All Books
Synopsis: Based on a true story
Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.
They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.
They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Faith-based
Synopsis: Little Sammy needs ten thousand dollars, and fast, if he is to save his home from foreclosure and his family from catastrophe. Russ befriends the lonely boy, and soon the two embark on a series of adventures that reveal the sorry underbelly of humanity and the glorious mysteries of nature.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Four students – thrown together in a high school summer class. Tyrell tells of a dream he’s been having, a girl needs help. Sam realizes she’s getting the same information, from her own sketches! Where is this information coming from? What is the Blue Group to do about it? Join Ty, Tiff, Sammy and Lando as they navigate the complicated world of high school friendship, romance and sex trafficking!
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: When 16-year-old Oakland teenager, Calvin Pierce, makes a bad decision and winds up getting arrested, his mother is quick to take action. Determined not to lose a second son to the drug and gang violence of the inner city, she sends Calvin to spend the summer working for his great uncle in the heart of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Stuck in the predominately white region of agriculture and recreational boating, Calvin’s a fish out of water with a chip on his shoulder. But when severed body parts are discovered floating in a slough, his summer of proving himself takes on new meaning.
Something deadly is lurking in the deep murky waterways of the Delta. Now the daunting task of containing the living incarnation of a mythical creature falls to Calvin and his ragtag posse of oddball characters.
Stuck in the predominately white region of agriculture and recreational boating, Calvin’s a fish out of water with a chip on his shoulder. But when severed body parts are discovered floating in a slough, his summer of proving himself takes on new meaning.
Something deadly is lurking in the deep murky waterways of the Delta. Now the daunting task of containing the living incarnation of a mythical creature falls to Calvin and his ragtag posse of oddball characters.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: The Fearless have triumphed. Astrid and Jodi survive unincarcerated and gainfully employed. Most have forgotten that Jodi was once 'Scar' or what that meant. Life on Mars is in danger of becoming routine. Then noobs arrive, a tunnel collapses, Astrid becomes a walking fossil and everyone discovers the real meaning of life on Mars.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Synopsis: Zeke Sterling, the love of Skyler Walker's life, went missing over a year ago, leaving her an emotional mess. Now he's standing on her front porch with an earring and tats, still unaware that she adores him. If she dares believe his crazy story of abduction, teen gangs, and werewolves, will they both be wolf crazy?
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Paranormal
Synopsis: Angel, hero, monster, devil--we all become what we really are. I Am Wolf --The journey of a boy about to become a man who inherits his ancestors gift and must learn the right way to use it. He falls in love with Alaynee and begins to feel like he is normal again. When their world is shattered by the kidnapping of Alaynee's little brother, Jonah breaks the cardinal rule of his gift and bites the kidnapper, creating a creature called the unnatural. This sends him and all his friends on an adventure across the states to a place in Tennessee. There they find not only must they stop the unnatural creature, but they must save Cara--the girl the creature is after. Jonah must ask himself the most important question of all, would you sacrifice yourself to save another?
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: I have long believed that learning another language is hindered by the grammar books, whose look and layout make the task seem impossibly difficult. English is my native language and I am a professional writer. Nevertheless, even I sometimes shudder at the sight of an English grammar book.
I recently read one such book for French speakers that declared: In English, more than other languages, it is often difficult to determine to which part of speech certain words belong. Often a word can be an adverb, a proposition, or a conjunction.
These two sentences eloquently exemplify what I believe is wrong with the majority of English grammar books. They are written by grammarians for grammarians, rather than for learners.
The fact that “before” can be an adverb, a conjunction, or a preposition is of little consequence. The important thing is for learners to know the word, and when and how to use it, not what part of speech it represents in any particular circumstance.
Another thing grammar books do is to enunciate a rule, then list 5-10 exceptions that must be memorized. English, like French, has its share of exceptions. However, looked at properly, many of these so-called exceptions do follow the rule, or come closer to following it than their formal grammatical description might suggest. Exceptions are a principal factor that makes learning a language difficult.
Separating false exceptions from real ones therefore should make the task considerably easier.
In this work I have kept grammatical terminology to a minimum, and in fact have changed it where I believe conventional terminology would hinder understanding rather than helping it. I have also reduced the number of exceptions to each rule by looking at the language through the eyes of the native anglophones who actually speak it, rather than through the eyes of grammarians who study and dissect it.
Objectively, English is the easiest of all the major world languages to learn (German, French, Italian, Spanish, etc.) because its grammar is fundamentally simpler. This fact is occasionally mentioned in grammar books; however, it is never really exploited.
The purpose of this book is to help non-native speakers better understand how native anglohones view and use their language, with emphasis on its simplicities and regularities rather than its complexities and exceptions. As an extra aid, false exceptions are always clearly indicated.
In short, the purpose of Actual English is to help you think in English, i.e. help you better understand how native anglophones think about their language when they are actually speaking it.
I recently read one such book for French speakers that declared: In English, more than other languages, it is often difficult to determine to which part of speech certain words belong. Often a word can be an adverb, a proposition, or a conjunction.
These two sentences eloquently exemplify what I believe is wrong with the majority of English grammar books. They are written by grammarians for grammarians, rather than for learners.
The fact that “before” can be an adverb, a conjunction, or a preposition is of little consequence. The important thing is for learners to know the word, and when and how to use it, not what part of speech it represents in any particular circumstance.
Another thing grammar books do is to enunciate a rule, then list 5-10 exceptions that must be memorized. English, like French, has its share of exceptions. However, looked at properly, many of these so-called exceptions do follow the rule, or come closer to following it than their formal grammatical description might suggest. Exceptions are a principal factor that makes learning a language difficult.
Separating false exceptions from real ones therefore should make the task considerably easier.
In this work I have kept grammatical terminology to a minimum, and in fact have changed it where I believe conventional terminology would hinder understanding rather than helping it. I have also reduced the number of exceptions to each rule by looking at the language through the eyes of the native anglophones who actually speak it, rather than through the eyes of grammarians who study and dissect it.
Objectively, English is the easiest of all the major world languages to learn (German, French, Italian, Spanish, etc.) because its grammar is fundamentally simpler. This fact is occasionally mentioned in grammar books; however, it is never really exploited.
The purpose of this book is to help non-native speakers better understand how native anglohones view and use their language, with emphasis on its simplicities and regularities rather than its complexities and exceptions. As an extra aid, false exceptions are always clearly indicated.
In short, the purpose of Actual English is to help you think in English, i.e. help you better understand how native anglophones think about their language when they are actually speaking it.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Synopsis: Tesania is the only survivor after her village is massacred by magically altered beasts. In the aftermath of the attack she senses her father's sword calling out to her, the hilt reforming to fit her small hand as she draws the blade from its sheath.
With its magic tingling at her nerves, she embarks on a mission of revenge.
Could her father's sword be the ancient weapon spoken of in the decaying parchments of the Tenule chronicles, imbued with magic and forged with blood? Can it possibly make the difference when she stands before the evil mage, Trannyth, and demands her vengeance on his beasts?
Tesania - Trannyth's Keep is a 132,000 word (500 page) novel.
With its magic tingling at her nerves, she embarks on a mission of revenge.
Could her father's sword be the ancient weapon spoken of in the decaying parchments of the Tenule chronicles, imbued with magic and forged with blood? Can it possibly make the difference when she stands before the evil mage, Trannyth, and demands her vengeance on his beasts?
Tesania - Trannyth's Keep is a 132,000 word (500 page) novel.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Bonnie-Jean Russell, personal assistant to the current laird of McKinley clan, can't find her boss. When she discovers his likeness in an ancestor's portrait she has to find a way to bring him back to the present. Standing in her way is the tale of a missing pouch of gemstones...a treasure everyone else wants.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Series
Synopsis: Literate people are literate because they have been taught how to read and write. Right? Wrong. They have been taught how to read, but many (if not most) have never really been taught how to write.
“I know, because I used to be one of them,” says Philip Yaffe, a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and long-time international marketing communication consultant. ”When I was in high school, I thought I knew how to write, but when I went to college, I was shocked to discover that I didn’t.
“Much secondary school writing is aimed at helping students perfect their mechanical skills such as grammar, vocabulary, rhythm, syntax, etc. In college, it is assumed that students already do these things well. The task now is to use these skills to clearly, concisely, and persuasively present or defend an argument or point of view. This is where I and many of my freshman colleagues fell down,” he explains.
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent attempts to rectify the problem by focusing on the truly key ideas and techniques needed to achieve these objectives.
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent displays, explains, and provides exercises for general writing principles and practices that can be adapted to all kinds of college-level writing formats, e.g. book reviews, term papers, research papers, theses, essay exams, etc.
“If you truly understand and master the principles and practices explained in this book, it really won’t matter what format may be imposed on your writing. The format is like the cover of a book. The essential thing is what is inside,” the author says.
As any good teacher knows, saying something once is tantamount to not saying it at all. People may understand something the first time they hear it, but that doesn’t mean that they will necessarily remember it or understand it later. Key ideas must be repeated to ensure comprehension.
College-level Writing: The Essential 10 Percent is therefore purposely redundant. You will see certain pieces of information repeated in many different places. This is done to ensure that vital information is always available when and where you need it. You won’t have to go looking for it on an earlier page in order to understand the page you are currently reading.
Because they are fundamental, the principles and practices taught in this book are also adaptable to business and professional worlds beyond graduation.
Philip Yaffe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1942 and grew up in Los Angeles, where he graduated from the University of California with a degree in mathematics and physics. In his senior year, he was also editor-in-chief of the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s daily student newspaper.
He has more than 40 years of experience in journalism and international marketing communication. At various points in his career, he has been a teacher of journalism, a reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal, an account executive with a major international press relations agency, European marketing communication director with two major international companies, and a founding partner of a specialized marketing communication agency in Brussels, Belgium, where he has lived since 1974.
Other Books by this Author
Word for Windows: The Essential Ten Percent
The Human Body: The Essential Ten Percent
(to be published in February 2012)
The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a Professional
The Gettysburg Collection:
A comprehensive companion to The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a Professional
Actual English: English grammar as native speakers really use it
Gentle French: French grammar as native speakers really use it
What’d You Say? / Que Dites-Vous?
Fun with homophones, proverbs, expressions, false friends, and other linguistic oddities in English and French
The Little Book of BIG Mistakes
Science for the Concerned Citizen: What you don’t know CAN hurt you
“I know, because I used to be one of them,” says Philip Yaffe, a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and long-time international marketing communication consultant. ”When I was in high school, I thought I knew how to write, but when I went to college, I was shocked to discover that I didn’t.
“Much secondary school writing is aimed at helping students perfect their mechanical skills such as grammar, vocabulary, rhythm, syntax, etc. In college, it is assumed that students already do these things well. The task now is to use these skills to clearly, concisely, and persuasively present or defend an argument or point of view. This is where I and many of my freshman colleagues fell down,” he explains.
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent attempts to rectify the problem by focusing on the truly key ideas and techniques needed to achieve these objectives.
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent displays, explains, and provides exercises for general writing principles and practices that can be adapted to all kinds of college-level writing formats, e.g. book reviews, term papers, research papers, theses, essay exams, etc.
“If you truly understand and master the principles and practices explained in this book, it really won’t matter what format may be imposed on your writing. The format is like the cover of a book. The essential thing is what is inside,” the author says.
As any good teacher knows, saying something once is tantamount to not saying it at all. People may understand something the first time they hear it, but that doesn’t mean that they will necessarily remember it or understand it later. Key ideas must be repeated to ensure comprehension.
College-level Writing: The Essential 10 Percent is therefore purposely redundant. You will see certain pieces of information repeated in many different places. This is done to ensure that vital information is always available when and where you need it. You won’t have to go looking for it on an earlier page in order to understand the page you are currently reading.
Because they are fundamental, the principles and practices taught in this book are also adaptable to business and professional worlds beyond graduation.
Philip Yaffe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1942 and grew up in Los Angeles, where he graduated from the University of California with a degree in mathematics and physics. In his senior year, he was also editor-in-chief of the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s daily student newspaper.
He has more than 40 years of experience in journalism and international marketing communication. At various points in his career, he has been a teacher of journalism, a reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal, an account executive with a major international press relations agency, European marketing communication director with two major international companies, and a founding partner of a specialized marketing communication agency in Brussels, Belgium, where he has lived since 1974.
Other Books by this Author
Word for Windows: The Essential Ten Percent
The Human Body: The Essential Ten Percent
(to be published in February 2012)
The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a Professional
The Gettysburg Collection:
A comprehensive companion to The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a Professional
Actual English: English grammar as native speakers really use it
Gentle French: French grammar as native speakers really use it
What’d You Say? / Que Dites-Vous?
Fun with homophones, proverbs, expressions, false friends, and other linguistic oddities in English and French
The Little Book of BIG Mistakes
Science for the Concerned Citizen: What you don’t know CAN hurt you
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Synopsis: Aislinn of Bairbhe dreams of becoming a lady knight to honor the death of her fallen brother. To her mother's horror, King Patrick grants Aislinn's wish.
Despite the mockery of the other pages and the disdain of Prince Caelen, who also trains to be a knight, Aislinn commits herself to her training and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and bravery.
Through the years, Aislinn and Caelen grow from sparring classmates to good friends. Honor, bravery, and yes, love are worth fighting for even when they both know that someday Caelen will have to marry for the sake of the kingdom.
Despite the mockery of the other pages and the disdain of Prince Caelen, who also trains to be a knight, Aislinn commits herself to her training and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and bravery.
Through the years, Aislinn and Caelen grow from sparring classmates to good friends. Honor, bravery, and yes, love are worth fighting for even when they both know that someday Caelen will have to marry for the sake of the kingdom.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: The Rapture has occurred - the end of the world. The faithful have risen up to Heaven. Those left behind are in a living hell. Armed only with his swords and his wit, a teenage boy wanders this post-apocalyptic world alone, separated forever from everyone he loves. Cursed by his demonic heritage, he must now embark on a quest that will take him across the US to the City of Angels.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Paranormal
Synopsis: Few people will willing admit that they don’t think logically. Ironically, perhaps the people most willing to admit it are those celebrated for their outstanding minds (e.g. Albert Einstein, William Gladstone, Wolfgang Goethe, Benjamin Franklin, Blaise Pascal, Voltaire), because they are aware of how difficult logical thinking really is.
Why? Because we are all subject to fallacies. These are illogical ways of handling ideas that seem logical at the time and therefore often lead is down the wrong path.
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent displays, explains, and provides examples of the general principles and practices of logical thinking, with particular emphasis on avoiding fallacies. Part of it reads like a textbook. However, much of it is in the form of essays that are used to go more deeply into certain matters that the textbook format would not allow. Together, it is hoped that the textbook format and the essay format will serve as an easy introduction to the key aspects of logical thinking as well as providing a fundamental, easy-to-use reference work.
Please bear in mind that the purpose of this book is not to teach you to think, but to help you think more logically.
There is a difference. Thinking logically is not always the best thing to do. Most artists do not think logically; if they did they probably would never produce any original works of lasting value. Likewise for poets, composers, song writers, novelists, etc. This would fall under the rubric of “creative thinking.”
Whatever other kinds of thinking we may do, logical thinking is likely to enter into the process. This is especially true regarding personal decisions that will affect how we, and those close to us, will live our lives. It is also true regarding political and social decisions that will affect the future of our community, our country, our world. For example, compulsory vaccination of all schoolchildren, assisted suicide, insurance coverage for alternative medicine, polygamy, same-sex marriages, etc.
Failure to recognize and avoid common mistakes in logical thinking that can lead to misjudgments that could sometimes result in major — and usually unpleasant — consequences.
As any teacher knows, saying something once is tantamount to not saying it at all. Key ideas must be frequently repeated to be certain that they don’t get lost in the details. The reader will therefore see pieces of information repeated in many different places. This is to ensure that vital information is always available when and where the reader needs it. He won’t have to go looking for it on an earlier page in order to understand the page he is currently reading.
To add some light relief, the book also contains a chapter on “Logic through the Looking Glass,” delightfully instructive illogical passages from Lewis Carroll’s class Alice in Wonderland books, an equally delightful and instructive excerpt from a short story by Isaac Asimov, and a list of “Common Misconceptions: Things We Know that Just Aren’t So.”
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent is part of the expanding “The Essential Ten Percent” series. The series was launched in 2011 on the premise that many self-instructional books fail to distinguish between:
•Casual Users — those who need to understand and apply only the very basics of a subject.
•Intensive Users — those who need to understand and apply virtually everything.
As a result, most such books tend to make fundamentally simple ideas appear to be unnecessarily complex. And more complex ideas hopelessly impenetrable.
Books in “The Essential Ten Percent Series” rigorously focus on the “casual user” to ensure that simple ideas remain simple and more complex ideas can be decomposed into simpler ones.
The books in “The Essential Ten Percent” series (at March 2012) are:
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent
Public Speaking: The Essential Ten Percent
Why? Because we are all subject to fallacies. These are illogical ways of handling ideas that seem logical at the time and therefore often lead is down the wrong path.
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent displays, explains, and provides examples of the general principles and practices of logical thinking, with particular emphasis on avoiding fallacies. Part of it reads like a textbook. However, much of it is in the form of essays that are used to go more deeply into certain matters that the textbook format would not allow. Together, it is hoped that the textbook format and the essay format will serve as an easy introduction to the key aspects of logical thinking as well as providing a fundamental, easy-to-use reference work.
Please bear in mind that the purpose of this book is not to teach you to think, but to help you think more logically.
There is a difference. Thinking logically is not always the best thing to do. Most artists do not think logically; if they did they probably would never produce any original works of lasting value. Likewise for poets, composers, song writers, novelists, etc. This would fall under the rubric of “creative thinking.”
Whatever other kinds of thinking we may do, logical thinking is likely to enter into the process. This is especially true regarding personal decisions that will affect how we, and those close to us, will live our lives. It is also true regarding political and social decisions that will affect the future of our community, our country, our world. For example, compulsory vaccination of all schoolchildren, assisted suicide, insurance coverage for alternative medicine, polygamy, same-sex marriages, etc.
Failure to recognize and avoid common mistakes in logical thinking that can lead to misjudgments that could sometimes result in major — and usually unpleasant — consequences.
As any teacher knows, saying something once is tantamount to not saying it at all. Key ideas must be frequently repeated to be certain that they don’t get lost in the details. The reader will therefore see pieces of information repeated in many different places. This is to ensure that vital information is always available when and where the reader needs it. He won’t have to go looking for it on an earlier page in order to understand the page he is currently reading.
To add some light relief, the book also contains a chapter on “Logic through the Looking Glass,” delightfully instructive illogical passages from Lewis Carroll’s class Alice in Wonderland books, an equally delightful and instructive excerpt from a short story by Isaac Asimov, and a list of “Common Misconceptions: Things We Know that Just Aren’t So.”
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent is part of the expanding “The Essential Ten Percent” series. The series was launched in 2011 on the premise that many self-instructional books fail to distinguish between:
•Casual Users — those who need to understand and apply only the very basics of a subject.
•Intensive Users — those who need to understand and apply virtually everything.
As a result, most such books tend to make fundamentally simple ideas appear to be unnecessarily complex. And more complex ideas hopelessly impenetrable.
Books in “The Essential Ten Percent Series” rigorously focus on the “casual user” to ensure that simple ideas remain simple and more complex ideas can be decomposed into simpler ones.
The books in “The Essential Ten Percent” series (at March 2012) are:
College-level Writing: The Essential Ten Percent
Logical Thinking: The Essential Ten Percent
Public Speaking: The Essential Ten Percent
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Synopsis: Ranulf, the Speican lord, is dead, and Arnhem is save, or so the Arnhemians believe.
Sir Geoffrey and his companions have just completed a mission for Queen Aislinn when he receives word of the Speicans attacking Arnhem. Geoffrey and his party, which now includes exile Jenanna, split up and rush to different kingdoms to ask for aid. Even as he fights for his kingdom and his life, Geoffrey finds himself torn between his new friend Jenanna and the mysterious lady Celestia he left behind in Arnhem.
Enlisting help is infinitely more difficult than they anticipated and to make matters worse, rumors about that the Speicans have enlisted a mage of their own, to work unspeakable, forbidden magic. The war between Speica and Arnhem has just begun. Will Geoffrey survive the battle to live another day and discover which woman he truly loves?
Sir Geoffrey and his companions have just completed a mission for Queen Aislinn when he receives word of the Speicans attacking Arnhem. Geoffrey and his party, which now includes exile Jenanna, split up and rush to different kingdoms to ask for aid. Even as he fights for his kingdom and his life, Geoffrey finds himself torn between his new friend Jenanna and the mysterious lady Celestia he left behind in Arnhem.
Enlisting help is infinitely more difficult than they anticipated and to make matters worse, rumors about that the Speicans have enlisted a mage of their own, to work unspeakable, forbidden magic. The war between Speica and Arnhem has just begun. Will Geoffrey survive the battle to live another day and discover which woman he truly loves?
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Series