Tagged: Nonfiction

Game Shows FAQ

Game Shows FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Pioneers, the Scandals, the Hosts, and the Jackpots by Adam Nedeff, 3/5

This is an interesting book about TV game shows, providing info on historical popularity trends, how shows were made, which ones survived and which ones failed, and a bit of fun, behind-the-scenes gossip. I felt that the author lost some steam as the book progressed and there were a completely unacceptable number of typos, but overall, it was a decent read on a pretty random topic.

Why I read it: on a shelf of staff picks at my local library.

Fast Like a Girl

Fast Like a Girl: A Woman’s Guide to Using the Healing Power of Fasting to Burn Fat, Boost Energy, and Balance Hormones by Dr. Mindy Pelz, 3/5

It is refreshing to read a diet book written specifically for women. This is the clearest layout of the female hormone cycle I’ve ever encountered, accompanied by easily understandable nutritional guidelines for each stage–a welcome break from the one-size-fits-all approach of most programs. The author makes an impassioned and compelling argument for the “miraculous” healing power of fasting but, unfortunately, relies heavily on anecdotal evidence from her own practice. Like many questionable health gurus, Pelz has a doctorate in chiropractics and her main source of credibility seems to be a few celebrity clients and the following she has built by posting hundreds of YouTube videos on topics for which she has zero formal education. Much of what she states without reservation seems to reside in that twilight zone of science where it may be correct, but has yet to be satisfactorily proven.

Now, I am not a blind believer in mainstream medicine–I feel there is an air of undeserved infallibility about it, closed-mindedness, and conflicts of interest that slow progress unnecessarily. However, even a little research into Dr. Mindy and her fasting regimen rings warning bells. She has built an entire program and community around her ideas, yet there is not a single Doctor of Medicine on her 24-person team. Dietician Abby Langer has written an excellent review of Fast Like a Girl that points out the cult-like aspects of Pelz’s program and is able to put her finger on some of the over-confident language in this book that made me uncomfortable without quite knowing why. Curious, I did just a little further research on the much-vaunted concept of fast-induced autophagy, finding that Pelz not only fails to mention the potential negative effects of autophagy, but also bases her 17-72 hour fast guidelines on a study of baby mice that cannot be extrapolated to human subjects and neither supports her recommendation, nor even the actual statement in the book to which the endnote is appended (32).

Another issue I have with Pelz is her attempt to discredit calorie-restriction diets by employing the straw man fallacy (5). As someone who has personally achieved substantial, long-term, transformative weight loss through calorie counting, I found her depiction of calorie-restriction diets to be either ignorant or downright deceptive (depending on how generous you want to be about her motives). She cites a study from the 1960s called the “Minnesota Starvation Experiment” in an attempt to discount an approach to weight loss that is completely reasonable, commonsense, accessible, and has worked for many, many people. I achieved metabolic health, according to her own definition, through calorie counting and exercise. Sure, there are many times I have slept in and had a very late breakfast…does the fact that I went 15 hours between dinner and breakfast mean that I fasted? According to Pelz, yes, and I can expect health miracles if I continue do this a lot. According to commonsense, no!

The author’s attempt to demonize calorie-restriction diets becomes even more ridiculous when you get past the fasting section of the book and reach her actual “30-Day Fasting Reset,” which involves two diet plans (ketobiotic and hormone feasting), along with a bunch of complicated and gross-sounding recipes. It feels like a total bait-and-switch to be told that, in addition to fasting, one should also adhere to a diet that is much like any other diet that people routinely fail to stick with. We’re told to avoid bad oils, refined flours and sugar, toxic chemical ingredients, and alcohol, while adding in specific healthy foods (all organic, non-GMO, hormone-free, obviously). Duh! How is this different from other diets? How is someone who fails at traditional diets going to have success trying to eliminate processed foods, sweetener in your coffee, breads, pastas, crackers, and desserts? How is this better than counting calories and experiencing for yourself the value of choosing nutrient dense foods over empty calories? I honestly cannot comprehend how anyone who is struggling with weight loss would be able to stick with this diet plan over others. So, what we are left with is some very cliched diet recommendations, six different fasts (all under-researched), and some information about what types of foods might support female hormones at different times of the month (no citations given).

One might be justified for wondering why I would give a book that I perceive to have so many issues a decent, 3/5 rating. The reason is this: I respect the author’s exploration at the cutting edge of nutrition and medicine, and appreciate her focus on the female experience. Just because the scientific research on fasting doesn’t yet justify specific guidelines doesn’t mean it’s not a concept of value, worth experimenting with (especially for people who have tried literally everything else).

Why I read it: my dad sent me a podcast featuring Dr. Mindy, but I would rather read a book than listen to a podcast any day.

Storey’s Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle, and Pigs

Storey’s Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle, and Pigs by Carol Ekarius, 5/5

High-quality photographs accompany informative text about 163 different livestock breeds in this excellent reference book. It provides a good jumping-off point for further research into specific breeds and I appreciated the extra information the author provides about the history of livestock domestication and the science of breed development.

Why I read it: Still on a quest to identify every cow I pass by.

Know Your Cows

Know Your Cows by Jack Byard, 2/5

Repetitive text and limited photos, which range in quality from “acceptable” to “2000s cell phone camera,” make this small spotter’s guide a disappointing read and a reference of doubtful usefulness.

Why I read it: There are so many cows around that I thought it would be fun to learn more about them.

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need by Jessica Brody, 4/5

Inspired by Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat!” formula for screenwriting, author Jessica Brody breaks down the 15 basic plot points necessary for each of the 10 genres into which all stories can be categorized. Numerous examples and detailed breakdowns of famous novels are provided, making this a convincing, if somewhat tedious read.

Do I think it is necessary to follow a formula while writing a novel? Of course not. Does it steal the magic a bit to identify the unexpectedly unvaried elements that so many stories have in common? Yes, it does. But I can imagine that this handbook could be a lifesaver for a new or struggling author, or anyone looking to troubleshoot plot/pacing issues.

Why I read it: it was on a list of recommended resources for writers on my Instagram feed.

Great Tales from English History

Great Tales from English History: A Treasury of True Stories About the Extraordinary People–Knights and Knaves, Rebels and Heroes, Queens and Commoners–Who Made Britain Great by Robert Lacey, 5/5

This collection of historical stories is deftly woven together, seamlessly transporting the reader through over 9000 years of British history (from the Mesolithic period to postwar times). Famous incidents are presented with a fresh perspective and there is a satisfying variety of fascinatingly obscure events and details included as well. I wish there was a book like this written about every country in the world!

Why I read it: one of the few “required reading” entries from my college days that earned a permanent home on my shelves.

Before and After the Book Deal

Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum, 3/5

Despite Maum’s humorous approach, I found this insider perspective on the book publishing process to be quite off-putting. Seeing the business side of books is truly like visiting the proverbial sausage factory and I am not a happier reader for coming to the realization that “author” hovers near the very bottom of any list of viable career choices, below even those perennial classics–“actor” and “musician.” This state of things is not Maum’s fault, but it is not Donald Trump’s fault either, which is a fact she seems to struggle with at several points in this exceedingly woke book.

Why I read it: it was on a list of recommended resources for writers on my Instagram feed.

A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson, 2/5

Numerous reader recommendations on social media, the subtitle’s promise, and four (!) introductory pages of hyperbolic blurbs made me expect an uplifting, insightful and hilarious account of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, with a strong human interest aspect. I could not have been more mistaken in every single way. Over the course of the first half of the book, Bryson hikes less than a quarter of the trail (p. 162) and even that is not continuous; he skips a large portion of Tennessee because interactions with “stupid” cab drivers and, of all things, the state’s history of anti-evolutionary legislature, gave him “a powerful urge not to be this far south any longer” (p.108).

The second half of the book sees the author driving to different parts of the trail for day hikes, seemingly desperate to scrape together enough bleak and preachy anecdotes to earn his book advance. Most of his depictions of the people he encounters along the way are snarky, shallow, and mean-spirited. Trail-related material is generously padded with smug forays into armchair activism, including endless dire predictions about the environment and the imminent demise of various species of plants and animals that, twenty-five years after publication, seem overblown (at least, in the cases I paused to look into further).

The last straw, for me, was when Bryson took a rare break from obsessing about bears and how dangerous and fast and numerous and hungry for hikers they are to express his disapproval of guns and unironically comment “Goodness knows what the world is coming to when park rangers carry service revolvers” (p. 168). At that point, I realized that, much like how Bill Bryson had tried and failed to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, I had tried and failed to like his book about it.

Why I read it: an oft-mentioned entry in the comments on an Instagram post about favorite (or most meaningful–I can’t remember which) books.

The Federalist Papers

The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, 5/5

In these 85 essays, originally published in 1787-88 by New York newspapers, three Founding Fathers use the pseudonym “Publius” to argue passionately for the ratification of the newly-proposed Constitution of the United States. Blow by blow, the authors address and dismantle the most popular criticisms of the day, occasionally stooping to empty rhetoric and snide remarks, but more often establishing logical and convincing rebuttals, based on common sense, the events of history, the practices of other nations, and a clear-eyed appraisal of human nature (recognizing both its positive and negative tendencies). It was a strange and refreshing experience to encounter in-depth and nuanced arguments, presented with respect for the everyday reader’s intelligence and belief in their sincere desire to form an educated and fair-minded opinion. Almost two hundred and forty years later, it is easy to be cynical and pessimistic about the future of our country, but it is no exaggeration to say that reading this book, in combination with the actual Constitution, re-kindled my love, pride and admiration for the grand experiment that is the United States of America.

Why I read it: A free copy showed up in my mailbox, completely unsolicited. Unfortunately, I peeled the mailing label off to read the back cover and now can’t recall what organization sent it.

The Incredible Years

The Incredible Years: A Trouble-Shooting Guide for Parents of Children Aged 2-8 Years by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, 2/5

Reading this book made me feel insecure about the more traditional approach to parenting that my husband and I have employed with success for almost three years now. Having one’s ideas challenged is not a bad thing, in itself, but what made me most uncomfortable was how self-conscious I started to feel about interacting with my child. Weirdly, it was the positive interactions that were most affected; instead of feeling joy from being authentic and savoring the moment, I became focused on doing it “by the book” and adding a check mark to my mental record of parenting wins and losses. It was a gross feeling.

While I disagree with the author’s tiresome advice that, seemingly, 99% of behavioral issues are best addressed by ignoring, time-outs, or sticker reward charts, if one can glean what is useful without departing from common sense and simplicity, this book has some helpful ideas to offer. The concept of time-outs is presented in a sensibly structured way and there were good ideas for how to participate in playtime without taking over or getting frustrated (hint: imitate and describe what is happening instead of dictating). Also, since I grew up as an introverted homeschool kid, it was helpful to be reminded that integrating well with social groups is a skill that parents can help their children develop, not an inevitable byproduct of personality.

Why I read it: a hand-me-down (without a specific recommendation) from a friend.