Tag Archives: Non-Fiction General

The Secret Lives of Hoarders: True Stories of Tackling Extreme Clutter by Matt Paxton and Phaedra Hise

American Literature November 1, 2011 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: A&E’s “Extreme Cleaning Expert” Matt Paxton shares all he’s learned in the years he’s been working with hoarders. Review: I puffy heart Matt Paxton. Not only does he tackle cleaning jobs nobody else can handle, he genuinely cares about the people he works with. I loved The Secret Lives of Hoarders and hope he writes another one! Oh, and check out his podcast, Five Decisions Away. It’s only just started but already I love it.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

American Literature September 30, 2011 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: How the cells from the cancerous cervix of an impoverished black woman from Baltimore came to be the foundation for basically all scientific research with cells in the world. Review: I was very excited to learn that my public library was going to begin lending Kindle books. The list was pretty dismal, but I had heard good things about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks so I decided to give it a try. Henrietta Lacks was born and raised and ultimately died in poverty.…

Winged Wonders: A Celebration of Birds in Human History

British Literature May 31, 2010 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: A compendium of trivia, history, biology, and references to art, mythology, poetry, and literature for 19 different birds. Review: Winged Wonders is a real rara avis of a book. Basically, it’s a collection of all sorts of information related to a bunch of different birds, like the raven, the heron, the cuckoo, the falcon, and many more. There are poems, myths, historical references, and basic biological facts, all of them really compelling and quirky and fun. What I really love about this book is…

The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome by John F. Wasik

American Literature June 10, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: Subtitled “Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream,” this book analyzes the housing crisis and reflects upon ways that America can move forward with affordable, environmentally sustainable architecture. Review: The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome is a good companion piece to James Howard Kunstler’s A Geography of Nowhere. Author John F. Wasik offers a cogent overview of the current housing crisis along with an analysis of the unsustainability of the current fads in American housing. He explains trends in environmentally conscious architecture and building, and offers his ideas…

How Children Fail by John Holt

American Literature May 25, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: The journals of a teacher reveal how the mistakes that children make reveal a lot about how they are failing to learn–and how schools are failing to teach. Review: How Children Fail was riveting reading. I loved how John Holt paid attention to the kids he encountered so that he could help them learn. He came to realize that teachers were seeking to impose structural forms on the minds of children, where children are best served by being led to develop those forms for…

The Reason for God by Rev. Timothy Keller

American Literature September 28, 2008 Superfast Reader 7 Comments

Synopsis: A rebuttal to the key arguments against Christianity and apologia for the tenets of the Christian faith. Review: Rev. Tim Keller is legendary among Christians here in New York City. He is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, a large church that has planted a number of daughter churches throughout the area, including the one that we attend. He is known as a great explicator of Scripture and people often attend services at Redeemer on top of their regular church attendance just to hear…

The Civility Solution by PM Forni

American Literature September 8, 2008 Superfast Reader 7 Comments

Synopsis: People are rude–and here’s what you can do about it. Review: I would like to see everyone in the world read The Civility Solution. It always baffles me how much rudeness is out there in the world. When I was pregnant, I was constantly amazed that people would not give me a seat on the subway, for example. Or the ever increasing hordes of cell phone yakkers. As my best friend would say, “The nerve of some people’s children!” I suppose endorsing this book…

Grace Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel

American Literature August 23, 2008 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A parenting book that looks at the bigger picture of raising adults, not children. Review: Grace Based Parenting really resonated with me. I’ve been a bit frustrated as I read about parenting, because it seems like everything has to be a method, a program, or a way of life. I have really been searching for a framework in which to carve out my own path with Superfast Baby, and this book gave me just that. Dr. Kimmel is a youth pastor, and I have…

My Child Won’t Eat by Carlos Gonzalez, MD

Spanish Literature August 15, 2008 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A reassuring guide to help parents promote healthy eating habits. Review: Superfast Baby has not shown much interest in solid food, so My Child Won’t Eat was really helpful for me. Basically it reassured me that I can trust my instincts that she is getting the nutrition she needs from breastmilk, and that quality (ie, healthy food) is more important than quantity (no force feeding).

Two Books on Breastfeeding Issues

American Literature August 8, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Milk, Money, and Madness by Naomi Baumslag and Dia L. Michels Mother’s Milk by Bernice Hausman I’m researching an essay on breastfeeding practices and ended up reading these two dense and serious tomes that delve into America’s abysmally low breastfeeding rates. The American Association of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least a year, and the World Health Organization recommends at least two. Yet many women opt out of trying, or give up at some point well before a year. Milk, Money and Madness examines the…

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