The Long Run

The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter's Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete

by Matt Long, Charles Butler

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Book Review
A New York City firefighter’s emotional and inspiring memoir of learning to run again after a debilitating accident, based on the wildly popular March 2009 piece in Runner’s World.

On the morning of December 22, 2005, Matt Long was cycling to work in the early morning when he was struck by and sucked under a 20-ton bus making an illegal turn. The injuries he sustained pushed him within inches of his life. Miraculously, more than 40 operations and months later, Matt was able to start his recovery. In spite of the severity of his injuries, Matt found the psychological consequences of the accident nearly as hard to process. He would no longer be able to compete at the highest level.

In the 18 months before the accident, he had competed in more than 20 events including several triathlons and marathons and had qualified for running’s most prestigious race, the Boston Marathon. After the accident, his doctor told him he’d be lucky if he could even walk without a cane. The Long Run is an emotional and incredibly honest story about Matt’s determination to fight through fear, despair, loneliness, and intense physical and psychological pain to regain the life he once had. The book chronicles Matt’s road to recovery as he teaches himself to walk again and, a mere three years later, to run in the 2008 New York City Marathon—a gimpy seven-and-a-half hour journey through the five boroughs. “Running saved my life,” Matt says, and his embrace of the running community and insistence on competing in the marathon has inspired many, turning him into a symbol of hope and recovery for untold numbers of others.

About the Author
Matt Long is the founder of the I Will Foundation, which assists men, women, boys, and girls taking on pursuits they previously thought were beyond their reach. He lives in New York City. Charles Butler is an editor at Runner’s World and teaches journalism at Lehigh University.

The Loveless Family

The Loveless Family: Getting Past Estrangement and Learning How to Love

by Jon P. Bloch

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Book Review
Though recent decades have seen a great deal of discussion on the "dysfunctional" family, many people share a different problem, regardless of whether their family was "functional" or not: they are never given love, or taught how to receive it. This book will establish the concept of the loveless family by investigating scholarship on the subject as well as through the personal reflections and experiences of author Jon P. Bloch.

The Loveless Family: Getting Past Estrangement and Learning How to Love explains what a loveless family is, some of the typical syndromes seen within it, how families may cope with serious physical or mental issues, and how adults who came from a loveless family can develop meaningful relationships. This book is written to be engaging and accessible to the average reader, yet authoritative and also of value to scholars.

About the Author
Jon P. Bloch, MA, PhD, is professor of sociology and chair of the Department of Sociology at Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT. He is the author of numerous scholarly, self-help, and fictional works.

One Family's Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope

Ben Behind His Voices: One Family's Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope

by Randye Kaye

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Book Review
When readers first meet Ben, he is a sweet, intelligent, seemingly well-adjusted youngster. Fast forward to his teenage years, though, and Ben's life has spun out of control. Ben is swept along by an illness over which he has no control one that results in runaway episodes, periods of homelessness, seven psychotic breaks, seven hospitalizations, and finally a diagnosis and treatment plan that begins to work. Schizophrenia strikes an estimated one in a hundred people worldwide by some estimates, and yet understanding of the illness is lacking. Through Ben's experiences, and those of his mother and sister, who supported Ben through every stage of his illness and treatment, readers gain a better understanding of schizophrenia, as well as mental illness in general, and the way it affects individuals and families.

Here, Kaye encourages families to stay together and find strength while accepting the reality of a loved one's illness; she illustrates, through her experiences as Ben's mother, the delicate balance between letting go and staying involved. She honors the courage of anyone who suffers with mental illness and is trying to improve his life and participate in his own recovery. Ben Behind His Voices also reminds professionals in the psychiatric field that every patient who comes through their doors has a life, one that he has lost through no fault of his own. It shows what goes right when professionals treat the family as part of the recovery process and help them find support, education, and acceptance. And it reminds readers that those who suffer from mental illness, and their families, deserve respect, concern, and dignity.

About the Author
Randye Kaye is an actress, broadcaster, voice talent, and speaker. She served more than twenty years as a major radio personality in Connecticut, and continues to work in theater, TV, film, commercials, industrials, and audiobooks. She is also the Connecticut trainer of Family-to-Family Educators for the National Alliance of Mental Illness, and a diversity trainer for the Anti-Defamation League.

Decoding the Mysteries of Personality

Making Sense of People: Decoding the Mysteries of Personality

by Samuel Barondes

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Book Review
Leading neuroscientist Samuel Barondes shares scientific frameworks and tools for improving your intuitions about people, and sizing them up more consciously, systematically, and successfully. He shows how to use the latest research about personality and character to get along better, choose great friends, decide whom to trust, and avoid narcissists and sociopaths.

About the Author
Samuel Barondes is the Jeanne and Sanford Robertson Professor and Director of the Center for Neurobiology and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. A leading psychiatrist and neuroscientist, he is a member of the Institute of Medicine and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His books include Mood Genes, Better Than Prozac, and the Scientific American Library title Molecules and Mental Illness. He lives in Sausalito, California.

The Mediterranean Diet: Health & Science

The Mediterranean Diet: Health and Science

by Richard Hoffman, Mariette Gerber

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Book Review
Recent large-scale epidemiological studies have confirmed the pre-eminence of the Mediterranean diet for reducing the risk of primary and secondary heart disease and cancer. There is also increasingly convincing evidence for its protective value against diabetes, dementias and other age-related disorders, and for increasing overall longevity.

The Mediterranean Diet: Health and Science is a timely, authoritative and accessible account of the Mediterranean diet for nutritionists and dieticians. It discusses the Mediterranean diet in the light of recent developments in nutritional biochemistry, disease mechanisms and epidemiological studies, and also provides advice on nutrition policies and interventions.

The Mediterranean Diet: Health and Science opens with an overview of the Mediterranean diet, and this is followed by a survey of the latest epidemiological evidence for its health benefits. There is detailed nutritional information on olive oil, wine, fish, fruit and vegetables and other components of the Mediterranean diet, and this information is used to explain how the diet protects against a range of age-related diseases. The book emphasises the importance of understanding the Mediterranean diet in its totality by discussing the evidence for beneficial interactions between various components of the diet. There are also discussions of how agricultural practices, as well as food preparation and cooking techniques, influence the nutritional quality of the diet. The book concludes by discussing the social context in which the Mediterranean diet is eaten, and public health issues associated with adopting a Mediterranean diet, especially in the context of more northerly countries.

Written by nutritional biochemist Richard Hoffman and the current President of the French Nutrition Society, Mariette Gerber, who between them have many years experience in this area, this exciting and highly topical boook is an essential purchase for all nutritionists and dietitians worldwide. Libraries in all universities where nutrition, dietetics and food science and technology are studied and taught should have copies of this excellent book on their shelves.

The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques

The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques

by Margaret Wehrenberg

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Book Review
Anxiety disorders-grouped into three main categories: panic, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety are among the most common and pervasive mental health complaints. From the subtlest effect of sweaty palms during a work presentation to the more severe symptom of reclusion, anxiety casts a wide net.

Medication, once considered the treatment of choice, is losing favor as more and more sufferers complain of unpleasant side effects and its temporary, quick-fix nature. Now, thanks to a flood of fresh neurobiology research and insights into the anatomy of the anxious brain, effective, practical strategies have emerged allowing us to manage day-to-day anxiety on our own.

Addressing physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms, Margaret Wehrenberg, a leading mental health clinician, draws on basic brain science to highlight the top ten anxiety-defeating tips. Everything from breathing techniques and mindful awareness to cognitive control and self-talk are included-all guaranteed to evict your anxious thoughts. 20 illustrations

About the Author
Margaret Wehrenberg, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist in private practice and a popular public speaker. She is the author of The Anxious Brain, The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques, and The 10 Best-Ever Depression Management Techniques. She lives in St. Charles, Missouri.

Eight Guiding Truths for Lifelong Weight Control and Nutritional Balance

Balanced Days, Balanced Lives: Eight Guiding Truths for Lifelong Weight Control and Nutritional Balance

by Jim Ray, Pam Ray, Michael Ray

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Book Review
In these pages meet forty-two real people--representative of thousands more who have moved beyond the hype and gotten down to the business of living better, healthier lives. They are the pioneers of a hopeful New Way Forward in the nation's struggle to reverse the dangerous, rising trends of obesity and chronic disease. Learn their methods and strategies for success in Eight Guiding Truths for Lifelong Weight Control and Nutritional Balance. Read their inspiring stories of change, and see that joining them is well within your reach. Discover that good health comes not from deprivation, but with great bounty and pleasure.

Readers who live by the truths and the real-life examples in this book will finally, at long last be in charge of their bodies' health and on the path to improved fitness and lifelong weight control.

About the Author
Jim Ray is the CEO of PrePak Products, owners of the Balanced Days, Balanced Lives and NutriMirror(R) brands. It was Jim's battle against high blood pressure, along with his doctor's advice to limit sodium intake to ''one teaspoon per day,'' that led Michael to design and build the NutriMirror Food Journal system--an empowering diet analysis tool that shows exactly how the way you eat and move contribute to your overall nutritional and calorie balance and your long-term health. NutriMirror has since helped growing thousands of people in the same way it helped Jim.