LOL, OK, not really, but you might think that if you look at my Kindle right now.

For some reason I decided to put both of these books on hold through my library. I had actually checked out How I Killed Pluto… quite a while back (almost a year ago?), when it first came out. It was listed in one of the “new release” emails that I get from the library and sounded interesting. I didn’t get to read it at the time, and I’m glad that I decided to try again, because it was really good.

These two books really complimented each other nicely. In the end, I’ve learned that:

1. Although the author of the Big Bang book is really REALLY not a fan of Christianity, I don’t think that the Biblical explanation of creation is at all at odds with the Big Bang Theory. In fact, it works far better with the Big Bang Theory than it does with the other major contenders.
2. The math that goes into cosmology is super fascinating. Warning: I was a math major before I looked at the job possibilities (Do you dream of being an actuary? Anyone? No?) and quickly switched my major to Computer Information Systems. I may find math way more fascinating than most.
3. Pluto should definitely not be a planet.
4. My kids will be learning about astronomy for the rest of our homeschooling year, because I’m now quite intrigued.
5. If you live in Boulder county, go on the planet hikes! I don’t see one on the schedule for December, but keep checking. They are really cool and you get to see the planets fairly close-up for free. After reading the book about Pluto, I really wished that I had gone on more of the hikes in Boulder county.
6. Astronomers, planetary scientists and cosmologists can be quite witty.

Overall, I give the Big Bang Theory 3 stars (out of 5). The author repeats herself a bit and the book is older (2002), so I had to do some online research once I finished the book to see what changed in the 9 years since it was published. Still, it gave me a good basis for understanding some of the research in the book on Pluto. It wasn’t necessary, but it helped.

I think How I Killed Pluto… is a solid 4 star book. I liked how the author worked parenting discussions into the book, especially since he talked about his wife pumping breastmilk for their daughter and how he taught his daughter baby signs 😉

If, like me, you’re a nerd looking for some slightly scientific reading about our universe, either of these books might be fun to pick up. How I Killed Pluto is more entertaining, but I liked them both.

Superfoods RX

Sometimes I feel like I’m over-read on the topic of nutrition. Despite this, I really like finding new nutrition books. They help me to keep my focus and remind me of why I make the food choices that I do. Granted, I don’t come across too much information that I haven’t read before, but it is still a great way to keep this topic at the front of my mind. I decided to pick up a copy of Superfoods RX after seeing it highly recommended, and I’m really glad that I did.

Superfoods RX profiles 14 foods that “will change your life”. These foods are beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, wild salmon, soy, spinach, tea, tomatoes, turkey and walnuts. One of the things that I really appreciate about this book is that it is really more like 14 food categories, rather than 14 individual foods. So, while pumpkin is excellent, the real point of the chapter on pumpkin is to remind you of why orange veggies in general are so important.

In each chapter, Dr. Pratt (an ophthalmologist, btw) describes a superfood, its “sidekicks” (similarly healthy foods), and explains some of the research and benefits of the superfood. I enjoyed reading a chapter or two at a time, and it really did help me to be more mindful about consuming a variety of healthy foods. It is easy to get stuck in a rut, and I liked that this book gave me some gentle nudges to eat several healthy foods that I like, but I don’t always use in my regular rotation.

I really appreciate that he keeps going back to the reasons why you should be getting your nutrition through the whole food and not through supplements. He mentions the synergy of whole foods over and over again, and I think that is a fantastic message.

The main downside of this book for me was his insistence on low/no-fat dairy and his strong opinions against coconut oil. I happen to be a firm believer in the benefits of full-fat, raw dairy and unprocessed coconut oil. I also wouldn’t recommend the use of canola oil, although he does. Additionally, I probably would’ve nixed soy from the superfoods list, but I can appreciate why he came to the conclusion that he did. Each of these things is easy to adjust for your personal convictions, though, and weren’t enough to strongly sway my opinion on the book.

The second half of this book contains recipes, shopping lists and brand recommendations for each of the superfoods. That part of the book could make it worth buying (rather than checking out from the library) if you need some fresh ideas on how to prepare the superfoods. If you don’t live near a Trader Joes then this section will be a bit less helpful, because he is clearly a big fan of their items.

Overall, I really liked this book. I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about the importance of healthy, whole foods. I also think this book is good for those of us who already know why whole foods are important in our diet, but would like a reminder and some fresh motivation for eating our fruits, vegetables and healthy fats.