"Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human" by Richard Wrangham

 

Publisher: Basic Books

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 9780465020416

Even though this book shares the first part of its title with one of a relatively popular series of novels, this book has absolutely nothing to do with "The Hunger Games", although cooking does typically satisfy hunger. It is in fact an anthropological investigation into the revolutionary history of humans and how we possibly might have teamed fire, and thereby learned to cook food, allowing us to evolve into what we have today.

The book starts off by examining the theories behind eating raw food, which at the time of writing was somewhat of a fad. Following this Dr. Wrangham looks into amongst other things the energy theory of cooking, how cooking began, what foods best affect brain development, the social structure of hunter-gatherers, how we differ from the great apes in both social structure and feeding habits, how domestication possibly influenced the male role in life, and much more.

In one chapter Dr. Wrangham looks at the social inequity between males and females, and it is rather surprising to see how much that parallels the inequality seen even today in certain cultures.

This book has 46 pages of reference notes, and a 30 page bibliography. Both of which are extremely valuable in understanding this topic. For the most part when I was taking my anthropology courses ideas such as this were not part of the curriculum but then again this was many years before this book was published.

An extremely book that is well worth reading.

"Paleofantasy: what evolution really tells us about sex, diet, and how we live" by Marlene Zuk

 

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Copyright: 2013

ISBN: 9780393081374

Paleofantasy is a very interesting book that goes into the great detail debunking the Paleo diet and other such pseudo scientific silliness. Dr. Zuk is a professor of ecology evolution and behaviour at the University of Minnesota, and she has researched this topic extremely well.

She uses the disciplines of anthropology, physiology, psychology, medicine and history to explain why the Paleo diet is not what proponents believe it is or promote it as i.e., a cure-all for societies ills, weight loss, etc.

In this book she examines the lifestyles that proponents of the Paleo lifestyle follow, and examines how actual science debunks this system of nutrition, and living. She gives a good overview on evolution, and how it works and then examines other concepts of the Paleo lifestyle such as exercising, love, sickness and health and much more.

Dr. Zuk's writing is clear and comprehensive, and the examples she uses are easily understandable by anyone. Or at least anyone who wants to understand them, as I am sure there are many paleo-fans out there who will dispute her findings as they have little or no scientific training.

Highly recommended

"Nutrition Made Clear" by Roberta H. Anding

Publisher:Chantilly, Va. : Teaching Co., [2009]
Copyright Date:©2009
ISBN: 9781598036077
Characteristics: 6 videodiscs :,sound, color ;,4 3/4 in. +,3 books.

Once again I took on the task of reading a rather large book, and I got behind schedule for a review this week. The reason I'm behind is because I started watching a series by the Teaching Company called "Nutrition Made Simple", and I couldn't stop watching it because it was so well done.

This series of 6 DVDs and accompanying books is the best overview of the science of nutrition I have encountered in a long time. I wish I'd had access to this when I took some of my introductory science courses way back when I went through for my first degree, but unfortunately that was many years before this series was published.

The series is structured around thirty-six 30 minute lectures and is presented by Roberta H. Anding a professional dietician, as well as a professor at Rice University, and currently the dietician for the Houston Astros.

But getting back to the material at hand, the course covers all the aspects of nutrition, and gives the viewer an in depth understanding of the fundamental concepts of nutrition and the science behind it. It goes into a great amount of detail with regard to various health problems that can be attributed directly to nutrition issues, and gives great advice on what to do about them.

A highly recommended series that is well worth watching!