The Aging Brain- Proven steps to prevent dementia and sharpen your mind - Book Review

Book:  The Aging Brain:  Proven steps to prevent dementia and sharpen your mind

Author:  Timothy R. Jennings, MD

Publisher:  Baker Books

  282 pages, paperback


A great many of us are concerned about dementia these days.  Dr. Jennings has written a powerful book to help us not only understand more about this problem, but provides possible ways to prevent it from happening to us.

The book is separated into four sections:

1. History and Aging

2. Oxidative Stress and Aging

3. Lifestyle and Aging

4.  Pathological Aging

He goes into heavy detail in each chapter, describing how aging works, and also what we can do to prevent dementia.  It is scholarly but written in layman terms.  It is the type of book you do not just read, you actually study. There is research and studies he shares including the effect of drinking coffee.

Some of this may go over my head at times, but if I am very concerned about it, I will take the time to really study what he has written.  There were some sections I studied more than others.  Throughout our lives, we may be more concerned about some aspects of living than others that may not apply to us. For instance, I am not a smoker, so his excellent, detailed advice is not necessary for me to read. However, I may want this information to share with a friend or relative who is a smoker. In this case, the book is an excellent reference book for good health.

On page 44, the chapter is "Our Genes and Aging"  The subtitle of this is "Decay over Time."  There is a quote just under this by Thomas Jefferson in 1816, which says, "Bodily decay is gloomy in prospect , but of all human contemplation the most abhorrent is body without mind."

We need to understand that we will age.  We will decay, but that we can, through our choices in how we live, keep our minds sharp.

At the end of each chapter, there is an excellent feature for those who want to quickly glance through the main points and still obtain a great deal of education.  These are:

"Learning Points" - This quickly sums up, in a list, what the chapter contained.

"Action Plan - Things to do" - In chapter four, this list includes ideas such as "Be physically active in life: avoid a sedentary lifestyle." Sometimes we simply need a reminder to just keep busy and moving in the current culture we live in. 

You may or may not want to do everything he suggests. Some of the suggestions, like getting a certain kind of vaccine, may not align with your beliefs.  But take what will work for you and leave the rest.

There are some Bible verses in here, which is wonderful.

I did not read the entire book, I skimmed over some science studies that I did not want to read.  It is also a heavy book with much to think about.  If you simply want a quick read, consider just reading his "Learning Points" and "Action Plans" at the end of each chapter.  You can also study any section of any chapter where you want more detailed information.

Overall I think you will find some great information on how to prevent dementia. 


* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

Crack Yourself Up Jokes for Kids - book review

 
Book:  Crack Yourself Up: Jokes for Kids

Author:  Sandy Silverthorne

Publisher:  Spire (Revell)

138 pages, paperback


It's nice to have a wholesome book to make one smile.  Sandy's book, Crack Yourself Up: Jokes for Kids, is fun, wholesome, and entertaining. 

Inside you will find adorable comic-style illustrations in black-and-white.  There are knock-knock jokes, Riddles, amusing dialog, and much more.

I have left this book on the end table in our home. Anyone can pick it up and start reading, anywhere in the book.  They might flip through some pages and then read a joke to make us all laugh or smile.  It is a great book to have on hand when you need to hear something funny.

Some of these jokes I have already heard, but they still make me smile. Most of what is in this book is new to me and I enjoyed reading it very much.


* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

Southern Style Biscuits

I enjoyed this video so much. It is by a great-grandmother in her 80's as she shows how to make biscuits for the family, the way her mother used to. Her mother made 40 buttermilk biscuits each morning for her 9 children.




If this video does not play for you, here is the direct link: https://youtu.be/pxNQ6Tpb9oA

Coach Wooden's Forgotten Teams - Book Review

Book:  Coach Wooden's Forgotten Teams

Author:  Pat Williams with Jim Denney

Publisher:  Revell

196 pages, paperback


This is a very well written book, consisting of 9 chapters.  Coach Wooden was a legendary basketball coach.  He not only trained his players in the game, he also trained them for life with his godly wisdom.  This book brings to light the summer basketball camps many were privileged to attend.

We hear stories from some of the coaches who worked at the camps.  We also hear from many of the campers themselves, as they look back over the years to when they were younger enjoying the basketball lessons.

The book is inspiring as it shares many of the wise sayings of the coach.  We also get the sense that he was a very humble man with a great Christian faith.

Here are a couple of my favorites from the book:

Page 65, "The example Coach set by doing things like that made a big impression on me. Coach didn't preach.  He lived his lessons. He set an example. Whenever you were around him, it was lesson after lesson. He'd never say, "This is how you should  lead,' but if you had eyes to see and ears to hear, you'd learn by watching the man."

Page 75, "He would say, 'Drink deeply from good books, first and foremost, the Bible.' I think he spent a lot of time there, and his faith was a grounding point."


Reading this book will make you want to be a better parent. It will make you want to be a better person, in general.   You might even start taking notes, or highlighting passages in the book, for later reference.

* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

Practicing the King's Economy - Book Review

Book:  Practicing the King's Economy

Author:  Michael Rhodes and Robby Holt with Brian Fikkert

Publisher:  Baker Books

317 pages, paperback


The book consists of 12 chapters.  There is also a lengthy preface and acknowledgements section. This may be because all three of the authors share their thoughts in each section.  This part did help me get to know the writers a bit better. When I first started reading this book, I had never heard of any of them, so it was helpful to see their background and introductory thoughts.

The introduction was very difficult for me to read. I think it went over my head.  There was just so much information that it seemed like a small book in itself.

Each chapter has sections on the Bible.  There is interpretation that was bold at times, with wording that I didn't think really represented the meaning of certain Scripture.

The message of the book is to make the reader take a long look at how they handle money, both in business and in personal matters.  It is a very good and commendable topic.  However, as for me, I could not relate to much of the book.  There are some references to such things as "Narnia" and football that I know nothing about.  Yet, there were some passages that I thought were insightful. Here is one example from page 132, where they are discussing Ephesians 4:28. . .

"It is interesting what Paul does not say.  He doesn't say thieves should start working so they can get off welfare rolls or achieve the ancient world's version of the American Dream of middle-class independence.  Paul says they should work so they can have something to share."

I think people who are earning good money in America, but think they need more, are the target audience.  There are a few helpful examples throughout the book sharing a vision of using money for the Lord, with the goal of doing the Lord's work with our money. But it was very hard for me to glean these insights.



*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

The Road Home by Beverly Lewis

Book:  The Road Home

Author:  Beverly Lewis

Publisher:  Bethany House

316 pages, paperback


I enjoyed reading this wholesome story.  The main character is the oldest of 10 children. Her name is Lena Rose.  She comes from a very close family and a wonderful Amish community.  The sudden death of her parents, early in the book, caused all the children to have to live apart.  Lena is sent to work and live with relatives in a different state.  She struggles with her grief and loss privately, but is an excellent example of serving others and making the best of a difficult situation.

She meets a wonderful young man in the new community and becomes very close to her Amish relatives and new neighbors.  She dearly wants to be reunited with her siblings back home, but has also formed a bond in her new environment.  

There is a subtle lesson of comfort and encouragement coming through the pages with Biblical wisdom that I found to be inspiring.   I very much enjoyed reading about Amish customs and their way of life.  This was a peaceful story and one of my favorites.


*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

The Wife - Short Story by Washington Irving

                            THE WIFE

                   by Washington Irving, 1800's

note - this story has been moved. It can now be found at The Legacy of Home Press on the following page:

"The Wife"

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage - Review

Book:  The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

Author: Julie Klassen

Publisher: Bethany House

Paperback, 444 pages.

This book has a beautiful cover which makes one think of England.  The story itself is reminiscent of a sort of Jane Austen - style of writing.  I very much enjoyed reading about quiet, day-to-day living in "Ivy Hill" in England.

The book includes a map in the beginning so you can look back to see where everyone lives, or where the businesses are located in town.  This is so helpful, particularly when some of the characters are taking a walk and you want to see how far they have to travel.

We are treated to a fascinating description of what it used to be like to form and operate a public library.  Guests had to pay a subscription for the privilege of borrowing books.  The main character, in this story, is the proprietress of a newly formed library which she started with the books from her father's personal library.

I loved the courteous way about the characters. Their manners and social graces were refreshing.

As much as I enjoyed reading this story, I hesitated when readers were introduced to the suspicious character, Mrs. Haverhill.  The reference by local residents that she was some sort of terrible person, complete with the author's description came off as something during the season of October, which I would never choose to read.  I started to wonder if I could trust the author by continuing to read, hoping she wouldn't take me to a "place" in her story that I would not want to go.  This seriously troubled me and made me not want to read any further.  I started to skim over the next several pages and found Mrs. Haverhill to be nothing of what she insinuated and was relieved.  However, because of this, I would not recommend this book to my family or friends.  It is not the type of thing I have any interest in reading.  I was really shocked by it and was not expecting this.  For me, I would much rather have read a quiet, pleasant story of a town in England, and the distinguished people, without the bold - sort - of - cinema - attraction coming through some of the pages.

Regardless of my thoughts on this story, Julie Klassen is very talented and an excellent writer.


*  Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *