Overwhelmed: Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time

  Brigid Schulte, a journalist for the Washington Post and a wife and mother, has undertaken a comprehensive investigation of modern-day life and its dearth of leisure time. Primarily focusing on working parents, especially mothers, Schulte relies on a large quantity of studies and interviews with sociologists, neuroscientists and working parents to interpret how American society has arrived at this non-stop way of life. She also compares our work, nurturance and play habits with those from other cultures so that we can observe some of their more sensible ways to manage time.

  Schulte offers advice on how spouses can equally share responsibility for children and home through paid maternal and paternal child care leave, staggered work schedules, working from home, and more.

  Schulte finds that the American “ideal worker” myth and multitasking as a life ideal is keeping us from reaching our true potential. Only with meaningful “play” experiences can we expand our creative potential and make life worth living.

Enjoy Yourself When You Travel Locally

Even if you can’t afford the time or money to travel to different parts of the country or the world, there are lots of things to do when you go local. Here are some books to help you plan.

Day Trips from New York City: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler, written by Shandana A. Durrani, offers itineraries and recommendations for twenty-five trips in all directions from the city. Included are spooky Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, Gold Coast treasures of Long Island, Cape May and the wildwoods of New Jersey, coastal Greenwich and New Haven, Connecticut, and much more. Find out where to go, eat, shop, and stay (for overnighters).

Not the Met: Exploring the Smaller Museums of Manhattan, written by Janel Halpern and Harvey Appelbaum, explores the more than seventy-five museums located in all sections of Manhattan. Color photos of the museum buildings and some of their typical exhibits accompany the text detailing the collections and origins of each museum, along with location and transit directions, and hours and admission fees.

New York: a Mod Portrait of the City, written by Zdenek Mahler and illustrated by Vladimir Fuka, is a picture book for adults, originally published in 1964. Charming drawings and collages are accompanied by spirited, humorous text depicting the various sights and activities of Manhattan.

Food Lovers’ Guide to Long Island: the Best Restaurants, Markets and Local Culinary Offerings, is written by Peter M. Gianotti, a restaurant critic for Newsday. He presents descriptions and ratings of what he considers the best of Nassau and Suffolk counties’ restaurants including its foodie faves and landmarks, and specialty stores, markets and shops. Each chapter features a different town. Information on wineries and breweries also is given.

Help with Home Repair

How to Fix Absolutely Anything: a Homeowner’s Guide is edited by Nicole Smith.  Don’t want to spend your hard-earned money calling in expensive professionals to do basic home and other repairs? Learn to do them yourself: such jobs as installing a toilet, repairing a hole in the wall, mending a broken windshield, fixing a damaged zipper, and more.

Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update, and Show Your Home Some Love is written by Sherry and John Petersik. They are bloggers who have renovated two homes since 2007. In this book they present over 240 projects, tips and techniques for the reader’s use, no matter what their ability. Over 400 photos and other illustrations accompany the text.

How Your House Works: a Visual Guide to Understanding and Maintaining Your Home, Second Edition is written by Charles Wing. Complete illustrations assist the average homeowner in comprehending the typical home’s systems: including plumbing, wiring, heating, cooling, air quality, appliances, windows and doors and the foundation and frame.

The Complete Photo Guide to Coastal Maintenance: Adapt Your Home to the Coastal Environmental is written by Wayne Higson. Through the author’s experiences owning a home on the Atlantic Coast, he has been confronted by problems from salt-air and spray, humidity, wind-driven rain, nor’easters, tropical storms and hurricanes. He has found solutions, and products, that could reduce home maintenance and repair bills while protecting and maintaining the exterior and interior of the home, and offers these here to the reader.

Ultimate Guide: Home Repair and Improvement is a Creative Homeowner publication. Easy-to-understand text and an abundance of photos and illustrations assist the reader in completing over 300 projects dealing with masonry, plumbing, insulation, flooring, trimwork, siding, roofing, and windows.

 

 

May is Older Americans Month

Here are some current books to help make the best of your senior years.

Living Safely, Aging Well: a Guide to Preventing Injuries at Home is written by Dorothy A. Drago. As we age, we become more susceptible to accidents in the home and elsewhere. The author describes the hazards – falls, burns, poisoning, asphyxia and accidents (driving and others) and suggests ways to eliminate or minimize them.

Creating a Happy Retirement: a Workbook for Planning the Life You Want is written by Ronald W. Richardson. Not a book on how to manage retirement financially, the author instead presents exercises and forms to be completed to help the reader decide if he should retire, what activities and interests to pursue, and whether to relocate or stay put.

Learning to be Old: Gender, Culture, and Aging is written by Margaret Cruikshank. This new edition describes the social roles of the aged, and how experiences differ between elderly men and women and between the elderly in different socioeconomic groups. Current Information on the health care system also is given.

Reboot Your Brain: a Natural Approach to Fighting Memory Loss, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Brain Aging, and More is written by Gary Null. The author recommends a combination of diet, exercise, lifestyle modifications, and nutritional supplements to reestablish maximum mental health. The recommended diet is vegan and low-fat and also excludes refined sugar, alcohol, and caffeine.

A Guide to Elder Planning: Everything You Need to Know to Protect Your Loved Ones and Yourself is written by Steve Weisman. He is an eldercare attorney with his own nationally syndicated radio show on this topic. The book (second edition) reviews all of the financial, legal and personal issues faced by older people and their families. This includes power of attorney, estate planning, financial investments, alternative housing, long-term care, social security, and much more.

The Future of the Mind: the Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind

     Michio Kaku is a professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, author of several books about physics for the general reader, and host of a variety of television specials on scientific topics. In this book he writes about the human mind; including its past and present - how it developed as we evolved from the apes, what consciousness is – and what we can expect from the mind in the future.

     Some of the possibilities include what we thought only was possible in science fiction: telepathy, telekinesis, creating memories, and increasing intelligence. Then there are those dealing with altered consciousness: entering other people’s dreams, curing mental illnesses, developing silicon (robotic) minds, the possible design(s) of alien minds, uploading our minds to computers, the mind's evolution to being pure energy, and more.

     Work is ongoing to map all areas of the human brain; the first step towards all of these developments. Kaku’s enthusiasm and optimism is contagious, yet he isn’t afraid to address controversial topics. The narrative is written so as to be accessible to the lay reader.

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Develop your body and your mind, and maybe have fun, when you participate in National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. The following books can guide you.

8 Weeks to SEALFIT: a Navy SEAL’s Guide to Unconventional Training for Physical and Mental Toughness is written by Mark Divine, a retired Navy SEAL commander and current owner of SEALFIT Training Center in California. Divine has developed a program that blends Ashtanga Yoga, Navy SEAL regimens, CrossFit training, endurance sports and some forms of martial arts. He also emphasizes teamwork, mental and physical preparation, and proper nutrition practices.

Chris Powell’s Choose More, Lose More for Life is written by Chris Powell, a celebrity trainer from the first two seasons of the television show Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. Here he encourages the learner to go beyond the weight loss plateau by offering more than thirty new exercise routines (with photos), information on carb cycling, recipes, and more.

Body by Simone: the 8-Week Total Body Makeover Plan is written by Simone de la Rue, a former professional dancer and a personal trainer for many Hollywood celebrities. Her plan can be modified for all levels of ability; the exercises include those from Pilates, bar method, strength training, and cardio dance moves. Recommended is a beginning 7-day body cleanse developed by a holistic doctor; the recipes for its simple meals, juices and smoothies are included.

Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind-Body Makeover is written by Mandy Ingber, a fitness and wellness advisor for Hollywood celebrities. The book includes a 28-day plan to improve the reader’s physical and psychological health; it is a companion to her popular DVD Yogalosophy. Included are a number of workouts based on yoga and other exercise techniques, and several recipes for healthy meals.

Planning Your Next Getaway

     It’s time to start planning your next vacation – either for real or in your imagination. Here are some titles to help you make your plans.

     Fodor’s 2014 Walt Disney World gives you the latest scoop on Disney World, Universal Orlando, Sea World and Discovery Cove, The Space Coast, International Drive, and more. Descriptions, recommendations, color photos and maps make this the go-to resource for Orlando.

     Ears of Steel: the Real Man’s Guide to Walt Disney World, written by Bart Scott, gives a humorous take on the sights, sounds and tastes that are especially appealing to the adult male Walt Disney World visitor. You’ll find lots of humor here but no color photos or maps.

     Birnbaum Guides 2014 Disneyland Resort offers first-hand recommendations for the California Walt Disney destination. Visit both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, choose the best accommodations and meals for your pocketbook, and find out what other tourist attractions are in the area.

     Around the World in 500 Festivals: the World’s Most Spectacular Celebration, written by Steve Davey, presents the highlights of festivals worldwide. Arranged by continent/country and subject, each festival listing includes a brief description and date of occurrence. Large color photos accompany the text.

     Don’t settle for visiting tourist traps while on vacation. Get some ideas from Where the Locals Go: More than 300 Places around the World to Eat, Play, Shop, Celebrate, and Relax. Join the National Geographic Travel Team as they present tips and insider information, along with attractive color photos.

     Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Adventures from the World’s Leading Travel Authority offers the reader ideas for adventure vacations from around the world. With such chapter headings as “Mountain Quests”, “Most Excellent Equine Escapades”, “Eye-Catching Atmospheric Extravaganzas” and more, any one of these trips will make for a memorable experience.