I haven't read David Duchovny's novels, and as a [recovered, snobby, ex-]academic, I've never been impressed by his ABD status...until now. This is thI haven't read David Duchovny's novels, and as a [recovered, snobby, ex-]academic, I've never been impressed by his ABD status...until now. This is the effort of a poet who learned from Harold Bloom and knows how to lean into Milton, reference the Brontes, and still remain committed to a vernacular that pulsates, at times wildly, with a desire to say something beyond the reach of words. Playful yet whipsmart, Duchovny's poetry stands alone (but why not watch a few old X-Files episodes or listen to Bree Sharp's 90s song as a reminder that hecontains multitudes?)....more
Like Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life did for mushrooms and Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees for trees, The Internet of Animals invites reaLike Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life did for mushrooms and Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees for trees, The Internet of Animals invites readers to think about communication and intelligence in ways that subvert a human-centered system of hierarchy. From his initial description of a sea lion sophisticated enough to register complex human interactions to his mapping of birds� “information superhighway,� Wikelski’s sense of wonder comes through on every page, always grounded in his scientific knowledge. He offers deep analyses of animal social networks in order to show readers how much we can discover about our place in the world when we recognize the intelligence of other species� approaches to navigating their physical environments, thereby demonstrating the value of letting go of old paradigms and learning to listen closely to the world around us, whether through satellite systems or a dragonfly in one’s own backyard. ...more
When Jane Goodall blurbs a book about ecology, readers should take note—and Figgener’s new book indeed lives up to Goodall’s praise. The book announceWhen Jane Goodall blurbs a book about ecology, readers should take note—and Figgener’s new book indeed lives up to Goodall’s praise. The book announces itself as an odyssey of sorts, claiming to be a “quest to protect one of the most ancient animals on earth, a journey that begins with a map of the sea turtles� mating grounds before embarking on a journey from the nest “into the world.� Figgener does more than talk about sea turtles� life cycles, habits, and vulnerabilities, though. She incorporates her own reason for studying them and the real faces of other scientists who listen to turtles in a way humanize a field that can seem unavailable to people whose pathways to the STEM field have been historically limited based on gender, race, class, ethnicity, and other barriers. Accessible enough to inspire everyday activists and animal lovers yet augmented with scientific information, the book will surely inspire people to consider what small actions they can take to protect sea turtles—and will undoubtedly inspire more than a few people to follow Figgener’s lead in becoming sea turtle biologists. ...more
Hilary Kearney has combed through history and biology to provide a new take on the honey bee that disrupts some of the anthropomorphic interpretationsHilary Kearney has combed through history and biology to provide a new take on the honey bee that disrupts some of the anthropomorphic interpretations past scholars have made (e.g., Seeley’s Honeybee Democracy) with fascinating descriptions of the beehive as a superorganism with a cooperative, ever-shifting workflow. She spotlights what makes them unique while also investigating how their characteristics make them easy for humans to admire, as much for their work as pollinators and their honey production as for their busy-ness. Kearney learned from honeybees that “magic is real,� and she shares how she’s learned through her fascination with them that “wonder expands with knowledge,� which she shares bountifully to inspire others to “look at all creatures in a different way� because “every wasp, rat, and pigeon is worthy of study, respect, and celebration.� ...more
Pioneering work by women including Jen Gunter, Stacy Sims, and Selene Yaeger—compounded by celebrities like Drew Barrymore publicly sharing about theiPioneering work by women including Jen Gunter, Stacy Sims, and Selene Yaeger—compounded by celebrities like Drew Barrymore publicly sharing about their menopause transition—has helped strip away some of the stigma surrounding female aging, and Dr. Jessica Shepherd’s new book will continue this long-needed work. Shepherd’s organized her research and stories in ways designed to appeal to female athletes of all levels, using sports metaphors (“the preseason�) that offer an accessible entry point for women interested in staying strong and healthy based on their goals. Like Sims� Next Level, this book has a symptoms list, which can serve as a helpful tool for women because of the wider silence and shame around most female-specific concerns. Some of these are fascinating (who’d have thought tinnitus is connected to hormones?) and showcase how complex body systems are. With that in mind, her approach to managing menopause is wisely holistic, with advice about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) that cuts through the noise, exercise, sleep support, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and more. In addition to research, she’s woven in the stories of myriad women that demonstrate the complexity of these transitional phases in ways that will show readers they’re not alone, regardless of what patriarchal systems have led them to believe about their bodies. ...more
Seed oils have become, for folks steeped in wellness culture, the new transfat—a slippery substance blamed for all things inflammatory. This new book Seed oils have become, for folks steeped in wellness culture, the new transfat—a slippery substance blamed for all things inflammatory. This new book immediately positions itself as an expose on this source of what the author refers to as “dark calories� is, at its heart, a thinly veiled diet manual designed to scare eaters away from the “all-you-can-eat buffet� of convenience foods and steer them toward a “two-week challenge� that will help them “ditch seed oils for good.� There are kernels of truth in many of Shannahan’s claims; she’s amped them up, however, in ways that feel fearmongering and finger pointing, and she references “medical influencers,� a phrase that immediately aligns her work less with evidence-based research and more with social media-style media bites that lack nuance. Her word choices (e.g., canola oil is part of the “hateful eight� of fat sources) are, like much wellness industry language, as much about purity or morality as they are about nutrition, and her description of the processes by which seed oils are made have a heavily biased tone designed to escalate readers� fears about the way they are processed. While there are proven benefits to eating less processed whole foods, there is little longitudinal research surrounding the black-and-white thinking used to connect seed oils to the “oxidative stress� she suggests lays at the root of all chronic diseases. ...more
In this valuable new addition to inclusive fitness, MacGregor integrates her long history as a yoga practitioner with the work of body liberation, espIn this valuable new addition to inclusive fitness, MacGregor integrates her long history as a yoga practitioner with the work of body liberation, especially as its being yoked to yoga traditions by teachers including Dianne Bondy, Lashanna Small, and Jessamyn Stanley. MacGregor’s recognition that yoga can be made accessible for all bodies through student-centered approaches came from her own experience of knee replacement surgery, an experience that pushed her to think about what barriers—visible and invisible—have historically made Ashtanga’s benefits unavailable to people. The book begins with a paradigm shift that respects yoga’s history and its complex lineages while gracefully reshaping aspects of it, both in the shapes of bodies and the gestures (e.g., the use of words like namaste). With a shift away from conventions that have historically served as gatekeeping, she is able to turn to the poses with practicality and nuance. For new or physically limited students, MacGregor’s choice to illustrate herself in full sequences with models showing modifications might seem to center the “correct� version in ways that suggest a hierarchy of poses, but her inclusion of a significant number of versions of all of the poses still powerfully, visible shifts the narrative away from a version of yoga with correct poses and toward one that is highly individualized. ...more
Houck begins her compelling study of the women’s health movement with a description of the emotions that pelvic exams engendered in women in the 1970sHouck begins her compelling study of the women’s health movement with a description of the emotions that pelvic exams engendered in women in the 1970s and beyond—humbling, traumatic, enraging, infantilizing--then proceeds to investigate ways in which women’s medical care more broadly operates with those shame-based, stigmatizing words in play. She discusses the lack of information, the absence of suitable medical studies, and the standards of care that women have been conditioned to expect and accept. With a history of the speculum, a consideration of how activists empowered women through education about their bodies, and vintage illustrations, the first part of the book shows the clear connection between bodies and politics, and the remainder of the book documents ways that activists have continually evolved to ensure women have access to information, education, and care in a system that often denies bodily autonomy. She demonstrates the ways in which intersectionality affects women’s risks of receiving substandard and even deadly care, and she offers significant groundedness in research and theory before exploring issues in practice through case studies from clinics. ...more
Chef and restauranteur Massimo Bottura, creative curator of Casa Maria Luigia Lara Gilmore, and chef Jessica Rosval have collaborated on a new book deChef and restauranteur Massimo Bottura, creative curator of Casa Maria Luigia Lara Gilmore, and chef Jessica Rosval have collaborated on a new book designed to rev readers� engines, set them on the road to enjoyment, and bring them to a dramatic stop, where they can pause and enjoy experiences near and far, with stories of home, highways, and hearty cuisine. Aesthetically pleasing and comforting yet chic, the rustic scenery and recipes somehow manage to feel both exotic and homey. While the recipes aren’t for kitchen neophytes, they are written in an approachable way and offer suggestions so that readers can improvise based on what’s in season. ...more
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