The Energy Guide
Dr Libby Weaver
Macmillan
$39.99
Reviewed by Esha Chanda
Weight has often been set as a benchmark to determine the health of an individual in the
Western word. But Dr Libby Weaver argues that when otherwise healthy people complain of being exhausted, it's time to listen to what the body is saying.
More and more of the younger lot find they are low on energy and write it off as 'getting old'. Dr Libby, on the other hand, says the problem does not lie in our age but in the way we lead our lives.
Stress and everyday monotony leaves us physically, mentally, and/or emotionally exhausted, which contributes to low levels of energy.
In her 10th book, the internationally acclaimed nutritional biochemist, author, and speaker talks about what she calls her 'three pillars' of health and wellbeing.
In the first part of the book, she tackles the question of how to get energy back by explaining the importance of eating and sleeping well, and how movement plays an important role in promoting energy.
The second part of the book features more than 100 recipes crafted from wholefood ingredients.
Food to Make you Glow
Lola Berry
Macmillan
$39.99
Reviewed by Esha Chanda
Wellness is a buzzword that has been doing the rounds for quite some time. As more and more people jump on the healthy bandwagon, the study of what works and what doesn't for your mind and body gets more niche every day.
In her latest book, nutritionist Lola Berry shares key wholefoods that target specific health goals: happiness, energy, beauty, immunity, calming, and weight loss and detox. Packed with 90 recipes and her recommendations for the best herbal teas, exercises, lifestyle tips, and activities, the book has been tailored to suit the health goal you seek.
Each chapter starts off with hero ingredients, followed by a set plan that you may or may not choose to follow, cheat sheets (because we all need one), and her tips on what exercises and activities would best suit the health goal.
The recipes that follow are easy to understand, with information on whether it is suitable for different dietary requirements (think: dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, vegan, and vegetarian), and some also feature a side tip from the author.
Homegrown Kitchen
Nicola Galloway
Potton & Burton
$49.99
Reviewed by Esha Chanda
For 18 years, Nicola Galloway has been studying, researching, and teaching others to cook and eat well; Homegrown Kitchen is a culmination of the years she spent refining the art.
Nicola draws her inspiration from her garden and local seasonal produce. While not many of us would be as lucky as her to live in an area with a wide range of vegetables and fruits growing in the backyard, Nicola says the underlying message of the cookbook is to know where the food on your table comes from—whether it's your backyard, a local grower, a small-batch producer, or an ethical overseas manufacturer.
A good part of the cookbook is dedicated to maintaining a well-stocked pantry and the essential kitchen equipment required. This is followed by a detailed section on kitchen essentials and preserving and fermentation basics before Nicola launches into her recipes.
A beautifully designed and compiled book, Homegrown Kitchen can serve as a guide
and inspiration for both, beginners and experts.
Be in to win this book. Enter the MCD competition online here.
New Zealand's Great White Sharks
Alison Ballance
Potton & Burton
$29.99
Reviewed by Esha Chanda
In her latest book, Alison Ballance tracks the Great White Shark Project and takes her readers out on a research boat to experience the thrill of encountering and tagging the great whites.
The project began in Chatham Islands, and through electronic PAT tags, the team found out where the sharks had travelled. Their initial findings revealed that New Zealand white sharks cross the borders to enter international waters and spend a lot of time in the tropical warm water. This revelation led to a series of questions:
how long did the sharks stay in the tropics?
Did they return to the Chathams? And to get answers meant more shark tagging, which led the team to Stewart Island.
In the pages that follow, Alison familiarises readers with the different facts about these great whites (did you know sharks had unique marks that are the shark equivalent of a human fingerprint?), introduces them to the sharks the team tagged, what they eat, how to determine their age, and where you can find them across the world.
Yet there are unsolved puzzle pieces, and maybe we would have to wait for another book to find out more. But till then, take a deep breath and dive deep.
Jack Reacher – No Middle Name
Lee Child
Penguin Random House
$37
Reviewed by Steve Atkinson
This selection of short stories will satisfy anyone with an interest in the exploits of Jack Reacher, and for those not-so-diehard fans, it should fill in some gaps in the character's somewhat chequered past.
Most of the stories are very readable and being delivered in a concise and easy-to-read format, certainly brings out the best in the author's ability to deliver a blow by blow account, which is especially helpful when Reacher gets himself in a tense situation, being the walking trouble magnet that he is.
Although, to be honest, I can't quite get my head around why oh why they selected Tom Cruise who stands a mere1.7 metres tall to play the moving picture Reacher, when clearly the main man himself is always described as being at least half a metre taller.
It's almost enough to make a person think it is all make-believe.
Waiheke Island: A World of Wine
Clara Dunleavy
Beatnik Publishing
$59.95
Reviewed by Esha Chanda
Waiheke Island is known for producing world-class wine, but it didn't start off this way. There is a story behind each bottle of wine that you pour into your glass. And these stories feature an inspiring bunch of people, who planted vineyards, worked hard, and transformed this island into a place that would be known to produce some of the best wines in the world.
In Waiheke Island: A World of Wine, Clare Dunleavy speaks to 28 winemakers and shares their stories, including that of her brother, Paul, who established a vineyard to produce a Bordeaux-style wine, which he had grown to love.
The coffee table book also introduces the readers to the 'godparents of wine'—Kim and Jeanette Goldwater of the Goldwater Estate—and Stephen White from Stonyridge. We come across the pioneers, the risk-takers, the inventors, and the connoisseurs.
Clare's writing is beautifully complemented by the portraits from the late Marti Friedlander.
It's a great addition to any wine lover's collection.
