• Skip to main content

Nadine Feldman, Author

celebrating strong female characters and whatever else strikes my fancy

  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Contact
  • Book Clubs
  • About Nadine
  • Sample Chapters
You are here: Home / Archives for books

books

Book Discovery Tuesday: Let’s Talk Travel

August 30, 2011 by admin

Goats Photo
A surprise appearance on a hike from Sils to Isola.

Before leaving Houston for Switzerland, I dutifully wrote several blog posts in advance. After all, I am on vacation and want to enjoy living in this lovely pastoral setting. However, with each hike, words fly up from the ground and into my brain, demanding that I pay attention. If there is anything I have learned by midlife, it is to respect my inner promptings and let them have their say.

I have also learned that Boomers love to travel, so I’m happy to weave some of my own travel experiences within the context of A Woman’s Nest. It also seemed appropriate as we transition from summer to fall, and to our upcoming September focus on stillness. Since we talk about books on Tuesday, then, I thought I would step away from yet another book about menopause (don’t worry, I’ll come back to it sooner or later!) and talk about travel books.

Peter Mayle has his Provence. Frances Mayes has Tuscany. And Rick Steves, of course, has made a great living letting people know the sights, sounds, and activities to experience while traveling. We don’t agree on everything — he’s fond of Avignon and not as fond of Arles and Aix en Provence, for example, where we lean in the opposite direction. That said, we listen to his podcasts and watch his shows, always gathering the information he shares so generously.

Rick had to learn that sometimes what people want are the high points of a place. For some, a visit to Paris is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so they need and want the “best” art to see in the Louvre so they can zip through it quickly. Rick has met that need, but in one of his books, Travel as a Political Act, we get to see more of Rick Steves. We get to read his perspectives of not how to travel, but why. He shares how his visits over the years have caused his politics to evolve, and explains how we can broaden our own horizons when we travel.

Maloja Mountain
Another day, another breathtaking view

This was the first place I learned the term “roundtrip revolutionary.” I became one last year on a visit to Costa Rica, where I volunteered for two weeks. The term, though humorous, has a serious point to it. We may go somewhere and volunteer for a period of time, but we always have that plane ticket home, while the people we assist are fighting the good fight day in and day out to serve children, fight poverty, and bring needed medical assistance to the poorer regions of the world. I griped because I lived without hot water for two weeks (mainly because I knew that the locals actually did have hot water), but I got to come home to a cozy bed and plenty of food. I had an “off” switch for my experiences.

I think a lot about Rick’s book as I wander through the mountains of this part of Switzerland. One has a great deal of time to think in the hours on the path. I realize that with each trip, I learn more about a part of the world that is foreign to mine in many ways, and that’s a good thing. Here, German, Italian, and Romansche cultures blend together. A lake can be a luc, a lej, or a loggia. Our town is Sils or Segl, depending on what sign you read. English isn’t at the top of the list; it’s about midway down. On the path we greet fellow hikers with “Goetze” (roughly, as I understand it, God be with you), but some say Bongiorno, and we even hear a few Bonjours. In this tiny area, many different peoples coexist with relative ease.

The idyllic nature of this area is broken by the sound of construction. Others have discovered Sils’s charm and want to visit or live here. The locals try to deal with demand vs. the need to keep the charm and purity of the town. As with many tourist areas of the United States, the tension between progress and preservation requires much debate. It will be interesting to see what happens to Sils over the next five or ten years.

As I ponder Rick’s book, I also think about the stereotypes that we have, sometimes unintentionally, that travel allows us to release. One big example is that I learned on my first trip to France that the French are no more rude than any other society. In fact, I find the French to be interesting, engaging, and friendly people. And the Swiss are not dressed up looking like Heidi or the kids from The Sound of Music. I haven’t heard a single yodel. Instead, I see people, more or less like us, who are generous to share their favorite places to hike.

I also recognize that life here is different from, say Zurich or Geneva, where picturesque landscapes give way to urban sprawl, where spaciousness gives way to crowds. I’m far away from the public restrooms of the city with their bluelights that make it harder for an addict to find a vein. Even this gorgeous and prosperous country has its share of problems.

Yet we are here, and we continue to learn. We continue to look at travel as both personal and political. If you also love to travel and want to know more about a place than its highlights, then I highly recommend Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves. You’ll be thinking about it long after you have finished reading it.

Silvaplana
A view of Silvaplana.

Filed Under: books, travel Tagged With: baby boomers, Frances Mayes, hiking, Peter Mayle, Rick Steves, switzerland, travel, Travel as a Political Act

Book Discovery Tuesday: The Sweet Potato Queens’ Big-Ass Cookbook and Financial Planner

August 23, 2011 by admin

As you’ve probably figured out already, I’m not always going to review new books. Sometimes I run across something that has been around for a good long while, but is well worth a look. Our modern publishing and book distribution system gives books very little shelf life, and as we move away from bricks and mortar bookstores in favor of Internet booksellers, it gets harder for an author to get the word out. So here, at A Woman’s Nest, books of all ages are welcome. The book I’m recommending today comes from 2003.

My husband is recognized as the funny one in our family. I am capable of humor and sometimes catch him off-guard, but it’s more of a dry wit, where he has the silly gene. I have always loved to surround myself with funny people, perhaps because of my own serious nature, and so when I came across Jill Conner’s The Sweet Potato Queens’ Big-Ass Cookbook and Financial Planner, I was delighted.

A disclaimer: I haven’t tried the recipes in this book. While Hershey Bar Pie sounds fabulous, the last thing my expanding waistline needs is, well, further expansion. Conner’s recipes are in-your-face, unapologetic Southern food. Of course, maybe that’s why she seems to be having so much fun! At any rate, even the recipes are an entertaining read.

And how about those financial tips? Here’s one small example:  “If you’re going to have a big sack of babies, try to work it into your schedule before menopause.” Or, “Plastic surgery is no place to scrimp. It is worth exactly what you pay for it, which is plenty. Get the money somehow—any how…” You may not make any money from Conner’s recommendations, but you will laugh, which is good for your health. This book is cheap therapy, so you can read about the Sweet Potato Queens and put the money you would have spent for a therapist toward that plastic surgery.

In the midst of having fun, Conner tackles some serious subjects including, for example, her mother’s stroke. “You have to understand, in my family, we deal with everything by laughing at it. So what I’m saying is, this stroke thing has not been totally bereft of humor.” She proceeds to relate a story that is, indeed, funny without being inappropriate.

I am pleased to learn that Jill Conner has published several other books, and I look forward to learning more about the Sweet Potato Queens. If you’re looking for a good laugh from a fun woman with a big heart, this one is for you.

Filed Under: books Tagged With: books, Jill Conner, Sweet Potato Queens

Book Discovery Tuesday — New Menopausal Years: The Wise Woman Way by Susun Weed

August 16, 2011 by admin

My late mother-in-law used to tell me, “Just wait until you’re finished with menopause! You are going to feel so liberated!” At 52, I’m still waiting for that time! Despite my best intentions to keep a good attitude, I’m not totally excited about entering what feels like a second puberty. Just as when I was twelve or so, the clothes don’t fit right, and I grapple with overwhelm, anxiety, depression, and irritability. The other women in my family have had hysterectomies, so I have no one to give me a clue as to how much longer this will go on.

Still, I am nothing if not stubborn and determined. I’ve examined and re-examined my diet. I’ve adjusted my exercise regimen. I am religious about getting sleep. I manage my stress with regular massages and a dedicated yoga practice. Recently, though, in my continuing attempt to find inner peace in the midst of menopause, I turned to herbal remedies. One day I discovered an article on www.herbmentor.com by Susun Weed, an herbalist with a national reputation.

With quiet confidence, Susun calmed my fears and soothed my angst. She told me the same thing my mother-in-law once did, assuring me that I would feel better. She comforted me by validating my experience and not trying to “make it wrong.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve met women who come through menopause with just a few symptoms and assume that the rest of us should, too. Susun, instead, honors our individual experience. I was delighted to find a compassionate mentor and guide, so I bought her book, New Menopausal Years: The Wise Woman Way.

NMY is not a new book. Originally written in 1992, Susun last updated it in 2002. In fact, she has a new book out called Down There–but I haven’t read that one yet. I think, though, that when a book is good, it’s worth talking about no matter how old it is.

One of Susun’s great contributions in this book is to create a road map that she calls The Six Steps of Healing (she refers to the same process elsewhere as the Seven Rivers of Healing, in case you’re familiar with some of her work). For those of us making decisions about how much medical intervention to seek out, she suggests that we start with the first step — “Do nothing.” This does not mean take no action at all, but to wait and observe a symptom for a period of time that feels comfortable. Sometimes symptoms abate, and if we leave them alone they won’t go away. Other times, we find the symptoms increase, and then we may jump one or more of the steps of healing. Along the way, we empower ourselves to add interventions as we deem necessary that may include herbs, vitamins, or, in the sixth step, surgery or other more invasive medical treatment. With each symptom, Susun suggests treatments for each step of healing.

When recommending herbs, Susun also provides detailed instructions on how to prepare teas, infusions, and tinctures. Since reading her book, I have settled on a daily infusion of stinging nettle and oatstraw to provide energy, adrenal support, and mood regulation. When I am faithful to the regimen, I definitely feel better.

You may or may not agree with Susun on her methods, but she invites you to make up your own mind. She never insists that her way is the only way, but her ability to help us see our symptoms as manageable so that we can make informed decisions is invaluable. Reading New Menopausal Years, I started to see this time of my life as positive, not just intellectually, but in the deepest layers of my being. We are embracing a new identity, going from “mother” to “baby crone,” and it is, truly, an exciting time–as long as we can help ourselves with the layers of discomfort that accompany this transition.

For more information on Susun, who offers courses, other books, and a forum among other things, visit www.susunweed.com/.

Filed Under: books, Uncategorized Tagged With: menopause, nadine feldman, Nadine Galinsky Feldman, new menopause years, susun weed, women, women's health

Book Discovery Tuesday: Fierce Medicine by Ana Forrest

August 9, 2011 by admin

With her new book, Fierce Medicine: Breakthrough Practices to Heal the Body and Ignite the Spirit, world-renowned yoga teacher Ana shares her story of healing from a childhood filled with abuse and neglect. Through yoga, horses, and time spent with healers, she found power and strength, and she travels the world sharing her methods with others. Each chapter includes part of her story, then ends with suggested exercises to free the body of physical, emotional, and psychic pain.

I first saw her in the dining hall of the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. In the midst of a meal, I suddenly felt compelled to turn around. I saw a lean, fine-boned woman with black hair pulled into a simple braid that went down her back. Her body looked young, but her face showed her age, and I guessed, correctly, that she is a few years older than I. I couldn’t seem to stop staring at her–she had that “something” that made me curious, a sort of in-your-face strength. I thought, I want me some of that.

When I went home, I bought her DVDs. The practices in both were challenging but safe, and I immediately adopted her approach to neck position, which reduces strain in the neck during practice. Then I bought her five-CD set, each with a two-hour practice. These routines are far more difficult than the DVDs and are not for beginning students.

Eventually Ana came to Houston, as many local yoga teachers here have studied under her and adopted her style. I attended one of her weekend workshops, and yikes! After several 2.5 hour classes, I felt like I had hit and crossed my limits. Still, in person, though she is powerful, she also carries a softness about her. She is funnier and more compassionate than she seemed at that moment at Kripalu. I could see why so many have adopted her style.

Still, I had questions. Forrest is well known for jaw-dropping demonstrations, and I wondered if I was viewing a true yoga master or someone with a huge ego who needed to show off. I also wondered why she never mentioned her teachers. And why all the emphasis on the physical aspect of yoga, which is but one small piece of a practice?

I found many answers to these questions in Fierce Medicine. With characteristic in-your-face directness and humor, Forrest describes how she learned more from unknown teachers than the so-called celebrity teachers. She also describes her approach to yoga in great detail and in a way that made sense to me. Finally, I understood that the demonstrations are to help people break through their notions of what is possible. As I mentioned, she’s older than I am (I’m 52), and I like having people in my life who expand my vision.

Most important to me as I read the book, was that Ana’s vulnerability and humanity shone through. She is honest and forthright, and I trusted her more as a teacher as I learned more about the person. Her journey from abuse, alcoholism, and drug abuse to healer is an extraordinary and well-written one.

Some of the practices in this book are challenging (handstands are an example), and I would advise those who are interested to try beginner-level classes with a Forrest Yoga teacher. Forrest Yoga is challenging but safe in a classroom environment. If you are not working with a teacher and/or have health conditions that limit movement, you’ll need to be more careful. Still, even if you don’t practice yoga, Fierce Medicine is an inspiring story of a courageous woman.

 

Filed Under: books Tagged With: Ana Forrest, books, Fierce Medicine, Forrest Yoga, Kripalu Center, yoga

Book Discovery Tuesday: The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money, and More

August 2, 2011 by admin

In an enthusiastic, likeable tone, author Barbara Hannah Grufferman guides us cheerfully through the maze of what we need to know after age 50. She has researched her work, getting advice from doctors, dermatologists, and other professionals so that we can look and feel our best. Reading The Best of Everything is a bit like chatting with your best gal pal, but with solid medical and financial information. After 50, we can still look and feel fabulous!

Grufferman is committed to her own health and fitness and runs in marathons. In The Best of Everything, she describes her running regimen, designed to keep those older joints safe.  She helps us avoid the middle-aged spread that isn’t, as it turns out, as inevitable as we might think. She keeps us on track for scheduling the appropriate medical tests at the right time, and even provides tips on caring for skin, from moisturizers to plastic surgery.

More than anything, Grufferman distills a lot of wisdom into simple terms. Some sections may not interest you. For example, I skipped over the plastic surgery stuff. I happen to like my wrinkles and scars, and I think my face is far more interesting with some lines on it. However, I do believe in a woman’s right to choose, whether it has to do with her womb or her face, and let’s face it—we can’t ignore our aging. Better to discuss our options and make informed choices.

The Best of Everything After 50 is, overall, a comprehensive guide. As with any complex subject, though, it has its limits. You will not get tips on empty nesting, dealing with sandwich generation issues, or how to cope with a difficult menopause from an emotional perspective. I don’t see this as a criticism, though. She has kept a clear focus to her work, and no one book could cover everything without getting clunky.

For women just starting to face the topic, The Best of Everything After 50 provides a great beginning and information that every woman needs to know, and Grufferman’s gift for distillation makes this book a must-read for initiates to this profound, exciting, and sometimes frustrating time of life.

Filed Under: books Tagged With: Barbara Hannah Grufferman, books, nadine feldman, nadine galinsky, The Best of Everythiing After 50, women, women's health

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 17
  • Go to page 18
  • Go to page 19

Copyright © 2023 · Author Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in