Tag: Book Club

Maeg’s View Book Review: Stalling For Time: My Life As An FBI Hostage Negotiator by Gary Noesner

MaegLeave a comment

Welcome back to our 5th book for Maeg’s View Book Review! This one was a good one as this is totally up my alley of books I like to read. It sounds bad but I love a good true story with some wins and losses so when I saw this book I thought it would be so interesting (plus I’m currently on a Criminal Minds binge on Disney+). Lets dive in!

“In Stalling for Time, the FBI’s chief hostage negotiator takes readers on a harrowing tour through many of the most famous hostage crises in the history of the modern FBI, including the siege at Waco, the Montana Freemen standoff, and the D.C. sniper attacks. Having helped develop the FBI’s nonviolent communication techniques for achieving peaceful outcomes in tense situations, Gary Noesner offers a candid, fascinating look back at his years as an innovator in the ranks of the Bureau and a pioneer on the front lines. Whether vividly recounting showdowns with the radical Republic of Texas militia or clashes with colleagues and superiors that expose the internal politics of America’s premier law enforcement agency, Stalling for Time crackles with insight and breathtaking suspense. Case by case, minute by minute, it’s a behind-the-scenes view of a visionary crime fighter in action.”

Questions:

What was your favourite part of the book?

I’d have to say my favourite part is learning what hostage negotiators do all while reading about the true stories that we’ve heard or watch on tv. This book has a lot of detail about those events and what went wrong.

Did you race to the end, or was it more of a slow burn?

At the begin it was a slow burn but once you get into the events that you know and heard about you want to keep reading and he keeps you engaged.

Which scene has stuck with you the most?

The scene that stuck with me the most would have to be the Waco situation; I knew about it but I didn’t know how things went so wrong. In this book he explains how most hostage negotiations are set up but he also talks about the other half with tactical waiting to go in all while they’re trying to stop a big mess from happening. As we know shit hit the fan with this situation and he explains why, which create tension and makes his job harder in the long run.

Are there any areas you wished the author had elaborated upon further?

Yes, in the book he obviously talks about his life and career up to these points and about the events but I also wish he made a chapter teaching about negotiations. Throughout the book you get some information but it’s mostly “it takes practice” which I completely agree with but also reading about what to say or not to say, your body language, your tone and training your body to be calm in crazy situations would be interesting as well.

Did this book make you want to explore the subject matter more?

I think it did. I made me look further into the situations he talked about and not to mention, as I said I’ve been binging Criminal Minds, one episode came on which made me think to myself that this sounds very familiar. I looked up what the episode was based on and it was based on some of the events he talks about in the book. It blew my mind as I had just read his book and now, I’m seeing it based on the show. I also think more people should read this to learn more about staying calm in situations, as I said it’s not blunt information about how to negotiate but there’s still educational bits in there that we could use in our everyday lives.

Well that’s all for Stalling For Time! Let me know in the comments if you’ve read this book before and what you thought!

Thanks for reading,

Maeg

Maeg’s View Book Review: Becoming a Son by David Labrava

MaegLeave a comment

Welcome back to our 4th book for Maeg’s VIew Book Review! The first time I saw David Labrava on Sons of Anarchy I loved his character and looked him up and just knew he would have an interesting life. When I found out he wrote a book I had a read it. Lets dig in!

“Becoming a Son is the first book written by David Labrava. David writes from life experience as he has lived more lives than most people ever will, and he did it all over the globe. David is an accomplished Glass artist, Tattoo artist, Five Diploma Harley Davidson Motorcycle Mechanic, Producer, Director and an award winning Writer and Actor. David is a member of the most famous and notorious motorcycle club in the world. David was the Technical Advisor on the hit TV series Sons of Anarchy from the inception to the completion of the series. David was also a series regular on the show, reaching that position after being hired as the technical advisor, then becoming a day player actor, then a recurring character then moving to series regular. All of these things had to be earned, as they were not for sale at any price. Becoming A Son is not about them. It’s about David getting to those spots. It’s about overcoming great odds and coming out alive. David left home at fifteen years old and hit the streets. This is David’s journey of discovery and redemption spanning a course of forty years. From the beaches of Hawaii and California, to the forest of the great Northwest, to years in Amsterdam, San Francisco, New York City, Miami then back to California. David hit some highs and survived severe lows, living years on the streets, in and out of jail only to take his life back, and then squeeze every bit out of it that life has to offer. Becoming A Son is a journey of epic proportion. It’s about realizing your dreams and then against the odds achieving them. Adventuring across the globe David learned many lessons by reaching out and trying everything, making many mistakes and paying the price for it and living through it. Now he wrote about it. David has been writing and getting published for over 14 years. He wrote for the Motorcycle magazine ‘The Horse’ then had his own column in the National Hot Rod Magazine ‘Ol Skool Rodz’ for eight years. He co-wrote Episode ten in season four of SOA which Time magazine awarded an honorable mention to as best of the season. David also won the 2013 Readers Choice Buzz focus award for Best Wildcard Actor. Like great authors before him Labrava takes the reader into some dark places most people would never dare to go. Becoming A Son is a modern day story of living on the street and redemption, it is one man’s journey into the darkness of himself crossing the planet and transcending all levels and then coming back again full circle. It is an inspiration for anyone who is chasing their dreams and making them their reality. Becoming A Son will come to be known as an instant classic.”

Questions:

What do you think of the writing?
Let’s start by saying this is a self-made book that he got a little help with. I personally think he rushed through the book as there was simple mistakes that could have been fixed if he just went through it one or two more times. I do think he did a good job at make his first book though, he had a very interesting life.

What surprised you most about the book?
The thing that surprised me the most was his life. The first time I saw David Labrava was on Sons of Anarchy which I loved his character and naturally you look up the cast. I had found out that some of them were actually apart of motorcycle clubs in real life so I looked up them and found Labrava’s book. When you see someone on tv you just think they had a good upbringing because that’s how we see them now, when I started to read I found out that his life was very different from you or I.

Are there lingering questions from the book you’re still thinking about?
My one question is why not continue? Or at least make a second book. At the time this was written he probably just got the job and was starting out but why not make another one to tell the rest of his story as Sons of Anarchy was a long running show.

What did you learn from hearing this person’s story?
You can learn a lot from this book. Even though he made some questionable choices with the drug usage he came through out in the end. He was strong willed, determined and smart, he could get out of situations and he always found a job to get him. Eventually after hitting rock bottom he turned he’s life around by landing one of those jobs.

All and all this was a good and interesting book to read and I highly suggest it. If you do end up reading it or already have read it answer the questions in the comments or ask your own questions!

Thanks for reading,

Maeg.

Maeg’s View Book Review: World Wild Vet by Evan Antin

MaegLeave a comment

It has been awhile! I’m back with the 3rd book of Maeg’s View Book Review! I first randomly found Evan Antin on instagram because he’s a good looking vet but then I saw he was into exoic animals which I find interesting since my boyfriend has had many reptiles and more. I saw he was releasing a book and I was interested in his adventures!

“Millions follow Dr. Evan Antin and his wildlife adventures through social media and on his popular Animal Planet television show Evan Goes Wild. Now in his first book, World Wild Vet, Evan takes us to the deep blue seas, swimming with giant whale sharks with “puppy dog eyes,” to jungles filled with venomous snakes (who are more afraid of you than you are of them), to a race across the savannah and against the clock to save rhinos from the clutches of poachers–all in the name of adventure and a deep love for the wild around us.

Equal parts memoir, travelogue, and conservationist wake up call, World Wild Vet is an unforgettable exploration of the world we all call home and a love letter to the creatures we share it with.”

Questions:

What do you think motivated the author to share his or her story?
At the start of the book I think he just wanted to share his story as he has so many adventures but I think the whole goal was to raise awareness on all these different types of animals, their safety and how to treat them.

What did you learn from hearing this person’s story?
I learned a lot from this book about different things. I biggest one is that wild animals are wild and you can never forget that. I know a lot of people, even me, love animals so much that we forget it is an animal and they can hurt us. For example, on one of his adventures he ran into wild elephants on the middle of the road. The driver of the truck stopped and immediately started to drive in reverse as fast as he could while the elephant charged at the truck. They were in their way and they wanted them gone. He said he didn’t even think the elephant would do that because they’re sweet creatures in our minds.

How does the book’s title work in relation to the book’s contents?
I think the book’s title is absolutely perfect for this book. When you think of a vet you mostly think dogs and cats, but for Evan Antin he is more than that, he’s snakes, reptiles, rhinos, whales and more. If you read this book take a look at his Instagram as it’s amazing and educational.

What surprised you most about the book?
The thing that surprised me most was how young and crazy he was. When you see his Instagram he talks about these animal and showing them the respect they deserve, but in his book when he’s young he does some stupid things. Just shows that everyone learns stuff the hard way and everyone does things they shouldn’t even when educated.

Would you want to read another book by this author?
Absolutely! If you look at his Instagram he is constantly going on adventures to help animals all over the world and that comes with stories and education for people to read.  

This is definately an easy read with some great stories (and photos) so take a look and answer the questions in the comments!

Thanks for reading,

Maeg.

Maeg’s View Book Review: A Promised Land by Barack Obama

MaegLeave a comment

We’re back with our second book! It’s only fitting to read Barack’s book after reading Michelle’s book, plus I really wanted to see what he had to say. He did not disapoint – holy information! While I was half way through reading the book I looked up the website and realized this is volume one so there will be more book we will have to read! Let’s get into it!

“In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.

Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.

A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.

This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day

Questions:

Did you race to the end, or was it more of a slow burn?
I think it was a little bit of both. Some parts of the book were not that interesting but it was a major thing he had to overcome being the President. Also, I attempted to read as much as I could as fast as I could because I did find most parts interesting and it was 701 pages

Do you think the author was honest?
100% I thought he was honest and that was the best part of the book. While being president he has to watch what he says, how he says it or if he should even say it at all. With this book you get to hear his honest side of the story and his actually thoughts of what was going on at the time.

What did you think of the author’s voice and style? Did the quality of the writing match the story?
You know when Obama does his speeches and you try to focus on what he’s saying but all you really notice is how well spoken he is and the way he talks you could just listen to him for hours with his deep voice? That’s all I could hear in my mind as I read the book, I even told my Mum that this would be great to hear the audio version because it would be in his voice. I think it matched him perfectly, it’s long because he always has so much to say and the words were like the way he talks.

Of all the information presented in the book, what has stayed with you the most?
There’s a couple things that stayed with me the most, which are, I still hate politics, republicans prevent a lot of good things from happening and they make some laws that don’t make sense to me at all. The president is literally the one person who has stopped a lot of nuclear wars and they’re pretty much is the worlds business because they just straight up have to be. If you read the book you completely understand what I mean about all those things. There’s so much information in this book that it just blows your mind.

What did you Google while reading the book?
The one thing I noticed while reading this book was there’s A LOT of nuclear bombs in the world so I googled it. The little blurb that popped up said there is 3,750 nuclear bombs that are currently active around the world. In total there is 13,890 nuclear bombs but all except those 3,750 are in storage and not active.

What was your favourite part of the book?
My favourite part of the book would have to be the last chapter. Not because it was the end of the book but because it was about Obama getting Bin Laden. September 11th, 2001 was awful. I’ve watched and read a lot about this topic and would love to go to New York as it is an amazing place to start with but it’s a place that it strong as hell to come back from that. I’ve read a lot of books about Bin Laden and the planning; I’ve watched Zero Dark Thirty and all that but to hear the presidents’ side is interesting as hell. Not to mention Trump started to show up in this chapter so I’m assuming in his next book(s) that is going to be a topic

I know a bunch of you have read this book so answer the questions in the comments!

Thanks for reading,

Maeg.