Dr. Mütter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine


Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz - 2014
    This was the world of medicine when Thomas Dent Mütter began his trailblazing career as a plastic surgeon in Philadelphia during the middle of the nineteenth century.Although he died at just forty-eight, Mütter was an audacious medical innovator who pioneered the use of ether as anesthesia, the sterilization of surgical tools, and a compassion-based vision for helping the severely deformed, which clashed spectacularly with the sentiments of his time.   Brilliant, outspoken, and brazenly handsome, Mütter was flamboyant in every aspect of his life. He wore pink silk suits to perform surgery, added an umlaut to his last name just because he could, and amassed an immense collection of medical oddities that would later form the basis of Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum. Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz chronicles how Mütter’s efforts helped establish Philadelphia as a global mecca for medical innovation—despite intense resistance from his numerous rivals.

Go With Your Gut: How to Banish the Bloat Through Better Digestion


Robyn Youkilis - 2016
    This exciting new book will teach readers how to change their relationship with food and body by focusing on what our symptoms are telling us is going on physically. Each chapter includes a practice to reinforce the ideas learned, such as "Breathe," "Chew," "Eat," "Drink," "Shop," and "Shed." The book includes 75 delicious yet healthy recipes to help you on that path toward healthier digestion and you will lose weight and banish the bloat too."

The Vegiterranean Diet: Indulge in Your Favorite Mediterranean Cuisine for Optimal Health and Weight Loss


Julieanna Hever - 2014
    But scientific research has found that animal products—including seafood, poultry, eggs, and dairy (which are all a part of the traditional Mediterranean diet)—are associated with excess weight, chronic disease,and ecological degradation.Now, registered dietitian and plant-based expert Julieanna Hever transforms the Mediterranean diet into the “Vegiterranean” diet with whole-plant foods that more effectively promote long-term health and weight management than the common Mediterranean meal plan. With Vegiterranean meal basics, nutritional concerns, flexible menus, and more than forty easy, delicious recipes, you’ll reap the benefits of the most researched and beloved diet—made even healthier.

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal


Mary Roach - 2013
    The alimentary canal is classic Mary Roach terrain: the questions explored in Gulp are as taboo, in their way, as the cadavers in Stiff and every bit as surreal as the universe of zero gravity explored in Packing for Mars. Why is crunchy food so appealing? Why is it so hard to find words for flavors and smells? Why doesn’t the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts? Can constipation kill you? Did it kill Elvis? In Gulp we meet scientists who tackle the questions no one else thinks of—or has the courage to ask. We go on location to a pet-food taste-test lab, a fecal transplant, and into a live stomach to observe the fate of a meal. With Roach at our side, we travel the world, meeting murderers and mad scientists, Eskimos and exorcists (who have occasionally administered holy water rectally), rabbis and terrorists—who, it turns out, for practical reasons do not conceal bombs in their digestive tracts.Like all of Roach’s books, Gulp is as much about human beings as it is about human bodies.

Almost Everything: Notes on Hope


Anne Lamott - 2018
    Despair and uncertainty surround us: in the news, in our families, and in ourselves. But even when life is at its bleakest--when we are, as she puts it, "doomed, stunned, exhausted, and over-caffeinated"--the seeds of rejuvenation are at hand. "All truth is paradox," Lamott writes, "and this turns out to be a reason for hope. If you arrive at a place in life that is miserable, it will change." That is the time when we must pledge not to give up but "to do what Wendell Berry wrote: 'Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts.'"In this profound and funny book, Lamott calls for each of us to rediscover the nuggets of hope and wisdom that are buried within us that can make life sweeter than we ever imagined. Divided into short chapters that explore life's essential truths, Almost Everything pinpoints these moments of insight as it shines an encouraging light forward.

Vegan Casseroles: Pasta Bakes, Gratins, Pot Pies, and More


Julie Hasson - 2014
    But giving up shepherd's pie, eggplant parm, and cheesy rice casserole was not an option for Julie Hasson, who took on the challenge to recreate flavors she loved, but without the cheese, eggs, butter, and cholesterol. The results are a mix of retro flavors, such as Nacho Cheesy Sauce and a lighter Cream of Mushroom Soup, and fresh, veggie-forward dishes like Mediterranean Stuffed Cabbage Rolls and Summer Corn Custard. The recipes come together quickly, focus on healthier substitutions without the tans-fats, and are endorsed by some of the toughest critics, Julie's college-aged children and their visiting friends! With recipes like Zucchini Basil Lasagna and Tamale Pie, you're guaranteed to find a casserole you'll love. You can even make your own casserole creations by pairing any of the super-simple sauces with your favorite veggies and rice or pasta. Of course, desserts are an important cap to any casserole-based meal: satisfy your sweet tooth with dishes like Rustic Bread Pudding. Now: dig in and feel good about it!

Pure Vegan: 70 Recipes for Beautiful Meals and Clean Living


Joseph Shuldiner - 2012
    The only vegan cookbook that celebrates eating and enjoyment rather than emphasizing the politics of a vegan lifestyle, this beautiful compilation features novel, vivacious recipes. Yes, they re non-meat-egg-dairy, and they re fabulous! Pure ingredients and unique combinations appeal to meat lovers and committed vegans alike. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks are represented, and a special chapter is dedicated to late-night indulgences such as chocolate truffles and herbal cocktails. Seventy-five gorgeous pictures round out this fetching package.

Humans of New York: Stories


Brandon Stanton - 2015
    The photos he took and the accompanying interviews became the blog Humans of New York. In the first three years, his audience steadily grew from a few hundred to over one million. In 2013, his book Humans of New York, based on that blog, was published and immediately catapulted to the top of the NY Times Bestseller List. It has appeared on that list for over twenty-five weeks to date. The appeal of HONY has been so great that in the course of the next year Brandon's following increased tenfold to, now, over 12 million followers on Facebook. In the summer of 2014, the UN chose him to travel around the world on a goodwill mission that had followers meeting people from Iraq to Ukraine to Mexico City via the photos he took.Now, Brandon is back with the follow up to Humans of New York that his loyal followers have been waiting for: Humans of New York: Stories. Ever since Brandon began interviewing people on the streets of NY, the dialogue he's had with them has increasingly become as in-depth, intriguing, and moving as the photos themselves. Humans of New York: Stories presents a whole new group of humans, complete with stories that delve deeper and surprise with greater candour.