Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes

This post is back-dated. Here's the deal. I moved in July and had a lot to do related to that. Frankly, I did not read much in the second half of 2017 (the move, football season, coaching basketball). Excuses excuses. I did read a few books, but I never got around to writing posts about them. It is now early January and I am finally writing on the blog. I think it is worth back-dating them because I like to know when I read books, and writing these posts won't be too hard because I actually jotted down notes in the Note app on my phone (dorky I know). Without further ado...

I stumbled upon Good Calories, Bad Calories when I was searching for books on Amazon. It seemed controversial but very interesting. I have always been interested in nutrition so this was clearly right up my alley. The author attacks many common notions in nutrition - fats are bad, carbs are better, eat less, exercise more. Yet despite all this, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases are more prevalent than ever.  The author's opinion is that refined carbs (think white bread) and sugar are to blame, and that it is the kind of calories you consume rather than the amount.

He goes very in depth about the history of nutrition and where many common "facts" come from. He points out inconsistencies and controversies. Things like how Ancel Keys wiggled his way into the American Heart Association to push his theory that low-fat, low-cholesterol would reduce the risk for heart disease. His studies were inconclusive, but he was able to persuade the country. The author also points out many islands that had no diabetes, obesity, cancer, appendicitis, or other "western" diseases until those countries met traders who brought them sugars and refined carbs.

You can see how this can be controversial. I can see some bias as he tries to prove his point. That being said, this is probably the best nutrition book I have ever read. Very enlightening. However, it gets too detailed at times and is very technical later in the book. In fact, I could only read 15-20 pages at a time and I did not make it all the way to the end. This is not a book for the casual reader. For those in the nutrition field or who are genuinely interested, it is a worthwhile read. I wish he wrote this book in a more casual way.

My rating for Good Calories, Bad Calories: 4 stars out of 5. Get it here!

Quench Your Own Thirst by Jim Koch

One of my co-workers mentioned this book. I like Sam Adams and always admired the little I knew about the company. This book seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn more about Jim Koch and Sam Adams.

The book is about how Jim Koch started Sam Adams. It was a time before craft beer was even a thing. He left a successful career to brew his own beer (well, his grandfather's recipe). The story goes through the highs and lows as the business grew to become what it is today (1% of all beer sales).

I loved this book. Like could not put it down. I love business start-up books and Jim Koch had so many cool stories. There is so much that I did not know and it made me like Sam Adams even more. He still does things the right way. It is a very light read too. Highly recommended to anyone.

My rating for Quench Your Own Thirst: 5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven

A Father's Day special here. My dad asked for this book as a Father's Day gift. Not knowing anything about it, I figured I would read it before giving it to him next week. This task was made even easier once the book arrived from Amazon and it was the size of a card with pretty big font and only 100 pages. Also good for those who don't really like to read : )

Admiral William H. McRaven had a long career in the Navy. A few years ago, he gave the commencement speech at the University of Texas. It went so well that his speech was turned into this book. Make Your Bed, with the subtitle "little things that can change your life...and maybe the world", expands upon the stories and ten lessons shared during the commencement speech. The lessons are simple, but we often forget the most simple principles to live by.

The first point in the book is to make your bed. He explains the tradition of making your bed in the military, which I'm sure many people know. The message is not about actually making your bed, but accomplishing a small task first thing in the morning. Starting your day on the right foot. Taking pride in even the most simple tasks. And if you have a bad day, at least your return to a bed well made.

In my opinion, the "make your bed" lesson was the best one of the ten lessons in the book. The book ends with the script from his commencement speech. Truthfully, I liked that better than the expanded version in the book. That being said, the book is selling very well and I recognize this is a way to capitalized off of a successful viral moment (although I am sure he was paid handsomely as the speaker).

In summary, not the best book but also not the worst book. I do think it makes for a good Father's Day gift. I hope my dad enjoys it!

My rating for Make Your Bed: 2.5 stars out of 5. Get it here!