Revew: 'Women Heroes of the American Revolution' by Susan Casey

Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue by Susan Casey, 2015, Chicago Review Press, $19.95, hardbound, 226 pages. Cover: not bad. Category/Genre: history. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.

This is a good book if you like history. It's put together from diaries, journals, letters, historians, writers of the time, and accounts by soldiers or families; some of the letters and other documents are included in the book along with Casey's narrative.

It isn't entirely clear whether all the stories are true or not – Casey says that separating fact from fiction or exaggeration was one of the hardest parts about writing the book – but she does tell you if the story is in question, and she offers information at the end of each tale as to where to go if you want to learn more.

There are some interesting stories in here: that of Phillis Wheatley, a slave who published a book of her own poetry that was about and for America; Lydia Darragh's spy ring (although her husband and sons played as big a role as she did); and Grace and Rachel Martin, who prevented papers from being delivered to British officers by pretending to be militiamen, are a few.

This book is part of the Women of Action series, a biography series that 'introduces young adults to women and girls of courage and conviction throughout the ages.'

 

If you like this one, try: Behind Every Great Man, by Marlene Wagman-Geller.


Susan Casey is an author, teacher, public speaker, and journalist. You can find out more about her and her books at: www.susancaseybooks.com. She has two Facebook pages for her books: Kids Inventing! and Women Invent!

Review: 'The Whartons' Strength Book' by Jim and Phil Wharton

The Whartons' Strength Book by Jim and Phil Wharton, 1999, Three Rivers Press, $15.00, softbound, 258 pages. Cover: okay. Category/Genre: exercise/health. Where we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble.

This book uses the Wharton father and son team's Active-Isolated Strength Training to help you get the most out of your workout, whether you want to tone up, lose weight, regain lost vitality, or build muscles. 

The book is designed to help you create a workout tailored to your needs. Part I offers tips, cautions, clothing and equipment advice, terminology, and encouragement. 

Part II catalogs 35 exercises, which have been organised to coordinate with five body zones. 

Part III allows you to select your sports/occupation and plug that into your workout. For example, you'll want a different workout if you regularly play cricket or rock climb than if you're stuck behind a desk all day. 

Diet, performance, incentives, and rewards are tackled in Part IV, and there's even a special section on older athletes. 

The Whartons say that a good general-base strengthening programme has three distinct phases (they refer to it as BAMMING an athlete): 

B. Building muscular strength (at least a month to get started). 

A. Attaining proficiency and musculoskeletal balance (at least six months, although they say you'll see results more quickly than that). 

M. Maintaining structural integrity (for life). 

They explain how to slim down and tone up, and how to sculpt and bulk up. They explain how to properly manage a weight, a rep, and a set, and offer a word on training for a specific sport. 

There's a lot more to this book, and it all looks pretty handy. If you're looking to make your workout a better one, or if you're looking to incorporate workouts into your schedule, you might want to check out this book. 

If you like this one, try: Suggestions? 

For more information about the Whartons' method, go to: Wharton Health.

Review: 'Almost Everyone's Guide to Science' by John Gribbin with Mary Gribbin

Almost Everyone's Guide to Science by John Gribbin with Mary Gribbin, 1999, Yale University Press, $11.40, hardbound, 232 pages. Cover: pretty good. Category/Genre: reference. Where we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.

If you're interested in the various aspects of science but are intimidated by technical detail, this might be the book for you. It covers physics, chemistry, earth sciences, and biology, but it's an overview for the layman.

You'll get a look at some of the major contributors of scientific research and development, and you'll learn not only how atoms are put together and how gravity is actually a rather weak force, but also how the great and the small are interconnected. Gribbins touches on particles and fields, DNA, evolution, the Earth, the Sun, and the lives of stars.

You have to really enjoy science to get through this book, not just have a passing interest.

If you like this one, try: Suggestions? 

You can find John Gribbin's Home Page here. You can find him on Goodreads, and he and Mary Gibbin have written children's books which can be found here.