Holistic Health Handbook by Kim Lam

Holistic Health Handbook by Kim Lam ISBN-13: 978-1647396084 Paperback: 236 pages Publisher: Rockridge Press Released: June 16, 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Amazon:
Treating your body as a whole—not just your symptoms—is a powerful health strategy. Experience the benefits of holistic care with The Holistic Health Handbook, a collection of alternative practices chosen to address common ailments of the body and mind. Its wide variety of holistic health treatments includes mind-body interventions, bodywork therapies, energy healing, and more to help restore balance in your body—and provide the relief you need.

Get introduced to specific effective healing tools like aromatherapy, herbal medicine, breath work, acupressure, and meditation. An overview of each common holistic health practice teaches you the basics, helping you choose what to integrate into your personal treatment plan.

The Holistic Health Handbook includes: Flip directly to A-Z entries for specific ailments like allergies, back pain, cold and flu, depression, migraines, insomnia, and stress. Each entry contains three holistic health remedies, most of which you can do at home using whole foods, herbs, exercises, massage, and other accessible resources. Learn how to help prevent future issues by improving your environment, digestion, sleep, nutrition, and more.


My Review:
Holistic Health Handbook provides an overview of holistic practices to treat common ailments. The author started by talking about the difference between holistic and conventional medicine, by giving a brief history of holistic medicine, and describing Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. She then gave an overview of different types of therapies and talked briefly about acupressure, acupuncture, healing touch, massage, meditation, visualization, guided imagery, self hypnosis, essential oils, aromatherapy, flower essences, herbal remedies, nutrition therapy, chiropractic manipulation, tai chi and qigong, yoga, reflexology, exercise, Reiki, crystals, and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy.

She then had entries for specific conditions with suggestions on how to treat it with herbs, essential oils, foods, and practices like meditation, massage, and guided imagery. She included recipes for things like face masks and smoothies, step-by-step instructions for practices like a guided visualization, yoga move, or self massage, and tips on types of exercises that would best help condition. The conditions she covered were: acne/skin, addiction, allergies, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, cold and flu, constipation, Crohn's disease, depression, grief, headaches and migraines, high blood sugar, infertility, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, memory loss, muscle spasms, nausea, nerve pain, osteoporosis, psoriasis, stress, thyroid imbalance, and urinary tract infections. Overall, if you are new to holistic practices, the overview of possibilities provided by this book may be helpful.


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.

How to Survive in Ancient Greece by Robert Garland

How to Survive in Ancient Greece by Robert Garland ISBN-13: 9781526754707 Paperback: 184 pages Publisher: Pen and Sword History Released: August 19th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Imagine you were transported back in time to Ancient Greece and you had to start a new life there. How would you fit in? Where would you live? What would you eat? Where would you go to have your hair done? Who would you go to if you got ill, or if you were mugged in the street? All these questions, and many more, will be answered in this new how-to guide for time travellers. This lively and engaging book will help the reader deal with the many problems and new experiences that they will face, and also help them to thrive in this strange new environment.


My Review:
How to Survive in Ancient Greece talked about what daily life was like in Athens during the classical period (specifically in 420 BC). The author used a humorous tone but provided good, educational material. He covered war, work, family, food and clothing, class/social structure, politics, religion, entertainment, marriage, travel, crime, trials, slavery, medical practices, illness, and death. He talked about the differences in how men, women, and children were treated as well as the difference between slaves, poor, and rich. After talking about the different aspects of life, the author had pretend interviews with different types of people (teenage girl, widow, crime victim, politician, philosopher, etc.) talking about their life in ancient Athens. Overall, I'd recommend this entertaining way to learn more about daily life in classical Athens (and some about Sparta).


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.

Essential Vegetarian Air Fryer Cookbook by Linda Larsen

Essential Vegetarian Air Fryer Cookbook by Linda Larsen ISBN-13: 978-1646115358 Paperback: 158 pages Publisher: Rockridge Press Released: June 2, 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Amazon:
Just because you’ve switched to a meat-free diet doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy deep-fried delicacies. You can still feast on fantastic fried food while staying healthy—The Essential Vegetarian Air Fryer Cookbook shows you how. Featuring more than 75 delicious recipes, this is your go-to guide for whipping up your favorite veggie-based meals using one appliance—your air fryer. You can use your air fryer to sauté, steam, simmer, stir-fry, bake, and so much more. Loaded with yummy favorites like Apple Fritters and Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, this is the air fryer cookbook you need to add a little versatility to your kitchen game.

The Essential Vegetarian Air Fryer Cookbook teaches you all the basics for getting the most out of this ultimate cooking machine. All of the recipes in this air fryer cookbook include easy-to-find ingredients and helpful cooking tips that get your meals on the table faster. Discover dozens of recipes designed for pure vegetarians, flexitarians, and even multiple-diet households.


My Review:
Essential Vegetarian Air Fryer Cookbook is a vegetarian cookbook where the meals are cooked in an air fryer. The recipes use eggs and dairy. The ingredients in the recipes should be easy to get. She included 15 recipes for breakfast and breads, 15 recipes for snacks and bites, 16 recipes for side dishes, 15 recipes for main dishes, and 15 recipes for desserts. These recipes included dishes like a roasted salad, fruit in blankets, granola, several types of pizzas, and cinnamon coated balls. Some could as easily be cooked in other ways, but the point is to find new ways to utilize your air fryer.

Many of these recipes serve around four people and take under 45 minutes to make. Each recipe included prep time, cook time, how much is made, frying temperature, ingredients, instructions, cooking tips, substitution tips, and recipe variations. The recipes were labeled with: fry, bake, grill, roast, five ingredients, 30 minutes, family-friendly (which uses common ingredients and should appeal to adults and children), and gluten-free. Each recipe also had nutritional information per serving: calories, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, sodium, and fiber. There was usually only one or two pictures of a finished recipe for each section of recipes.


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.

Bread Winner by Emma Griffin

Bread Winner by Emma Griffin ISBN-13: 9780300230062 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Yale University Press Released: June 9th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
The overlooked story of how ordinary women and their husbands managed financially in the Victorian era – and why so many struggled despite increasing national prosperity

Nineteenth century Britain saw remarkable economic growth and a rise in real wages. But not everyone shared in the nation’s wealth. Unable to earn a sufficient income themselves, working-class women were reliant on the ‘breadwinner wage’ of their husbands. When income failed, or was denied or squandered by errant men, families could be plunged into desperate poverty from which there was no escape.

Emma Griffin unlocks the homes of Victorian England to examine the lives – and finances – of the people who lived there. Drawing on over 600 working-class autobiographies, including more than 200 written by women, Bread Winner changes our understanding of daily life in Victorian Britain.


My Review:
Bread Winner is a detailed look at how the increasing male wages of the Victorian period didn't necessarily mean that the women and children in British working-class families also experienced more financial security. The author looked at autobiographies of both men and women during the period of the 1830s up to 1914, and she sometimes compared this to information gleaned from autobiographies written before the 1830s. She talked about different aspects of finances and life, summarizing information gleaned from these autobiographies and including a few quotes to give an idea of what specifically was said. She covered information about when women took paid work and what their wages were able to buy versus when men took paid work and their wage rates. She also talked about the importance of the unpaid work that women did at home, and how women were deliberately forced to depend on men's wages for financial security due to the unequal wage rates.

The author also talked about the various reasons for the male wages to be insufficient to support the family and statistical rates of these reasons occurring in the autobiographies. These ranged from the choice of the men to not share their full wages to injury or inconsistent work. She talked about how women worked out of the home or with her husband to supplement his wages or what they did to support the family when the husband was injured or abandoned them. She explored how working men were treated as special with increased respect and better food, and how children sometimes had to find other ways to get food when there wasn't enough money to feed everyone. She ended by talking about how children viewed their mother and their father in terms of how they fulfilled their roles more than with emotional words like "love." Overall, this is not an entertaining read, but it's very informative. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in how male/female roles and wages changed in England from the 1800s to the 1900s.


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.

Herbal Medicine for Emotional Healing by Tina Sams

Herbal Medicine for Emotional Healing by Tina Sams ISBN-13: 978-1646119974 Paperback: 174 pages Publisher: Rockridge Press Released: June 16th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Amazon:
Employ gentle yet effective plant medicines to support your emotional well-being. These herbal medicine remedies can work to relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, phobias, and stress―or provide aid during times of grief or worry. Explore the basics of herbal medicine and its many emotional applications. Learn to make teas, tinctures, salves, and other simple but potent preparations, all with key safety guidelines.

Herbal Medicine for Emotional Healing includes: 101 rejuvenating recipes―Make targeted formulas like Fear of Flying Tincture, Sore Muscle Salve, Soothe-the-Mood Syrup, Sleep Potion, and more. 31 herbal allies―Find the therapeutic uses of individual herbs, plus their key cautions and interactions, common preparations, and recommended doses.


My Review:
Herbal Medicine for Emotional Healing provides herbal recipes to help relieve stress, depression, anxiety, and grief. The author started by talking about using herbs and described how to make your own infusions, salves, tinctures, etc. She then included 101 recipes for 30 conditions. She had sections for a variety of different emotional issues (like anger, anxiety, panic, grief, stress, baby blues) and physical, related issues (like tense muscles, headaches, upset stomach, poor sleep, and poor circulation). She also covered things like PMS and better concentration. The recipes ranged from teas, tinctures, and salves to shampoos and facial masks. These recipes looked relatively easy to do as long as you have access to the fairly common herbs used.

She then included profiles for 31 herbs; these herbs were used in her recipes. Each profile was about a page long and covered the herb's Latin name, common names, a brief description of the herb and traditional uses, the herb's energetics, therapeutic actions, what issues it's used to address, the part of the plant used, how it is used (tea, tincture, salve, etc.), common medicinal uses, recommended dosing, and safety considerations. The profiles were not very extensive but provided good, basic information. Overall, I'd recommend this book to beginners at using herbs who would like recipes for these types of issues.


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.

A Dark History of Tea by Seren Charrington-Hollins

A Dark History of Tea by Seren Charrington-Hollins ISBN-13: 9781526761606 Hardcover: 248 pages Publisher: Pen and Sword History Released: June 19th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Renowned food historian Seren Charrington-Hollins digs into the history of one of the world's oldest beverages, tracing tea's significance on the tables of the high and mighty as well as providing relief for workers who had to contend with the ardours of manual labour. This humble herbal infusion has been used in burial rituals, as a dowry payment for aristocrats; it has fuelled wars and spelled fortunes as it built empires and sipped itself into being an integral part of the cultural fabric of British life. This book delves into the less tasteful history of a drink now considered quintessentially British. It tells the story of how, carried on the backs of the cruelty of slavery and illicit opium smuggling, it flowed into the cups of British society as an enchanting beverage.

The story of tea takes the reader on a fascinating journey from myth, fable and folklore to murky stories of swindling, adulteration, greed, waging of wars, boosting of trade in hard drugs and slavery and the great, albeit dark engines that drove the globalisation of the world economy. All of this is spattered with interesting facts about tea etiquette, tradition and illicit liaisons making it an enjoyable rollercoaster of dark discoveries that will cast away any thoughts of tea as something that merely accompanies breaks, sit downs and biscuits.


My Review:
A Dark History of Tea is a history of tea from the British viewpoint. The author talked about how the British first imported tea as a medicinal herb and how the desire for more tea led to the Opium Wars and the increased use of opium in Britain, as well. The author talked about the high taxes that led to smuggling, how people added chemicals and leaves of other plants to the tea to make it cheaper and how this led to health problems for those who drank a large amount of tea, how the British tea time developed (etiquette, superstitions, teaware, dresses), and how tea was once linked with seduction. The author also talked about how tea was planted in India, what life was like for the workers on these tea plantations, the tea auctions in Britain, how tea went from being imported in blocks to loose leaf to the development and slow acceptance of tea bags. The book ended with things like the popularity of tea leaf readings and instructions on how to do it. It was an interesting overview of the history of British involvement with tea and how the harm done was hidden by propaganda or advertising.


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.

Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists by Karen Kluglein

Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists by Karen Kluglein ISBN-13: 9781631598579 Paperback: 144 pages Publisher: Rockport Publishers Released: June 16th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists, eminent botanical artist and veteran workshop instructor Karen Kluglein reveals her secrets for rendering leaves, flowers, berries, and branches both accurately and beautifully. The book begins with a brief history of the art form, followed by guidance on developing observational skills for this genre, key botanical terms and concepts, and the differences among botanical illustration, botanical art, and flower painting. The chapters that follow offer detailed guidance and demonstrations for drawing and painting botanicals in a variety of mediums:

Drawing. Explore loose gestural drawing, precise measuring and rendering, and working from photographs with graphite, colored pencil, finepoint markers, pen and ink, and silverpoint.

Painting. Master color mixing, washes, layering, gradations, values, and adding details in watercolor, gouache, and acrylic, plus guidance on adding “personality” to your work and knowing when a painting is done.


My Review:
Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists focused on how to draw or paint botanicals. For a book "for artists," she spent a lot of time describing the basic materials, tools, terms, and techniques needed for the different mediums – graphite pencils, colored pencils, fine point markers, silverpoint, watercolor, and gouache. She then provided step-by-step instruction on how to accurately draw or paint leaves, flowers and petals, fruits and berries, stems and branches. The instruction focused a lot on what things to look at and consider when trying to accurately replicate the live plant or a plant in a photograph. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those wanting to learn how to or improve their realistic, botanical drawings or paintings.


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.