The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 4 by Liese Sherwood-Fabre

The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes Volume Four by Liese Sherwood-Fabre ISBN-13: 9781952408205 ebook: 196 pages Publisher: Little Elm Press, LLC Released: December 6th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Arthur Conan Doyle's original tales include many references to everyday Victorian life that are no longer part of current readers’ world. What Holmes would have eaten from a can while searching for the hound of the Baskervilles, Watson's enjoyment of a yellow-back novel, or the proper use of a gasogene would have been common knowledge to the Victorian contemporary but compels modern readers to run to the nearest reference book. These twenty-four short essays pull such items from the past and expand on their significance in the story. As an additional bonus, this book contains an essay on the role of scandal in Holmes' cases. After enjoying these concise treatises on Holmes’ world, readers will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of both the times and the life of the world’s greatest consulting detective.

Topics covered include: The Pinkerton Agency, Victorian Firearms, Handcuffs, Gossip, Canning, Collecting, Ears, Stocks and Bonds, Yellow Paperbacks, Opium Dens, Handkerchiefs, Plaster of Paris, Seltzer Water and Gasogenes, Voodoo, Curare, Cocaine and Other Addictions, Freemasonry, Tweed, Leprosy, Whist, Homelessness, Chemistry, The London Underground, and Scandal in the Canon.


My Review:
The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of 24 short essays on the historical context of things mentioned in Sherlock Holmes stories. Each essay was inspired by a comment or incident in a Sherlock Holmes story, and we're told where the essay topic is mentioned. We're given a brief history or background information on the topic. The footnotes show that most of the information was found online or in a small number of books about Victorian England, so you could look up much of this information for yourself if so motivated. However, it is an interesting and informative read.

Topics covered include The Pinkerton Agency, Victorian Firearms, Handcuffs, Gossip, Canning, Collecting, Ears, Stocks and Bonds, Yellow Paperbacks, Opium Dens, Handkerchiefs, Plaster of Paris, Seltzer Water and Gasogenes, Voodoo, Curare, Cocaine and Other Addictions, Freemasonry, Tweed, Leprosy, Whist, Homelessness, Chemistry, The London Underground, and Scandal.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Raised Bed Revolution by Tara Nolan

Raised Bed Revolution
by Tara Nolan

ISBN-13: 9780593197882
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Cool Springs Press
Released: September 20th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Raised Bed Revolution provides you with information on size requirements for constructing raised beds, height suggestions, types of materials you can use, and creative tips for fitting the maximum garden capacity into small spaces—including vertical gardening.

Enhanced with gorgeous photography, this book covers subjects such as growing-medium options, rooftop gardening, cost-effective gardening solutions, planting tips, watering strategies (automatic water drip systems and hand watering), and more. The process of creating and building raised beds is a cinch, too, thanks to the extensive gallery of design ideas and step-by-step projects.

This gardening strategy is taking serious root. Why? Several reasons: Raised beds allow gardeners to practice space efficiency as well as accessibility (the beds can be customized to be any height). Raised beds permit gardeners to use their own soil, and they can be designed with wheels for easy portability if partial sunlight is a problem. Water conservation is easier for gardeners who use raised beds. Pest control is assisted because most garden pests can’t make the leap up into the raised bed. For yards that struggle with drainage, raised bed gardening offers a no-brainer solution.


My Review:
Raised Bed Revolution is about gardening using raised garden beds. The author described why you might want to use raised beds and a wide variety of different ways to do raised beds, from different heights to the various materials that can be used. The book included several step-by-step projects for creating your own raised beds, from materials to finished project. She also included many colorful pictures of raised beds to inspire the reader with ideas. The projects included a basic raised bed placed just above the ground to garden beds tall enough to sit on the edges to a vertical garden. Overall, I'd recommend the book if you're serious about trying this way of gardening.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Buyer Aware by Marta L. Tellado

Buyer Aware
by Marta L. Tellado

ISBN-13: 9781541768574
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Released: September 20th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The rules that have protected consumers for decades are failing. Companies are spying on us. Many of the products we once trusted are dangerous and failing at alarming rates. Whether we are buying a crib, a small appliance, an iPhone app, or shopping for car insurance, it's become harder than ever to know whether the choices we make in the marketplace are putting us at risk-either from physical harm or the abuse of our personal data by hackers or corporations.

Marta L. Tellado, the president and CEO of Consumer Reports, has been an advocate for consumers for decades. In Buyer Aware, Tellado shows you the steps you can take to protect yourself from predatory business practices, and how to exert your inherent power as a consumer to spur politicians and businesses to clean up their act. Only then can we ensure that we have an economy that is fair, safe, and transparent for all, and puts consumers first.


My Review:
According to this author, "user generated reviews"--like this one--are generally untrustworthy, especially if they're 5 star reviews. Or if they're from social influencers who got the product for free. The only really trustworthy reviews are from Consumer Reports, for which the author works, and she highly promotes them. Either this is hypocrisy (as book reviewers have been asked to review her book which is given to them for free) or it's really stupid to insult the very people who are going to be the first ones reviewing your book. Just saying.

I've only read about a third of the book and won't be finishing it. So far, she has described some things that she doesn't like about the internet that people should be aware of, though nothing really new to me so far. She basically said to go the the Consumer Reports site for more information on how to prevent companies from tracking you to gather and sale your data, and I assume that she will point the reader there for solutions in future chapters, too.

Why have I stopped reading when I usually finish even the books I hate? Because she's ranting about how people are manipulated toward their own bias and how horrible misinformation is while proving with her examples that she's been manipulated toward her bias and hasn't noticed. If you're conservative, she'll insult you in some fashion, like specifically targeting Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson (from Fox News) and saying they don't report news but rather provide manipulative fiction.

She also spread misinformation while complaining about how there's so much misinformation. One example is that she stated as fact that the COVID vaccines are safe and it's misinformation to say that they can cause death. Yet the CDC's own Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (for data up to June 17, 2022) indicates that 29,031 deaths have been reported from the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, with 16% occurring within 24 hours of vaccination, 20% occurring within 48 hours of vaccination and 59% occurring in people who experienced an onset of symptoms within 48 hours of being vaccinated. If she can't even correctly identify what is true and what is propaganda, why should I trust her discernment about anything else in this book?


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Fascia, 2nd edition by David Lesondak

Fascia, 2nd edition
by David Lesondak

ISBN-13: 9781913426316
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Handspring Publishing
Released: Sept. 21, 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
This book presents a clear and easy to understand explanation of what the fascia is and the role it plays in the body. As the importance of fascia is increasingly recognized it became obvious that there was a need for a book that clearly and concisely presents the facts. This is that book. Each chapter logically connects to the next, rather like fascia itself!

Fascia - What It Is and Why It Matters serves as an essential primer for professionals, such as movement educators, physical therapists, osteopaths, massage therapists, fitness professionals, and doctors enabling them to attain a solid grasp of what fascia is and what it does in the body. It provides an understanding of fascia as a tissue, of its role in the various systems of the body and of its clinical significance.


My Review:
Fascia, 2nd edition explains what fascia is, how it works, and different methods for treating fascia problems. The chapters covered: what fascia is, tensegrity, studying fascia anatomy, fascia and the nervous system, fascia-like structures in the brain, fascia and organs, recognizing a fascia problem, and various methods of treating fascia problems. That last chapter talked about different methods, what the method was like, and where to learn it. All throughout, there were pictures of fascia (or related things, like tensegrity models). The text wasn't highly technical but it's in-depth enough that it's probably most interesting to bodyworkers and other people with some medically training. While very interesting, clearly fascia needs a lot more study--and this book is meant to both inform and interest people in furthering this research.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Victorian Fashions for Women by Fiona Kay, Neil R Storey

Victorian Fashions for Women
by Fiona Kay, Neil R Storey

ISBN-13: 9781399004169
Hardcover: 248 pages
Publisher: Pen & Sword History
Released: Aug. 9, 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Victorian Fashions for Women explores the British styles and clothing throughout the long reign of Queen Victoria, from the late 1830s to the first years of the 20th century. Within are a superb overview of the dresses, hats, hair styles, corsetry, undergarments shoes and boots that combined to present the prevailing styles for each decade. From those who had enough money to have day and evening wear and clothes for sports and outdoor activities, to those with limited income and wardrobes or labouring folk with little more than the clothes they stood up in.

All decades are illustrated with original photographs, adverts and contemporary magazine features from the authors' own remarkable collections, accompanied by a knowledgeable and informative text that describes the fashions, their social history context and influences reflected in the clothes of the time. Laid out in a clear and easy-to-follow chronological order, the key features of styles, decoration and accoutrements will help family historians to date family photographs and will provide a useful resource for students and costume historians or for anyone with a love of fashion and style to enjoy.


My Review:
Victorian Fashions for Women describes the changing fashions in women's clothing in England from 1840 to 1900. It's actually throughout Queen Victoria's reign, but the authors took each decade at a time so it ended up titled as "The 1840s Look" and so on. The authors described what fashionable women were wearing and used some quotes from fashion magazines, newspapers reporting on what the royals wore, and even ads. I'd hoped for a lot of pictures or illustrations, but it was basically a lot of technical terms (fabric names, sewing and clothing terms) that I sometimes found hard to follow as I didn't know what many of the terms meant. Only afterward, I discovered a glossary of terms at the back, though even that wasn't as helpful as I'd hoped.

Anyway, the authors focused on changes over time to the overall look, the sleeves, waist, where the bulk of the skirt went, trimmings, the underclothing used to get the right look, outerwear (hats, cloaks, etc.), and trends in jewelry. They also talked about how changes in technology (like new dyes) changed fashions. In the last chapter, the authors covered things like prison warden uniforms and mourning attire. This book is helpful if you mainly want to know what fashion trends were popular at a certain time (big skirts, big sleeves, etc.) but it's less helpful if you want a visual guide or a non-technical description of real dresses in real situations rather than the suggested high fashions.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Brilliant Inks by Anna Sokolova

Brilliant Inks
by Anna Sokolova

ISBN-13: 9780760374511
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Quarry Books
Released: July 5, 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In Brilliant Inks, artist, illustrator, and top Skillshare teacher Anna Sokolova shares her own unique methods that get the most out of this versatile medium. With her guidance, create beginner-friendly florals and foliage, animals, still lifes, figures and portraits, and hand lettering. Learn about the various types of inks and the best tools and surfaces to use with them. Then, try basic techniques such as color mixing, creating visual texture, negative painting, and splattering. Work with a variety of brushes, dip pens, and droppers to get different looks, and see how adding common household supplies such as salt and bleach can create the most amazing effects.

Use these methods in lessons designed to improve skills and boost confidence. Be inspired to make projects such as a bracelet, paper art dolls, a tote bag, and a decorated book. Full instructions and templates make projects fun and stress free. Perfect for all skill levels, the books in the Art for Modern Makers series take a fun, practical approach to learning about and working with paints and other art mediums to create beautiful DIY projects and crafts.


My Review:
Brilliant Inks is an art instruction book on using inks, mainly with brushes. The author started by describing the different types of ink (acrylic, alcohol, etc.) and some tips about using them. She also talked about other materials (paper, brushes, ink droppers, dip pens, markers, etc.) and briefly covered basic concepts like color mixing. She then described some techniques for using inks (washes, spattering, etc.) and included step-by-step exercises for several of these techniques. She then had exercises that combined these skills, with step-by-step instructions and illustrations on how to paint a rose, mushrooms, butterfly, stylized bird, red panda, distant people, portrait, fashion figure, map, pomegranate, and dessert. She then had step-by-step directions for making several crafts: a cork bracelet, clay horse, alcohol ink "tie-dyed" tote, and accordion book of illustrations.

I've been painting with watercolors for years, so it was easy for me to understand her instructions as there were many similarities. She only briefly talked about alcohol ink markers, and she didn't seem to have the same problems with using them that I do so she didn't include tips that would help improve my results. However, I did find the ink selection and techniques part useful to help me use inks in my own painting projects. Overall, I'd recommend this resource to artists interested in painting with inks.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Make Your Own Board Game by Jesse Terrance Daniels

Make Your Own Board Game
by Jesse Terrance Daniels

ISBN-13: 9781635863413
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Released: August 30th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Tabletop board games are having a comeback, and especially within a younger, tech-y audience who enjoys the challenge and opportunity to work in an analog sphere. Game design expert Jesse Terrance Daniels teaches all the fundamentals of game design, from rule-setting to physical construction, along with original illustrations.

Readers will learn the “building blocks” of game design, including game components, rules, and gameplay mechanics, and then how to craft a game, with a variety of examples and design prompts. After completing Make Your Own Board Game, readers are equipped with a broad understanding of game construction and flow and ready to create games that are playable and satisfying, while also expressing the makers’ unique creativity and passions.


My Review:
Make Your Own Board Game talked about designing tabletop games like board, tile, card, and role-playing games (with the most time spent on role-playing). It's solely about the concept, not the manufacture or marketing of a game. The author started with pretty basic stuff, like playing cards are usually these sizes and have the same pattern on the back. You could figure these things out just from playing a variety of board games. He then moved onto game play rules. He explained a variety of ways to handle taking turns, using currency, etc., and the pros and cons of using the different methods. He sometimes pointed out or used an existing game to demonstrate the idea, but not always. At the end, he provided a few example games, from a basic game to a complex one.

The descriptions weren't always easy to follow. Since the author explained different ideas in different areas, he might refer to a concept (like a "bank") in one place but you have to flip to another section to learn about that concept. He pointed out some complex game play possibilities that might make a game more interesting, but it's also trickier to understand how to make it work. This is a good book for inspiration about the possibilities, but I would have preferred more examples of how the more complex ideas worked in an actual game play and the steps of actual game design.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.