Gates of Fire

Gates of Fire
Click the Picture to Purchase

Gates of Fire is a national bestseller!

At Thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern Greece, the feared and admired Spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong. Theirs was a suicide mission, to hold the pass against the invading millions of the mighty Persian army.

Day after bloody day they withstood the terrible onslaught, buying time for the Greeks to rally their forces.

Born into a cult of spiritual courage, physical endurance, and unmatched battle skill, the Spartans would be remembered for the greatest military stand in history–one that would not end until the rocks were awash with blood, leaving only one gravely injured Spartan squire to tell the tale….

The gates of fire is a book worth reading.  If possible it is also worth hearing the spoken version of the text.

The story of the 300 Spartans has captured the hearts of Warriors throughout the ages.  What a few men can do when they have the courage and will to dare is unimaginable.

It was because of these 300 men that Greece was not conquered by Persia.  Imagine if Greece was not free but part of Iran.  How would that have impacted the Iran/Iraq war?  Our modern life?  The impacts of this battle are immeasurable.

Book Review: Earthbag Building

Earthbag Building

Book Review: Earthbag Building
Buy at Amazon

Over 70 percent of Americans cannot afford to own a code-enforced, contractor-built home. This has led to widespread interest in using natural materials—straw, cob, and earth—for building homes and other buildings that are inexpensive, and that rely largely on labor rather than expensive and often environmentally-damaging outsourced materials.

Earthbag Building is the first comprehensive guide to all the tools, tricks, and techniques for building with bags filled with earth—or earthbags. Having been introduced to sandbag construction by the renowned Nader Khalili in 1993, the authors developed this “Flexible Form Rammed Earth Technique” over the last decade. A reliable method for constructing homes, outbuildings, garden walls and much more, this enduring, tree-free architecture can also be used to create arched and domed structures of great beauty—in any region, and at home, in developing countries, or in emergency relief work.

This profusely illustrated guide first discusses the many merits of earthbag construction, and then leads the reader through the key elements of an earthbag building:

  • Special design considerations
  • Foundations, walls and floors
  • Electrical, plumbing and shelving
  • Lintels, windows and door installations
  • Roofs, arches and domes
  • Exterior and interior plasters.

With dedicated sections on costs, making your own specialized tools, and building code considerations, as well as a complete resources guide, Earthbag Building is the long-awaited, definitive guide to this uniquely pleasing construction style.

Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer have been involved in the construction industry for the last 20 years, specializing in affordable, low-tech, low-impact building methods that are as natural as possible. They developed the “Flexible Form Rammed Earth Technique” of building affordably with earthbags and have taught the subject and contributed their expertise to several books and journals on natural building.

The Farnam Method of Defensive Handgunning

Book Review: The Farnam Method of Defensive Handgunning
Buy at Amazon

For more than 30 years, John S. Farnam has been teaching the latest defensive firearms techniques to police departments, federal and stat agencies as well as foreign governments. Now his classic book, The Farnam Method of Defensive Handgunning, has been fully updated and revised. Whether you are a novice or experienced shooter, you will find valuable insights on the types of defensive handguns and the tactics for using them.

This new edition features fully updated information on the why of defensive shooting including chapters on the legal justification for using lethal force. It contains valuable information about tactics you will use every day to avoid criminal confrontation or to react promptly and effectively if you do encounter a potential criminal.

You will also find vital information on mental toughness and personal tactics that can help you to preserve your own life and the lives of family members when facing an imminent deadly assault. The chapters on handgun operating systems present the variety of handguns currently in use with advantages and disadvantages clearly described. You will also learn about the newest developments in defensive ammunition, and the importance of selecting and testing the right rounds for your handgun.

I respect Farnam’s work – these true old school professionals are a dying breed.  I would suggest you read this work and take his classes while you can.

Make-A-Mix

Book Review: Make-A-Mix
Buy at Amazon

Make-A-Mix is really two cookbooks in one. The cookbook begins with 67 make-ahead shortcut mixes for everything from all-purpose cake mix to meatball mix. These can be made on a weekend-or whenever there’s free time-and used to speed food preparation on busy days. The mixes are a key ingredient in one or more of the 306 recipes that follow.

The kitchen-tested recipes run the gamut from breakfast dishes to after-dinner treats. They include hearty dinner entrees, like enchilada casserole, onion pot roast, and shrimp & vegetable stir-fry; international fare like green chili burritos and quick chow-mien; soups and other appetizers, like New England clam chowder, and even freezer treats like fruit slush. With the Make A Mix method, home cooks can control the amount of sugar, salt, and preservatives in a recipe, and save money on store-bought mixes. This cookbook is the updated and expanded version of Make-A-Mix that sold over a million copies.

I have made several videos and articles based in part on information from make a mix and other similar books.  This book is great for home storage cooking, as well as being frugal.  make on your own gravy mix is dollars cheaper than store-bought, as are all the mixes.

Ultimate Essential Oils Book Review

 

Gear Review: Ultimate Essential Oils
Buy at Amazon

The author of this kindle book on essential oils offered me the chance to review this 2.99 guidebook for free in exchange for sharing my thoughts on it.

Frankly I was not expecting much, its a 112 page document covering a large body of knowledge, but being for beginners, I would say that it is worth the price.

The book begins with a discussion of what essentials oils are and tells how to use them.

The bulk of the book is recipes for different remedies and uses of the oils.

I am a believer in having essential oils and the knowledge of their use, as they do provide medicinal healing and doctors may not always be affordable or even available.

While I don’t want to have to rely solely on oils and other holistic medicine as modern antibiotics and pain medicine definitely are useful, It is nice to know how to use over the counter items to take control of my own illnesses as appropriate.

I would not end your essential oil education with this book, but it is a good start.  This book, coupled with a good beginner essential oil kit would make a great gift as well as a good start on learning about essential oils.

#essentialoils