Vax-Unvax by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. & Brian Hooker

Vax-Unvax
by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
and Brian Hooker

ISBN-13: 9781510766969
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Skyhorse
Released: August 29, 2023

Source: Bought the book.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The Studies the CDC Refuses to Do. This book is based on over one hundred studies in the peer-reviewed literature that consider vaccinated versus unvaccinated populations. Each study is analyzed, and health differences among infants, children, and adults who have been vaccinated and those who have not are presented and put in context.

Readers will find information on the infant/child vaccination schedule, thimerosal in vaccines, live virus vaccines, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, vaccination and Gulf War illness, influenza (flu) vaccines, Hepatitis B vaccination, the COVID-19 vaccine, and vaccines during pregnancy.

Given the massive push to vaccinate the entire global population, this book is timely and necessary for individuals to make informed choices for themselves and their families.


My Review:
Vax-Unvax looks at the scientific studies that show differences in the health of vaccinated children compared to unvaccinated children. The studies usually were focused on a specific shot (DTP, MMR, HPV, flu, etc.). The authors included graphs to illustrate the differences and indicated the statistically significance of the results. All the included studies had results that indicated a real pattern. Results included an increased incidence in vaccinated children of issues like type 1 diabetes and developmental delays to asthma, ADHD, ear infections, and food allergies.

I've been curious for a while if anyone had tested the claim that vaccines have resulted in healthier children, so I was interested in reading about these studies. I've known for several years that vaccines weren't primarily responsible for the decreases in the diseases they're credited with suppressing (increased sanitation played a major role) and that the vaccines can have severe side effects in some people. I found these studies very interesting. I'd recommend this book to everyone as I think it's high time people had an honest talk about this rather than just assuming vaccines = less disease = healthier people. I believe people should be allowed informed choices rather than just given untested statements.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Heal Your Nervous System by Linnea Passaler

Heal Your Nervous System
by Linnea Passaler

ISBN-13: 9780760385654
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Fair Winds Press
Released: Jan. 9, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Dr. Linnea Passaler has helped thousands address a wide range of symptoms associated with nervous system dysregulation—from mental symptoms, including anxiety, burnout, and brain fog, to physical symptoms, such as digestive issues, chronic inflammation, and fatigue. In Heal Your Nervous System, Dr. Passaler presents her 5-stage plan, developed over the last decade, to equip you with the knowledge to understand and regulate your unique nervous system.

Instead of merely treating the symptoms, Dr. Passaler shows you how to make a profound shift from reactive treatment to proactive healing. Grounded in recent scientific advances in neurobiology, chronic stress, trauma, and sensitivity, this is not a short-term or one-size-fits-all solution, but a comprehensive strategy to tackle the source of your symptoms, and restore your physical, cognitive, and emotional health.

In Heal Your Nervous System, you will discover how to assess your current level of nervous system dysregulation, why nervous system dysregulation can cause both mental and physical symptoms, how your individual sensitivity profile and past experiences came together to tip your nervous system into a state of dysregulation, the four most common mistakes people make in their healing journey and how to avoid them, and simple practices, exercises, and routines that progressively reverse nervous system dysregulation.


My Review:
Heal Your Nervous System provides a 5-step program to help your nervous system shift back into relaxed states and become more resilient. There wasn't much science in the book beyond talking about the different states of the nervous system, from relaxed to fight/flight/freeze states. The author did refer to some studies about how different actions can help you change how you react to stress and be able to handle more stress.

She started by talking about signs of nervous system dysregulation (including a quiz to indicate where you are on the scale) and factors that affect how your nervous system responds to stressors and trauma (like how sensitive you are, genetics, childhood safety levels, and bonding to your caregivers). She then covered each step in a 5 stage program. She suggested small actions or contemplations that take 5-15 minutes She stated you shouldn't make too many changes at once, and many of the activities fit into daily life rather than being things you need to find time to do. The 5 steps involve learning awareness of your reactions, regulating your nervous system, restoration of healthy patterns, connecting with others, and expanding your capacity to handle stress. At the end, she told more of her story and how Buddhism influenced her life (and her program). Overall, I felt like she had helpful advice.




If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal by Randy E. Kamen, EdD

The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal
by Randy E. Kamen, EdD

ISBN-13: 9780593690062
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Zeitgeist
Released: January 9, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Gratitude is a powerful emotion that conveys appreciation for a moment that has touched you in some way and moves you to express thankfulness. When you experience gratitude, your brain releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, resulting in a host of tangible benefits associated with positive thinking and emotions. Practiced regularly, gratitude literally rewires your brain to be more optimistic, flexible, and joyful, while simultaneously reducing stress and anxiety, building resilience to adversity, and strengthening your immune system, cardiac health, sleep hygiene, and more. These many positive changes to your health and well-being are “the gratitude effect,” and because these effects are cumulative, the more you practice gratitude, the greater its impact over time.

With The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal, you’ll engage your brain’s neuroplasticity to reshape your worldview—and retrain your brain for greater joy, resiliency, and personal empowerment.


My Review:
The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal is about how gratitude can help change your outlook and well-being. The first section talked about some of the science behind this and how daily gratitude practices (finding things you're grateful for) can actually change how you view life. Most of the book was the journal, with an area for you to write your daily gratitude list and a quote about gratitude for each day. The author provided some prompts in the first section that help you think of things you're grateful for. It was an interesting, short book. I'd recommend it (especially the print version) for those who like to journal.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Vagus Nerve Reset by Anna Ferguson

The Vagus Nerve Reset
by Anna Ferguson

ISBN-13: 9780593689905
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Zeitgeist
Released: January 9, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Feeling anxious and disconnected are signs of a nervous system that’s out of balance. Something as small as a curt message from your boss can be perceived by your body as a threat—which triggers a change in your vagus nerve (a cranial nerve that runs from your brain to your abdomen). In The Vagus Nerve Reset , somatic therapist Anna Ferguson offers easy tools and exercises, grounded in the science of Polyvagal Theory, to help train your nervous system to stop overreacting and start responding more calmly to day-to-day stressors. By tuning in to your vagus nerve you can gently shape your nervous system to achieve greater resilience, improved sleep and digestion, relief from anxiety, and healing from past traumas.


My Review:
The Vagus Nerve Reset is a program designed to help with nervous system dysregulation. It's for someone who has experienced some trauma that left their nervous system stuck in flight/flight or in freeze. This leads to being physically out of whack and feeling overwhelmed when even little things go wrong. I was interested in the science and was disappointed that the author only described the nervous system and Polyvagal Theory in very simple, general terms. Back when my body was really out of whack, I learned about the vagus nerve and ways to help positively stimulate the vagus by watching and reading free information online. I didn't learn much new from this book.

The first third of the book was about the nervous system, the last third was glossary, index, and recommended resources, and the rest was her program. She recommends being aware of your body and moving it as a way to get well. The first step was to help you become more aware of your body, then she described some simple exercises and stretches to help reset the nervous system. Much of this section was encouraging the reader to really do each step and not get impatient with the process. There were no illustrations or diagrams, but most of the suggested activities sound simple enough to do just from written descriptions. Since my body got fired up (so I felt every little thing) rather than numbed sensation, which was her problem, I'm not really sure her journaling step would have even helped me. Her program may be helpful for some, though.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.