by Stephen J. Kiraly ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 2014
A smart, entertaining read on caring for our gray matter.
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A comprehensive guide to the workings, care, and history of the brain.
While he’s not the first to do so, debut author Kiraly eloquently and occasionally humorously makes the case that the brain should be conceptualized in the same manner that we conceptualize our hearts or lungs—as an integral physical component of our beings that requires excellent diet and exercise—both of the mental and physical varieties. After all, a sick brain produces a sick body. The text makes the case that a long life span isn’t necessarily a happy one, especially if one’s health gives out midway, a concept that is represented by the YUC factor, or years under medical care. To this end, the book is divided into two principal sections. The first provides a layman’s guide to the brain’s basic functions and history; the second details which nutrients, activities, and behaviors are helpful or harmful. When describing the effects of stress, Kiraly notes, “Cortisol is the hormone of death!” These energetic proclamations make the book an easy and even fun read. This is purposeful: Kiraly explains in his preface that he is addressing a general audience (the book “will suffice unless you plan to go to medical school”), but he still includes technical charts and graphs to support his case. As a result, the blend of humorous, anecdotal prose with frequent visual breaks fosters a pop-science feel that is engaging and informed but never stuffy. Drawing on a wealth of recent data and debunking years of misconceptions and ignorance, Kiraly has written a work that is as full of fascinating cocktail-party tidbits as it is deeply researched concepts about how the medical professional and individual should care for the brain.
A smart, entertaining read on caring for our gray matter.Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-48-341480-5
Page Count: 296
Publisher: Lulu
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
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
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by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
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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