I love animals. I'd like to think that I understand them because I have rescued more than my fair share of birds (including a wild owl incident), have been chased by a pack of baby raccoons, and love my dogs to pieces. Plus, I've always believe that animals know a lot more than they let on. For many years, science did not support this line of thinking. Animals were … [Read more...]
Alter Recommends We Step Away from the Screen in ‘Irresistible’
Like most people I have a love/hate relationship with technology. I love waking up in the mornings and checking my Twitter feed and the news but I hate how the distraction can make me run late. I love the satisfaction of hitting my step goals but I hate that I feel compelled to log what I eat. I love being connected to other people but I hate the guilt that comes with not … [Read more...]
‘Black Earth’, The Holocaust, and Why We Need to Heed the Warning Signs
It's taken me a long time to finally review this book. Partly, this is because it's a dense read and is chock full of history and military theory, but mostly because it took an emotional toll on me. Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning by Timothy Snyder is about why we need to look at the Holocaust as warning, not history, because the conditions that led … [Read more...]
Invisible Influence, or How Society Tells You What to Do, by Jonah Berger
What if, in striving for individuality, we emulated those around us? What if our decisions aren't actually ours? What if science backed this up? It turns out, science does back this up and we may not be as unique as we think, which is what Jonah Berger argues in Invisible Influence. Using science, studies, surveys, and anecdotes, Berger shows us how our neighbors, … [Read more...]
Kendrick’s ‘Scrappy Little Nobody’ Not Your Typical Celebrity Memoir
A few years ago, I watched a movie titled Pitch Perfect and was utterly charmed by the protagonist, Beca, played by Anna Kendrick. I didn't know anything about her - not her past acting jobs nor her personal story, but she was hilariously endearing in an awkward way that we can all relate to. In the years since, she has made a name for herself both professionally and … [Read more...]
Kirsten Gillibrand Wants You to Run for Office in Off the Sidelines
Have you ever considered running for office but didn't think you had what it takes? So did Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, or at least she did before she actually did it. Off the Sidelines: Raise Your Voice, Change the World is her way of sharing with you why she ran and, more importantly, why you should, too. As the synopsis says, "Fourteen years before Kirsten Gillibrand … [Read more...]
‘Hillbilly Elegy’ and Why Current Policies Aren’t Working
J.D. Vance grew up poor with a mother who battled addiction and watched as countless men came in and out of their lives. Violence was commonplace, both within the home and around them, and loyalty to each other was paramount to almost all other values. In Vance's words, he grew up in a classic hillbilly family, where you stick together even when things get bad. In his widely … [Read more...]
‘Trainwreck’ Explores the Secret Feminists Within the Trainwreck Culture
It's tough to be a woman. As a woman, I know this, but then I read books like Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear . . . and Why by Sady Doyle and am reminded that it's really tough to be a woman, particularly if you find yourself in the spotlight. Being in the spotlight is hard no matter who you are; your narrative is no longer yours, your life … [Read more...]