timzaun.com

The Good Cop by Brad Parks-Mystery Book Review-Newark, New Jersey Crime Fiction

"The Good Cop" is the fourth and latest mystery book by Virginia-based author, Brad Parks.

Parks's main character is Carter Ross, a 32-year-old, single, investigative reporter for the Newark Eagle-Examiner, New Jersey's largest newspaper.

He lives a simple life in Bloomfield, New Jersey with his cat Deadline; and is dedicated to his journalistic profession.

Carter often finds himself in harms way as he's determined to discover the true cause of local deaths, often ruled accidental or suicidal.

In "The Good Cop," Darius Kipps, a twelve-year veteran of the Newark Police Department, dies in the Fourth Precinct's shower stall of a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities rule it a suicide and Carter isn't buying it.

Parks is a talented mystery writer, who's trademark is his humor-infused narratives. They all occur around the Newark, New Jersey area.

Throw in an aging, sultry, sex-starved editor (Tina Thompson) hot for Carter's seed to father her child, and a "gay as the day is long," 24-year-old, second generation, Cuban American intern (Tommy Hernandez), and Parks's stories are sure to entertain.

Parks appeared at the 2012 Bouchercon Mystery Conference held in downtown Cleveland, October 4-7.

Cuyahoga County Public Library hosted "Pick Your Poison," October 3, 2012 at Baldwin Wallace University's Ritter Library, in honor of the affair.

The event featured 10 Minotaur Books authors (including Parks) in town for the conference. 

Each author had time to meet their fans, as well as discuss and autograph their books.

Pictured: Brad Parks and Tim Zaun

Here are two reviews of Brad Parks's Books:

1. Faces of the Gone.
2. The Girl Next Door.

For additional insight into "The Good Cop," please read my book review, published on EzineArticles.com.

The Great American Cereal Book: Cleveland Author Marty Gitlin Chronicles Breakfast Cereal History

Pictured: Marty Gitlin and Tim Zaun

What's your favorite cereal?

On Saturday, April 20 2013, Marty Gitlin, coauthor of "The Great American Cereal Book," led the Cleveland Public Library-West Branch audience down breakfast cereal memory lane.

"The Great American Cereal Book" debuted in 2012, features almost 800 cereals; and remains a bestseller. Its PR includes the "New York Times," "Wall Street Journal," and Cleveland's Fox 8 News in the Morning. 

A Cleveland native, Gitlin graduated from Brush High School; and is an accomplished sportswriter, formerly employed at the News-Herald. He's published 70 educational books for students in elementary school through college.

Reared in the sixties, Gitlin says he had to eat at least one bowl of every new cereal advertised on television.

"Cereal is fun," Gitlin says; and he conveys its amusement in the book. 

After milk and soda, cereal is the most popular grocery store item purchased.

Gitlin shared interesting facts and stories about cereal's history, including:

• 1863 Granula became the first cereal, making this year the 150th anniversary of cereal.
• 1892 Shredded Wheat is the longest produced cereal.
• 1908 Post Corn Toasties morphed from Elijah's Manna, named after the prophet, Elijah. Religious fundamentalists protested the original name.
• 1928 Rice Krispies-Snap! Crackle! and Pop! had a short-lived fourth bowl mate, Pow!
• 1939 Ranger Joe Popped Wheat Honnies-first pre-sweetened cereal.
• 1952 Frosted Flakes-Kellogg's ran a contest for kids to name the cereal's spokescharacter: Tony the Tiger, Katy the Kangaroo, Elmo the Elephant, Newt the Gnu. 
• 1963 CAP N' CRUNCH-Quaker created its mascot before the cereal. It's also the most popular cereal among Baby Boomers.
• 1965 Quake vs. Quisp-essentially the same cereal with different shapes and mascots (Quake the Miner vs. Quisp the alien). Quake ceased production in 1973. Quisp thrives.

Gitlin acknowledged that today, cereal companies produce a lot less new product; and the "free toy inside" is virtually extinct.

And for the record-Gitlin's all-time favorite cereal? Froot Loops.

If you're near Independence, Ohio, you can meet Gitlin, Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at the Cuyahoga County Public Library-Independence Branch.

To order your personalized, autographed copy of Gitlin's book, which includes free shipping, visit, The Great American Cereal Book.

Red Velvet Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke-Mystery Book Review-Recipe Included!

Lake Eden, Minnesota serves as the setting for fictional super sleuth, Hannah Swensen's capers, penned by author, Joanne Fluke. All of Fluke's murder mysteries incorporate sweets into their titles. Her latest, "Red Velvet Cupcake Murder," published February 26, 2013.

Hannah Swensen, and Lisa Herman Beeseman, own The Cookie Jar, the town's popular coffee and pastry shop. 

The duo always finds a reason to bake. Inevitably, murder soon follows; and Hannah's off to solve the town's latest crime.

It's the grand reopening of the Red Velvet Lounge inside the Albion Hotel.

Hannah and Lisa cater desserts for the event, including their delicious Red Velvet Surprise Cupcakes.

While partygoers celebrate, attendee, Barbara Connelly, plummets from the building's penthouse suite, landing in nearby rose bushes.

She's rushed to the hospital for care; and soon declares that her brother tried to kill her atop the rooftop garden.

How could he when Barbara doesn't have a brother? How can Hannah verify Barbara's statement when both of her parents are dead?

The plot thickens as dentist Doctor Bev, Hannah's longtime nemesis, returns to Lake Eden ready to cause commotion.

Soon thereafter, Hannah discovers Doctor Bev's sports car submerged in Miller's pond; and Doctor Bev is still behind the wheel.

Hannah's attempts to revive her fail; and in a strange twist of fate, she's accused of murdering Doctor Bev. Toxicology tests reveal Doctor Bev died before plunging into the pond from a potent tranquilizer, present among her paltry stomach contents, including coffee creamer, artificial sweetener-and Hannah's Red Velvet Surprise Cupcakes... 

For additional insight into Hannah Swensen's latest caper, please read my Red Velvet Cupcake Murder book review, published on EzineArticles.com.

TEDxCLE 2013 Features Rock Star Restauranteur and Social Entrepreneur Brandon Chrostowski

Pictured: Brandon Chrostowski            TEDxCLE 2013 Theme

On Thursday March 21, 2013, the fourth annual TEDxCLE occurred at The Cleveland Museum of Art.

TED is an annual event showcasing world thinkers and doers where they share what they are passionate about.

"TED" stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design-three broad areas collectively shaping our future.

TEDxCLE is an independent, locally-produced event that brings people together to share a TED-like experience.

This year's affair sold out in 24 minutes; and ran from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

An after party took place in the museum's atrium, including food, drinks, music and goodie bags for attendees.

TEDxCLE invited Brandon Chrostowski to speak this year. 

Chrostowski is a rock star in the restaurant profession.

He graduated from The Culinary Institute of America; and apprenticed at and managed some of the finest eateries worldwide, including Le Pavilion in Hyde Park, New York, Charlie Trotters in Chicago and Lucas Carton, Paris' longest standing 3-star restaurant.

Chrostowski founded EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute in 2007, committed to giving ex-offenders a second chance in life, via mastering the culinary arts. The institute also offers free basic medical care, job coaching, and literacy programs, among other perks. 

EDWINS, Chrostowski's visionary restaurant, is set to open this summer at Shaker Square.

 

You can find additional insight into Brandon Chrostowski's mission in my article, "Northeast Ohio Prisoners Trade Crime for Culinary Arts," published on Yahoo! Voices.

Special thanks to SyncShow Interactive for raffling two tickets to attend TEDxCLE, 2013 (of which I won one). Experiencing TEDxCLE allowed me to meet Brandon Chrostowski and capture his mission in print.

Book Review: Remembering Whitney: The Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped by Cissy Houston

Whitney Houston died on February 11, 2012 at age 48, from drug-related causes at the Beverly Hills Hilton during Grammy Weekend celebrations. Her mother, Cissy, honors her daughter’s legacy in her new book, “Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped.”

Read "Remembering Whitney," and discover:

• How accomplished Cissy Houston's singing career was before giving birth to Whitney.
• How Whitney earned her nickname," Nippy," during childhood; and how it followed her till death.
• Cissy's insight into the purported gay relationship between Whitney and her long-time friend and personal assistant, Robyn Crawford.
• Why Whitney placed second in the Garden State Competition ( a singing contest for New Jersey teens); and how the winner sang "The Greatest Love of All," which would later become one of Whitney's biggest hits.
• When Whitney started using drugs and how Cissy doesn't blame Bobby Brown for her addiction.
• The names Bobby and Whitney planned to name their newborn; and how Cissy adamantly rejected.
• Cissy's heartbreaking description of Whitney's Atlanta intervention and how her multi-million dollar house was in shambles, including disturbing pictures on the wall with Whitney's face cut out.
• Photos of Whitney's personal and professional life.
• Cissy's thoughts on Whitney dying at age 48; and why she believes it ultimately happened.

“Remembering Whitney,” published on January 29, 2013, angered Bobbi Kristina. She declared her grandmother’s book  “disrespectful” towards her mother. 

For further insight into "Remembering Whitney," you can read my book review, featured on ezinearticles.com; and decide for yourself if Cissy's account of her daughter's legacy is dishonorable.

 

 

Technology: The Hidden Costs Behind the iPad Mini on Your Health, the Environment, and the Economy by InsuranceQuotes.Com

 

  

The iPad Mini, launched in October, 2012, shattered Apple's sales records and sparked decline in unit sales of its full-size, original iPad.

Most shopper, who consider purchasing their first tablet focus on price. 

At $329, the iPad Mini costs a full $150 less than the second generation iPad.

InsuranceQuotes.com examined the additional costs associated with transitioning to the iPad Mini, including its effect on your health, the environment, and the economy. 

The results are in, and:

• Health: Grade-B. Healthcare experts chide tablets for not being ergonomically suited for proper spine alignment. Backed by a 2007 study, researchers found that the leading cause of missed work days is chronic neck and back pain, or 1.2 billion disability days. A new survey conducted by Manhattan Research confirms the number of U.S. adults using tablet computers for health-related activities grew from 15 million in 2011 to 29 million in 2012.
• Environment: Grade-B- It takes 75,000 trees to produce the Sunday edition of the "New York Times." The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says over 2 billion books, 359 million magazines, and 24 billion newspapers are published annually. Less than 50 percent of these products are recycled. Purchase e-subscriptions on your tablet and reduce paper waste.
• Economy: Grade-B The iPad Mini sports an ultra thin, sleek design and is more intimate and convenient than its larger iPad counterpart. Some reviewers argue that its lower resolution an weak A5 processor disqualify its hefty $329 price tag. 

As tablets become more affordable and commonplace, the success of the iPad Mini indicates the tablet is on pace to eclipse sales of laptops and the personal computers.

Check out the video: The Hidden Cost of an iPad Mini, produced by InsuranceQuotes.com.

MBAOnline Asks the Technology Question: Could Samsung Take Down Apple?

vs.

Could Samsung take down Apple? That's the question posed by MBA Online.

Consider these facts:

• As of 2012, only two companies turned profits on smartphones: Apple and Samsung split 101% of profits.
• Samsung had more revenue: 183.5 billion vs. Apple's 156.5 billion.
• Samsung had 220,000 employees vs. Apple's 115,200.
• Samsung spent 10.5 billion on research and development vs. Apple's 3.4 billion.
• In 2012, Apple's profit was 43% greater than Samsung's BUT Samsung sold more phones.
• Samsung's number of shipments grew more in 2012 than Apple's: Samsung-2011-2012-97.5% growth vs. Apple's 2011-2012 growth: 38.3%
• But-most telling of all: in 2012, Apple ranked #1 for smartphone brand loyalty. In 2013-Samsung ranks #1.

To share and embed these statistics in graphic form, visit the link, Samsung vs. Apple.

To learn about various online MBA programs, as well as answers to important MBA questions, including "Should I get an online MBA?", visit, MBAOnline.com. Interviews and timely blog posts also accentuate the site.

The Nontraditional College Student by Libby Hancock- Career Book Review

Pictured: Libby Hancock and Tim Zaun

Are you, or anyone among your family and friends, interested in pursuing a college degree, but don’t because of cost, time constraints, or resistance to spending additional time in the classroom? If so, then the new book, “The Nontraditional College Student,” by Libby Hancock, will prove beneficial.

Hancock, 23, is a Cleveland, Ohio-based author, who completed a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications in three years, graduated with a high GPA and honors; and spent less than $15,000 on the entire process.

Read "The Nontraditional College Student," and discover programs to help you earn your degree for less money and in less time. Hancock highlights:

• College Plus. An Internet-based institution that helps students define their career path, provides study resource recommendations, and a coach (mentor).
• Verity. Offers on-campus learning near downtown Indianapolis, Indiana and endorses discipleship and spiritual growth.
• CLEP (College Level Examination Program). Computer-based exams that allow students to test out of 33 different college courses.
• Study techniques to help you ace your coursework.
• Ways to stay motivated as you study.

Among Hancock's impressive accomplishments is her 11-week internship at NASA Glenn Research Center; where she worked in their Community and Media Relations office.

Hancock says her three main take-aways from her book are:

1. Anybody can earn a degree, it doesn't matter if you're a teenager or 100 years old.
2. You need to be determined- set goals and deadlines.
3. Develop a support network including family, friends, discussion boards, etc.-anyone who motivates and reminds you that you have what it takes to accomplish your goals.

You can discover more insight about "The Nontraditional College Student," by reading my book review published on ezinearticles.com.

#WebsigCLE Hosts Designing Interactive: Hone Your User Experience (UX) and Claim Your Competitive Advantage

 

Pictured: Josh Walsh

Regardless of your industry, how attuned is your organization to making its user's experience the best it can be?

On Saturday, February 16 2013, WebsigCleveland.org hosted Josh Walsh, founder of Designing Interactive, a Rocky River, Ohio-based technology company, touting more than ten years of experience.

Designing Interactive's niche includes designing software, as well as mastering user experience design, interaction design, and usability testing.

Walsh is currently on a speaking tour, promoting "Making Our Users Feel Great," to inspire the world to become more intuitive.

He'll be presenting at the Rustbelt Refresh Conference ( a one-day event focusing on web design and front-end development), Friday May 3 at the Cleveland Public Library (early bird registration ends March 1).

He told the audience that the Internet is still young and that user experience as a profession will grow big time.

User Experience (UX) is based on two parts of the brain:

1.  Limbic System which controls emotions.
2.  Neocortex which accounts for rational thoughts.

Disruption as it relates to the Internet thrives (Look how Instagram eclipsed Flickr for photo sharing). "Instagram gets it," Walsh said.

Walsh mentioned Mint.com, a site dedicated to twenty-somethings and banking. He said the company knows its users want to "feel" good.

MailChimp ( a site focused on maximizing email) is another company focused on enhancing its user experience.

UX as a profession needs reform, Walsh says. He likes the term "experience," but  not "designer." It indicates a single-minded, sterile approach; which UX is anything but. 

Two books Walsh endorses are:

1. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman (which includes his 7 Stages of Action).
2. Designing For Interaction by Dan Saffer. 

Walsh's main takeaway is that "culture is key." Organizations who are customer-focused will reap the most success. This includes everyone from software designers to the people who answer the phones.

If you're interested in learning more about maximizing your users' experience, check out NEOUPA (Northeast Ohio Usability Professionals' Associaton). 

Their next presentation is Thursday February 28, 2013 entitled "So UX Designers Just Make Things Pretty, Right?" and Other Myths Debunked," being held at the Cleveland Clinic.

WebSIGCleveland.org meets the third Saturday of each month at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. Visit their link to discover more about their free, informative presentations.

To Sell Is Human by Dan Pink: New ABCs of Selling+Pitch+Improvisation+Service=Your Competitive Advantage

 

Daniel H. Pink’s new book is “To Sell Is Human-The Surprising Truth About Moving Others.” Pink is the bestselling author of “Drive,” and “A Whole New Mind.” 

Pink says that today, we’re all in sales regardless of our career or role. Parents cajole children and lawyers sell juries on a verdict as examples. 

The old ABCs of selling (“Always be closing”) are reinvented as Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity. They show you how to be, but you also need to know what to do. Honing your pitch, learning how to improvise (which ultimately is listening), and serve, complement the new ABCs of selling and help you move others. 

To discover how to capture your competitive advantage in traditional selling and "non-sales selling," you can read my seven book reviews published on EzineArticles.com; which detail Pink's key points. The book review links follow...

 

1. To sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink-The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others-Business Book Review.
2. To sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink-Book Review-The New ABCs of Selling-A Is for Attunement.
3. To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink-Book Review-The New ABCs of Selling-B Is for Buoyancy.
4. To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink-Book Review-The New ABCs of Selling-C Is for Clarity.
5. To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink-6 Pitch Improvements That Complement Selling's New ABCs.
6. To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink-Discover How Improvisational Skills Can Help You Move Others. 
7. To Sell Is Human by Daniel H. Pink-Servant Selling-Make It Personal and With a Purpose. 

To Sell Is Human by Dan Pink-Servant Selling- Personal with a Purpose Business Book Review

Daniel H. Pink’s new book is “To Sell Is Human-The Surprising Truth About Moving Others.” Pink is the bestselling author of “Drive,” and “A Whole New Mind.” 

Pink says that today, we’re all in sales regardless of our career or role. Parents cajole children and lawyers sell juries on a verdict as examples. 

The old ABCs of selling (“Always be closing”) are reinvented as Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity. They show you how to be, but you also need to know what to do. Honing your pitch, learning how to improvise (which ultimately is listening), and serve, complement the new ABCs of selling and help you move others. Following are highlights of the power of servant selling...

To discover how selling made personal and with a purpose can help you achieve your competitive advantage, please read my book review published on EzineArticles.com.