Debt-Free U

Is it possible to go to college and still be debt free? Zac Bissonnette is a college student that has written Debt-free U, a book that every soon-to-be college student must read. Zac is the perfect person to write this book because he is paying for college and not accruing debt.

Zac explains the myth of federal financial aid and student loans. He explains that excessive college debt can prevent graduates from living the life they envisioned for themselves. Instead of being able to buy a car or home, traveling, and even selecting the right job, graduates are making payments on ever more burdensome student loan debts. He dispels many, many more myths about private colleges, dorm life, community college, study abroad programs and more. He explores the statistics and research to prove that college debt is something to avoid as much as possible.

Avoid the debt trap of student loans and arm yourself with knowledge by reading this book.

Book Rating: 4 stars.

The Yeast Connection

Dr. William G. Crook discovered a connection between yeast (candida albicans) and over all health many years ago. Through his medical practice he has treated many people for systemic yeast infections and seen dramatic improvement in various health conditions. Dr. Crook believes there is a connection between yeast and chronic fatigue, migraines, PMS, achy joints, etc.

It would be easy to dismiss The Yeast Connection for various reasons. Skeptics will claim that you can't blame one particular thing for such a large array of problems. And yet people do seem to be suffering from food related problems such as in celiac disease, food allergies or diabetes. The book is badly outdated and contains silly cartoon-like drawings which also tend to hinder credibility.

Dr. Crook does state several things which I found interesting and even liked.

1. Modern medicine tends to focus on specific disease identification and treatment. In other words, if you complain about heart burn a doctor will likely prescribe an antacid. Instead, Dr. Crook says we need to evaluate the whole person. People are medically complex and each part of us is integrated with the other. Doctors need to spend more time with patients to evaluate what is really going on. You may have heartburn and a doctor may prescribe antacid but the better question is why does the person have heartburn.*

2. With the exception of the an anti-fungal medication, Dr. Crook's suggestions are largely nutrition based. We need to be eating healthier, better foods and reduce our toxic environments.

3. Yeast is not the sole reason individuals may be suffering from certain problems. It may be a contributing factor, but not the only. Patients should be treated for the problems they have in coordination with an improved diet, supplementation and possibly anti-fungal medications.

4. Much more research is needed to understand candida albicans and how it can affect health. As of 1986, I wonder what, if any, further research has been done.

The book is sorely outdated. It should really be updated with the latest research out there. It also needs to be completely reorganized and structured with the elimination of the cartoon-like drawings. Photographs and more professional looking illustrations would greatly help. I read this book as part of a personal study on celiac disease, wheat, and endometriosis. Thrush is a common symptom of celiac disease and gluten intolerance and so this book may provide some insight into possible treatments. The diet suggestions go right along with common diet suggestions for celiac disease.**

*With the passage of Obamacare this is likely to not change, IMO.

**I do not have celiac disease but I may have gluten intolerance.

Selling in Tough Times

Who doesn't want a business book to help you sell when the economy is tanking? Tom Hopkins, a salesman with many years of experience, wrote Selling in Tough Times. The subtitle of the book, "Secrets to selling when no one is buying" really made me hope for some insider information.

The book suffers a little from a split personality. Is it a book for business owners looking for help in sales? Or is it a book for sales professionals trying to improve the bottom line? 90% of the book is directed to the sales professional, with one chapter devoted to how one should present oneself.

Small business owner's may find some of the information useful. There are several sections in which Hopkins provides a script of how to talk to a client or potential client. There are tips on screening and evaluating potential customers. All of these things may be helpful to a small business owner who struggles in these areas.

Overall the book was not what I expected. Perhaps a more informative subtitle would have helped. Something along the lines of, "Secrets for the sales professional to improve sales when no one is buying," which is probably too long. Anyway, if you are willing to wade through information directed strictly to sales professionals, you may find some useful information.

Book Rating: 3 stars

Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten-Free Eating

Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten-free Eating is written by Jules E. D. Shepard, a woman that suffers from celiac disease.  There are many cookbooks out there on the topic and this one is probably the most annoying.

I haven't yet tried any of the recipes in the book so I can't comment on taste. Nearly all gluten-free cook books have a section dedicated to baking and alternative flours. Wheat bread seems to be the most difficult thing to replace due to taste, ease of baking, and cohesion. Nearly every gluten-free cook manages to develop their own mix of gluten-free flours and they are all very similar. Shepard comes up with her own mix that she felt she needed to protect with trademark protection. Recipes are generally not protected by copyright. In order to protect her mix, she took extraordinary effort to trademark the name of the recipe. She then uses the trademarked name throughout the cookbook.

There were a couple other annoyances. Tips are added to the bottom of the recipes. In one instance she tells you to wear rubber gloves while handling chicken that is already sealed in a zip-loc bag. In another she tells you to use a certain brand of paper towels. Really?

The recipe book has no pictures, which IMHO is a big recipe book failure. I can find enough gluten-free recipes on-line with pictures that it makes no sense to buy a book without any.

Book Rating: 2 stars if you are desperate.

The Endometriosis Diet

I was hoping to find some information on how to treat endometriosis through good nutrition and this book seemed the most likely candidate. Recipes for the Endometriosis Diet is written by Carolyn Levett, a woman who has suffered with endometriosis. The book contains an overview of the diet, foods to avoid, and recipes.

The book lacks in several areas. I am not knocking the author because I do think she truly desires to help others. The book is self-published (not knocking that either) and could really use a professional edit and polish. There are no pictures for any of the recipes, which is a big recipe book fail, IMO.

Levett received her inspiration for her diet book from Dian Shepperson Mills who wrote Endometriosis: A Key to Healing Through Nutrition. Mills, who wrote her book with a doctor, could rightly be considered the originator of the "diet" which should not be called a diet at all. As a professional, degreed nutritionist Mills backs up many of her nutrition suggestions with thorough research and medical community support. Unfortunately, a lot of the good information in Mills book is misapplied in Levett's.

There are several foods that Levett recommends being eliminated or reduced from the diet. The list is quite daunting and leaves you wondering what you can truly eat. After reading Mills book, I don't think an elimination diet as recommended by Levett is healthy or wise. In fact Mills recommends working with a doctor and a nutritionist to determine which foods should be eliminated or reduced gradually over time along with nutritional supplement support. This suggestion is lacking in Levett's book.

The recipes in the book are almost strictly vegetarian/vegan. They may be best for those who choose to follow a diet to eliminate all possible allergens. Some of the recipes looked interesting, especially the nut yogurt and alternative milks.

With some improvements and polishing, the book could be considered a companion to the Mills' book. But as it is, the reader should exercise caution in it's application.