Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Bookish Radar (7): Non-Fiction Edition

As a book blogger, my bookish radar is always on. I'm constantly hearing about titles of books and while some of them don't particularly interest me, others so do. These are the books that I currently have my eyes on. I WILL READ THEM IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO. Inspired by On the Smugglers' Radar @ The Book Smugglers and Waiting on Wednesday @ Breaking the Spine

Hello! A quick little note from me: I decided to spotlight a specific genre for this month's Bookish Radar. I'm not sure if this is something I might consider doing more regularly for future Bookish Radar posts as I do like the sound of it but for now, the reasoning behind this is only because I've become really eager to read more non-fiction so I've spent a lot of time combing Goodreads to find non-fiction books I might be interested in that don't fall into the memoir category. But as I'm a total newbie when it comes to reading non-fiction, I thought I might show you guys some of the books I've been interested in lately and see if you've read any of them and/or if you have any good non-fiction recommendations for me! I know not all non-fiction books are for me and it depends from person to person, based on interests and stuff like that but GIVE IT TO ME. I want a change of scenery from the usual fiction and am up to give anything a try so tell me some of your favourite non-fiction books in the comments! That is all. Carry on.




Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health by William Davis
Released August 30, 2011

A renowned cardiologist explains how eliminating wheat from our diets can prevent fat storage, shrink unsightly bulges, and reverse myriad health problems.

Every day, over 200 million Americans consume food products made of wheat. As a result, over 100 million of them experience some form of adverse health effect, ranging from minor rashes and high blood sugar to the unattractive stomach bulges that preventive cardiologist William Davis calls “wheat bellies.” According to Davis, that excess fat has nothing to do with gluttony, sloth, or too much butter: It’s due to the whole grain wraps we eat for lunch.

After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic—and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In Wheat Belly, Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the American public as “wheat”—and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle.

Informed by cutting-edge science and nutrition, along with case studies from men and women who
have experienced life-changing transformations in their health after waving goodbye to wheat, Wheat Belly is an illuminating look at what is truly making Americans sick and an action plan to clear our plates of this seemingly benign ingredient.



There's some controversy surrounding this book and the accuracy of it but I'm still quite interested in it. I don't know anything about this subject and I think it's one that's particularly intriguing - especially since wheat is such a big part of our daily diet when you think about it. Hopefully, I'll be able to glean something useful from this book and maybe gain some insight into our diets even if I don't catch every single thing.
Released May 17, 2004

Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers some willingly, some unwittingly have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. In this fascinating account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries and tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.



Oh my god you guys, I can't tell you enough how much I want to read this book. This has been on my TBR for ages but for whatever reason, whenever I go to the bookstore, I totally forget to check if they have this book in. Which needs to change. Because I want this book now. Maybe it sounds a bit creepy that I want to read about cadavers which honestly I've never been interested in learning more about until this book because even from the synopsis, Mary Roach makes cadavers sound so interesting. And apparently it's really funny and I can always go for a bit of humour.

Released March 11, 2013

Thirty years after women became 50 percent of the college graduates in the United States, men still hold the vast majority of leadership positions in government and industry. This means that women’s voices are still not heard equally in the decisions that most affect our lives. In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg examines why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled, explains the root causes, and offers compelling, commonsense solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential.

Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and is ranked onFortune’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and as one ofTime’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2010, she gave an electrifying TEDTalk in which she described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which became a phenomenon and has been viewed more than two million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto.

In Lean In, Sandberg digs deeper into these issues, combining personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research to cut through the layers of ambiguity and bias surrounding the lives and choices of working women. She recounts her own decisions, mistakes, and daily struggles to make the right choices for herself, her career, and her family. She provides practical advice on negotiation techniques, mentorship, and building a satisfying career, urging women to set boundaries and to abandon the myth of “having it all.” She describes specific steps women can take to combine professional achievement with personal fulfillment and demonstrates how men can benefit by supporting women in the workplace and at home.

Written with both humor and wisdom, Sandberg’s book is an inspiring call to action and a blueprint for individual growth. Lean In is destined to change the conversation from what women can’t do to what they can.




A few of my friends have read this and really enjoyed it, saying "it's a must read for all women". I wasn't initially interested in reading this book because I thought it was more of a memoir but after finding out what this book was about, it was promptly added to my Goodreads. I have watched her Ted Talk but I've forgotten exactly what I thought about it so I can't say much on that part but yeah, definitely interested to read this book as a woman and see what Sandberg offers! 

Released May 7, 2013

If you graduated from college but still feel like a student . . . if you wear a business suit to job interviews but pajamas to the grocery store . . . if you have your own apartment but no idea how to cook or clean . . . it's OK. But it doesn't have to be this way.
Just because you don't feel like an adult doesn't mean you can't act like one. And it all begins with this funny, wise, and useful book. Based on Kelly Williams Brown's popular blog, ADULTING makes the scary, confusing "real world" approachable, manageable-and even conquerable. This guide will help you to navigate the stormy Sea of Adulthood so that you may find safe harbor in Not Running Out of Toilet Paper Bay, and along the way you will learn:

What to check for when renting a new apartment-Not just the nearby bars, but the faucets and stove, among other things.
When a busy person can find time to learn more about the world- It involves the intersection of NPR and hair-straightening.
How to avoid hooking up with anyone in your office -- Imagine your coworkers having plastic, featureless doll crotches. It helps.
The secret to finding a mechanic you love-Or, more realistically, one that will not rob you blind.
From breaking up with frenemies to fixing your toilet, this way fun comprehensive handbook is the answer for aspiring grown-ups of all ages.



You may wonder why on Earth I would read this book when I'm not an adult. And I will tell you that the scary age of adulthood is not that far away for me actually. FOUR MORE YEARS. FOUR MORE YEARS UNTIL I'M 18. That's some scary shit and it's scary shit I think about a lot. Like what am I going to do in university? And what am I going to do after that? And all that type of stuff. So. I think this book will be very handy in helping me learn how to be an adult because at this point, it's a bit unfathomable to me that I can just somehow mature in four years and be ready to vote and drink and do all that fun stuff. At the very least, I hope I might be able to get some entertainment from this book. 


That's all for my non-fiction picks for this month. Some questions for you: have you read any of these books? And what other non-fiction books do you think are worth a read?

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