I try to to shut off the computer or TV at least 30 minutes before going to bed so I can get cozy with a good book. I sleep so much better when I do this as my mind doesn't wander and think of all the stuff I didn't get done that day or the myriad of things I need to do tomorrow. I keep a stack of books on my bedside table and rotate them depending on what mood I'm in that night. Here's what I have stacked up now: "Integrative Nutrition" by Joshua Rosenthal. In addition to providing really good, practical nutrition information, it describes several of the most popular diet approaches (Zone, blood type, low-fat, etc.) and allows the reader to make decisions about what might be right for them given their physical composition, sex, lifestyle, ethnic background, etc. For instance, I found out the reason I am able to digest milk well as an adult (most adults aren't able to do this) has to do with who my ancestors were (Russian). Nordic people tend to be able to process milk and milk products better and explains why I can enjoy a big, tall glass of low-fat milk and not get an upset stomach.
Another book I love and use as a reference quite a bit is Andrew Weil's "Natural Health, Natural Medicine". It's a great quick reference as you can look up symptoms or illnesses and get good, concise information. There is also a lot of good information on just basic healthy eating and living too.
With pending presidential elections, I was compelled to buy and start reading "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong" by James W. Loewen . I wanted to remember where, as Americans, we came from, why where we are today from a political standpoint and how might we get past this as a nation. It's a fabulous book for anyone interested in history, but especially for those who were history or political science majors in college.
Although technically fiction, "The Shell Game" by Steve Alten, is a tour-de-force thriller which covers the subjects of oil, politics, and the state of the world. Timely in its release in January 2008, the book is quite controversial and shocking, yet is meticulously researched (your skin will literally crawl when you read some of the referenced quotes which are on the opposite page at the beginning of each chapter and are taken from actual statements made by politicians and influential people over the years). It provides one of the best cautionary tales for anyone interested in the labyrinthine world of politics, international gamemanship, and the control of oil in society. I'm only about 125 pages into it, but it's a truly fascinating book and a must read before you cast your final ballot this November.
I've also been reading "The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time" by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen. I get many ideas and references for my blog and for everyday life. It's a short book, only 224 pages that you can open anywhere and just start reading.
My bookcase in the bedroom is also full of some of my favorite books:
- "Ladies Who Launch: Embracing Entrepreneurship & Creativity as a Lifestyle" by Victoria Colligan and Beth Schoenfeldt
- "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing" by Christiane Northrup
- "The E Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What You Can Do About It" by Michael E Gerber
- "This Is How We Do It: A Practical Guide for Working Mothers" by Carol Evans
- "How To Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life" by Melissa Hellstern
- "What Jackie Taught Us : Lessons from the Remarkable Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis" by Tina Santi Flaherty and Susan Lucci.
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