Bored Bookworm | Nature

“Paul Gross, the “Berry Doctor,” gets beyond the marketing hype on superfruits. By looking at nutrient density, research support and popular appeal, Gross delivers a cornucopia of offerings that can easily enhance well-being. Further, he includes ideas to add the nutrient-rich fruits into the diet, whether via simple suggestions in the breakdown of each offering, a list of the types of products to look for in the supermarket, or by following the creative recipes. Gross enables readers to make proactive choices to enhance their own health.”
--Heather Granato, Group Editor, Virgo Publishing

“Dr. Paul Gross has done an excellent job. This book will be an important resource for informing the public about the health effects of fruits.”
—Gary Stoner, Ph.D., Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University

“Dr. Paul Gross’s straightforward and well-documented book provides strong direction and clear-cut answers for consumers, based on well-reasoned research and compelling evidence. His use of readily-understandable superfruits criteria and a ‘points system’ for rating health-beneficial fruits is a welcome answer to consumers seeking the best choices for themselves and their families.”
–Mary Ann Lila Ph.D., Director, Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University

"Dr. Gross is a leading expert and strong proponent of consumer education and superfruit science, and following careers as a university scientist, entrepreneur, and food industry consultant, he is the leading advocate for superfruits and superfruit science."
-- Steve Talcott Ph.D., Department of Food Chemistry, Texas A&M University

“This is a book for the public, for nutritionists, MDs and alternative medical practitioners, vegetarians, for anyone who wants to better understand what a well-chosen selection of superfruits can do for you inside and out besides tasting great.”
—Ian Crown, Panoramic Fruit Company, Puerto Rico

All fruits are NOT created equal
The “Berry Doctor” reveals secrets behind nature's healthiest fruits

What would you do to increase your chances of living longer and healthier? Superfruit expert Paul Gross, Ph.D. ranks the top twenty fruits that can help you get started on a lifelong healthy diet, and he gives you the science behind each fruit's unique nutritional advantages. Eating superfruits regularly can help you look younger, lose weight, and reduce your risk of getting cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes.

All fruits have some health-promoting potential, but Superfruits reveals which ones pack the most value for your well-being.

Superfruits features:

• Sidebars for each essential nutrient along with Fun Facts, Myth Busters, and Science Behind It
  
• Tips for the best ways to eat and shop for superfruits, including a section on how to incorporate superfruits into a Mediterranean diet
  
• 75 delicious recipes for smoothies, salads, desserts, and more

DID YOU KNOW THAT:

• Red grapes contain resveratrol, a phytochemical that shows exciting promise in the fight against premature aging, diabetes, and cancer
  
• Superfruit seeds from kiwis, figs, and strawberries are rich in protein, omega fats, and micronutrients
  
• Pasteurizing and overprocessing are the main reasons for nutrient loss in manufactured superfruit juices

Conventional wisdom about young people's use of digital technology often equates
generational identity with technology identity: today's teens seem constantly plugged in to video
games, social networking sites, and text messaging. Yet there is little actual research that
investigates the intricate dynamics of youths' social and recreational use of digital media.
Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out fills this gap, reporting on an
ambitious three-year ethnographic investigation into how young people are living and learning with
new media in varied settings -- at home, in after-school programs, and in online spaces. Integrating
twenty-three case studies -- which include Harry Potter podcasting, video-game playing, music
sharing, and online romantic breakups -- in a unique collaborative authorship style,
Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out is distinctive for its combination of
in-depth description of specific group dynamics with conceptual analysis.

In this lively and illuminating discussion of his landmark research, esteemed primatologist Frans de Waal argues that human morality is not imposed from above but instead comes from within. Moral behavior does not begin and end with religion but is in fact a product of evolution.

But unlike the dogmatic neo-atheist of his book’s title, de Waal does not scorn religion per se. Instead, he draws on the long tradition of humanism exemplified by the painter Hieronymus Bosch and asks reflective readers to consider these issues from a positive perspective: What role, if any, does religion play for a well-functioning society today? And where can believers and nonbelievers alike find the inspiration to lead a good life?

Rich with cultural references and anecdotes of primate behavior, The Bonobo and the Atheist engagingly builds a unique argument grounded in evolutionary biology and moral philosophy. Ever a pioneering thinker, de Waal delivers a heartening and inclusive new perspective on human nature and our struggle to find purpose in our lives.

Shamed investigative journalist turned tabloid scribe Maggie O’Connell convinces her editor to let her go to Minnesota to research alleged werewolf sightings. Her first night in the woods, she gets trapped in an ancient sleeping bag, unintentionally attracts the attention of a bear, and is saved by the most unlikely of heroes: the very wolf she had come to investigate!

When she meets horse rancher Aidan Gael in the town market days later, she recognizes his eyes as those belonging to her champion. He dodges her every attempt to get to know him but undaunted Maggie launches a campaign to win over the recalcitrant Aidan.

Aidan tries desperately to avoid her; he both fears Maggie and fears for her. Neither man nor beast can resist her curious mind and courageous heart. One kiss threatens to break Aidan’s tenuous self-control but furthers Maggie’s resolve. But danger lurks at every turn. The curse Aidan fights to keep secret is only one of the obstacles that will test the strength of their bond. Together they will navigate the violence of both nature and of man in pursuit of their destiny.

Sensuality Level: Behind Closed Doors

This New York Times bestseller is a powerfully moving story of a man from humble beginnings, who identified a tragic problem and figured out how to address it on a national scale.

KaBOOm! chronicles Darell Hammond's amazing journey from a childhood spent living in a group home in Illinois to becoming the founder and CEO of KaBOOM!, one of the most successful nonprofit organizations in the United States. KaBOOM! has raised almost $200 million, directly built 1,743 playgrounds with a million volunteers, and has touched the lives of countless children and families. More than just a memoir, KaBOOm! is a call to action that will inspire readers by challenging them to rethink traditional notions of community and social change.

"This is a book about making art. Ordinary art. Ordinary art means something like: all art not made by Mozart. After all, art is rarely made by Mozart-like people; essentially—statistically speaking—there aren't any people like that. Geniuses get made once-a-century or so, yet good art gets made all the time, so to equate the making of art with the workings of genius removes this intimately human activity to a strangely unreachable and unknowable place. For all practical purposes making art can be examined in great detail without ever getting entangled in the very remote problems of genius."
—-from the Introduction

Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. The book's co-authors, David Bayles and Ted Orland, are themselves both working artists, grappling daily with the problems of making art in the real world. Their insights and observations, drawn from personal experience, provide an incisive view into the world of art as it is expeienced by artmakers themselves.

This is not your typical self-help book. This is a book written by artists, for artists -— it's about what it feels like when artists sit down at their easel or keyboard, in their studio or performance space, trying to do the work they need to do. First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic. Word-of-mouth response alone—now enhanced by internet posting—has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity nationally.

Art & Fear has attracted a remarkably diverse audience, ranging from beginning to accomplished artists in every medium, and including an exceptional concentration among students and teachers. The original Capra Press edition of Art & Fear sold 80,000 copies.

An excerpt:

Today, more than it was however many years ago, art is hard because you have to keep after it so consistently. On so many different fronts. For so little external reward. Artists become veteran artists only by making peace not just with themselves, but with a huge range of issues. You have to find your work...

This first book in Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy is the novel the inspired the major motion picture starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet. This dystopian series set in a futuristic Chicago has captured the hearts of millions of teen and adult readers.

Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games and Maze Runner series, Divergent and its sequels, Insurgent and Allegiant, are the gripping story of a dystopian world transformed by courage, self-sacrifice, and love. Fans of the Divergent movie will find the book packed with just as much emotional depth and exhilarating action as the film, all told in beautiful, rich language.

One choice can transform you. Beatrice Prior's society is divided into five factions—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions. Her choice will shock her community and herself. But the newly christened Tris also has a secret, one she's determined to keep hidden, because in this world, what makes you different makes you dangerous.

Supports the Common Core State Standards.

She expects dinner with neighbors, but gets sex with a side of safewords.

Mechanical engineer Alice still drools over her sexy neighbors a year after she’s moved in. She can’t decide whether they’re roommates or partners, but either way, they spark a wanton desire in her that has her imagination--and vibrator--working overtime.

Henry, director of everything around him, studies human nature and applies philosophies to his paintings as well as his relationships. Quirky, polite to a fault, and formal, he follows his own code of honor even when it means denying himself.

Flirtatious and playful, Jay needs stability, guidance, and to please others. His antics counterbalance Henry’s stuffy ways while he brings a level of vulnerability and fun to everything the trio does.

BDSM play with the enigmatic artist and flirtatious joker across the hall allows Alice to put aside the linear thought processes which have kept her unsatisfied and distant with other lovers. She must dismiss her preconception of love, sacrificing her independence, if she’s to find a permanent place in their beds and hearts.

CONTENT WARNING: Explicit sex, graphic language, BDSM, bondage, spanking, M/M/F menage.

82,000 Words

In 1977, Rod Martin experienced a series of miracles—the kind that change your life forever. One of those miracles was a complete release of resentment, so powerful that he forgot the offenses of others for more than three decades.

Another miracle proved to him that, when done properly, prayers are answered in the affirmative and immediately. This second miracle was comparable to that of Moses parting the sea. It showed Mr. Martin that the power of God never left us. This helped him to see what God needs us to do in order to speak to Him directly.

A third miracle showed him that the darkness of rage can be turned to the light brilliance of bliss in an instant. There is no need to wait and to suffer. It is possible to forgive and forget.

A fourth miracle gave Mr. Martin the details to understand the nature of true forgiveness:

• Responsibility instead of blame
• Faith instead of arrogance
• Humility instead of self-pity or self-humiliation
• Love instead of judgments of importance

When you master the art of forgiveness, letting go becomes effortless, because any effort is a lack of faith.

• Slash time-wasters (page 117)
• Locate invisible profit centers in your business (page 31)
• Advertise to hyper-responsive buyers and avoid tire-kickers (page 93)
• Gain coveted positions on search engines (page 70)
• Differentiate yourself from rivals (page 67)
• Gain esteem in your marketplace (page 154)

Tal’s girlfriend is in a coma for which he holds himself responsible. A close friend, suffering from a past-life memory trauma similar to Tal's, is getting worse, not better. Morgan Le Fay is still lurking around and has an agenda Tal can’t figure out. Supernatural interruptions in his life are becoming more frequent, not less so, despite his expectations. In fact, Tal learns that something about his unique nature amplifies otherworldly forces in ways he never imagined were possible, ways that place at risk everyone close to him.

Tal and his allies must face everything from dead armies to dragons. As soon as they overcome one menace, another one is waiting for them. More people are depending on Tal than ever; he carries burdens few adults could face, let alone a sixteen-year-old like himself. Yet somehow Tal at first manages to handle everything the universe throws at him.

What Tal can’t handle is the discovery that a best friend, almost a brother, betrayed him, damaging Tal’s life beyond repair. For the first time, Tal feels a darkness within him, a darkness which he can only barely control...assuming he wants to. He’s no longer sure. Maybe there is something to be said for revenge, and even more to be said for taking what he wants. After all, he has the power...

This is the eBook version of the printed book.

This Element is an excerpt from Stumbling On Wins: Two Economists Expose the Pitfalls on the Road to Victory in Professional Sports (9780132357784) by David J. Berri and Martin B. Schmidt. Available in print and digital formats.

Why NFL teams’ conventional approach to the draft just doesn’t work--and what they should be doing instead.

If the NFL draft worked according to conventional wisdom, the greatest surplus value would be found at the top of the draft. However, the data suggests that picks in the top half of the second round have the greatest surplus value. This means teams in the first round, especially at the top, should be making every effort to trade down. They’ve traditionally done the opposite....