#Blogtour The Veteran by Will Patching

It's my turn on the Blogtour The Veteran by Will Patching.

About the Author

Will Patching was born and raised in 'sarf Lunnon, Engerland', or at least, that's how he pronounces it! Hence, many scenes from his novels are situated in London, the surrounding suburbs and other parts of southeast England, though they also span as far afield as Asia and the USA.

His approach to writing is to hit the reader with hard truths about the world we live in, and his mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels are certain to set your pulse pounding. 

One male reviewer decided he needed to check his door locks late one night while reading Will’s darkly disturbing thriller, ‘Remorseless'. He subsequently commented on social media: ‘Seriously scary!’

Will's eclectic professional experience—from his teenage role as a 'gardener' weeding sewage treatment filter beds, through flying a Hawk jet very fast, very low and very dangerously before the RAF realised and booted him out, then attending Harvard on a course for budding CEOs, largely thanks to the Peter Principle of promotion, and more recently, to building his dream, a charter yacht that sank in southeast Asian waters—all have led to a rich and varied life, often reflected in his writing.

For more about the author, his writing, his characters and inspiration, please head to his website at: willpatchingauthor.com Follow @WillsNovels on Twitter

About the book

A dying veteran. A long-lost son. And an infatuated nurse. Are any of them who they claim to be?

When an abusive stranger offers to care for terminally ill veteran Barry Brown while claiming to be his long-lost son, Detective Jack Carver is tasked with finding out the truth.

Brown's wife disappeared with the infant boy under circumstances Jack finds highly questionable. While looking into her background and subsequent death he soon finds himself investigating a baffling cold case spanning almost four decades.

Was she the victim of a misogynistic serial killer who has never been brought to justice? Is Richard Brown really the missing son he claims to be? And is his browbeaten girlfriend actually qualified to care for the old man?

Find out in The Veteran, a dark, twisted psychological crime thriller... Deadly Inspirations – ‘Stand alone’ Book two ‘ENVY’

The Veteran is the second self-contained novel in a loosely-linked series based on The Seven Deadly Sins, featuring characters from Will's gritty British crime thriller series, The Remorseless Trilogy. It is not necessary to have read book one, The Widow, or any of his other books to enjoy his latest gripping tale.

Review

I'm going to start with the fact the author is unapologetic about his work, any possible triggers, the British spelling and about how he wants to tell his stories. The book begins with a note on this, and I can't say I disagree with that, although there were certain elements that I found irritating at times. Nothing I wouldn't expect though given the genre, and the nature of the story.

Expect some sexism, abuse, toxic masculinity - to name a few, but equally it fits into the snarky, murky and often downright sleazy and lethal plot. That being said there is also an element of mind games when it comes to criminal vs the main character. It's easier to stay hidden in the open when you fulfil the expectations of a stereotype, because then nobody bothers taking a second glance. They think you made assumptions, and in doing so left them free from suspicion - until Jack wanders into the picture.

Slowly but surely malicious plans are unravelled, and a cold case begins to emerge from the ashes, actually I think it's probably more a matter of knowing your criminals and trusting your gut instinct.

It has an urban feel, gritty and raw. Smelly armpits, obnoxious old men, and someone who digs their heels in, wades through the various veils of deceit with the sole intention of solving crime, and perhaps teaching certain people a lesson here and there.

Buy The Veteran at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour All That is Wicked by Kate Winkler Dawson

 It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour All That is Wicked: The 'Victorian Hannibal Lecter' and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind by Kate Winkler Dawson.

About the Author

Kate Winkler Dawson is a seasoned documentary producer, her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, WCBS News, ABC News Radio, 'PBS NewsHour' and 'Nightline'. She is the author Death in the Air, American Sherlock and All That is Wicked, and the host of Tenfold More Wicked, a historical true crime podcast on the Exactly Right network, now on its fourth series. Follow @kwinklerdawson on Twitter, Visit katewinklerdawson.com

About the book

The thrilling story of Edward Rulloff - a serial murderer who was called 'too intelligent to be killed' - and the array of 19th-century investigators who were convinced his brain held the key to finally understanding the criminal mind. Rulloff was a brilliant yet utterly amoral murderer - some have called him a 'Victorian-era Hannibal Lecter' - whose crimes spanned decades.

From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyse the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analysed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made?

Expanding on her hit podcast, Tenfold More Wicked, acclaimed crime historian Kate Winkler Dawson draws on hundreds of source materials and never-before-shared historical documents to present one of the first glimpses into the mind of a serial killer - a century before the term was coined.

Review

This is historical true crime, which is well documented enough for the author to create an accurate factual picture instead of speculation and theories. The case of Edward Rulloff, a man who confused the experts of that era, because he didn't fit the image of a monster. 

How do you equate heinous acts with a man who appears intellectually superior - a gentleman. I think this aspect is something we see in our day and age, and the last century. If a criminal is articulate, intelligent and well educated a lot of people think it is a direct contradiction to their image of what a serial killer might be, ergo also makes them more vulnerable to manipulation and make them potential victims.

I think the last few chapters, especially the epilogue, gave a lot of food for thought. I can imagine Rulloff was considered a bit of an enigma. The perfect specimen to interview, examine and to diagnose. Perhaps the first inklings or awareness of a certain sector of people who don't have a reason for killing, who enjoy the power of death cause by their actions. Just sitting on the boundary of discovering serial killers. At the time the actions of Rulloff must have felt like an inexplicable blip.

I wondered whether the description of how Rulloff was perceived differently by each person who interacted with at length actually resonates as a type of pathology - the mirroring to give the other person what they need and expect, ergo making them comfortable, vulnerable and even hyper-vigilant to the danger. 

I thought the book was well researched and an utterly engrossing read. As the author mentions, it's the path towards the mindhunter - trying to understand the behaviour patterns, the reasoning and the triggers in order to catch this very dangerous and special type of killer. It's genuinely concerning to think that at any given time there are many undetected serial killers, who haven't hit any radar or who have and are needles in very large human population needlestacks. Really interesting read.

Buy All That Is Wicked at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher‏: ‎Icon Books pub date 6 Oct. 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour 6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten

 It's my turn on the BlogTour 6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten.

About the Author

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. She has three Hons BA's - Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice - and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle's hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.

Dead Inside - her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson. Subscribe to her newsletter Noelle Holten - Author, Follow @nholten40 on Twitter, Visit crimebookjunkie.co.uk 

About the book

One House. Eight Killers. No Witnesses. 

Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license. At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered.

Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…

Don’t miss the first nerve-shredding standalone thriller from Noelle Holten, author of the Maggie Jamieson series.

Review

Hidden in this crime thriller is a subtle critique of the legal system in regard to violent offenders and the way their rights often supersede those of their victim/s and their families. I would include potential future victims in that train of thought. Certain types of offenders will probably reoffend, and with that in mind the house on Ripley Avenue - in the middle of a normal neighbourhood, well it creates a lot of controversy.

A lot of controversy actually, especially when one of the violent offenders get a taste of his own medicine and ends up dead. Not sure anyone is really that upset about it, however it does mean the police have to find the person responsible for the brutal crime. Herein lies the problem, there are no witnesses and eight potential killers, and the author makes a grand job of making you think everyone has a legit reason to kill.

This didn't grip me the same way the DC Maggie Jamieson series did. The writing was a bit he said she said, a bit surprising but it's a standalone and slightly off the already beaten path. The premise was interesting though and the killer was kept hidden and in plain sight all at the same time.

Buy 6 Ripley Avenue at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: ‎One More Chapter; pub date 27 Sept. 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour A Banker's Journey by Daniel Gross

 It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour A Banker's Journey: How Edmond J. Safra Built a Global Financial Empire by Daniel Gross.

About the Author

Daniel Gross is one of the most widely read writers on finance, economics, and business history. Over the past three decades, he has reported from more than thirty countries, covering everything from the dotcom boom to the global financial crisis and the Great Recession of 2008-2009.

Gross worked as a reporter at The New Republic and Bloomberg News, wrote the "Economic View" column in The New York Times, and served as Slate's "Moneybox" columnist. At Newsweek, where he was a columnist and correspondent, he authored seven cover stories. He is a bestselling author of eight books, including Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All Time; Generations of Corning; Dumb Money: How America's Greatest Financial Minds Bankrupted the Nation; and Better, Stronger, Faster: The Myth of American Decline and the Rise of a New Economy.

Gross was educated at Cornell University and holds an M.A. in American history from Harvard University. His great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from Aleppo and Damascus. Follow @grossdm on Twitter

About the book

Who was Edmond J. Safra? "The greatest banker of his generation," in the estimation of a former World Bank President. The founder of four massive financial institutions on three continents, and a proud child of Beirut's Jewish quarter. An innovative avatar of fiancial globalization, and a faithful heir to a tradition of old-world banking. The leading champion and protector of the Sephardic diaspora.

In A Banker's Journey, financial journalist and historian Daniel Gross, who, like Safra, traces his heritage to Aleppo, Syria, reconstructs the public life of an intensely private man. With exclusive access to Safra's personal archives, Gross tracks the banker's remarkable journey from Beirut to Milan, Sao Paulo, Geneva, and New York - to the pinnacle of global finance.

Edmond Safra was fifteen in 1947, when his father sent him to establish a presence in Milan, Italy. Fluent in six languages, and with an eye for value, managing risk, and personal potential, Safra was in perpetual motion until his tragic death in 1999. The modern, global financial empire he built was based on timeless principles: a banker must protect his depositors and avoid excessive leverage and risk. In an age of busts and bailouts, Safra posted remarkable returns while rarely suffering a credit loss.

From a young age, Safra assumed the mantle of leadership in the Syrian-Lebanese Jewish community, providing personal aid, supporting the communities that formed in exile, and championing Sephardic religious and educational efforts in Israel and around the world. Edmond J. Safra's life of achievement in the twentieth century offers enduring lessons for those seeking to make their way in the twenty-first century. He inspired generations to make the world a better place.

Review

I kind of low-key love the fact the author manages to make biography about a financial wizard, a banker who influenced the world of finances, and left his mark upon the world, not only a learning experience - it's also a fascinating read.

I think it's important to note the relevance of the phrase old-school banking. It's at the core of the story. In Safra's case this compass was routed in cultural and historical roots - reputation, trust and relationships between banker and customer. This is a complete contradiction to the way banks are run in 21st century. Nameless faces, profit margin for the bank, and an absolute risqué attitude towards money belonging to other people, ergo customers. Deposits instead of loans. It is also the reason persistent rumours started to swirl or should I say the start of a campaign to discredit someone who had become a powerful fixture in the financial world - he was the root of the structure he created. 

I can't even imagine being so that that you're tasked with setting up banks as a teenager. It seems, so bizarre, especially when you look at young people today. Safra was a young man influenced by family structure, culture and events in history that displaced many people. It's a tragedy that his live ended so brutally, and his death takes up a good part of the second half of the book. Why? Because it became fodder for conspiracy theorists, for gossipmongers and sensationalists, which the author addresses. He also takes those theories and misinformation and counters it with facts.

Saying that, I can absolutely understand why the world would believe he had become a victim of his success, power, wealth and core ethics of Safra banking. Equally I also understand that his family wants the world to remember the man behind the wall of myths and gossip - I think Edmond would want that too.

Buy A Banker's Journey at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Radius Book Group; pub date 13th October 2022. Hardback - £24.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Betty Boo by Claudia Piñeiro

 It's my turn on the BlogTour Betty Boo by Claudia Piñeiro - translated by Miranda France.

About the Author

Claudia Piñeiro, formerly a journalist and playwright, is the author of prize-winning literary crime novels that are all bestsellers in Latin America and have been translated into many languages. She lives in Buenos Aires. Follow @claudiapineiro on Twitter

The Translator - Miranda France is the author of two acclaimed volumes of travel writing: Don Quixote's Delusions, a Cervantean tour through the Spanish psyche; and Bad Times in Buenos Aires, which explored the psychological condition of sullen resignation and impotent rage the Argentinians know as bronca. She has also written the novel Hill Farm and translated Claudia Piñeiro’s other novels into English. Follow @MirandaFrance1 on Twitter

About the book

When a Buenos Aires industrialist is found dead at his home in La Maravillosa, an exclusive gated community, the novelist Nurit Iscar (nicknamed Betty Boo after Betty Boop) is contracted by a former lover, the editor of a national newspaper, to cover the story. Nurit teams up with the paper’s veteran, but now demoted, crime reporter. Soon they realize that they are falling in love, which complicates matters deliciously. 

The murder is no random crime. Five members of the Argentine industrial and political elite, who all went to the same boarding-school, have died in apparently innocent circumstances. The Maravillosa murder is just the last in the series and those in power in Argentina are not about to allow all this brought to light. Too much is at stake. 

Review

This is probably one of those reads where less is more in the review. If you don't read or pay attention to the blurb and just read and enjoy based purely on what your presented with, as opposed to the assumption and the expectation, then I think you get a much more interesting read.

A businessman is found dead in an exclusive gated community - one with stringent rules when it comes to entering and exiting. Not a big suspect pool, right? Until Nurit - also known as Betty Boo - starts to uncover a bigger picture. A violent conspiracy of death and crime.

I think perhaps there is a lot more to say about the author and writing style than the actual plot - it's really interesting how the style is completely different depending on which book. To the point of thinking it is a different author entirely. In this book I found it fascinating the way everything was constructed in an anti-norm structure. The minor characters take centre stage and minutiae rules.

The result is this snow globe version of a crime story where the falling snow keeps the eye focused on the world around the plot and the main characters are their own microcosm. Definitely an author to read.

Buy Betty Boo at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Bitter Lemon Press: pub date 14 January 2016. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Bitter Lemon Press.

#Blogtour Ahead of the Shadows by A. B. Kyazze

It's my turn on the Blogtour Ahead of the Shadows by A. B. Kyazze.

About the Author

A.B. Kyazze is a British–American writer and photographer. She spent nearly two decades writing and taking photographs around the world in conflicts and natural disasters – in Africa, Asia and Southern Europe. Her photographs and non-fiction work have been published in travel magazines, The Huffington Post, The Washington Times, The International Review of the Red Cross, and by Oxfam, Save the Children, and the British Red Cross. 

Into the Mouth of the Lion, A.B. Kyazze’s debut novel, was published in May 2021. Set in the final days of Angola’s civil war, it is the story of a young photographer looking for her missing sister in a very dangerous landscape. This is followed by Ahead of the Shadows, published in September 2022. Ahead of the Shadows is set in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan (Darfur) and Paris. It is the continuing story of humanitarian workers labouring under intense conditions, and how this can strain relationships to breaking point. It is also about the impact on the next generation, and how one unconventional boy might be able to break the cycle. 

A.B. Kyazze has also published the Humanity in the Landscape photography book series, and a number of flash fiction short stories, articles and book reviews. Today, she lives in southeast London with her young family, writing, mentoring other writers, and running a freelance editing business. 

In May 2022 A.B. Kyazze was awarded a London Borough of Culture grant as part of the We Are Lewisham initiative, in order to facilitate creative writing workshops in schools and libraries. She is a trustee for a new creative writing charity, the Oxford Centre for Fantasy. Follow @abkwriting on Twitter

About the book

When a photographer witnesses war crimes, will she have to abandon her calling to save herself?

As Lena and Kojo work in conflicts across East and Central Africa, there is immense psychological pressure, and it’s not certain if their relationship will survive.

Eighteen years later, Bene walks the gritty back streets of Paris for one night in a music festival. He is on his way to meet his father in Kenya, a man he’s never met.

Ahead of the Shadows is about the intense relationships that come from work in war zones, the transmission of trauma from one generation to the next, and how one unconventional boy might be able to break the cycle.

Review

I recently read another book about a person who volunteered in a war zone and in deprived areas. I think it's easy to experience awe in the presence of selflessness or when you are around someone who has ventured into the mouth of the beast. - I'd just like to point out that I know that sounds very much the response to white saviour actions, because it is in a way. The human beings who live in these situations and areas are often forgotten; despite the fact it is their reality.

This story, as does the first by this author, follows Lena, this time as she navigates the difficulty of working and volunteering in a war-torn country. It speaks to the trauma, the PTSD, the frustration and the helplessness people feel when they try to change the outcomes for so many vulnerable people and yet it is never enough.

Aside from the fear that becomes a constant companion there is also the apathy that sinks in after a while. The realisation that one person can do very little to change the status quo.

This time Lena connects in a variety of ways. She finds passionate love and simultaneously she feels deep guilt about leaving behind such pain and misery. The story for the reader begins with her son Bene starting his own journey to meet the father he has never met. 

It's mixed bag of emotions, which have to be separated to some extent. There is the Lena who wants to change life for the victims of war, and then there is the Lena who has to make the best decision for herself - the two decisions overlap in no way other than Lena is on the middle of both scenarios.

The author opens the door to the uncomfortable and brutally frank moments behind the headlines the rest of the world often reads about but can never quite fathom what that means for victims or for the volunteers. It's a topic with a wealth of information and a story that is a riveting read.

Buy Ahead of the Shadows at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Publisher‏: ‎Humanity in the Landscape Publishing; pub date 30 September 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Discipline is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control by Ryan Holiday. Further below there is also an extract of the book!

Ryan Holiday is the world’s best-selling living philosopher, sharing the wisdom of ancient Stoicism to help us navigate 21st century life. He has sold more than 5 million books in 40 languages. With insights that are as relevant to the boardroom as to everyday life, Ryan’s books have proved hugely influential with sports coaches, business leaders, aspiring and established entrepreneurs, and self-help and smart thinking readers.

Ryan follows an ancient school of thought but has a huge digital following: his Daily Stoic brand has 400k subscribers to its daily email. In 2019 the Instagram had 350K followers, now it has 1.5 million; its YouTube channel has over 585K subscribers and its TikTok account has 341.1k followers and over 10 million views. Since starting The Daily Dad in June 2019, Ryan has amassed 12.9k followers on the Daily Dad Twitter channel and 82.8k followers on the Daily Dad Instagram platform, and the email newsletter reaches over 50k people.

About the Author

Ryan Holiday is one of the world's foremost writers on ancient philosophy and its place in everyday life. His books, including The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic, and the #1 New York Times bestseller Stillness Is the Key have sold millions of copies and been translated into over 40 languages. He lives outside Austin, Texas, with his wife and two boys... and cows and donkeys and goats. He founded a bookshop during the pandemic called The Painted Porch, which features a carefully curated selection of Ryan’s favourite books and a stunning fireplace display made from 2000 books. Follow @RyanHoliday on Twitter

About the book

In Discipline is Destiny bestselling philosopher and life-hacker extraordinaire Ryan Holiday explores the power of temperance, which along with courage, justice and wisdom formed the four virtues of Stoicism. Yet these other virtues would be impossible, worthless even, without self-discipline to bring them about.

Self-discipline is the moderating influence against the impulse of all other things. Cultivate it in every deed, and it will enable us to become the best that we are capable of being. With self-discipline, we can find balance, focus and fulfilment, resisting the distractions that can quickly take over our lives; without self-discipline, all our plans fall apart.

In this latest book, Ryan Holiday shows us how to cultivate willpower, moderation and self-control in our lives. From Aristotle and Marcus Aurelius to Toni Morrison and Queen Elizabeth II, he illuminates the great exemplars of its practice and what we can learn from them. Moderation is not about abstinence: it is about self-respect, focus and balance. Without it, even the most positive traits become vices. But with it, happiness and success are assured: the key is not more but finding the right amount.

Excerpt of Discipline is Destiny

Practice . . . Then Practice More

It is said that the master swordsman Nakayama Hakudo would practice drawing his sword some two thousand times a day. At the Hayashizaki temple, in one marathon of endurance training, he was recorded drawing his sword ten thousand times in a single twenty-four-hour period.

We can imagine the sheer speed required to do this . . . and also the deliberateness to do so many reps in so little time. But why would do such a thing at all? Because, as the Stoic Arius Didymus said, “Practice over a long time turns into second nature.” We don’t rise to the occasion; we fall to the level of our training.

The samurai Musashi was once challenged by a warrior named Miyake Gunbei, a man who thought himself one of the best in the world. On his third attack, frustrated by his lack of success, Gunbei charged at Musashi in an aggressive lunge. Musashi, having prepared for this exact scenario countless times, replied, “That is not what you should do,” then parried the blow with one sword and watched as the man gashed his own cheek against Musashi’s other sword. How had he known? Practice.

Cho tan seki ren was Musashi’s phrase. Training from morning to night. Oh, you’ve done that? Okay. Do it some more. And after that? More. More. More.

“A thousand days of training to develop,” Musashi would write, “ten thousand days of training to polish.” For a samurai, there was no such thing as pretty good. If a pretty good swordsman met a better fighter . . . he would die. It’s like the basketball Hall of Famer Bill Bradley observation: When you are not practicing, refining, working, somewhere, someone else is . . . and when you meet them, they will beat you. Or kill you.

Gunbei was lucky enough to learn this lesson and live to tell about it. In fact, after Musashi treated the man’s wound, Gunbei accepted that he was outmatched and became Musashi’s student, training and practicing under him until he was no longer prone to the mistakes that come from such rashness.

Look, this is not a drill. There is no greatness without practice. Lots of practice. Repetitive practice. Exhausting, bone-crunching, soul-crushing practice.

And yet what emerges from this practice is the opposite of those three feelings. Energy. Strength. Confidence. You deserve that. Yes, your body will burn, but that’s the evidence. From that burning comes real heat, heat you can apply to your craft, to your work, to your life.

The cellist Pablo Casals practiced continually late into his life, even long after he was widely considered a master, because he believed he was still making progress. In fact, we might say that progress and practice are synonyms. You can’t have the former without the latter. And the latter is worthless without the former.

Drawing the sword from the scabbard. Thrusting. Blocking. To build up your stamina for those skills, you lift weights, you do conditioning. To put it all together, you spar. It’s the same with music. You can jam with other talented musicians; you can put all those sessions together to learn new songs. But before all that, as Casals did, you can simply practice your scales in your bedroom for hours upon hours. What are those scales for you? You better know and you better be doing them. No matter what you do, practice will make you better. 

Florence Nightingale wanted young nurses to understand that nursing was an art that required “as hard a preparation as any painter or sculptor’s work. Churchill spent many evenings practicing his “impromptu” performances.

Only you know what it will look like to train in your art like a samurai, an Olympic athlete, a master in pursuit of excellence. Only you will know what you need to practice from morning until night, what to repeat ten thousand times.

It won’t be easy, but in that burden is also freedom and confidence. The pleasure of the flow state. The rhythm of second nature. The quiet calmness of knowing that, from the practice, you’ll know exactly what to do when it counts . . . the pride and the dependability of doing it too.

Review

This is the sequel to Courage and the second book in the Stoic Virtues series. The hardcopy versions are lovely.

The can versus the should, the higher versus the lower self. Two versions in constant battle with each other. It's any interesting concept, perhaps even more so when the inner battle is taken to an external level and the stimulus determines which one wins. In a way the external manages to circumvent the internal choice - or does it?

Are the two selves not silenced or dimmed by the external input, one more than the other. The way trauma, PTSD, depression speaks to one rather than the other. Magnifies the lower, and of course vice versa.

I thought this was slightly darker than the previous book. More introspective, but it also had a path of ups and downs. A deeper search within the folds of self, which may have been both an interesting and eye-opening experience at times.

I had a mixed reaction to the book or content. Not that the principle is wrong, and the results can equal the difference between success and being mediocre. Between succeeding and exploring full potential, perhaps most of all it's about the perseverance in life. Teaching yourself to be focused, to find the best path, and most importantly putting thought to action to achieve your goals.

All of that is commendable, but what happens if those paths aren't achievable depending on the person walking said path. If discipline is something that is in direct conflict with skill set, upbringing, environment, support and possible neurodiversity. Does that mean discipline and therefore success is unachievable? Either way it is a read that gives food for thought.

Buy Discipline is Destiny at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Profile Books, pub date 27 September 2022. Buy at Amazon com.