I recently visited Portland and went into Powell's Bookstore. I have not been in Powell's for almost 10 years. It is one of Highly, highly recommend!
I recently visited Portland and went into Powell's Bookstore. I have not been in Powell's for almost 10 years. It is one of the largest and best bookstores! I could spend days in there.
I saw the book, Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World without a Bullhorn and knew I had to buy it. It is a short, inspirational, call-to-action book. It features a section to determine your activist archetype. And it's chock full of great tips to get you started right now on upping your activism.
Memorable passages include:
* Activism is about doing the deep and devoted work of lifelong change-making.
* For our activism to be consistent, it must be sustainable. For a lifetime, not a season.
* Your activism reflects who you are.
* Activism means taking consistent action.
* The moment in which you find yourself matters.
* The starting point for all activism is becoming aware of something that strikes you as wrong or unjust and deciding that you want to make a difference.
* Origin stories come from lived experience. They propel us from observer to participant.
* Activism and social justice involve creating a world where everyone belongs.
* We all want to belong.
* Racial equity lies at the root of all activist work.
* Determine what you stand for.
* Focus creates the greatest impact. Focus on one or two causes.
* Be steady with your energy.
* Cultivate curiosity.
* Be brave in your conversations.
* Finding common ground can require thinking outside the box.
* Our actions each day are part of the legacy we leave.
* Think of legacy as the present, not the future.
* Legacy doesn't have to be loud to be meaningful.
* Activism should become part of your daily routine.
Incredible!! Connie Chung wrote and narrated Connie: A Memoir. I love it when an author narrates their work!
From the beginning to the end of the book,Incredible!! Connie Chung wrote and narrated Connie: A Memoir. I love it when an author narrates their work!
From the beginning to the end of the book, I was mesmerized! Connie was the youngest of ten children. There were seven daughters and three sons. The three sons passed away as infants. Connie was the tenth child and the only one born in America. Connie's father asked her to carry on the Chung legacy. Connie became like the son of the family.
As one of the very few women in journalism, Connie tried to become like men in the industry. This was typical of what many of us women initially did in the workplace to try to fit in.
Connie was sexually abused by her ob gyn doctor during her first visit as a young woman. This was the same doctor who had delivered her as a child. She did not share this experience when it occurred. She shared it when the #MeToo movement started.
The book concludes with research done by Connie Wong regarding the number of Asian women who were named Connie during the seventies to nineties after seeing Connie Chung on television.
The dominant hypothesis that amyloid-beta proteins and tau tangles cause Alzheimer's has been in existence for decades, but little progress has been made to slow, stop or reverse cognitive decline.
In 2023 and 2024, the FDA approved two Alzheimer's drugs, Leqembi and Kisunla. The drugs target beta amyloid plaques and are believed to slow cognitive impairment. This was dramatic, exciting news for doctors, pharma companies, patients, families, and caregivers.
A credible, experienced, humble, neurologist and neuroscientist discovered brain images that had been altered by scientists in order to be published in respected science journals, receive funding from NIH (National Institute of Health) and/or pharma companies, and advance their careers and status.
Not only had this occurred with recent scientific discoveries, but it was also prevalent when Alzheimer's was originally linked to the amyloid hypothesis.
This book reads like a fast-paced thriller with robust character development, but it is not fiction. I kept hoping others would speak up even though it was highly probable it would negatively impact their careers. The depth and breadth of deception is jaw dropping. It's criminal.
Memorable passages include:
* It's zombie science
* Everything is Figureoutable
* Beware of dogma
* Outlandish, revolutionary, or false scientific findings can stand for many years without public efforts to replicate or repudicate them, sometimes leading to catastrophic wastes of time, resources, and even lives.
* Between 1999 and 2015, rates for the top three causes of death in the US fell sharply. Alzheimer's rates and fatalities went in the opposite direction.
* You can't cheat to cure a disease
* The history of whistleblowing is littered with corpses
* An entrenched idea can become difficult to dislodge
* Leqembi shrunk the brain rapidly---more rapidly than Alzheimer's itself
* The FDA provisionally approved Leqembi even before seeing the major trial results
* Later, the FDA required a "black box warning" on Leqembi; denotes the risk of death.
* Some pharma companies are advocating trials targeting amyloid deposits in patients as young as eighteen
* How has a protein associated with Alzheimer's been studied for over thirty-five years, with billions of dollars of research funding and hundreds of scientists dedicated to unraveling its role, has yet to generate a clear answer, or even a consensus?
* Cheaters are always one step ahead of the detectors
* One in fifty scientists admits to having fabricated or falsified experimental data
Hellbound on His Trail is a true crime book that I had very little knowledge about regarding the hunt for the assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hellbound on His Trail is a true crime book that I had very little knowledge about regarding the hunt for the assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I listened to Hellbound on His Trail on audiobook and it is narrated superbly by the author, Hampton Sides.
Incredibly rich in detail about Dr. King, Ralph Abernathy, Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, Lyndon Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover, and many other leaders during the Civil Rights Movement. The primary focus of the book is the investigation and search for the person(s) who killed Dr. King while he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. While listening to the audiobook, I kept visualizing the famous photograph where Black leaders were pointing to where the shots were fired.
I had no idea that James Earl Ray went by many different aliases, and that he was able to travel to several states and countries before being captured. Technology has made a huge difference over the past 40+ years, and it's easier to share information across states, countries, and agencies.
One aspect of the story that stood out for me was that the American public was told that the potential suspect drove a white Mustang with Alabama license plates and was believed to be heading to Mexico. In Atlanta, a woman became concerned because a white Mustang with Alabama license plates had been parked in front of her home for five days without any activity. Her grandson noticed a Turista decal from Mexico was on the vehicle.
The woman called the Atlanta FBI, and they discounted her phone call. Some of this was due to the 3,000 active FBI agents chasing down many leads across the US and being frustrated that most leads were not valid. The FBI directed her to call the stolen vehicle department of the Atlanta police. She called them and gave the license plate number. The police indicated the car was not stolen and did not appear interested in the car. Later, the car became highly critical in the investigation.
Hampton Sides has hit it out of the park with his masterful writing style and deeply researched book.
Terrifying must-read book. After the tragic killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Alex Jones and his followers claimed it was a hoax. Incredibly pTerrifying must-read book. After the tragic killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Alex Jones and his followers claimed it was a hoax. Incredibly painful for the families who lost loved ones....more
McMahon is a teacher, podcaster (400+ episodes), and Instagram influencer. She began her podcasts to help combat misinformation. She is known as America's Favorite Government Teacher. She makes history, politics, and government fascinating and insightful.
Weir starts his book with a prologue that is a letter to the future. He writes the book primarily to his son, River, and includes a specific chapter for his daughter, Olivia. The book is a history lesson about the world and climate change with a key message to love the world as it is and try to improve it.
Weir's writing style is fabulous! He combines wit, sarcasm, educational information, and humor with phenomenal storytelling skills. Some of the most memorable passages include:
* Human stories will be the difference between destruction and salvation
* Change for the better depends on the brave to start conversations with conviction
* We will whipsaw between progress and setbacks
* Your upbringing doesn't determine your fate
* Self-actualization can only happen when a person enjoys the freedom to chase their true calling
* Climate change is a timed test
* Be driven by hope and rage
* When it comes to heating and cooling, Americans are riding horses in a Tesla world
* Tropical storms have their own rhythm of wreckage and recovery
* Wrong place/wrong time cocktail with a chaser of stupidity
* Water is a wonderful servant but a horrible master
* Sudden disaster brings people together. Slow-motion disaster tears people apart.
* The will to act is a renewable resource
* Denial is the path of least resistance
* Our kids and wildlife are on anti-depressants
* Adventure is the marrow of life's bone
* Eat with your eyes wide open
* News reporting: if it bleeds, it leads
* Fracking: methane came roaring out like farts after an Earth enema
* Building in harmony with nature means conflict with human nature
* Fight suspicion and bullshit with sunshine and transparency
I will be attending a conference later this year and Cynt Marshall is a keynote speaker, so I listened to her book, You've Been Chosen: Thriving ThrouI will be attending a conference later this year and Cynt Marshall is a keynote speaker, so I listened to her book, You've Been Chosen: Thriving Through the Unexpected, on audiobook. It is narrated by the author, which I love. She is a powerful, dynamic speaker.
When Cynt was 50 years old, her primary care doctor advised her to get a colonoscopy. She delayed it until the day before she turned 51. The colonoscopy did not go well; additional tests showed Stage Three cancer. Cynt was President of AT&T in North Carolina at the time.
Cynt's personal journey describes domestic abuse in her childhood home, multiple miscarriages, racism in the workplace, death, threats at gunpoint, and other challenges. Her faith and her laser-like focus has enabled her to face challenges head on.
Her story is incredibly inspiring. It provides a blueprint for looking at adversity as a blessing....more
I listened to Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir and the author, phenomenal cook Ina Garten, narrates it. It felt like I was sitting across a kiI listened to Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir and the author, phenomenal cook Ina Garten, narrates it. It felt like I was sitting across a kitchen table having a fabulous conversation with a dear friend.
I did not know that Ina worked in Washington, DC in the legislative department and she wrote memos directly to President Ford about whether to approve or veto proposed legislation. Cooking was a hobby at that point in her life.
Ina's memoir is filled with excellent stories and advice about relationships, marriage, business partnerships, negotiations, and pursuing your dreams. She was deliberate and purposeful, as well as successful, at ensuring her marriage was an equal partnership rather than a traditional relationship where the wife takes care of cooking, cleaning, and keeping the house running smoothly.
OMG! I reserve the quote by Kevin Ansbro only for very, very special books, "A book should grab you by the lapels and kiss you into tomorrow." All theOMG! I reserve the quote by Kevin Ansbro only for very, very special books, "A book should grab you by the lapels and kiss you into tomorrow." All the Colors of the Dark grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. I did not want it to end.
The book is filled with characters who are flawed and damaged, yet seeking answers, justice, love, and acceptance. The setting is a small town in Missouri where young girls start to disappear. A thirteen-year-old boy with one eye, nicknamed Patch, intervenes when he hears a young girl scream. Patch's friend, named Saint, reminds me of Nancy Drew as she tries to help solve the mysterious crimes.
Whitaker is a masterful storyteller with incredible character development, intimate scene details, and a story arc that races like a powerful locomotive.
Memorable passages include:
* First love is the most terminal of ailments
* Love is merely a visitor over a lifetime
* Mistakes are detours that remind you of the true way
* Anger is misplaced fear
* The long sunken shipwreck of memory
* Quickest way to shed ignorance is to read a book
June 25, 1983. "The biggest flood in a generation throttled downstream into the night." The Colorado River was closed due to the largest snow runoff in generations. The Glen Canyon Dam was showing destructive signs that could possibly lead to the collapse of the dam. Three daring Grand Canyon River guides, led by Kenton Grua, silently placed their wooden dory, The Emerald Mile, into the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry to set a record on how fast they could maneuver the 3oo miles of raging white waters throughout the Grand Canyon. Typically, it took 14 - 23 days. The speed run record they wanted to beat had been previously set at 47 hours.
Author, Kevin Fedarko's writing style is phenomenal. It is descriptive, fluid, and captivating. He is a part-time Grand Canyon River guide; he does a magnificent job describing height, size, and power with specific details, references, and analogies. I felt like I was in the small, wooden dory navigating the ferocious, hydraulic slingshot turbulence while hanging on for dear life. I also felt like I was part of the Glen Canyon Dam inspectors riding in life-threatening carts deep into the bowels of the Dam and locating large holes that were compromised while knowing that the Dam was holding back nine billion gallons of water.
On a personal note, I am headed to the Grand Canyon this week to complete a one-day hike from the North Rim to the South Rim; a total of 24 miles. I am looking forward to it and this book provided great perspective on what can happen in the Grand Canyon from a white-water rafting experience.
Fedarko's memorable passages include: * Once in a lifetime chance to participate with the ancestral majesty of the Colorado
* Steady march of geomorphic change punctuated by catastrophic bursts
* Do or do not. There is no try. (Yoda)
* Tremors of admiration and envy
* Ferocious courage and a hellacious set of balls
* Submission was not an option
* Short of gunplay, this train wasn't stopping
* A celestial estuary of starlight
* We are all canyoneers
* Roofless tabernacle
* Our cathedral in the desert
* What we must eventually embrace to make ourselves whole
In addition to the incredible writing style, I learned many new vocabulary words: interregnum, scimitar, declivity, concatenation, antediluvian, phyla, regnum, tessellated, trunnion, atavistic, semaphore, virga, and several others.
Jenn was a few days away from her thirty-first birthday when she had a stroke and a significant brain bleed. She spent eleven weeks in the NICU (neurological intensive care unit) and rehab.
Jenn's memoir is written from several points of view: Caryn, her mom David, her dad Amanda, her sister Misha, her boyfriend
This book packs an incredible punch as the medical hits just kept on coming---during the first several intense days and weeks, as well as once Jenn returned home with 24/7 care. Caryn aptly summed it up, with a dry sense of humor, "Seizure the day."
This is a book about rebirth, renewal, and recovery.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
One of the best books I have read regarding health. Highly recommend!
Several friends are wearing glucose monitors and I am considering wearing one. AfOne of the best books I have read regarding health. Highly recommend!
Several friends are wearing glucose monitors and I am considering wearing one. After reading Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar, I feel like I have learned an incredible amount about glucose spikes and how to reduce them significantly. I still want to wear a glucose monitor because I want to understand my body's response to specific foods.
This was a book that I could not put down and I highlighted many, many parts of the book. The last chapter has ten Glucose Hacks that are easy to remember and easy to do. The Glucose Hacks that I have already incorporated include:
* Eat foods in the right order: Fiber (veggies), protein, and then starch. Sugars at the end, preferably fruit in its natural state, if needed. If you eat foods in this order, you can reduce your overall glucose by 73%. A research study in 2016 demonstrated that those who ate their food in this order had a significant reduction in their HbA1c level. The author uses fabulous analogies. Think of your stomach as a sink and your intestine as the pipe below the sink. If you start a meal with a vegetable, it has plenty of fiber which goes from the sink to the pipe very slowly....like a mesh lining. This mesh lining makes it harder for glucose to make it to the bloodstream.
*Vinegar: 20 minutes before each meal drink a glass of water with one tablespoon of vinegar in it. Reduces your glucose spike by 30%. Researchers have shown that adding vinegar before meals for three months helped participants lose weight, reduce visceral fat, lower triglyceride levels, and decrease waist and hip measurements.
* Move after you eat. Spend a minimum of ten minutes walking, tidying your house, doing calf raises, etc. Walking after eating can decrease glucose spikes by up to 27%.
I originally listened to this book on audiobook and it was one of my favorite books from 2024.
I just read the hard copy book because we will be discusI originally listened to this book on audiobook and it was one of my favorite books from 2024.
I just read the hard copy book because we will be discussing this in two upcoming book clubs. One is a family book club and one is a neighborhood book club.
Some of the powerful passages about reading and writing include: * Reading was my addiction. (This is the first sentence in the book and I was hooked!) * Her true addiction was escape and books helped her escape. * She pretended she was Nancy Drew (so did I!), Harriet the Spy, and Lucy in Narnia. * Reading turned to writing. Writing allowed her to escape. * Books were her gateway drug. * Read The Power of Now in jail and it inspired her to focus on the future and not her past. * Writing transcended loneliness. * Writing transcended self-doubt and fear and heartbreak. * Writing was a survival strategy and a bridge to other people. * She honed her empathy which is the superpower of all great ghostwriters.
BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN COAUTHORED/GHOSTWRITTEN/COLLABORATIVELY WRITTEN BY LARA LOVE HARDIN:
I once heard an expression that many people are only two bad decisions or situations away from being homeless. Hardin is a college graduate and has a master's degree. Unfortunately, her choices around men and life partners jeopardizes her opportunities. She is a PTA Mom in the suburbs.
Hardin is introduced to opiates, meth, and later heroin. She begins stealing credit cards, checks, and other items. She is charged with over 30 felonies and finds herself in jail and unable to see her four sons.
Her descriptions about jail, the justice system, and the crazy merry-go-round requirements once released that make it almost next to impossible to hold a full-time job. A drug test can be required at any time, and it must be taken within three hours of being notified. Most employers will not hire felons. Most felons are barred from renting an apartment or home. Violations of probation mean being sent back to jail.
Hardin lands a job with Doug Abrams at Idea Architects....the premier literary agency devoutly dedicated to creating a wiser, healthier, and more just world. I gasped out loud at this point in the book because I am keenly aware of Abrams many books, including The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World with the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. Abrams did not conduct job references before hiring Hardin.
I won't provide any more information so that I don't spoil this incredible journey.
One of the most important books I have read in 2024. Highly, highly recommend!
Amanda Jones taught English at the same middle school in Louisiana for oOne of the most important books I have read in 2024. Highly, highly recommend!
Amanda Jones taught English at the same middle school in Louisiana for over 20 years that she attended as a child. Then she became the school librarian. At a local hearing regarding the public library, she spoke out that books that are targeted for challenges and banning are typically about marginalized communities.
The lies, hatred, and vitriol that spewed forth was horrific. Yet Jones stood her ground, and she sued her harassers for defamation. Most disappointing were social media posts by "friends" and parents of children she had taught. The silence of friends and family was particularly sobering.
Her memoir is an inspiration about taking action in order to make the world better. ...more
I read this book to my five year old nephew and it鈥檚 fantastic! It鈥檚 about a boy named Quinn who tries many sports and activities but he quits each onI read this book to my five year old nephew and it鈥檚 fantastic! It鈥檚 about a boy named Quinn who tries many sports and activities but he quits each one. His nickname becomes Quitt.
Longevity is a hot topic and one that I am immersing myself into so that I can learn and understand many aspects of it. The Longevity Paradox: How to Longevity is a hot topic and one that I am immersing myself into so that I can learn and understand many aspects of it. The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age is written by Steven R. Gundry, a heart surgeon in Loma Linda, CA (one of the Blue Zones where people live to be 100+ at 10x the rate of the US population.)
Gundry wants to change the current aspect of aging where people live longer but unhealthier and it's a long steady decline to death. The book focuses on treating your gut bacteria, referred to as gut buddies, to change your health. Gut bacteria influences how long and how healthy you live.
The book is very detailed and filled with research information, but it's delivered in an understandable, and, at times, humorous style. It also includes a one-month plan to follow to improve your gut buddies.
Some of the key takeaways include:
* People who live in Blue Zones eat very little animal meat. Many meat and poultry products in the US have growth hormones injected into the animals which make it into our system when we eat.
* Have your last meal and snack at least four hours before you go to sleep. This allows for your gut to finish digesting, but more importantly it allows for the brain "washing" cycle each night to clear out proteins in the brain that create plaque.
* Skip dinner once a week to ensure a thorough brain "wash."
* Vegetables and produce with roots and tubers (sweet potatoes, yams, onions, garlic, etc) are very good for your gut buddies.
* Sugar is bad, including the artificial sweeteners. One packet of Splenda kills 50% of the good gut buddies.
* Eat sardines, herring, and/or anchovies daily to improve brain health and increase Omega 3s.
* Eating at least one serving of leafy greens every single day can add 11 years to your life.
* Eat a handful of nuts daily. Best nuts to eat: pistachios, walnuts, macadamia, hazelnuts. Do not eat peanuts.
* Avoid all commercial salad dressings and sauces. Make your own with olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, and pepper.
* Avoid all sodas, sports drinks, and lemonade. Drink tap water or sparkling mineral water, coffee, or tea.
* Planks and squats are the best exercises.
* If a sibling becomes obese, the chances of another sibling becoming obese is 40%.
* If a spouse becomes obese, the chances of their life partner becoming obese is 30%.
* Social connections are critical. Isolation is deadly. Human connection drives successful aging.
Fantastic book about young girls playing basketball. Great storyline about friendships, mistakes, competition, and collaboration. My seven year old twFantastic book about young girls playing basketball. Great storyline about friendships, mistakes, competition, and collaboration. My seven year old twin nieces love this book!...more
OMG! What an incredible book! Here One Moment is a book that you want to curl up and read without ever coming up for air. It's 500 pages and I wish I OMG! What an incredible book! Here One Moment is a book that you want to curl up and read without ever coming up for air. It's 500 pages and I wish I had huge blocks of time to just read and absorb it.
While on a flight, a passenger in her eighties begins walking throughout the plane and telling passengers when she expects that they will die and how they will die. How each person absorbs the news and deals with it once they return home is fascinating. Then a death occurs that matches the prediction, and it is posted on social media.
I recently hiked 559 miles on the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain. Many of the villages that I hiked through had populations between 20 and 2,000. I also traveled through larger cities: Logrono, Burgos, Leon, Sarria, and Santiago. The large and small towns had many things in common.
It was very rare to see anyone who was overweight. Occasionally I would see a person with a cane, but I didn't see anyone with a walker. Almost every family yard had an incredible garden with lettuce and vegetables. Dinner started after 7:00 pm and many families gathered in the town center to eat, drink, and spend time with family, friends, and loved ones.
As I reflected about what I saw, several friends mentioned the Blue Zones. Blue Zones are communities where people are 10 times more likely to live to be 100 than the U.S. average. Many of the Blue Zones are on secluded, remote islands or mountainous regions. However, Loma Linda, California and Singapore are considered Blue Zones.
I watched the Netflix documentary, Live to Be 1oo: Secrets of the Blue Zones. I read this book as well as The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100. I want to incorporate as many items as possible to increase the odds of longevity.
The main ingredients for increasing longevity include: * Eat a plant-based diet; eat meat only occasionally. * Actively move; try to walk 5 miles/day. Find items that increase movement like gardening. * Have a social network of friends, family, and loved ones; spend time with them * Enjoy red wine in moderation * Have a sense of purpose; volunteer, work, help others * Take time to nap at least 5 times/week; reduces the chance of a heart attack by 35%
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