Kindle Edition: Life In Miniature – A Novel by Linda Schlossberg

On December 31, 2010, in Amazon Kindle, by Wilfried F. Voss

There are books out there on library shelves that make you laugh, make you cry, take you on the adventure of a lifetime, scare you to death, and educate you on all aspects of history. There are only a small few, however, that make you truly stop and think; think about the issues that face people in their hectic, anxiety-ridden lives, and how all the pain and angst that’s building every day in this world affects the children who have to watch things – including their own family – fall apart around them. This is one of those stories.

The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf

On December 31, 2010, in Book Reviews, by Wilfried F. Voss

They say the worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. The Paleo Solution’s value is far reaching for the knowledge that it offers. Robb has taken a unique approach to health and lifestyle that will help countless people.

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes

On December 31, 2010, in Book Reviews, by Wilfried F. Voss

In his New York Times best seller, Good Calories, Bad Calories, Taubes argued that our diet’s overemphasis on certain kinds of carbohydrates—not fats and not simply excess calories—has led directly to the obesity epidemic we face today. The result of thorough research, keen insight, and unassailable common sense, Good Calories, Bad Calories immediately stirred controversy and acclaim among academics, journalists, and writers alike. Michael Pollan heralded it as “a vitally important book, destined to change the way we think about food.”

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health

On December 31, 2010, in Book Reviews, by Wilfried F. Voss

Noted science journalist Taubes probes the state of what is currently known and what is simply conjectured about the relationship among nutrition, weight loss, health, and disease. What Taubes discovers is that much of what passes for irrefutable scientific knowledge is in fact supposition and that many reputable scientists doubt the validity of nutritional advice currently promoted by the government and public health industry.

We Have Met the Enemy: Self-Control in an Age of Excess by Daniel Akst

On December 31, 2010, in Book Reviews, by Wilfried F. Voss

In a book full of startling facts, this might be the most startling: of the 2.5 million deaths in the U.S. annually, “something approaching half could be prevented . . . if people simply managed to lead healthier lives.” But this isn’t a book about living a healthier lifestyle. It’s an exploration of “the challenge of moderation in the face of freedom and affluence.” The weapons of mass consumption, Akst calls them, are everywhere.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

On December 30, 2010, in Children's Literature, by Wilfried F. Voss

One couldn’t select a more delightful and exciting premise for a children’s book than the tale of a young boy lying awake on Christmas Eve only to have Santa Claus sweep by and take him on a trip with other children to the North Pole. And one couldn’t ask for a more talented artist and writer to tell the story than Chris Van Allsburg. Allsburg, a sculptor who entered the genre nonchalantly when he created a children’s book as a diversion from his sculpting, won the 1986 Caldecott Medal for this book, one of several award winners he’s produced. The Polar Express rings with vitality and wonder.

Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May)

On December 30, 2010, in Children's Literature, by Wilfried F. Voss

It’s holiday time, and Room One is doing lots of fun things to celebrate. Like making elf costumes! And singing joyful songs! Only, how can Junie B. enjoy the festivities when Tattletale May keeps ruining her holiday glee? And here is the worst part of all! When everyone picks names for Secret Santa, Junie B. gets stuck with Tattletale you-know-who! It’s enough to fizzle your holiday spirit! Hmm . . . or is it? Maybe, just maybe, a Secret Santa gift is the perfect opportunity to give May exactly what she deserves.

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson

On December 30, 2010, in Young Adult Literature, by Wilfried F. Voss

Fifteen-year-old Wisty and her 18-year-old brother Whit are awoken one night by troops from the newly elected N.O. (New Order) regime. The siblings are chained, tossed into a prison, and accused of being a witch and wizard—a charge that seems preposterous until Wisty envelops her body in flames and is no worse for wear. With the help of Whit’s dead girlfriend (who exists in a limbo known as the Shadowland), the teens escape to a bombed-out department store where a teen resistance movement fights the dastardly N.O. Wisty and Whit are standard-issue teen smart alecks, the baddies are stock villains who use phrases like “dangerous fiends,” and the meandering plot seems to make up the rules as it goes along.

Witch & Wizard: The Gift by James Patterson

On December 30, 2010, in Young Adult Literature, by Wilfried F. Voss

When Whit & Wisty were imprisoned by the wicked forces of the totalitarian regime known as the New Order, they were barely able to escape with their lives. Now part of a hidden community of teens like themselves, Whit and Wisty have established themselves as leaders of the Resistance, willing to sacrifice anything to save kids kidnapped and brutally imprisoned by the New Order.

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

On December 30, 2010, in Book Reviews, by Wilfried F. Voss

Police work has always included an element of an arms race between criminals trying to outwit authorities and get away with a crime and police trying to prevent this from happening. This battle of wits is especially true in the case of murder. Science in the latter part of the 1800′s had exponentially added to the store of chemicals whose use could prove to be fatal to humans. Science was great at finding all sorts of new elements and chemical compounds.