The Biography Shelf

Overcoming All Odds
Carol Ann Wilson
https://carolannwilson.info
Quantum Press
9798987088807, $20.00, PB, 204pp

https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-All-Odds-Adversity-Persistence/dp/B0BLG6S= WPD

Synopsis: With the publication of "Overcoming All Odds: My Story of Adversi= ty, Tragedy, Persistence, Survival, and Triumph", Carol Ann Wilson shares h=
er personal story of courage, the love of family and friends, and of fear a=
nd faith. But most of all, this is a story about the invincible human spiri=
t that lives in all of us.

When Carol Ann arrived for her annual checkup and revealed her age as 85 to=
the physician's assistant, the woman was aghast. "What is your secret?" sh=
e asked. Carol Ann thought about that after she left and realized that she = had heard that question for years. -- What is your secret, Carol Ann?

At the age of 29 with three kids under the age of five (a usually talked ab= out behind closed doors if talked about at all) surgery turned her life ups= ide down. That surgery opened a door, welcoming her to an incredibly fulfil= ling life for Carol Ann as she dealt with: Life-threatening chronic illness= es; Surviving cancer; Having her business stolen from her -- not once, but = twice!; Having books she authored plagiarized and republished with another'=
s name as the author; Dealing with the unexpected sudden death of her husba=
nd while she was cruising in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, while he was = home alone.

None of this (and more!), kept her down. She beat the odds, surviving, and = then thriving. And was part of the impetus for the creation of an internati= onal health information organization; institutes for financial professional=
; software that impacted and changed family law nationwide; and even design= ing a pottery line!

Throughout her nine decades, she has never, ever given up. Carol Ann is sti=
ll here, living her hand of life and in her memoir, "Overcoming All Odds" i=
s ready to reveal her secret: Believing that when difficulties and trauma a=
re experienced, that good things can come.

Critique: Overcoming All Odds: My Story of Adversity, Tragedy, Persistence,=
Survival, and Triumph" is an exceptional, insightful, and motivatingly ins= piring read that will have a very special appeal to readers who are seeking=
encouragement and ideas for dealing with the problems affecting their own = lives and happiness. While also available for personal reading lists in a d= igital book format (Kindle, $7.99), "Overcoming All Odds" is unreservedly r= ecommended as an addition to community and academic library Self-Help/Self-= Improvement and American Biography/Memoir collections.

Editorial Note: There is an informative website dedicated to the life and w= ork of Carol Ann Wilson at https://carolannwilson.info/authors-biography

The Samurai Castle Master: Warlord Todo Takatora
Chris Glenn
Frontline Books
c/o Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.frontline-books.com
9781399096584, $36.95, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Samurai-Castle-Master-Warlord-Takatora/dp/1399096583

Synopsis: When the Japanese samurai warlord and respected castle architect = Todo Takatora died in 1630, the funeral attendants responsible for preparin=
g his body were shocked to note that there was not a single part of his bod=
y not scarred or disfigured by sword, spear, glaive or matchlock gun wound.

Todo Takatora lived a life that unfolds like a drama. Born to a small landh= olding samurai family, the maverick youth worked his way to the top, becomi=
ng one of the most successful of daimyo warlords. He had served on the fron=
t lines of some of the most violent of battles, turning points that forged = the nation. In a land and time in which loyalty was held dear, he changed h=
is allegiances a record seven times, serving a record ten lords, more than = any other samurai in history. Because of this, he has long been held in con= tempt by the Japanese.

Standing 6 feet tall in a time when the average Japanese man stood between =
5 and 5 1/2 feet, Todo Takatora was a giant among men. He died aged 74, whe=
n the normal life span was around 50. He was also the finest, most innovati=
ve of castle architects, responsible for the design and construction of ove=
r 30 of the strongest, most innovative Japanese castles and structures, and=
influencing samurai castle construction across Japan.

In explaining his life, his reasons for having served so many lords, his ac= hievements in battle and in castle design, his political and personal ideal=
s and how these attributes were shaped during the course of his adventurous=
life, "The Samurai Castle Master: Warlord Todo Takatora" by Chris Glenn wi=
ll reveal the man, and show why Takatora deserves the epithet of National H= ero.

In this fascinating biography (the first ever published in the English lang= uage), "The Samurai Castle Master: Warlord Todo Takatora" deftly explores T= odo Takatora's remarkable, and influential, life, the battles he fought in,=
the political intrigues he was part of, as well as detailing the magnifice=
nt castles he built.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a num= ber of Plates, an eight page Glossary, a two page Select Bibliography, and =
a nine page Index, "The Samurai Castle Master: Warlord Todo Takatora" is a = meticulously researched and superb study that is especially relevant and re= commended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Japan= ese History/Biography collections. It should be noted for students, academi=
a, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that = "The Samurai Castle Master: Warlord Todo Takatora" is also available in a d= igital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Chris Glenn first visited Japan as a Rotary Exchange Studen=
t in 1985, spending a year in Sapporo, returning to Japan in 1992. A resear= cher of samurai history and culture, he is a member of the Japan Armor and = Weapons Research and Preservation Society, and the Japan Castle Research So= ciety. He was apprenticed to a traditional samurai armour craftsman from 19= 94, and is a collector of samurai arms and armour. Chris holds Shodan rank =
in Kendo, and studied Owari Yagyu Shinkage and Enmei Ryu kobudo, traditiona=
l combat techniques. A resident of Nagoya, Japan since 1993, he serves as t=
he Sekigahara Tourism Ambassador, the Nagoya Tourism, Cultural and Exchange=
Special Ambassador, and the Omi Tourism Ambassador. He has had numerous bo= oks on Japanese castles and battles published in both Japanese and English.=
Called upon by various local and national government agencies as an adviso=
r and committee member, he remains active in researching and promoting Japa= nese history and culture. (https://austjpnsoc.asn.au/chris-glenn-an-austral= ian-legend-in-japan)

Call Me Anne
Anne Heche
Viva Editions
http://vivaeditions.com
9781627783316, $15.95, PB, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Call-Me-Anne-Heche/dp/1627783318

Synopsis: "Call Me Anne" is the sequel to Heche's first book, "Call Me Craz= y". It is a memoir consisting of personal anecdotes of her rise to fame: ho=
w Harrison Ford became her on-set mentor, her relationship with Ellen Degen= eres, her encounter with Harvey Weinstein, her history of childhood sexual = abuse, her relationship with God, her journey to love herself, and more. Pa=
rt memoir and part self-acceptance workbook, Anne's personal stories are in= terwoven with poems, prompts, and exercises that got Anne through tough tim= es. Readers are encouraged to try them as they navigate their own journey t=
o self-love, acceptance, forgiveness, and faith.

Critique: Intimate, articulate, informative, interesting, once again Anne H= eche has written an intensely personal memoir that is a simply fascinating = and ultimately inspiring, and a 'must read' selection for the legions of An=
ne Heche fans. While a highly recommended addition to personal, community, = and academic library Contemporary American Memoir collections, it should be=
noted that "Call Me Anne" is also readily available in a digital book form=
at (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Anne Heche (1969-2022) was an Emmy-award winning actress, d= irector, and screenwriter based in LA. She was also author of Call Me Crazy=
.. Following a dual role in the daytime soap opera Another World (1987-91), = Heche rose to mainstream prominence in the late 1990s with films Donnie Bra= sco (1997), Volcano (1997), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), and Return to Pa= radise (1998). In 1998, Heche portrayed Marion Crane in Gus Van Sant's horr=
or remake of Psycho. Heche received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for B= est Supporting Actress for her performance in the Lifetime movie Gracie's C= hoice and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress for her work in Broadway=
's Twentieth Century. She was also a contestant on the reality show, Dancin=
g with the Stars in 2020. Her wikipedia page is https://en.wikipedia.org/wi= ki/Anne_Heche

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Midwest Book Review
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