This book is about the “A-Word.” A
could stand for Atomic, since explosion is implied, but in this case it
is about autism. Autism is a trend that keeps on gaining momentum, and
its label, once inflicted on a child, reverberates as a social suicide
for families. The merit of Jennifer Noonan’s
journey is precisely to expose the daily struggle families with
autistic children must live through, bringing her resourceful
personality to the front.
This
is the book that will explain to you what is Bitcoin and how they came
to be, if you only have heard about them and thought it was just another
App. If you are looking for a roller-coaster ride in the underworld of
alternative finance, “Virtual Billions”
is the book as well. You will learn about the reclusive genius creator
of Bitcoins, Satoshi Nakamoto, who, on his own, decided to wage war
against the world financial and banking system, and the prince of
darkness himself, Ross Ulbricht,
The
ears don't lie. They know when something sounds phony. But what about
authors writing about music? This week's episode takes a look at the
crossroad of music and literature, in all its form: rhyme, rhythm,
lyricism, repetitions, and of course the theme of music itself, not only
in the lives of the characters depicted but also in the authors’.
Rick Moody, “On Celestial Music.” A dazzling selection of essays about music. Moody’s anatomy of the word cool
reminds us that in the postwar 1940’s, the word was infused with the
feeling of jazz music, whereas now it is merely a synonym for neat.
The collection laments the loss in contemporary music, without failing
to inspire us and dive into the music that enhances our lives.
Mary Morris,
“The Jazz Palace.” In the midst of boomtown Chicago, two Jewish
families suffer terrible blows. They have lost their boys on the SS Eastland,
which sank in 1915. But Benny Lehrman, the only son left, has no
interest in saving the family business and making hats. His true passion
is piano—especially jazz.
Julia Titus, “Poetry Readers for Russian Learners.” Through the poetry of 19th and 20th
Centuries Russian authors, including Pushkin and Akhmatova, the book
helps all level of Russian learners refine their language skills. Poems
have their own music and rhythm, singing to the witnesses of history,
clamoring human insights and the muffling of tragic biographies.
Books du Jour, Episode #210 “The Monopolies of Monarchs”
The
journey from the heavens to our heart can happen in the blink of an
eye. But from the heart to the Heavens is a different story. Legal
battles may stand in the way. Today, we look at the downfall of a king
accountable only to the Gods above; the wandering Jews in search of a
promised land and only facing rejection, and finally the legal battle
for a board game in the wake of the financial crisis and its pernicious
values.
Mary Pilon,
“The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World’s
Favorite Board Game.” The way the Parker Brothers tells it, Monopoly,
the world’s most famous board game, was invented by an out-of-work
salesman in the depths of the Great Depression, who sold his invention. A
fabulous rags-to-riches story to say the least. But as Pilon explains
it: “it’s just not quite exactly true.”
Charles Spencer,
“Killers of the King” relates for the first time to the shocking
stories and fascinating fates of the 59 men who signed Charles I of
England’s death warrant in 1649. This act not only changed British
history forever, reverberated across the ocean to the young British
colonies in American, which more than 100 years later also rose up
against their king, but also became their death sentence.
Roger Cohen,
“The Girl From Human Street” trails the upheavals of a family saga,
with none of the comfort of a happy ending. Through the decades, the
Jewish sense of “otherness” is pervasive, and Cohen finds it has been
significant factor in his family’s history of manic depression. A moving
portrait and an elegy to his mother, June, who struggled most mightily
with her illness. But also a tale of remembrance and repression, moral
ambivalence, suicide, and amazing resilience.
If
there is enough food for three, chances are there is enough for four.
We are what we eat. But what about if you don't like the diet you eat?
What would you become? We gather at a table every week, and yet we still
have not had a panel about health and food. This week, we are
discussing about health, physical and emotional, and how good and bad
food impacts our general well-being.
Greg O’Brien,
“On Pluto” is a first person account with Alzheimer. O’Brien speaks
freely about what it is like to lose your mind and “see slices of your
very identity being shaved off” on a daily basis. The story is a beacon
of hope to anyone who can read and listen.
Jena La Flamme,
“Pleasurable Weight Loss.” For Jena “the key to losing weight is not
about enjoying less, it’s about enjoying more.” This radical insight has
allowed thousands of her students to lose weight without food plans,
arduous rules, or punishing exercises. Pleasure is the secret to
switching off the stress triggers.
Charlotte N. Markey,
in “Smart People Don’t Diet: How Psychology, Common Sense, and the
Latest Science Can Help You Lose Weight Permanently,” Markey uses
psychology and brain chemistry and more than 100 years of research and
scientific findings to provide an accessible approach to weight loss
that yields sustainable, long-term results.
