Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It (Borzoi Books)

An eye-opening, myth-shattering examination of what makes us fat, from acclaimed science writer Gary Taubes.

In his New York Times best seller, Good Calories, Bad Calories, Taubes argued that our diet’s overemphasis on certain kinds of carbohydrates—not fats and not simply excess calories—has led directly to the obesity epidemic we face today. The result of thorough research, keen insight, and unassailable common sense, Good Calories, Bad Calories immediately stirred controversy and acclaim among academics, journalists, and writers alike. Michael Pollan heralded it as “a vitally important book, destined to change the way we think about food.”

Building upon this critical work in Good Calories, Bad Calories and presenting fresh evidence for his claim, Taubes now revisits the urgent question of what’s making us fat—and how we can change—in this exciting new book. Persuasive, straightforward, and practical, Why We Get Fat makes Taubes’s crucial argument newly accessible to a wider audience.

Taubes reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, none more damaging or misguided than the “calories-in, calories-out” model of why we get fat, and the good science that has been ignored, especially regarding insulin’s regulation of our fat tissue. He also answers the most persistent questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat, and what foods should we avoid?

Packed with essential information and concluding with an easy-to-follow diet, Why We Get Fat is an invaluable key in our understanding of an international epidemic and a guide to what each of us can do about it. Read  More...

Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won

“Defense wins championships!” So declared a triumphant Michael Jordan in 1991, invoking a hallowed sports mantra. But Jordan’s assertion melts into cliché when Moskowitz and Wertheim expose it to statistical calculations revealing that, regardless of the sport, offense proves just as decisive as defense. Indeed, in their wide-ranging iconoclasm, the authors repeatedly poke arithmetic holes in what everyone in sports supposedly knows. Typical is their number-crunching assault on the popular explanation of home-field advantage as a consequence of visiting teams’ road fatigue. Home teams win, the authors demonstrate, chiefly because referees tend to see plays their way—especially when the crowd of spectators grows large. Parsing of data illuminates off-field behavior, too, explaining which athletes use steroids and which ones use marijuana. Even the curse hanging over the Chicago Cubs comes into focus then the analysts ignore the billy-goat myth and statistically assess a management style fostered by fans perversely loyal to “lovable losers”! Sports buffs eager to win their next barroom argument will be lining up for this book. --Bryce Christensen

"The closest thing to Freakonomics I've seen since the original. A rare combination of terrific storytelling and unconventional thinking. I love this book..." 
—Steven D. Levitt, Alvin H. Baum Professor of Economics, University of Chicago, and co-author of Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics
"I love this book. If I told you why, the NBA would fine me again."
—Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks

“Scorecasting is both scholarly and entertaining, a rare double.  It gets beyond the cliched narratives and tried-but-not-necessarily-true assumptions to reveal significant and fascinating truths about sports.”
—Bob Costas

"A counterintuitive, innovative, unexpected handbook for sports fans interested in the truths that underpin our favorite games. With their lively minds and prose, Moskowitz and Wertheim will change the way you think about and watch sports. Not just for stats nerds, Scorecasting enlightens and entertains. I wish I had thought of it!"
—Jeremy Schaap, ESPN reporter, Author of Cinderella Man.

"(Sports + numbers) x great writing = winning formula.  A must read for all couch analysts."
—Richard Thaler, Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics, best-selling author of Nudge.

“Scorecasting will change the way you watch sports, but don’t start reading it during a game; you’re liable to get lost in it and miss the action. I’m not giving anything away because you’ll want to read exactly how they arrived at their conclusions."--Allen Barra, NJ Star Ledger  Read  More...

Best books : True Grit

 

"Tom Wolfe, who worked with Portis as a reporter at the New York Herald-Tribune in the early 1960s called him 'the original laconic cutup.' A generation of novelists since then have simply regarded him as a writers' writer and have made his name a sort of secret password. Soon, they'll no longer have him to themselves." --Rolling Stone Magazine

"An epic and a legend."--The Washington Post

"Like Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and Thomas Berger's Little Big Man, Charles Portis's True Grit captures the naïve elegance of the American voice."--Jonathan Lethem

"An instant classic... Read it and have the most fun you've had reading a novel in years, maybe decades."--Newsday

"Skillfully constructed, a comic tour de force."--The New York Times Book Review

"Charles Portis details the savagery of the 1870s frontier through an astonishing narrative voice: that of the 14-year-old Mattie Ross, a flinty, skeptical, Bible-thumping scourge"--Wall Street Journal

"I loved that book. Charles Portis got a real Mark Twain feeling, the cynicism and the humor."--John Wayne

"'[The Coen Brothers] wanted to really make a version of the book by Charles Portis, and that was the first big piece of direction that was given to me by those guys: Don't study the movie, study the book. That's what I did and whenever you're making a movie of a book, it's wonderful because you've got so much more insight into the characters and the story that way.'"--Jeff Bridges in USA Weekend

 

Charles Portis has long been acclaimed as one of America's foremost comic writers. True Grit is his most famous novel--first published in 1968, and the basis for the movie of the same name starring John Wayne and now the film by the Coen brothers starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon.

It tells the story of Mattie Ross, who is just fourteen years of age when a coward going by the name of Tom Chaney shoots her father down in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and robs him of his life, his horse, and $150 in cash money. Mattie leaves home to avenge her father's blood. With the one-eyed Rooster Cogburn, the meanest available U.S. Marshal, by her side, Mattie pursues the homicide into Indian Territory.

True Grit is eccentric, cool, straight, and unflinching, like Mattie herself.

From a writer of true cult status, this is an American classic through and through. This new edition, with a smart new package and an afterword by acclaimed author Donna Tartt, will bring this masterpiece to an even broader audience.

 

 I'm not sure what more I can say than, "Wow!" I don't know if I've ever been more surprised by a book. I ran across it a few times in the library and thought about checking it out, but then I kept remembering that John Wayne won his only Oscar in the movie version (which I haven't seen), and I don't really care for John Wayne, so that must have subconsciously led me to keep leaving it on the shelf. But, I finally picked it up, took it home, dipped into it -- and was instantly hooked. This is a gripping book about the single-minded pursuit justice in the 1870s, written in the amazing voice of a deadpan, plain-speaking prose of a woman looking back at the events some 30-40 years later.

Mattie Ross's beloved rancher father was murdered by a drunk hired hand while they were away on business, and Mattie's ineffectual mother sends her to town to collect the body. She does so, but also seeks out a U.S. Marshall whom she can tempt into heading into the Indian Territory of modern-day Oklahoma to track down and kill or capture the murderer. The crusty lawman she eventually hires has his flaws, including a taste for the drink and sordid service in the Civil War with Quantrill's Raiders (or one of the other loose raiding companies). But he also has a code he follows which makes him the right match for Mattie, who sees life in black and white absolutes. They are joined by a Texas lawman pursing the man for another crime (and substantial bounty) and the trio head off to find their man. Adventures and surprises ensue, including plenty of shooting and killing -- all recounted in the sparse and often unintentionally funny voice of the elder Mattie. Her voice is singular and riveting, making Mattie instantly into one of my favorite characters in American literature. The book is a true masterpiece- I'm buying 10 copies and giving them out as Christmas presents.Read  More...

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One By Stanley Fish

From Booklist

New York Times columnist and college professor Fish appreciates fine sentences the way some people appreciate fine wine. In 10 short chapters, Fish takes readers through a cogent analysis of how to craft a sentence. He talks about form, content, and style, always taking care to illustrate his points with an ample selection of judicously chosen quotations from virtuoso writers, from Milton and Shakepeare to Anton Scalia and Elmore Leonard. He then proceeds to drill down into the quotations, zeroing in on the tense, parts of speech, or precise phrasing that make the sentences sing. He also discusses famous first and last lines, always keeping in the forefront the extraordinary power of language to shape reality. And, befitting his subject matter, he does all this in the most luminous prose. He fluidly conveys the nitty-gritty details of crafting sentences, but, even more impressive, he communicates and instills in readers a deep appreciation for beautiful sentences that “do things the language you use every day would not have seemed capable of doing.” Language lovers will flock to this homage to great writing. --Joanne Wilkinson

“How to Write a Sentence is a must read for aspiring writers and anyone who wants to deepen their appreciation of literature. If extraordinary sentences are like sports plays, Fish is the Vin Scully of great writing.” (Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, authors of "They Say/I Say" )

“Coming up with all-or-nothing arguments is simply what Fish does; and, in a sense, one of his most important contributions to the study of literature is that temperament…Whether people like Fish or not, though, they tend to find him fascinating.” (The New Yorker )

“Like a long periodic sentence, this book rumbles along, gathers steam, shifts gears, and packs a wallop.” (Roy Blount Jr. )

“Language lovers will flock to this homage to great writing.” (Booklist ) Read  More...

 

 

 

Mr. Sunday's Soups by Lorraine Wallace

Hearty, soulful soups from Chris Wallace's favorite cook
Known to millions as the anchor of Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace-"Mr. Sunday"-is one of the most popular news show hosts in the country. After a long day on air, Chris would often arrive home hungry and delight at the sight of a big pot of his wife Lorraine's soup on the burner. Lorraine may not be a professional cook, but you wouldn't know it from her soups!

 

In fact, her soups were so good that Chris couldn't help but rave about them on-air. Before long, the show's fans were begging him to share his wife's wonderful recipes. Now, in Mr. Sunday's Soups, Lorraine Wallace shares a wide variety of soups that are sure to please the whole family.

• Includes 78 recipes and 40 beautiful full-color photographs
• With recipes such as Tortellini Meatball, Cuban Black Bean, Chicken Garlic Straciatella, and many more
• The perfect cookbook for fans of Fox News Sunday and great soups in general
• Features a Foreword by Chris Wallace

Perfect as comfort food at the end of a long day at the office or the studio, these satisfying soups offer simple, wholesome solutions to the dinner doldrums. Read  More...

Sample Recipes

          

Mr. Sunday's Soups by Lorraine Wallace  Read  More...

5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides)

In Matthew Inman's 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides), samurai sword-wielding kittens and hamsters that love .50-caliber machine guns commingle with a cracked out Tyrannosaur that is extremely hard to potty train. Bacon is better than true love and you may awake in the middle of the night to find your nephew nibbling on your toes.

Inman creates these quirky scenes for theoatmeal.com, which launched in July 2009 and already has more than 82 million page views. In fact, every 15 to 30 seconds, someone Googles one of theoatmeal.com's creations. Now, 60 of Inman's comic illustrations and life-bending guides are presented in full-color inside 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides). Consider such handy advice as:

* 4 Reasons to Carry a Shovel at All Times
* 6 Types of Crappy Hugs

* 8 Ways to Tell if Your Loved One Plans to Eat You

* 17 Things Worth Knowing About Your Cat
* 20 Things Worth Knowing About Beer

      

5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides)  Read  More...

Reviews : The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Amazon Best of the Month, September 2008: Once you start The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, there's no turning back. This debut thriller--the first in a trilogy from the late Stieg Larsson--is a serious page-turner rivaling the best of Charlie Huston and Michael Connelly. Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch--and there's always a catch--is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

A 24-year-old computer hacker sporting an assortment of tattoos and body piercings and afflicted with Asperger Syndrome or something of the like has been under state guardianship in her native Sweden since she was thirteen. She supports herself by doing deep background investigations for Dragan Armansky, who, in turn, worries the anorexic-looking Lisbeth Salander is "the perfect victim for anyone who wished her ill." Salander may look fourteen and stubbornly shun social norms, but she possesses the inner strength of a determined survivor. She sees more than her word processor page in black and white and despises the users and abusers of this world. She won't hesitate to exact her own unique brand of retribution against small-potatoes bullies, sick predators, and corrupt magnates alike.

Financial journalist Carl Mikael Blomkvist has just been convicted of libeling a financier and is facing a fine and three months in jail. Blomkvist, after a Salander-completed background check, is summoned to a meeting with semi-retired industrialist Henrik Vanger whose far-flung but shrinking corporate empire is wholly family owned. Vanger has brooded for 36 years about the fate of his great niece, Harriet. Blomkvist is expected to live for a year on the island where many Vanger family members still reside and where Harriet was last seen. Under the cover story that he is writing a family history, Blomkvist is to investigate which family member might have done away with the teenager.

So, the stage is set. The reader easily guesses early that somehow Blomkvist and Salander will pool their talents to probe the Vanger mystery. However,Swede Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is no humdrum, formulaic whodunit. It is fascinating and very difficult to put down. Nor is it without some really suspenseful and chillingly ugly scenes....

The issue most saturating The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is that of shocking sexual violence primarily against women but not excluding men. Salander and Blomkvist both confront prima facie evidence of such crimes. Larsson's other major constituent elements are corporate malfeasance that threatens complete collapse of stock markets and anarchistic distrust of officialdom to the point of endorsing (at least, almost) vigilantism. He also deals with racism as he spins a complex web from strands of real and imagined history concerning mid-twentieth century Vanger affiliations with Sweden's fascist groups.

But Larsson's carefully calibrated tale is more than a grisly, cynical world view of his country and the modern world at large. At its core, it is an fascinating character study of a young woman who easily masters computer code but for whom human interaction is almost always more trouble than it is worth, of an investigative reporter who chooses a path of less resistance than Salander but whose humanity reaches out to many including her, and of peripheral characters -- such as Armansky -- who need more of their story told.

Fortunately, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in English translation will be followed by two more in the Millennium series: The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Air Castle that Blew Up. I can't wait. Larsson also made a 200-page start on a fourth book, but sadly he succumbed to a heart attack in 2004 and his father decided the unfinished work will remain unpublished.

I recommend this international bestseller to all who eagerly sift new books for challenging intellectual crime thrillers, who luxuriate in immersing themselves in the ambience of a compellingly created world and memorable characters, who soak up financial and investigative minutiae as well as computer hacking tidbits, and who want to share Larsson's crusade against violence and racism.Read  More... 

400 Calorie Fix: The Easy New Rule for Permanent Weight Loss! lowest price

The latest research shows that controlling calories is consistently the most successful weight loss  method. Of course, counting calories is nothing new. But only 15 percent of us know how many calories we should eat to maintain a healthy weight. Most of us don’t know how many calories are in the foods we eat. And most of us don’t really want to have to count calories.

Now from Flat Belly Diet! author Liz Vaccariello comes 400 Calorie Fix, which makes it easy to spot and control calories. 400 Calorie Fix has no banned ingredients, no magic foods, and no complicated rules. You'll learn how to eat with the 400 calorie “lens”—the essential tool they need to assess portion sizes for all types of food at a glance.

The book makes calorie control easy and delicious with 400 tasty 400-calorie recipes, quick-fix (nocook) meals, and options that make it easy to dine out, whether you're chowing down on a fast- food burger or hosting a family cookout.

 

Read  More...

 

 

I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy Summary and Reviews

"I'm predicting Ann Voskamp's personal narrative will soon be many people's favorite book. It's like C.S. Lewis for mortals." -- Mick Silva, former editor with Focus on the Family

"This book is the most gorgeous thing I've ever read. Ever. Ann Voskamp weaves the sacred and ordinary into a tapestry of grace. And each beautiful word is a thread that binds our hearts closer to God's so He can fill our hollow places with joy. This book is the real gift--one that will stay with you and keep blessing your life long after you've read the last page." --Holley Gerth, editorial director, DaySpring

"Ann Voskamp is truly one of the most gifted writers I have ever read. If you want a book that will challenge you and mess with you in the most beautiful of ways, this is it. And you won't just read it and put it away. You will return to this treasure for years to come." ----Lysa TerKeurst, president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and bestselling author of Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl

"A book destined to become a classic; the sort of book you dog-ear and re-read for the sheer joy of cherishing the words and experiencing the depth of the heart that wrote it." ----Mary DeMuth, author of Thin Places: A Memoir

"This book is one that will change the way you see the world." ----Marybeth Whalen, author of The Mailbox and She Makes It Look Easy and director of www.shereads.org

"Where do I begin? Do I tell you that Ann Voskamp writes like a poet with the heart of a mystic? Or do I share with you how One Thousand Gifts is so profound that if we internalize this message of lifestyle gratitude and all-pervasive grace, we can know Christ like Adam knew Eve. To write of such beautiful, intimate union requires the pen of a spiritual artist. Open this book, then open your heart." ----Lisa Whelchel, actress, speaker, and author of Creative Correction and Friendship for Grown-Ups 

Customer Reviews

1. When I sat down to read this book I expected to enjoy the writing of one of my favorite Christian bloggers, what I didn't expect is what I experienced - a miracle - a renewing of faith and a fresh perspective on life. Ann Voskamp takes the reader by the hand and leads them on a journey filled with slap-your-forehead-aha moments. My eyes were opened to what I couldn't see even though it had been in front of me the whole time. I jumped from my bed this morning anxious to start the day with this new perspective. I encourage you to read this book and I pray that you experience the same miracle that I did.
2. I am only half-way through One Thousand Gifts...but already, it has made an impact on me. Ann has a beautiful way with words. God has gifted her enormously and this book will challenge, encourage and bless you immensely!
   
   I am an *underliner*. I underline in books...important, thought-provoking, and encouraging sentences. To say this book is now "marked up" would be an understatement. So much wisdom can be gleaned from these pages.
   
   If God is pulling on your heart-strings. If you are here, now, reading these words wondering if the book is worth the cost...know that it *is* (and more). Let God speak to you through Ann. Let Him fill your heart with His goodness. I promise, you'll be glad you did! :)
3. This book hardly needs yet another 5-star review to recommend, but here I go, because Ann deserves it.
   
   This is a book to be savored slowly. I'm reading it bits at a time in the Kindle version, highlighting abundantly and then letting it all sink in and permeate my thoughts during the ordinary moments of my day. There's so much depth, honesty, and poetry in these pages. If you ever wonder if there really is a God, if you ever feel frustrated at all the tempting treasures of the world you will never taste, if you ever doubt the Lord's heart toward you ... Ann has been there and the light she has received is for you. For all of us.
   
   Read it and be blessed!
4. A few years ago I came across Ann's web site. I was dumbfounded. I felt like I had this gift and I tried to share it with everybody. First of all, how the heck does this Canadian farmer's wife find the time to raise six children and homeschool them? Amazed, I studied her life. But what kept me coming back was the beauty of her words juxtaposed with stirring still-life photographs. Ann makes an ordinary life look sublime.
   
   I couldn't wait for this book to be released so I ordered three copies several months ahead of time. I was not disappointed. In order to succeed in grad school I learned the fine art of skimming, but that would be impossible to do with this book. It begs to be read aloud. I have never read another author who writes in such a way that each word has to be savored. It's sort of ironic because that is the smashing point of the book: Life is not an emergency. Slow down. Sip. Taste. Savor. Enjoy.
   
   Besides the beauty of the words, there is a life-changing message.Ann admits an early childhood tragedy caused her to feel cheated and to doubt God's goodness, but a challenge to find one thousand things to be thankful for made her a different person. As a counselor, I know that our self-talk and the lens we choose to see the world through, affects our experience. This is a book for all of us: Men, women, young, and old. Read  More...

Please click here to check One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Yogi Cameron Alborzian : The Guru in You: A Personalized Program for Rejuvenating Your Body and Soul

The Guru in You invites you to embark on a journey to reconnect with your body and discover its natural ability to heal. As the first male supermodel, Cameron Alborzian had a life that many dream of—traveling the globe, working with the most prestigious designers in the world, partying with celebrities, and appearing in major ad campaigns and cultural landmarks like Madonna's "Express Yourself" video. But his real achievement came when he decided to leave the material world of high fashion and investigate the ancient art of Ayurvedic healing. What he learned changed his life, and, after years of study, he now works with everyone from Hollywood celebrities to executives of international corporations to bring balance, improved health, and inner peace to their busy lives. The tools he provides for his clients are now available to all with The Guru in You.

Most of us will never have a live-in guru, but Yogi Cameron provides the next best thing: an easy-to-follow program, guiding you to better health and happiness. The Guru in You lays the foundation for change, helping us identify our unhealthy patterns and set our intentions. It then provides you with a customizable plan. Whatever your body type and temperament, Yogi Cameron offers diet, supplements, breathing exercises, and yoga tailored just for you. This is not a one-size-fits all program but an invitation to develop a practice that you'll take with you for the rest of your life.

Yogi Cameron teaches us the ancient wisdom that we all have the power to heal ourselves. By developing a practice that works for your individual needs, you will forever improve how you eat, sleep, work, and exercise.

Yogi Cameron invites us to discover what he has learned firsthand: the material world will not bring sustainable happiness, but we can all find joy if we pursue a meaningful path toward balancing our body and mind. With this book, you can be guided by the guru in you.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

How many of us are sick and tired of being sick and tired? In my life I'm always trying my utmost to follow a healthy and spiritual path, though "real life" always seems to get in the way. What an inspiration The Guru in You: A Personalized Program for Rejuvenating Your Body and Soul is! Cameron Alborzian led a life that most people only dream of: traveling the world, being a supermodel, hanging out with celebrities, but he wasn't truly fulfilled. He went on a spiritual journey that led him to true peace, health and happiness, and now he's sharing his path and guidance with the world.  Read More...

Diet Guide Sexy Forever: How to Fight Fat after Forty

What If Your Weight Wasn’t Your Fault?

"In 1996 i bought Suzannes books and tapes followed her program and lost 20 pds felt great .I only weighed 145 at the time.I don't know why maybe because i worked 2 jobs was taking care of my sick mom who had a stroke i don't know but, i stopped following her program.I was only on 2 months.Anyway my weight now is 14 yrs later 200 pds.I have acid reflx,hypertension feel terriable.Went to my doctor for a checkup.I said i'm really tired and just over all feel bad.He said you are a healthcare professional you take care of everyone but, yourself.(I'm a Emergency Room Tech in a big trauma hospital )Anyway he said have you ever heard of Suzanne Somers i said yes i have all her books tapes and receipes .He was shocked he flat out said then why the H aren't you using them.I said i really don't know prograstination i don't know.He said go home read them again and get moving on her plan i have more patients that have lost weight and got healthy with her plan better than any plan.So i'm starting her program again.If you want something that really works and makes you healthy try Suzanne Somers.My doctor is 70 yrs old and believes in old remedies he really blew my mind."

"I was first turned on to Suzanne's books in June of '08 after a year of dealing with infertility and doctors telling me there was no hope for me to get pregnant naturally. I was only 35 at the time. When I picked up the first book I read of hers, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It sang to me. To make a long story short, because of the information in her books and the directory of doctors she provides, I was able to find a doctor to find the root of my infertility problem and fix it using vitamins and bio-identical hormones. I now owe my future children to her!!!

Her latest book falls right in line with her diligence and perfectionism to provide her readers with an education and information meant to enhance and fill our lives with health and todays fountain of youth. Her commitment to spreading the word about bio-identical hormones and how vitally important hormone balancing is to quality of life is commendable and has left me indebted. Read More...

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back By Todd Burpo

A young boy emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven.

Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.

Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.

I don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers but I think the sarcastic mockery of a few reviewers is actually out of place and uncalled-for. I may not be a believer in the traditional sense either but I've become 99% convinced of the literal truth of Colton's experience and its supernatural aspect, even if one or two minor details like the blue eyes and angel wings might maybe (but not necessarily) be the product of "false memory." There are Jews and indeed Arabs who are pale-skinned and have blue eyes, not all have brown skin and brown eyes. For example, some northern Iranians. A non-trivial minority of Middle Eastern Jews also have blue eyes (or more often, green & hazel). So Jesus could have had too. And as one reviewer pointed out, apparently there are angels with wings mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel (Old Testament). As far as I can tell from people who know their bible, there is nothing inconsistent in this story with Scripture or indeed with medical reality since near-death experiences or NDE's are well-documented and are believed by many to be real both in the religious and scientific communities. Read More...

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts By Gary Chapman

Unhappiness in marriage often has a simple root cause: we speak different love languages, believes Dr. Gary Chapman. While working as a marriage counselor for more than 30 years, he identified five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. In a friendly, often humorous style, he unpacks each one. Some husbands or wives may crave focused attention; another needs regular praise. Gifts are highly important to one spouse, while another sees fixing a leaky faucet, ironing a shirt, or cooking a meal as filling their "love tank." Some partners might find physical touch makes them feel valued: holding hands, giving back rubs, and sexual contact. Chapman illustrates each love language with real-life examples from his counseling practice.

How do you discover your spouse’s – and your own – love language? Chapman’s short questionnaires are one of several ways to find out. Throughout the book, he also includes application questions that can be answered more extensively in the beautifully detailed companion leather journal (an exclusive Amazon.com set). Each section of the journal corresponds with a chapter from the book, offering opportunities for deeper reflection on your marriage.

 

Although some readers may find choosing to love a spouse that they no longer even like –hoping the feelings of affection will follow later– a difficult concept to swallow, Chapman promises that the results will be worth the effort. "Love is a choice," says Chapman. "And either partner can start the process today." --Cindy Crosby. This text refers to the Amazon.com Exclusive Journal & Paperback Book Set.

Marriage should be based on love, right? But does it seem as though you and your spouse are speaking two different languages? New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman guides couples in identifying, understanding, and speaking their spouse’s primary love language—quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch.

By learning the five love languages, you and your spouse will discover your unique love languages and learn practical steps in truly loving each other. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with specific, simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction. A newly designed love languages assessment will help you understand and strengthen your relationship. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together.

Gary Chapman hosts a nationally syndicated daily radio program called A Love Language Minute that can be heard on more than 150 radio stations as well as the weekly syndicated program Building Relationships with Gary Chapman, which can both be heard on fivelovelanguages.com.

The Five Love Languages is a consistent new York Times bestseller - with over 5 million copies sold and translated into 38 languages.  This book is a sales phenomenon, with each year outselling the prior for 16 years running!

Includes a promotional code to gain exclusive online access to the new comprehensive love languages assessment.

The author reveals, through 25 years of counseling, that he has determined people communicate love in five basic ways.They are Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Physical Touch and Giving Gifts. For example, if my primary love language is Quality Time, then I will show my love to others by spending quality time with them. If I don't receive that in return, my love tank will be empty. The author stresses the importance of knowing your loved one's love language so that you can communicate love to that person in a way in which he/she feels love, so that their love tank can be continually replenished. If my spous's love language is acts of service and he is always doing things for me to communicate his love, but I receive love through the language of quality time, I will not receive his acts of service as communicating love and therefore my love tank will be dry. I in return, must communicate my love to him through acts of service in order to fill his love tank. An empty love tank causes relationships to deteriorate.This book was excellent for teaching us to recognize the way in which our loved ones receive and feel loved  Read More...

The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss

Thinner, bigger, faster, stronger... which 150 pages will you read?Is it possible to:
Reach your genetic potential in 6 months?
Sleep 2 hours per day and perform better than on 8 hours?
Lose more fat than a marathoner by bingeing? 

Indeed, and much more. This is not just another diet and fitness book.

The 4-Hour Body is the result of an obsessive quest, spanning more than a decade, to hack the human body. It contains the collective wisdom of hundreds of elite athletes, dozens of MDs, and thousands of hours of jaw-dropping personal experimentation. From Olympic training centers to black-market laboratories, from Silicon Valley to South Africa, Tim Ferriss, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, fixated on one life-changing question:

For all things physical, what are the tiniest changes that produce the biggest results?

Thousands of tests later, this book contains the answers for both men and women.

From the gym to the bedroom, it’s all here, and it all works.

YOU WILL LEARN (in less than 30 minutes each):How to lose those last 5-10 pounds (or 100+ pounds) with odd combinations of food and safe chemical cocktails.

* How to prevent fat gain while bingeing (X-mas, holidays, weekends)

* How to increase fat-loss 300% with a few bags of ice

* How Tim gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, without steroids, and in four hours of total gym time

* How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested

* How to produce 15-minute female orgasms

* How to triple testosterone and double sperm count

* How to go from running 5 kilometers to 50 kilometers in 12 weeks

* How to reverse “permanent” injuries

* How to add 150+ pounds to your lifts in 6 months

* How to pay for a beach vacation with one hospital visit

       

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.  There are more than 50 topics covered, all with real-world experiments, many including more than 200 test subjects.

You don't need better genetics or more discipline. You need immediate results that compel you to continue.

That’s exactly what The 4-Hour Body delivers  Read More...

Review of C.S. Lewis's A Grief Observed

C.S. Lewis joined the human race when his wife, Joy Gresham, died of cancer. Lewis, the Oxford don whose Christian apologetics make it seem like he's got an answer for everything, experienced crushing doubt for the first time after his wife's tragic death. A Grief Observed contains his epigrammatic reflections on that period: "Your bid--for God or no God, for a good God or the Cosmic Sadist, for eternal life or nonentity--will not be serious if nothing much is staked on it. And you will never discover how serious it was until the stakes are raised horribly high," Lewis writes. "Nothing will shake a man--or at any rate a man like me--out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover it himself." This is the book that inspired the film Shadowlands, but it is more wrenching, more revelatory, and more real than the movie. It is a beautiful and unflinchingly honest record of how even a stalwart believer can lose all sense of meaning in the universe, and how he can gradually regain his bearings.

This work chronicles Lewis' struggle to come to terms with the death of his wife. Because it comes from his private journals, it may not seem as "polished" as some of his other writings. Personally, I appreciate the way it reveals the innerworkings of a very emotional and private man.

In contrast to many works, this book doesn't try to simplify grief, justify it, or dance around the issue with pat observations or cheery reminders. Instead, it dares to question those very tactics. Lewis allows himself to feel a broad range of emotions, including doubt and great despair. I love this quality in Lewis: he is one of the few Chrisitian writers who is brutally honest about his fears and anger. His writings allow that God is big enough to handle our toughest questions.

This little book is full of images and ideas that will stay with you long after you've finished it. Lewis takes feelings that you can't quite pinpoint and eloquently puts them into words. As I read the book, I kept thinking to myself "Yes, THAT'S what I feel too!" Misery does love company, and Lewis is excellent company.

As usual, Lewis is full of astute observations and points to ponder, but don't expect a bunch of clean and pretty answers. At the end, his grief is still very much a work in progress, which is definitely how it has been in my life....a journey  Read More...