Hultin, Lisa and Hultin, Claire. Love, Sex & Deception: the Chronicles of Online Dating. (Book Review)

Morgan James Publishing. 2010. c.218p. ISBN 978-1-60037-775-4. $17.95.

In light of the fact that online dating has moved into the mainstream, with more than 800 dating sites and 60 million subscribers (p. 4), this publication written by a daughter and mother, who have dated online, compared notes, and “actually survived!” is timely and relevant. By Lisa Hultin (B.A., Telecommunications, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia; freelance writer, Tao Entertainment and LoveSexandDeception.com), a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, and Claire Hultin (freelance writer, Tao Entertainment; author of The Doctrine of Lucid Dreaming; writer of socio-political excerpts for Srilankaguardian.org; founder of www.dreaminglucidly.com; owner of Electronic Novelties, LLC), a resident of Los Angeles, California, it purports to be an entertaining read as well as an informative guide consisting of stories, advice, tips, and tricks for online daters and others. It also is intended to serve as a “‘comfort book’” for persons who may be in “‘dating limbo,’” while experiencing the cyber world of online dating. (p. 1) Covering online dating as well as in-person dating, since many online dating experiences evolve in the latter, it is organized into themed chapters covering the “new frontier,” sexuality online, dates who lie, college kids and online dating, disaster dates, scammers, illegal activities, swingers, manners, good protocol, and more. Each chapter includes an introduction written by the authors, their commentary and responses, as well as online dating stories contributed by individuals, most of whom are women and many of whom reside in larger cities in the United States, not limited to Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York. Presenting eye-opening views of what daters most likely will encounter when they plunge into cyber dating, the contributions are real, anecdotal, seemingly truthful, and sometimes emotionally evocative. They cover the gamut of online dating experiences. From them, you may learn how to protect your affections, trust, and time, positive strategies for finding true love and avoiding deception as well as the do’s and don’ts of online and in-person dating. While this book is entertaining and to some extent informative and educational, it needs better documentation and presentation. Firstly, in some cases, the stories only are signed with contributors’ first names and locations. In other cases, contributions are anonymous or signed with first names only. While this obviously protects the identities of storywriters and encourages their more complete and truthful disclosures, confessions, and recollections, it also leaves readers in the precarious position of having to judge whether what they are reading is in fact “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,” as they would say in a law court. Secondly, this book lacks footnotes or endnotes, a bibliography, and an index, all of which should have been included for readers. Finally, it includes many spelling errors. Written by authors who have gained their expertise from firsthand experiences and including contributions by participants, it mainly will interest readers who have experienced online dating or want to learn more about it. Not a reference book or how-to-manual, it is recommended as a supplementary resource for many public libraries, particularly for those found in large and medium-sized cities, where the online dating and in-person dating scenes may be more active and developed. Review copy. Availability: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com

King, R. August. Night Shift Diary.

Dorrance Publising Co., Inc.. 2010. c.47p. ISBN 978-1-4349-0665-6. $9.00. ISBN 978-1-4349-5439-8 (e-Book). $5.00.

In this very brief publication, King (LPN, RN, M.B.A.), a critical care nurse for eighteen years and now involved in healthcare business and finance, remembers working as Licensed Practical Nurse on the Intensive Care Units in several hospital settings while she was studying to become a Registered Nurse. She publishes her memories in the form in which she found them while “spring cleaning” the storage space under the roof of her garage, her diary that she kept from June 1975 until April 1982 in which she recorded personal and professional milestones, the latter in the form of “nursing notes.” Honest and insightful, King’s entries recount what it was like to be a nurse as well as care for critically-ill patients on a regular basis. Covering diverse topics with much humor, signs of growth, and increasing confidence, she describes being rotated from one unit to another, becoming an ICU nurse, caring for her sick mother, interacting with her coworkers and doctors, patients’ families, administering treatments, observing various operations, and more. Lacking a glossary of terms, abbreviations, and acronyms, which would be helpful for readers unfamiliar with some of the medical terminologies used by the author, this book, nevertheless, will be of interest to general readers and those individuals considering healthcare careers, perhaps in nursing. It is recommended for some public libraries as an enjoyable, supplementary resource. Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.. Availability: Amazon.com, Dorrance Bookstore

Slack, Ed. Two Legged Snakes: Understanding and Handling Manipulative People.

Simple Truth Publishing. 2010. c130p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-9825514-1-7. $12.95. ISBN 9780982551424 (e-Book). $7.99.

Most of us probably do not like reading about troublesome situations and/or people, but every once in a while a reality check is a good thing, particularly if it can help us avoid bad experiences. In this humorously- and generously- illustrated (more than eighty illustrations), self-help publication, Dr. Ed Slack (B.S., Psychology, & M.S., Clinical Psychology, California State University, Sacramento; Ph.D, Clinical Psychology, Sierra University, Sacramento), a psychologist with more than 25 years experience working with people who are both manipulative and gifted, discusses a kind of person you may have encountered with disastrous consequences, the “two legged snake.” According to the author, the two legged snake (TLS) or bipedal snake (BS) is a manipulator, who comes in all forms and from all walks of life. Slack describes this kind of individual in terms of various categories, not limited to the Primary and Secondary (pp. 7-10) as well as the Day to Day (D2D) and Public Level. (p. 23) Beyond the aforementioned classifications, Slack discusses the 13 different forms or types of two legged snakes: the Charmer, Backstabber, Bombast Entertainer, Bilker, Decorated, Misdirector, Rhetorical, Situational, Media Maven, Lost, Lifer, Justified, and the King Cobra. (pp. 24-38) Intending to help readers and non-readers identify the various kinds of manipulators, the author also presents the types of people or “fans” who surround them, the persuasive techniques used by bipedal snakes, and their biting styles. He offers advice and tips for handling and dealing with TLS and for “making the world a less snaky place.” Addressing persons who are going through difficulties as well as everyone, since we all have “snakes in our heads,” the author sets forth keys for perceiving and overcoming deception. He suggests how readers can make good choices, not be deceived, and gain the skills to realize when they are being duped. Helpful and thoughtful, albeit on levels that may be superficial to some individuals, this humorous, fast-paced guide on a serious subject by an experienced expert will interest general readers and others. Offered for purchase with a back-of-the-book, selected bibliography and a reproducible two legged snake spotters’ checklist as well as with a downloadable bonus chapter and a money back guarantee on the book’s website, it is recommended for many public libraries as fun, supplementary, introductory, self-help manual. Review Book. Availability: Amazon.com, Twoleggedsnakes.com