Nate Shepherd

Gandhi's Passion: The Life and Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi I have always respected and admired Gandhi as many others have, I'm sure. This book was a amazing opportunity for me to learn a great deal about Bapu (father or leader) or Mahatma (meaning great soul). He truly was someone filled with passion and strength. This book walks you through a lot of his life, his relationships and his pursuit of an enlightened India. He not only firmly believed in nonviolence he also believed in self control of every aspect of life.   I found the information about his fasting to be very enlightening and his passion for sexual control and abstinence very interesting. Gandhi truly lived what he taught and relished in the idea of giving of his personal liberty and body for his cause.  He was constantly being put in prison, beaten on occasion, and verbal abused constantly. Yet he continued on, trying to help the starving masses of India that the politic...

A thrill ride of an adventure that is for sure. This book was one that I couldn't put down and finished in 2 days. The story was just that intriguing. Set in the future when most of North America has been destroyed. We find out hero Katriss living in district 12 having to sneak out of the town boundaries to feed her family.  Their entire world is controlled by "The Capitol". They have to obey so many rules and the biggest part is the hunger games. Where each district must give one boy and one girl to be placed an arena to fight to the death for The Capitol. Their are many rules and nuances to these games but for details get the book. I really did enjoy the book. If you don't like some violence in what you read don't read this. I will say it is not gruesome just sad and filled with death. But if you like a thrill set in an very interesting world check out The Hunger Games.    

This book was phenomenal and eye opening.  If you have not read Malcolm Gladwell before well now is the time to start.  This book is a collection of research on how our brain makes decisions without us even realizing it.  Our mind is a powerful tool and can be trained to think without you thinking.  Many things can affect this ability in both positive and negative ways.  Too much adrenaline can cause this capability to become impaired while years of experience can greatly enhance this capability.   It is a powerful and interesting thing to think about and if you want truly learn through amazing stories and experiences of interesting people pick up a copy of Blink for your collection. Malcolm Gladwell has a captivating writing style and you will learn something if you read this book. So pick it up! 

Chris Heimerdinger has finally come out with the next book in the amazing series Tennis Shoes Adventure Series.  We see our family of Hawkins split in three factions.  Garth, Marcos, and Josh are found in the time of Cumorah and then also in the time of the Jaredites.  While Jim, Jenny and some other family members are at the last week of Christ's life.  The rest of the band are with Moroni as they travel to the settlement at Cumorah.   It is a great adventure filled with  battles, adventure, love, family and mostly trust in God and his plan. Chris ends each chapter with a summary of the research he has conducted to get as close to what might have happened during these time periods as possible. If you have never read this Tennis Shoes adventure series I highly recommend it.   Just like his other books be prepared to be left hanging at the end wanting to now what happens next. (Hopefully this time it will be much sooner before the ...

I have now learned why I have never read Charles Dickens  (other than A Christmas Carol )  while he is a great classic writer his book a tale of two cities takes forever to get started and for the average mind is hard to follow.  The language is very beautiful but the story wasn't as good as I had thought it would be.  I am glad I read it just to have read Dickens work but it will be a while before I tackle Great Expectations .   For those looking for a good classic with great descriptive detail than this is your book if you need a intriguing story that i might suggest Alexander Dumas or some other great author!

Sean Covey has written a wonderful life changing book.  For those who have read his father version and felt it a little to deep or business oriented this is the answer to your issues with it.  Sean teaches us about the 7 habits but in a way more applicable to day to day life.  He also makes it fun and extremely interesting with tons of short stories from teens and adults of every walk of life.  He even includes cartoons and doable baby steps. I fell in love with the 7 habits all over again and recommend this book to teens and adults alike. If you don't read a single other book I recommend make this one the one.

Book 2 in the Wheel of Time series has continued only now we have our main characters out on the hunt for the legendary Horn of Valere which can call the great heroes of the past back to help fight the dark one.  Rand has to come to grips with who he really is and so must is friends.  They travel through their world and others to get to the Horn and to drive out a horrible group of invaders in the borderland. Be ready for excitement and many other things that Jordan has created in a world that can't be explained but must be experienced as the wheel turns and weaves out the lives of those involved in this epic adventure.

This book comes from Stephen M.R. Covey son of legendary author Stephen R. Covey (author 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).  Stephen M.R. teaches us about how trust can improve speed and effectiveness in every aspect of our lives.  The main focus is on business but he has plenty of ways trust applies in our personal lives as well.  We learn different ways trust works and also 13 ways to build the right kind of trust with others and ourselves.  If you work in an environment of low trust than read this book, even if you are trustworthy you learn how to extend trust and build it in other as well.  Plus he gives irrefutable evidence that trust matters and how to approach low trust situations. Pick up a copy here or at your local FranklinCovey store.

This book is a great resource of information for those who are looking to retire rich.  These techniques are designed for someone with a steady income.  What I like about this book is it is not one of those books that are a feel good book or all about becoming an entrepreneur. These are simple ways to pay off your home quickly and also to  simply help you save more. Then, the key is to make it automatic so you do it once and never worry about it again.  If you have read The Richest Man in Babylon ,  this book takes the principles taught there and applies them to our computer-aged world. If you haven't read  it, then check out the edition  The Richest Man in Babylon: Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century . Either way, these books provide wise and amazing council on becoming financially independent and responsible, so check them out.  

This the Robin Hood story the way I like it. Here we learn of many small adevtures of Robin and his merry band.  They are a group of fun loving merry men who live off the forest and rob from the rich to give to the poor.  There is no Prince John driving England into the poor house.  The Sherrif is not an evil man just a corrupt political figure and Maid Marian is mentioned once.  This jolly band simply seeks for adventure and fun experiences.  You will fall in love with the wit and the sheer audastity of Robin, Little John, Allan of the Dale, Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck and the rest of this merry band.  As the trickthe Sherrif, multiple men of the clergy, and even the king himself.  They roam as beggars or barefooted friars, they get in skirmishes with each other and the law.  If you are looking for many fun short adventures written in old english, pick up a copy of this the true version of Robin Hood.

This is an amazing book filled with great ideas for the casual job seeker or those hat have tried everything they could think of.  You will learn how to get in front of recruiters and how there minds work.  You get tips on the best websites to be on and how to organize yourself to be found.  The key to this program is how to focus yourself on the job you want at the company you want.  You learn how to do your research and unconventional ways to get in front of the hiring manager.  Then you learn how to prepare your resume and the best way to get the job after the interview.  If I haven't sold you yet then you don't want to find a job.  I used it and now have the job I wanted with the company I wanted.   Be sure to look for Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters.

The truth truly will make you rich.  We learn here from a true wizard of developing not only financial wealth but personal wealth as well.  Farrah was born in the inner city to mother who worked 3 jobs to support the family and from an early age the idea of making money fascinated him.  He started selling rocks he painted at age 7 to now making millions of dollars a year.  He reveals many of the truths that helped him make it to the top and also how to be happy and excited while doing it.  I enjoyed this little book and as a quick read it fit in perfect with the time I had to learn about his methods and advise.  So if you've ever wanted to learn some wise tips from a happy millionaire (yes there are many who aren't) than read about how the Truth Shall Make you Rich.

Amazing and crazy things are afoot in Foo. This the Third part of this Story finds for most of the telling that Leven and Clover are separated from Geth and Winter as he meets the mysteries "Want" and learns something that changes Foo and possibly reality. We also meet Azure the follow up to Sabine who is also trying to merge Foo with Reality. Ezra (my wife’s favorite character) is also brought to the fore front in his attempt to return to Foo and get Geth. One of my favorite parts to these books is how Obert Skye begins many of his chapters with quirky thoughts and feelings. If you haven’t had read this series I very much enjoy it and recommend it to anyone looking for a quick fun fantasy to read. So feel free to check out more of Leven Thumps and the Eye of The Want. Ezra, The Dearth and Azure seem to be rising in power and strength as the fight for Foo continues. The Wrath of Ezra starts to build up for the final confrontation that will occur in the last book. We foll...

The first book in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan is an amazing fantasy adventure where you are drawn into Jordan's world and Characters. You follow an unlikely gathering of Characters through a journey across the kingdom of Andor. As they try to find safety and to figure why they are sought by some creatures of the dark one. We learn of the different types of beings and some minor information of what the wheel of time is and about the past. I loved this story and can see where other books have gotten some of their inspiration (like Eragon). I recommend this book and will continue to update as I progress through the series.

This is the follow up to the book Three Cups of Tea.  It is a continuation of the amazing story of Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute.  This book focuses on the building of Schools for Girls in Afghanistan and all the hundreds of obstacles and complications that arouse in his work in that country.   We also learn a great deal about individuals that Greg has built relationships with.  I love Greg's story and highly recommend both books.  The highlight comes when he tells of building the school in Kara Jirga among the Kirghiz people.  This is one of the most remote and also one of the poorest places on earth.  This finally occurred a decade after Greg has promised a group of horsemen sent by Abdul Rashid Khan (leader of that area and also man who is passionate about education and helping his people) that he would build a school in their remote area. We also learn about the work of th...

Sarah Palin is an interesting women to learn about. For anyone wanting to understand this women that burst on to the national political scene in 2009, this is a great read. I enjoyed 2 things about the book; 1. Learning about life day to day in Alaska. (which is actually pretty cool) 2. Getting clarification on many false ideas about Sarah that were spread. Many things I thought were true about Sarah were very misconstrued. Things like what really went on with the Katie Couric interview. What we saw was not how it went. Also the media made it look like the little baby she was with was her daughters when in fact it was Sarah Palin's child. For the most part the story is just about her and what has helped her through her life. The very last chapter is really the only one that starts getting very political. I find her way of thinking in this book very refreshing and honest and I did enjoy the read. Did she persuade me to her arguments not really but it was a very interesting ...

Three Cups of Tea is a story of a man driven to make a difference and help a people that are often overlooked by the rest of the world. The story of Greg Mortenson is one that needs to be read by everyone. His ideals and love for the people of Pakistan will move you to want to make a difference in the world around you. This is the best story I have read this year. You will follow a mountain climber who ends up becoming and honorary member of a small village near the base of the second highest mountain in the world K2. He is then inspired to promise that he will return to try to build a school for these people and he keeps that promise even if it will almost killed him. He then discovers the need for schools and places of learning all over Pakistan. So he works to first raise funds that come from many sources and then to build the relationships within Pakistan to make this all happen. Doctor Greg as he is called in Pakistan is fighting and winning a war that is far more important a...

The Prelude to Glory series is awesome I highly recommend these to anyone seeking to find a fun way to learn about the revolutionary war as well as about the war of 1812 (which really how much are we taught about it). These stories follow a fictional family through the entire war effort. You learn a great deal about the founding fathers and what they truly did for this great country from declaring our independence and the feeling the men had who did it. You experience the horrors of Valley Forge the taking of Trenton from the Hessian soldiers. The intense sea battles and the fight in the south with about the amazing swamp fox and his men. You learn more about Benedict Arnold, and why he did what he did. You then follow the conference that created the constitution and the battle that was fought in a hot humid room for days. Then the war of 1812 and why we had to earn the respect of nations even after winning the war for independence.  You also learn so much more.  If any of thi...

Dragonrealm is a collection of three different titles that come together to tell a fascinating fantasy adventure. You follow several different characters through this realm that is ruled by shape shifting dragons. You also meet several other interesting characters that are trying to stand up with humans against the dragon rulers. The first two books Firedrake and Icedragon I liked a lot and think they are filled with some exciting events and magic. The third called Wolfhelm is a little confusing because it introduces so many new things but it answers a lot of questions about one of my favorite characters called Gryphon. If you are interested in magical adventures filled with dragons and other strange creatures in a world of betrayal check out Dragonrealm

I know I am a little behind on these but I just finished the second Leven Thumps book and thought I should post a new review of these interesting stories.  These stories introduce you to the magical land of Foo where dreams are created and controlled.  The land is under the grasp of Sabine an evil being who seeks to use the powers of Foo to rule both reality and the dream world of Foo.  Leven a is brought into this adventure and meets several friends namely The Great Geth, Winter and Clover.  They must travel across the world to help save Foo and and the dreams of men.  These stories are aimed more at younger audience but they are still a fun adventure for any age. Book 2 find Leven now in Foo having to save Geth and Winter from Sabine's number 2 Jamoon.  He must find a way to control his powers and to help rid part of Foo of the Evil that has spread throughout the land.  This book is one filled with adventure and also...