I don't know how I have read this book twice and rated it without ever giving it a review. So here goes:
Let me start by saying that I have not eaten fI don't know how I have read this book twice and rated it without ever giving it a review. So here goes:
Let me start by saying that I have not eaten fast food in the last thirty years. Not McDonald's, not Burger King, not Wendy's, etc. The reasons are many, but none of them because of this book. I made a conscious effort not to partake in the fast food industry before ever reading Chew On This. The main reason I made this choice was because of waste, the yearly usage and dumping of tons of Styrofoam, whether in a trash site or on the side of American highways. The second reason I stopped was this: Way back in 1981, during a trip following my high school graduation, my friends and I stopped at a McDonald's drive-thru to eat in the car on our way to the beach. I ate my burger and fries, but left my ice cream Sundae sitting in its cup on the wide flat dashboard. A few hours later, we arrived at our beach motel. We cleaned out the car, and when I went to throw away the sundae, it was still cold and in-tact. It had sat on that dashboard under the sun for hours. At the time, I thought it was funny. But years later, when I found out that the ice cream was made of polypropylene glycol (think antifreeze), I made a vow never to eat fast food again. (Many food companies use this to prevent ice crystals from forming, but I do my best to stay away from those products, even outside of fast-food chains.)
Chew On This is all about the fast-food industry. While it was written back in 2006, and some of the industry has changed (some for better, some for worse) this book is one I've used as a private tutor with middle and high school students, mainly so they understand where the fast food they love comes from. It also discusses how young people are at the crux of their marketing, as well as their hiring.
All of my students have loved this book. It is written in a way that is understandable and entertaining, but beware: It can get graphic at times, including a photo or two. From the history of the hamburger, to the way a chicken nugget is made, to how McDonald's has revolutionized our eating habits, this book is one that has stayed with me long after reading. The LA Times called the book "eye-opening" and I have to agree one hundred percent.
If you are looking to enlighten one area of your life or your child's life regarding diet, this book may be the one that helps you reach some healthier goals. If anything, it will offer some insight into one of the largest and wealthiest industries in the world.
I believe there are two versions of Chew On This, one for adults and one for younger readers. I used the latter....more
Had to read this one with my 10th grade students...handed out by their English teacher. Amazing writing as far as the individual sentences themselves, Had to read this one with my 10th grade students...handed out by their English teacher. Amazing writing as far as the individual sentences themselves, quite literary, much to the chagrin of my students! It was difficult to follow, even for this seasoned reader, due to the jumping around of time/characters. I would have to re-read some of the chapter beginnings to keep up with the where and the when. But the story as a whole was a new experience for me, as I knew nearly nothing about Trujillo and his dictatorship, nor of the truth behind the book: the killings of the protagonists, sweet sisters who did nothing more than live in a beautiful place at the wrong time. The themes of male power and political divine right, among others, really do hit home. Just don't be in a hurry to read this book. You sort of have to take it in bits, then the denouement at the end is that much more intense. A heavy read, but an important one....more
An interesting guide to survival if you feel there is a reason to have one. I did enjoy the book, though I skipped over the parts that didn't interestAn interesting guide to survival if you feel there is a reason to have one. I did enjoy the book, though I skipped over the parts that didn't interest me, like how to melt down metals, or weave cloth. But I loved the parts about agriculture, electricity, and medicine. Lewis Dartnell definitely did his research, and his explanations of EVERYTHING are easy for the average person to understand. I think instead of the book, I'd want the author himself close at hand should our world suffer a cataclysmic event! ...more
Wow. Pretty edgy for a Young Adult, but then, some teens are edgy. The writing was awesome, and the collaboration between the two authors seamless. A Wow. Pretty edgy for a Young Adult, but then, some teens are edgy. The writing was awesome, and the collaboration between the two authors seamless. A sad and funny story of trying to fit in, figure things out, and understand what love is all about. The musical is a nice backdrop to a very honest plot. If you read Green's EVERYDAY, you will feel right at home with this one!...more
Mosh it Up is the journey of a self-destructive young woman named Boop who must admit to herself, no matter how difficult, that she deserves a better Mosh it Up is the journey of a self-destructive young woman named Boop who must admit to herself, no matter how difficult, that she deserves a better life. We follow her through trials and tribulations, from witnessing the slow death of a neighbor, to promoting a punk band that offers talent but lacks enthusiasm, to coming to terms with her hellish past.
This book is not only told in first-person prose, it is written in the present tense, turning reader into friend, holding Boop’s hair as she throws up over the edge of her personal roller coaster. The short chapters are treated as separate entities, allowing each to sit alone, one in screenplay form, another in short story, still another from an outsider’s viewpoint; strung together, the chapters create a cohesive and beautiful narrative of tenacity and inner strength.
If I may be so bold, I would compare Ruby Mindela’s voice to the infamous Jack Kerouac’s, only with way less meandering to get a point across! But the same undercurrents are exposed: of trying to get a grip; of hoping that something better is just around the bend; of allowing music to be our muse, without merely using it to shut out the noise that masks our pain. By the story’s end, Boop discovers that while we are all products of our environment, once we surrender to friendship, honesty, love, and kindness, it is possible to rise from the ashes. ...more
When a little girl is allegedly killed by Benito Mussolini’s speeding automobile, a small Italian town is shaken to its core. From a newly married couWhen a little girl is allegedly killed by Benito Mussolini’s speeding automobile, a small Italian town is shaken to its core. From a newly married couple, to a Jewish prisoner, to a machismo wife-hitting husband, the reader is rapidly drawn into a complex web of deceit, fear, guilt, and Il Duce devotion.
In Giuseppe Tornatore style (writer/director of Cinema Paradiso), The Incident at Montebello is set against the backdrop of fascism and the ever-present volcano Vesuvius. But this book is not only about politics, though this is the catalyst; it is more about the price that some choose to pay--and others are forced to pay--in order to keep peace within their town, their families and their hearts.
P. A. Moed does a stellar job of blending fact with fiction, taking the reader on an historic journey to a time when familial devotion was something that had to be continuously proven, and political unrest ran through the veins like blood.
Read the book. Allow yourself to become immersed in 1930’s Italian culture. When you are through, be prepared: the overwhelming desire to go back in time and make sense of the things that happened may surprise you. ...more
Celie O'Rourke has found what she believes to be her true calling. But at what cost?
The 1960's play an important backdrop as Celie moves through the sCelie O'Rourke has found what she believes to be her true calling. But at what cost?
The 1960's play an important backdrop as Celie moves through the strict and papal rules of the Augustinian Order where she has made her vows with Christ. And Celie is a superior nun. She is respected by the other Sisters. She is awe-inspiring to the children she teaches. She offers advice to those in need while quelling her own uncertainties.
But things aren't what they seem, as Celie soon discovers. A handsome stranger, a manipulative nun, and a disjointed family life soon come to the surface, each pulling at her heart in an emotional game of tug-of-war.
Celie will have to make choices she never imagined...choices that will change her life forever.
In this down-to-earth novel that reads like a memoir, Katherine Sartori does an amazing job bringing the reader into a young nun's world. With lyrical imagery, and poems that the author wrote herself, Celie comes to life on every page. We laugh and cry with her, and pray that she overcomes the many obstacles set before her; that she will, indeed, find her true calling. ...more
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