Spontaneous healing, courage, wild nutrition and the new Franzen book.

1/ Dr Jeff Rediger – Cured

Every now and then I read a book and it changes me. And this is one of them. Ostensibly a book about spontaneous healing from terminal illness, this goes to the heart of what it takes to heal. Nutrition, our immune and nervous systems, and, for me the most interesting part, healing our identity. I cannot recommend this enough – it has lots of very human stories and is so easy to read for such a life changing book.

 

 

2/ Jonathan Franzen – Crossroads

Love him or loathe him, Jonathan Franzen creates buzz. From the moment I read The Corrections years ago, I’ve loved him. Serious and dense, he uses words like no-one else and creates worlds that are real way beyond the last page. And of course his main subject is dysfunctional families – what’s not to love! I was so excited when this came out a few weeks ago and then it turned into my COVID book. An amazing read, almost as good as The Corrections, it helped me lose myself when I was unwell.

 

3/ Ryan Holiday – Courage is Calling

I follow Ryan Holiday and the Daily Stoic on Twitter. He always inspires and makes me think. I don’t think this is the best book ever written, but it’s full of inspiration to be more courageous, and challenges any notion of keeping quiet. The World needs courageous people now, people who are not afraid to speak up and take action. I really needed to hear this, to consider moral courage. If you don’t want to read it, catch him on the Rich Roll podcast.

 

4/ Jonathan Fields – Sparked

Another Rich Roll find! If, like me, you’ve spent your whole life not really sure what you want to do, Sparked it worth a look. He boils it all down to 10 “sparketypes” – what makes you come alive? And what drains you? This makes choosing a career path a little easier, because you know the sort of activities that will appeal. And those that will deplete you. There is a website attached to this where you can take the test if you don’t want to buy the book. The podcast is good too. (And I was Maven, Scientist!).

 

5/ Joel and Aiste Gazdar – Wild

If you’ve been to London’s Wild Food Cafe in Covent Garden, you’ll love this book. It’s beautifully photographed, and has some interesting recipes, all plant based and most raw. The premise of the book is eating in tune with nature, the seasons and even the different times of the day. Full of inspiration and a wonderful way of looking at nourishment.