The Thinking Game with Guest Blogger: David Charles

Today the Book Boost welcomes author David Charles who is here to make us THINK and to discuss his book, of course!

Here's what he had to say...

Green Books

Recently I read an article concerning the Book Industry Environmental Council’s aggressive goals to reduce the U.S. book industry’s greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2020 (from a 2006 baseline), and to achieve an 80% reduction by 2050.

What came to mind was the notion that if each industry within itself were to establish similar environmental goals, the end results would be staggering. It seems to me that the approach to environmentally healthy living “Green Living” should be comprehensive and integrated. Every part of the equation needs to be considered and acted upon. From recycling, to energy efficiency, to greenhouse emissions reduction, to sustainable resources, to environmentally friendly agriculture, to conservation of our natural resources and green building construction, every piece of the puzzle is important.

Many industries have made great strides in these areas and constant awareness of our personal responsibilities toward these issues is continuing to move the process forward. It is good to know that the Book Industry is taking a leadership role regarding the greenhouse emission issue and, it should be noted as well that by introducing the “Book On Demand” feature in the online book industry, has also taken a leadership role in the conservation of our natural resources.

The simple premise of not printing a book until point of sale significantly reduces material waste by lowering the number of copies sitting in stock to zero. No chance of a publisher over ordering in anticipation of sales, with the possibility of unused stock. I am proud to say that my own book Think For Yourself – The Importance of Maintaining Individuality and Freedom of Thought is published by Createspace and is produced as a “Print On Demand” book. It is very gratifying to me as an author to have my book participate in the industry wide process of environmental responsibility.

A Note From The Book Boost: Thanks, David. I like to think I do my part by publishing and purchasing many e-books each year! Won't you please give us a few more details about your thought provoking book?


Blurb:

We live in a unique time in this world, a time when the information age has brought the world much closer together. With this sharing of information and resources comes great opportunity, but there are some drawbacks as well. Global standardization has in many ways, contributed to the homogenization of numerous aspects of life. Individuality has been lost in many cases and its continued decline comes at a heavy price for some. People's willingness to follow the crowd and fall in line behind "the next greatest thing" or "popular thought trend" has fostered this decline in individuality and free thinking. Mankind needs to embrace our individuality and our individual differences, as well as the similarities that come to light during the sharing of information in these modern "Global times". This book attempts to shed some light on the subject and encourages all to "Think for Yourself" in your daily navigation in today's Global society.


Excerpt (edited for length):

In no way does this book advocate ignoring sound medical advice, or taking medication when needed. However, be careful and stay involved in the process. Get all of the answers up front, so you can look before you leap.

My personal experience tells me that there appears to be inconsistencies in how some medications are prescribed. I had a root canal once and the specialist prescribed penicillin for a week in advance of the procedure. I had another unrelated minor procedure, outpatient surgery, and no prescriptions were given.

Thinking for yourself is essential in these kinds of instances. I personally do not wish to put any foreign substance into my body, or my own child’s unless there is absolutely no alternative.

If you are not sure about prescriptions, and their uses and effects, and this may sound cliché, “ask your pharmacist”. There have been more than one or two instances where I have personally witnessed the pharmacist call the doctor for clarification, and “Presto”, different prescription.

Elective procedures seem to run the gamut as well as the remedy train. Procedures for the eyes, body sculpting and weight loss procedures, cosmetic enhancements, to name a few. And we cannot forget toxic injections to remove wrinkles from my forehead. That’s a good one.

One last item worth discussion; recently I saw a news report about a woman who had dementia like symptoms and was diagnosed with two separate neurological disorders. She had been to six different doctors, over a six-year period and was on the decline in motor skills and cognitive abilities.

She finally found a new doctor, number seven, who re-evaluated her and gave a different diagnosis. The condition that she actually had was called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. Because the symptoms of NPH are similar to those of other disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the disorder is often misdiagnosed and many cases go unrecognized and are never properly treated. In this woman’s case, this condition was actually treatable by means of surgical placement of a shunt in the brain to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid into the abdomen where it can be absorbed. The procedure took about one hour and now she is doing fine. She was walking well, and was lucid enough to be interviewed by the news media.

The lesson here is perseverance. This woman was not satisfied with six different doctors’ similar opinions and diagnoses.

Something told her they were wrong. And they “were” wrong. The quality of her life, if not her life itself, was at stake. She thought for herself, even though she was impaired, and took appropriate action. She was heard and got results.

It is your right and your responsibility to question. This is especially true when it comes to diagnoses and prescriptions. It is wise to get all of the information that you can before proceeding.

As in the case mentioned above, if you are not satisfied with the opinions that you are getting, then get another opinion. It might just make the difference.

Think for yourself. Self-preservation is your sovereign right.

About The Author:

David Charles is the author of Think For Yourself – The Importance of Maintaining Individuality and Freedom of Thought. David has been a professional construction manager involved with public school construction management and has been active in the construction industry for over 30 years. His writings include Web-based reporting, project progress documentation, and classic business correspondence on all aspects of the public school construction process.

Want more David?

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