BOOK OF THE WEEK: THE POUCHPLAN BUDGET BY MITCHELL WALKER

Hello people.

The Pouchplan is a budgeting tool created by Mitchell Walker to help individuals take control of their finances. In the introductory chapter of the book, The Pouchplan Budget, Mitchell seeks to establish credibility by explaining that he worked for fifteen years as the vice president of finance for a Berkshire Hathaway company and thus has experience analysing and reviewing thousands of budgets. 

He then describes how he was broke and in debt in the late 1980s, to the extent of looking for change under the couch cushions in his home just to get gas money for his car. The Pouchplan, he claims, was the shovel he used to dig his family out of financial distress and into financial security.

The author in chapter one explains how the Pouchplan works. All that is needed is for users of the plan to write down their regular income, their fixed expenses and finally their variable expenses, and then the Pouchplan budget system will provide specific instructions for users to follow when payday arrives. Someone is probably thinking now; “This is just too good to be true.” 

I must confess that I had mixed feelings after reading the book. First, I think I sort of expected more; perhaps the dos and don’ts of budgeting or that sort of thing. The book, however, is based entirely on the Pouchplan tool. I also wondered as to the seeming simplicity of the tool; bearing in mind the fact that a lot of budgeting tools are rather complex and complicated, to say the least.

Fortunately for doubting Thomases, the Pouchplan can be downloaded for free via the website, www.pouchplan.com. It’s a plus on the part of the author that he is interested in receiving feedback from users, whether positive or negative, and he even mentions the possibility of tailoring the Pouchplan to suit the individual’s needs where possible. Readers interested in a budgeting tool will find this book quite useful. 

BOOK OF THE WEEK: KIKELOMO; THE MEMOIR OF AN ABUSED GIRL

Hello people.

The more books I read, the more I am convinced that there is truth in the saying, “Do not judge a book by its cover or title.”

About a couple of weeks ago, I saw a book titled Kikelomo on the Okadabooks store. The cover was not particularly eye-catching and the bland title did not help matters either, so I simply moved on and looked at other books on the app.

Some days ago, however, I came across the book again and was surprised to see that it had been downloaded over a thousand times. Intrigued by this occurrence, I downloaded it[seeing as it was free], started reading and, filled with a sense of incredulity, looked up the author on Google hoping to get some sort of confirmation regarding her story.

The book, Kikelomo, is a memoir written by well-known Nigerian photographer, Kikelomo Woleosho, in which she describes in details the sexual abuse she suffered as a child; her struggle with masturbation as well as her journey to wholeness.

Raised by a mother who suffered from chronic depression, Kikelomo, whose father was based in the United Kingdom, found herself alone and having to tend to her younger siblings for a better part of her life.

Left in the care of a neighbour at age seven, Kike was sexually molested by him and thus, was introduced to the world of sex and masturbation.

The sexual abuse did not stop there. Entrusted to the care of a relative who also abused her, Kike was molested right up to her adolescence and only until she encountered the Spiritual did she begin to receive a sense of healing and wholeness as an individual.

I love Kikelomo’s frankness in the book. To be candid, at a point I had to check her profile via Google to be sure the author was for real and not writing  made-up stories. Amongst other things, Kikelomo Woleosho is a member of Barack Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative [YALI] and a recipient of the World Bank scholarship for women in business.

Parents, child care givers and all lovers of children will do well to read this evocative book as it offers insight into the world of children and how they can be preyed upon by sexual predators. Interested readers can download the book on the Okadabooks store via this link: https://www.okadabooks.com/book/about/kikelomo_the_memoir_of_an_abused_girl/15306#.WhLa-aSgnqE.link

Welcome to Lauretta Ani's Blog: BOOK REVIEW: DESTITUTIO QUOD REMISSIO by BRETT ARM...

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Welcome to Lauretta Ani's Blog: BOOK REVIEW: DESTITUTIO QUOD REMISSIO by BRETT ARM...: Hello people. The first time I saw the book Destitutio Quod Remissio , two things struck me immediately. First, the title of the book. ...

BOOK OF THE WEEK: BRAND IDENTITY BREAKTHROUGH BY GREGORY DIEHL

Hello people

One popular belief regarding brand promotion is that when a business has a product or service to offer, the best way to get more customers is to advertise to all and sundry, in hopes of drawing in potential customers. This, according to Gregory Diehl, the author of this week’s book, Brand Identity Breakthrough, is an inefficient way of promoting your brand to potential customers.

In this bestselling book, Diehl opines that good communication is key when promoting a good or a service. In addition, he states that apart from knowing the value one’s product or service adds to customers, the onus falls on entrepreneurs to identify the type of people who can recognize the value of their product or service.

Greg further asserts that anything which exists to serve everyone really exists to serve no one, and the best quality product or innovative marketing technique won't matter if the people you are approaching don't see a need for what you offer. 

Available on Okadabooks and Amazon Kindle

So what should an entrepreneur do to stamp his/her brand in the minds of people? Amongst other things, Diehl suggests the following:

1.    Identify your Unique Selling Point[USP]

2.    Focus on designing products and services that meet a specific demand, and:

3.    Know your target customers and advertise to them.

The beautiful thing about the book is that the author takes his time to explain the points in the book, thus ensuring that readers get value for their time and money. He also includes case studies of business owners who experienced greater success as a result of incorporating the ideas he teaches.

Brand Identity Breakthrough is a must-have for budding and established entrepreneurs. It can be gotten on Amazon and other major bookstores.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: BEHOLD YOUR MISSING RIB BY CHUKS EDEN

Hello people.

With so many marriage issues abounding in the world today, there can never be too many books on the subject of love and marriage. This week's book, Behold Your Missing Rib by Revd. Chuks Eden, deals with the subject of love and marriage albeit with a twist.

In the introductory chapter of the book, Revd. Chuks promises that the book will empower readers to overcome all barriers to marriage; a very heavy claim indeed.

Using scriptural verses as a framework to support his postulates, he suggests, in chapter one, seven primary reasons why marriages fail using different case studies to back up his claims.

In subsequent chapters, the author describes various traits a person must look out for in a prospective partner if they wish to marry and live happily ever after.

 It is at this point that the book gets interesting, although I must confess that I found it difficult agreeing with some of the things written in the book; for example, the author advises that a person should not marry a man who is not working, or a man whose work one is not comfortable with. While I understand what the author is trying to say, I also know that a few women were fortunate enough to marry men who were not working at the time of the wedding but who got jobs soon afterwards.

The author also advises that it’s best to marry someone not just of your own faith, but even of your own denomination if possible. Again, though this does make sense when viewed from one perspective [imagine a Deeper Lifer marrying a House on the Rock member]; I believe there are still exceptions to the rule.

These are but a few of the controversial issues contained in the book. It also contains insightful statements however, for instance, in the chapter on physical appearance, the author states that no matter how loud a person’s inner beauty shouts, a would-be suitor will not hear the sound unless they are first captivated by the outward packaging of the person.

Behold Your Missing Rib is entertaining and insightful once a person can get past the controversial issues in the book. Readers who wish to buy the book can purchase it on Okadabooks by clicking on the link below: 

http://okadabooks.com/book/about/behold_your_missing_rib__adult_only_18/11864 

NEW RELEASE ON OKADABOOKS AND AMAZON KINDLE

Hello people.

I am pleased to announce the release of my novel, A Crown of Beauty. Here's the blurb:

As a child, Ada seemed to have it all. With doting parents, a best friend, and a crush on Alex Babatunde Haastrup; her rival in primary school; life couldn't have been more interesting.

A tragic occurrence in her late teenage years shatters her fairytale existence, however, and Ada finds herself rebelling against everything she has ever believed in and keeping her distance from her loved ones- including Alex.

Years later, a chance encounter in the university forces her to confront her fears, and when fate brings her and Alex together again, they must decide if they can let go of the past and give the future a chance.

The book can be gotten on Okadabooks, a site which accepts payments in local and foreign currency. Here is the link to the book:

https://www.okadabooks.com/book/about/a_crown_of_beauty/15860#.Wep_PvoktLo.link

It is also available on Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076N5M9FT/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_t2_-ul7zb8J8FC5S

My Amazon Author page link: https://www.amazon.com/LAURETTA-ANI/e/B076NXJWDR

Thank you for purchasing the book, and I look forward to reading your reviews.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: OUT OF THE BLUE BY GREG MURTHA

Hello people.

The average person subconsciously believes that he/she will live forever, or at least be young and healthy forever. Imagine the shock, therefore, when a once healthy person takes ill and receives this news from the doctor: ‘You have a terminal illness.’ Such was the shock received by Greg Murtha, the author of this week’s book, Out of the Blue.

Greg, a healthy, successful, forty-six year old man, left his house one early morning in December 2011 to perform his usual morning exercise. On returning home, he headed for the bathroom and was shocked to see blood, a lot of it, coming out with his urine. A visit to the doctor later confirmed his worst fear- he was ill; not just ill, but terminally ill. He had cancer.

Out of the Blue was penned while Greg was in the hospital. Written from a Christian perspective, Greg gives readers a glimpse into his thoughts on cancer, caregivers to cancer patients, life and life after death.

Reading this book is sure to make the reader remember just how finite life is, and how important it is for one to spend one’s life doing the things one loves and being with the people that matter most. The book can be gotten on Amazon and other major bookstores.

P.S: Greg lost his battle with cancer on June 22, 2017.