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tamaraepps
This book has a lot of information about the origins of Christmas traditions, interspersed with extracts from festive songs, poems and stories. As well as suggestions for how to create your own Christmas, the author also includes tutorials for decorations as well as games and plays that you and your family can enjoy.
While I loved reading about where some of the traditions came about, I did find some of the suggestions a little patronizing or unrealistic (by implying that it won't work if something's not perfect etc, and using phrases like 'It is true that...'). However, I am sure I will return to this book each year for ideas and inspiration.
While I loved reading about where some of the traditions came about, I did find some of the suggestions a little patronizing or unrealistic (by implying that it won't work if something's not perfect etc, and using phrases like 'It is true that...'). However, I am sure I will return to this book each year for ideas and inspiration.
From Belly Fat to Belly Flat: How Your Hormones Are Adding Inches to Your Waist and Subtracting Years from Your Life -- the Medically Proven Way to Reset Your Metabolism and Reshape Your Body
C.W. Randolph Jr., Genie James
This review has been cross-posted at Captivated By Books
From Belly Fat to Belly Flat isn’t like many dieting books, as rather than simply focusing on what we eat, Dr. C. W. Randolph discusses how hormonal imbalance can cause weight gain that can’t be shifted regardless of how healthy we eat or how much we exercise. Randolph both explains why this is, and how to combat it.
I didn’t really look hard at this book before picking it up, and so didn’t notice that it is mainly aimed at those who are 30+, however this didn’t really negatively affect my reading experience. While I am unsure how much of the book I will put into practice, I found it a very informative and interesting read, and was especially pleased to find easy recipes at the end.
One of the things I liked best about From Belly Fat to Belly Flat is how Randolph explains what different hormones do within the body, therefore making it easy to understand his theory about oestrogen dominance causing health problems, including weight gain. Not only this, but he clearly outlines which foods and vitamins can be used to solve the problem easily, and tells us why. I found this meant I am much more likely to remember what foods have more oestrogen and progesterone. And while I do not feel I need to start taking vitamins, I found it fascinating to read about a few key vitamins and the effects they can have on the body.
My main issue with this book is that part of the time Randolph uses studies from the U.K. and part of the time studies from the U.S.A. To me this implies that he is picking and choosing his information to suit his needs, and therefore makes me wary of trusting the statistics without finding out more elsewhere. Unfortunately this is a big problem as, without knowing how trustworthy the information is, it taints the rest of the book by causing us to question the whole theory the book is based on.
Overall I found this an interesting read in regards to learning how hormones affect the body and my health in general. However, I wouldn’t recommend this book without advising that if health or weight are concerns, you read widely and don’t put too much faith in one theory (I would say this for almost any dieting/health books though). I am glad I read it, and I can see myself reading it again in a few years if I feel it may be applicable to me. In the meantime, I am excited to try a few of the recipes provided.
From Belly Fat to Belly Flat isn’t like many dieting books, as rather than simply focusing on what we eat, Dr. C. W. Randolph discusses how hormonal imbalance can cause weight gain that can’t be shifted regardless of how healthy we eat or how much we exercise. Randolph both explains why this is, and how to combat it.
I didn’t really look hard at this book before picking it up, and so didn’t notice that it is mainly aimed at those who are 30+, however this didn’t really negatively affect my reading experience. While I am unsure how much of the book I will put into practice, I found it a very informative and interesting read, and was especially pleased to find easy recipes at the end.
One of the things I liked best about From Belly Fat to Belly Flat is how Randolph explains what different hormones do within the body, therefore making it easy to understand his theory about oestrogen dominance causing health problems, including weight gain. Not only this, but he clearly outlines which foods and vitamins can be used to solve the problem easily, and tells us why. I found this meant I am much more likely to remember what foods have more oestrogen and progesterone. And while I do not feel I need to start taking vitamins, I found it fascinating to read about a few key vitamins and the effects they can have on the body.
My main issue with this book is that part of the time Randolph uses studies from the U.K. and part of the time studies from the U.S.A. To me this implies that he is picking and choosing his information to suit his needs, and therefore makes me wary of trusting the statistics without finding out more elsewhere. Unfortunately this is a big problem as, without knowing how trustworthy the information is, it taints the rest of the book by causing us to question the whole theory the book is based on.
Overall I found this an interesting read in regards to learning how hormones affect the body and my health in general. However, I wouldn’t recommend this book without advising that if health or weight are concerns, you read widely and don’t put too much faith in one theory (I would say this for almost any dieting/health books though). I am glad I read it, and I can see myself reading it again in a few years if I feel it may be applicable to me. In the meantime, I am excited to try a few of the recipes provided.
good story though im told its part of a series but dont read if you want hope in life - one of the most depressing reads ever but very well written.
Struck by grief, depression and guilt, caused by a tragedy to his family, Daniel Whitman struggles to once again find meaning and hope in his life. His overwhelming guilt causes him to leave everyone he knows, along with his music, in the hopes of once again finding hope. What he learns and discovers on his journey changes the rest of his life.
The main thing that struck me while reading this book was how long it was. I read it via Kindle and just wasn't prepared for such a long read. Not only was it long, but it felt as though there were many sections to the book - it continued on long after logical places to end. This makes the book different from any other I've read, and to be honest, I found this meant the last few sections of the book felt like it was being dragged on and on when there was no need.
The Day After Yesterday focuses on many intense topics, such as depression, abuse, but also tempers this with themes of friendship and the healing powers of creativity. Therefore, this isn't a light read, but rather an extended look at how life can be.
While there are these over-arching themes, the story focuses on the small details and how life-changing and impactful they can be. To be honest, this is one of the things I liked about this book; however I did feel that many of these were predictable and clichéd.
I am a big believer in the importance of creativity, especially when used for healing. Kelly Cozy has obviously tried to use this within the story, especially musical creativity, unfortunately I felt that in many places the use of creativity is used as a crutch and eclipses the story and the characters, which was disappointing.
The main issue I had with this book was the ending. It felt drawn-out and unnecessary, though feel it could have been added to to create a novella to accompany the book.
The main things I loved about this book was the variety of characters and the way they worked together. All the characters felt like real people with their own histories, and nuances. It was also a heart-warming story of the importance of family and friendship.
I believe anyone looking for a book that focuses on friendship during hardship would enjoy The Day After Yesterday, as well as those who enjoy reading about journeys of self-discovery, even though this is a fictional book.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
The main thing that struck me while reading this book was how long it was. I read it via Kindle and just wasn't prepared for such a long read. Not only was it long, but it felt as though there were many sections to the book - it continued on long after logical places to end. This makes the book different from any other I've read, and to be honest, I found this meant the last few sections of the book felt like it was being dragged on and on when there was no need.
The Day After Yesterday focuses on many intense topics, such as depression, abuse, but also tempers this with themes of friendship and the healing powers of creativity. Therefore, this isn't a light read, but rather an extended look at how life can be.
While there are these over-arching themes, the story focuses on the small details and how life-changing and impactful they can be. To be honest, this is one of the things I liked about this book; however I did feel that many of these were predictable and clichéd.
I am a big believer in the importance of creativity, especially when used for healing. Kelly Cozy has obviously tried to use this within the story, especially musical creativity, unfortunately I felt that in many places the use of creativity is used as a crutch and eclipses the story and the characters, which was disappointing.
The main issue I had with this book was the ending. It felt drawn-out and unnecessary, though feel it could have been added to to create a novella to accompany the book.
The main things I loved about this book was the variety of characters and the way they worked together. All the characters felt like real people with their own histories, and nuances. It was also a heart-warming story of the importance of family and friendship.
I believe anyone looking for a book that focuses on friendship during hardship would enjoy The Day After Yesterday, as well as those who enjoy reading about journeys of self-discovery, even though this is a fictional book.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
In 1936 Seebohm Rowntree conducted a survey in York about the poverty of the population. This was his second survey (the first being in 1889), and this book is his findings.
I decided to read Poverty and Progress because I am very interested in history from a social point of view (how real people lived) and this book was mentioned in a documentary I watched. The book gave me much more insight into life in the 1930’s than I expected, and covered a lot of areas.
The first part of the book deals mainly with statistics – how much people had to live on, where they acquired that money (wages, benefits, etc), and how many were under the amount calculated to live off. As well as including the statistics, Rowntree also includes examples taken from notes made during the survey about what type of building people were living in, how many people in the number of rooms, etc. For me, the most interesting part of this was the information about diet. Not only does Rowntree discuss the percentage of the population under his poverty line, but again, examples are given of what a family ate for a week or two.
The second half of the book mainly discusses how poverty affects the living and social standards of the people in York, as well as making comparisons with the previous survey and discussing what change had occurred over the 40 years. Personally the section about how people spent their social time was my favourite part of the book as it gave me real insight into how real people lived at that time. This section of the book was also easier for me to read as it wasn’t so heavy with statistics.
Because the book was not written as a history book, I feel this gives it a unique perspective as it is aimed at people of the time. Therefore I found I didn’t necessarily understand everything discussed (such as certain jobs), and my knowledge of currency at that time is very vague. However, I don’t think that made it any less accessible to me, only more authentic as it wasn’t constantly trying to explain what it’s talking about. I feel that the intended audience of a book can give information about the society it is published in, in addition to the information in the book itself.
While Poverty and Progress is quite an in-depth non-fiction book, I feel that Rowntree’s narrative style makes it much more accessible to those of us who aren’t studying the book for whatever subject at University. The only thing about it I didn’t like was when Rowntree gave his opinion on changes (either positive or negative) in such a way that it reads like fact (for example, when he laments the way young people don’t visit church as often as in the previous survey), as I feel a non-fiction book such as this one shouldn’t include any bias opinion without it being clear that it is just an opinion.
I think that most people probably wouldn’t enjoy reading Poverty and Progress cover to cover unless they have a real interest in life in England in the 1930’s for those in poverty. While the survey was only taken in York, Rowntree states how York is in comparison to other similar-sized towns in England. However, I think that anyone with a passing interest in the society of the past would be interested in certain sections of the book.
I decided to read Poverty and Progress because I am very interested in history from a social point of view (how real people lived) and this book was mentioned in a documentary I watched. The book gave me much more insight into life in the 1930’s than I expected, and covered a lot of areas.
The first part of the book deals mainly with statistics – how much people had to live on, where they acquired that money (wages, benefits, etc), and how many were under the amount calculated to live off. As well as including the statistics, Rowntree also includes examples taken from notes made during the survey about what type of building people were living in, how many people in the number of rooms, etc. For me, the most interesting part of this was the information about diet. Not only does Rowntree discuss the percentage of the population under his poverty line, but again, examples are given of what a family ate for a week or two.
The second half of the book mainly discusses how poverty affects the living and social standards of the people in York, as well as making comparisons with the previous survey and discussing what change had occurred over the 40 years. Personally the section about how people spent their social time was my favourite part of the book as it gave me real insight into how real people lived at that time. This section of the book was also easier for me to read as it wasn’t so heavy with statistics.
Because the book was not written as a history book, I feel this gives it a unique perspective as it is aimed at people of the time. Therefore I found I didn’t necessarily understand everything discussed (such as certain jobs), and my knowledge of currency at that time is very vague. However, I don’t think that made it any less accessible to me, only more authentic as it wasn’t constantly trying to explain what it’s talking about. I feel that the intended audience of a book can give information about the society it is published in, in addition to the information in the book itself.
While Poverty and Progress is quite an in-depth non-fiction book, I feel that Rowntree’s narrative style makes it much more accessible to those of us who aren’t studying the book for whatever subject at University. The only thing about it I didn’t like was when Rowntree gave his opinion on changes (either positive or negative) in such a way that it reads like fact (for example, when he laments the way young people don’t visit church as often as in the previous survey), as I feel a non-fiction book such as this one shouldn’t include any bias opinion without it being clear that it is just an opinion.
I think that most people probably wouldn’t enjoy reading Poverty and Progress cover to cover unless they have a real interest in life in England in the 1930’s for those in poverty. While the survey was only taken in York, Rowntree states how York is in comparison to other similar-sized towns in England. However, I think that anyone with a passing interest in the society of the past would be interested in certain sections of the book.
