Diet for the Mind and Why You Eat What You Eat

DIET FOR THE MIND by Martha Clare Morris is subtitled “The Latest Science on What to Eat to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Cognitive Decline.” It is generally shelved with books about the brain’s functioning rather than with cookbooks which, given its content, is appropriate; however, I would have liked to have seen more pictures and at least a few simpler recipes. Morris has split the book into two parts, and the first, mind-healthy science, explains cognitive decline and essential nutrients. She also lists foods for everyday (leafy greens, vegetables, whole grains, and vegetable oils) and for every week (berries, nuts, seafood, poultry, and beans).  Then, in Part II she describes a mind-healthy lifestyle and provides 80 recipes.  Obviously healthy, but those seemed to have at least seven ingredients and many involved more because of an accompanying sauce. How can we make recipes simpler (for shopping and for preparing) so as to more actively encourage changes in eating habits?     

That question is indirectly addressed in WHY YOU EAT WHAT YOU EAT by Rachel Herz, a neuroscientist specializing in perception and emotion who teaches at Brown University and Boston College.  That text is filled with unusual facts, details, and summaries of studies.  I have ordered a copy because I think our Psych classes will be surprised at and fascinated by the findings that explore the “science behind our relationship with food.”  For example, did you know that eating from a red plate generally results in eating less? Or that the more often you eat a food (e.g., rice vs. potato), “the more appetite-appeasing you believe it to be – and thinking makes it so.”  

There’s an entire chapter titled “eye candy” which supports the Chinese proverb that says, “you eat first with your eyes, then with your nose and then with your mouth” and talks about how art and color influence taste and perception. Other chapters deal with “the sound and the feeling” (with experiments you can try yourself) and “comfort food.”  Herz’s text is, unfortunately, a bit too jammed with numerous tasty tidbits at times – kind of like the puns in that sentence - overwhelming the reader with information, although there is much useful self-help type, too.  In WHY YOU EAT WHAT YOU EAT, Herz herself points out that “globally, more people die today from obesity-related illnesses than from starvation” and it seems critical to learn all we can about how food impacts our mood and behavior as well as how our senses and our surroundings (labels, packaging, etc.) relate to our motivation to eat.  One last tip: artichokes (containing cynarin) make other foods taste sweeter so blend them with the often more bitter leafy greens recommended by Harris for a tastier, healthier salad. Enjoy!   

Variety of new non-fiction

This time of year is always so very busy due to Junior Theme and the many research projects underway.  In recent years, the emphasis has shifted to controversial and more current issues and that, of course, helps drive our collection development. So here is a brief review of some newly published non-fiction works – more coming soon.

THE HAPPINESS EFFECT by Donna Freitas  (2/1, Oxford UP) is subtitled “How social media is driving a generation to appear perfect at any cost” which is clearly a high interest topic for our students and faculty.  Unfortunately, this book seems to be geared more to parents and takes an overly serious, scholarly tone. Freitas, a researcher affiliated with the University of Notre Dame and Hofstra University , says, “in our constant attempts to edit out our imperfections for massive public viewing, we are losing site of the things that ground our life in connection and love, in meaning and relationships.”  She bases her work on a survey and college student interviews which are liberally quoted.

ALL IN by Stephanie Breedlove (2/7, Greenleaf) centers on “How Women Entrepreneurs Can Think Bigger, Build Sustainable Businesses, and Change the World.” Breedlove draws on her own experience, having worked first for Accenture and then started, built and sold Care.com HomePay for fifty million dollars.  She writes about her own struggles and accomplishments in chapters with action-oriented titles like “Take Small Steps,” “Overcome Obstacles,” and “Pace Yourself.” I think our entrepreneurship class will especially like the sections which she includes on business strategy advice and statistics about US entrepreneurship.  Kudos also to The Wall Street Journal’s Joann Lublin for EARNING IT (2016, Harper Collins), filed with more well-known role models, “hard-won lessons,” and examples of “trailblazing women at the top of the business world.”

THE HIT MAKERS by Derek Thompson (2/7, Penguin) is already on our shelves. This work is a fun read for pop culture enthusiasts especially since, as the publisher says, “it leaves no Pet Rock unturned to tell the fascinating story of how culture happens and why things become popular.”  Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic magazine, writes in an extremely entertaining and informative fashion.  Each of his chapters includes plenty of facts and anecdotes, often centering around a trio of related examples such as chapter one, The Power of Exposure, which deals with Monet, Adele and Trump. Thompson explains fluency (thinking that feels easy) and disfluency (difficult to process), noting that “most people generally prefer ideas that they already agree with, images that are easy to discern, stories that are easy to relate to….” Often, then “less thinking leads to more liking.” Similarly, USA Today recently noted that Trump's repetitive rhetoric is a trick used in advertising. THE HIT MAKERS’s chapter eleven, What People Want II: A History of Pixels, and Ink, uses tabloids, television and news feed to introduce tales about George Gallup and applied anthropology.  As he continues, Thompson mentions Steven Levy’s “dozen doughnuts” problem, noting that if people think the [Facebook] News Feed is just a sugar bomb without any deeper meaning, readers might shutter their accounts.” Did that realization lead to last Thursday’s Building Global Community manifesto?  Clearly, THE HIT MAKERS is a highly recommended and worthwhile read, filled with timely examples; it received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

THE FBI AND RELIGION by Sylvester A. Johnson and Steven P. Weitzman (2/7, University of California Press) is another more scholarly work focusing on “faith and national security before and after 9/11.” Northwestern University’s Johnson and University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman have collected a series of essays such as “Policing Public Morality,” “A Vast infiltration,” and “Allies against Armageddon?” which explore threats to religious liberty by describing the FBI’s relationship over time with a variety of religions and groups, including, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Mormons, Muslims, and Branch Davidians.  Very specialized and extensively researched.

THE NATURE FIX by Florence Williams (2/7, W. W. Norton) has a beautiful cover and a chapter titled “You may squat down and feel a plant"; how fun is that?  Science journalist Williams deftly describes current research on “Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative.”  Her examples come from around the world: Japan, Korea, Finland and several more places. She notes numerous benefits from contact with nature, including reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, and helping cope with ADHD or PTSD. Filled with fascinating findings and producing an urge to get outside, THE NATURE FIX received a starred review from Kirkus.

Several of these titles are from university presses and we have not made final purchase decisions yet, but we have been adding many non-fiction titles since the library’s move – be sure to check some out!