Category: Self-Help

Book Review, Memoirs/Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Self-Help

Born to Run by C.M.

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5 stars. I wear barefoot shoes. No not the kind that have toes and are super tacky, but like shoes that actually allow your foot to function as though you were barefoot kind of shoes. LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE BAREFOOT SHOE COMPANY references this book. Look it up, then buy some shoes and save yourself some terrible foot, knee, hip, and back problems for the rest of your life. Ok now for what you’re really here for: a book review.

This book is amazing and I gave it 5 stars because I loved it. I loved the stories and all the various people included in this journey through history about running. However, I will say the title is somewhat misleading because the “Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen” only takes up a small percentage of the very end. But other than that, it will change the way you think about running and the shoe industry.

Book Review, Memoirs/Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Philosophy, Self-Help

Babies Are Not Pizzas by R.D.,PhD.

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4 stars. I can tell you that when I put this on my TBR list I did not expect to read a book about obstetric violence and abuse, but that’s what I got. This book was eye opening! I found myself in constant awe and horror as a learned about current practices in hospital labor and delivery wings and how most of them are at least 15 years out of date with current research! What the heck! Anyway, I’m here to review a book not give a summary. The book was organized in a simple enough way to understand and included many references to evidence-based knowledge about pregnancy and birth that, should I ever have children, I would refer to as well as doing some of my own research. It made me want to go straight hippy and read a book by Ina May Gaskin. Some of the knowledge was beyond me, just because I have never been pregnant and might never be. But it was simple enough to understand while simultaneously disheartening. But I did learn at the very end that if you don’t want to read the book, like I did, you can go to the associated website for any questions you may have from vitamin K to racism to lithotomy.  It was certainly an interesting read, very emotional. I do not get anything from posting this link, but if you want an unopinionated version of this book I’d recommend reading the research articles posted on the Evidence Based Birth Blog.

 

Book Review, Comedy, Memoirs/Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Philosophy, Self-Help

How to Lose a Marathon by J.C.

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4 stars. This books is a serious work of non-fiction dedicated to motivating the masses to lose marathons. I laughed out loud from time to time and relished in each time he mentioned his arch-nemesis: Oprah. The ending surprised me. I would recommend it as some light reading, its quick-flirty-bantery prose that actually does motivate you to go out and run a marathon, even if you might lose to Oprah.

Book Review, Non-Fiction, Philosophy, Self-Help

So You Want To Talk About Race by I.O.

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4.5 stars. I really appreciated the simplicity of Oluo’s writing, concise and beautiful! I was certainly fired-up every time I picked it up. I learned so much, like how to confront racism around me and how to not be a white savior when speaking up for the under-privileged. It was comprehensive too! Addressing not just Black Americans as a whole but Black Women, Asian-Americans, and Indigenous peoples as well (including all gender and sexual identities too, as Oluo points out is a problem with some movements). I believe this should be a staple for reading lists and book clubs world-wide for as long as it takes and beyond. I am really grateful that Libby/Overdrive took it off my 6 month hold (confusing at first) and made it a book that’s now always available.

Book Review, Non-Fiction, Self-Help

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by M.K.

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3.5 stars. I consider this book to be a failure. I read it. Did not apply it. It mildly inspired me to want to donate things. Made me laugh when she said one of her clients had stock-piled 80 rolls of tp. And I credit my resistance to her on the fact that she is quite arrogant in the introduction. Normally with books like this I would skip the introduction, but we’re in quarantine right now everything is changing.

Kondo’s ideas are radical and I do believe they may work. I am drawn to a minimalist lifestyle, but I can’t live in a tiny house and have all my books. Though I was satisfied to know that I already fold my socks AND store my t-shirts in the manner she recommends. I also vacuumed and cleaned my toilet after reading the intro, but I’m not sure that’s because she incited this behavior of it was just time in my normal routine.

Halfway through the book I was certain that I had already learned all there was to know about discarding and tidying, when boom! turns out the little 50% symbol was in the corner of my screen (ebooks are always tricking me like this). As I continued to read the more I thought, “maybe this Kondo lady is a little crazy, no way am I talking to my house when I get home for the day or thanking my wallet for being in my purse and not doing anything.”

I did learn some helpful tips and tricks, but I don’t think full immersion in the KonMari method is gonna work out for me.