It’s January, which means it’s time for us to collectively whip ourselves back into shape. Here are some books to get you going:
• The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker: I think we’ve all had the experience of biting into a gorgeous red, ripe strawberry only to wonder where the flavour is. Author Schatzker asked a series of researchers, chefs and scientists this same question and received some interesting answers. It turns out there’s a reason things have flavour. And, generally speaking, the more flavourful a piece of fruit or a vegetable is, the healthier it is. So why, then, is so much of our produce flavourless? Schatzker answers this question in an easy-to-read and entertaining way.
• Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? by Timothy Caulfield: You’ve seen the photos and you’ve read the headlines — all of them promising that you too can look like a celebrity if you only do... this! The problem is “this” is often expensive and useless and, in some cases, actually harmful. What drives us to want to believe these lies? Is it the easy answers or is there more to it? This book, written by Canadian Caulfield, looks at why we take so much of what celebrities say at face value even though they’re not any more educated in these fields than many of us. This is a good look at how celebrity culture affects all of us.
• Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? by Alex Hutchinson: There’s a lot of information out there about how to exercise and a lot of it came from our Grade 8 gym class. Update your knowledge with this fun and informative guide to getting yourself in shape safely. Hutchinson, a former long-distance runner, knows a bit about how to exercise safely and he shares what he’s learned in this book. This is great for both experienced exercisers, gym newbies and everyone in between.
• Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss: This non-fiction book takes a critical look at the power fast food giants have over the consumer. The amount of research fast food companies have done on what makes salt, sugar and fat so irresistible is mind-boggling. This book then goes on to discuss what these companies have done with this information. We all know that large amounts of fast food are bad for us but we eat ourselves sick anyway. This book doesn’t remove blame from the individual, but it does highlight the amount of money thrown at these food products to get us to spend our limited food dollars on them.
--A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published on Wednesdays. Sharon Visser Araujo works at PoCo’s Terry Fox Library.
