The Quality of Life Report by Meghan Daum. I'm enjoying it so far :) My review to follow....
10.28.2010
10.11.2010
The Learning Disability Myth - Dr. Robin Pauc
Book Title: The Learning Disability Myth
Author(s): Dr. Robin Pauc
Category: Self Help
Number of pages: 213
What it's about: Dr. Pauc theorizes that the common diagnoses of childhood, such as ADHD, ADD, OCD, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, and Tourette's are all stemming from the same issue, which is a neurological developmental imbalance. He refers to this as Developmental Delay Syndrome.
What I liked best: I liked the fact that he believes that DDS can be treated with proper diet as well as physical and mental exercise, to retrain the brain.
One of Dr. Pauc's theories is that Developmental Delay Syndrome is caused by an imbalance in the development of brain hemispheres (one hemisphere is more developed than the other). Physical exercise (balance and coordination) and mental exercise (cognitive training) is prescribed to correct this imbalance, and a proper diet is recommended for overall brain health.
If you have a child who has been diagnosed with a behavioural issue and medication is recommended, and you are looking for an alternative, this book is a MUST READ.
My rating: 5
Author(s): Dr. Robin Pauc
Category: Self Help
Number of pages: 213
What it's about: Dr. Pauc theorizes that the common diagnoses of childhood, such as ADHD, ADD, OCD, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, and Tourette's are all stemming from the same issue, which is a neurological developmental imbalance. He refers to this as Developmental Delay Syndrome.
What I liked best: I liked the fact that he believes that DDS can be treated with proper diet as well as physical and mental exercise, to retrain the brain.
One of Dr. Pauc's theories is that Developmental Delay Syndrome is caused by an imbalance in the development of brain hemispheres (one hemisphere is more developed than the other). Physical exercise (balance and coordination) and mental exercise (cognitive training) is prescribed to correct this imbalance, and a proper diet is recommended for overall brain health.
If you have a child who has been diagnosed with a behavioural issue and medication is recommended, and you are looking for an alternative, this book is a MUST READ.
My rating: 5
3.08.2010
The Ten Year Nap - Meg Wolitzer
Book Title: The Ten Year Nap
Author(s): Meg Wolitzer
Category: Fiction
Number of pages: 351
What it's about: This story follows the lives of several women as they navigate the motherhood years when they’ve put their own ambitions on hold to see their children through to adulthood.
What I liked best: Meg Wolitzer’s treatment of this subject matter is engaging and insightful enough to have been born from personal experience.
“You stayed around your children as long as you could, inhaling the ambient gold shavings of their childhood…” page 328
I loved that phrase so much that I had to put down the book and hunt around for a pen and piece of paper. Fortunately it occurred to me to start writing down phrases near the end of the book, because had I thought to do this earlier on, I’d have too many gems to choose from to write this review.
As a stay at home mom, I can relate to Meg Wolitzer’s portrayal of the version of contemporary motherhood that results when mothers put their careers on hold after having their children. Priorities change, focus shifts, and our previous childless selves get lost in the shuffle. Unfortunately along with it often goes our sense of individuality and purpose, put second to the needs of our families. This angst along with the reflective tendencies of approaching middle age are the main voice of this book.
This novel is more character driven than plot - not much really happens. If you’re a stay at home mother, however, you will be able to relate enough to enjoy the read even in the absence of a highly structured plot, and even if you’re not, Meg Wolitzer’s highly evolved writing skill makes the time invested in the book well spent.
My rating: 4
US
Canada
Author(s): Meg Wolitzer
Category: Fiction
Number of pages: 351
What it's about: This story follows the lives of several women as they navigate the motherhood years when they’ve put their own ambitions on hold to see their children through to adulthood.
What I liked best: Meg Wolitzer’s treatment of this subject matter is engaging and insightful enough to have been born from personal experience.
“You stayed around your children as long as you could, inhaling the ambient gold shavings of their childhood…” page 328
I loved that phrase so much that I had to put down the book and hunt around for a pen and piece of paper. Fortunately it occurred to me to start writing down phrases near the end of the book, because had I thought to do this earlier on, I’d have too many gems to choose from to write this review.
As a stay at home mom, I can relate to Meg Wolitzer’s portrayal of the version of contemporary motherhood that results when mothers put their careers on hold after having their children. Priorities change, focus shifts, and our previous childless selves get lost in the shuffle. Unfortunately along with it often goes our sense of individuality and purpose, put second to the needs of our families. This angst along with the reflective tendencies of approaching middle age are the main voice of this book.
This novel is more character driven than plot - not much really happens. If you’re a stay at home mother, however, you will be able to relate enough to enjoy the read even in the absence of a highly structured plot, and even if you’re not, Meg Wolitzer’s highly evolved writing skill makes the time invested in the book well spent.
My rating: 4
US
Canada
1.26.2010
Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home - Rupert Sheldrake
Book title: Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home
Author: Rupert Sheldrake
Category: Non-fiction, animals
Number of pages: 352
What it's about: The alleged telepathic connection between animals and their humans.
What I liked best: Rupert Sheldrake provides enough examples of anecdotal as well as controlled and monitored evidence to convince the reader that there really is a telepathic connection between humans and their pets.
What I think: I've been a dog person my entire life, so I really appreciated this book. I've always believed that the animal-human bond goes deeper than companionship and mutual benefit. If you spend enough time around animals, you can get an uncanny feeling that they know more than is immediately obvious. This book examines and analyzes animal response to humans in a way that suggests there is more to patterns of anticipatory behaviour than just coincidence, routine, or heightened sensory ability (i.e. keen hearing).
After reading Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home, I couldn't help but notice how our Shepherd Husky cross always moves to the top of the front stairs about thirty minutes or so before my husband gets home...
My rating: 4 stars
U.S.
Canada
Author: Rupert Sheldrake
Category: Non-fiction, animals
Number of pages: 352
What it's about: The alleged telepathic connection between animals and their humans.
What I liked best: Rupert Sheldrake provides enough examples of anecdotal as well as controlled and monitored evidence to convince the reader that there really is a telepathic connection between humans and their pets.
What I think: I've been a dog person my entire life, so I really appreciated this book. I've always believed that the animal-human bond goes deeper than companionship and mutual benefit. If you spend enough time around animals, you can get an uncanny feeling that they know more than is immediately obvious. This book examines and analyzes animal response to humans in a way that suggests there is more to patterns of anticipatory behaviour than just coincidence, routine, or heightened sensory ability (i.e. keen hearing).
After reading Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home, I couldn't help but notice how our Shepherd Husky cross always moves to the top of the front stairs about thirty minutes or so before my husband gets home...
My rating: 4 stars
U.S.
Canada
1.25.2010
Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell
Book title: Outliers
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Category: Non-fiction, Self Help
Number of pages: 309
What it's about: The author examines the stories of some of the most successful people in history and reveals some surprising insight behind their success.
What I liked best: The fact that Malcom Gladwell brings a realistic perspective to success made this book interesting: all of the "outliers" featured didn't succeed on their own - they had help, and they also didn't succeed overnight - they worked hard.
What I think: This is a good book to read in the early years of one's adult life, because one of the key common threads in all of the success stories featured is amount of time put towards one's goals (as in, there is no such thing as an overnight success). There seems to be an average time frame of about ten years of effort before big rewards begin to surface.
My rating: 4 stars
US:
Canada:
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Category: Non-fiction, Self Help
Number of pages: 309
What it's about: The author examines the stories of some of the most successful people in history and reveals some surprising insight behind their success.
What I liked best: The fact that Malcom Gladwell brings a realistic perspective to success made this book interesting: all of the "outliers" featured didn't succeed on their own - they had help, and they also didn't succeed overnight - they worked hard.
What I think: This is a good book to read in the early years of one's adult life, because one of the key common threads in all of the success stories featured is amount of time put towards one's goals (as in, there is no such thing as an overnight success). There seems to be an average time frame of about ten years of effort before big rewards begin to surface.
My rating: 4 stars
US:
Canada:
3.06.2009
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