Yes, you know you’ve moved up in the world when you’re using nice leather three ring binders to organize your important papers.  Classic, stylish and durable enough to last you a lifetime, a leather three ring binder is just one of those investments you should make if you haven’t already.

Three ring binders are just infinitely useful.  I’ve been using some form of three ring binder since I was in grade school.  The progression of the different types of three ring binders I’ve used more or less symbolizes the progress I’ve made in life.  In grade school, it was paper three ring binders.  High school and college I graduated to flimsy plastic three ring binders.  During my post graduate training, internships, and first few jobs I had entered the world of durable vinyl three ring binders.  Recently I have picked up my first leather three ring binder and I’m feeling like a real jet setter.  I suppose after leather three ring binders would come one made out of solid gold, but I’m not quite there yet.

I love my leather three ring binder, I have to admit.  Sure, it’s just a tool to keep papers and stay organized, but for some reason I feel like it’s more than that.  I feel like I’ve known my leather three ring binder before somewhere, like we were destined to come together.  Maybe I’m just drinking too much coffee, not getting enough sleep and need to see a therapist.

In all seriousness, a nice leather three ring binder is a great thing to have on hand in your office, desk or home.  They come in different styles and shades, but I prefer the more traditional black, dark brown or navy blue leather three ring binders.  If you really want to get the message across that you’ve ‘arrived’ you can get a leather three ring binder with your name stenciled on it in classy silver or gold lettering.  My boss has one of these and I find myself gazing longingly at his leather three ring binder whenever I’m getting lectured in his office.

You can pick up leather three ring binders from a number of different sources today.  A lot of big retail outlets like Wal-Mart or Target will carry them, and they’re really not all that expensive.  For maybe just two or three times the price of an equivalent vinyl binder, you too can own your very own leather three ring binder and let the world know you’re on top of things.

If there is one genre of literature that has never really gotten the respect that it deserves, it is sci-fi fiction. Every few years, one of the masterpieces of science fiction books is selective to become part of the canon, but credit is never given to the genre as a whole. Whenever a science fiction book is taught in school, it is almost always called “speculative fiction” so they don’t have to admit that there is such a thing as good science fiction literature. Although most of the classics of dystopian and utopian fiction are examples of science fiction books, few people realize that this is what they are reading.

Picking at the right science fiction books can be hard. It is not that there isn’t a lot of good science fiction, if anything there is too much. Science fiction and fantasy books come in many different flavors. One of the most popular, of course, is space opera. Although much of this is pulp fiction, it is still quite enjoyable. Basically, it details grand adventures of good versus evil. Star Wars was a great example of space opera, but you can also find it in novels written by some of the best writers out there. “Citizen of the Galaxy” by Robert Heinlein is an excellent example of space opera, as is the popular “Enders Trilogy” written by Orson Scott Card.

When I first got involved in science fiction books, I was reading all of the wrong stuff. Basically, I was reading science fiction magazines targeted towards your readers. Although some of this is good fiction, the stuff that I was reading wasn’t near the top of the genre. When my dad saw what I was reading, he got pretty excited. He recommended that I join a science fiction book of the month club. He knew that I could find much better literature to read in the science fiction genre if I had a group to get me started.

One of the best ways to find science fiction books can be simply to talk to people within the community. Science fiction fans are usually very friendly to new readers seeking advice. If you go into a small, independent bookstore and asked the clerk’s what you should read, you’ll usually get excellent advice. Whether or not you ultimately agree with their taste in science fiction literature, you might just discover something new that you wouldn’t have come across on your own.

Crime novelist Patricia Cornwell is best known for her series of books featuring her forensic pathologist character, Dr Kay Scarpetti. They were popular even before the current public obsession with forensic detective work. Her reputation has been enhanced by the number of crime writing awards, Patricia Cornwell books have won, including the Edgar Award and the Sherlock Award and Gold Dagger Award in the UK.  Cornwell has been very open about her medical problems. She suffered from anorexia and depression when she was young and has had substance abuse problems as an adult.Cornwell was born in 1956 in Miami and graduated from college with an English degree. The detail and accuracy apparent in Patricia Cornwell books is borne from experience, starting with her job as a crime reporter for a newspaper in North Carolina. She then took a position in a crime lab in Virginia as a technical writer and computer analyst. Her writing career began with her first Scarpetti novel, “Postmortem” in 1990, a story about a serial killer, which was very well received. Another Scarpetti novel, “From Potters Field”, was made into a movie. Most of the novels are based in Richmond, Virginia.

In addition to crime writing, Cornwell has written a biography of Ruth Bell Graham, her friend and wife of evangelist, the Reverend Billy Graham. It was titled “Ruth, A Portrait: the Story of Ruth Bell Graham” and was published in 1983. A series of three police stories, featuring the character of Andy Brazil, have also appeared and these are much lighter in tone. Patricia Cornwell books are nothing if not versatile and she has also produced cookery books containing Italian recipes.

The feted writer has courted controversy in her long campaign to convince people that Walter Sickert was Jack the Ripper. She has spent a lot of her own money gathering items to support her case that the celebrated British artist was responsible for the murders committed by the Ripper, who was never caught, in Victorian London. This campaign has met with criticism and she put her theories into a book called “Portrait of a Killer. Jack the Ripper: Case Closed”. She even took the step of placing a full page advertisement in two British newspapers to answer her critics. Of all the Patricia Cornwell books, it is this one that has not been universally praised and a lot of her theory seems to depend on unsubstantiated evidence.

Have you read any good mystery books lately? These are the best if you ask me. It’s always a pleasure to curl up in bed or next to the fireplace with a wonderful novel. You know those ones you delve into and then suddenly can’t put them down. Before you know it, you’re on chapter 12 and still going. You know that you have to take a break to use the bathroom, but not until after this page, right? A well written mystery books can sure have an effect on our imaginations and emotions. Anyone who has read one before can surely tell you that they’re captivating to say the least. Now the question is, where do you find a good and intriguing mystery novel? Do you search high and low in the local bookstore? Well, this certainly isn’t a bad start. Barnes and Noble typically have a rather grand selection to choose from. There are other options at your disposal when a good book is in order.

I can still remember perfectly the last book I read. Of course it was one of the great mystery books of the last decade. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t rated that well, but it sure kept me reading on. The title of the mystery novel is “Eleven Days.” I got interested in this particular book because it was written by a close friend of my fathers. When he retired from the police force, he began writing. Not a bad retirement plan if you know what you’re doing. It’s ideal to use all those real life experiences in your work. Heck, reality is your best material. Anyway, I began reading his first book and I couldn’t put it down. It was definitely a page turner. It’s all about that first chapter. Does it get you hooked and encourage you to read on? Do you absolutely have to know what is coming next? These qualities are imperative in good mystery books. Before I knew it, I had read the entire novel, front to back in just a few days time.

Are you in search of some classic or contemporary mystery books? They aren’t so difficult to come by these days. In fact, all you really need is your personal computer and Internet access. Hop online and browse through a gargantuan selection of mystery books from all over the world. Check out the ever popular “Davinci Code.” If you liked the film, you’ll love the book. Find all the best mystery books for the lowest prices on Amazon.com.

What was the last great book you had the pleasure of reading? Was it a romance novel or good mystery? Then again, maybe that new age Tom Brown stuff is right up your alley. A lot of folks are getting into those enigmatic puzzle plots these days. It’s just plain intriguing. Regardless of where your reading interests lie, you can always get a recap of what’s considered the top ten best seller books. The “New York Times” rates this stuff all the time. They can give you the latest scoop on which novels to check out and which ones to avoid. After all, this is heavy duty entertainment we’re talking about here. A good book is practically incomparable. I know I could use a few more in my life.

I haven’t read much lately. Well, that’s not exactly true. I’ve been busy most of the time and I use my spare reading time to go through Gavin De Becker’s book on safety. It may not be on the best seller books list, but it’s a wonderful source of useful knowledge. And no, not all knowledge is very useful. This particular book, “Protecting the Gift,” elaborates on crime and violence. Particularly against children and women. This is THE book to own in you have kids. Like I said, it’s rich with valuable information. And better yet, it’s true.

There are a number of real stories throughout the text. Sure, some may make you cry and some may make your heart drop, but they’re reality nonetheless. It’s crucial for us all to stay in touch with reality. This gives us better defenses against it’s harshness and cruel side. To live in the dark will only make you a victim. Anyway, this book, “Protecting the Gift,” is a great way to learn more about the dangers of the world and yourself. It’s not meant to make you worry. It’s meant to make you aware and not waste time worrying. Because if you’re wasting time worrying, then you’re not paying attention to what’s really going on.

You’d better believe that most people are interested in the top ten list. They want to know what best seller books receive the most raves. These are the ones they’ll probably use their spare time to read. I, on the other hand, am not interested in best seller books. It all depends on the topic, not the popularity or hype.

Some of the best mystery books I have read are those I read when I was a kid.  My first exposure to the genre came by way of the set of Nancy Drew mystery books that Mom got for me through a school driven book buying club.  I couldn’t get enough of the series, “Message in a Haunted Mansion”, “Secret of the Scarlet Hand” and “Danger on Deception Island”.  I would stay up all night, not so much afraid to turn the light out, but concerned the details of the stories would change while I was asleep or that I would miss something I should read before daybreak.

As a teen, I moved from the basic mystery books and started in the mystery horror tales, including the fictional and true crime based works.  These books did keep me awake out of fear or terror and did also keep me reading until I finished.  I needed to get the closure with such enthralling, gut griping, spine curdling stories as those in “The Mephisto Waltz”, “The Amityville Horror” and even “The Exorcist”.

More devoted mystery books readers will swear by the Agatha Christie series or will recommend the more modern Sue Grafton novels.  Similarly, others will speak highly of Mary Higgins Clark’s books or books by Jonathan Kellerman.  I, too, would add that detective series and true crime books are as exciting and incite as much fingernail chewing as the best mystery books.  Especially, for example, those by John Sanderford, the brilliant Stephen King and even a few of the master of “junk” novels, Sydney Sheldon.

And mystery book sellers and aficionados will add the hottest new authors to the list, contemporary mystery writers such as Martin O’Brian, Craig Johnson, and Melissa Swaim, Janet Evanovich, and Martha Grimes.  Who are revered at such sites as MurderbytheBook.com, an independent bookseller who appreciates good literature.

The mystery books genre is wide ranging, so true bibliophiles will allow for suspense, thriller and other evocative works to be put on the mystery books list.  It all depends, of course, on how much you read, what you prefer and how much Mwoohahhah you can tolerate.

Being a certified bookkeeper is probably one of the most important and widely used positions in the business world. As many people may already know, there is no requirement that you need to be certified if you want to work as a bookkeeper. Being a certified bookkeeper does come with it’s advantages though. By being certified, it proves that you can handle the books for any company with many employees. It also ensures an employer that your work meets the highest national standards out there.

There are steps that have to be taken to become a certified bookkeeper. This keeps some people from pursuing the title. If you obtain the title, although not necessary, it can take you a long way in your career and help to land you jobs that are in high demand. To become a certified bookkeeper, you need to pass three separate tests and agree to a code of ethics by signing them. Another qualification factor in obtaining the title is having at least two years of previous work experience.

If you notice, there is no requirement to the type of education you have, so essentially anyone with the knowledge it takes to be a bookkeeper can become a certified bookkeeper. In other words someone who has no college education but has 15 years of work experience as a bookkeeper can still take the tests, sign the code of ethics and become a certified bookkeeper. Just like someone who was educated in college to do the job.

Although working in the bookkeeping field does not require you to be a certified bookkeeper, there are certainly some advantages to having the title. First and foremost, potential compensation for your work can be greatly increased a lot faster than a bookkeeper that is not certified. A certified bookkeeper is usually also the one at the top of the list for advancement opportunities within a company and is generally trusted more than a bookkeeper who is not certified.

At the end of the day it comes down to who is most qualified for a working position as a bookkeeper, but you can bet that if competition is between a bookkeeper who is not certified and one who is, the certified bookkeeper will probably get the job. That isn’t to say a certified bookkeeper will always get the job with no doubts, it just means they certainly have more of a chance to land the job than someone without the credentials to back themselves up.

Most of us have groups of friends that we’d like to see more often, but we just don’t get a chance to get together as much as we’d like to.  Though it may sound strange, most people need or want some sort of an excuse to get together, from planning an event to having dinner together.  One great way to get together with friends is to host a book club, where a group of friends gets together to discuss a book they’ve all read.

Book clubs aren’t the stodgy, dry gatherings that they’re sometimes stereotyped to be.  Often it’s the highlight of the month for lots of people.  Book clubs are especially good for groups of friends who either love to read or want to read more, since it encourages people to at least finish one book between each meeting.  Which, for most clubs, is around once a month.  Though it may sound silly, some of the best book club meetings are those where the book is hardly discussed.  This varies some from club to club.  In some book clubs the book is the primary and sometimes sole source of discussion.  While in other book clubs the book itself is only a way to get people together to have a good time.

It’s always nice to have some book club recommendations, especially if it you’re hosting a book club for the first time.  The fact of the matter is that there are a lot of books out there and it’s tough to know what sort of book to pick for the book club.  One of the best book club recommendations is to let each member of the book club pick a book one month until everyone’s had a chance to choose.  This allows the club to sample from the literary tastes of all of the members and often results in exposing members to a wider variety of literature than they would read if they were on their own or if one member chose all of the books.  If you’re just kicking off the club, you may want a few books to start off with to get things going.

One of the best book club recommendations I’ve heard is to choose books that are relatively easy to read and most importantly somewhat provocative.  The first criterion comes from the fact that if a book is tough to read, there’s a good chance people won’t finish enough of the book to talk about it.  Granted, the best book club recommendations will depend on the people in your book club, but most clubs do best with contemporary novels.  The discussion about the book won’t be very interesting if the material is relatively cut-and-dried.  Try to find topics that are either brand new or provocative and applicable to contemporary issues.

I don’t mean to be a bookstore snob, but buying used books was something many of us were doing before buying used books was cool.  That is, buying used books was once a habit that was a well kept secret of college students and bibliophiles.  They knew the visit to a used book shop would be much cheaper and would result in a pleasant experience.  Maybe with wine, coffee, some unobtrusive music.  A community cat or pup lolling about in the sweet dark corners of the lovely historical smell of heavy wood shelving and decades of ink and paper and thread.

Then buying used books became more difficult and more frustrating a task, as the big chains shoved the little independents aside.  So buying used books has become in one sense more of a challenge and in another sense an almost equally pleasurable.  We can now go online for new and used books.  I for one am delighted, for buying books online means saving time, still saving money.  For reclusive folks like myself, saving social interaction with noisy, neglectful people out there saves one’s sanity.

Let me clarify.  I go to XXX (well known, top selling bookstore in the city) brick and mortar store, which also has an online bookstore, but I am in a hurry.  I have driven in rain and insane traffic, have limited time and have a definite title.  I walk into the brightly lit store and head for the periodicals, seeking a magazine published in the UK.  Seven people are in the aisle I need to access.  Three are LAYING on the floor reading magazines they will not buy, but will instead gunk up with their fingerprints, wrinkle with their greedy paws and stain with their snot.  The other four are standing around, one on a cell phone and others scratching bugs out of their hair, giggling over nudies or just &$$#93%# standing…IN MY WAY.  When did a store become a place to hang out, groom in, furtively steal FREE reading pleasures from and impede actual shoppers with integrity in?  And further, where are the used books????

I hate the physical bookstore now and go with only the online bookstores.  Such vendors offer the same items they offer if they keep a physical sibling site, but also offer hard to find, hard to get at in the land store and hard to remember titles, usually used.  I probably do not have to name the said bookstores, the big popular ones, any more than I had to name the one with all the losers, slackers and nut cases.  If you need the best places for buying used books online, here are my favorites.

Powells.com- One of the world’s largest bookstores.  A city block long and stories high, when you go to the actual store in Oregon, which I wouldn’t mind doing.  They hand you a MAP…the store is so big and so full of millions of books.

e-Bay.com – Look for a title, using the search engine at e-Bay.  Or check out my favorite online bookstores, where vendors as far away as the UK ship within only a few days!  These folks are Dadoak1bookshop (dadoak1).

GreenAppleBooks.com – My favorite used and new bookstore in the Bay Area.  The antithesis of the nightmare chain bookstore I refer to above and therefore a true pleasure as a physical shop, but equally helpful, easy to access and affordable online bookstore, too.

Word Power - word-power.co.uk/about_us A completely independent online bookstore, receiving no state or other funding to advertise or sell, so check them out!

When I was a child I had a book of Bible stories written especially for young children. One of my favorite stories was about Moses and his encounter with the burning bush in the wilderness.  As I remember it, Moses had been hiding out in the wilderness after killing an Egyptian whom he found beating upon one of the Israelite people. Moses let his anger get the better of him and he hit the Egyptian causing to him to die. Then Moses became a wanted man and he took off to hide in the wilds of the wilderness.

While he was hiding out, he came across the burning bush. Moses had never seen such a strange sight, the bush was on fire but it wasn’t being consumed by the flames.  So he crept a little closer to get a better look. Upon approaching he heard a loud voice and received his commission from God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land.  Upon receiving his commission, Moses left the wilderness, returning to Egypt. The commission he had received upon his encounter with the burning bush, required that he approach Pharaoh and demand that the let God’s chosen people go.

Pharaoh was very uncooperative and his obstinate attitude resulted in ten plagues being brought upon the land of Egypt. As the plagues became increasingly harsh, God’s people were protected, while the Egyptians suffered.  Finally, Pharaoh relented when his own son was struck dead. Moses was able to carry out the instructions that he received from the voice issuing from the burning bush. The Israelites were freed from Egyptian bondage and allowed to leave the land.

Pharaoh soon came to change his mind once again. He set off in hot pursuit of the Israelites with war chariots and horses. It seemed that the Israelites would be trapped with the Red Sea on one side of them and the Egyptians barring their way to escape on the other. God parted the waters of the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry land. There were millions of Israelites crossing through that sea bed, and yet, every single one of them crossed to safety. The Egyptians and Pharaoh lost their lives when God allowed the waters to come crashing down upon them in their pursuit of the Israelites.  Moses served as leader of the Israelites until his death, continuing in carrying out the commission he received all those years before during his encounter with the burning bush in the wilderness.