Getting to yes

The version of Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher that I read is a revised and updated version to a book published 30 years ago. This is a self-help book to help you learn how to negotiate without giving in. The main principle of the book is to help you find a win-win solution so everybody is happy.

I read this book a few years ago and I honestly cannot remember all that much about it. It may be worth a re-read. Based on the reviews on Amazon it appears the book is often used as a college text to teach the principles of negotiation. I do vaguely remember thinking the book was very practical. At the end of the day, it may not solve all disagreements, but it probably is useful in many business situations.

Passionate Nutrition

Passionate Nutrition by Jennifer Adler is part nutrition advice and part memoir. Jennifer Adler shares her personal story and journey which includes malnutrition in childhood and adolescence. As a young adult she studied nutrition in college and she dutifully followed her training for herself and her clients. She sensed that nutrition was a factor in her physical and mental health, but when applying her education and training to herself it did not seem to work. Her personal story is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of heartache there, but I appreciate her willingness to share her story. It is inspiring and motivating.

Over time, Adler started to get a better sense of herself and food. She broke away from the conventional nutrition and diet advice and started to practice in a different way. She focused on whole foods that are minimally processed, locally grown, and organic. She encourages consuming plenty of healthy fats and bone broth. In other words, she encourages eating a traditional foods diet.

What I like about Adler's approach is her gentle transition to a healthier way of eating. In the traditional foods community it becomes an all or nothing approach. You must immediately change your diet and drop all the bad junk foods. Instead Adler suggests gradually transitioning so that you can observe how you feel and how your body reacts. For example, begin adding a salad to every dinner meal. Next, start reducing some carbs with more vegetables. This approach teaches a person to pay attention to how they are feeling after consuming the foods they eat and to learn how to make healthier choices over time.

Both the memoir and and nutrition advice are well worth the read.

Toxic War : The Story of Agent Orange

Few books have made me angry when I read them. Toxic War by Peter Sills made me angry because the very topic is so upsetting. Sills examines Agent Orange, a chemical used heavily in the Vietnam War. He explores its origins, manufacture, and use in warfare. He also details the long term health consequences of the soldiers that served and the people of Vietnam.

I had heard about Agent Orange but I didn't really know all that much about it. Agent Orange or dioxin was a chemical that was produced and used in herbicides prior to Vietnam, but not heavily. There were some reports of employees getting sick who had been exposed to the chemical, but these reports were largely buried. You could say that Dupont and Monsanto both manipulated studies to show the chemical was safe for use. But no one, up to that time, had ever used or applied dioxin in the quantities that were needed in Vietnam.

Vietnam presented a logistical challenge to warfare. The enemy could easily hide in the vegetation and disappear. The danger to soldiers was very high. The solution was to remove the vegetation and the easiest way to do it was to spray dioxin. Dioxin was sprayed around all the bases on a monthly basis. The bases had buildings with open windows, so the spray just drifted in. It was sprayed on top of soldiers and civilians in the field. Soldiers bathed in and drank water that had been contaminated. When people talk about a scorched earth, Vietnam became that place. Dioxin does not break down over time, so it contaminates the soil and plants that grow in it.

Despite the environmental damage and exposure, the US government deflected responsibility. They had been told it was safe, so they ran with that story despite mounting evidence it was not. The most heavily exposed soldiers died within months of returning home from bizarre cancers. Children born to these soldiers had odd birth defects. Then the lesser exposed soldiers started developing aggressive cancers as they aged to retirement. So while the government continues to deny responsibility, they now acknowledge it is possible that some veterans are sick because of Agent Orange. There is an official list of cancers that the VA will cover if a soldier served in Vietnam. Aggressive prostate cancer is now one of them as many Vietnam vets are dying of prostate cancer.

This books is well written and a must read.

Adrenal Reset Diet

Dr. Alan Christianson is a naturopathic physician that has helped people lose weight and rebalance their hormones. The Adrenal Reset Diet is Dr. Christianson's method for healing the adrenals. He has other books and supplements that help reset the thyroid, metabolism, and immune system. His approach includes diet therapy and behavior modification. The diet therapy, if you go all in, includes his own branded shakes and supplements. The book basically supports the sales of the shakes and supplements.

Dr. Christianson's treatment protocol probably does help some people. There is a prevailing theory that adrenal fatigue, or the idea that the adrenals are overworked and are starting to wear out, is a primary cause for weight gain and chronic fatigue. I am not completely convinced that such things find their root cause in the adrenal gland, but his dietary approach and life style changes are worth trying. Can one really "reset" the adrenal gland. Maybe not, but one can heal the body naturally with the right diet and lifestyle changes.

Dr. Christianson does not restrict any particular food macro. His diet allows healthy fats and carbs. It is not a gluten-free or paleo diet. He believes in carb cycling to force the body to lose weight. Based on my own experience and observation, women in particular need to be careful of extremely low-carb diets. I know that when I tried to lower my carbs to 20-30g carbs a day (a Keto diet level) and increase my fat intake I just did not feel well. I'm still low carb compared to many Americans, but not Keto low. Some in the Keto community do a form of carb cycling or carb ups in order to maintain energy levels.

For the lifestyle changes, Dr. Christianson recommends good sleep hygiene and moderate exercise, such as walking or yoga. The last few chapters have a few menu ideas and recipes.

Overall, the book was a "meh" for me. It didn't really add much to other things I have read. I also felt the book overall was light weight on documentation. His clinical experience counts for a lot, but the overall presentation did not inspire me. His suggestions will probably help some people, so it may be worth a read to see if it will be helpful. The recipe section was particularly weak and I think people who follow this diet will look elsewhere pretty quickly for recipe ideas.

The Shadow Lamp

The Shadow Lamp by Stephen R. Lawhead is the fourth book in the Bright Empires series. I have previously read The Skin Map, The Bone House, and The Spirit Well. So far my favorite of the series is the Bone House. Just to recap,Kit, Mina, Gianni, Cass, Haven, and Giles all travel through time via Ley lines. They use Shadow Lamps to help them detect Ley lines. There is some kind of unknown cosmic link between the shadow lamps, the skin map and the spirit well. Add to the mix, the Zetetic society discovers something that could unravel everything.

I must confess, I read this book quite a while ago and I'm just now getting around to writing up the review. In general, I've liked nearly everything that Stephen R. Lawhead has written. This series confused me with the time travel and Ley lines. It had great adventure and esprit de corps, but it lacked something cohesive. The shifts in time are a little jarring. One minute you are in the Middle Ages Europe, the next, ancient Egypt and then back in modern time. As I said, I really loved the Bone House. For whatever reason, that story has stuck in my head. Large parts of the Bone House take place in one time and location. The Shadow Lamp did not stay in my memory, and so I guess it was a bit forgettable. I can't really remember what the big reveal was with the Zetetic society - I didn't get it the first time either - nor what the deal was between the shadow lamps, skin map, and spirit well.

This series was hit and miss for me. I liked Stephen R. Lawhead's other books so much better.

Have your cake and lose weight too!

Have your cake and lose weight too is another diet and nutrition book focusing on eating a traditional food diet. Minimally processed, locally grown, in-season, organic foods. Unlike the Nourished Kitchen, this book is more accessible and practical.

In this book DaNelle Wolford breaks down why and how to eat healthier. She states that by eating better you can lose weight. She claims to have lost 35 pounds and cured her chronic illness. Her food suggestions allow fats and carbs in addition to real, whole foods. She doesn't eliminate any particular macro, but suggests moderation. She does recommend that you make choices that are right for you so there is no expectation to blindly follow everything she suggests. I have no doubt that she lost weight and felt better.

In theory, she is right. A better diet will help you lose weight. But what do you do if you follow her advice and still not lose weight? That happened to me. I have been following a variation of a paleo, gluten free diet for a long time and I was gaining weight. With the addition of exercise 4 times a week, the weight should have come off quickly. Needless to say, I was extremely frustrated.

I eventually figured out why I couldn't lose the weight, which was an extremely damaged gut. I made some changes in my supplements while maintaining my modified Paleo diet and the weight came off. I'm sure that my case is not unique. I think DaNelle, despite her chronic illness, was able to lose weight because she was younger and did not have the metabolic problems that many people have. So just a word of caution that your success may or may not happen in the same way.

With that said, her dietary recommendations are worth taking note and trying. Eating a more traditional foods diet will likely help you improve your overall health. I did not try any of the recipes because they were similar to what I was already eating. There is also no cake recipe. Like many other reviewers state, it can be difficult to find and afford grass-fed, pasture raised meat and all organic vegetables. Like anything, just do the best you can.

I read the printed version of the book, which had printing errors. There were several pages that were extremely light and a few pages were smeared. The book is self-published, so a bit of polish would have helped improve the overall quality.

Cedar Cove Series

I confess, I read the entire Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber. I read the first couple of books in the series before I started watching the Hallmark series. I then watched the series and later caught up with the rest of the stories. The tv version was canceled after two seasons and starred Andie McDowell and Dylan Neal. The tv version deviates from the original source material in the story lines, though the character names are the same.

Each book in the series in an address in the small town of Cedar Cove. Olivia Lockhart is a judge and often oversees the towns squabbles much in the same way Andy Taylor did in Mayberry. Jack Griffin is the recently sober journalist trying to rebuild his life after taking over the town's newspaper. Jack becomes the love interest of Olivia. There is a whole cast of characters that show up in the books. Each story focus on a different character with the others weaving in and out of the stories. This story writing style is similar to Macomber's Blossom Street series.

I liked the series for the most part. Macomber is a bit of a guilty pleasure because her stories have a bit of romance without being trashy and interesting characters.

16 Lighthouse Road - introduces many of the characters who show up in later stories. Focuses on Olivia Lockhart and Jack Griffin. Disappearance of Grace's husband Dan.

204 Rosewood Lane - lots of characters and sub plots to keep track of. Story ends on a cliff hanger. Resolution on Grace's husband who disappears.

311 Pelican Court - Rosie and Zach's divorce is finalized and kids get to keep the house. All kinds of fallout from that. Maryellen has her baby and her relationship with Jon Bowman grows. Grace almost makes a serious mistake. Big changes for Olivia and Jack. A bit of mystery surrounding a man who dies at the Thyme and tide.

44 Cranberry Point - the murder at the Thyme and Tide is solved. Grace's relationship with Cliff is rekindled. Olivia and Jack have newlywed problems. The story drags.

50 Harbor Street - Roy the private investigator gets mysterious postcards questioning his past. Grace and Cliff's relationship is back on, and Cliff's assistant, Cal, falls for Linette.

6 Ranier Drive - Justine and Seth lose their restaurant and have to figure out a new future. Cal heads off Montana.

74 Seaside Avenue - Teri Miller who works at the nail salon worries her husband is hiding something. Also her friend Rachel has two love interests.

8 Sandpiper Way - Emily is afraid her husband Dave, the local pastor, is having an affair. Also the sheriff's long lost love moves back to town.

92 Pacific Boulevard - Troy, the sheriff, and Faith break up. Olivia is going through chemo.

1022 Evergreen Place - Mary Jo is in love but worries her ex may sue for custody of their daughter.

1105 Yakima Street - Bruce Peyton's wife is missing, his daughter is giving him trouble, and Olivia's mother is becoming more forgetful.

1225 Christmas Lane - my least favorite book of the series and also the shortest. Nearly everyone is having a disagreement with someone else. One character tries to place homeless puppies and also resolve a marriage conflict. This story focuses on an extremely minor character from the previous books and very few of the other characters show up.

Steelheart

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson is a different kind of superhero story. It would be easy to assume that Steelheart is the superhero but instead he is the bad guy.  David Charleston is a teen who want to avenge his father's death. His father was killed by Steelheart, a person with the ability to turn things into steel. Because of his ability, he has risen to power because no one can seem to overcome his super power. He reigns as a king in Chicago. David knows Steelheart's weakness, but will it be enough to avenge his father and free people of his tyranny?

Steelheart is book one of the Reckoner's series and Brandon Sanderson's first young adult story. I have not read any other of Brandon Sanderson's books, but he is a good writer. His take on superheros as villains is enough of a twist for people to pick up the story and read something new. But as a young adult story, you can expect to have the typical young adult story elements including romance.

Book Rating : 4 stars, worth a try