Book Review Mondays

The Body Toxic: How the hazardous chemistry of everyday things threatens our health and well-being
by Nena Baker

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Toxic-Hazardous-Chemistry-Well-being/dp/0865477078

This is a self-help book for curbing chemical poisoning. It is an informative, well-supported (26 pages of notes), engaging (because of the numerous stories she tells that illustrate the hazards of toxic chemicals beyond the scientific facts), and well-written book that will very likely cause you to make changes in your life and, if not, to become more aware of your immediate environment. K. Lorimor of Phoenix, Arizona, writes, “Since I read this book, I have been changing the way I shop, cook and buy. I read labels from food to cleaning supplies to shampoo and conditioners and more.” Baker is clearly an investigative reporter, and if nothing else, if she can initiate a national conversation about toxic substances, our exposure to them, and their prevalence in our world, she has served a valuable purpose. This is a book everyone should read but, especially mothers. Actually, this book should be a call to action for everyone.


No time to think: The menace of media speed and the 24-hour news cycle
by Howard Rosenberg and Charles S. Feldman

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

http://www.amazon.com/No-Time-Think-Menace-24-hour/dp/0826429319/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240357502&sr=1-1

I am attracted to books that challenge you and make you think, and this fits neatly into that category. This is a well-written book full of specific facts, examples, and situations. With the downsizing or disappearance of many newspapers, it is a timely book as well. Any “news junkie” over the past decade will recognize most of what the authors write about. Their expertise goes unchallenged, and Cliff Milledge, in his critique of the book on Amazon.com writes about the advantage of having these co-authors: “there's a good reason why this book has two authors. Feldman spent 20 years as a TV and radio reporter as the guy in front of the camera or the mic, and Rosenberg covered the media for the LA Times (and won a Pulitzer along the way). The net effect is that you get a real feel for how our news actually gets put together from an insider and an outsider, each of whom brings a unique perspective and old school journalistic morals.” Not only does the situation of newspapers in our nation create a need for such a book as this, but their focus is the effects of the rise of 24-hour cable news and internet blogging. There is much food for thought in this book because the authors suggest that the media blizzard each person receives scrambles their perspective and, potentially, distorts how they act — and it affects consumers, politicians, and government leaders. If you have any interest in the future of journalism, Rosenberg and Feldman offer an urgent wake-up call.

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Through our reading, researching, and writing, And Then Some Publishing (and our extended family of readers) mine volumes of books representing a wide variety of tastes. We use the books in our writing, test and try suggested techniques, and we read for enjoyment as well. We wouldn't spend the time reviewing the books if we didn't get something out of it. Read more reviews on other fantastic books at our BookWorksRules.com website.