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Category: Health, Mind, & Body

Review: Express Makeup by Rae Morris

[ 3 ] January 31, 2012
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Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

Reviewed by Wendy Fitos

Rae Morris’ third book, Express Makeup, continues to showcase her talent and creativity in the beauty world. Morris hails from Australia where she became an “accidental” makeup artist when she had to assist on a photo shoot with supermodel Naomi Campbell.

Express Makeup is filled with simple and easy tips that can help any woman look beautiful. The first section of the book covers specific makeup products and how to use them properly, while the second section includes numerous finished looks that can be easily recreated.

Here are just a few tips that I found very helpful:

  • Highlighting

Never use white or silver greys to highlight your skin. Only use these colors for highlighting the inner corners of your eyes.

  • Achieving a Glow to the Skin

For youthful, wrinkle-free skin, you can use luminizer all over the face by adding a few drops of luminizer to your moisturizer.

  • Eyeliner (LOVE this one)

To get a dramatic liner look that looks clean and neat, apply lots of kohl pencil to the inner rim of each eye. Tape your eyelids and color in with a black eye gel. Take it along your entire top eyelash line, then pull off the tape.

Express Makeup is especially well done because it is well illustrated and not wordy. Many how-to books often involve pages of instruction and very few pictures. As a result, it can be difficult to grasp the concept of application. The colorful pictures in this particular book make applications easy, even for beginners. Morris also uses different ethnicities in her demonstrations so any woman can benefit from this book.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Wendy Fitos is a makeup artist and esthetician with 22 years of experience. Her goal is to educate women on how to create looks that will meet both professional and personal styles. Wendy lives in Cleveland, Ohio and enjoys reading and exercising.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Crown. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Breakthrough by Shea Vaughn

[ 3 ] January 28, 2012
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Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

Breakthrough by Shea Vaughn (yes, she is actor Vince Vaughn’s mother) is fittingly dedicated to the breakthroughs that allow us to find the most relevant and important aspects of our lives. These breakthroughs include living each day in the present (leaving the past behind) and finding self-fulfillment in each day.

Vaughn focuses on a mind and body connection, and incorporates meditation and lessons on becoming more aware of self to live a happier life. The first half of the book offers advice on how to slow down and become more sensitive to movement and thought that we experience every day. The middle part of the book discusses the five principles of well-being (commitment, perseverance, self-control, integrity and love). The last sections offer photos of the author performing several exercise routines, discuss aging and show ways to apply these five principles to your life.

I especially enjoyed the exercises at the end of the book and the way they were shown in a series of photos, making it easier to replicate them on my own. The stretching-based routines did clear my head when I tried them, and they offered a nice alternative to a full out workout; the stretching routines would be perfect on a “resting” day between formal exercise routines.

I recommend Breakthrough to anyone who is stressed in a home or job situation and who needs advice on how to unwind.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Click here for a video of Shea Vaughn working out with her son and Ellen DeGeneres

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by PR by the Book. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Living with Depression by Deborah Serani

[ 3 ] January 26, 2012
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Rating: +4 (from 4 votes)

Reviewed by Sara Drake

Living with Depression should be read by anyone with depression or anyone who cares about someone with depression. I wanted to say that up front as that thought kept going through my head as I read through this great synopsis of a common mental illness. I have long looked for a resource that so clearly lays out the basics and offers good advice.

Deborah Serani begins with a touching description of her own battles with depression. I found myself holding my breath as I read about her plans for suicide, waiting to see what happens next. Yes, I knew that she clearly lived through it to write the book but I could not help getting sucked into the story! Her personal view throughout the book keeps it from reading like an academic text book. Instead, reading it feels more like listening to a wise professor chat over lunch.

After her personal story, Serani describes the clinical definitions of mood disorders, their causes, their treatment, and the problems faced by those with a mood disorder. She includes a great deal of technical detail in her sections on the etiology of depression and the medications used to treat it. While she does a great job at describing the biological details, some readers may be intimidated by the density of scientific terms.

She offers helpful suggestions and contacts for anyone stuck in the morass that the U.S. mental health care system has become. I have read several books on depression and this is the first one to offer practical advice for individuals needing treatment. Too often, books focus on the mental illness or the treatment itself neglecting to help individuals with details.

Overall, I found Living with Depression to be both informative and enjoyable. I plan on keeping it as a handy reference for its listing of multiple resources that can be called on to assist with getting appropriate treatment.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Sara Drake has been an avid reader since a young age. She has both a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and a Master’s in History.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Deborah Serani. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Fast Media, Media Fast by Dr. Thomas Cooper

[ 4 ] January 26, 2012
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Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

Reviewed by Shannon Hopkins

Do you ever feel as if the world around you is moving too quickly, that you are drowning in a constant stream of stimuli, that you have forgotten what it means to be you?

In Fast Media, Media Fast, Dr. Thomas Cooper discusses the increasing speed and saturation of media of all forms in the world, and establishes a framework for taking a “media fast” – for divorcing yourself temporarily from all of the outside noise in order to rediscover the individual within.

The book is divided into four parts: Part 1 discusses the how and why of a media fast; Part 2 is an indictment against fast media, charging that fast media damages every aspect of our physical, emotional, and environmental well-being; Part 3 highlights group fasting and cultural groups who are continuously separated from media; and Part 4 highlights the “Ultimate Choice” between speeding up and slowing down. This division is convenient for those who simply want to try a media fast, allowing consumption of only those sections that are relevant to their goals.

Cooper outlines several methods, potential purposes, and goals for those intent on a media fast. He also encourages personal observation of feelings and trends before, during, and after a fast, the better to evaluate the effects of the fast on one’s approach to consuming or creating media. Two appendices provide even more detail on the ways one can successfully fast.

While his perspectives are compelling, reading past Part 1 is difficult due to Cooper’s stream-of-consciousness writing style. Many points are reiterated, and there is little organization of his thoughts beyond the chapter headings. There are also several editorial issues: extra or missing words make sentences awkward; punctuation errors are jarring to one’s concentration; and in two separate chapters he misspells the names of different countries (Colombia and Kiribati, the latter being correctly spelled in the preceding and following paragraphs).

Cooper notes that “…I had originally intended this to be three books: one for the general public, one for teachers leading classes on media fasts, and a third for their students.” (p. 111); despite his justifications for consolidation, a two-or three-part book series would have made this a more coherent and enjoyable read. I will use Cooper’s suggestions for taking my own media fast, but otherwise Fast Media, Media Fast is merely another contributor to the media overload against which Cooper rails.

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Shannon lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her fianc é and a room full of books that she peruses when she isn’t trolling Apartment Therapy for new decorating ideas. In her free time she enjoys maintaining her blog, The Writer’s Closet, planning her wedding, and baking tasty gluten-free treats.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Newman Communications. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: For Men Only by Shaunti & Jeff Feldhahn

[ 3 ] January 21, 2012
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Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

For Men Only is a handy pocket guide into the minds of women. It follows the logic of how women think or behave at various times in their lives. The book shows men how to listen to women, instructs them on what not to say and gives tips on getting along with women in romantic relationships. The book also includes responses from female respondents who explain how they would feel in regard to various relationship issues.

For Men Only is grey-tabbed on the edges of the pages and separated into sections on sex, beauty, listening skills, security, emotion and reassurance. Each chapter has bullet points, examples, call-out quotes, truths about women, exceptions to the rules, quizzes for the reader, definitions and solutions to typical problems presented in relationships. It tells men what not to say in many emotional situations, and explains to men when they are missing the point with the women in their lives.

One section that I thought was incredibly sensitive and handled well was the one relating to the desire levels of men and women. Men’s level of desire is usually higher than women’s but interestingly, the authors point out that men use sex as a relief from the daily grind while women have to pull themselves out of the daily grind (taking care of the family, work obligations), in order to feel ready for being sexually assertive. Because women are typically caretakers in the family, they do have more distractions.

The authors of For Men Only truly see the women’s position in male and female relationships. I’d recommend this book to anyone over 21 years old who wants to know more about relationships in general.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Multnomah Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Shut Up & Dance! by Jamie Rose

[ 2 ] December 17, 2011
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Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

Tango lessons provide a backdrop to the rules of etiquette and other life lessons in Shut Up & Dance! by Jamie Rose. The book highlights life lessons learned in partner dances and shows the reader how to manage relationships – professional, romantic or otherwise.

Rose discusses her personal life and how she has embraced professional dancing as an important part of that life. She uses a glossary of terms, short quotes about the joys of dance, photos and funny stories about her own life to explain the power of dance to the reader. All the while, her childhood with famous show business parents is the true inspiration behind the story. Her parents worked hard but kept the most important priorities in sight: taking care of the family and meeting the needs of their children as best they could.

Rose is very honest through the book; her life lessons start with guiding the reader to self-love, then move to showing the reader how to find her inner goddess. She then goes on to describe how important it is to listen to your own heart, and to practice active listening in your life. Rose admits that she enjoys allowing men to take the lead on the dance floor and in her personal relationships. To this end I agree. If we are not allowing ourselves to live in the moment and enjoy the relationship, we get ahead of ourselves and risk ruining it with over-thinking what every gesture could mean. Dancing and tending to relationships should be instinctual and are best enjoyed when we let nature take its course.

Rose also explains how the best dancers in the world dance with intention. Dancing is an art, but it is also a conversation that one partner has with the other, and which both partners have with the audience. She says that even novice dancers can tap into this magic, if they allow themselves to let go and embrace the dance to its fullest measure. I have taken professional dance classes in the past and I was always amazed by how light on the feet the professional dancers were – it was as if they glided on air! Shut Up & Dance! gives the reader a glimpse into this special world.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Tarcher. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Meet to Marry by Bari Lyman

[ 2 ] December 14, 2011
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Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

Meet to Marry by Bari Lyman is a guidebook for anyone interested in changing the way he or she thinks about dating and eventually getting married. The Meet to Marry philosophy is one that approaches dating as a precursor to marriage and that encourages the daters to look for a deeper, lasting and more meaningful love while choosing their lifetime partner. Granted, finding a lifetime partner is probably the goal for most daters already, but they may waste valuable time dating around and dating the wrong type of person from the very start.

The steps in the Meet to Marry program are easy to follow. They include becoming your own best friend first, understanding your perfect type of relationship by evaluating your own emotional needs, choosing meaningful conversations with your partner , and creating your own dating plan of action. The book has a helpful Date to Marry Tip pull out, Readiness Quizzes, and a hypothetical question and answer section.

Of course, most people report getting that tingling feeling when they think they’ve met the right person. But it is possible to miss the subtle signs that someone you are dating is the right person if you don’t know what to look for in the first place.

By writing down your expectations and doing the work to find out your true needs and expectations, it is possible to put yourself in the best possible position for finding a more than suitable mate. Lyman even provides a section on how to teach other people to be a match maker for you. Dating is a lot less scary when the rules for success are written in a clear and concise manner, making it easy to understand and follow guidelines.

Most people assume that once they meet the “right” person it is the best time to get married. But it is critical to discuss the issues that are the most important to the couple. The core issues can be difficult to discuss outright, because it can make the couple uncomfortable to bring up these sensitive topics. However, without an agreement or understanding on these core issues in the early stages of the relationship, the couple may be on the road to certain failure.

Meet to Marry offers information on getting through the best and worst of dating times. Lyman gives advice which is appropriate for men and women and hope to anyone currently unattached that the right person is out there.

Rating: 5/5

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by HCI. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Dignity by Donna Hicks Ph.D

[ 4 ] December 10, 2011
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Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

Donna Hicks, Ph.D. is an expert on relationships and managing professional conflicts. She develops conflict resolution workshops around the world to show participants how to improve their relationships with each other by becoming more sensitive to the dignity of others.

In her book, Dignity, Hicks describes the essential elements of dignity, which show the readers how to honor it in themselves and in others. She then discusses the ways we inadvertently or intentionally violate the dignity of others. The last section of the book shows how to utilize the power of dignity to manage and improve relationships.

Hicks does an exemplary job of explaining how the concept of preserving dignity in ourselves and others shapes our lives. It is true that we will remember when someone else causes us to feel our dignity has been assaulted. At those times, when we feel the most vulnerable, we are most likely reacting to the response of someone else to us. These “dignity violations” are often at the heart of our conflicts with others. Hicks makes the case that we protect ourselves when we feel threatened, and we tend to lash out at others in an attempt to hurt the other person’s dignity. This never makes us feel better, but if we are not aware of our actions towards others, we can’t change our attitudes going forward.

I agree that it is important to make others feel included, and that validating the efforts of others is necessary for better professional and personal relationships. I also agree that we should take a deep breath before lashing out on someone who has wronged us. The avoidance of conflict preserves dignity on both sides.

Dignity is a good book for anyone interested in fostering positive relationships their professional and personal lives.

Rating: 5/5

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Newman Communications. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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