Devotions for Boots on the Ground by James W. Visel

Compelling and Personal ; a true testament of faith

From the Publisher

There is possibly nothing more conducive to thoughts of the Eternal than having ones face slammed into red, wet muck, with explosions so close your body arcs and bounces off the ground, hot shards burn in your flesh, and concussions are bright flashes of dirty fire beating a tattoo on the light receptors in the backs of your eyes. Your head aches; throbbing from visual shock waves. Time has come to an end; there is no right, no wrong, only whatever follows a life that is now over. The dark reaper is here. What’s it going to be like on the other side? Is there another side? 

The old timers use the maxim, “There are no atheists in a fox-hole”. Possibly so; I can only give my own experience, and I never had the opportunity to be in one. Combat aviators crash and sometimes burn instead. But close calls almost always give rise to interminable questions; especially when the survived experience is seared into the human psyche. For some, satisfactory answers never seem to come. For myself, may I pro-offer both scorching experience, and incredible life-lessons learned? Then, should you ever fall into similar adventure; you man go into it better prepared than I was.

                                                                                                -- James W. Visel

My Take

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up Devotions for Boots on the Ground. Would it be about Visel’s Vietnam War experiences? Would it be a devotional? Or his journey with God? I was quite surprised to find out it was about all of them.

Visel tells stories about combat that may be disturbing to some but they are the truth---a truth that nobody really talks about. Some parts are gruesome but Visel tempers them with bible verses and interpretations of God’s voice. 

I personally know James W. Visel and know that he is a very faithful Christian and always relates life to bible teachings. He does this same thing in Devotions for Boots on the Ground. He constantly looks for God’s lesson in the events described in the book. 

There are also amusing accounts of soldiers letting of some steam interspersed in Visel’s account of a situation. With all the death and destruction in Vietnam, it’s understandable that the solders played practical jokes and made light of certain events. 

One suggestion I would make is to have an appendix or list with all the abbreviations and their meanings. That would have been very helpful for a layperson. The military is full of acronyms and it's hard to keep track of them if the reader doesn't have a military background. 

I give Devotions for Boots on the Ground 4 starts. For new author, James W. Visel, the writing is compelling, sometimes hard to read, but the reader feels part of the story. With a published book under his belt, Visel had a promising future as a writer.

I received this book free for personal use. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

About the Author

James W. Visel is a highly decorated helicopter crew chief who did three tours of duty with the 173^rd Assualt Helicopter Company “Robin Hoods” during 1966, 1967, and 1968. He was shot down or crashed due to catastrophic mechanical failure seven times and wounded twice during the Vietnam War.   

Targeting today’s GIs and their families, and drawing from personal experiences, the author reveals the surprising source of his incredible courage. A maverick whose life experience mad him passionately spiritual-minded; is a decorated combat vet, family man, 40 yr. building boss, skydiver, pilot; who projects refreshing, out of the box perspective to intense situations. Life can get dicey, Jim articulates, but God is faithful. You can trust Him!

Plunging into Green by John Smith

Humorous and entertaining! A fresh look at water conservation and life.

 

From the Publisher

What happens when a plumber decides to start saving water--the very same water he spent most of his career trying to flush down the drain? Join John Smith on his journey to becoming a Green Plumber and follow the transformation of his business and his personal outlook along the way. 

My Take

I was a bit leary of reading Plunging into Green when I was first contacted---green plumbing, how do you make that interesting? When the book arrived, I smiled at the cover. It looked “fun”, not tedious. Then I started into the first chapter and I was happily surprised that it was entertaining. The real-life stories bring the reader into the book because you know everyone has silly questions they want to ask a plumber but are too embarrassed to do so.

Once I got into the second and third chapters, I knew that I was hooked. I looked forward to picking the book up again and reading about the journey to “green”.  It’s amazing what 5 days in a conference can do to change a life.  Mr. Smith took the bull by the horns to change not only his attitude, but his life, his business, and his customers’ lives. it's incredible that something so unpretentious can affect a life so completely.

One of my favorite lines in the book is the description of a conference speaker---that the speaker had “the capacity to interest an audience while imparting useful knowledge”. That’s exactly what John Smith does in this book. I learned a lot about green pluming, the products to use (or not use), and innovative ways to capture a customer’s attention.  I know I personally will be looking at water conservation a lot differently now.

I’m giving the book 4 out of 5 stars—the humor, the information, and escapades of his mom (she's a hoot!) really motivated me in reading Plunging into Green. I only wish the book could have been longer with even more innovative ideas and techniques. Hopefully Mr Smith will be writing another book in the near future to pick up where this one left off.

John Smith has provided me with a complimentary copy of Plunging into Green in exchange for my personal, unbiased review.

About the Author

John Smith was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona.  A first generation plumber, he has worked in the field for over 16 years.  John's passion for the trade has given him the drive to continually improve plumbing practices, all while working to change the image of the modern day plumber.   

But what happens when a plumber decides to start saving water--the very water he spent most of his career trying to flush down the drain?  Plunging Into Green tells the story of John's extraordinary journey to becoming a green plumber, including how his business and personal outlook changed along the way.

Finally Out--Letting Go of Living Straight by Loren A. Olson, M.D.

 

From the Publisher

Dr. Loren A. Olson has frequently been asked two questions: How could you not know that you were gay until the age of forty? Wasn't your marriage just a sham to protect yourself at your wife's expense? In Finally Out, Dr. Olson vigorously answers both questions by telling the inspiring story of his evolving sexuality, into which he intelligently weaves psychological concepts and gay history. This book is a powerful exploration of human sexuality, particularly the sexuality of mature men who, like Dr. Olson, lived a large part of their lives as straight men - sometimes long after becoming aware of their same-sex attractions.

My Take

When I saw Finally Out—Letting Go of Living Straight on the LibraryThing list, the subject matter intrigued me. I have an uncle as well as friends who are gay so I thought I could learn something from the book.  

Dr. Olson is very informative and provided a ton of data and statistics on a multitude of topics. Much of the information is taken from past studies, medical literature, interviews and the like. The book is basically a compilation of all this information and presented in one consolidated location.  Almost like a textbook or reference book.  Finally Out is a great “self help” type book for those people questioning their sexual orientation later in life—both the individual with those questions and the spouse of that individual. Beware, however, if you are more on the conservative side. There is explicit language and activities mentioned in there.

All that said, I was prepared for a totally different of book. I was looking forward to a more personalized story.  There were some blurbs about Dr. Olson’s personal journey but I was expecting much more of his story.  All the data provided could be found on the internet if someone were inclined to do some research. I wanted to hear more about his thoughts, emotions and feelings—what he went through during that time in his life.

I guess if I were in the situation of needing a book to let me know I’m not alone, this is the book I’d want. On the flip side, if I was looking for more of a touchy-feely book (no pun intended), I don’t think this is the book I’m looking for.  Based on those thoughts, I’m giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. It’s well written and full of information, just not the book I was expecting.

About the Author

Loren A. Olson, M.D. is a gay psychiatrist who came out at forty. A father and grandfather, he is also a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a recipient of the "Exemplary Psychiatrist Award" from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. He has presented findings from his research on mature gay men at the World Congress of Psychiatry in Prague. In 2009, Dr. Olson legally married Doug Mortimer, his partner of twenty-four years. They live on a farm in Iowa where they produce grass-fed beef from their herd of Belted Galloway cattle.

I received this book free from the publisher through the LibraryThing book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."