Koncocoo

Best Health, Fitness & Dieting

Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health
Neal Barnard, Dr. John McDougall, The Engine 2 Diet author Rip Esselstyn, and many others Success stories from converts to plant-based eating—like San’Dera Prude, who no longer needs to medicate her diabetes, has lost weight, and feels great! The many benefits of a whole-foods, plant-based diet —for you, for animals and the environment, and for our future A helpful primer on crafting a healthy diet rich in unprocessed fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, including tips on transitioning and essential kitchen tools 125 recipes from 25 champions of plant-based dining—from Blueberry Oat Breakfast Muffins and Sunny Orange Yam Bisque to Garlic Rosemary Polenta and Raspberry-Pear Crisp—delicious, healthy, and for every meal, every day. “A great resource for folks toying with the idea of transitioning to vegetarianism.”. —Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, in VegNews “[A]n invaluable reference for anyone who still doesn’t believe that the Standard American Diet (SAD) is in fact the cause for a majority of our personal, global and moral devastation.
Reviews
"The book "Forks Over Knives" does a wonderful job of performing two disparate tasks: It provides concise explanations of why a whole-foods, plant-based diet is healthiest for people, the planet, and the animals, and. It offers a wide range of amazing recipes to help people get started. The book does this in three parts: (i) why a plant-based diet is best for your health, the planet, and the animals (37 pages); (ii) basic facts on plant-based foods (19 pages), and (iii) recipes (133 pages). While the bulk of the book is for recipes, there is a lot of powerful information in the first two parts that has appeal for anyone from the newcomer to the most informed, with topics as diverse as the environmental impact of food choices to nutrition labels. Even after having read literally dozens of books on plant-based foods and having finished Campbell's eCornell course in plant-based nutrition, I became more informed after reading the first two parts. The book does offer bios on the people who are trying to help us live more healthy lives. I've been a student of plant-based nutrition for 10 years and I've read everything I can on the topic, yet I found pieces here I'd never seen before: Bios that contain insights obviously drawn out from first-hand interviews with the subjects; success stories from people who chose to adopt this healthier approach to eating; a very concise and thoughtful summary which compares whole, plant-based foods to animal products (styled like black box warning labels for food), and some great recipes from leading chefs. Some of the comments for this book are simply mean-spirited attacks on a book that aims to inform, persuade and help those who want to live longer, healthier lives in making better food choices--all for the low price of $6.40, or less than one-tenth the cost of a doctor's visit, where the topic of whole, plant-based foods will likely never come up."
"Lovely Companion to the documentary and has fun and tasty recipes !"
"Enjoyed the book, Not quite ready to give up the knife yet, but working on it."
"Excellent documentary."
"Very good book."
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The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea
The book also includes information on the many health benefits of kombucha, fascinating details of the drink’s history, and recipes for delicious foods and drinks you can make with kombucha (including some irresistible cocktails! “Deep-rooted insight into the history, science, and how-to of this ancient brew ... a critical addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in good food.”. — Jennifer McGruther, author of The Nourished Kitchen. “On top of walking you through the kombucha fermentation process, The Big Book also includes a whopping 286 flavor combinations along with the history of the drink, information on health benefits, and much more. Expert brewers Hannah Crum and Alex LaGory reveal how easy, inexpensive, and safe it is to make your own delicious kombucha, with instructions for batch and continuous brewing.
Reviews
"It is a good book in particular for those new to brewing and contains everything from the history of this delicious elixir, to brewing ingredients, tips, flavoring and using your Kombucha in cooking. In the past I have found the many books go too far one way -such as things to use your Kombucha in, or the other way -very basic tips, and do not strike the happy medium that allows the book to be an all around guide. The tea guide was also very detailed and useful -talking about types of blends you should and should not use, and acceptable quantities before they become too much for the balanced of the Kombucha, The sugar guide was equally as useful; as was the equipment guide, as I now know I should not have used that cheesecloth as a cover when in a pinch (allows contaminates to get in your brew). For me the advanced guide was so helpful -how to flavor, as we are currently experimenting with secondary fermentation using cascade hobs, and carbonation, as striking that right balance has been an admitted challenge; and other books have simply not been detailed enough, leaving me having to turn to good old Google -this book solves that! The remainder of this book is a guide to flavors one could experiment with, drinks one can use this in -such as cocktails and shrubs -both of which are hands down amazing with the addition of Kombucha! The book ends with more of the Kombucha story; but most usefully a very detailed guide to components of Kombucha, specific health concerns and how the consumption of Kombucha might help; further reading guides and a brew log, which is very useful for new brewers."
"This big (383 page), bold and beautiful book is full of a wealth of first-hand information on all aspects of Kombucha that Hannah and her partner Alex LaGory have curated over their years of involvement with the Kombucha sub-culture. From the history and science of Kombucha to straightforward guidelines on the many aspects of brewing, decanting and flavoring this healthful fermented tea, Hannah and Alex cram an awful lot of really useful information into this book."
"One thing missing from the book is best place to buy it, I found it though. First flavors I did were strawberry lemonade, blueberry lemonade and cherry lemonade."
"I read another review that had my exact mindset when I started brewing my own kombucha: There's plenty of information on the internet, why do I need a book?"
"My kombucha was pretty scary looking, scary enough that I could see other buyers thinking it was covered in mold, but after looking at the pictures in this book, I was able to figure out my kombucha was very yeasty and figure out it was probably due to using too many tea bags when brewing."
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The Blood Sugar Solution: The UltraHealthy Program for Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Feeling Great Now!
In THE BLOOD SUGAR SOLUTION, Dr. Mark Hyman reveals that the secret solution to losing weight and preventing not just diabetes but also heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer is balanced insulin levels. "― Mehmet Oz, MD "With compassion and authority, Dr. Mark Hyman addresses the real driver of overeating, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and more-insulin. Insulin imbalance, the secret killer, robs millions of a rich, joyful, happy life. Dr. Hyman is one of these, and in addition, as a leader in functional medicine, has a unique ability to see past the many adverse effects of a lifestyle at odds with health to the underlying causes both within and all around us. He puts all of these attributes to work for you in The Blood Sugar Solution , providing detailed guidance for both individuals, and the population, to avoid the perils of obesity and chronic disease-and get to health. "Diabesity is not longer a hidden epidemic-it's visually obvious all over North America and the primary driver of ill health and out-of-control healthcare costs. "If you want to be empowered to change your life, lose weight, and get to the bottom of chronic health problems, The Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman will take you all the way there. Drugs are not very effective at preventing the complications of diabetes, including heart disease, blindness, impotence, amputations, and kidney damage. Now, the good news: diabetes is completely preventable and even reversible for most people-- today --simply by changing diet and lifestyle. Let Mark be your guide and your teacher as you create a happy, healthy body filled with sustainable energy and balance.
Reviews
"Dr. Hyman makes a good point in that there are only a handful of things that can go wrong with your physical body. Worse, the implementation of his program is tediously complex and too difficult for me to follow without making a full-time job out of it. Many pages deal with stuff I have no interest in whatsoever and he spends so much time trying to convince you that there is a problem out there with the way most Americans eat. Dr. Hyman might possibly be one of the greatest guys on Earth, but at the same time, he is an incessant hype machine and a master marketer. So basically I just eliminated eating everything except for the vegetables and fruits from my garden, supplemented by meat purchased at the store. What distinguishes the "paleo community," however, is that although there are books written about it, you don't need to buy any of them because all the information you need to know about the diet is free on a variety of websites. One of the more complete websites is Mark's Daily Apple, which explains the diet in detail, in a straight forward, uncomplicated manner. In summary, Dr. Hyman's book for me was complicated and even stressful to try and use as a guide, not to mention expensive if you get his supplements."
"I believe we the consumer need to take some responsibility for our poor quality food supply."
"I haven't bought any supplements from the website, but the information in his books is priceless."
"Excellent book."
"My husband and I changed our diet several years ago and reading this book re-enforced our goal to get and remain healthy. I added a 7” frozen banana, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and doubled the cinnamon to the Healthiest Breakfast smoothie recipe."
"will see how the program works through long term.. so far, has not help my blood sugar level much, since everyone behaves differently."
"Good book would recommend."
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Best Addiction & Recovery

Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself
The healing touchstone of millions, this modern classic by one of America's best-loved and most inspirational authors holds the key to understanding codependency and to unlocking its stultifying hold on your life. In Newsweek magazine, Dr. Drew Pinsky named Melody Beattie's Codependent No More one of the four essential self-help books available today, calling it the "grandaddy of addiction tomes."
Reviews
"not the same as the original."
"Although I have done lots of healing and moving forward already, this opened up new thoughts and ideas to allow me to continue healing and working to better myself."
"Very helpful for people who are dealing with an alcoholic or addicted person in their lives."
"This book was recommended to me by a friend, take your time when reading it the information is worth more than time."
"So many areas were spot on for me!!"
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Best Alternative Medicine

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
“Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society.” —Alexander McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing in this New York Times Science bestseller Trauma is a fact of life. Praise for The Body Keeps the Score “In this inspirational work which seamlessly weaves keen clinical observation, neuroscience, historical analysis, the arts, and personal narrative, Dr. van der Kolk has created an authoritative guide to the effects of trauma, and pathways to recovery. A must read for mental health and other health care professionals, trauma survivors, their loved ones, and those who seek clinical, social, or political solutions to the cycle of trauma and violence in our society.” —Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY “This is an absolutely fascinating and clearly written book by one of the nation’s most experienced physicians in the field of emotional trauma. “Breathtaking in its scope and breadth, The Body Keeps the Score is a seminal work by one of the preeminent pioneers in trauma research and treatment. Van der Kolk, the eminent impresario of trauma treatment, who has spent a career bringing together diverse trauma scientists and clinicians and their ideas, while making his own pivotal contributions, describes what is arguably the most important series of breakthroughs in mental health in the last thirty years. Here we see not only how psychological trauma also breaks connections within the brain, but also between mind and body, and learn about the exciting new approaches that allow people with the severest forms of trauma to put all the parts back together again.” —Norman Doidge, author of The Brain That Changes Itself. “ The Body Keeps the Score articulates new and better therapies for toxic stress based on a deep understanding of the effects of trauma on brain development and attachment systems. Bessel van der Kolk may focus on the body and trauma, but what a mind he must have to have written this book.”. Its deeply empathic, insightful, and compassionate perspective promises to further humanize the treatment of trauma victims, dramatically expand their repertoire of self-regulatory healing practices and therapeutic options, and also stimulate greater creative thinking and research on trauma and its effective treatment. The body does keep the score, and Van der Kolk’s ability to demonstrate this through compelling descriptions of the work of others, his own pioneering trajectory and experience as the field evolved and him along with it, and above all, his discovery of ways to work skillfully with people by bringing mindfulness to the body (as well as to their thoughts and emotions) through yoga, movement, and theater are a wonderful and welcome breath of fresh air and possibility in the therapy world.”. “In The Body Keeps the Score we share the author’s courageous journey into the parallel dissociative worlds of trauma victims and the medical and psychological disciplines that are meant to provide relief. “Bessel van der Kolk is unequaled in his ability to synthesize the stunning developments in the field of psychological trauma over the past few decades. —Ruth A. Lanius, MD, PhD, Harris-Woodman chair in Psyche and Soma, professor of psychiatry, and director PTSD research at the University of Western Ontario; author of The Impact of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease. Interspersed with that narrative are clear and understandable descriptions of the neurobiology of trauma; explanations of the ineffectiveness of traditional approaches to treating trauma; and introductions to the approaches that take patients beneath their cognitive minds to heal the parts of them that remained frozen in the past. “When it comes to understanding the impact of trauma and being able to continue to grow despite overwhelming life experiences, Bessel van der Kolk leads the way in his comprehensive knowledge, clinical courage, and creative strategies to help us heal. Dr. Van der Kolk offer a brilliant synthesis of clinical cases, neuroscience, powerful tools and caring humanity, offering a whole new level of healing for the traumas carried by so many.”. Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., is the founder and medical director of the Trauma Center in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Reviews
"Frankly, nothing really worked until I discovered - and applied - the somatic (body) techniques espoused by van der Kolk, and other luminaries such as Peter Levine, Pat Ogden, and Eugene Gendlin. The only way to ‘communicate’ with this pre-verbal system is through the body, which can signal to the brain stem that it is OK to begin the process of unfreezing the emotional paralysis that has plagued us for decades. UPDATE 2018: One of the treatments that Bessel van der Kolk mentions in his book - MDMA (Ecstasy) - was recently granted ‘Breakthrough Therapy’ status by the FDA for phase 3 trials. This is because the phase 1 and 2 trials were so successful, that nearly 70% of participants no longer had PTSD after just 3 MDMA sessions (most of these participants had suffered PTSD for decades)."
"I believed I could gut it out, that the past was the past and that only weak people needed to talk through their problems. I believed only losers behaved badly as adults due to anything in their childhood or past and that claiming you were affected by any past problem was a crutch to allow you to embrace failure. It's very hard to be kind to people, to focus on your work, to love others when all your power is spent trying to pretend you don't feel like s***. When you see everything you have go away and can only occasionally find the strength to take care of yourself and your business and need others in your life to carry you from time to time (much to your embarrassment) and yet you think you're smart and capable and have no understanding of why you are where you are, life becomes a slog. While I can't attribute every part of my success to this book alone as it takes many things to get where you want to go (mostly you), I can absolutely attest to the power of this book. If you've suffered any sort of major and/or persistent trauma in your life, please buy (and read) this book."
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Best Beauty, Grooming, & Style

Curly Girl - Enhanced Ebook Edition: The Handbook
Created by curly hair evangelist Lorraine Massey—the go-to curl expert featured in Allure , InStyle , Lucky , Seventeen , and The New York Times ; and founder of several curly salons and curly products in New York City— Curly Girl is the surprising bible for the 65 percent of women with naturally curly or wavy hair and a desire to celebrate it. Say no to shampoo, unplug the dryer, and find your inner curl. Celebrate the beauty of curls in a buoyant how-to, manifesto, and curly girl support group all in one.
Reviews
"There is more information than just that in the book, including recipes for home-made hair products and specifics for how to cut and colour curly hair, but that is the skeleton of her approach. Although the hair-cutting information is meant for stylists, when my hair was very long I used it to cut my own hair and gave myself the best haircut I've ever had. Most importantly, she has expanded her system of curl types from three (essentially waves, loose curls and tight curls) to seven different categories (S'wavy, Wavy, Cherub, Botticelli, Corkicelli, Corkscrew, and Fractal or Zizag) and has completely reworked the "African American hair" chapter from the first book (which revealed she had very little experience with black women's hair) to something much more satisfying. Although there is something for everyone, people with different hair types might be frustrated to not be more represented in the book. Similarly, folks who are not new to caring for curly hair might be frustrated that there isn't more information here - while this is great for beginners, there are lots of different techniques and perspectives which can be found on the Naturally Curly website, for example about dew points, hair porosity, hair care ingredients, and styling techniques like "plopping.""
"I can see how a lot of these tips work for other people, especially very curly hair. Navigating the curly hair products has been a lot easier after reading this book, and I think its a good resource for anyone who wants better curls."
"I bought this book on the recommendation of other stylists to learn to better care for the hair of my biracial clients."
"Some of the stories I really related to as I experienced situations similar during my own bad hair days."
"I have very curly hair and I never knew how to treat it."
"After reading the book, I found out that I've been using the wrong type of shampoo/conditioner/styling products. I even used her tips on cutting your own hair and I was surprised at how easy it was."
"Yes love, love,... its my go to book."
"My mom and dad had straight hair, so I really didn't have anyone growing up that had curly hair to help me take care of it. This book has helped me so much to understand why my hair does what it does and what my hair needs."
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Best Counseling & Psychology

The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity
Iconic couples’ therapist and bestselling author of Mating in Captivity Esther Perel returns with a provocative look at relationships through the lens of infidelity. Perel weaves real-life case stories with incisive psychological and cultural analysis in this fast-paced and compelling book. For the past ten years, Perel has traveled the globe and worked with hundreds of couples who have grappled with infidelity. Through examining illicit love from multiple angles, Perel invites readers into an honest, enlightened, and entertaining exploration of modern marriage in its many variations. In The State of Affairs , Perel explores a vast landscape of the adulterous terrain... in a way that’s deeply humane and never preachy.” (NPR’s Guide to 2017’s Greatest Reads). “[Perel] deals with the mess and pain of fractured relationships with searing honesty, astute observations and compassion… If your marriage were in trouble, you’d want her help.” ( Guardian (UK)). “In her opinion, confronting and unearthing the why behind an affair with honesty and courage, can steer a relationship back from brink—possibly towards a place of erotic rediscovery.” (Esquire). Her celebrated TED talks have garnered nearly 20 million views and her international bestseller Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence became a global phenomenon translated into 24 languages.
Reviews
"Maybe it was you or your spouse. I keep finding myself looking back at passages and rethinking the relationships I have seen, the people I have counseled, and understandings or judgments I have had about others, rightly or wrongly. But often our preconceived, worst construction on everything the cheater did, stands in the way of ever finding the ability to forgive the person, or see them as human, even when we pay lip service to forgiveness. Esther, brings in real people, real situations, with pseudonyms, and their real thoughts and feelings."
"I started following Esther Perel's work years ago when she did a riveting TEDtalk about infidelity & she authored a fascinating book called MATING IN CAPTIVITY. Both captivated me --not just because it's a titillating topic or because we were finally getting access to the underbelly of relationships that nobody openly discusses-- but because her work is full of human truths. About desire, love, the often inconvenient construct of marriage, egos, the secret longings people hide. Her work lets reality finally breathe.... uncloaked, so we can learn from it vs getting continually stuck in judgment. Without meaning to, she may have written the first guidebook to having healthier relationships (with ourselves and others) in the REAL world, because she tells us the actual state of affairs, not that Face-tuned version."
"I'm not sure I would have had the same appreciation of it had I not gone through my personal experience, but I still think this could be a great book for couples to read together, even as part of pre-marriage counseling or marriage therapy."
"Writing in a very readable format, she also looks at the causative factors in considerable depth providing greater insight into the behavior of the unfaithful partner."
"I picked up this book after listening to the podcast."
"I can't even begin to give this book the plaudits it deserves."
"Very unique and enlightening book!"
"A wonderful listening experience on Audible.com."
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Best Death & Grief

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
#1 New York Times Best Seller. Named a Best Book of 2017 by Barnes & Noble and Amazon From Facebook’s COO and Wharton’s top-rated professor, the #1 New York Times best-selling authors of Lean In and Originals: a powerful, inspiring, and practical book about building resilience and moving forward after life’s inevitable setbacks. “I was in ‘the void,’” she writes, “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” Her friend Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton, told her there are concrete steps people can take to recover and rebound from life-shattering experiences. Beginning with the gut-wrenching moment when she finds her husband, Dave Goldberg, collapsed on a gym floor, Sheryl opens up her heart—and her journal—to describe the acute grief and isolation she felt in the wake of his death. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. An Amazon Best Book of April 2017: After the unexpected passing of her beloved husband, Facebook COO and bestselling author of Lean In , Sheryl Sandberg, feared that she and her children would never find joy again. Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy --co-authored with psychologist and friend Adam Grant--shows you how Sandberg, and many others who have overcome a wide range of profound hardships, triumphed over tragedy. The book posits that it’s helpful to think of resilience like a muscle, one that atrophies in the calm between the storms of our lives. Option B reveals an aspect of Sandberg’s character—her impulse to be helpful. Helpful, moving.” —Caitlin Flanagan, The New York Times “The overwhelming message of this book is: We’re a lot more resilient than we think we are. Her deeply personal book is more than memoir; interspersed with devastating scenes are equally powerful strategies for coping when your world has gone tilt.” —Tracy Grant, The Washington Post. None of us can escape sadness, loss, or life’s disappointments, so the best option is to find our Option B.” — Malala Yousafzai , Nobel Peace Prize winner. “ Option B is as hopeful as it is heartbreaking. This incredible book doesn’t avoid the loss and tragedy we all sometimes encounter, but it is animated by a resolve that is both inspiring and instructive.” — Bryan Stevenson , author of Just Mercy and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. “Illuminating, original, and deeply inspiring, Option B is one part riveting memoir, one part heal-your-heart boot camp, one part stories of others who learned to thrive in the face of profound loss: a practical, vital contribution to the literature on loss and resilience.” — Cheryl Strayed , author of Wild “Like her debut volume, Sandberg’s Option B is an optimistic book, even if one riven with sorrow. She argues that after adversity and loss, there is an opportunity for ‘post-traumatic growth.’ Thus the book is in part a moving memoir.” —Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker “Sandberg’s new book is tough, full of the raw, painful emotions . Within Option B there are lessons for leaders who want to make organizations more resilient, help employees recover from a loss—or crisis—and create workplaces that are more prepared to deal with failure.” —Jena McGregor, The Los Angeles Times “Admirably honest, optimistic . At its core the book helps those who have been felled by despair: a guide both for those who have directly suffered loss and for those who are close to people who have.” — The Economist “Though it was inspired by a deeply personal tragedy, Option B details Sandberg’s experience and the topic of resilience more broadly, and is filled with insight that is useful for anyone overcoming loss or failure.” —Brad Stulberg, New York Magazine “Science of Us” “Being among the most powerful women in the world didn’t spare Sheryl Sandberg from the sudden death of her husband, not quite two years ago. Sandberg writes how she created new rituals, such as taking a moment at dinner each evening to express gratitude for something positive that day, and declaring ‘small wins.’ Day by day, the book says, these small victories can become building blocks to a return to emotional equanimity.” —Diane Cole, The Wall Street Journal “ Option B tackles a universal subject, and offers up a path to happiness based not on fantasies of immortality but on the reality of the sorrow of life itself . Finding growth and ultimately joy is the project of Option B. Sandberg makes a point of emphasizing this aspect.” —Emily Peck, The Huffington Post. “ Option B chronicles Sandberg’s devastating loss, her grief and how she emerged from it with a new perspective on life. The most affecting parts of the book recount not just Sandberg's grief, but that of her children . “Sandberg is helping people find resilience and meaning in the face of adversity. “Helpful and hopeful Sandberg draws on her own pain around the sudden death of her husband, and shares what she has learned about resilience with a tone that is raw and candid.
Reviews
"I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor, part-time teacher at Colorado Christian University, and published author. I live in the Columbine neighborhood and worked with police and firefighters at Ground Zero so healing from trauma is of huge interest to me. Following a traumatic experience, most people experience a range of problems: Trouble sleeping, nightmares, agitation, flashbacks, emotional numbness, avoiding reminders of the traumatic event, anxiety, anger, guilt, hyper-vigilance, depression, isolation, suicidal tendencies, etc. Strange as it may sound, half of all sufferers emerge from the trauma stronger, more focused, and with a new perspective on their future. Sometimes the changes are small (life has more meaning, or the survivor feels closer to loved ones) and other times they are massive, sending people on new career paths. Just this morning a blog reader wrote to me and said she feels stuck because of her father's suicide many years ago."
"Later chapters on raising resilient kids and failing at work provide some good recommendations for building resilience, but it’s unclear to me what that kind of resilience has to do with helping people bear the intense emotions of grief and trauma. As a person who was suddenly widowed 25 years ago, when my son was an infant; and as a psychotherapist who has helped people with grief and trauma for over 20 years, I’m horrified and insulted by the way Grant misapplies to grief and trauma his business-based positive-psychology strategies—strategies that are intended to help people with performance anxiety, not mortal suffering. I know from experience that untimely loss is brutal, and I don’t fault Sandberg for submitting to Grant’s insistence that she follow his prescriptive exercises, especially because he frightens her by telling her that if she continues to feel her painful feelings, she’ll be “trapped” in negative emotion and her children “won’t recover.” Of course she wants her kids to be okay. Emotion science clearly shows that when we are plunged into intense emotional states such as grief, we need to feel understood and we need to be helped to express our emotions in a way that doesn’t overwhelm us. I’ve already seen clients having normal grief responses who feel ashamed and afraid of their own emotions when they compare themselves to Sandberg. I’m angry that Option B is turning resilience into a new hurtful grief myth that grievers have to fight against in order to heal, a myth that makes grievers feel ashamed and frightened if they can’t bounce back immediately, and if they don’t feel like prematurely striving toward joy when they’re honorably slogging through toward real healing."
"I do not know how I would have afforded to bring his body home from a vacation in Mexico, his graveside service was $12,000, which will be paid off in 10 years. I appreciate that she has worked hard, but her journey is not even close to what many of us have, we will loose our home, and our families cannot just come out for a month, we have to take care of our own children."
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Best Diets & Weight Loss

The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended
In The Complete Guide to Fasting he has teamed up with international bestselling author and veteran health podcaster Jimmy Moore to explain what fasting is really about, why it's so important, and how to fast in a way that improves health. why fasting is actually good for health who can benefit from fasting (and who won't) the history of fasting the various ways to fast: intermittent, alternate-day, and extended fasting what to expect when starting to fast how to track progress while fasting the weight loss effects of fasting how to ward off potential negative effects from fasting. Dr. Jason Fung earned his medical degree at the University of Toronto, where he also completed his internal medicine residency before heading to UCLA for a fellowship in nephrology (a branch of medicine concerned with the kidneys). In response, he founded the Intensive Dietary Management program (intensivedietarymanagement.com) to provide a unique treatment focus for type 2 diabetes and obesity that promotes simple yet effective dietary changes rather than focusing on medications.
Reviews
"After having limited success with the whole field of dieting options I stumbled across a talk on youtube by Dr Jason Fung talking about fasting. The concept initially terrified me for some reason and when talking to friends who fasted I just shook my head and though there is no way I could do that. Well after a 6 days of doing this, I lost 10 lbs (40 to go) and realized that what I thought was breakfast or lunchtime hunger was just my body reminding me of a long held habit of eating I have had. And if I am fasting one day, and my friends invite me over for breakfast, or lunch no problem I will forget about fasting that day or have breakfast, but forget about lunch. Basically you are eating less food when only eating once per day. You just have to forget about everything you have ever been taught or thought you knew about eating."
"I currently practice a daily intermittent fasting routine with a 16 hour fast, and an 8 hour feeding window."
"Dr. Fung's blog at his Intensive Dietary Management clinic and his videos on the Diet Doctor provided more information about fasting, and this new book incorporates a lot of that material. The Complete Guide to Fasting is well organized, and expands on the topics he's been writing about the last few years, providing detailed practical advice for safely getting started with fasting, from intermittent (as few as twelve hours) to extended (1+ weeks). The book features comments from other fasting advocates, and stories from people whose lives have been bettered by therapeutic fasting. You'll even get some recipes, because a book on fasting also spends some pages explaining how to maximize your results between fasts, and that means eating healthy and satisfying food."
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Best Diseases & Physical Ailments

Medical Medium Thyroid Healing: The Truth behind Hashimoto's, Graves', Insomnia, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid Nodules & Epstein-Barr
Across age groups, from baby boomers and their parents to millennials and even children, more and more people—women especially—are hearing that their thyroids are to blame for their fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, memory issues, aches and pains, tingles and numbness, insomnia, hair loss, hot flashes, sensitivity to cold, constipation, bloating, anxiety, depression, heart palpitations, loss of libido, restless legs, and more. It’s something much more pervasive in the body, something invasive, that’s responsible for the laundry list of symptoms and conditions attributed to thyroid disease. “While there is most definitely an element of otherworldly mystery to the work he does, much of what Anthony William shines a spotlight on—particularly around autoimmune disease—feels inherently right and true. and star of Dawson’s Creek, and Kimberly Van Der Beek, public speaker and activist. “My family and friends have been the recipients of Anthony’s inspired gift of healing, and we’ve benefited more than I can express with rejuvenated physical and mental health.”. “Anthony William is one of those rare individuals who uses his gifts to help people rise up to meet their full potential by becoming their own best health advocates . Anthony William is the real deal, and the gravity of the information he shares through Spirit is priceless and empowering and much needed in this day and age!”. His book is truly ‘wisdom of the future,’ so already now, miraculously, we have the clear, accurate explanation of the many mysterious illnesses that the ancient Buddhist medical texts predicted would afflict us in this era when over-clever people have tampered with the elements of life in the pursuit of profit.”. — Robert Thurman, Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Columbia University; President, Tibet House US; best-selling author of Man of Peace, Love Your Enemies, and Inner Revolution; host of Bob Thurman Podcast. — David James Elliott, Camera Store, Scorpion, Trumbo, Mad Men, CSI: NY; star for ten years of CBS’s JAG. “Anthony William is the gifted Medical Medium who has very real and not-so-radical solutions to the mysterious conditions that affect us all in our modern world. I am beyond thrilled to know him personally and count him as a most valuable resource for my health protocols and those for my entire family.”. — Annabeth Gish, Halt and Catch Fire, Scandal, Pretty Little Liars, The West Wing, Mystic Pizza. “Anthony William has devoted his life to helping people with information that has truly made a substantial difference in the lives of many.”. Through Anthony’s work, I realized the residual Epstein-Barr left over from a childhood illness was sabotaging my health years later. “In this world of confusion, with constant noise in the health and wellness field, I rely on Anthony’s profound authenticity. “My recovery from a traumatic spinal crisis several years ago had been steady, but I was still experiencing muscle weakness, a tapped-out nervous system, as well as extra weight. A dear friend called me one evening and strongly recommended I read the book Medical Medium by Anthony William. My weight has dropped healthily, I can enjoy bike-riding and yoga, I’m back in the gym, I have steady energy, and I sleep deeply. Nothing made this fact so clear to me as seeing him work with an old friend who had been struggling for years with illness, brain fog, and fatigue. “Twelve hours after receiving a heaping dose of self-confidence masterfully administered by Anthony, the persistent ringing in my ears of the last year . — Mike Dooley, New York Times best-selling author of From Deep Space with Love and Infinite Possibilities, scribe of Notes from the Universe. “Anthony William is the Edgar Cayce of our time, reading the body with outstanding precision and insight. — Ann Louise Gittleman, New York Times best-selling author of over 30 books on health and healing and creator of the highly popular Fat Flush detox and diet plan. Some of Anthony’s clients spent over $1 million seeking help for their ‘mystery illness’ until they finally discovered him.”. — Richard Sollazzo, M.D., New York board-certified oncologist, hematologist, nutritionist, and anti-aging expert and author of Balance Your Health. This kind, sweet, hilarious, self-effacing, and generous man—also so ‘otherworldly’ and so extraordinarily gifted, with an ability that defies how we see the world—has shocked even me, a medium! — Caroline Leavitt, New York Times best-selling author of The Kids’ Family Tree Book, Cruel Beautiful World, Is This Tomorrow, and Pictures of You. Holding my head heavy in my hands, sobbing uncontrollably at the kitchen table, not knowing which way to turn, I realized I had finally hit a wall. Through the streaming tears and heaving sobs, I whispered what I vowed never to do: ‘I give up.’ I have nothing left in knowing what is next, I pleaded to the darkness. Since then, it had been five months of consistent doctor visits, herbs and supplements, acupuncture and energetic healing work, hypnotherapy and homeopathy, psychology, medical tests and procedures, paperwork and phone calls, lab tests and consultations, medicine and vitamins, more tests, and numerous ER visits in snowstorms—all leading to a dead end and no hope in sight, with my son’s condition only slowly worsening over time. I was exhausted physically and emotionally, broken down by the relentlessness of my son’s undiagnosable stomach pain and no hope for healing. “Then, the answer to my prayer arrived through a text from my mother explaining she had found someone who I should check out named Anthony William. Anthony William knew what was ailing my son within the first three minutes of our phone conversation, explaining that Calvin had a mutated shingles virus inflaming his vagus nerve. This explained the nerve pain and the lack of physical evidence in any blood work or other existing diagnostic tools. He was available to me when I needed him for follow-up calls (even in the middle of the night), emotional support, and as my cheerleader to keep me going as Calvin recovered. “It is clear how deeply committed Anthony is to his work in serving others in order that they may have the possibility to lead healthy, vibrant lives. “In 2015, my previously healthy five-year-old daughter started to develop neurological issues such as wobbly legs, frequent falls, an inability to walk when going from sitting to standing, general weakness, and decreased strength. Being a nurse for ten years and my medical community not providing me answers about why my daughter was getting worse was a hard pill to swallow. After visiting multiple doctors in several different states without any answers except ‘asthma’ and medications to treat the asthmatic symptoms, I was fortunate enough to have a session with Anthony William where he gave me specific information about the source of my son’s problems as well as holistic ways in which to repair them. It is hard to express the gratitude I feel toward Anthony William for his invaluable insight that directly led to my son’s amazing recovery into the teenager I always hoped he could be—active, healthy, happy, and enjoying life with a smile on his face and boundless energy!”.
Reviews
"Reading Anthony William's books and using the treasure trove of information contained within is the single most impactful thing I have ever done in my life, and for my health and well-being. I have healed illnesses that all the doctors could do is shrug their shoulders and hand me pills, along with the statement, "There's nothing we can really do for you". Anthony William is the only person who has ever given any true answers, and any infmation that actually helped me to heal the ROOT cause of my illnesses. That's the short version of my story - this information works because it is true, pure and untampered with. If you want the long version of my story, it's below: I have about a page of diagnoses that it took years of searching to get before I finally found Anthony William's book. I'll list some of them: Fibromyalgia, Mast Cell Activation Disorder, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Hypothyroid, PCOS, Migraines, PTSD, Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Dysautonomia/POTS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Sleep Apnea,....there are more diagnoses, but that's enough, you get the picture, right? I was homebound for almost a year because I was essentially allergic to the world and would react to all kinds of things wherever I went. I was unable to prepare food, or do dishes or laundry or keep my house clean. I had homeschooled my son and was unable to do that anymore - the only time I left my house was for doctors' appointments, and I had to always be driven by my husband because I had lost the ability to drive a car. I had less than zero energy, I felt horrible all the time, I was in terrible all over body pain and had crazy brain fog. I ate what I believed to be SO cleanly - all organic, grassfed, free-range meats and eggs, no grains or dairy, no nightshades, autoimmune paleo, low FODMAP. But he also worked 40 hours a week, took care of our son, made our food, did all of the grocery shopping and other errands, took care of the house and 1.5 acre yard, was getting our house ready to sell - I had zero idea how I was going to do this cleanse, how I could possibly pull it off with no energy to make any food. My energy was highest (I use that term very loosely) in the morning, so okay, let's see if I can manage to make some celery juice. At the time I only had a Vitamix, no juicer, so I used that and a tiny bit of water to blend the celery, then strained it through a nut milk bag. And still surprisingly, I had enough energy that day to make myself a morning smoothie after the celery juice. It went on like that as I did the cleanse - by Day 3 I began to blog it, because it was a freaking miracle happening to me, I couldn't believe it. But I got into the groove eventually, and the last week of the cleanse I did add in cooked potato to slow down the detox a bit. One day I realized I'd forgotten to call in my Low Dose Naltrexone prescription, because I no longer needed it to take the edge off the pain! My EDS symptoms like constant subluxations and pain - G. O. N. E. I can hardly believe how much has healed. My rosacea is healing, a raised mole I had completely disappeared, and listen, my friends, this is not just me I am talking about - I am by no means an anomaly here. I"m happy to answer any real questions you have about this work, but if you're on the fence and wondering if you should buy this (and the other two books) and if you can heal?"
"When it comes to my health, I always want to know and heal the ROOT cause of a problem. Since finding Anthony William and the Medical Medium books 6 months ago, I’ve had thousands of “Aha!” moments, moments when I both realized the accurate root cause of a health struggle or repeated symptom, and exactly what I can do to heal it myself, and in the most efficient way possible. Since finding these books, I’ve experienced better and better health every month. I haven’t finished it yet, so I’ll update the review soon, but already this book has masive amounts of new empowering, clear, and accurate information on the why and how of so many symptoms/illnesses, and what the heck to do for outstanding health and freedom from disease and health challenges. It also has more in-depth healing protocols (with new 90-day healing plans), it addresses how to adjust if you are sensitive to detoxing too fast, and wonderful recipes for making delicious healing foods for the whole family."
"I just wanted to share my healing story for all those who are out there and considering whether they should buy this book or not. For the past 25 years I went to every doctor for my Fibromyalgia, Low thyroid, Pain, Brain Fog, Tremors, Dizziness, cold all the time, severe depression, weight gain. If you have any kind of thyroid problem then this book is your only answer, it’s the only truth out there."
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Best Exercise & Fitness

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands. Above all, he recalls the foundational relationships that formed the heart and soul of Nike, with his former track coach, the irascible and charismatic Bill Bowerman, and with his first employees, a ragtag group of misfits and savants who quickly became a band of swoosh-crazed brothers. It’s an amazing tale.”— Bill Gates, one of his favorite books of 2016 “ Shoe Dog is a great American story about luck, grit, know how, and the magic alchemy of a handful of eccentric characters who came together to build Nike. That it happened at all is a miracle, because as I learned from this book, though we are a nation that extols free enterprise, we also excel at thwarting it. I’ve worn the gear, with pride, but I didn’t realize the remarkable saga of innovation and survival and triumph that stood behind every swoosh. " Shoe Dog is an extraordinary hero's journey, an epic tale of faith, unparalleled determination, excellence, failure, triumph, hard earned wisdom, and love. Phil Knight takes us back to the Big Bang of the swoosh, recalls how he first begged and borrowed from reluctant banks, how he assembled a crew of eccentric but brilliant misfits, how they all worked together to build something unique and paradigm changing. "A fresh historical prospective on one of the most profiled companies in the world...[ Shoe Dog ] builds characters of the people behind the brand, many of whom we've never heard of." As Knight collects the misfits and oddballs who become the core of his growing company, Shoe Dog is more like The Lord of the Rings than a typical mogul memoir." As a business biography, it ranks with such recent works as Neal Gabler’s Disney and Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs . But as a personal memoir Shoe Dog reaches a depth of emotional honesty that even the best biographies haven’t touched." “A fascinating warts and all account of the company’s early years, a rascally tale of scrappiness and survival, a great read .
Reviews
"To put it bluntly, they are “crap between covers.” There are very few business memoirs that are even good, since most of them make the person writing the memoir seem like a business savant who always knew the right answers and knew things would come out right. Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog: A Memoir by The Creator of Nike is a great business memoir. This will be a great read for anybody, but if you’re thinking about starting a business, especially a business that you expect to grow, this book belongs on your must-read list. If you start a business and that business starts to grow, you are funding the process out ahead of your cash flow. But if you’re in business, and especially if you’re starting a business and wanting to make it grow, this book should be on your must-read list. If you want some seasoned advice to help you run and grow your company, or if you just want to read a great business memoir, pick up a copy of Shoe Dog: A Memoir by The Creator of Nike."
"The author also demonstrates the importance of creative individuals to a organization, perseverance of management, and the importance of having a passionate knowledge of the product as well as market contacts with which to ensure growth."
"The last chapter sums everything together and is beautifully descriptive as it bridges and incorporates the old and new, the people who made the biggest impact to NIKE and what they are doing now.."
"Phil Knight tells his story and the story of Nike’s rise – from his earliest travels to Japan, to the company’s first stirrings in 1972 to its IPO in 1980."
"Phil Knight is an amazing CEO and he shares his many challenges and credits his crew for his many successes."
"This is a must read for any aspiring entrepreneur, not because of any technical content, but because Knight's outlook on life and business is so refreshing."
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Best Nutrition

How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease
The vast majority of premature deaths can be prevented through simple changes in diet and lifestyle. In How Not to Die , Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America-heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson's, high blood pressure, and more-and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives. In addition to showing what to eat to help treat the top fifteen causes of death, How Not to Die includes Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen -a checklist of the twelve foods we should consume every day.Full of practical, actionable advice and surprising, cutting edge nutritional science, these doctor's orders are just what we need to live longer, healthier lives. Dr. Michael Greger presents the groundbreaking science onhow simple plant-based food choices help us live healthier and happier lives.Dr. Greger describes which foods to eat to prevent the leading causes ofdisease-related death and shows how a diet based on fruits, vegetables, tubers,whole grains, and legumes might even save your life." Not onlydoes Dr. Michael Greger drop a metric f*ckton of evidence that a plant-baseddiet will save your damn life, he lays out the blueprint to make it happen. "Finally a physician has pulled together the latest scientific studies onhow to fight disease and prolong life. Gerger also offers upfriendly tips, like his favorite smoothie recipe and a turmeric tutorial.Follow his advice and you may not live forever, but you'll almost certainlylive a healthier life." Dr Gregertends to rely on the gold standard of medical research randomised controlledtrials rather than the latest fads. Michael Greger, MD , is a physician, author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety and public health issues. He runs the popular website NutritionFacts.org, a nonprofit, science-based public service providing free daily videos and articles on the latest in nutrition research. Dr. Greger also proudly serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States.
Reviews
"I bought this book in January 2016, after hearing an interview with Dr. Greger on a podcast. At first I found it hard to read, but not because it difficult or confusing, but because it was changing everything I thought I knew about food. By May 2016 I was miserable with my rash and still sitting at 204 lbs, despite my healthy lifestyle and consuming 1500 calories a day."
"for the person that wants to dig deeper, but in a style that has become uniquely his, Dr Greger uses quoted language from the papers to give an unitimidating explanation of the science contained within. He stands almost alone in a mass media that can't seem to get past the catchy titles, abstracts, and carefully worded, often misleading conclusions. The first 15 chapters (how not to die from..cancers, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, etc..) are arranged based on easy to recognize conditions and though they are related can be read completely independent from one another. The book doesn't follow a chronology, so I found myself flipping through an early review copy reading small sections at a time. He doesn't give in to gluten or coconut oil just because it is popular or profitable and while some might find it frustrating, he sticks to the entire body of evidence not the latest single study. Finally, his "Daily Dozen" is a great place to begin implementing the message of bountiful health he enjoys teaching to anyone that will listen. In spite of all the economic momentum for more profitable and popular food, each year hundreds of articles surface on the benefits of adding more plant-based nutrition to one's diet for health and Dr Michael Greger seems to find them all."
"For the same price that would get me a week in the Caribbean sun, lying on deck of a cruise ship drinking margaritas, listening to reggae music and watching the waves go by, I was going to get a lighted probe stuck up my butt. The closer we stick to that, the healthier we become, and the more our bodies revert to their natural state of robust health rather than the sickly, wimpy physiques resulting from the Standard American Diet (SAD). The books' greatest strength is the thorough and objective research combined with Dr. Greger's ability to break complex and extensive information down into a language that even those of us artsy types who tried to dodge science in school can understand."
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Best Personal Health

How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease
The vast majority of premature deaths can be prevented through simple changes in diet and lifestyle. In How Not to Die , Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America-heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson's, high blood pressure, and more-and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives. In addition to showing what to eat to help treat the top fifteen causes of death, How Not to Die includes Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen -a checklist of the twelve foods we should consume every day.Full of practical, actionable advice and surprising, cutting edge nutritional science, these doctor's orders are just what we need to live longer, healthier lives. Dr. Michael Greger presents the groundbreaking science onhow simple plant-based food choices help us live healthier and happier lives.Dr. Greger describes which foods to eat to prevent the leading causes ofdisease-related death and shows how a diet based on fruits, vegetables, tubers,whole grains, and legumes might even save your life." Not onlydoes Dr. Michael Greger drop a metric f*ckton of evidence that a plant-baseddiet will save your damn life, he lays out the blueprint to make it happen. "Finally a physician has pulled together the latest scientific studies onhow to fight disease and prolong life. Gerger also offers upfriendly tips, like his favorite smoothie recipe and a turmeric tutorial.Follow his advice and you may not live forever, but you'll almost certainlylive a healthier life." Dr Gregertends to rely on the gold standard of medical research randomised controlledtrials rather than the latest fads. Michael Greger, MD , is a physician, author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety and public health issues. He runs the popular website NutritionFacts.org, a nonprofit, science-based public service providing free daily videos and articles on the latest in nutrition research. Dr. Greger also proudly serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States.
Reviews
"I bought this book in January 2016, after hearing an interview with Dr. Greger on a podcast. At first I found it hard to read, but not because it difficult or confusing, but because it was changing everything I thought I knew about food. By May 2016 I was miserable with my rash and still sitting at 204 lbs, despite my healthy lifestyle and consuming 1500 calories a day."
"for the person that wants to dig deeper, but in a style that has become uniquely his, Dr Greger uses quoted language from the papers to give an unitimidating explanation of the science contained within. He stands almost alone in a mass media that can't seem to get past the catchy titles, abstracts, and carefully worded, often misleading conclusions. The first 15 chapters (how not to die from..cancers, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, etc..) are arranged based on easy to recognize conditions and though they are related can be read completely independent from one another. The book doesn't follow a chronology, so I found myself flipping through an early review copy reading small sections at a time. He doesn't give in to gluten or coconut oil just because it is popular or profitable and while some might find it frustrating, he sticks to the entire body of evidence not the latest single study. Finally, his "Daily Dozen" is a great place to begin implementing the message of bountiful health he enjoys teaching to anyone that will listen. In spite of all the economic momentum for more profitable and popular food, each year hundreds of articles surface on the benefits of adding more plant-based nutrition to one's diet for health and Dr Michael Greger seems to find them all."
"For the same price that would get me a week in the Caribbean sun, lying on deck of a cruise ship drinking margaritas, listening to reggae music and watching the waves go by, I was going to get a lighted probe stuck up my butt. The closer we stick to that, the healthier we become, and the more our bodies revert to their natural state of robust health rather than the sickly, wimpy physiques resulting from the Standard American Diet (SAD). The books' greatest strength is the thorough and objective research combined with Dr. Greger's ability to break complex and extensive information down into a language that even those of us artsy types who tried to dodge science in school can understand."
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Best Health Reference

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth: Updated With New Material
• Common methods of inducing labor--and which to avoid at all costs. • Tips for maximizing your chances of an unmedicated labor and birth. • How to avoid postpartum bleeding--and depression. • The risks of anesthesia and cesareans--what your doctor. doesn’t necessarily tell you. • The best ways to work with doctors and/or birth care providers. • How to create a safe, comfortable environment for. birth in any setting, including a hospital. • And much more. Founding member and former president of the Midwives Alliance of North America and author of Spiritual Midwivery, Gaskin offers encouragement and practical advice in her upbeat and informative book on natural childbirth. The second half of Gaskin's book deals with the practical side of natural birthing, including how to avoid standard medical interventions such as epidurals, episiotomies and even prenatal amniocentesis that may be unnecessary, even dangerous, to mother or child. By focusing on how women of ancient civilizations and other modern peoples give birth, Gaskin puts our own hypersensitivities in perspective, uncovering a beautiful, sometimes orgasmic experience rather than a dreadful, painful one.
Reviews
"She is, in fact, the only midwife to have a medically-recognized procedure named for her (The Gaskin Maneuver, a technique used to resolve shoulder dystocia). In the early-‘70s, Gaskin, her husband, and some friends started a commune in rural Tennessee called The Farm. The intentional community brought together non-violent, vegetarian, spiritual people bound by a “shared psychedelic vision.”. The Farm is now well known for its midwifery practice (one of the first out-of-hospital birthing centers in the U.S.). The first part is a selection of birth stories, told in first person by mothers who delivered at The Farm. Gaskin condones unmedicated births (unless intervention is medically necessary), and her practices and advice strongly reflect that bent. I visualized my yoni as a big, open cave beneath the surface of the ocean, with huge, surging currents sweeping in an out. As the wave of water rushed into my cave, my contraction would grow and swell and fill, reach a full peak, then ebb smoothly back out. Here’s her description: "I wanted to connect deeply with her and share my recent experience to help her relax and open. The thought of one of my BFFs coming to be with me during labor, stripping down, and telling me about her oceanic “yoni” while I’m having contractions is, frankly, laughable. There are drawings (and some very graphic photographs) of birthing positions that use gravity and various other techniques to help get that baby out without the necessity of forceps or vacuum extractors (or c-section, for that matter). There is lots of discussion on “Sphincter Law,” the “set of basic assumptions about birth” that Gaskin and her partners follow: 1) sphincters (excretory, vaginal, and cervical) work best in private, 2) they can’t be opened at will and don’t respond well to commands (like “Push!!"
"Amazing birth stores, but Ina May provides real science coupled with her extensive midwifery experience to bring a very informative perspective on childbirth."
"The first half (ish) of the book is simply uplifting, encouraging stories from real women about their own successful home births."
"This was a beautiful book that helped me feel ready for a natural birth."
"This is by far the best book I have read about birth!"
"I would recommend this book to anyone interested in natural birth."
"I am looking forward to applying these methods fully and hoping for a healthy natural childbirth the second time around."
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Best Healthy Relationships

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts
Whether your relationship is flourishing or failing, Dr. Gary Chapman’s proven approach to showing and receiving love will help you experience deeper and richer levels of intimacy with your partner—starting today. Updated to reflect the complexities of relationships today, this new edition reveals intrinsic truths and applies relevant, actionable wisdom in ways that work. While working as a marriage counselor for more than 30 years, he identified five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. Gifts are highly important to one spouse, while another sees fixing a leaky faucet, ironing a shirt, or cooking a meal as filling their "love tank." "In this unabridged recording of material the author has been perfecting for years, he says that people experience love most strongly through one of five love languages--quality time, words of encouragement, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Without making light of the work a marriage requires, he'll convince most listeners that with just a little planning and effort they can make a good marriage great and a broken partnership truly satisfying again."
Reviews
"I was once asked to read this book by the only person in the world I love.....I refused. It's not a good feeling as a man to agree to read a book on relationships because you feel like you're putting everything into the authors hands.....and what if he "doesn't understand" or what if the advice doesn't apply to us.....what if it makes things worse between us because he advises things we don't believe in.....no....I'm not reading that I told her. I thought no matter what we would always figure each other out and we would be ok......I didn't see being asked to read this book , was a cry out from the woman I love hitting a boiling point and her attempt to communicate to me in a different way......the same things she's been trying to for a long time..... Instead of being some guys opinions or......typical shrink talk that in no way could apply to each specific relationship.......I found it to be a book that opens up the mind to the understanding of love.....and how it is not this one universal "language" we all feel we should be the same with.....I once told her...."nobody taught me how to love, I'm growing....learning".....I pleased with her to understand I love her.......we simply didn't have an understanding of how and why we didnt approach love the exact same way as each other.....only makes sense that it should be the same right? I will just end it like this..... last night I took a stretch that I have been doing for over 2 years and I changed it in a slightly different way....... a lot of the pain I normally get daily is gone....... just to put a spotlight on that sentence .....I'm saying that what I had been doing for so long..... trying to cure one of the biggest problems in my life that hadnt been working............that I continued doing........ believing in and depending on.... to be my much needed answer.......It wasn't until I allowed the idea of the same stretch applied in a different way, that I ALLOWED life to be better for me. You have to go into the book with an open mind because if you do it with the mindset of wanting it to say what it is that you want to hear.....then you can never let the life-changing words happen.......you're learning a language as you read...not what's right and wrong but what was being lost in life. Keep in mind this is a book about the language of love so if you think about when you go to school to learn a different language...you are taking the difficult step of taking time there in order to understand.....be able to take what you understand and apply it.....and be able to communicate in a NEEDED way once you learn....AND THEN USE......communicate and UNDERSTAND eachother."
"My wife and I have 2 small children and our house is hard to stay clean because every room feels like a mess. A big part of improving your relationship with your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend is to sticking with a date night to make sure you have quality time together. My wife and I have been together for 10 years and got stuck in the rut of an endless routine of doing everything we could for our kids, followed by daily chores and left little time for ourselves. Committing to 1 date night a week has really helped our relationship and improved our communication."
"The male libido is very intricate and is based in the brain not in the physical build up as in this quote from the book. "That is, the desire for sexual intercourse is stimulated by the buildup of sperm cells and seminal fluid in the seminal vesicles. Thus, the male’s desire for sexual intercourse has a physical root.""
"Learning what your LOVE language is, is essential to learning whom you should be connected to."
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Best Safety & First Aid

When Violence Is the Answer: Learning How to Do What It Takes When Your Life Is at Stake
But when it is-it's the only answer. Tim Larkin has written a necessary and important book that gives a good hard look at topics - violence, chaos, fighting - that most people don't want to think about. "― Tony Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Unshakeable and Money: Master the Game. He's worked with the very tip of the spear of our military, including units whose missions will never see the light of day. As a former military intelligence officer, he was part of a beta group that redesigned how Special Operations personnel trained for close combat. Over the course of his 25-year career, through his company Target Focus Training (TFT), he has trained more than 10,000 people in more than 50 countries how to deal with imminent violence, including elite combat units, celebrities and high-status executives, law enforcement agencies, and high-net worth families.
Reviews
"Tim’s new book and accompanying videos have added to his target focus training courses to give anyone the ability and the mental weapon to act and attack in a life threatening situation."
"Read the book anyway to learn what can happen."
"Very well written lots of great information on how to handle yourself when situations arrive unexpectedly."
"Really drives home the need to be aware of your surroundings and the need to develop the win mindset when it comes to encountering social and asocial violence."
"Great book and life saving training."
"Tim Larkin is the man."
"Invaluable tools for survival!"
"Tim Larkin shows what goes on in the mind of a perpetrator and a victim and how to counter the perpetrator with proper mind set, knowledge, and mechanics."
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Best Sexuality

The Power of the Pussy - How to Get What You Want From Men: Love, Respect, Commitment and More!: (Dating and Relationship Advice)
Kara King's controversial dating and relationship advice book, "The Power of the Pussy" , shares 12 powerful secrets that will transform any woman into the type of strong, desirable woman that can effortlessly obtain what she wants from men; including the love, respect, and relationship she desires. This book has empowered women and dramatically changed their lives and relationships by changing the way they think about men and dating… and it can change your life too!
Reviews
"I AM A MAN who bought this book as a gift for a female friend who does not have an Amazon account. I read the book because the title caught my eye and because I wanted to determine if the author was on target in terms of defining men, etc. But we men (depending on how full of shit we are) will lie to get some pussy. My advice to all women is that if we act contrary to what we say, something is probably up and we have something (perhaps other girls) on our minds. As I speak among my male friends their biggest problem with women is that they don't tell us what they want clearly enough and as often enough."
"I highly suggest chapter 6 in which the author tells us ladies that we tend to over look the good guys for shallow reasons. The following books should be read as well: Act Like A Lady Think Like A Man by Steve Harvey, Why Men Love Bitches by Sherry Argov. If you feel you need to work on your communication skills with the opposite sex you must read Men are from Mars Women are from Venus by John Gray. I also feel in todays technologically advanced society females are easily available, when access should be limited to the opposite sex. A great book that covers these topics would be Not Your Mothers Rules By Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider. And finally if you feel you have been duped, played, etc you need to look for red flags and this advice goes to both men and women."
"This is another absolute MUST for dating!!"
"It could be great for a girl to read this with their Moms along wit h the talk about the birds and the bees at the start of puberty."
"Great overall life advice as well."
"Ms. King has confirmed by feels i just did not or did not want to put it into words until this book."
"This book was great ."
"Your focus and how you build your life in the midst of someone sincerely pursuing you was key!!!!!"
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Best Sports Health & Safety

League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions, and the Battle for Truth
In a fast-paced narrative that moves between the NFL trenches, America’s research labs and the boardrooms where the NFL went to war against science, League of Denial examines how the league used its power and resources to attack independent scientists and elevate its own flawed research -- a campaign with echoes of Big Tobacco’s fight to deny the connection between smoking and lung cancer. -- Peter King "It is meticulously researched, artfully structured, engaging and well written... this is an informative, intriguing and sobering book about power and control. With his colleague Lance Williams, he co-authored the New York Times best-seller "Game of Shadows -- Barry Bonds, BALCO and the Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional Sports." While covering the Iraq war for the Washington Pos t, he received the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for his investigation into the U.S. military’s reliance on private security contractors.
Reviews
"I write this review as the first wife of a former professional football player (quarterback).While reading League of Denial, I have cried over the stories from the players and their wives. While sitting in the stands with the other football wives I often heard the fans yelling, "Kill the quarterback". Football does not only affect the players but it also affects the families who are involved in this game. I dearly hope that the Canadian Football League players take care of themselves."
"Reading a book featuring the stars of professional football, and the coteries surrounding them is always enjoyable. Many of these people see and believe what profits them (or fans their vanity) The editors of the Journal, Neurosurgery, print unscientific peer-reviewed papers over the objection of the peer reviewers because it greatly increases the circulation to talk about professional athletes, and it assures the major editor of access to the sidelines at Giants games. Equally disturbing - and here I criticize the authors - is the central idea of the expose that the "NFL" has been doing terrible things to its major assets - the players. He is relegated to the sidelines, criticized by all who are pushing to score fame and fortune from the issue of concussions. No, the money the firms had to pay came from all shareholders, not the mangers who made the decisions and took the fraudulent actions. The public needs to see how it is complicit in rewarding poor science, applauding dangerous behavior, and accepting, if not encouraging, corporate America, be it the NFL and its irresponsible spinmeisters, or tobacco, or polluters, etc.."
"I don't care for football, but I do care for fair play."
"Despite the media's coverage of the regrettable behavior of the NFL toward the concussion crisis, my eyes were "wide shut" to the extent of the League's behavior, it's abominable resistance to the truth, its lack of compassion in the face of the facts, its commitment only to profit, its casting a blind eye to the plight of the very men on the backs of whom it rose to such prominence and economic success."
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Best Teen Health

Balancing on Blue: A Thru-Hiking Adventure on the Appalachian Trail
Accompanied by an array of eclectic characters – including a world-champion juggler, a drug dealer, and a sex-starved builder from Minnesota – he takes the reader on a compelling adventure that pushes the limits of both endurance and imagination. During his five months living in the woods, Foskett’s psychological apprehensions are stretched to the limit against the wild elements of nature. His adventure weaves a route through some of America's wildest landscapes and history, and is told with insight, humour and reflection. Amongst the bears, moose and rattlesnakes, climbing to 2000 metres, and countless aches and pains lives the memory of a special journey, the wonderful people who briefly share the experience with you, and the knowledge that lasts long after the final blister has healed. Keith is a perfect walking companion for the ups and downs of the trail – his easy and understated style kept me turning the pages. "This book is for anyone who's ever dreamed about a big adventure, as Fozzie spins a funny, thought-provoking and inspiring tale of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. Keith Foskett has hiked over 10,000 miles in recent years and holds a deep respect for the outdoor spaces of this world.
Reviews
"It would be great if everyone could be gifted with the health and ability to pick up for six or more months to pursue such an epic hike. Some of us venture a mile or so up the trail, up the stairs, out of breath, just to get a glimpse of what the author has the health to accomplish and the skill to write so blithely about. Next time you see the middle-aged "out of shape", overweight woman slowing down your thru-hike, keep in mind this may be her dream to just walk that mile, struggle up those stairs, because injury or illness means that is the best she can do."
"The trail is on my bucket list and this book just made it that much of a stronger "need to do" adventure."
"His descriptions about the people and places are palpable and you can imagine yourself along the trail with them."
"The author has the ability to take you with him on his hike north along the Appalachian trail."
"And it's funny in the same vein as Bryson's work... but different enough that you don't feel like you're reading A Walk in the Woods Part Two or anything of that sort."
"I love to read about the trail and have read many books on it."
"I lost track of who the author was."
"Not up to expected standards."
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Best Happiness

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives. This is a masterful, philosophical and practical book that will give readers the wisdom to be able to do just that.” ( Ryan Holiday, New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy ). “Mark’s ability to dig deep and offer amazing, yet counter-intuitive, insight into the challenges of life makes him one of my favorite writers, and this book is his best work yet.” ( Matt Kepnes, New York Times bestselling author of Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter ). “An in-your-face guide to living with integrity and finding happiness in sometimes-painful places… This book, full of counterintuitive suggestions that often make great sense, is a pleasure to read and worthy of rereading. As he writes, “not everybody can be extraordinary—there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them—this, he says, is the real source of empowerment. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties—once we stop running from and avoiding, and start confronting, painful truths—we can begin to find the courage and confidence we desperately seek.
Reviews
"As someone who has given far too many f***s about far too many things their entire life, this book was exactly the wake up call I needed. We have a limited emotional capacity, and we often squander it on reactions to mean-spirited people or unfortunate events, completely forgetting that, although we can't control the world around us, we can control ourselves. If you're the type of person who's struggled to keep their temper in line or if you're like me and you find yourself on an emotional roller-coaster because you take every event in the world and within your own life to heart, I strongly encourage you to read this book. If profanity is so much of a problem for you, that you can't tolerate reading the first half of this book (the last half is much less profane) you're probably too narrow-minded to have taken away any of the many philosophical benefits this book offers."
"If you don't have anything substantive to occupy your time, then it's trivial stuff that bothers you: "Your ex-boyfriend’s new Facebook picture, how quickly the batteries die in the TV remote, missing out on yet another two-for-one sale on hand sanitizer—chances are you don’t have much going on in your life..." Mark suggests just picking a few big things--values and people that reflect your values: "What I’m talking about here is essentially learning how to focus and prioritize your thoughts effectively—how to pick and choose what matters to you and what does not matter to you based on finely honed personal values." On a serious note, the author relates a horrific experience from his youth, when a drunken friend took a dare, jumped into a lake and drowned. This tragedy led to a determination to change the direction of his life, and figure out what is most important: "Oddly, it was someone else’s death that gave me permission to finally live. The author refers often to a book, "The Denial of Death," (which became a Pulitzer Prize winner.). In serious, heartfelt chapters, the author reflects on human existence, and our search for meaning in life."
"Some of the main themes are these: (1) Choosing what to care about; focusing on the things/problems that are actually meaningful/important (= "giving a f*** about the right things"). (2) Learning to be fine with some negative things; always aiming for positivity isn't practical, and is stressful in itself. (3) Taking responsibility of your own life; it's good for your self-esteem not to keep blaming the circumstances for your problems. (4) Understanding the importance of honesty and boundaries, especially in relationships. (5) Identity; it might a good idea not to commit strongly to any special identity such as "an undiscovered genius", because then any challenges will make you fear the potential loss of that identity you've clinged to. (6) Motivation; how to improve it by accepting failure and taking action. (7) Death; how learning to be more comfortable with one's own mortality can make it easier to live. The first 20% of this book were a little bit boring to read, but after that, the experience was very absorbing."
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