Jim (JimChambers) - Tucker, GA (175 books)

Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition
by T Colin Campbell

read in May, 2013

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I've read several books in the last couple of years that were about nutrition and proper diet. Ideas about nutrition and diet seem to change regularly, and with so many competing theories about what we should eat, it's hard to know who's right, espec...more I've read several books in the last couple of years that were about nutrition and proper diet. Ideas about nutrition and diet seem to change regularly, and with so many competing theories about what we should eat, it's hard to know who's right, especially since there are radical differences between some approaches to nutrition. But I have to say that author T. Colin Campbell makes a compelling case for a whole-food, plant-based diet. He recommends obtaining 80% of our calories from carbohydrates, 10% from fat, and 10% from protein, all from plant sources. This approach to diet was espoused in his earlier book The China Study. This book, Whole, explains the science behind the plant-based diet, the reasons why it's so difficult for many to accept, and the powerful economic forces that oppose it.

As for why it's going to be difficult for most people to accept a totally new regimen in their life, the author explains the two competing paradigms in science and medicine: reductionism and wholism. Reductionism is the traditional approach to studying an issue, focusing on the details, whereas wholism looks at an entire system. The author's example of the nutritional value of an apple was a perfect explanation of what he means by "wholism." So there's more truth to the old homily "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" than we might imagine.

This isn't the first time I've read that nutrition is the key to taming diseases that plague mankind. It is, however, the most detailed and most scientifically credible explanation that I've read. The science gets just a bit technical at times, but it's not beyond most readers' ability to digest. And the short lesson in DNA and genetics is one of the most readable versions of a very complex subject that I've seen.

The book has a thorough discussion of the economic forces that act to maintain the present paradigm (reductionism). I can't argue with the fact that there are many entities with a vested interest in preserving business as usual, including the medical establishment and pharmaceutical companies at the top of the list.

At my age (almost seventy), I don't know if I'm up to the challenge of making the major lifestyle change that a plant-based diet would require, but for younger people who are concerned about their health and longevity, the author's conclusions about diet and nutrition are certainly worth serious consideration.

A review copy of the book was provided by the publisher.(less)

Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The China Study Cookbook by Leanne Campbell Disla

The China Study Cookbook: Over 120 Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipes
by Leanne Campbell Disla

read in May, 2013

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In the foreword to the cookbook, T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study (and the father of cookbook author LeAnne Campbell), acknowledges that for adults used to the typical American diet, switching to a plant-based, no-added-fat diet can be ch...more In the foreword to the cookbook, T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study (and the father of cookbook author LeAnne Campbell), acknowledges that for adults used to the typical American diet, switching to a plant-based, no-added-fat diet can be challenging. For those who have chosen to make the lifestyle change, however, The China Study Cookbook is an invaluable guide to preparing tasty, nutritious meals that fully meet the requirements of the diet espoused by the Campbells.

Before introducing the recipes, the book has some tips on food preparation, a Q&A topic about raising children on a plant-based diet, and describes the seven categories of plants (plus mushrooms) that will be used in the recipes.

The recipes include a wide variety of dishes, including breads and muffins, breakfast dishes, appetizers and salads, soups, sandwiches, entrées, side dishes, and desserts. In general, ingredients include whole grain flours, non-dairy milk, no refined sugar, egg replacers, no added fats, unprocessed complex carbohydrates, and plant foods that are as close to their original state as possible. The primary sweetener that's used is Sucanat - a product that's essentially pure dried sugar cane juice. Non-dairy milk includes rice, soy, or almond milk. Egg replacers are made from ground flaxseed meal mixed with water. Vegetables are typically cooked by baking, steaming, or sautéing in vegetable broth. Recipes are designed to minimize the amounts of fat, sugar, and salt. All recipes are accompanied by full-page color photographs. At first, I thought that the lack of nutritional information (calories, fiber, fat, carbohydrates, protein, etc.) was an unfortunate omission, but the author explained that nutrient contents in different samples of the same food are highly variable and that it's more important for the consumer to focus on the overall wholesomeness of a dish than the nutrient numbers.

It's an impressive cookbook. The recipes look surprisingly tasty, considering the radical differences from traditional cooking. The lack of meat is perhaps the biggest difference, but the recipes use high-protein meat substitutes such as tofu. The author encourages personal experimentation to get the taste you prefer. This morning, my wife and I tried one of the recipes, "Breakfast Home-Fry Hash," adjusting the recipe slightly, based on the ingredients we had on hand and our own tastes, and it was delicious. We're looking forward to trying more recipes from the book. At our age, I don't know if we're up to the challenge of going completely over to a plant-based diet, but if we were younger or had young children, we would be seriously considering it.

A review copy of the book was provided by the publisher.(less)

Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The Sisterhood
by Helen Bryan (Goodreads Author)

read in March, 2013

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Author Helen Bryan has hit a home run with her sprawling saga, The Sisterhood. The novel is composed of two intertwined stories, with one story played out against the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition in the 16th century, the other taking place in m...more Author Helen Bryan has hit a home run with her sprawling saga, The Sisterhood. The novel is composed of two intertwined stories, with one story played out against the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition in the 16th century, the other taking place in modern times. The modern story followed Menina Walker, who had been rescued from the sea off the coast of South America, taken to an orphanage run by Catholic nuns, and later adopted by an American family. The older story was the remarkable tale of a remote Spanish monastery that sent several nuns and four young girls on a perilous voyage to the New World, along with a special treasure that had great significance for the monastery. The two stories converged when the now grown-up Menina, her dreams shattered after a broken engagement, fled to Spain to do research for her college thesis. Due to a disastrous series of events after her arrival, she ended up stranded in a crumbling old monastery filled with elderly nuns. She soon learned, however, that her misfortune may have been serendipitous, since the monastery could hold some clues to her own origins. Ultimately, her discoveries threatened to shake the foundations of the Christian church to its core, but may also offer a path to peace between warring religions.

Kudos to the author for writing a marvelous piece of historical fiction, one that seamlessly blended a very compelling story with an authentic historical backdrop of the tumultuous 16th century, when the Inquisition terrorized all in its path. The four young girls the Las Golondrinas monastery sent to the New World would have been burned as heretics had the nuns not sent them away to Spanish America. The Sisterhood was really their story, as they adapted to their strange new home while the nuns searched for husbands for them. More than four centuries later, Menina Walker read their stories in the book she was given by the South American monastery's Abbess when she was adopted, and made the connections to some musty old paintings found in the Spanish monastery.

The Sisterhood was one of those rare novels where I raced to the last chapter, but hated to see the book end. It had great stories, characters I really got to know and care about, and a stunning outcome.(less)

Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Under Witch Curse (Moon Shadow Series #3)
by Maria E. Schneider (Goodreads Author)

read in April, 2013

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In the "Moon Shadow" series, author Maria Schneider has created an original modern-day world in which paranormal creatures such as witches and warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters live among normal people and blend into society. Sometime...more In the "Moon Shadow" series, author Maria Schneider has created an original modern-day world in which paranormal creatures such as witches and warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters live among normal people and blend into society. Sometimes, however, they don't blend in so well, and that's when the young witch Adriel uses her witchcraft to earn a living. Under Witch Curse is the third book in the series, and it's a dandy.

White Feather, the warlock who Adriel met in Under Witch Moon, has married Adriel, and the two are preparing to settle down in White Feather's home. There's no honeymoon for the two lovebirds, though, since someone is burglarizing shops in downtown Santa Fe, and leaving bodies behind. The evidence points to a local shapeshifter named Zandy, but there's some heavy duty black magic involved, and shapeshifters aren't capable of that. Or are they?

As with the first two stories in the series, there's a great cast of colorful paranormal characters. Adriel is still learning how to use her earth magic, and learning to work with a partner, the enigmatic White Feather, who uses the wind to his advantage. One of my favorite characters in the series is Matilda ("Mat"), the witch who runs a magic shop in town. Matilda has been smitten by love, and woe be it to the suitor who disappoints her - she's a powerful witch who can destroy entire city blocks when she's upset. Lynx, the young shapeshifter who's helped Adriel before, is back, and his turbulent romance with White Feather's sister Tara continues.

As Adriel and White Feather get closer and closer to solving the murders, the action ramps up as the two realize their lives are in peril from a powerful practitioner of black arts that their own white magic may not be capable of defeating. The climactic scene wasn't quite as dramatic as the cataclysmic display of hellfire and damnation in the second book's ending, but the showdown with Adriel and White Feather fighting for their lives against the most deadly paranormal creature they've ever encountered was plenty exciting enough.

Five stars and two thumbs up for Ms. Schneider's latest entry in the Moon Shadow series.(less)

Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars

In the Tunnel (Kindle Single)
by Takamichi Okubo

read in April, 2013

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Haruki and Misato were the only survivors on a bus trapped in a tunnel that collapsed in a remote area of northern Japan. Faced with the stark realization that it could be hours before anyone learned of their plight, they struggled together to escape...more

Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars

37 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to School
by Jimenez Weerden (Goodreads Author)

read in April, 2013

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The title of the book is a bit misleading, since the authors' intention is not to dissuade everyone from attending school. However, they do state at the beginning that "You don't need school. What you really need is education and critical thinking."...more

Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Peep Leap
by Elizabeth Verdick

read in April, 2013

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I review a lot of children's books, and there are certain qualities I look for in a book, depending on the age group the story is intended for. I thought Peep Leap was a cute rhyming story about a mother wood duck and her newly-hatched ducklings. The...more

Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars

Barnyard Fun
by Maureen Wright

read in April, 2013

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Barnyard Fun is a cute, humorous story that preschool-age kids should enjoy. The sheep thought it was great fun to play April Fool's Day practical jokes on his fellow barnyard animals, but turnabout is fair play, as the sheep soon learned. The rhymin...more

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Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by T Colin Campbell read in May, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I've read several books in the last couple of years that were about nutrition and proper diet. Ideas about nutrition and diet seem to change regularly, and with so many competing theories about what we should eat, it's hard to know who's right, espec...more
May 13, 2013 02:29pm · see review
Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars The China Study Cookbook: Over 120 Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipes by Leanne Campbell Disla read in May, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
In the foreword to the cookbook, T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study (and the father of cookbook author LeAnne Campbell), acknowledges that for adults used to the typical American diet, switching to a plant-based, no-added-fat diet can be ch...more
May 13, 2013 02:27pm · see review
Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan (Goodreads Author) read in March, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Author Helen Bryan has hit a home run with her sprawling saga, The Sisterhood. The novel is composed of two intertwined stories, with one story played out against the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition in the 16th century, the other taking place in m...more
Apr 30, 2013 03:30pm · see review
Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars Under Witch Curse (Moon Shadow Series #3) by Maria E. Schneider (Goodreads Author) read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
In the "Moon Shadow" series, author Maria Schneider has created an original modern-day world in which paranormal creatures such as witches and warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters live among normal people and blend into society. Sometime...more
Apr 30, 2013 04:06am · see review
Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars In the Tunnel (Kindle Single) by Takamichi Okubo read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Haruki and Misato were the only survivors on a bus trapped in a tunnel that collapsed in a remote area of northern Japan. Faced with the stark realization that it could be hours before anyone learned of their plight, they struggled together to escape...more
Apr 25, 2013 06:33am · see review
Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars 37 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to School by Jimenez Weerden (Goodreads Author) read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The title of the book is a bit misleading, since the authors' intention is not to dissuade everyone from attending school. However, they do state at the beginning that "You don't need school. What you really need is education and critical thinking."...more
Apr 25, 2013 06:30am · see review
Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars Peep Leap by Elizabeth Verdick read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I review a lot of children's books, and there are certain qualities I look for in a book, depending on the age group the story is intended for. I thought Peep Leap was a cute rhyming story about a mother wood duck and her newly-hatched ducklings. The...more
Apr 25, 2013 06:28am · see review
Jim rated a book 5 of 5 stars Barnyard Fun by Maureen Wright read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Barnyard Fun is a cute, humorous story that preschool-age kids should enjoy. The sheep thought it was great fun to play April Fool's Day practical jokes on his fellow barnyard animals, but turnabout is fair play, as the sheep soon learned. The rhymin...more
Apr 25, 2013 06:25am · see review

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