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Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise August 2019
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| Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life by Louise AronsonWhat it is: a thoughtful, comprehensive exploration of aging, from medical concerns to identity issues to depictions of the elderly in pop culture.
Why you should read it: Aging eventually comes for us all, but it also affects our families, our economies, and our wider societies.
For fans of: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, Spring Chicken by Bill Gifford. |
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| Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of... by Dr. Amy BlackstoneWhat it's about: the author's decision not to have children of her own and the social significance of the increasing numbers of adults making the same choice.
Read it for: the impassioned (and occasionally humorous) presentation of the author's analysis, which is backed up by thorough research.
About the author: Dr. Amy Blackstone is a professor of sociology at the University of Maine who also runs the popular blog We're Not Having a Baby! |
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| Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David EpsteinWhat it is: a persuasive and thought-provoking vindication of the jack-of-all-trades; a review of the circuitous paths to success taken by notable (if distractible) athletes, inventors, and creators.
Featuring: author J.K. Rowling, Game Boy inventor Gunpei Yokoi, tennis champion Roger Federer.
Did you know? Legendary musician Duke Ellington quickly gave up on music as a child in favor of drawing and sports, only lured back by the emergence of jazz. |
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Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life
by Susan Senator
What it is: a straightforward guide that addresses the challenges of parenting adult children with autism.
What sets it apart: While there are plenty of resources on caring for young children with autism, books on caring for adult children with autism are more difficult to find.
You might also like: Teresa Sullivan's matter-of-fact memoir Mikey and Me, which candidly chronicles her relationship with her autistic sister.
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| Marriageology: The Art and Science of Staying Together by Belinda LuscombeWhat it is: an evidence-based and engaging dive into how to stay together and the benefits of healthy long-term partnership -- not just emotionally but also on your health and finances.
Topics include: relationship familiarity, learning to argue, infidelity, how (and when) to look into marriage counseling.
About the author: Award-winning journalist Belinda Luscombe has been an editor at large at TIME Magazine since 2008, where she writes the weekly "10 Questions" column. |
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| Superbugs: The Race to Stop an Epidemic by Matt McCarthyWhat it's about: the troubling problem of antibiotic resistant bacteria, with a review of the history of antibiotics and the obstacles that researchers face in developing new treatments.
Why you should read it: Although the topic is sobering and the situation dire, the author presents his analysis with compassion and leaves readers with plenty of reasons to have hope.
Read this next: I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong, Immunity by Luba Vikhanski. |
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Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies
by Sloane Miller
In this "positive and practical" book (Library Journal) on living with dangerous food allergies, social worker and blogger Sloane Miller provides a wealth of information on coping with allergies while living a full and satisfying life. Miller herself has severe food allergies, so her discussion in Allergic Girl is personal and realistic. This accessible book provides an introduction to allergies, gives advice on restaurant eating and food-centered events, and suggests ways to negotiate about food choices with grace and good humor. For another informative, engaging book by someone with life-threatening allergies, read Sandra Beasley's memoir, Don't Kill the Birthday Girl.
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| On Being Human: A Memoir of Waking Up, Living Real, and Listening Hard by Jennifer PastiloffWhat it's about: Jennifer Pastiloff's journey from being an insecure survivor of childhood trauma in a dead-end job to becoming a noted yoga instructor and successful public speaker.
Don't miss: Pastiloff's candid conversation about how she overcame the shame she had internalized while losing her hearing at age 20.
Reviewers say: "readers feeling stuck in their lives will devour this inspiring story" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World by Jamil ZakiWhat it is: an impassioned, thought-provoking, and well-researched rallying cry for empathy, which Stanford psychology professor Jamil Zaki argues is disappearing in modern society.
Why you should read it: Zaki's research undermines the common misconception that empathy is an inherent trait rather than a learnable skill.
Try this next: I Feel You by Cris Beam, Social Empathy by Elizabeth Segal. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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