There’s a Cure for This – New Health Books in the Collection

We all worry about our health from time to time; it’s completely normal.  Thankfully there are lots of good books written on the topic from people who have had similar experiences or worries.  We’ve got a good crop for you this month in our new books in the collection.  Here are just a few of the new titles available.

There’s a cure for this : a memoir / Espiner, Emma
“From award-winning writer Dr Emma Espiner comes this striking and profound debut memoir. Encompassing whānau, love, death, ’90s action movies and scarfie drinking, There’s a cure for this is Espiner’s own story, from a childhood spent shuttling between a ‘purple lesbian state house and a series of man-alone rentals’ to navigating parenthood on her own terms; from the quietly perceived inequities of her early life to hard-won revelations as a Māori medical student and junior doctor during the Covid-19 pandemic. Clear, irreverent and beautiful, this book offers a candid and moving examination of what it means to be human when it seems like nothing less than superhuman will do.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Allergic : our irritated bodies in a changing world / MacPhail, Theresa
“Hay fever. Peanut allergies. Eczema. Either you have a frustrating allergy, or you know someone who does. Billions of people worldwide–an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the global population–have some form of allergy; millions have one severe enough to actively endanger their health. Medical anthropologist Theresa MacPhail, herself an allergy sufferer whose father died of a bee sting, set out to understand why. This book is a holistic examination of the phenomenon of allergies from its first medical description in 1819 to the mind-bending recent development of biologics and immunotherapies that are giving the most severely impacted patients hope.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The wellness trap : break free from diet culture, disinformation, and dubious diagnoses–and find your true well-being / Harrison, Christy
“”It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle.” You’ve probably heard this phrase from any number of people in the wellness space. But as Christy Harrison reveals in her latest book, wellness culture promotes a standard of health that is often both unattainable and deeply harmful. Many people with chronic illness understandably feel dismissed or abandoned by the healthcare system and find solace in alternative medicine, as Harrison once did. Weaving together history, memoir, reporting, and practical advice, Harrison illuminates the harms of wellness culture while re-imagining our society’s relationship with well-being.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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This Won’t Hurt: New health titles in the collection

We have another excellent selection of health books recently added to our collection to share with you this month.  No matter what age or stage of life you’re in, we’ve got something to help you live a healthy  life and answer questions that you might have about your health.

This won’t hurt : how medicine fails women / Bigg, Marieke
“The vast majority of medicines and treatments that we use today were designed for, and by, men and the myth that medicine is gender-neutral has had terrible repercussions for women. In This won’t hurt, Dr Marieke Bigg takes a deep dive into all the ways medicine is not gender neutral, using stories and experiences to demonstrate how these flawed mindsets have paved the way for sub-par treatment, and how prevailing attitudes in a patriarchal world can have unexpected effects far downstream.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Baby & toddler basics : expert answers to parents’ top 150 questions / Altmann, Tanya Remer
“This easy-to-use guide helps parents with evidence-based advice for dealing with the most common issues facing babies and toddlers, including breastfeeding, baby care, developmental stages, first aid and injuries, sleep, vaccines and more.” (Catalogue)

 

“You just need to lose weight” : and 19 other myths about fat people / Gordon, Aubrey
“In “You Just Need to Lose Weight,” Aubrey Gordon equips readers with the facts and figures to reframe myths about fatness in order to dismantle the anti-fat bias ingrained in how we think about and treat fat people. Bringing her dozen years of community organizing and training to bear, Gordon shares the rhetorical approaches she and other organizers employ to not only counter these pernicious myths, but to dismantle the anti-fat bias that so often underpin them.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Hello sleep : the science and art of overcoming insomnia without medications / Wu, Jade
” Wu’s practical recommendations support a philosophical theme: Sleep is a friend, and it’s the nurturing of our relationship with this friend–rather than an anxious nightly battle–that will give us sustainable sleep health. Wu believes this can make things worse for those with insomnia issues, making what was once easy and intuitive into something effortful and elusive. Instead, this book treats insomniacs with respect, by giving them knowledge and empowering them to trust themselves and their own sleep.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Queer conception : the complete fertility guide for queer and trans parents-to-be / Kali, Kristin L.
“The only evidence-based, up-to-date fertility guide for queer people from an experienced health care provider, this is also the first to be transgender inclusive and body-positive. Here, queer prospective parents will find sound advice for navigating complex medical, social and financial decisions. This book is for all LGBTQ+ readers interested in creating family through pregnancy: anyone who identifies as queer, lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, trans and nonbinary people, couples, single parents by choice, poly families, and coparents.” (Catalogue)

My brain still needs glasses : ADHD in adults / Vincent, Annick
“Did you know that over half of children affected by ADHD still show symptoms when they reach adulthood? Relying on the latest research in the field, this book is an indispensable guide for all those who want to understand and find tools to better cope with ADHD. Accessible and packed with illuminating testimonials, it takes the reader step by step through the clinical symptoms, diagnostic approach and pharmacological treatments available for this neurodevelopmental problem.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

How to eat more plants : transform your health with 30 plant-based foods per week (and why it’s easier than you think) / Rossi, Megan
“A fact-based guide to plant-based eating, explaining why a diverse diet is the key to better health-with 80 plant-packed recipes.” (Catalogue)

 

Arthritis / Fox, Barry
“Arthritis For Dummies helps you make sense of arthritis and understand your diagnosis and treatment options. This updated edition show you the latest advances in diagnostic techniques, medications, and treatment plans. With these expert tips and proven medical wisdom, you’ll be able to calm those joints, so you can get back to the business of living. Alternative medicine and lifestyle changes are covered, too–it’s your must-read guide to living a full life with arthritis.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Womb : the inside story of where we all began / Hazard, Leah
“In this book, midwife and bestselling author Leah Hazard sets out on a journey to explore the rich past, complex present and dynamic future of the uterus. She speaks to the Californian doctor who believes women deserve a period-free life; walks in the footsteps of the Scottish woman whose Caesarean section changed childbirth forever; uncovers America’s long history of forced and coercive sterilisation; observes uterine transplant surgery in Sweden and takes a very personal dive into the world of ‘womb wellness’.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The complex PTSD coping skills workbook : an evidence-based approach to manage fear and anger, build confidence, and reclaim your identity / Greenberg, Tamara McClintock
“Reclaim your life from C-PTSD with this powerful and compassionate workbook.  You’ll learn the most effective strategies to manage symptoms, overcome painful memories, and build self-confidence. Most importantly, you’ll find validation that your feelings aren’t “crazy” or “outsized,” and discover the skills needed to help you reclaim your life.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

For more new items in the collection, go to: What’s new & Popular / April 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)

Food, Glorious Food

Is there anything quite as comforting to read about than food? Be it the biography of a chef or food critic, a history of a particular food, or just a really good cook book, books about food have been a favourite for generations. Here are some books in our collection that you might like to sink your teeth into:

Scoff : a history of food and class in Britain / Vogler, Pen
“Avocado or beans on toast? Gin or claret? Nut roast or game pie? Milk in first or milk in last? And do you have tea, dinner or supper in the evening? In this fascinating social history of food in Britain, Pen Vogler examines the origins of our eating habits and reveals how they are loaded with centuries of class prejudice. Bringing together evidence from cookbooks, literature, artworks and social records from 1066 to the present, Vogler traces the changing fortunes of the food we encounter today, and unpicks the aspirations and prejudices of the people who have shaped our cuisine for better or worse.” (adapted from catalogue)

A cook’s tour : in search of the perfect meal / Bourdain, Anthony
“Inspired by the question, ‘What would be the perfect meal?’, Anthony sets out on a quest for his culinary holy grail. Our adventurous chef starts out in Japan, where he eats traditional Fugu, a poisonous blowfish which can be prepared only by specially licensed chefs. He then travels to Cambodia, up the mine-studded road to Pailin into autonomous Khmer Rouge territory and to Phnom Penh’s Gun Club, where local fare is served up alongside a menu of available firearms. In Saigon, he’s treated to a sustaining meal of live Cobra heart before moving on to savor a snack with the Viet Cong in the Mecong Delta. A Cook’s Tour recounts, in Bourdain’s inimitable style, the adventures and misadventures of America’s favorite chef.” (adapted from catalogue)

Hungry : a memoir of wanting more / Dent, Grace
“From an early age, Grace Dent was hungry. As a little girl growing up in Currock, Carlisle, she yearned to be something bigger, to go somewhere better. Hungry traces Grace’s story from growing up eating beige food to becoming one of the much-loved voices on the British food scene. It’s also everyone’s story – from treats with your nan, to cheese and pineapple hedgehogs, to the exquisite joy of cheaply-made apple crumble with custard. Warm, funny and joyous, Hungry is also about love and loss, the central role that food plays in all our lives, and how a Cadbury’s Fruit ‘n’ Nut in a hospital vending machine can brighten the toughest situation.” (adapted from catalogue)

In the devil’s garden : a sinful history of forbidden food / Allen, Stewart Lee
“Among the foods thought to encourage Lust, the love apple (now known as the tomato), has become the world’s most popular vegetable. But until the nineteenth century the love apple was considered Satanic by many because of its similarity to the mandrake, a plant believed to be possessed by demonic spirits. Filled with Incredible history and the author’s travels to many exotic locales, In the Devil’s Garden also features recipes like the Matzoh-ball stews outlawed by the Spanish Inquisition and the forbidden “chocolate champagnes” of the Aztecs. This is truly a delectable book that will be consumed by food lovers, culinary historians, amateur anthropologists, and armchair travellers alike.” (adapted from catalogue)

Toast / Slater, Nigel
“TOAST is top food writer Nigel Slater’s eat-and-tell autobiography. Detailing all the food, recipes and cooking that have marked his passage from greedy schoolboy to great food writer, this is also a catalogue of how the British have eaten over the last three decades.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Ultimate food journeys : the world’s best dishes & where to eat them
“[A] book for food-lovers with an interest in travel–and ardent travelers with a passion for food. … [also] has helpful sightseeing itineraries, hotel recommendations, and hundreds of restaurant choices.” (Catalogue)

 

Plenty : a memoir of food & family / Howard, Hannah
“A moving reflection on motherhood, friendship, and women making their mark on the world of food from the author of Feast” (Catalogue)

 

 

 

Chocolate wars : from Cadbury to Kraft : 200 years of sweet success and bitter rivalry / Cadbury, Deborah
“Beginning with an account of John Cadbury, who founded the first Cadbury’s coffee and chocolate shop in Birmingham in 1824, ‘Chocolate Wars’ goes on to chart the astonishing transformation of the company’s fortunes under his grandson George. But while the Cadbury dynasty is the fulcrum of the narrative, this is also the story of their Quaker rivals, the Frys and Rowntrees, and their European competitors, the Nestles, Suchards and Lindts. These rivalries drove the formation of the huge chocolate conglomorates that still straddle the corporate world today, and have first call on our collective sweet tooth.” (adapted from catalogue)

Bread & butter : history, culture, recipes / Snapes, Richard
“A celebration of bread and butter’s divine partnership, covering history, culture and recipes.” (Catalogue)

 

 

 

Special bonus read:

Food isn’t medicine : challenge nutribollocks & escape the diet trap / Wolrich, Joshua
“The first NHS doctor to take a public stand against diet culture and empower you to do the same. Losing weight is not your life’s purpose. Do carbs make you fat? Could the keto diet cure mental health disorders? Are eggs as bad for you as smoking? No, no and absolutely not. It’s all what Dr Joshua Wolrich defines as ‘nutribollocks’ and he is on a mission to set the record straight. As an NHS doctor with personal experience of how damaging diets can be, he believes every one of us deserves to have a happy, healthy relationship with food and with our bodies. His message is clear- we need to fight weight stigma, call out the lies of diet culture and give ourselves permission to eat all foods. Food Isn’t Medicine wades through nutritional science (both good and bad) to demystify the common diet myths that many of us believe without questioning. If you have ever wondered whether you should stop eating sugar, try fasting, juicing or ‘alkaline water’, or struggled through diet after diet (none of which seem to work), this book will be a powerful wake-up call. Drawing on the latest research and delivered with a dose of humour, it not only liberates us from the destructive belief that weight defines health but also explains how to spot the misinformation we are bombarded with every day. Dr Joshua Wolrich will empower you to escape the diet trap and call out the bad health advice for what it really is: complete nutribollocks.” (Catalogue)