An inconclusive manual about a supplement’s benefits sure to spark health debates and conversations.
A debut guide touts the therapeutic benefits of a controversial, plant-based remedy.
Writer and social worker Knudsen’s manual promotes Kratom, a powder derived from a Southeast Asian tropical evergreen tree used in traditional medicine for centuries in the East to alleviate pain, inflammation, and cravings, among other ailments. Acknowledging that the supplement is surrounded by as much skepticism as proactive, supportive recommendations, Knudsen begins with an appropriate disclaimer, noting his role as an author and Kratom proponent; he is not a medical professional. He then cites the benefits of the herbal remedy, which is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration. His book focuses on helping people wean themselves off of opioids, street drugs, and abused prescription medications through the mindful use of Kratom. The manual, written in easy-to-read, plainspoken prose, draws from the testimonial evidence of Kratom users (anonymously attributed with initials) whose experiences have positively impacted their reliance on addictive substances and their self-management of chronic pain and anxiety. The author attempts to be comprehensive in his assessment of Kratom leaf powder by describing what it is, its purported alkaloid-associated benefits, safety levels, how to take it, dosage indications, and its role in drug tapering and weaning. Though he champions the efficacy of Kratom, his guide also features practical advice, charts, and recipes for detoxification, the replenishment and rebalance of the body’s mineral levels through diet and vitamin maintenance, and natural remedies and strategies for coping with stress, anxiety attacks, and depression, which the author admits to battling personally. It’s a tall order, but to Knudsen, it’s a personal one. He admits to losing eight family members and friends to fatal drug and alcohol intoxication and abuse-related suicides. Appealing to general readers are informative, insightful chapters (devoid of Kratom information) on the stigma of drug abuse, the social stereotypes associated with it, the paradox of detoxification medication side effects, and the importance of remaining nonjudgmental when encountering addicts. The takeaway for skeptical readers: keep stress and anxiety in check through natural, drug-free panaceas and question Kratom’s plant-based intervention potential.
An inconclusive manual about a supplement’s benefits sure to spark health debates and conversations.Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-73353-545-8
Page Count: 202
Publisher: Flower of Life 808
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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