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 The
Artist's Way
Julia Cameron
The Artist's Way will be familiar
to some of you. It is one of those cult-like books whose reputation
gradually spread by word of mouth rather than by a highly publicized
publisher's advertising campaign. It is a brilliant book and is
a distillation of Julia Cameron's years of work helping people to
think clearly and creatively and to express themselves. It was initially
designed to help people become better writers, sculptors, painters,
poets, filmmakers or speakers, but its lessons can be applied to
any endeavor. The book can guide you to become more focused and
creative in your business dealings or merely to be a more interesting
human being.
It is a workbook that expects
something of you every day, which is one of the reasons it's so
effective. I'm on my 2nd time through the program and find the combination
of Julia's morning pages combined with my own exercise plan the
path to 'morning glory.' I can begin each workday with a mind and
body with is alive and well.
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Nick Hornby is now 4 for 4 as
a novelist. You are most likely to be familiar with him for the
filmed adaptation of his 2nd book "High Fidelity." Hornby
is a witty, intelligent and frighteningly insightful writer in which
it is easy to see shadows of oneself. I agree with the blurb on
the dust jacket, "How to be Good is funny, ingenious, and
uncompromising - vintage Hornby, but with a twist. It's a story
about how to wreck your marriage, how to help the homeless, how
not to raise your kids, how to find religion….and How to be
Good." I'm looking forward to seeing this as a movie.
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 Fast
Food Nation
Eric Schlosser
I recommended this in the last issue of 'Well'
and will go on recommending it. Don't just take my word that this
is an important book, read a couple of extracts of what reviewer
Diana Atkinson had to say.
"All children who can read should be issued
a copy of Fast Food Nation. Also, all adults, so that makes
just about everybody. Here is an in-depth, hard-hitting work of
investigative journalism that carries the seeds of social change.
If you've ever wondered where the meat in your child's special meal
comes from, this book will answer your questions in such well-researched,
multifaceted fashion as to leave few questions-except, perhaps,
'How did we consumers allow these child-exploiting, worker maiming,
health-destroying, greedy, manipulative multinational machines to
grow to such monstrous proportions."
Now go out and buy the book.
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No
Logo
Naomi Klein
In many ways this is to the new millennium
what 'Generation X' was to the 90's. It got a tremendous boost when
it was plugged by the thinking person's rock group Radiohead. It's
equal parts cultural analysis, political manifesto, mall-rat memoir
and journalistic expose. It will enlighten you, it might annoy you
but it will make you think about globalization and the marketing
of brands rather than products.
Currently I'm reading a book by Naomi's mother,
Bonnie Sherr Klein, [entitled "Slow Dance"] about her
life and partial recovery from a stroke and being totally paralyzed
with "locked in syndrome", which also struck down Jean Bauby whose
work I recommended in a previous issue.
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 Zest
for Life
Diane Clement
Diane and her husband Doug Clement are both
former Olympic athletes who've gone on to be pre-eminent in their
chosen fields. Doug is the dean of Canadian Sports Medicine and
Diane is a foodie who has owned 'The Tomato", a great bistro in
Vancouver, and written a series of successful cookbooks. 'Zest for
Life' is personal, practical, and reflects Diane's passion for food
and fun. Few people know more about healthy eating than Diane, but
it's so refreshing to read a book that doesn't see caloric restriction
as the sole criterion of her chosen recipes.
A unique feature of the book is that it is
a journey through four decades of fashion, philosophy and travel
in the world of cuisine. The recipes are as varied and fun as Diane.
Diane never forgets the old maxim that:
Beer
and franks with cheer and thanks
Beats sprouts and bread with fear and dread
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