Book Review: The 7-minute back pain solution

Katie March 31, 2012 0 Comments

I wake up at least once a week (and in bad weeks, much more than that) with back pain.  The 7-Minute Back Pain Solution just might be my solution to this problem.  Of course, I will have to consult with my doctor first before I try anything (and you probably should too) but most of the solutions in this book seem easy enough so I think my doctor will ok most, if not all, of them.

What the 7-minute back pain solution basically is, is a series of stretches that you can do depending on your back pain and what you are doing.  Going to shovel snow? Sitting in a meeting at work? Pregnant? Almost any situation you can think of is mentioned in this book as well as some people who had issues that have gotten better simply by doing stretches every morning when they wake up and before bed to loosen up their body a bit so that it doesn’t get stiff.

I really hate to take meds when my back hurts, or use a heating pad (I feel fine when it is hot, but once the heat goes off, the pain comes back) and The 7 Minute Back Pain Solution offers something that is said to help without using any meds or heating pads, simply just taking a few minutes out of my day to stretch!

I received a free review e-copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

BANISH BACK PAIN FOREVER!

Are you one of the millions of lower-back-pain sufferers who is desperate for relief? Have you ever been stopped in your tracks by pain so excruciating you were afraid to move? Have you spent countless hours seeing medical professionals?

Now, with 7 easy stretches done in just minutes a day, you can finally relieve your back pain and prevent it from
happening again. The exercises and tips in this book will teach you how to fight back pain anywhere, anytime, using the equipment you already have—your own muscles. Orthopaedic spine surgeon Dr. Gerard Girasole and personal trainer Cara Hartman have teamed up to develop a proven program that will help you:

• Heal by doing the 7 stretches, which will take you no more than 7 minutes.
• Strengthen your core, which gives your spine the protection it needs.
• Protect your improved core strength to make future injuries much less likely.

The detailed photographs and helpful lists in this book will guarantee you see results, while the guide to daily activities will show you how to prevent injuries, whether you’re exercising, doing the laundry or commuting to work. Say goodbye to back pain, starting today.

About the authors

Gerard J. Girasole, m.d., is a board-certified orthopaedic spine surgeon who completed his spinal fellowship at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the North American Spine Society and is on the Editorial Board of SpineUniverse, one of the most popular online resources for back pain information. Dr. Girasole practices at The Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center in Trumbull, Connecticut.

Cara Hartman, cpt, is a back-pain survivor, having lived through years of suffering until she transformed her life by becoming a certified personal trainer and a core conditioning and sports injury specialist. She developed the exercises in the book and has fine-tuned them with Dr. Girasole’s expert advice. She lives in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Book Review: Hearts of Darkness

Katie March 28, 2012 0 Comments

I was excited to start reading Hearts of Darkness by Dave Thompson.  The book is about James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Cat Stevens and the unlikely rise of the singer songwriter.   These 3 artists (as well as a few others) were definitely staples in my household growing up.  It is one of the first books that I’ve read lately that has been music related where I can sing nearly every song mentioned just by seeing the title.  (And I even was tempted to bust out spotify to reminisce a bit several times when reading. Which I would have done if I wasn’t reading the majority of it during breaks at work, where spotify is a no-no.)

Although, I have to say, once I got in to the book, my excitement quickly faded.  The book is essentially 3 biographies in one.  But rather than split it in to 3 parts, one about each person, it kind of alternates chapters.  In a way, it is nice because if you get bored the story very quickly moves on to something else for a bit, but on the other hand, if you get in to the story then there are 2 chapters about someone else that you have to get through first to continue it.  At times it was a bit difficult to follow along with.  It’s also pretty long – my Nook clocked it in at 454 pages.  Obviously, very thorough, but it didn’t flow the way I would have liked it to.

It was cool – though a bit shocking too, lol – to see that a lot of the same people mentioned at the record labels are still around today.  David, Geffen to name a couple that I can remember off the top of my head.  A lot of mentions of Danny Kortchmar too, who was heavily involved in the creation of Hanson’s 4th studio album “The Walk” and obviously a big part of “The Story” that Hanson told last October when I was in attendance about the creation of the album.  It is always fun to see a name and be like “Hey I ‘know’ him!” in these books. (Usually I know them somehow due to something they’ve done with Hanson.  Screw 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon – I can do 6 degrees of Hanson! ha)

About the Book

Hearts of Darkness is the story of a generation’s coming of age through the experiences of its three most atypical pop stars. James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and Cat Stevens could never have been considered your typical late-sixties songwriters-self-absorbed and self-composed, all three eschewed the traditional means of delivering their songs, instead turning its process inward. The result was a body of work that stands among the most profoundly personal art ever to translate into an international language, and a sequence of songs-from “Sweet Baby James” and “Carolina in My Mind,” to “Jamaica Say You Will” and “These Days,” to “Peace Train” and “Wild World”-that remain archetypes not only of what the critics called the singer-songwriter movement, but of the human condition itself.

About the Author

Author Dave Thompson, himself a legend among rock biographers, takes on his subjects with his usual brio and candor, leaving no stone unturned in his quest to shine a light on the dark side of this profoundly earnest era in popular music.

Penetrating, pointed, and laced with vivid insight and detail, Hearts of Darkness is the story of rock when it no longer felt the need to roll.

Book Review: Way Down: Playing Bass with Elvis, Dylan, the Doors, and More

Katie March 27, 2012 0 Comments

Way Down is an autobiography by bassist Jerry Scheff. It takes a different approach than most autobiographies and doesn’t go in order. He jumps right in to the action of being on tour with Elvis. It bounces around a bit chronologically as well, but that didn’t make it difficult to follow. Jerry went on tours with Elvis Presley, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan and John Denver! He talks about the ups and downs of the music business – his time with drugs and how and why he quit them all (with the exception of alcohol).
He gives his honest opinions on everyone he worked with – the stars and everyone they surrounded themselves with. Also interesting is in the beginning he notes that any conversations may not be exactly what was said – since things are forgotten over the years. I thought it was interesting that he note this because I know some other books I’ve read (historical) have been criticized because there is no way you could know and/or remember the dialouge that went on. I always thought it was a given, but a lot of people have been getting upset over that so I liked that he pointed this out to the reader.
I really enjoyed the book and the insight it provided to being a touring musician as well as a studio musician. It also talked about some of the “drama” of the times – segregation and how he often ended up the only white guy at jazz clubs and was always worried that something might happen. The deaths of John and Bobby Kennedy, the Vietnam war, etc. It was interesting to see how the music changed with the times and how the musicians Jerry worked with were changing their styles throughout their career.
Way Down: Playing Bass with Elvis, Dylan, the Doors and More is set to be released March 27, 2012!

About the Book
In this candid and perceptive memoir of his 45-year career, bassist Jerry Scheff takes us onto Elvis’s private jet, on tour with Bob Dylan, and into the studio with the Doors. A stalwart presence behind some of the greatest names of popular music, Scheff has also played with Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello, the Association, Neil Diamond, Johnny Mathis, the Everly Brothers, John Denver, and Nancy Sinatra, to name just a few. Eschewing hype, Scheff provides a behind-the-scenes perspective, from having worked sleeves rolled up, side by side, with the great artists in their factories.

The book opens with the TCB band’s learning of the King’s death while en route to a tour date, a pivotal moment for him, the rest of the band, and the world at large. He then proceeds on a nonlinear journey that mirrors the process of true life-reflection, from his roots in San Francisco to his touring all over the world.

This is a tale of man who has truly grown a career from a genuine love of music and of his instrument, proving how following that gift can bring a person to places beyond his wildest dreams. It is an exciting inside view of the evolution and craft and work of making rock and roll-a must-have for true music craftsmen and music junkies in general.

Book Review: Gentlemen Prefer Nerds

Katie March 25, 2012 0 Comments

Gentlemen Prefer Nerds by Joan Kilby is an adult romance fiction novel. At first, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. The title drew me in, the description seemed interesting enough so I decided I’d check it out.  When I first started reading it I wasn’t entirely impressed with the story – but then the rare pink diamon – The Rose – got stolen and BAM! I was completely invested in this book and needed to finish it.

The main character is Maddie Maloney, she works in her aunt Grace’s jewelry shop where they have a rare pink diamond – The Rose.  Maddie helped discover the diamond which is why it is at their shop.  One day while Maddie is admiring the diamond a stranger somehow gets in to the shop and tells her that there is a jewel theif called The Chameleon that is going to try and steal it.  Maddie isn’t sure she believes him, but tries to be careful anyway.

Turns out, the stranger was right and The Rose does go missing right under Maddie’s nose and is replaced with a synthetic replica.  Police immediately assume that Maddie stole it and she is placed under arrest.  The stranger, Fabian, comes to her rescue and they go on a hunt for The Chameleon to try and rescue The Rose.

Fabian gets a make over for Maddie so that The Chameleon will not recognize her.  She then tries to seduce him to get The Rose back.  Meanwhile, she is falling for Fabian.  Without giving too much away, her opinion on both The Chameleon and Fabian changes several times throughout the story – but considering this is a romance novel – you must assume she ends up with one of them (or both?) eventually…

A quick read, really well written and a fun story to follow (although perhaps a bit far fetched – but those are the most fun, I think)

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Self-professed nerd Maddie Maloney is an expert on jewels. Jewel thieves are another matter entirely! So when a mysterious Englishman warns her that a thief known as The Chameleon is after the rare pink diamond on display in her aunt’s shop, she tells herself it’s just a joke. Even if she can’t get Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome out of her mind…

But Fabian Montgomery doesn’t give up easily. He’s everywhere she goes, convinced the thief will strike. And when the diamond does go missing-and Maddie is suspected of stealing it-he whisks her away from the police and together they pursue The Chameleon.

Fabian plunges her into a glamorous world far from her humble workshop and transforms geeky Maddie into a sophisticated siren capable of espionage. Her mission: to seduce The Chameleon and steal back the diamond.

But Fabian isn’t telling her everything-like who he works for, and why he’s so interested in The Chameleon…