THE WENDY DILEMMA by DAN KILEY

The Wendy Dilemma: When Women Stop Mothering Their Men by Dan Kiley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Bestselling author of "The Peter Pan Syndrome", Dan Kiley wrote a second self-help book in 1984 called "The Wendy Dilemma" addressed to women who want to stop mothering their men.
Thirty years later, Dan Kiley theory is still actual and compelling, as women's role in society changed but feelings of inferiority and low self-confidence persist.
I started reading "The Peter Pan Syndrome" and "The Wendy Dilemma" as part of external research for a non-fiction book I meant to write before realizing someone else had already published my very same idea in 2011. Luckily I chose not to interrupt the reading and found myself clearly depicted in some of the examples offered from the author of women struggling to find themselves and express their feelings in appropriate ways.
The first part of the book explains who Wendy is, her characteristics and the reasons for them. There is a simple test to help the readers understand how much of a Wendy is hidden in each one of us.
The second half of the book helps Wendy to become a Tinker, by accepting oneself, overcoming through right behaviors an old sense of inferiority, and eventually set free from wrong relationships.
Dan Kiley has a simple, down-to-earth style with lots of examples taken from his daily practice with patients.
The book also offers a list of helpful readings for further support.

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EINSTEIN. HIS LIFE AND UNIVERSE - by WALTER ISAACSON

Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Walter Isaacson's biography of Albert Einstein is based on a set of letters that were kept private for a long time and finally released just a few years ago, offering a deeper insight on some unresolved issues about the public figure of the Professor as we know him.
The biography is nicely calibrated to cover all aspects of Einstein's life: first of all his private life, his love for his family and his country, his rebellious way of thinking and his struggle to get accepted in the academic world. Secondly, the author takes the readers on a journey through physics and discoveries that changed the world for ever. As much as I was hoping to understand more about the theory of relativity and its connections to the atomic bomb I have to admit that didn't happen. Walter Isaacson's style is simple and concise, accessible to everyone no matter what scientific knowledge they possess. Still, my brain likes colors and words but refuses numbers and concepts. Nevertheless, I was still able to enjoy the reading and grasp the meaningful relations between Einstein, the world politics during his lifetime and the different atmosphere of Europe, Russia and the USA in those fervent years.
I recommend this book to everyone, not just to learn about the life events and scientific discoveries of a genius, but to enjoy his witty quotes and heartfelt humanity.

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Flash Fiction, Micro Fiction

Flash Fiction 

The past year I have religiously followed the daily posts on Every Day Fiction. The stories published on this website are no longer than 1000 words, no specific genre required. I tried my luck submitting "The most epic party ever" and after three months I received a very helpful rejection letter containing comments on how to improve my submissions by five different editors. I was impressed by the professional service offered for free and felt motivated to write more. Flash Fiction and Micro Fiction are great ways to get through a rough patch while writing longer novels. We all need a motivational booster to keep us going every now and then, a day off from more demanding tasks.

Micro Fiction

Micro Fiction is short and powerful, in as little as six sentences it contains all the feelings and content of a whole book. Flash Fiction Chronicles offers a very useful "Flash Market" page, including an up-to-date, complete list of websites accepting Flash Fiction and Micro Fiction submissions.

Here's an example of Micro Fiction I wrote for submission to the blog Six Sentences:

Life planning - by Lisa Agosti

Trust me, the only way to beat Life is to get lost. Yes, you heard me. Get lost, let go, don't care, because when you lose your way, that's when you may end up finding yourself. Everyone knows it, Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans, so make sure you sit down and write a detailed bullet-points-to-do-list to let the Universe know you are ready to tear it up and throw it at the wind screaming from the very top of this no-seat-belt-provided-roller-coaster that is being alive. Don't pay attention to all that “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” nonsense. Put each foot in front of the other, dressed in just a grin, your glistening eyes telling the World you are ready.