5 comments about Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School (Book & DVD).

1. This book is partly an academic-style introduction to brain research and partly a jauntily written practical "how-to" about getting the most from your brain. John Medina has a warm, upbeat persona, and skillfully incorporates stories from his experiences to illustrate points he makes in the book. From time to time he forgets to connect the dots for readers who are new to the material, and so doesn't always articulate the full point or parallel he is making. However, he gives a broad overview of brain research and makes a conscious effort to practice the rules he preaches. He repeats information, as research says he should, and uses lively, varied examples to engage the reader. To reinforce the book's lessons with visual and aural sensory input, the publisher provides a supplemental DVD. Medina summarizes his key points, and touches briefly on the real-world implications and applications of the findings he covers. getAbstract recommends this book to parents, educators, human-resources professionals, executives and all those who want to help themselves, their children or their employees reach their full intellectual potential.



2. This book has some excellent research and thought provoking information for anyone involved with learning. As a working professional in the field of Human Resource Development I will be incorporating some of Dr. Medina's research and vision into our corporate learning strategy.



3. This is a great book and DVD combo especially for educators, parents, and students. The research is written in light layman's terms with a fun, light style. All of the information is useful and can be put into practice immediately to help the reader learn, teach, and possibly prevent depression, dementia and other brain disorders.



4. I have read Dr. Braverman's books( Younger You and Younger You), and his material conflicts with this author's material. I do agree with using something like the system given in Don't Like to Read, Then Don't, Listen!: How to Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can Be Read to You! to go over information lots of times. Just take data and see what works best for you! This book will give you some ideas to try



5. This book has some very good and interesting info about how the brain works and how we think and react to different things. The only complaint I have is that the included DVD that came with the book did not have any audio, whether I played it on my PC or through my home DVD player. There wasn't a way for me to check with any type of tech support either. None the less the book is a joy to read.

5 comments about Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself.

1. I was given some insight while reaing this book. I don't agree with everything in here, but no one is going to be completely satisfied with everything. I do not like the format or the"beatin around the bush" persay. I felt there was a lot of babbling and many tims when I thought I was getting somewhere she goes on to say...Later on in coming chapters...that is annoying. If I am on the subject now I want the meat and potatoes now, not later. She looses me a few times in each chapter with a lot of useless information I believe. The other thing is this book is reallygeared towards people who have relationships with people with many issues. I am in fact codependent, but I need a book for codependents who aren't enabling an alcoholic or sex addict, drug abuser, etc. etc. I didn't quite get that from this book. I will say it was a goo staring point and did put me in the right direction to finding out what many of my issues are and gave it a name so I may do further research on my own...mybe I'll write my own book on codependency.



2. My counselor suggested this book. So being the good "student" I went out right away and purchased it. I can tell you I would gladly pay a million dollars for what's in this book (if I had it). Although, it mainly deals with people coping with alcoholics/drug addicts, it spoke to me. Each night I couldn't wait to read it and almost immediately I was able to start applying some of the suggestions. It has made such a difference in the way I'm starting to think, about myself and everything around me. It's also helped to lift the heavy despair that has been keeping me from enjoying my current relationship. I'm here on Amazon to purchase the next book, Codependency and Beyond (I think that's the title). I'm even going to give it to my partner, so that she can finally see what I've tried so hard to explain. I can't say enough good things about this book. I'm planning on writing to the author to tell her just how much this has helped me...in fact, it saved my life.



3. I am the wife of an alcoholic and this book really helped me see my part in our marital problems. It will help you realize your own worth and how to set boundaries to protect yourself.



4. After 26 years of marriage, I recently found myself living with an alcoholic-and it is a FAMILY disease. This book clearly outlines how codependency manifestes itself in your life. This book not only describes symptoms but prescribes solutions and is the best read on the subject. If you need clarity, focus and are ready for recovery...start here!



5. instead, I checked it out at my local library. It was
   DEPRESSING (unnecessarily)! She said in 200 pages what could have been said in 50. Most of the ideas were repeated. If one is reading that book, they must have a pretty good idea they are co-dependent. Instead, she gives multiple check lists, vignettes, definitions. She never turns it around postively so you can benefit from the grueling experience (of reading her book). She also "talks down" to the reader, referring to herself frequently as a "professional." There are many professions in the world, many highly educated who are co-dependent.

5 comments about Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2008 Classic Shirt-pocket Edition (Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia) (Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia).

1. As a 3rd year medical student, I needed something with more information other than dosages. This book is probably good for interns who are already familiar with all aspects of the drugs.



2. All medical students, interns, residents and some doctors know this is the book to have in your pocket when a dose is needed! I updated my 2007.



3. A must have for anyone dispensing meds. I update it every year and give one to all my "DOCTOR FRIENDS" as gifts.



4. My must need for every year, just a late start on my 2008 year. Great product as always.



5. This handy paharmacology quick reference book can be carried in your pocket, and you can easily locate the meds you seek, their class and dosing information faster than powering up and scrolling through a PDA.

5 comments about Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing.

1. This book should be mandatory for all girls and women to read. The information is so valuable. I have recommended it to all of my friends and the ones who purchased it are very grateful. If you're a woman and you have questions about the many changes we go through, get this book!



2. I bought this book after hearing the author speak on TV. I was a bit skeptical that a medical doctor would really present this broad subject with a personal and more than medical view. I was wrong - this book has been a long read, taking bits and pieces as I ahve time and thinking on them. I wish I ahd this book before I had a hysterectomy. In a time when people are finally beginning to ask questions adn actually expect their doctors to give an answer to them that is real, serious and personal - this book proved to be a light of hope for our medical profession. I am personally more in line with the wholistic person view and using nature as much as possible, as well as the mind body spirit connection - so it appears is this author - a real doctor! I wish she were closer.
   
   I recommend this easy to understand book for those who want to know more about their own bodies and their own mind, body connection. She presents both the medical side - simplified to easy to understand terms - along with the more emotional and what some might call more New Age view of womens bodies, but none the less a real aspect that modern medicine and many people are tuaght to ignore or deny. Stop it! It isn't a curse!
   
   I even gave a copy to my sister for her birthday as well as a few friends.
   
   I recommend it and her other books as well - even if you don't feel they offer you anything - they will open your mind to a different more open way of thinking :)



3. 
   I didn't find much new in this book but found the information
   correct. It is good for answers to your health questions.



4. Some good information from Dr. Northrup but some of it has been said before too many times. I would recommend Saudra Pelletier's "Awake at the Wheel" to inspire you for work/life balance as well. Saddle Up Your Own White Horse: 5 Principles Every Woman Needs to Know



5. This should be given to all young women when they graduate high school. (Not before, because it's long and smart and you need a full grown brain to get the most out of it.) It is both inspiring and truly useful in everyday life. I love it!

5 comments about The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health.

1. The reader should carefully study the credentials of the author and the dept and breadth of the study to establish credability of thw work. That done, you can't disbelieve the findings. It will change your life.



2. My brother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer about a month ago. My sister insisted I get this book for him. He sent me an email saying this book totally confirms everything he's heard, read or researched. He said he loved the book.



3. This book is one of these books that each page makes your jaw drop. Despite overwhelming evidence, it is amazing that this has not taken a bigger stage with the public. I guess we love our high animal protein diets too much. For those of you who have health problems, take heed to the words inside this book.



4. The China Study is a large survey of health and nutrition habits that the author concludes support a vegan diet. The book discusses the China Study and the author's conclusions. The Study used surveys from 6,500 adults in China and Taiwan to analyze over 350 variables relating health and nutrition. The China Study looked specifically at the relationship between diet and disease in over 100 villages all over China. It compared the rates of disease and how they differed between regions and looked for dietary habits that could account for those differences. The author uses the data on what he sees as nutrition's impact on disease and concludes that a vegan diet promotes good health and longevity.
   
   A strong emphasis of the book is the way research on nutrition is conducted - he calls it "scientific reductionism". His complaint is that particular nutrients or food groups are isolated to determine their effects and all other influences are ruled out. Even though this is how research is done, and Dr. Campbell specifically looks at the impact of nutrition on health, he does not think we can accurately study single nutrients. In fact, he does not think information on nutrition is accurately obtained, reported, and utilized in the West. He also thinks the western diet is terrible including many of the popular diets such as the Atkins diet or any diet that emphasizes animal products.
   
   The book provides recommendations for changing your eating habits, and suggests that poor health and diseases can be reversed or improved by changing your diet. If you are a proponent of veganism, you will certainly enjoy the book and learn from it. If you are on the fence about veganism, it may sway you. If you would not appreciate eating a vegan diet, you may take offense at the author's criticism of non-vegan eating. Regardless of your perspective, you will appreciate the substantial amount of work that was put into this book. The passion and conviction of the author come through as this book is clearly designed to help others.
   
   The book's contents include:
   Introduction
   Part I: The China Study: 1. Problems We Face, Solutions We Need; 2. A House of Proteins; 3. Tuning Off Cancer; 4. Lessons from China.
   Part II: Diseases of Affluence: 5. Broken Hearts; 6. Obesity; 7. Diabetes; 8. Common Cancers: Breast, Prostate, Large Bowel (Colon, Rectal); 9. Autoimmune Diseases; 10. Wide-Ranging Effects: Bone, Kidney, Eye and Brain Diseases; Part III: The Good Nutrition Guide; 11. Eating Right: Eight Principles of Food and Health; 12. How to Eat.
   Part IV: Why Haven't You Heard This Before? 13. Science--The Dark Side; 14. Scientific Reductionism; 15. The "Science" of Industry; 16. Government: Is It for the People? 17. Big Medicine: Whose Health Are They Protecting? 18. Repeating Histories.
   Appendix A. Q&A: Protein Effect in Experimental Rat Studies. Appendix B. Experimental Design of the China Study. Appendix C. The "Vitamin" D Connection. References. Index.
   
   I also recommend THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams and The 2007 Second Expert Report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective



5. Wow, how refreshing to find an author who is a genuine authority, who supports his conclusions with fact and who lacks the bias that drives many writers on this subject to deceive and mislead, most doctors to remain ignorant of and uninterested in the relationship between health and nutrition and most of the food industry and medical profession too busy making money to care. This book deals with science, not politics. I read it five weeks ago and was so motivated by it I altered my diet to whole foods only. My blood pressure has improved from borderline hypertensive to 106/67 and I feel trimmer and fitter already. I've purchased the book for my children so they have some basis for questioning conventional advice on this important subject.

5 comments about The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, 2008.

1. I was required to buy this for a class. The print is so small I have trouble reading it. I would not buy it again because of that. What good is current info if you can't see it.



2. This is an invaluable resource in terms of content. It is the pocket size, which is convenient. Understand that the small size means that the type is incredibly small. You might need a microscope to read this!



3. For all medical practitioners this Sanford Guide is the definitive pocket guide for infectious disease treatment. Updated annually with the latest treatment recommendations from professional groups. I use it nearly daily when considering antibiotic selection and disease treatment.



4. The book had all the information I wanted but the print was totally unreadable due to size...I opted for the more expensive spiral bound version.



5. for medical doctors who work in a busy health unit and need at any time a handy book to review antibiotics, bugs and side effects.
   very-very helpfull for clinicians with a subspesialty (rheumatology, nephrology, hematology etc) who need fast to have access on information such as the appropriate antibiotic and the first in line medication.

5 comments about Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

1. good resource, but consider also getting a more user-friendly book to help with APA, too....you will waste a lot of time looking for information in this one.



2. I bought this book because most of the internet guides are not comprehensive enough to cover specifics addressed in this book. I agree with other users that say this book lists material on the same topic in multiple places, requiring you to waste time checking around for something you think you remember seeing before. The index needs to be re-done, something I hope they fix for the next edition. Electronic resources are very generally addressed.



3. This book is required for all college students pursing a degree in any major. It may not see like the most interesting book to have on your shelf, but is crucial when writing college papers.
   
   It is an essential tool you will be glad you have for reference.
   
   Merna
   
   Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you!



4. This is one of the most cumbersome and difficult to navigate reference books out there, and it is notorious for being so. I highly suggest getting an APA formatting program for writing your papers using this style. I use APA PERRLA myself, and love it. You will still need to refer to the publication manual for your more rarely used reference types, etc. Unfortunately, it's a necessary evil.



5. The best thing that I ever did was to purchase the APA Manuel.
   It has helped me with formating and the proper way to cite in text and referance in APA format. This book is much better than the Diane Hacker book on APA.

5 comments about You Can Heal Your Life (Gift Edition).

1. This book just jumped out at me. It is so healing and refreshing. If you are on the path for Mind, Body & Soul, this book is a winner!!!



2. I got this audio book very fast and it was in excellent condition. Thanks a lot.
   
   Take Care
   Have Fun
   B.L.Morgan



3. I just finished YOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE by Louise Hay and would recommend that you
   get the print version, if just to see the beautiful work of artist
   Joan Perrin Falquet . . . it will increase you enjoyment of this
   bestselling self-help book that was written many years before
   THE SECRET became such a success.
   
   One other recommendation: Skim the book first . . . then read
   the chapter, toward the end, where Hay tells her life story . . . it
   will put things in perspective and show you that she really
   puts into practice what she writes about ; e.g., in this passage:
   
   * We need to choose to release the past and forgive everyone, ourselves
   included. We may not know how to forgive, and we may not want to forgive,
   but the very fact that we say we are willing to forgive begins the healing
   process. It is imperative for our own healing that "we" release the past
   and forgive everyone.
   
   I found myself reading and agreeing with just about everything
   the author wrote . . . but perhaps my favorite part was her list
   of ailments and the emotional causes for each, along with an
   affirmation to help overcome the illness . . . she recommends
   you follow this four-step approach whenever you have a physical
   problem:
   
   * 1. Look up the mental cause. See if this could be true for you. If not,
   sit quietly and ask yourself, "What could be the thoughts in me that
   created this?"
   
   2. Repeat to yourself, "I am willing to release the pattern in my
   consciousness that has created this condition."
   
   3. Repeat the new thought pattern to yourself several times.
   
   4. Assume that you are already in the process of healing.
   
   Whenever you think of the condition, repeat the steps.
   
   So, for instance, when it comes to multiple sclerosis:
   
   * The probable cause is "mental hardness, hard-heartedness,
   iron will, and inflexibility." The healing "thought pattern" would
   involve saying this aloud: "By choosing loving, joyous thoughts,
   I create a loving joyous world. I am safe and fee."
   
   The concept may seem far-fetched to some, yet if you are
   ready to accept what Louise Hay has to offer, it may well
   work for you. Do give it a try.



4. I obviously have a different view of Western Medicine than the major rebuttal against Ms. Hay's book. Several years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and given less than six months to live. When I walked out the door of my Dr. office, I never looked back, nor did I ever return for further treatment. As I write these words several years after the fact (and in good health) my decision was to walk away from Western Medicine, and the hegemony it asserts over our lives.
   
   Afterword, I embarked on another journey by accepting responsibility for my own healing. I travelled to remote corners of the world and worked with indigenous healers, sages, and holy men and women; I began to explore the mystery of spiritual healing that Ms. Hay advocates on behalf of.
   
   At the point I walked away from the Western 'box' so common in our contemporary moment, I also walked away from my fear based belief system. Death will eventually come for all of us. None of us will escape it. It is also nothing to fear as we are eternal beings.
   
   The main rebuttal against this book is mired not only in the fear of death, but also of the fear of a fully embodied life. It fears responsibility for the underlying causes of disease. It fears change, and it fears transformational outcomes. Its primary belief is that health is the sole domain of medical science, and that our life choices do not contribute to our condition.
   
   Now, here is a secret the medical establishment wants kept under wraps, but with indigenous healers, and spiritual healers (or spiritual knowledge that leads to healing) is that healing is an inside job. Once a healing is introduced, the subject has to also change the life style choices that led to the health dysfunction; if the subject returns to the old habits, the condition will return too. Spiritual healing does not offer a magic bullet, it provides another chance to change. The change is up to the person undergoing the problem. If the courage to change is weakened, so to will the healing be reversed or rendered illegitimate.
   
   The aim of spiritual healing is to transform the underlying causes. And the only savior you will find in this process is oneself. This is the prime focus of Hay's work.
   
   In the final analysis, only you can decide which direction to go. No one can do it for you. The only one you can save is yourself!



5. Although I looked at this book from a skeptic perspective because of all the ideas of our thoughts creating our reality, etc, I could not help but be inspired by Louise. She seems to just basically live a simple life and find happiness within herself, and always emphasizes that we can also be like this, and everyone deserves to be loved for the person that they are. I am definitely going to try some of her tips.
   Some of the ideas about diseases being caused by negative thinking were a little hard to swallow. For instance, cancer and other ailments are supposed to be caused by all these pent up feelings and unforgiveness that we have bottled up...it is just a little hard for me to understand how a newborn could be born with a disease or a small child could get a disease. It's possible that there is more to it though than what is discussed in the book. I definitely think you should give some of her ideas a try, because just hearing Louise or reading her words and seeing what a difference she has made in people's lives is enough to show that she must be doing something right.

5 comments about Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness.

1. If you want to know more about your subc.I heartily recommend these CDs:
   
   The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
   The Master Key System
   Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World
   The Science of Getting Rich
   The Science of Mind
   Think and Grow Rich: Original Version



2. I initially saw Dr. Amen on PBS television show. Something about him made me watch. I became very interested in what he was discussing and as a result purchased the book and CDs. The book was very interesting and well written. Very easy to understand, especially when reading about a rather technical subject. Dr. Amen made is easy with his explanations and use of examples. The CDs followed the book very closely and made everything fall into place. I have heard many public speakers and listened to hundreds of CD programs; Dr. Amen is best speaker I have ever listened to. He is articulate and clear and speaks with sincerity, care and knowledge. I plan to take the master questionnaire as soon as it arrives. In my opinion his work is ground breaking and has the potential to help many people. My only regret is that I live on the East coast and it would be very difficult to visit him. As I feel at this time, it would be my number one choice if I could have three wishes. I hope that anyone considering purchasing this book does so.



3. One of the problems in today's treatment approaches--whether they be the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, the psychiatrist's counseling, the scans, the pharmaceuticals, nutritional imbalance, or altering behavioral disorders--is that they don't touch many of us who believe in cure by the power of God.By the Power of God: A Guide To Early A.A. Groups and Forming Similar Groups Today ; God and Alcoholism: Our Growing Opportunity in the 21st Century; and Cured! Proven Help for Alcoholics and Addicts. As a recovered alcoholic, I've done my turn in a treatment center, a psychiatric ward, a therapist's chair, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Christian fellowship. And I've profited from all. But sad it is that a popular book and approach such as this just doesn't cover help from the Creator. Belief in God, acceptance of Christ, study of the Bible, prayer, renewing the mind to God's word, and working with others were all part of the highly successful early A.A. fellowship.When Early AAs Were Cured and Why, Third Edition And I believe strongly that professionals like the good doctor should be introduced to, understand, and be able to work with the power of God as an element of healing much used and needed by many. All the areas of his practice involve human means, but they need to take account of spiritual help. Not self-help, not group-therapy, not rehabilitation, but embracing these within the original, old-school A.A. Christian approach.Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous: His Excellent Training in the Good Book As a Youngster in Vermont



4. I first saw Dr. Amen on a public television fund raiser. I was surfing
   and stopped cold when the list of behaviors he was describing fit my current
   boyfriend, I'm talking about all of them. He has had a rough go of it; I believe
   he has had ADHD from birth (maybe never diagnosed), but two yrs he suffered
   a brain aneurysm and stroke.
   I needed help!
   I tuned in and immediately sent for the book. It gave me so much insight into
   creating a more successful environment to continue my relationship and it
   empowered me with strategies to use to deescalate situations when circum-
   stances arise. I haven't shared the book yet but I plan to because it makes so
   much sense to me that the physical brain would dictate what is going on
   behaviorally. I would love to attend some workshops of Dr. Amens', that is
   my next goal.



5. Instead of repeating other reviewers, let's focus mostly on some unmentioned and undeveloped content. The deep limbic system is responsible for such things as PMS, clinical depression, negative emotions, etc. These problems are exacerbated by ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) which become self-perpetuating with constant repetition. To eliminate them, the person needs to reframe negative thoughts and experiences as positive ones. Philippians 4:8 is cited as to the need for focusing on positive emotions. POLYANNA is mentioned favorably, including her statement that the Bible has about 800 "Glad Passages', indicating God's priority in this regard. Medications such as Saint-John's-wort can also be helpful in alleviating limbic-system dysfunction.
   
   The basal ganglia are the person's natural "idle". When set too "high", they are responsible for such things as anxiety, fear, avoidance of conflict, the "freeze" response during emergencies, sloppy handwriting, TS (Tourette syndrome), OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), etc. To deal with problems related to the basal ganglia, the person should, besides killing ANTs, engage in guided imagery, diaphragmatic breathing, meditation/self-hypnosis, etc. Medications such as lithium and Valium can also help with basal-ganglial overactivity. In cases of basal-ganglial underactivity, as in ADD, the person often enjoys conflict with others as a form of self-stimulation.
   
   The cingulate system is the person's natural "gear shifter". Problems with the cingulate include oppositional disorder in children, cognitive inflexibility, repetitive thoughts, and persistence of grudges. Such problems can be helped with SSRI drugs such as Prozac, as well as by physical exercise, the making of paradoxical requests, etc.
   
   Other sections of the book include discussion of problems related to the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes. The book concludes with a list of references, to articles in medical journals, which the research-oriented reader can use for further study.

5 comments about The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.

1. Simply put, if I could force one book upon every living soul, this would be the one. I don't see how anyone couldn't learn something at the very least, and more than likely it will change your way of thinking to some degree. It would bring the industrialized food market to its knees if even a percentage of people took this book to heart as much as I have.



2. This book was extremely informative and very interesting. Some parts are a little slow but if you're driving down the road its easy to get lost in the discussion of various foods and how they succeed or fail based on their ingredients, big corporations, and government intervention.
   
   Corn is a substance nearly incapable of growing without human intervention and is being used, regardless of health issues, in just about anything.



3. An amazing tour de force of food in the US! Pollan writes with wonderful wisdom and honesty. The book has a wonderful bibliography.
   
   Industrial food is at the heart of all the major health problems in this country. Pollan will open your eyes to the fact and make you wnat to learn about the alternatives.
   
   Highly recommended!



4. The well written, most interesting read on the state of agriculture in the United States is definately "food for thought." The book's author, Michael Pollan visited three different kinds of farms: first a Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO); second, three big business organic farms: Cal Organic, Earthbound Farms and Cascadian Farms; third, a farm committed to locally grown, free range food called Polyface. The last part of Pollan's journey involved foraging for own food. Pollan even killed a wild pig to serve at the meal he cooked his friends. Each phase of his jouney concluded with a meal derived from the type of farming operations Michael had just visited. For example, Pollan and his family ate at McDonalds for the CAFO meal.
   
   It took them a full ten minutes speeding down the highway to finish their McDonald's meal. I liked his comment about fast food eating. He says, "Perhaps the reason you eat this food quickly is because it doesn't bear savoring." He goes on to say about fast food, "The more you concentrate on how it tastes, the less like anything it tastes. I've said before that McDonalds serves as kind of comfort food, but they are selling something more schematic than that-something more like a signifier of comfort food. So you eat more and eat more quickly, hoping somehow to catch up to the original idea of a cheeseburger or French fry as it it retreats over the horizon. And so it goes, bite after biite, until you feel not satisfied exactly, but simply, regretably, full."
   
   For all of their good qualities, the big business organic farms have driven many smaller organic famers out of business. Places like Walmart and Target do not want to buy organic food from various small suppliers, but from one large organic supplier that can supply them with all the vegetables, etc. they need. Big organic farms do much harm to soil by continually running the weeding machines over it. Since they don't use herbicides, they have to have a way to control the weeds.
   
   Polyface Farm raises a variety of animals (chickens, pigs and cows) that are pastured and eat the food they were created to eat. Polyface farm doesn't raise more animals than it can care for in a humane manner and refuses to ship it's prcuduct out, but only sells it locally.
   
   I personally buy organic or free range meat. After looking at how our farm facory animals are raised on unnatural feed, in overcrowded conditions, dosed with antibiotics and growth hormones, I will pay the extra money for healthy meat. How far you can go in eating local depends on what part of country you live in (I live in Wisconsin, with its short growing season). It also depends on whether you live close to a source of local food or can grow your own, and also your budget restrainsts.
   
   Now on to the reasons I could not give the book a five star review. Contrary to what Pollan says at the beginning of the book, bread and pasta are not two of the most wholesome foods known to man. Try telling that to a carbohyddrate addict or someone with celiac disease and see what they say. Also, saturated isn't bad for you. It's a traditional fat that's been used by healthy cutures for thousands of years. The trans fats, as well as, fats from CAFO animals are the real killer fats. When you feed animals unnatural diets, their ratios of saturated to unsaturated fat changes in a very unhealthy manner. Free range meat has a healthy balnce of various kinds of fats. Also, how could a person who has seen how a CAFO is run say he would ever again eat at a McDonalds. If I were starving and had no other food choices, then and only then would I eat there.



5. This book was very well written. Before starting, I was worried that it would be a rather dry read (after all, how much can you say about food?). Well, apparently there is an awful lot to say about food, and Pollan does a great job at making it interesting. He brings to light some of the problems with industrial agriculture that I just never knew existed. He doesn't just present problems is this book however. He also talks about some ways to help make things better. The one thing I did not like was when he had wine while hunting. However, this has nothing to do with the book's readability.
   
   I reccomend this book because I'm not a food fanatic and I found this book interesting.