Book Review: Storms, the way of the Mariner by Tom Schofield

 

Review

Storms: the way of the mariner is an engaging story telling of life at sea. Especially when facing the storms that have captured our minds and set our hearts thumping with fear.

I have never been on the sea, but after listening to the author Tom Schofield and Ruth Finnegan, I cannot help but newly appreciate the seven oceans, its stormy rage and strength.

Its formidable power is relentless once it finds its way to land. Causing havoc on land and leaving us defenseless to its power. Something I have learned while listening to the audible book was that it is safer at sea than on land during a storm. Your chances for survival are much better than closer to land. Where the reefs and rocks cause more devastation to ship and the lives on board.

What I liked about the narrative was that it felt as if the author was here with me, telling me a story in a calm and relaxed manner. Informing me of the dangers and life at sea in a casual and friendly manner that brings it home.

Definitely a splendid book to listen to. Especially if you are thinking of a life at sea. The valuable information is given in confidence and much authority. 

Here's how a friend (Ruth) described her experience of a hurricane. She was a passenger, not used to sea faring, in the Cenpac Rounder, a small ship that circulated round the central south Pacific, carrying trade goods from island to island. It took just seven or eight passengers each time.

As Ruth explains:

We were out to sea and that was beautiful, a little rough, but blue skies, high clouds, just a bit of wind. We were making for Tuvalu, an atoll island.

As with many of these atoll islands, you had to go into the lagoon through a very very narrow, jagged, danger-filled reef entrance. It takes a lot of skill to get through, so that ships are constantly getting wrecked on the reefs (in fact a few years after we were on the Cenpac Rounder, she was wrecked and lost on the reef off Fiji, her home port - whether her crew was saved I do not know - perhaps).

Buy Link

Amazon 

 Excerpt

Why was I at Sea?

Well, why ...?

My background is actually different, maybe surprising. My father was in the military, not the sea at all. And I wanted to follow his footsteps into the army. That's all I ever wanted to do until I was about 16 years old.

But then on the rugby field, my fate changed. I got tackled and broke a ligament in my knee. So an army accountant then wrote to me and told me I was far too much of an insurance liability to join the military. They were worried of course that after a career in the military, I'd sue them and tell them that it was all their fault that I had got a problem on my knees.

So then a grandfather in the Navy asked why don’t I join the merchant navy?

I started looking at it. There was not a lot of information to be honest, you have to really hunt down information about seafaring. I started looking at cargo ships and tankers and things and ships full of maybe just fourteen chaps going from coast to coast.

It appealed but not quite as much as when I saw a big poster of a cruise ship, the beautiful P & O Oriana and I thought, oh, that looks wonderful.

It was poster of the Oriana so yeah, back in the day Oriana was the ship and so interesting.

Luckily there was a girl two years above me whose father knew the careers master in our school. So he was invited in and came and spoke to me and that was it. Yeah, he pointed me in the right direction. And I joined P&O on leaving school at 17.

So - straight away to sea.

To be taken on I had to have done the two big subjects you needed, maths or physics i.e A level in maths or physics, and then a spattering of other academic qualifications, but as well, of course, you know, a keen interest in being at sea.

And then there was always one more thing. You have to go away and be put through training because they sponsored you on your cadet ship and then you leave them.

So that was their unavoidable - good - way: you start off on a cadet ship and then they watch to see if after you’ve been going away for long periods of time, you give up and leave. They just want to make sure it’s the right career for you.

And was it? Absolutely.

No disappointments at all as far as I was concerned, no, absolutely not.

Reedsy / LibraryThing / Goodreads

 

Book review: Playing Dirty: Operation Trouser Snake by AR Williams.

Synopsis

Honey Pursamon has a brief - and the file of names is huge!

Set the honey trap! Lure the opposition into bed, get lurid photos and destroy them, one by one!

The Slash and Byrne Progressive Party want to take over the House of Commons, starting with a sleazy sex scandal code-named Operation Trouser Snake. One of the members also takes matters into his own hands; using his initiative, he sets the ball rolling for a terrorist attack - using deadly gas. Who will survive?

Using Ambronootrop to make their members more intelligent and to move along the evolution of the human race, S&B will stoop to new depths.

Michael Ventiquatro is the charismatic leader of the S & B Progressive Party and has ambitions to win a massive majority in the UK Parliament and gain total power.

As Ventiquatro is wealthy and funded by his multinational company, Slash & Byrne Enterprises, money is no object.

The power-hungry Ventiquatro is distributing Ambronootrop, a Superdrug banned in the USA, because of the side effects it caused. Undeterred, Ventiquatro convinces his followers they will reach Fulfilment  if they take Ambronootrop and tow the S & B Progressive Party line.

Book review: Your Safe Retirement Roadmap: A Powerful Guide to Planning and Living A Deeply-Fulfilled and Prosperous Retirement.

Amazon & Goodreads

Review

 “To be able to enjoy a successful retirement, you must have a well-thought-out game plan. But, do you really understand how your cash flow needs and investment strategy are related and intertwined?”

The author, Frank Gutta asks valuable questions throughout the book, and then answers it. Being on the steps of retirement myself, I found the information highly valuable. Living with two retirees, I see first-hand the money troubles they have. The shortages and expenses, especially medical bills, are an eye opener. This petrifies me as I know that my old age is not far away, and I am not halfway ready to even think of retiring. I will confess there are times my mind refuses to be still and sleep a vivid memory. 

“Retirement isn’t something to fear or dread—it’s the start of a whole new chapter of your life with levels of freedom that you’ve probably never experienced before. Hopefully, this book has provided you with insights on effective retirement planning that you can use to enjoy a more financially secure retirement. My goal is to help my clients safely maximize their income in retirement and keep their taxes as low as possible. To live a happy, successful, and fulfilled retirement, you must prepare in many ways: physically, mentally, emotionally and financially.”

This quick read is very informative, and though I live in South Africa, he has given me a few pointers to look at. I found the helpful advice soothing, knowing with God’s help I will enter my old age with the knowledge I have done all to cope and that with God’s help I will not have to dread the golden years. 

Each chapter is a valued edition as he describes what the roadblocks are, how to plan your retirement and what to look for to grow your investment portfolio to minimize any lack. The Four-Bucket system is definitely an eye-opener and one I endeavour to follow.

Excerpt

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? Financial planning for a prosperous retirement is a very complex undertaking. Most people will not have the time, training, or expertise to do this on their own. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. We hire others for a wide variety of tasks, ranging from changing the oil in our cars to mowing the lawn to cutting our hair. Almost none of us would ever think of performing our dental work or representing ourselves in court. We hire professionals to do those tasks because they have the training and expertise to perform those services with a high skill level. Due to the importance of financial planning in helping us to live and enjoy a long and prosperous retirement, most people should hire a financial professional to help them do this properly. The great news is that it is now possible to hire some financial professionals at little to no cost. For example, in some cases, the financial professional is paid by the company employing them rather than being paid directly by you. REACHING OUR RETIREMENT INCOME AND LIFESTYLE GOALS To reach your lifestyle goals in retirement, you MUST make sure that you reach your retirement income goals. If you are like most people and lack a sizeable pension or 401(k), how will you reach your retirement income goals? The difference between “almost” reaching your retirement income goals and actually reaching them could mean the difference between living in a small rented apartment during retirement vs. living in your dream house in your dream location. It could mean the difference between being on a low-quality health insurance plan or having access to the best medical doctors and best hospitals in America. As you can see, the pay-off from high-quality retirement income planning is tremendous.

Reaching your retirement income goals has three key components: You must have the right tools, the right education to know how to use those tools and you MUST avoid large losses from the stock market or real estate along the way to retirement. Retirement today comes with tremendous opportunities, as well as staggering challenges. These opportunities and challenges stem from the fact that we are living longer and stronger than any generation before us. This should be something we celebrate. A longer and stronger retirement means that we can dream bigger dreams, travel to farther places, spend more time with our loved ones and live the lifestyle we truly want to live. The challenge that comes with living a long and strong life is: how do we make sure our money lasts as long as we do?

It constantly amazes me that people will spend more time planning a one- or two-week vacation than they will to plan for their retirement, which could last thirty years or more. Today, a sixty-year-old couple has a 40% chance that one of them will live to be ninety-five. So, if you started working at age twenty-five, retired at age sixty, and lived to the age of ninety-five, you could spend as much time in retirement as you did working.