By Jennifer Ackerman
This nonfiction book contains a lot of interesting facts about the human body and its function. Some of it overlapped with the information in Gulp, but there is also a lot of other information, especially about circadian rhythms and sleep. It is another excellent source for human biology teacher, but also for everyone who is interested in getting to know their body better. This is knowledge you can use to make your life easier and/or more productive and/or safer. Some think there isn't enough criticism in the way the information is displayed - the research behind it is mentioned, but no critical description of the methods used and whether or not other research supported the findings. This might be the case sometimes, but over all I think this book does a good job introducing the various aspects of human body functions. [272 pp.]
Book link
Friday, November 29, 2013
Fieldwork
By Mischa Berlinski
I admit that I was a bit disappointed when I found out that the field work in this book is in the field of anthropology and not biology, but I can't say I was disappointed by the book or the story. It was fascinating and engrossing. Even though it says on the cover that it is a novel, I felt like this is a biographical book (of course, it's the author's fault of using his own name for the main character). I can't imagine how much research such book would require if it's not based on personal experience. The author definitely did a great job in my opinion. [356 pp.]
Book link
I admit that I was a bit disappointed when I found out that the field work in this book is in the field of anthropology and not biology, but I can't say I was disappointed by the book or the story. It was fascinating and engrossing. Even though it says on the cover that it is a novel, I felt like this is a biographical book (of course, it's the author's fault of using his own name for the main character). I can't imagine how much research such book would require if it's not based on personal experience. The author definitely did a great job in my opinion. [356 pp.]
Book link
Friday, October 25, 2013
The End of Diabetes
By Joel Fuhrman
I got this book to learn more about diabetes, and what diabetics should eat, because my nutrition class textbook did not really answer all of my questions about the disease. It helped in answering my questions, but it was obvious this book is made to sell something (the book, the website membership, related products), and in some cases it made me feel like some of the information is biased to make that sell. I do agree with the general approach, though, and I hope many people with diabetes (and physicians) would use the advice in the book to heal themselves (or their patients). [336 pp.]
Book link
I got this book to learn more about diabetes, and what diabetics should eat, because my nutrition class textbook did not really answer all of my questions about the disease. It helped in answering my questions, but it was obvious this book is made to sell something (the book, the website membership, related products), and in some cases it made me feel like some of the information is biased to make that sell. I do agree with the general approach, though, and I hope many people with diabetes (and physicians) would use the advice in the book to heal themselves (or their patients). [336 pp.]
Book link
Jamrach's Menagerie
By Carol Birch
This book was totally unexpected for me, even though the cover illustration of the hardcover version pretty much tells it all. It was very interesting, though sometimes I felt it went into too much detail. Overall, I thought it was pretty good. [304 pp.]
Book link
This book was totally unexpected for me, even though the cover illustration of the hardcover version pretty much tells it all. It was very interesting, though sometimes I felt it went into too much detail. Overall, I thought it was pretty good. [304 pp.]
Book link
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal
By Mary Roach
This book was recommended by a fellow nutrition teacher. It contains a lot of digestive system anecdotes, and is fairly amusing. At first, though appreciating the information provided, I wasn't that into Roach's writing style (it seemed like, sometimes, she was trying too hard to be funny). But after a while - either her style changed or I got used to it - it didn't bother me as much. I especially liked the anecdote about OD, a prisoner who hooped (smuggled in his rectum) a collection of staplers, binder rings, and pencil sharpeners. He got his nickname OD, for Office Depot. Quite hilarious. An excellent source of stories for a nutrition/A&P class [352 pp.]
Book link
This book was recommended by a fellow nutrition teacher. It contains a lot of digestive system anecdotes, and is fairly amusing. At first, though appreciating the information provided, I wasn't that into Roach's writing style (it seemed like, sometimes, she was trying too hard to be funny). But after a while - either her style changed or I got used to it - it didn't bother me as much. I especially liked the anecdote about OD, a prisoner who hooped (smuggled in his rectum) a collection of staplers, binder rings, and pencil sharpeners. He got his nickname OD, for Office Depot. Quite hilarious. An excellent source of stories for a nutrition/A&P class [352 pp.]
Book link
Monday, September 16, 2013
Gods Behaving Badly
By Marie Phillips
Okay, I hadn't realized that this book is already becoming a movie. That's too bad. I liked the book a lot. I am sure the movie adaptation is not going to be as good, and I am not interested in seeing how the movie directors/producers see Artemis, Apollo, Neil, or Alice. The book is about the interaction between gods and humans and what happens when these interactions go wrong. I thought it was amusing and original, and I liked the style the book was written in. [320 pp.]
Book link
Okay, I hadn't realized that this book is already becoming a movie. That's too bad. I liked the book a lot. I am sure the movie adaptation is not going to be as good, and I am not interested in seeing how the movie directors/producers see Artemis, Apollo, Neil, or Alice. The book is about the interaction between gods and humans and what happens when these interactions go wrong. I thought it was amusing and original, and I liked the style the book was written in. [320 pp.]
Book link
Monday, September 2, 2013
The Long Earth
By Terry Pratchet & Stephen Baxter
This is a sci fi book, but it was fairly easy to read for a non sci fi reader line me. Probably because there weren't many mentions of quantum physics. And there was a bunch of evolution talk. I do get that kind of science. It was pretty neat, to think about the possibilities that open up when new earths are discovered just a step away. [432 pp.]
Book link
This is a sci fi book, but it was fairly easy to read for a non sci fi reader line me. Probably because there weren't many mentions of quantum physics. And there was a bunch of evolution talk. I do get that kind of science. It was pretty neat, to think about the possibilities that open up when new earths are discovered just a step away. [432 pp.]
Book link
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