Tuesday 12 January 2021

Bookreview Walloon Ways

Walloon Ways 

Three years as a weekend Belgian

written by Valerie Poore


"What an amazing beautiful story."

Summary

In 2003, Val Poore bought her dream: a barge with a garden in
Brussels. With her partner Koos, she embarked on a life of
weekend residency in Belgium. For three years, they explored
the lovely Walloon countryside as well as the Belgian river and
canal network while they made their floating home habitable. 

If you don't know Belgium, this could be the starter that gives you
a taste for more! 

My Review

After the recommendation by Lally Brown, I wanted to read a book
of Valerie Poore. It was a very nice surprise that she wrote about 
her time in Belgium, which is my own country.

Walloon Ways is not just an ordinary travel book, it is a memoir,
written by the author while traveling on a boat in Belgium. So, it
is very interesting to read. It also is written from a different view.
She describes her life on the water. 

The book has beautiful pictures and clear maps of the waterways
in Belgium. It is written structured, with humour and flair, which I like.
I discovered new places while reading Walloon Ways. 

I would recommend this book to friends, family, colleagues who
want to know more about Belgium from the point of view of the
water! Without no hesitation, I give a 5 star rating for Walloon
Ways! 




The Author


Valerie Poore was born in London, England, and grew up in the
north of London and the west of Dorset. After completing her degree
in English, History and French at Bournemouth, she took a further
course in the conversation and restauration of museum artefacts at
Lincoln College of Art. She spent two years doing furniture restoration
before going to South Africa in 1981 with her husband and her small
children. 

Val left South Africa permanently in 2001, and has settled in the
Netherlands, where she shares her time between a live aboard barge in
Rotterdam and a cottage in Zeeland. 

She has written several books inter alia: the Skipper's Child, Water Way,
Walloon Was and many more. 

She has her own blog about her life on the water. If you are 
interested, please check this link

We love memoirs


I received a copy for free by the We love memoirs group on 
Facebook. Thank you very much for giving me this wonderful
chance! 


Source picture: Book Cover 

Sunday 10 January 2021

Individual Advantages: Find the I in Team

 written by Dr. Bran Smith & Mary Smith


Summary

After helping over 18,000 CEO's, entrepreneurs, managers, and employees 
worldwide, Dr. Brian Smith shares his knowledge of creating great leaders
in his first book of The I in Team Series.

Dr Smith's approach to teaching is unparalleled, utilizing a combination of
personal storytelling and philosophy to present the reader with a meticulous
way of achieving prosperity.

Designed to engage and empower current and aspiring leaders with
information to find individual success, this book does not adopt a "one size
fits all" methodology. 




My Review

As I'm very interested in the psychological aspect of human beings, I really
wanted to read "Individual Advantages, Find the I in Team". 

This book didn't let me down. It fulfilled all my expectations. It is based on 
the experiences of the authors and I enjoyed the storytelling. It was clear,
structured with great messages and examples. 

Sometimes the personal stories made me laugh, others were more serious. 
Anyway, this book is a must read for people who are open for change,
interested in business or in psychology. Therefore I want to give this book
a 5 star rating. 

The Authors

Dr. Brian Smith resides in Algonquin, Illinois with his beautiful wife, René,
and their two dogs. During the work day, Brian immerses himself in finding
business solutions to help his clients succeed. 

Mary Smith, the daughter of Dr. Brian, has a bachelor's in English literature
and minored in psychology at the University of Redlands. She has been
working with IA Business Advisors since June 2014, starting as an editor. 
After graduating in 2016, she became a full-time employee; while her main
job still revolves around writing and editing. 


Before reviewing this book, I've had an e-mail from Mary Smith. It was very
correct and agreeable.

You can find both authors on Twitter @IinTeamSeries 


BookTasters


I've received a copy for free by Booktasters. Thank you very much for
this splendid opportunity! 


Source picture: Book Cover