The Help Meet Wife

Inside The Criminal Mind by Stanton E. Samenow, Ph.D is a very different look on criminals, their thought process, and why they behave the way they do. This book was originally written in 1984 and now is on its third edition, published in 2014. It's a groundbreaking look at the inner workings of the criminal mind. This new updated edition includes a look at new, modern topics such as computers, drugs and pharmaceuticals, video games, movies and TV, social media, and updated genetic and biological research. In this book he offers his solutions based on his many, many years studying this topic. This is definitely not the typical crime book. Samenow's views contradict nearly everything we hear and read in popular media. Most people believe criminals are "born that way", or fall prey to influences completely beyond their control - poverty, abuse, etc. Samenow believes this is not true, that criminals have a certain thought pattern and can retrain their thinking to fix t

Kidnapped By The Taliban is the thrilling account of Dr. Dilip Joseph (co-written by James Lund). Dr. Dilip Joseph was working for an NGO, Morning Star Development. He traveled to Afghanistan on multiple occasions to oversee, provide medical care and train native medical workers to better serve the Afghan people, especially in rural areas with no health care options. The back cover reads: "“Am I About to Die?” On December 5, 2012, American medical doctor Dilip Joseph and two colleagues are driving back to Kabul, Afghanistan, after serving villagers that morning at a rural clinic. Suddenly a man waving an AK-47 blocks their path. More armed men jump out of hiding. For Dilip, it is the beginning of a nightmare—he’s being kidnapped by the Taliban. Dilip and his friends endure a nine-hour march into the mountains, gruesome images of torture and death, and repeated threats of execution. Four days later Dilip is freed in a daring and deadly rescue that claims the life of a SEAL T

Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil by Paul Bloom is a little gem of a book. The cover is brilliant and is what initially drew me in to even taking a look at it. I really enjoy books about psychology, and this didn't disappoint. The description was really intriguing, so between that and the cover, I knew it was a must-read: "A leading cognitive scientist argues that a deep sense of good and evil is bred in the bone. From John Locke to Sigmund Freud, philosophers and psychologists have long believed that we begin life as blank moral slates. Many of us take for granted that babies are born selfish and that it is the role of society—and especially parents—to transform them from little sociopaths into civilized beings. In Just Babies, Paul Bloom argues that humans are in fact hardwired with a sense of morality. Drawing on groundbreaking research at Yale, Bloom demonstrates that, even before they can speak or walk, babies judge the goodness and badness of others’ action

Hope Crossing by Cindy Woodsmall is a three-in-one book that includes all three full length novels from her Ada's House trilogy. The book description reads: "Hope Crossing…where Ada’s House stands as a haven for weary souls looking for kindness, faith, and second chances. The Hope of Refuge Two very different women are pulled by their strongest desires. Deborah Mast joined the Amish church and longs to marry her fiancé, but he is changing. Cara Moore is forced to look into a life that was meant to be hers. Will Ada’s House help them realize their hearts’ desires or will it force them to accept what life has done to each of them? The Bridge of Peace Living out her passion for teaching, Lena Kauffman’s work is suddenly interrupted by a series of pranks and accidents targeted toward her and her students. When tragedy strikes her dear friend Grey Graber’s family on school property, the school board begins to blame her for the trouble. As grief and confusion take their t

When I first read the description of Motherless by Erin Healy, I knew it was a book I just had to read right away, even though I've never read any of Erin Healy's books before and wasn't sure what to expect. The description reads: "A whispering voice at the back of my mind reminds me that I've been this way for some time. Dead, that is. The dead have a very broad view of the living, of actions performed out of sight, of thoughts believed to be private. I would know. Losing both parents is a trial no child should endure, and Marina and Dylan have endured enough. They deserve the one thing I could never give them: a mother's love. A mother's love, and the truth. My children have believed a lie about me for years and years. After all this time I can still feel their hurt in my heart. But the tether holding me to them is frayed from years of neglect . . . and I have to find a way to make my confession before it snaps. But when the truth comes out, wha

I recently reviewed Sweet: Our Best Cupcakes, Cookies, Candy and More - a totally awesome cookbook put together by the Food Network with their absolute best dessert recipes. It's one of the best dessert cookbooks I've ever seen - a full page color photograph for EVERY recipe, step by step instructions, and simple, easy-to-follow recipes that anyone can make. In short ... I love it! It's my new go-to for desserts. Anyway, the publisher recently contacted me and asked me to host a giveaway. One of my lucky friends will win a copy of Sweet - the publisher will ship it straight to your house. Please enter, guys! It's such a cool cookbook and I know you will love it - besides, it's free to enter and free to win! What can you lose??? Just fill out this form to enter, and make sure to include my blog URL (ramblingsofacaliforniacouponer.blogspot.com) so they know who the entries "belong to" and can pick a winner: Easy peasy! Good luck, can't wait to