Disconnect by Devra Davis

Reviewed by Fran Maclure

“There is a disconnect between the way that cell phones tie us all together and what these revolutionary tools can do to our bodies as they press up against our ears every day”. Thus starts Devra Davis’ first explanation of what kinds of disconnects exist and the hidden dangers of frequent and long-term cell phone use. In this intriguing and compelling read, she uncovers the secret history of buried past studies on the dangers of cell phone radiation and compares them with the benign reputation these ‘slick’ gadgets have today. [...read more]

The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Women’s Health by Sat Dharam Kaur, N.D.

Reviewed by Lindsay Gladkowski

This helpful book functions as a mindful guide to nurturing our minds and bodies to the cyclical nature of our health and all of its natural turns and twists. It is constantly flying off my bookshelf to share insight with friends and family who are motivated to learn more about their own health. It is perfect for individuals at each and every life stage as it is a reminder to take every life stage in stride and to see our health in continuous cycles. [...read more]

Living Downstream: An Ecologist’s Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment, by Sandra Steingraber

Reviewed by Marie Lorenzo

I loved reading this book. I have to admit a penchant, as I am a popular science writing junkie and would ask for the latest Stephen J. Gould for birthdays. And as is often said about her, this woman can write science really well. Of course, she is, after all, also a poet. Nonetheless, impressively, Steingraber seems to know exactly the right moment to pause the science to inject the passion, and the personal.
Because after all, as she strains to remind us, what statistics never reveal is that the experience of cancer, and all disease, is at bottom inescapably personal. [...read more]

The Alchemist, by Paul Coelho

Reviewed by Manisha Pahwa

Widely translated and read worldwide, Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist tells a powerful story about a young Spanish shepherd named Santiago who embarks upon a journey to realize his dream of finding treasure at the pyramids in Egypt. Beginning on the cold ground at a ruined church in Spain with his flock of sixty sheep, Santiago starts his quest upon meeting a gypsy fortune teller and a mysterious and wise king. [...read more]

Organic Housekeeping, by Ellen Sandbeck

Reviewed by Marcia Wallace

This is the book that got me to throw out all the household toxins in my home. For years I was getting increasingly concerned about the environmental causes of health problems, but felt paralyzed to act. I decided to do something within my own home – surely I could make a few modest changes that would make a difference? And it started by changing the definition of clean I had grown up with. As Ellen writes: “There is no such thing as cleaner than clean. A clean surface is just the surface, with nothing else on it; a lingering fragrance, no matter how sweet and pleasant, signals that a chemical has been left behind.” [...read more]

Slow Death by Rubber Duck, by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie

Reviewed by Naomi Higenbottam

Do you ever wonder how the toxic chemicals found in products we use in our daily lives affect our health? In this eye opening book, authors Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie spend 4 days ingesting and inhaling countless chemicals to help answer that question.

Slow Death by Rubber Duck takes a look at the toxic chemicals that we allow into our environment and how they are polluting people from all walks of life. [...read more]

Not Just a Pretty Face – The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, by Stacy Malkan

Reviewed By Fran Maclure

The Compact for Safe Cosmetics has been around for a few years now, writes author Stacy Malkan. This voluntary Compact simply asks cosmetic and personal care product companies to sign a pledge to replace hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives within a span of three years. [...read more]