Chosen People by Robert Whiltow

MY REVIEW:

Chosen People touches on a variety of topics including terrorism, crime, sex trafficking, lawsuits, culture differences, religion, relationships. 

Robert Whitlow takes you on the journey of two lawyers, Jakob Brodsky and Hana Abboud representing the Neumann family.  They are hoping to find enough evidence so they can pursue the lawsuit under the US Anti-Terrorism statues. Hana was born in Reineh in Jerulsuam and moved Atlanta to hone in on her legal skills. 
I found Robert Whitlow's book to move a little on the slow side and at times confusing.  Chosen People is more of a lecture about the differences between America culture vs. Jewish and Arab cultures. It got me thinking about how fortunate I am to be an American citizen.  For instance, individual pet ownership was less common in Isreal than in the US, and there were no domestic animals in the large house in Reineh where Hana grew up. Most of the dogs she saw as a child were half-wild animals that foraged on household garbage. Unlike American, Arab families members didn't own separate houses they all live in the same house by adding rooms and floors to the existing structure. 

Chosen People gets you thinking about Christianity and Muslim Religion. Robert Whitlow stated in the fact that the only country with a rise in Christianity is the Middle East. The concept of God's mercy was common in Islam, but the Qur'an contained only a few references to divine love, all linked to the performance of religious duties. God's unconditional love didn't exist in the Islamic World. 

I found this book to be more about forcing Christianity than about the story itself.  The idea of lawyers trying to investigate a terrorist attack is a great concept, I just wished it focused more on the story and less on the preaching.  I can't help but also think this is a powerful book in the fact it does get you thinking about what people go through in other cultures. The most important topic it expresses is even though bad events happen there are people out there who are full of hope and love especially when you put God in your life. I would suggest you read this book just so you can think about what people have to deal with in different cultures and situations. 


ABOUT THE BOOK

Name: Chosen People

Author: Robert Whitlow

Genre: Legal Drama

Release Date: November 6, 2018

Publisher: HarperCollins 

Bestselling author Robert Whitlow dives deep into the legal ramifications of a tragic event half a world away and how it affects two lawyers in Atlanta from vastly different backgrounds.

When Hana Abboud walked into the conference room, she was unprepared for the images of a horrific terrorist attack near the Western Wall in Jerusalem. But after watching a courageous mother sacrifice her life to save her four-year-old daughter, Hana knew she needed to help attorney Jakob Brodsky represent the family’s pursuit of justice against those who perpetrate acts of violent jihad. As an Arab Israeli lawyer trained at Hebrew University, Hana is uniquely qualified to step into the gap.
But they need a third partner, an investigator on the ground to help them unravel the snake pit of connections between the terrorists and an organization or company that can be sued in the American courts. Hana returns home to Israel and meets with investigator Hamid Hasan who quickly becomes more than a crucial part of the litigation team.

As Jakob and Hana investigate the case in the US, he is stalked on the streets of Atlanta by affiliates of a terrorist organization. Their pursuit of truth can only be resolved where it began: the streets of Jerusalem. But who can they trust? How deep does deceit go? Can two lawyers and a shadowy investigator impact the kind of violence and terror that has become common in our broken world?

Click here to purchase your copy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert Whitlow is the bestselling author of legal novels set in the South and winner of the Christy Award for Contemporary Fiction. He received his J.D. with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law where he served on the staff of the Georgia Law Review. Website: robertwhitlow.com, Twitter: @whitlowwriter, Facebook: robertwhitlowbooks

INSIDE THE STORY

Chosen People—a title that reflects both the Biblical designation for the Jewish nation as well as converted Christians—opens during a terrorist attack near the Western Wall in Jerusalem. A courageous mother sacrifices her life to save her young daughter, leaving behind a grieving husband and a motherless child.

Whitlow’s many trips to Israel and his in-depth research into the culture and laws of the Holy City are evident throughout the story. Furthermore, his experience as a lawyer gives him keen insight into the mind of his main character Hanna Abboud, an Arab Christian Israeli lawyer working in Atlanta.

“This book provides a unique perspective to this region and its peoples through the eyes of an Arab Christian who believes that the faithfulness of God and truths of the Bible are unshakable realities,” says Whitlow. “This viewpoint is rarely expressed, yet it is one that needs and deserves to be heard so that it can become part of our framework for understanding this vital part of the world and the people who live there.”

GIVE AWAY

To celebrate his tour, HarperCollins is giving away a grand prize of three finished Robert Whitlow books (to be chosen by the publisher)!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! 

  CLICK HERE TO ENTER.

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, November 8

Genesis 5020, November 8

Multifarious, November 9

Real World Bible Study, November 9

The Power of Words, November 9

The Becca Files, November 10

Bibliophile Reviews, November 10

C Jane Read, November 11

Caffeinated Christian Raves – N – Reviews, November 11

Book by Book, November 11

Margaret Kazmierczak, November 12

By The Book, November 12

All-of-a-kind Mom, November 13

Painting with Words, November 13

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, November 13

Simple Harvest Reads, November 14 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

Robin is Bookish, November 14

Texas Book-aholic, November 15

Moments, November 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 16

Mary Hake, November 16

Janices book reviews, November 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 17

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, November 18

Christian Bookaholic, November 18

Carpe Diem, November 19

Stephanie’s Life of Perseverance, November 19

A Baker’s Perspective, November 20

Inklings and notions, November 20

Bigreadersite, November 21

For The Love of Books, November 21

Click here to purchase your copy!

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Life Between Heaven and Earth by George Anderson and Andrew Barone Book Review

Have you ever believed in the other side?

 I sure do. I believe there is a Heaven because I saw it. In 2007, I got down to fifty-four pounds due to my autoimmune disease, Celiac Disease. The doctor put me on TP IV. They didn’t get   One night I particularly felt worse than normal.  All of the sudden, I stopped breathing. I was gone for about three minutes. It felt like forever, especially for my parents.  My mom and dad told me I went limp, turned purple and became super ice cold.  I remember being above my body and then quickly a bright light appeared. The next second my Great Grandmother appeared next to me. I was taken down a beautiful dirt road.  Heaven’s dirt road is very different than earth dirt road.  It was a mix of red, gray, black, crystal white colored pebbles. It’s very hard to describe it.  Lining the dirt road was very vibrant colored trees and flowers. It was breathtaking. At the end of the road, there were grand buildings with integrant details.  They stood tall and bright. There stood an angel.  The angel walked over to me. It gave me the option to stay or to come back to grow my soul even more. Over my shoulder, I saw my mom and dad over my body crying. I couldn’t leave my parents especially being only 20 years old.  My Great Grandmother kissed me on the cheek and squeezed my hand. The angel put its bright golden hands on my chest. The next second, I remember, is gasping for air in a lot of pain. I went from being pain-free, worry free, at peace and having a light feeling to now being in a lot of pain and heavy. I quickly wanted to take my decision back.  I wanted to go back to Heaven.  I had tons of bruises from all the IVs I was getting those past months. I was always pale and cold. After my experience in Heaven, all of my bruises were gone. My skin had color to it and I wasn’t as ice cold like before.  The doctors couldn’t figure out how all of my bruises disappeared.

Photo by: Click Here

            Due to my experience in Heaven, I become more sensitive to the other side.  Everyday I am learning how to control my new gift.  I do this by reading other peoples experience.

            I came across the book Life Between Heaven and Earth by George Anderson and Andrew Barone.  I really enjoyed reading Theresa Caputo, John Edwards and Sylvia Browne books, so I was really excited to read George Anderson and Andrew Barone’s book.

            For more than forty years, George Anderson has been able to bridge the world of the here after and the earth, through his ability to communicate messages of hope from those we love who have passed on. He is widely considered, by those in the medical, scientific and religious fields to be the world’s greatest living medium.  His work has been filmed for dozens of talk shows and television programs, including Lifetime’s Beyond Chance, HBO’s Life Afterlife, Unsolved Mysteries, World’s Most Extraordinary People, and CNN’s  Larry King Live.

            Life Between Heaven and Earth is organized in a different way then most of the other psychics’ book.  Each chapter is a different client. The first part of each chapter has the information about the client’s loved one who passed away. The middle part of each chapter is his session.  The session is written out like a transcript.  The last part each chapter, George Anderson talks about what he learned from the client's loved ones who passed on. 

George Anderson's Facebook Page

            Many topics were covered such as suicide, children who died at a young age, and cancer deaths. There is even a client who has been haunted by someone who she doesn’t even know. 

            If I could change anything I would mix the sessions transcript with the information about the client’s loved one who passed on.   I wish there were more on how the other side works. He did this well in the chapter about suicide.  It is comforting to know if a person takes their own life they will still go to Heaven. They will still have to learn from killing themselves and will most likely have to come back to earth to relearn what they were suppose to learn before taking their life. There are times when a person is suppose to kill oneself to teach someone else a lesson.

            I really enjoyed this book. It has many inspirational stories. Even if you aren’t a believer I would still recommend taking the time to read Life Between Heaven and Earth. There are so many messages about fear, addiction, sadness, loneliness and more. The main message I took from this book is your loved ones who have passed on will always be with you and waiting for you.

Check out George Anderson's website at: Click here

Penguin Random House: Click Here

"I received this book from Blogging For Books.."

The Power of Broke by Daymond John

Shark Tank’s Daymond John, started his home-sewn t-shirt business with no funding and only a $40 budget and eventually launched the FUBU brand into a $6 billion dollar global phenomenon.

The book was a quick read, but I was a little disappointed in the book. I am not saying the book is bad. This book didn’t meet my expectations not in a bad way though. I was expecting to learn about Daymond and his tricks in succeeding, but it ended up being more about other business’s story of success, which was interesting and inspiring. There really wasn’t too many tips and tricks. I learned a few things, but it wasn’t at all what I expected. It seems more of an inspirational book than a “How to” book. He told how people started their business with little money and resources to now having very successful companies. Being broke never stopped them it just made them work harder. Some of the business people he talked about in the book included:

Acacia Brinley, a social media. Rob Dyrdek who is a skateboarder, producer and a reality star. One of my favorite business stories was Christopher Gray, who developed a scholarship app. He raised over a million dollars for the school. There are eleven more different business stories to inspire.

Daymond didn’t just focus on the fashion industry, but he included cupcake, computer, producing, sports, etc.. in the book. He had a variety of business industry stories everything from cupcakes to computer apps, to clothing, retail stores, and Internet retail. I feel that Daymond John tried to get enough inspirational examples to get the reader inspired.

Broke doesn’t have to be money, as Daymond explains, it can be location, dyslexia, not having experience in the field you want to start your business, or a woman starting a business in an industry dominated by men. I really enjoyed reading the section about being dyslexic and learning that Daymond is also dyslexic. Throughout his book, there are power facts and one of them is a fact on Dyslexia. “Dyslexia is far more common among entrepreneurs than it is among executives in traditional corporate setting bot in U.S. and United Kingdom. (p.131). This sure makes me feel not so alone. Daymond goes on to list a variety of famous people like Ben Franklin, Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill, whom all suffered from Dyslexia.

The main takeaway from that I got from the book was that being broke only breaks you down if you let it, but it can also make you. When you have nothing to lose then you have everything to gain. Don’t give up even if you get turned down. “Walt Disney got turned down 302 times before getting financing for Walt Disney World p.(160).”

I would recommend this book because it truly does inspire.

Always keep in mind that suffering produces perseverance. Perseverance, character; and character, hope.

“I received this book from Blogging for Books  for this review.”

Billy Joel Book Review

I have always wanted to know more about Billy Joel because I know nothing about him other than I love his songs.  I searched for a book about him and ran into Fred Schruers’ book.

The prologue chapter opens sets the mood by describing the crew and Billy Joel getting ready for his concert. He describes the hockey ice is covered and the stage is set while the instruments are warming up the crew is setting up the last minute chairs and sound gear all while Billy Joel is sitting in his dressing room getting ready to perform.

The first chapter talks about Joel’s family’s tremendous journey to America. His paternal grandfather, Karl Amson Joel who came from a family in Coburg, in Bavarian Franconia, in Germany. By the time Billy’s father, Helmut, later anglicised to Howard, was born in 1923, Karl started a household linens business called Karl Joel Linen Goods Company. His business was booming even with post-WWI woes of hyperinflation and the communist uprising. With the worldwide financial crisis, Billy says, “everybody started looking to the Nazis for salvation.”  In May 1933, Der Sturmer  ran articles accusing Karl of underpaying and sexually harassing his employees. He was arrested three times but was freed each time upon word from Tillmann, who had plans for the family business. Karl finally realized he had to take immediate measure to save his family. It goes into a little more of how they got to America. This chapter set the tone.

It didn’t really go into too much detail of what his childhood was like. Schruers went into quickly went into his high school days. Billy Joel was in a lot of different bands during his 16th -21st birthday. I surprised to find out he didn’t graduate high school, not because he wasn’t smart but because he didn’t have enough credits. His band had an important gig so he decided that was more important.

The book takes you on his journey of the ups and downs in the music industry.  I didn’t realize how many people took advantage of him and screwed him over.  I was surprised to find out that Elton John wasn’t very nice to him. As well as Oprah Winfrey giving him a such a hard interview his daughter cried while sitting in the audience.

It also goes into details about his relationships. His first relationship being Elizabeth Weber who became his manager to his last relationship Katie Lee.  It briefly talked about his struggle with being an alcoholic.

I can’t say if Fred Schruers did a great job with covering over Billy Joel’s major or even minor events because I have no clue about him other than liking his music.  I did have a hard time following Schruers way of putting the events. He seemed to try to do it chronically but there was a lot of jumping back and forward. One minute we are in 1993 and the next back in 1986. I understand sometimes it called for it, but I can’t say it wasn’t confusing at times. There were points in the book I felt Schruer spent way too much time on. For example, the part about the bands he was in in the beginning. I would be fine with it if he told more stories about being in the band but it was more of the business side of it. This would be fine, but it would have been it more interesting, as a fan, to hear some fun stories mixed with the business stuff.

I loved how Fred Schruers’s explained how Billy Joel came up with a lot of the songs and what the true meaning of them was.  For example, Laura was inspired by the Beatles. The song was emblematic of how serious Billy took the task of writing his songs. In those lyrics, he put feelings about his mother that had seldom been heard, even among his longtime intimates. “I must have been pretty fed up with some of my own mother’s manipulation by the time I wrote the song, as evidence by the F-word in the lyrics”:

Here I am feeling like an F*** fool /  Do I react the way exactly/ She intends me to?/ Every time I think I’m off the hook/ She makes me lose my cool/ I’m her machine / And she can punch all the keys/ She can push any button I was programmed through. p.151

During the Reagan Era his songs were about people, whether it was a love song, a song about a relationship, or a friend.  Billy said, “If you try to write for an audience or to a concept, I don’t think you’re really writing for anybody, but if you’re writing for a specific person and a specific situation, a lot of people might be able to identify with that.” p.152

There were some moments in the book that made me laugh.  The one that stands out the most was when he talks about having to perform even when the mood is down or not feeling good, he explains it, “When you are not getting a good response from the audience- especially when coming off a few dates of being spoiled in cities where the fans are fervent. Whether you work the audience into a frenzy or they psych you up into one– it works both ways– the effect is kind of like sex. There’s this exchange of energy and enthusiasm: you make them feel great, and so they make noise, then it’s your turn to feel great, and you make noise. By the end of the show, it’s just, boom, there’d be the big orgasm of applause, and everybody is going Ahhh. Then it’s over.”p. 237

Then there was the Super Bowl XLI incident when the monitors were turned off and he couldn’t hear himself. It was raining and he didn’t do a pre-recording because he doesn’t believe in that.

During the 12.12.12 concert, Billy followed Kanye West. Kayne caused the audience to leave. While the audience was leaving Billy said to himself: oh shit, thanks a lot. I’m going on to play a half a house. But when he stepped on stage and started playing the audience quickly came back in.

There are some quotes in the book that I feel are very good.

• “A lesson I try to bring up is, don’t be turned around in seeking what you want out of life. Don’t be talked out of what you know is right, or as I’ve put it on occasion, don’t take shit from anybody.”- Billy Joel  (p.308)
• “Sometimes your limitations become your greatest gifts.”- Billy Joel (p.335)

I would recommend reading this book.  I would give Fred Schruers’ The Definitive Biography Billy Joel 4 out of 5 stars. 

About the Author: 

Fred Schruers enjoyed a successful high-profile career as a writer at Rolling Stone, chronicling an impressive body of musicians and actors including Feetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, Jack Nicholson, Sheryl Crow, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Petty and Heartbreakers, and Chris Rock. His writing also appeared in Premiere, Entertainment Weekly, Men’s Journal, GQ, the Los Angeles Times, and Columbia Journalism Review. More About the Author

 You can purchase the book through Penguin Random House at:    Purchase the Book Here

“I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.”