Bookshelf
Each of the books on this bookshelf is available on Amazon, in e-book and paperback format. Click on the pictures of the books to visit the Amazon page and discover more information.
160 Ways to Beat Inflation and Live a Richer Life
160 Ways to Beat Inflation and Live A Richer Life is more than a guide to saving money. It is a way to embrace a lifestyle change that actually provides you with much more than you may currently experience. Based in part on the author's experience living a simple life and in part on his forty years of experience helping small businesses increase their profitability, Lee makes "trimming the fat" a pleasure, instead of a pain. Unlike diets, which demand that you sacrifice and endure the suffering in order to reach your weight goal, Bob reveals the ways to get more from less, immediately and in the long term. There is no "short-term pain for long-term gain" that many associate with budgeting. Indeed, the first chapter actually encourages you to identify your indulgences, so that you can enjoy them more! Organizing your money and your life provide the keys to this new approach to leading a richer life. 160 Ways is your solution to spending smarter, not more
Ashes of Paranoia
When Lawrence Mason’s mother dies after a lengthy illness, he is left to guard her legacy and protect her place in the small community that she despised but refused to leave. His debilitating social anxiety disorder and devotion to Mrs. Mason’s memory lead him into conflict with the police and neighbours, while his paranoia leads him to interpret even the most innocuous incidents as part of the local strategy to isolate the family from the town.
Psychiatrist Bruce Hutchison is appointed by the court to assess Lawrence, but an unusual relationship between the two ensues, that both confounds and clarifies their own issues. At the same time, Lawrence is led, unwillingly, into a friendship with a much younger local woman, who sees more to this loner than is perceived by the area residents. Lawrence fights through both internal and external conflicts, culminating in a massive fire at the local fibreglass plant, in which he is intimately involved.
“Ashes Of Paranoia” provides an emotionally wrenching look at a middle-aged man wrestling with his distorted view of life, and how the community that he distrusts rallies to embrace him, warts and all.
This book’s characters have none of the romantic appeal of a Harlequin romance cast, nor any of the dashing flair of a detective mystery’s collage of players, yet each draws you hypnotically into his and her respective perception of the world around him.
Bizarre Bachelors
For ten years, he laboured to construct his ultralight airplane, then, on a whim, he doused it with gasoline and set fire to it. When the rat invades his home, Gerry goes to drastic lengths to rid himself of the vermin, but ... Dying of mesothelioma, but living with zest. A bachelor shoots himself in the back with a shotgun. A meal of moose testicles. More than forty true, but unbelievable stories of the bizarre lives of an endangered species: the bachelor.
No single man worth his salt is married. The thought could have come straight from Yogi Berra’s vault of butchered expressions. However, many married men – the wannabes - in spite of wanting to remain married, idolize and envy the bachelor. Few bachelors return the favour.
But the bachelor is a unique breed. Always threatened with extinction, bachelors have survived, and thrived, by doing things and thinking their own way. They are Robert Frost’s travellers in the yellow wood.
It is true. No single man worth his salt is married. All the good ones are not taken; they are recalled from the market.
Coffee, Black
A man wrestling with death, believes he has left no mark on the world, but the world around him views things differently. Two strangers arrive in a small town–one bringing evil, the other embracing the townsfolk. “Look Him In The Eye, Then Shoot to Kill (If You Can)” provides a compelling argument against hunting. When Gerry sees a rat … well, the fun explodes around him. John Ramsay was a real life native Canadian who single-handedly rescued an ill-fated Icelandic settlement, but who was “rewarded” with a shared coffee from a coffee sock. Ever wear two different socks to an important meeting? Imagine the worst possible consequences… These, and other short stories revolve around the simple cup of coffee, in “Coffee, Black.”
Council of the Pure
For 3,000 years, they have shielded us from harm in the gutters and alleys of every city on the globe. Now, the Sentinels of Right confront a lethal threat to their existence, at the hands of the humans that they have sworn to protect.
In order to safeguard their human wards, the guardians must also choose between renouncing their pledge to refrain from integrating themselves into the worldly culture of their charges or forfeiting their ethereal abilities to protect them.
Betrayed by traitors within their circle, the governing Sentinel councils plot to resolve their dilemma, while balancing their avowed adherence to the holy Creed of the Councils against the evolving morals and values of the society in which they operate.
It is a secret, unseen world pitted against the mortal determination of a pedantic human culture, with the future of both at stake.
Caught in the heart of this struggle is a by-the-book cop, a blind girl in love with one of the invisible Sentinels and a gutter-dwelling street Sentinel. Each sees the quandary from his or her unique perspective, and each must set aside personal biases in order to join forces and repel the threat that is directed at all of them.
Opposing the human cadre are Sentinels entrusted with key positions of power, who, simultaneously, view their mission through their own tint of reality. Both sides are focused on the identical objective: to protect the world from the ultimate moral challenges and defeat those that would destroy the fabric of their society.
The Council of the Pure must impose its will on a society that is governed solely by consensus and agreement, in order to overcome the peril that it faces. They also must do so, knowing that, to do so will mean the destruction of their society as it currently exists. Their choice is one of self preservation and the loss of their human protégés, or self destruction and the salvation of their mortal dependents.
Defeat of the USA
Could one person bring down the mighty American system? Richard Harrison believes he can. A self-described common Joe, he exacts his revenge on a corrupt system that has stolen his life from him piece by piece. For twenty years, Harrison has investigated, planned and invested in his crusade, waiting until the perfect time: now. It is war unlike any other, as he slices like a surgeon at the heart of America’s political and economic empire. But collateral damage will follow. Is there anyone who can thwart his plans before the USA erupts in chaos? Two FBI agents with unique skills stand in his way, but they will not be enough.
To win his war, Harrison needs two unlikely factions working toward the same goal: the alt-right racists and the progressive left environmentalists. It’s an unlikely team, made more improbable because neither knows the other is working in tandem. Big money and big government, though, always in partnership to amass more power, eagerly turn on each other as Richard exposes their frailties. He counts on using their greed, arrogance, and corruption against them. But when Rick Harrison unleashes hell in America, he strains to keep the inferno from blazing out of control.
One person in the background understands Harrison. Joe Cabot, a true common Joe, searches the clues about this saboteur, racing to prevent the chaos Harrison determinedly forces on the USA. He has secrets that Jonah needs to uncover if the real Common Joe is to succeed.
Disabilities
Some of us are limited, not by our disabilities, but our abilities. Most of us overcome limitations, while others fail to grow. Disabilities explores the lives of four characters as they struggle to overcome their unique disabilities -- only one of which is physical.
Carlin, an aggressive, no-nonsense engineer who is paralyzed in an auto accident, must come to grips with his new mobility problems, while his son must break free of the stifling influence of his overbearing father.
Sarah, too, has family issues, but her disability focuses on a moral crisis that will test her ability to grow into the woman she wants to be. Her boyfriend, Lionel (Li, for short) has the greatest disability of all, yet fails to understand that he is limited.
Who will succeed, and who will fail? It is a convoluted tale of abilities that limit and disabilities that offer freedom
Eating Wild
Organic gardening has developed a huge following, yet, the original "organic gardening" has not. Eating Wild explore the world of harvesting our vegetables and fruits where they grow naturally, whether it is the common weeds we find in our gardens and lawns, or the myriad plants that can be harvested in the wild. There, they grow untainted by pesticides and herbicides.
Eating Wild provides listings of more than fifty North American herbs and other edible plants that can be wild harvested, along with descriptions of their medicinal and nutritional benefits. He provides dozens of recipes and scores of remedies using these plants.
His knowledge of plants and intimate understanding of their uses comes from six decades of using these natural food sources, as well as from information passed down from his ancestors, and the First Nations people of North America, who provided him with much of the wisdom to enjoy wild plants.
Fairy Tales, Fables and Yarns
Fairy tales are escapes into wondrous worlds. It is only our inflexible adult reasoning that tells us that they are just for children. Fables, too, are disdainfully disregarded by grown-ups, in spite of the valuable life lessons that they often provide. It is only yarns and tall tales that are permitted to dwell in the structured world of the adult. I have compiled this collection of silly, inconsequential stories and poems to satisfy the child in any of us that has been handicapped by active imagination, and has been unable to fully embrace the responsible, pedantic adult world.
A few of these little stories were written for my children, as they journeyed from childhood, to adolescence to adulthood. I hope that the tales have allowed them to avoid becoming staid grownups. A few of these yarns were written for staid adults. I am glad to say that they, for a few moments anyway, were able to become irresponsible children again. A couple – specifically, the romantic poems – were written for my wife, who I hope will not be terribly upset that I have shared private thoughts with the world. Many were written just for me. No reason, other than that I like being a perpetual child.
For those of you who dare to explore wondrous worlds, even if you do so in the secrecy of your own hidden sanctums, I welcome you to my haven. Please enjoy, and thank you
How to Build a (Semi) Solid Wall Yurt
Today’s commercially available yurts largely are flexible wall units, with lattice forming the “frame” of the walls, and studs resting on an aircraft cable strung along the top of the lattice. They are lightweight, but, by that definition, are vulnerable to the elements and to wildlife. Although defined as portable, they require a full day to set up, using three or more people. Their insulation (optional) generally is Mylar bubble insulation and windows are heavy plastic. The yurt concept in this set of plans calls for rigid insulation walls, readily available materials, glass windows, standard-sized door, and a very lightweight, truly portable design. Although the yurt plan is sized for a 16-foot diameter unit, size can be scaled up or down quite readily. Total material cost generally is less than $1,500. Typically, one person can cut all the pieces needed to size in less than 40 hours. To assemble the unit requires one person and three or four hours. To disassemble takes two hours. The guide includes numerous photographs of a sample yurt being built. Also included are discussions of problems with many yurts (and solutions), ideas on plumbing, heating, interior finish and power.
IWE--The Three Letters
When a bigoted veteran Minneapolis police officer is caught on video in a racist rant while violently arresting a black suspect, it sets off a series of reactions in a city still simmering from racial tensions and questionable incidents involving police. Officer Scott Gibson is the lightning rod that draws a storm of media attention after he is recorded beating a black patron in King Rat’s, an exclusively black bar a short distance from the police precinct headquarters.
But appearances may not be reality when a 6’6” massive black regular in King Rat’s, Deon Freeman, rescues Gibson from a vicious assault and the two form a mystifying and unique bond.
Tensions should be further inflamed as soon as Scott encounters Janine White, an equally bigoted, outspoken black rights activist. However, the two polarized antagonists find they have more in common than they could have imagined, thanks to the guidance of Gibson’s new black friends, the Freemans.
Can a quarter century of bad blood and black/white enmity be overcome when White spearheads a protest event, piloted by a long-time activist and former lover of Janine White’s, while Gibson faces a public fight for his reputation and career? There is much more to the overt countenance of White, Gibson, the Minneapolis Police Department and city of Minneapolis than is told by a sequence of racial conflicts.
It will be up to Scott, Janine and the Freemans to forge a path of reconciliation and reconstruction and up to White and Gibson to come to grips with their personal differences and similarities.
Part romance, part social commentary, this book is an exploration of the complexities and baseness of prejudice and prejudgment.
Living Simply, Living Rich
Living Simply, Living Rich offers a unique perspective on the concept of simple living. While most discussions on the topic take the position that simple living requires adherence to the idea that we must “do without” and embrace absolute minimalism, Bob Lee insists that simple living is no more the right path than capitalism or materialism. “Crash diets, whether in nutrition or lifestyles, have no chance of permanent success,” he states.
Instead, this book shows how a more focused lifestyle offers fulfillment, a responsible way of living and a more realistic approach to sustained changes in the way we interact with the world around us.
Living Simply, Living Rich works, whether you are poor or rich, middle-income or no income. It is an approach to living that remembers that the whole approach is just that: about living. Experiences replace acquisitions, relationships replace career success.
This book may be life changing, but it is not a lifestyle manual. It is a pathway to choosing your unique road. Robert Frost was right. Choosing the least travelled path will make all the difference.
No One's Concern
“Fear doesn’t stop death. It stops life.” Ann raised her four offspring exactly the same way, insisting that they face all the hardships that life could toss at them and never back down. Face fear, without flinching. It was the paucity of the family’s everyday existence that would fortify them, shape them and force them to survive. Her mantra was more than tough love. It was a snarling, attack-the-world-before-it-attacks-you philosophy that the children could either adopt and embrace or from which they could flee. Garry, of all her kids, took her dictum to heart. After all, Ann’s and her offspring’s hearts were not likely to be used for other purposes. And Garry needed her approval, more than anything in his life. He feared losing it, with every thing he did and every breath he took.
His story is not unique, but his life is exceptional. A mechanical genius, a social eremite, Garry struggled to find his own way, but remained bound by the rules that Ann imposed, even in her death. He craved love and affection, yet fled from intimacy. Always struggling to succeed, always falling back as triumph seemed within reach, Garry lived the only way he could manage. It never was enough.
The Dance Club
It was mere “mommy porn.” All the critics agreed, so why did their wives find “Fifty Shades of Grey” so enthralling? Three middle-aged husbands feel that it is their duty to conduct “research” into the power of this book, and what better place to start than with the women in their ballroom dance club? Or so the male bravado suggested. But who has the courage, or the foolhardiness to take the first step? Will it be methodical Frank, man-child Rod, or leap-before-you-look Dave?
Like school kids on the playground, once each has been dared to delve into the world of Ana and Christian, and their odd sexual fantasies, he cannot turn back. But age does not bring wisdom, particularly to these men. How will they proceed? Internet? Late-night erotic movies? Gentlemen’s clubs?
Dave has his own theories, and, being a practical, concrete thinker, he must conduct his own experiments on the deviances that Grey loves. In private, of course, until his wife and her girlfriends – the spouses of friends, Rod and Frank – accidentally happen upon him.
Rod and Frank believe that they can put their “research” to best use by choreographing a dramatic dance sequence for the rest of the dance club. That, too, may have unintended consequences!
The Dance Club: 50 Shades of Turning Grey is a frantic, comedic tale of misdirection, misinformation and mistake, but it is a joyous look at the world of old men who have never grown up. The Dance Club series of novellas will keep you smiling, as you nod your head in agreement with each of the antics, and say to yourself, “Darn, I wish I had thought of trying that!”
The Last Drop of Living
"The Last Drop of Living: A Minimalist's Guide to Living the High Life on a Low Budget" offers a unique perspective on the concept that minimalism requires self-denial and deprivation. Indeed, after reading this book, you undoubtedly will be inspired to adopt this simple, yet elegant way of experiencing life.
Minimal living is not about doing without. It is about savouring everything greedily, while walking gently through your world.
This book opens up an exciting doorway into getting the most out of your life, your way, with a 15-step guide to "going minimal." Packed with anecdotes and often humourous incidents, The Last Drop of Living is not only a pleasurable reading experience, but a roadmap to a fulfilling way to decrease the commonplace stresses in your life.
Bonus chapters on yurts, barebones business, wildcrafting, energy simplicity, sustainability and minimalist vacation options provide extraordinary value beyond the invigorating discussions on minimalist strategies.
The Last Drop of Living: Finding Your Oasis
Twenty-four hours. We allocate our lives in fragments of that meagre allotment, dividing up days into work, sleep and the myriad chores encompassing those two necessities. With the crumbs remaining, we seek our pleasures -- our leisure. Like nomads, we trek from brief respite from the harshness of the world to the next respite. Worse, we focus only on the ultimate oasis in life: retirement, and wish our days away with each Monday, each work hour, each chore that we encounter.
But what if we could find our own, unique oases in life more readily? What if, instead of a life filled with drudgery and difficulty, only momentarily relieved by pleasant escapes, we could reverse the emphasis of that twenty-four hour allocation, and discover how to turn life into a series of lush havens in which we could embrace life?
Finding Your Oasis offers you that map of discovery. Instead of guiding you in how to acquire the material wealth you seek, we walk with you as you discover the riches of the world, instead. This is a book about enjoying more, with less. It is a guide to living life to the maximum, with only a minimum in physical assets. Find Your Oasis. More accurately, find your oases!
What We Have Lost
When the hen lays her eggs, the shells are soft and pliable, forming their durable armour as they experience the outside world. Each of us enters the world, with similar flawed and weak shells. Our shells are not broken and cracked by life, but are formed of the fragments that we encounter, piece by piece, growing more complete with each experience.
What We Have Lost is a series of disconnected anecdotes in the lives of a family shaped by extreme poverty. These individual narratives chronicle the slow sculpting of the characters, as they fuse with their world, enveloped in mental illness. Moulded by their mother’s paranoia, social isolation and obsessive drive to instil the hunger for learning and sense of duty to others, the four siblings evolve in unique and often pathological ways. Not knowing or understanding the bonds of familial love, Garry, Judy, Rob and Roger need to discover their own path to personal peace. None may make it.
What We Have Lost exposes the cruelty of poverty. It opens up the heart of that world, in surprising and convoluted ways. The pathos is clear, the hidden pleasures need unearthing. What We Have Lost is a collection of anecdotes, but, as you read, you will find that they are far from disconnected, after all
Wild People I Have Known
Violence is a common thread through the fabric of many people living in the lower socio-econimic layers of our society. Murder, assaults and other violent crimes are everyday occurrences. Yet, the people who commit these crimes are everday people, often with colourful, appealing personalities.
This book looks at over two dozen of those persons and at the other side of their lives: the human part. It is a recollection of the person interactions of the author with each of these characters.
All of the stories are true, and factually accurate. In some cases, Lee has changed the names. In other cases, he has not.
People such as Jon Waluk and Larry Fisher, who were convicted of killing two infants and their mother, allegedly over a drug deal, are reviled by many as the "lowest of the low." Yet they were individuals with many redemming qualities.
The case of Dennis Edwin Proctor, convicted of killing one girl and raping two, as well as his subsequent incarceration in a mental facility, is examined.
The stories of several police officers who "crossed the line" of acceptable behaviour are provided. To counterbalance those tales, the author provides an intriguing look at the actions of several exceptional law enforcement people.
The author brings an intimate understanding of the personal lives of many of his friends and associates -- an understanding that only someone having lived within that environment can fathom.
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