A Million Things To Ask A Neuroscientist by Mike Tranter PhD

March 25, 2021 By 3 Comments


A Million Things To Ask A Neuroscientist by Mike Tranter PhD
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Rose

A Million Things To Ask A Neuroscientist answers some of the most asked questions about the brain, making the science fun and accessible to everyone. Inside, you will journey through some of the most interesting and strange things that our brain does every single day. Have you always wanted to know just what a memory actually is, or why we dream? What is our consciousness? Why do some people seem to ‘click’ with others? And can our brain really multi-task?

I am the first to admit that I do not have a scientific bent of mind! And, normally, I shy away from anything that smacks of science.  But when I saw this book and read the blurb, I was definitely intrigued. And I am so glad I asked to review it!

Dr. Tranter explains things in a way even the most non-science-oriented ones  (like me) can understand. Not only are the explanations easy to understand, he has some comments that made me literally laugh out loud and interrupt my husband’s reading to share with him.

In addition to the “asking questions” section of the book, Dr. Tranter discusses what he refers to as the “X-files of neuroscience”, and I found this section even more intriguing than the question/answer segment.

One of the best parts about the book is you can easily pick it up and put it down. The chapters are relatively short, and it’s easy to pick and choose what you want to read.  There’s no need to read the book straight through. I loved that about the book.

Towards the end of the book, Dr. Tranter also gives other resources in case you want to read more.  I’m looking forward to checking some of them out!

Thank you, Dr. Tranter, for an look at one of the most interesting organs in our body!  And kudos for making it where even someone like me can understand it and enjoy it!


Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton

March 17, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Genre: Contemporary, Non-Fiction, Memoir
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics is a landmark celebration of the remarkable life and career of a country music and pop culture legend.

As told by Dolly Parton in her own inimitable words, explore the songs that have defined her journey. Illustrated throughout with previously unpublished images from Dolly Parton’s personal and business archives.

Mining over 60 years of songwriting, Dolly Parton highlights 175 of her songs and brings readers behind the lyrics.

• Packed with never-before-seen photographs and classic memorabilia
• Explores personal stories, candid insights, and myriad memories behind the songs

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics reveals the stories and memories that have made Dolly a beloved icon across generations, genders, and social and international boundaries.

Containing rare photos and memorabilia from Parton’s archives, this book is a show-stopping must-have for every Dolly Parton fan.

• Learn the history behind classic Parton songs like “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “I Will Always Love You,” and more.
• The perfect gift for Dolly Parton fans (everyone loves Dolly!) as well as lovers of music history and country.

Dolly can do anything, but she’s one heck of a story teller.

I love Dolly Parton and when I saw this book had come out, I had to grab it. I’m glad I did. This is Dolly talking about her songs and the stories behind them. She doesn’t hold back, either. I loved how she gets right into the thick of the stories and explains why she wrote the songs she did. I liked how she talked about the different parts of her life, too. She talks about her husband, her life and how she put in the work to get where she did.

The writing flows well and it’s believable. It’s like reading conversations with a friend. Plus, there are photos of her gowns and other memorabilia that goes with the stories. I liked how she talked about why she wore what she did and where her mind was at the time she wrote the songs. She’s not always easy on herself and not always mean towards those she dislikes. She’s telling stories through those songs and it shines.

If you’re looking for something that’s a must for Dolly Fans, then this is the book you should pick up. Recommended.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Shadows on the Koyukuk by Sidney Huntington as told to Jim Rearden

March 15, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Shadows on the Koyukuk: An Alaskan Native’s Life Along the River by Sidney Huntington as told to Jim Rearden
Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books
Genre: History, Non-fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

“I owe Alaska. It gave me everything I have.” Says Sidney Huntington, son of an Athapaskan mother and white trader/trapper father. Growing up on the Koyukuk River in Alaska’s harsh Interior, that “everything” spans 78 years of tragedies and adventures. When his mother died suddenly, 5-year-old Huntington protected and cared for his younger brother and sister during two weeks of isolation. Later, as a teenager, he plied the wilderness traplines with his father, nearly freezing to death several times. One spring, he watched an ice-filled breakup flood sweep his family’s cabin and belongings away. These and many other episodes are the compelling background for the story of a man who learned the lessons of a land and culture, lessons that enabled him to prosper as trapper, boat builder, and fisherman.

This is more than one man’s incredible tale of hardship and success in Alaska. It is also a tribute to the Athapaskan traditions and spiritual beliefs that enabled him and his ancestors to survive. His story, simply told, is a testament to the durability of Alaska’s wild lands and to the strength of the people who inhabit them.

Sidney Huntington is half Athapaskan and half Caucasian and lives off the land in the interior of Alaska. Life there is harsh and demanding with the temperature commonly being well below zero degrees Fahrenheit. His story is a giant adventure filled with little slice of life vignettes.

At age five, the oldest of three children, his mother died while his father was away. This five-year-old has nowhere to turn and has to survive and help his younger siblings survive as well. At one point, a bear was dragging away his baby sister by her diaper.

This true story entertains while educating on the reality of living under such circumstances. Sidney is a likeable character, and smart. It is a wonder to read about how he gets out of many difficult situations. Readers are also graced with cultural insights. This book is a great look into another culture. I would recommend this to anyone interested in learning about other places.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Crown in Crisis: Countdown to the Abdication by Alexander Larman

March 4, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Crown in Crisis: Countdown to the Abdication by Alexander Larman
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
Genre: Historical, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The thrilling and definitive account of the Abdication Crisis of 1936

On December 10, 1936, King Edward VIII brought a great international drama to a close when he abdicated, renouncing the throne of the United Kingdom for himself and his heirs. The reason he gave when addressing his subjects was that he could not fulfill his duties without the woman he loved―the notorious American divorcee Wallis Simpson―by his side. His actions scandalized the establishment, who were desperate to avoid an international embarrassment at a time when war seemed imminent. That the King was rumored to have Nazi sympathies only strengthened their determination that he should be forced off the throne, by any means necessary.

Alexander Larman’s The Crown in Crisis will treat readers to a new, thrilling view of this legendary story. Informed by revelatory archival material never-before-seen, as well as by interviews with many of Edward’s and Wallis’s close friends, Larman creates an hour-by-hour, day-by-day suspenseful narrative that brings readers up to the point where the microphone is turned on and the king speaks to his subjects. As well as focusing on King Edward and Mrs. Simpson, Larman looks closely at the roles played by those that stood against him: Prime minister Stanley Baldwin, his private secretary Alec Hardinge, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Cosmo Lang. Larman also takes the full measure of those who supported him: the great politician Winston Churchill, Machiavellian newspaper owner Lord Beaverbrook, and the brilliant lawyer Walter Monckton.

For the first time in a book about the abdication, readers will read an in-depth account of the assassination attempt on Edward’s life and its consequences, a first-person chronicle of Wallis Simpson’s scandalous divorce proceedings, information from the Royal Archives about the government’s worries about Edward’s relationship with Nazi high-command Ribbentrop and a boots-on-the-ground view of how the British people saw Edward as they watched the drama unfold. You won’t be able to put down The Crown in Crisis, a full panorama of the people and the times surrounding Edward and the woman he loved.

A complicated love and a complicated situation all the way around.

I had no idea how complicated and what a deal it was when Edward decided to abdicate. This was just simply history to me. Something that happened, but this book makes the situation come alive.

I will be the first to admit I didn’t know much about the abdication. I didn’t know much about the people involved beyond knowing their names. That was it. By reading this book, it brought the situation to life for me. Wallis was more than a name on a page. She’s complicated and cunning. She’s also in love with Edward–it seems sort of that she’s in love with his status and his position, but there also seemed like genuine love there. Edward was in love. He wanted Wallis because she seemed to be everything he loved in life–her freedom, her coolness and her ability to worm her way into situations. She knew how to be someone. She could be vain and snotty, though, too.

There were a lot of levers being pulled in this situation and so many players. It’s a complicated read, but it’s also worth the time. Pick this one up and go for the ride.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

All I Ever Wanted: A Rock ‘N Roll Memoir by Kathy Valentine

March 2, 2021 By Leave a Comment


All I Ever Wanted: A Rock ‘N Roll Memoir by Kathy Valentine
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

A Go-Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine’s story is a roller coaster of sex, drugs, and of course, music; it’s also a story of what it takes to find success and find yourself, even when it all comes crashing down.

At twenty-one, Kathy Valentine was at the Whisky in Los Angeles when she met a guitarist from a fledgling band called the Go-Go’s―and the band needed a bassist. The Go-Go’s became the first multi-platinum-selling, all-female band to play instruments themselves, write their own songs, and have a number one album. Their debut, Beauty and the Beat, spent six weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 and featured the hit songs “We Got the Beat” and “Our Lips Are Sealed.” The record’s success brought the pressures of a relentless workload and schedule culminating in a wild, hazy, substance-fueled tour that took the band from the club circuit to arenas, where fans, promoters, and crew were more than ready to keep the party going.

For Valentine, the band’s success was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream―but it’s only part of her story. All I Ever Wanted traces the path that took her from her childhood in Texas―where she all but raised herself―to the height of rock n’ roll stardom, devastation after the collapse of the band that had come to define her, and the quest to regain her sense of self after its end. Valentine also speaks candidly about the lasting effects of parental betrayal, abortion, rape, and her struggles with drugs and alcohol―and the music that saved her every step of the way. Populated with vivid portraits of Valentine’s interactions during the 1980s with musicians and actors from the Police and Rod Stewart to John Belushi and Rob Lowe, All I Ever Wanted is a deeply personal reflection on a life spent in music.

What a rock and roll life!

I might be showing my age, but I remember the Go-Go’s. I rocked out to their tunes and thought, wow, this is cool that they are chicks and playing high-octane music. I didn’t know their names until later, but that didn’t matter. They were cool.

When I saw this book, I had to pick it up. First, I read other reviews stating it was blunt in it’s honesty and forthright in the author’s approach. Those reviewers weren’t kidding. Kathy Valentine tells the story of her life and doesn’t pull punches. She talks about her addictions to drink and drugs, but also to music. She is honest about the worry she wouldn’t fit in with the other Go-Go’s, but also her complete fear she’d be rudderless after the band splits. She’s honest about her romances and talks about her dark times in such bluntness that I felt for her. I felt like I was there with her.

If you’re looking for a rock autobiography that will rock your world, then this might be the book for you.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks by Stephen Davis

February 25, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks by Stephen Davis
Publisher: St Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Biography, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Stevie Nicks is a legend of rock, but her energy and magnetism sparked new interest in this icon. She’s one of the most glamorous creatures rock has known, and the rare woman who’s a real rock ‘n’ roller.

Gold Dust Woman gives “the gold standard of rock biographers” (The Boston Globe) his ideal topic: Nicks’ work and life are equally sexy and interesting, and Davis delves deeply into each, unearthing fresh details from new, intimate interviews and interpreting them to present a rich new portrait of the star. Just as Nicks (and Lindsey Buckingham) gave Fleetwood Mac the “shot of adrenaline” they needed to become real rock stars―according to Christine McVie―Gold Dust Woman is vibrant with stories and with a life lived large and hard:
―How Nicks and Buckingham were asked to join Fleetwood Mac and how they turned the band into stars
―The affairs that informed Nicks’ greatest songs
―Her relationships with the Eagles’ Don Henley and Joe Walsh, and with Fleetwood himself
―Why Nicks married her best friend’s widower
―Her dependency on cocaine, drinking and pot, but how it was a decade-long addiction to Klonopin that almost killed her
― Nicks’ successful solo career that has her still performing in venues like Madison Square Garden
―The cult of Nicks and its extension to chart-toppers like Taylor Swift and the Dixie Chicks

Stevie Nicks is a more complicated person than I ever imagined and she’d underrated, too.

I’ve been a fan of Stevie Nicks since I was a kid. My parents reared me on the classics, mellow gold, 70s rock and primarily Fleetwood Mac. My father once claimed he wanted to name me Stephanie, Stevie’s given name, but my mother outlawed it. Shrugs. I’ve seen Stevie Nicks’ videos and wondered about the person in the swishy skirts and flowing shawls. Now I know.

As I said above, she’s much more complicated than you might think. She had a decent childhood and was encouraged to be a musician, but once she got out on her own, she found out how hard it is to make it big. I liked the emphasis on her early musical career. She tried, fell down, tried again, got knocked down and never gave up. She went for her chance. Honestly, she’s the kind of rock star women need. She never quit.

There are tidbits about who she dated, when she dated them, her drug use, getting clean, getting hooked on Klonopin and other things that seem salacious, but really, this is the story of a woman trying to find her way, despite the crooked road, and making her career her own.

Recommended.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise by Scott Eyman

February 23, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise by Scott Eyman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Biography, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Born Archibald Leach in 1904, he came to America as a teenaged acrobat to find fame and fortune, but he was always haunted by his past. His father was a feckless alcoholic, and his mother was committed to an asylum when Archie was eleven years old. He believed her to be dead until he was informed she was alive when he was thirty-one years old. Because of this experience Grant would have difficulty forming close attachments throughout his life. He married five times and had numerous affairs.

Despite a remarkable degree of success, Grant remained deeply conflicted about his past, his present, his basic identity, and even the public that worshipped him in movies such as Gunga Din, Notorious, and North by Northwest.

Drawing on Grant’s own papers, extensive archival research, and interviews with family and friends, this is the definitive portrait of a movie immortal.

If there’s ever been a book written about Cary Grant, it only scratches the surface compared to this one.

I thought I knew a bit about Archie Leach, aka Cary Grant. He’s aloof, he’s sensual, but he’s also very GQ. Right? That’s him? I had no idea how much he struggled with his self-esteem, only to end up being rather full of himself. He could be quite generous, but also off-putting in his stinginess. He loved his friends dearly, but only had a few friends. He was the ultimate romantic, trying to find the right one…all while not being entirely sure what he wanted in that right one.

He’s a complicated man, but what really stuck with me about Cary Grant was him trying so hard to impress his mother, the woman who left him to be raised by his father. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy. Bought her houses, cars, made sure someone took care of her, but he never quite measured up to what she wanted and what he thought she wanted of him. Honestly, it was the most relatable thing in the book. I can understand not measuring up to what my mother thinks I should be and how I try only to fail quite a bit–like he did.

If you’re looking for a book that’s unflinching in it’s honesty and covers almost all of Grant’s life, then this might be the book you’re looking for. Be prepared–it’s a long book, so buckle in for the wild ride.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam

February 23, 2021 By Leave a Comment


A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam
Publisher: HarperAudio
Genre: Non-fiction, Historical
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Rehana Haque, a young widow, blissfully prepares for the party she will host for her son and daughter. But this is 1971 in East Pakistan, and change is in the air.

Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Independence, A Golden Age is a story of passion and revolution; of hope, faith, and unexpected heroism in the midst of chaos—and of one woman’s heartbreaking struggle to keep her family safe.

This is an action-packed story of one family’s experience during the Bangladesh War of Independence from Pakistan. As events unfold, we get a personal understanding of the war’s effects on everyday people.

Rehana Haque is a widow with two children who just wants to live a good life with her children. When they become young adults, trouble starts because Rehana’s children get involved with the war. Of course this creates much trouble and worrying for Rehana. She gets surprises such as when a former Pakistani army officer turned freedom fighter becomes injured and is brought to Rehana for nursing. She is concerned. This is so dangerous.

Themes such as how women get along during wartime, a love of one’s country, and motherhood underlie every page. It is a serious story but is entertaining and engaging. This is the first of a trilogy but can be read by itself. I recommend this book for anyone who likes history or learning about other cultures.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Now Repeat After Me by Oksana Zinchenko

February 22, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Now Repeat After Me by Oksana Zinchenko
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

An old man who could not read a clock. A woman, begging the doctors to stop the awful smell haunting her everywhere. A man, who asks his mother for candies. A young man who closed his company became a priest and now is thinking secret agents are after him. A woman who does not speak anymore.

All these people are connected. All these people have a brain tumour.

This book contains a series of medical stories based on cases at neurosurgical hospital from neuropsychology, a healthcare professional who uses psychology to explore brain deficits and provide more information on the impact of brain damage on cognition and lifestyle of the patient. The reader together with the author starts a journey, where they try to find the answer, why the patient is laughing hard on nothing, or acts childishly, or lost his ability to comprehend speech or understand emotions – looking at this behaviour as a set of clues to find the location of brain damage. Each case is illustrated by many historical examples and conceptions from neuropsychology to guide the reader on our understanding of how the brain and behaviour are linked, and why some- times we could tell more even than brain scans only. This medical non-fiction book presents a great adventure to the world of the human brain and mind.

Simple games can reveal so much about how the brain works.

One of my favorite descriptions was shared on the first page when readers were informed that certain types of brain damage happen so gradually that they might not be noticed for a long time. I had no idea such a thing was possible and was eager to learn more about how the human brain compensates for the slow loss of senses like hearing or taste. Luckily, there was plenty of information to discover about these processes. It was described clearly and made me want to read more about it.

This story would have benefitted from another round of editing.The content itself was fascinating, but I kept finding punctuation and grammar errors in it that were distracting. They happened so often that I had to mention them in my review. If this hadn’t been the case, I would have chosen a much higher rating as the author was clearly quite knowledgeable about neuropsychology.

It had never occurred to me before to consider how much work the mind must put into multitasking. Receiving, processing, and interpreting all of that information isn’t always easy for people, especially if they have been diagnosed with anything that might have damaged how the different portions of their brain communicate with each other. There was an excellent example of someone attempting to do this later on in this book. Seeing the patient struggle with the task he was given gave me empathy for him and made me hope the treatment for his condition would be successful.

I’d recommend Now Repeat After Me to anyone who is interested in how brain damage can affect so many different parts of someone’s life.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Journaling Every Week: 52 Topics to Get You Writing by Kelli A. Wilkins

February 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Journaling Every Week: 52 Topics to Get You Writing by Kelli A. Wilkins
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Whether you are experienced in journaling or completely new to the process, this book is designed to get you thinking about—and writing about—your life, relationships, patterns, goals, and some of your fondest memories. You’ll benefit from writing about these thought-provoking prompts and learn something about yourself along the way.

Journaling is a useful tool for self-discovery. In your journal, you can explore a wide range of subjects, themes, and ideas, revisit the past, and vent about anything (or anyone). In a way, you play counselor to yourself by digging deep into your innermost thoughts and emotions and writing about how you feel.

This fun and innovative book is filled with hundreds of journaling prompts that cover your childhood, friendships, beliefs and values, your career, coping with grief, fears, forgiveness, your purpose, and much more.

If you need inspiration, look no further.

I liked the fact that the topic of every tenth week was left up to the reader to choose for themselves. They gave me a few ideas to play around with, but I was free to come up with something else instead if I preferred. This was an excellent chance to expound on previous journal entries or talk about subjects that weren’t included in the official list. There is definitely something to be said for giving people space to personalize their journals like that.

Most of the prompts were well developed, but there were a few I thought could have been reworked to be a little more inclusive. For example, the sections about significant others, children, and jobs assumed that readers had ample personal experience with these things. It sure would have been nice if the prompts for these topics had included some questions that could be answered by readers who were single, childless, or on temporary or permanent leave from paid work. I know several people who fit into one or more of these categories and who I would have otherwise recommended this book to.

With that being said, I did appreciate how thorough the majority of the prompts were. For example, the ones that asked about the reader’s childhood were curious about happy memories as well as difficult ones. It was up to the reader to decide if they wanted to explore potentially traumatic moments in their earliest memories or if they wanted to stick to lighthearted topics. I thought that was a wonderful way to account for the wide variety of experiences many adults had during their childhood years.

Journaling Every Week – 52 Topics to Get You Writing was a thought-provoking resource to help get those creative juices flowing.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,
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