The White House Doctor

Connie Mariano’s book The White House Doctor: My Patients Were Presidents is an easy, interesting read. Mariano writes candidly about her time working in the white house under both the Bush Sr. and Clinton administrations, sharing anecdotal incidents and the path she took to get to her position.

Generally, I was pleased with Mariano’s writing; her stories were engaging, and she wrote them with a storyteller’s – rather than an academic’s – tone. She delicately wrote about the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, neither ignoring nor sensationalizing it. Though I would’ve like the book to have a more chronological organization (Mariano sorted chapters by subject matter rather than time), I didn’t find it difficult to follow. Also, the pictures in The White House Doctor were printed throughout the book, rather than in a middle insert like they are in most books. Though this is a small touch, I found it to be infinitely better; while looking at the pictures, I knew their context.

In her book, Mariano lightly touches on the stresses her job put on her family life. Though this was interesting, it fit awkwardly into the book. I don’t think it should’ve been removed, but perhaps it could’ve been better distributed over the book (it was all in the last two chapters).

I don’t have much else to say about The White House Doctor. If it sounds like the kind of book you might like, it’s worth reading; if it doesn’t, I wouldn’t recommend it to you. With that in mind, it gets a 3/5.

Watch Jon Stewart’s interview with Connie Mariano

Buy the book.

Additionally, I'd like to thank Kate who keeps up a list of the books and movies from The Daily Show at www.squidoo.com. (Here is a link to her list, which is a lot prettier than the one I update). I've used Kate's list a lot this year, particularly when I've had to miss a week of shows due to vacation (or when I forget to update my own list). Plus, Kate was kind enough to post a link to this blog on her page! So thanks, Kate!

Within Our Reach

Rosalynn Carter’s latest book, Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis is an easy one to get through. It’s not long, the print is big, the spacing is wide, and it is incredibly clear. However, it also reads like a high school term paper (albeit a very well written one).

Within our Reach is separated into eight chapters, each dealing with a specific topic within the mental health field, such as the stigma associated with mental illnesses and children with mental disorders. Each chapter is further divided into multiple subsections, and it is this fragmentation, combined with the “list-several-statistics-and-then-an-example” formula, that made me think of term papers.

Carter (along with her co-authors Susan K. Golant and Kathryn E. Cade) succeeds in relating the problems associated with America’s perception and handling of those with mental illnesses. However, it does not give a good indication of what the reader can do to help solve the problem. I can see how Within Our Reach could help to change the opinion of someone prejudiced against those with mental illnesses, but it seems unlikely that those people would pick up this book.

I give Within Our Reach a 3/5. Though I would’ve liked more from the book as far as solutions go, it does an adequate job of educating its readers.

Watch Jon Stewart’s interview with Rosalynn Carter

Buy the Book.

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted, and I’m sorry about that. I’ve been in a bit of a rut as far as the Daily Shill goes. It’s been difficult for me to focus my reading solely on the books I need to review for this blog.

I have a wonderful job working at the circulation desk at the Chelsea District Library, where I see hundreds (maybe thousands? I have a terrible concept of numbers) of books each day as they are checked out and returned. When I check in books, I am tempted to take many of them home and read them myself. Though I’ve done a decent job of resisting, it’s not a 100% success rate. And so my reviews have been coming in a little slower, but I promise to get back on track this month.

My Footprint

In his book My Footprint, Jeff Garlin, best known for his role in HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, set a goal for himself: to lose weight and get healthier while also becoming more ecologically responsible. In other words, Garlin attempts to lower both his physical footprint and his carbon footprint (Holy double meaning, Batman!). Garlin chronicles his efforts in diary form, stretching from the end of August to the middle of July.

I wouldn’t call My Footprint an intellectual or inspirational read, but boy was it a fun one. I found myself “cheating on” The Quants and picking up My Footprint whenever I needed a break. Garlin is a funny guy, and it carries over into his writing. Even though I don’t have an eating addiction like Garlin, I found him relatable and cheered for him throughout the entire book.

When many famous people write books, it is clear that they allowed someone else to do a majority of the writing. That is not the case with My Footprint. Garlin writes in a natural way, and the book reads like a conversation rather than a lecture.

I give My Footprint a 4/5. It’s an enjoyable, quick read, and I definitely recommend it. If I have one complaint, it’s that I would have liked to hear a little more about the ecological side of Garlin’s goal. Towards the end of the book, the two subjects even out nicely, but the first half focuses almost entirely on the health aspect of the goal.

Watch Jon Stewart's interview with Jeff Garlin (seriously, this interview is one to watch. It's worth it just for Garlin's hilarious laugh).

Buy the Book

Food Rules Rules!

Let me apologize for that terrible pun. But I loved the book.

When Jon Stewart said reading Michael Pollan's Food Rules would take less than an hour, he wasn't lying. Even if you don't read it in one sitting, though, it won't take long to get through. Pollan boils his book down to seven words "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants," and he has written 64 rules relating to this idea. Because Food Rules is broken into these rules, with no more than a few paragraphs describing each one, you can pick up the book for just a few minutes and get something from it. I actually read most of Food Rules in pieces during the lulls at work while my computer was thinking.

And I loved Food Rules for more than its brevity. Pollan writes well, but in an almost casual tone that everyday readers can latch onto. And the book is interesting! (Something I wish I could say about John Yoo's Crisis in Command, the book I took a break from to read Food Rules). The rules are straightforward, not preachy or laden with guilt. Do I think I'll follow them all? Certainly not. I can't afford to buy only natural/local foods, and even though I know it's bad for me, I love my sugar. But will I think about them and follow some of them? You bet. I'm going to start reading ingredient lists and try to buy products that follow rule #7 "Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce."

All-in-all, I would recommend Food Rules to anybody. I'm actually going to give it a 5/5 because I don't have any complaints. Way to go, Mr. Pollan.

Watch Jon Stewart's interview with Michael Pollan

Buy the Book

In other news, this should be a good week for Daily Shill posts. Crazy Heart (the movie Maggie Gyllenhaal came on the show to promote) has finally come to Kalamazoo; I'm going to see it tomorrow night. And, as I said earlier, I am currently reading Crisis in Command, which I sure hope I'll finish soon.