Unbelievable Adventures of a WWII German War Bride Written By Ingeborg M Johnston

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There are several "unbelievable" characteristics of Ingeborg and her story. First, the fact that she grew up in Nazi controlled Germany; second that she loved good people and did all she could for them, even to this day; and third that she took on so many things in her life that she ended up loving almost all of them. The first part of the book tells of her growing up as Germany went to war. "Inge" ran through bombing raids to assist injured in the hospital or clinics that were not destroyed. She had no regard for her life when she could help others. The early parts of the book also tell of her schooling in Berlin, her family's activities as the Nazi Party grew and took over Germany, and her family. As the war started looking bad for Germany, the residents had to find safe places to be away form the gung-ho Nazi's as well as the hard charging Russians as they tried to reach Berlin first so they could control it.

Inge tells of her family, their villages and cities, the composition of the large family, and the struggles to exist in a bombed out city where every victorious nation wanted a part of it, but was eventually divided up into East and West Berlin with the Communists controlling East Berlin. Anyone living in East Berlin was stuck there without the ability to visit anyone out of that area. The ones living in West Berlin could come and go into East Berlin but the Berlin Wall kept the division very tight.

Inge love swimming and teaching it to anyone interested. She became a champion swimmer. She married Jerry. She and Jerry eventually moved to the United States through New York, then to Philadelphia. They had two daughters, Eileen and Jacqueline, who were also great swimmers from a very young age. Inge entered the Mrs. America Contest and won, but when it was learned that she was not a United States citizen, she was disqualified. Not a happy moment but the satisfaction that she could win such a contest made the family happy. Sometime, not disclosed in the book, Inge obtained a divorce from Jerry. She eventually met and married her present love, Jim Johnston. They have had a fantastic life. They moved to Colorado, Florida, and back to Colorado. They loved boats and had much fun with them as well as some problems that made life very interesting. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida they belonged to the Navy League, once again showing their love for boating and fellow humans.

The entire book is loaded with fantastic tales from her life and her family. Their love for each other is very evident as is their love for others with their "Acts of Kindness" organization and the way they helped so many all their lives. Inge and Jim are still happily married and very active as this book was released. I can only pray that they can continue that way for many years to come. An excellent read.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman of a book supplied by the author

Book Review - Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission

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Most war stories would be listed as a historical account. There are few war stories that should be listed as inspirational and even an invaluable life lesson. The book,"Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission" is one of those war stories. This book was even made into a movie, "The Great Raid", back in 2005.

To understand the urgency of rescuing those prisoners who have been prisoners for several years, you will appreciate the timing of the rescue. More than likely, the prisoners would have been killed soon. It was a pattern that was happening around the Philippines during the inevitable re-taking of the Philippines by the Allied forces. Many POWs were massacred in the Southern part of the Philippines since it was a burden for the Japanese Imperial Army to keep these prisoners.

Many of us may not experience the atrocities of a Death March or the tribulations of a prison camp. We can learn lessons of perseverance, team work, commitment, and inspiration from the soldiers who took part in this rescue. We can learn lessons of endurance, patience, comradeship, and triumph from the prisoners at Cabanatuan.

The men involved in the rescue mission came from differing background and had different perspectives and personalities. This rescue mission is a testament on how team work and team building can succeed. Failure was not (and cannot be) an option. This is a story of a precise rescue plan with a timely execution and what it takes to succeed at it. The "why" was more important than "how".

On a personal note, my father-in-law survived the Death March but my uncle did not survive. The story of those who endured and those who perished is one that is inspiring and humbling. There have been several movies and books that discusses this triumphant tragedy in history. Prior to reading this book, I did not realize there was such a daring mission to rescue some of the survivors of the Death March who were imprisoned in Cabanatuan. America is one of a few countries where they would risk lives to rescue lives. It is important to leave no one behind- whether you bring them back alive or even dead. There is value for the soldier and their life. There are many rescue missions done by various military armies. A majority of them have been done by the American army. This says a lot about the importance of the G.I. (the American soldier) and how they are valued by their country.

As an author, Pascasio Felisilda recently published the book "Nanay: Lessons from a Mother". This is a very inspiring book. Its simplicity empowers the message and story about a legacy that is worth living. The book is available through http://www.ebookstand.com/book_details/Nanay_Lessons_from_a_Mother_PAPERBACK_VERSION or through

http://www.amazon.com/Nanay-Lessons-Mother-Felisilda-Pascasio/dp/1589096673/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291229112&sr=1-1

Evolution Without Darwin? America Without Lincoln? A Review of "The Unbelievers"

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"The Unbelievers: The Evolution of Modern Atheism" by S. J. Joshi (Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY, 2011), contains chapters on fourteen contributors to the evolution of atheism. The fourteen characters profiled are Thomas Henry Huxley, Leslie Stephen, John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Nietzsche, Mark Twain, Clarence Darrow, H.L. Mencken, H.P. Lovecraft, Bertrand Russell, Madalyn Murray O'Hare, Gore Vidal, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens.

On what basis did Joshi make these selections, omitting so many? No coherent explanation is offered. In fact, the author acknowledges an absence of objective criteria in his choices that span 150 years of dissent from orthodoxy. However, the introduction does contain this surprising statement: "I will confess that in some instances I have chosen some thinkers and rejected others chiefly because I do or do not share an intellectual sympathy with them."

That lame remark is Joshi's excuse for the stunning omission of Robert Green Ingersoll. This seems odd, given that he acknowledges that Ingersoll was "probably the most celebrated American freethinker of the 19th century." I suspect few free-thought scholars would list a few of those Joshi does include, particularly H.P. Lovecraft, Leslie Stephen and Thomas Henry Huxley. Little in the chapters about their lives and contributions to atheism give the impression that these three warrant inclusion on such a short list, nor does it seem appropriate to mix four living writers with those who lived in earlier times. The contemporary authors might better have been described in a single chapter. A possible explanation for including Lovecraft can be sensed from the author's Wikipedia page: "S. T. Joshi is an award-winning Indian American literary critic, novelist and a leading figure in the study of Howard Phillips Lovecraft and other authors of weird and fantastic fiction." That must be it-he favored Lovecraft because he knew so much about him and maybe slighted others, particularly Ingersoll, owing to an inadequate appreciation of his astonishing career.

Joshi does admit that he "does not share an intellectual sympathy with him" (Ingersoll). Maybe he should have put that aside. Imagine a historian on American history omitting Lincoln due to not sharing something about Lincoln's intellectual contributions. This omission undermines the book's value. It's quite appalling, actually, and colors all else. The fact of the matter, in my view and I think most others familiar with Ingersoll's life and work would agree, is that the combined impact of the 14 described skeptics might very well be less consequential to America's progress against the harm of religion than that of greatest orator of the 19th century. (At the time of this writing, four of the 14 still live, though two-Gore and Hitchens, are barely hanging on.)

A few of the chapter profiles contain new and interesting information. And the slim introduction describing the history of atheism offers useful perspectives. A few of note include the following:

* It is rare to find any thinker of note since the 17th century "who does not harbor some doubts about many phases of religious orthodoxy."

* Repelled by centuries of religious warfare, dozens of philosophers in the 17th and 18th centuries made "fervent pleas for religious toleration-pleas that ultimately prevailed in the West."

* By the 19th century, tools brought to bear by a diverse array of thinkers to challenge religion included not merely "logical analysis, scientific discovery and careful scrutiny of religious texts but also...weapons of satire, mockery and ridicule."

* In the West, with the exception of America, "the battle is over-atheism has won" (i.e., over religion). The reason America remains firmly wedded and controlled by a religious mindset is the poor state of public education that "has created an unfortunate cleavage between the tiny band of intellectual elites and the vast mass of the ignorant and ill educated."

Readers unfamiliar with the 14 worthy figures might benefit from and enjoy this book.

However, anyone who knows anything about the impact of Colonel Ingersoll, orator extraordinaire and noted lawyer, political king-maker, champion of liberty and intellectual giant who left behind a prodigious library of profound eloquence, will be off-put in the extreme at his omission.

Publisher of the ARDELL WELLNESS REPORT (AWR) - a weekly electronic newsletter devoted to commentaries on current issues that affect personal and social well being from a quality of life perspective. The emphasis is on REAL wellness, which is also the topic of Don's latest book. Read about it here - https://www.createspace.com/3478226 - The "REAL" acronym reflects key issues embraced and advanced in Don's philosophy, namely, Reason, Exuberance, Athleticism and Liberty. Sample copy of Don's latest edition by request. If you like it, you can sign up - the price is right - free. Contact Don at awr.realwellness@gmail.com