Doctors

 

 I think for most of us, we take our doctors for granted (ignoring what it costs these days). We expect them to patch up scrapes and solve medical mysteries. If we only understood their training and how doctors have evolved over time, we can better understand how to communicate with them. Doctors: the illustrated history of medical pioneers by Sherwin B Nuland provides a great deal of insight into the subject.

The book is a large coffee table size book, which is unfortunate because it may discourage some from reading this. It is beautifully illustrated and printed on glossy paper. Each chapter is organized chronologically starting from the earliest known records of Hippocrates to modern times. It would be impossible to include every major advancement for 2,000 years, so the book just has highlights. The early history chapters were rather dull, but each successive chapter became increasingly more interesting. I loved the chapter on the discovery of the stethoscope and the development of pediatric cardiology. There are nuggets of information that I gleaned that helped me to see doctors in a new light.

Just a few caveats with this book. The author does share his opinions and interpretations rather freely which may be off putting. He has a definite point of view about the political and religious influences on medicine, which are mostly negative. If you can look past or disregard his opinions, then the book is a standout. Also, Dr. Nuland is a surgeon and there is an emphasis on surgery related history in the later chapters.

Book rating: 5 stars.



The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Career Match

Career match by Shoya Zichy is a variation of the personality profiles created by Myers-Briggs. In this case, Zichy assigns colors to personality profiles and then links them to possible careers. You take a quiz which helps you identify your dominant personality and a second. Because the author does base her information a pretty strong foundation (Myers-Briggs), the career matches are surprising accurate - at least for me. My interests matched my personality profile very well. They also did when I took a Myers-Briggs evaluation. Zichy's presentation may be more approachable than others.

The book takes very little time to use. You only read the sections which apply to your personality. The book may be useful to someone in school or to someone who wishes to connect to a career they truly love. The book is nothing special though and similar advice can be found elsewhere.

Respect the spindle

 

I have been eyeballing spinning for a long time. I thought I wanted a spinning wheel - and maybe I still do - but the cost commitment is rather high. The average beginner spinning wheel is $500 without any of the accessories that you will eventually want or need. A spindle however is a low cost, low tech tool that has been used since ancient times. There is this assumption that the spindle is just a beginner tool for those that eventually buy a wheel. Maybe it's because the tool is so simple. Whatever the reason, the tool has not received the respect it deserves.

Abby Franquemont is a well known spinner with a lot of experience using a spindle. She learned spindle spinning in Peru as a child and has kept with it since. You can find demonstration videos on youtube - which will amaze you.


I have to say, I love this book. I had watched many youtube videos on how to use a spindle, but it wasn't until I had this book in hand that it call came together. Abby discusses the history and physics of spinning. She demonstrates every step from attaching or creating a leader to plying and finishing your yarn. She has examples of many different kinds of spindles from the beginner CD spindle to the expensive Golding. She convinced me that everything that can be done on a spinning wheel can be done on a spindle.

I am now a devoted spindle spinner. While I need more practice (and fiber!), I love watching a yarn form and the control I have on how it turns out. I love how portable it is and how little space it takes up. Thank you Abby for sharing your love of spindles.

Book Rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

Jewelry Making & Beading

 

Teach yourself visually jewelry making and beading by Chris Franchetti Michaels was one of those books I turned to when I decided to try jewelry making. Some books in the Teach yourself visually series have not been received well by crafters, but this book is truly exceptional.

There are large, clear pictures throughout that help with the most basic jewelry making steps. I really liked the clear charts that detail wire sizes and component parts. The resource lists were helpful. I didn't really care for the section on beading, because I just wasn't interested in that aspect. I tried some techniques and it is clear that I need some more practice. One of the downfalls of the series is that there is no video component. While the photographs do a really good job, there are some skills in which you need to see them in action. Even so, this book stands above others in the series.

Book Rating: 5 stars.


The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.