr. talks with host Chris Cordani on Book Spectrum about the war, its beginnings, the players (famous and not-so-well-known) and why it should be emphasized more to younger generations today and moving forward with his new book: Freedom: The Enduring Importance of the American RevolutionThe book provides a profound look into British America, the Revolutionary War, the birth of a new nation, what freedom truly means, and how the events of the past hold significant importance even in modern society.Freedom delves deep into what planted the seeds for revolution, the Revolutionary War, important figures, and the ideals that the new nation was built upon. Accompanied by a vast collection of full-color reproductions of paintings of the colonies, people, battles, and maps, as well as a multitude of quotes from America’s founding fathers, Freedom is accurate, detailed, and all-encompassing.For more informatoin on Freedom: Freedom: The Enduring Importance of the American Revolution - The American Revolution Institute About Jack D. Warren, Jr.: Jack Duane Warren, Jr., is a native of Washington, D.C., whose work focuses on the enduring achievements of the American Revolution. He attended the University of Mississippi and Brown University. He is married to his wife, Janet, and they have three grown children. He has been studying and reflecting on American history since he learned to read. He considers himself a historian of American public life—much more than just politics and governance.Jack Warren has been actively involved in historic preservation and in how the places we preserve are presented. He was one of the leaders in the successful effort to preserve the site of George Washington’s childhood home from development to securing its designation as a National Historic Landmark. He also helped preserve the house where Washington lived in Barbados and was involved in the successful effort to save a large and critical part of the Princeton battlefield, including the land over which Washington personally led the charge that resulted in his first great battlefield victory over British troops. During the summer of 2020, he sat beside a statue of George Washington to talk to protestors about why we have honored Washington and ought to honor him still—Washington challenged a world that was grotesquely unfree and laid the foundations of free society—while protecting the statue from vandalization.

Did you know that the way a child breathes will impact every aspect of their development including their sleep quality, learning, behaviour, jaw and facial development, speech, and future health? Dr, Sherren Lim wrote Breathe, Sleep, Thrive to connect the dots to help you identify the important developmental milestones for good airway health development and breathing, the red flags that indicate things are off track, and what can be done about it to help your child not just survive, but thrive.I found this quite a bit intriguing as it affected my own health from youth into adulthood. This book is an excellent resource for parents whose children may be experiencing the same issues. Their lives could be changed for the betterPick up Dr. Lim's book here: Breathe, Sleep, Thrive: Discover how airway health can unlock your child’s greater health, learning, and potential : Lim, Shereen: Amazon.com.au: BooksDr Shereen Lim is a Perth based dentist with a post graduate diploma in dental sleep medicine from the University of Western Australia.She has been involved in the team management of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea for over a decade.Dr Lim is dedicated to promoting airway health from infancy as an alternative approach to minimize the development of these problems, and is author of the book “Breathe, Sleep, Thrive: Discover How Airway Health Can Unlock Your Child’s Greater Health, Learning and Potential.”Her work in private practice is restricted to tongue tie management from infancy to adulthood, early interceptive orthodontics and myofunctional therapy.

We talk with people who have overcome great adversity on the show and my guest today has had more than his share. From a remote village in Ghana, following his dreams to look for the life he wanted in America – Patrick Asare documents his trials and trail in the book: “The Boy from Boadua: One African’s Journey of Hunger and Sacrifice in Pursuit of a Dream” Growing up in the jungles of Ghana and now thriving in suburban America, Patrick Asare defied all odds on his journey through life. In his incredible memoir, The Boy from Boadua: One African’s Journey of Hunger and Sacrifice in Pursuit of a Dream, he recounts his childhood, family, education, and the experiences that made him into the person he is today, in addition to reflecting on socio-cultural relations, race, and the social structures in the different countries that he has lived. Patrick Asare offers a new perspective as someone who has had first-hand experience in a variety of cultures, specifically within the education system. Patrick was born and raised in Ghana. After completing secondary school, he attended university in the former Soviet Union, studying electrical engineering at Donetsk National Technical University in the then Soviet republic of Ukraine. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and also completed a certification program to become a Russian language teacher. Patrick resided in the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, during the historic perestroika era, when President Mikhail Gorbachev introduced the reforms that ultimately led to the breakup of the Soviet Union. He traveled extensively throughout Eastern and Western Europe and became one of the few people with firsthand knowledge of ordinary life on both sides of the Iron Curtain. After graduating from Donetsk, Patrick immigrated to America, where he initially taught Russian and math in public schools in Buffalo, New York. He earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1995 and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 2003. Patrick is a principal at UGI Energy Services, LLC, a diversified energy services firm in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his family. He previously worked as a senior electrical engineer at Caterpillar, Inc. in Lafayette, Indiana. Patrick has written extensively on social, political, and energy policy topics. He is a Democracy and Development Fellow at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, an Accra-based think-tank. Some of Patrick's energy policy articles have received attention worldwide.

September 4, 1967, marks a gruesome and terrifying day for U.S. Marine soldiers stationed in Vietnam. Based on 50 interviews with veterans, author Doyle Glass conveys what it was really like on the front lines of Operation Swift in the newest edition of his novel: Swift Sword: The True Story of the Marines of Mike 3/5 in Vietnam, 4 September 1967.This exploration of this operation comes from firsthand experiences and extensive research, culminating in a book that truly shows the impact of war as well as the courage and sacrifice of the soldiers.As someone with over a dozen combat vets in my family, Doyle Glass details the beginning of this 11-day operation in Swift Sword by recounting what the Marines witnessed, quoting their own words. Their accounts are shocking, brutal, and most importantly, very real.This is probably as close as one can get to reliving the terror of up-close personal combat without actually being there. Doyle tells the story in the book and joins us on Books Spectrum Doyle fills the book with detailed research on the operation, including maps, photos, and a glossary of military terms. For anyone interested in military history, this book provides an unparalleled look into Operation Swift.Swift Sword on Amazon: Amazon.com: Swift Sword: The True Story of the Marines of MIKE 3/5 in Vietnam, 4 September 1967 eBook : Glass, Doyle : Kindle StoreDoyle Glass is an author, historian, and sculptor dedicated to honoring those who fought for freedom. He is a master at recounting true stories of brave men and women who were outnumbered and out-gunned but continued to battle toe-to-toe with ferocious opponents in war. Doyle Glass was born in Midland, Texas among the fifth generation of a pioneer ranching family who was raised with an appreciation for hard work, adventure, and honor. After earning degrees in history and law from Southern Methodist University, he completed law school and worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Texas. Later, he served as Assistant Attorney General in Kentucky, prosecuting some of the worst violent crimes in the state. In 2000, Glass turned to the arts as a way to tell stories of his childhood heroes. He conceived and sculpted a bronze statue of John Squires, who braved enemy fire to save others during WWII and received the Medal of Honor. The statue stands in downtown Louisville, Kentucky as a reminder of the sacrifices made by local citizens who fought and died for freedom. In 2008, Glass designed and sculpted the Texas Medal of Honor Memorial, dedicated to George O’Brien who earned the Medal of Honor during the Korean War. The memorial stands at the International Artillery Museum in Saint Jo, Texas as a symbol recognizing those who earned America’s highest award for combat valor.

We kick off Season 4 of Book Spectrum with Rick Cullerton, who tells the story of how he overcame mental illness, anziety and verbal abuse to become a success in life and prominent vacation hotel owner in his new book Messed Up Like You.Rick discusses his family life, how he learned entrepreneurship, how he hooked up with the wrong crowd, wound up in jail and later finally took over his own life -- losing several pounds, turning his career aronud and becomng the man he truly wanted to be.Weaved in and out of the book is Cullterton's tale of how he got his pilot's license, which is no small feat for anyone let alone a man with ADD and anziety. Rick's life is kind of like that of a movie character who had a lot of things happen to him, yet it all took place in the real world with no cameras, directors or actors. Come to think of it, we are all messed up in one way or more.

Many know Marilyn Monroe as the iconic movie star through her on-screen persona. On Book Spectrum's Season 3 finale, we will bring you a look the Hollywood legend as you never knew her, far from the spotlight.Biographer Jay Margolis, author of ‘My Maril, Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan, Hollywood and Me.” tells Marilyn's personal story through the eyes of Terry Karger, whose family were close friends of the sliver screen legend dating back to when she was known as "Norma Jeane" and the young narrator's babysitter.Jay discusses Terry's memories of Ms. Monroe, who she really was when not pretending to be the "dizzy blonde" sterrotype, how Marilyn was an influence in Terry's own life and career, her loves and relationships away from the paparazzi and tabloids as well as both Jay's and Terry's thoughts on the mysterious circumstances surrounding the acclaimed actress' death. In the book, Terry also recalls her interactions and personal relationships with other members of the Hollywood Hierarchy like Ronald Reagan, Jane Wyman and many more.Pick the book up here: My Maril: Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan, Hollywood, and Me: Karger, Terry, Margolis, Jay, Reagan, Michael: 9781637583265: Amazon.com: Books About Terry Karger: Terry Karger graduated from the University of Southern California in 1963, one year after Marilyn Monroe's death. She taught at Crescent Heights Elementary and would later teach at Westwood Elementary where her students had parents such as Micky Dolenz, Millie Perkins, Ronny Cox, and Richard Pryor.About Jay Margolis: New York Times bestselling author Jay Margolis graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California and became a Jesse Unruh Research Scholar for his paper on African American Reparations. On October 15, 2014, The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. accepted Margolis's book The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed for display at the 37th Annual Book Fair & Authors' Night, in partnership with Politics & Prose. The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed was translated into Italian, French, and Russian and became a New York Times bestseller. Jay Margolis appeared in the 2014 United Kingdom documentary, directed by Renny Bartlett, titled The Missing Evidence: The Death of Marilyn Monroe, a Blink Films production in association with the Smithsonian Channel.

Have you ever watched a true crime program where a psychic was recruited to aid investigators with the solving of a crime or perhaps to find a missing person and wondered how they were able to do that? Joining us on Book Spectrum is Nancy Orlen Weber who has worked difficult and high profile cases and wrote about many of them in her book, The Life of a Psychic Detective.During our conversation, Nancy discusses how she got into helping solve crimes and some of her most interesting investigations. While she has been instrumental in murder cases, she also tells of times when her talents led to happier endings like the finding of a missing loved one. The book is not only about her work as a psychic detective, but a primer on how the reader can tap into his or her own intuitive talents.Find out more about Nancy Orlen Weber and how to pick up her book on her website: The Life of a Psychic Detective - Nancy Orlen Weber

Many of us have wondered what an alien civilization might discover about us long after the extinction of humanity as well as what might lead to society’s demise. Author and Modern-Day Philosopher Ishi Nobu explores this from foreign planet scholars’ point of view in his new book, The Story of Humanity: Ecology & Consequence. While exploring mankind’s history through the lens of visiting Anthropologic scholars decades beyond its end, not unlike modern humans of the same profession have done to explain discoveries pertaining to their observances of our own ancient civilizations. Such an approach by Nobu offers a surreal element to the way our story might be told through what we may leave behind as we of modern times are the mystery being unlocked and explored. Ishi Nobu is an independent scholar & guru who conveys his deep comprehension of Nature and reality. These efforts are displayed in his comprehensive coverage of all aspects of Nature, human endeavor, and spirituality. His previous books: The Red Pill: Mastering The Matrix; Clarity: The Path Inside; Unraveling Reality: Behind the Veil of Existence; and the 8-book Spokes of the Wheel cycle: The Science of Existence, The Web of Life, The Elements of Evolution, The Ecology of Humans, The Echoes of The Mind, The Fruits of Civilization, The Pathos of Politics, and The Hub of Being.Nobu is renowned for deliberate, incisive scholarship. He has the rare talent of drawing insights from multiple disciplines and weaving them into a revealing consilience. Follow Nobu on Twitter @ishinobu_actual.

Imagine a world where technology allows for direct interface between the human brain and quantum computers, exponentially increasing the creative abilities of humanity and holding the potential to make war, hunger, poverty, pandemics and other human suffering obsolete. When human capability is enhanced by that much, how does ego resist the temptation toward power and control? What would happen if an ultimate technological power gets into the wrong hands – those who further seek to link minds directly through this quantum computer into an augmented hive-mind? A sequel to his first offering, The Lost Theory, Michael Kelley takes the reader to the characters’ lives nine years later in the thrilling sci-fi adventure, The Devil’s Calling. Kelley mixes mystery, science-fiction, philosophy, spirituality and action in this globe-spanning thriller of a novel. As in the previous book, the story centers around Sean McQueen and Emily Edens, the latter nominated for a Nobel Prize in Physics, finding themselves thrust into the position of having to save the world with the help of friends and an AI the two befriended. On the surface, Kelley takes the reader around the planet for an intriguing high-tech experience while at the same time leading a similar tour of McQueen’s mind, inner conflict and feelings for Emily. For those in our listening audience who enjoy the proverbial “Easter Eggs” within books and other creations, Kelley offers nods to some of the great classic rock artists sprinkled throughout the book.Michael Kelley fell in love with literature and creative writing while at the University of Pennsylvania. He put this passion to the side during a lengthy career on Wall Street, where he worked as a lawyer, built an international business, and founded his own investment management firm. After leaving the financial world, he engaged in studies of quantum physics, Eastern mysticism, and philosophy. From these studies, he developed a "Theory of Everything" which became the basis of his novels. After years of life in New York City, Michael now lives in the peaceful woods of Dutchess County with his wife and daughter. There, he enjoys meditation, yoga, wine, reading, and hiking, all of which inspire his writing.

In his timely new book, American Gaslighting: How America is Being Systematically Taught to Hate Itself, author Daniel A. Shyti provides an in-depth analysis of human psychology and historical precedent demonstrating how Americans are being manipulated into hating their own country to serve the ends of political extremists who have propagandized entertainment, education and several other aspects of the culture. Dan breaks this down and discusses how he did his research on this episode of Book Spectrum. Shyti minces no words about this manipulation, stating, “We need to blow the lid off woke ideology and expose it for what it really is – Marxism in disguise. The goal is to systematically deceive Americans into hating their own country. Its central tactic is pervasive gaslighting, a psychological ploy designed to make people doubt the reality that is right under their noses. "“There wasn’t one specific event that triggered me to write this book,” says Shyti. “Rather, it was a build-up over time as I observed the egregious assaults on the American identity and the blatant self-hatred that the left is determined to create. As I heard the lies coming from the left, I noticed that they grew more and more outrageous, and it became obvious to me that the left was engaged in creating an alternate reality - persistent gaslighting intended to induce Americans to hate their own country.”Daniel A. Shyti is a professional speaker, leadership expert, speech coach, political commentator, author, and patriot. After graduating with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Pratt Institute and serving in the Army for four years, Dan made the transition to private industry. There he dedicated himself to being a good leader and eventually became the Vice President of a Fortune 100 technology company, until he left to start his own leadership training company. Dan founded 4 Power Leadership, with the goal of creating personal transformation through teaching the art of leadership. Dan is the author of 4 Power Leadership: Your Pathway to Leadership Success and Ten Timeless Rules for Life: Things Every Young Person Should Know for a Perfect Launch. His third book, American Gaslighting: How America is Being Systemically Taught to Hate Itself, examines political ideology in a combined context context of human nature, logical thought, and historical perspective to expose and counter Marxism cloaked as “woke ideology.” Shyti passionately believes that identity politics is destroying America and that Americans need to unite under the one identity that matters – the American Identity – and commit to the Constitution as our unifying framework. Daniel and his wife live in Sterling, VA.

Mia Odeh was Imprisoned in an abusive marriage, but how can a woman whose culture emphasizes female submission escape the clutches of her husband? Mia Odeh shares her journey and how she finally re-took control of her live in the revealing new memoir, Mia’s Odyssey: Taking Back My Soul. In the book, Mia revisits her life story, beginning in Palestine at age sixteen, where she was forced into an arranged marriage. After being brought to the United States, Mia realizes that her marriage is not only unwanted, it is unsafe, as she experiences routine sexual and physical assault. Mia’s Odyssey shines an unflinching light on the horrors of domestic abuse and reveals how a survivor with enough determination can find the resources to forge a path to freedom.“Sometimes you have to get a little distance from something before you can really see it,” Mia says. “From the time I was sixteen years my husband surrounded me like a putrid fog, permeating every minute of every day and completely blocking the sun from entering my life. When my husband left us behind in Arizona and moved to Michigan for work I began to see him as he really was, nothing more than a small, evil, isolated creature. I made it my goal to keep my children pure, to keep them from ever becoming like their father.”

Disaster and Destiny Collide in New Sci-Fi Adventure RomanceFionne Foxxe Farraday talks with Chris Cordani on Book Spectrum about her first novel: KAIRN, Mates of the Alliance. It is what she calls a a sci-fi adventure romance which combines an alien invasion, a rescue effort an inter-species love story and a thrilling adventure. Farraday's story brings us sometime in the near future, Earth is reeling from its first contact with a predatory alien species, the Ichori. Daria, a human ICU doctor, struggles with loneliness and wishes for a partner to share her life, but puts her own desires aside to tend to the wounded. On the heels of the invasion, things look dire until another species of aliens – the Luperans - show up to help repair and rebuild. Members of the Galactic Alliance, the stunningly handsome and muscular Luperans and their captain, Kairn, establish an alliance with Earth and utilize their advanced technology to begin repairing the ravages of the Ichori. Kairn and Daria, members of two different species, each with hopes, dreams, and visions of a one of a kind relationship, meet and are instantly drawn to each other. The book shows parallels between the plot's events and today's world turmoil while exposing the flaws in pre-perceptions of others, whether they be ally or enemy though the eyes of complex characters and perhaps will raise questions as to whether world technological leaders should or should not step up efforts to try and communicate with other life forms throughout the universe. Will we attract friendly aliens or perhaps a predatory society much like the Ichori?

What does it mean to live a truly substantial life?How does a visionary entrepreneur repeatedly overcome risk and rejection?Is there more to a life well lived than the sum of a person’s successes and failures? A Summer Classic: The Bew White Story explores these questions and more through the life and eyes of William Bew White III, the founder of Summer Classics, a manufacturer of luxury outdoor furniture. “When you start a small business and grow it, you go through a lot of trials and tribulations,” observes Bew. “This really is sort of a modern re-telling of the Jimmy Stewart It’s a Wonderful Life movie.”The biography, written by Christopher Taunton, delivers a detailed chronicle of Bew’s childhood, college years, early professional life, the successes and failures that got him to where he is today and how he overcame a health condition which nearly killed him as he makes the most of his life on Earth. The high costs and sacrifices behind this success make A Summer Classic compelling and instructive, a gripping illustration of the saying, “One step forward, two steps back.” Bew’s career was beset with “hurdles, challenges, sleepless nights, poor health, things that didn’t work, (facing) the recession” and the twists and turns of a life spent doing business with a host of people. Trustworthy business partners were hard to find, and those who did not share Bew’s commitment to faith, character caused big problems along the way. At each obstacle, his creative thinking, foresight, and leadership helped the company to move forward with its vision that people might look at Summer Classics furniture and see “beautifully furnished spaces where they might share memorable moments with their friends, family, and loved ones.”Bew White III is the Chairman of the Board of Gabriella White and its brands, Summer Classics, Gabby, and Wendy Jane. He graduated from Auburn University in 1972 with a degree in textile engineering. The phrase “outdoor living” had hardly been coined, as outdoor furniture was simply known as a table and chairs you would find on a basic patio deckAt just 28 years old, Mr. White left his job at his family-owned business, Avondale Mills, and started a sales representative company in 1978 called Vista Corporation, specializing in selling outdoor furniture. In 1987, Bew started multiple companies in an effort to expand from selling on the road to building a national brand. One of those companies was Summer Classics, which was created around Bew’s thought of designing and manufacturing products that he would want for his own backyard. With a business model based on creating products that were consumer driven, would stand the test of time, and would not go out of style, Summer Classics officially took off in 1987.Born in 1950 in Birmingham, Alabama to William Bew White II and Gabriella Corner White, Bew is the great-grandson of Braxton Bragg Corner, governor and then senator for Alabama, as well as the founder of the Alabama-based Fortune 500 textile company Avondale Mills.

What does it mean to negotiate like a CEO? How important are employment agreements? How can you learn to protect yourself and your family if the worst does happen? These are all questions Jotham Stein addresses in his book Negotiate Like a CEO, with the goal of equipping employees, executives and entreprenerus with the tools they need to safeguard themselves. A lively, engaging read, Negotiate Like a CEO outlines how employees, executives, and entrepreneurs have protected themselves in the past, and gives readers eye-opening advice on how to make sure they won’t get taken advantage of. The book describes best practices, common pitfalls, and sky's-the-limit possibilities at any career stage, whether you’re just out of college or you’re gunning for that C-suite job.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine commences and captures worldwide headlines, what people might not know is this is only a small portion of Vladimir Putin's long game. What does he have planned next? What is the bigger picture? How does he plan to go about his ambitious goals?With me on Book Spectrum for this episode is Rebekah Koffler, a Soviet-born former US intelligence officer with the DIA and author of the book, “Putin’s Playbook: Russia’s Secret Plan to Defeat America” As we are seeing some of the Russian President's games play out these days, Koffler says this has been in the works for a while. In Putin's Playbook, Koffler goes in-depth on how Putin rose to power from behind the scenes to pushing himself onto the world stage. She also delves into:Why Putin wants to rebuild the old USSR under his ruleHow Putin wants to cement his legacyWhy Putin sees himself as the "Good Guy" amid the controversies with some of the former Soviet RepublicsPutin's disdain for NATO before and after publicly declaring the western treaty group as a threat to Russia's existence. When why and how Putin picks and chooses the times and circumstances involved with executing his plansAre the US and the rest of the NATO nations strong enough to go against Putin in a potential world war or are they too weakened by internal wokeness policies to respond to the Russian threat?Koffler's goes inside the mind of the Russian oligarch in Putin's Playbook.

We are in an era of increased health-minded awareness and a plethora of books as well as PSAs and news pieces dedicated to wellness for women, children and seniors. Sadly, Dr. Judson Brendeis says while increased information is available, younger and middle-aged men still are not fully invested in their own health. Why is that? Dr. Brandeis not only answers this question, but provides the definitive guide to men's health titled The 21st Century Man.Dr. Brandeis takes a unique approach to this essential tome as he not only provides what one might use as an owner's manual of one's body, but styles it as a "hero's journey" story with the reader as the main character.In the book, Dr. Brandies encourages men to not ignore taking care of themselves while still focusing on their natural instincts to pay more attention to and protect others, answering such questions as: What does a successful and healthy life look like? How can men maximize their health to live their best lives? In a man's life, what changes are needed to build a mind and body that will help him develop health, strength, and vigor?Dr. Judson Brandeis, in his straightforward and compelling guide to men’s health, The Twenty-First Century Man, addresses these questions and so many more while providing a clear road map for maximizing men’s health.Dr. Judson Brandeis is an award-winning urologist and sexual medicine expert, clinical researcher, physician educator, and a caring clinician and surgeon. A graduate of Brown University and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, with Urologic Surgery residency at UCLA and a post-doc fellowship at Harvard, today he specializes in the emerging field of sexual health and medicine.Over the course of his 25-year career as a board-certified urologist he has performed thousands of surgeries and pioneered surgical robotics. In February of 2019, he opened BrandeisMD, a national leader in technology and sexual medicine innovations for men. BrandeisMD engages in ongoing clinical research to improve wellbeing and provide tools for men to live their best lives.

We kick off Season 3 of Book Spectrum with a new author, M. K. Lever, whose new book Surviving the Second Tier depicts a dystopian world with an all-powerful NCAA which consolidated every collegiate sport into one super smackdown league. Lever's knockout debut book weaves major issues and themes throughout a parallel Earth and the main character, "Sis," to display the real world truths that face athletes in the college athletic world as told by someone with experience inside and a track record of in-depth research into the system. “I wrote this book to educate readers about the reality of the college sports industry, as someone who has been there before,” Lever says. “Sometimes, facts and statistics don’t stick with people and since we are intrinsically wired to follow narratives, I wanted to tell people a story in hopes that the message would resonate in a unique and powerful way. I wanted to give college sports the 1984 treatment and create a narrative that would be impactful and a little unsettling.”Lever, a former Division 1 athlete and PhD candidate at UT Austin, combines her personal experiences as a student athlete and the weight of her academic research in areas concerning NCAA rhetoric, discourse, and policy to create her stunning and emotionally driven literary debut. She tells the story through "Sis," who competes in the only NCAA sport, a no-holds-barred fighting league while dealing with trying to keep winning and maintaining a perfect GPA.M. K. Lever is a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas, researching NCAA rhetoric and policy, and working as a freelance sportswriter and sports consultant. She graduated from Western Kentucky Univiersity with a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.A. in Organizational Communication. While at WKU, she was a Division 1 athlete running track and cross country and was a two-time Sun Belt Conference champion in track and field (indoor and outdoor).