Monday, September 30, 2019

From Renting to Buying: A Basic Guide to First Time Home Buying and Ownership - Ben Stefan

This is a very short, super basic book on the topic.  It's geared towards people who have rented their whole lives.  It talks about hiring handy people to do your up keep that was 0% relevant to me or anyone who doesn't enjoy wasting money. 
It was good as a quick review, but I didn't think there was enough substance to really make it anything I'd recommend.  There are other, far more interesting and useful options on the topic.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Breasts: The Owner's Manual - Dr. Kristi Funk

I'm still not sure how I feel about this book.  It was both up-beat and depressing at the same time.  It is jam packed with information from what you can do today to avoid cancer all the way to how best to treat reoccurring cancer. 
Pro: You can make lifestyle changes today to lower your likelihood of developing all cancers, including breast.
Con: These changes aren't fun.  Cut out all alcohol except maybe a glass of red wine once in a while.  Exercise at least five hours a week.  Cut out all animal products, especially dairy and meat.  Don't eat processed foods.  Don't eat refined sugars or syrup.  Bla bla bla, you know, all the things your doctor has been telling you to do all along.
The good news is that you can make these changes at any point in time and start benefiting from them.  It's never too late to get started!
And even if you have a history of breast cancer in your family, it's ok! 85% of all breast cancer occurs in people without a family history of the disease. So if you've got relatives with breast cancer, it's not a death sentence.  And if you don't have relatives with the disease, you still need to be proactive about ensuring you are screened and maintain a healthy lifestyle!  More broccoli and flax all around!
I would recommend this book to anyone with a history of any cancer in their family, all women over 40, anyone who is fighting cancer or has a loved one fighting cancer.  Or anyone who is fascinated by cancer biology and treatment.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery

This was another "well, I never read it as a child" books.  I must confess, I hated this book as it started.  Anne rambled so much, I wanted to tell her to shut the hell up.  As the book progressed and the character was well-established, there was less need for the monologues of rambling.  The reader already knows the deal.  And then, as Anne ages, she does actually shut the hell up, which makes her much more palatable, in my opinion.  I like the whimsical ideas, but the delivery is poor.  It's supposed to be, it's a child ranting, but it sucks to read through it all.
As I said, eventually, it reached an "ok" point, but I believe I would have disliked this book as a child (the target reader) even more than I did today.