Dan Allosso

In this book, Mr. Allosso has given us a biography of a man not generally well-known. Dr. Charles Knowlton was a doctor in the early 1800s in New England. This book looks at his pioneering efforts to better understand the human body -- including by digging up corpses and dissecting them. Dr. Knowlton was also an "infidel" or "free-thinker" who questioned the doctrine of the church, and an early advocate of birth control and family planning. A very interesting man, and the author has given us a highly readable biography.… (meer)

Truth sometimes hides in the shadows of the disgraced and the ridiculed, patiently awaiting the light of time to expose its validity. Like Galileo, under house arrest for proclaiming that the earth was not the center of the universe, or Sigmund Freud for suggesting that sex and aggression were intrigal parts of the human psyche, Charles Knowlton’s truth was too hot to handle in his own time. Knowlton’s life comes to life and jumps off the page in this exciting new novel by historian Dan Allosso, who has done his research to resurrect Knowlton and this story of bravery, guts, and fierce determination. Dr. Knowlton, a physician, was incarcerated, not once, but twice – once for digging up and dissecting a corpse to better understand the function of the human body, and again for standing up for women’s reproductive rights by advocating birth control. An Infidel Body-Snatcher and the Fruits of His Philosophy is engaging, historically accurate, and highly readable. That adds up to five stars in my book.… (meer)

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Let's begin this review by stating that the author, Dan Allosso, is working on a sequel to OUTSIDE THE BOX. I just wanted to get that out of the way, because after reading this book, you will definitely want to know more.

OUTSIDE THE BOX features top-of-the-line gaming equipment and cutting-edge game programs. Main character Reid Anderson takes readers on a trip into that world that they won't forget.

Reid generally likes to keep a low profile. His parents are hard-working, well-paid executives who keep their son surrounded with the latest and greatest of everything. His mother shops for him in the best clothing stores, making sure he has the coolest designer labels. His father designs game programs for a popular company, so it's no surprise when a brand new Wii machine shows up in the well-equipped basement rec room.

At first Reid doesn't show much interest. If it's something his parents think he might be interested in, he sure doesn't want it to look like they were right. But after thinking about it for awhile, Reid decides he might as well enjoy the Wii. Playing feels pretty normal at first, but then some strange things begin to happen. The game seems to have features regular off-the-shelf games wouldn't have. Reid considers that perhaps his dad has arranged some custom game to impress his otherwise ignored son.

But then a voice starts talking to Reid. The voice, and then an actual character, is part of the game. Weird ....

When Reid starts to investigate and mentions this strange phenomenon, he is warned by the game to keep quiet. The investigating Reid does begins to open some very interesting doors. One that's a bit scary is the fact that the state is watching kids diagnosed with mental health issues by having them play the game. Reid finds that the information gathered when the kids play is being used to prescribe changes in their medications and monitor their progress. Even more weird ....

An unexpected email message lets Reid know that he is not alone. He eventually joins forces with Louise, Larry, and Dave to question the mysterious JCN character in the game and find out exactly what is going on.

OUTSIDE THE BOX is sure to be popular among gaming teens, but beyond that, anyone who does indeed think "outside the box" is sure to be glad that the adventure will continue....… (meer)