A Review: Salt: A World History

Salt is generally associated with the table salt kind for most of us folk (NaCl, to be exact). And that association may get mixed reactions. Salt's reputation has undergone a range from positive to negative. Most of us take salt for granted and have limited exposure to its history and its variety or even the scientific definition of what a "salt" is. This book looks at salt and its most basic relationships with us humans its effect on human history.

I'll never forget my intro to macroeconomics class at UW with Larry Smith. The moment in particular that sticks vividly in my memory is when he talks about the value that people place in the pieces of paper and metal we call "money"; it's the illusion of value that we place on these items that gives them significance. The fact that 'money' gives us leverage to obtain the things that we want/need, is the source of power that these paper and little metal pieces hold over us. Logically, things that are not critical to life or are abundant and easily attainable, have a lower value than that which is critical to life. The good ol' concept of "supply and demand" varies on products or services so a currency is established to bring things to a "standard". These days, we (North Americans) generally don't trade or barter but create value in the bills and coins that become our currency to obtain things (it's a bit more complicated than that but that's the jist of it).

Our omnipotent friends Supply and Demand

All animals require some salt in their diet; herbivores require much more than carnivores as carnivores obtain much of the salt from their diets. In addition, size of the animal and the climate will also affect the needed salt intake. Specifically for humans, we not only ingest salt as part of a biological need but we used it to preserve our food, grow our crops and livestock. The average human requires 1,500-3,200 mg of sodium (3/4 teaspoon - 1 teaspoon) of salt a day (many of us get way more but that's a whole other story). There are two primary needs of salt, from our bodies: nerve and muscular function (hello, high school science!).

You can see, that it's necessary that humans consume salt, at the very least, in order to function. Which is why I think the book has a great deal of significance for us to understand our historical (and current) relationship with salt.

There is a vast amount of information concerning salt available. To present it in a manner that is both comprehensive and comprehensible, Kurlansky has to amass all the information and then distil, filter and rearrange it in a manner that makes sense to a reader. He walks the reader through the history, starting from the earliest available, to the current. But it isn't a simple dump of incidents. He makes it very complete by adding in specific excerpts and images concerning the topic and takes us around the world to different civilizations. I found the organization to be logical and effective. However, some parts of the written pieces felt forced and too dry--it was as if he was missing the segue of content from one place to the next.

Overall, I'd say that the read was enlightening but I would have been happier reading this type of (reference-y) book through a physical book rather than an e-book.

A Review: the Other Boleyn Girl

This book by Phillipa Gregory is probably her most notable volume about the Royalty of Britain. I haven't read any of her other works so I have little to compare to in terms of similar author style. However, following my trip to England in 2011, I developed an intense obsession interest about King Henry VIII and his six wives--particularly Queen Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Even though I know the outcome of the story, it didn't stop me from reading and watching. I picked up the Showtime series "The Tudors" since it was originally the one I wanted to watch and I also found the 2008 on-screen movie for "The Other Boleyn Girl". As I mentioned, Henry had 6 wives in total but the most notable coupling was with Anne Boleyn because it changed the the face of marriage, the English monarchy and religion.

It is no secret that King Henry VIII's objective was to have a son in order to have a legitimate Tudor king rule England. Catherine of Aragon was unable to provide him a living male heir, though, I believe she had taken to child six times during their time together; only Princess Mary survived to rule. As with any monarchy, they are surrounded by ambitious courtiers who work hard at gaining favour with the king. Anne Boleyn manages to not only seduce the king, but is Henry's cause for breaking with the Roman Catholic Church and becoming the head of the English church. (They argued that the marriage with Queen Catherine was invalid because she married his brother Arthur first.) But, readers are shown that this game is a dangerous one to play and one could be in the king's favour one moment and then out, the next. Even faster than the relationship was established, it came crashing down and Anne was tried and convicted of adultery, treason and sentenced to death by beheading.

There have been many books written about this ruling monarch and Anne Boleyn. The generally accepted events and details of history are reflected throughout the book as the solid skeleton and the rest of the story is brought to life through Gregory's interpretation and imagination. It's an interesting take to have a secondary character in history take on the narrative of the story. Instead of having the story told by Anne, we see events unfold through the eyes of Anne's sister, Mary. To enhance the sequence of events, each chapter is a specific season and thus range from a few pages in length to a dozen or more.

Since the book is categorized as historical fiction, one can assume the actual thoughts and specific actions that took place; such as the miscarriages of Lady Anne. The horrid dark and criminal actions that the Bolyen children did in the book are all speculation about what might have happened. I'm not a historian and not that well versed in the exact details of the history here but I do know the basics about what happened so the rest, I take as fiction. The two most impressing features that were made very clear to me was the inequality of women and men during the time, and the lack of medical and scientific/biological understanding. Men owned everything and the only way a woman could have a good life was through the man that she was betrothed to, by her family. Women and girls were just pawns in their family's ambition to climb that ladder towards fame, fortune and wealth and if they didn't like that idea, "there would always be another girl ready to take the place of the waning one". Fathers and uncles essentially pimped out their daughters and nieces to advance their own careers and family ambition. The other thing was the extreme lack of medical and biological/scientific understanding. It was crazy for me to read that pregnant women were considered so fragile that their partners (in particular, the king) would take another woman to his bed during her pregnancy and then the last few months she's go into a sort of 'hiding' where they were restricted bed rest and staying indoors in the dark.

The 2008 movie made was a really poor translation of the book and if I could get back that ~90 minutes or so, I'd gladly take it back. The Showtime series on the other hand is very well done despite being adjusted and manipulated for a television audience. The acting by Jonathan Rhys Myers is outstanding and worth watching. He isn't your typical historical Henry VIII (i.e. fat in his later years) but the intensity of character is amazing to witness. The costume and sets are also worth the visual opulence and breath-taking scenes.

When I asked a friend who had read a few of Gregory's books, she mentioned to me that the fiction part tends to be formulaic, predictable and lacking real substance. But, the history and culture that the reader could gain is well worth the compensation. And for those equestrian readers, there were no motorized vehicles so talking about their 'hunters' and the time it took to prepare to travel (by horse), the hunting on horseback... it was nice to imagine what that might have been like ;)

A Review: 5 Love Languages

Here's another book that I didn't pick up intentionally by my own accord. This book was most recently recommended me by a friend when I was frustrated when communicating with my dad. My friend recommended me that I take a gander at 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman to better understand what "love" needs people have on an emotional level. He's not the first one to recommend this book... a university room-mate made the same recommendation and I dismissed it as being some hippie-dippy stuff that is probably a waste of money and time. But, I've become a lot less picky about this sort of thing and hence, more open-minded (but the scientist in me hasn't disappeared and I still go in with a critical eye--and my own preconceived notions about "love").

First, when I went to look for it at the library, I had to wait several months until a copy was available for me. Here's the stats about how popular it is... there are 18 copies in the Toronto Public Library (TPL) system and there are well over 100 holds currently and borrowing a book is generally done in 3 week blocks. I was surprised, but I could wait since it wasn't a read that I was super excited about.

When I finally received the email that it had come in, I was a bit reluctant to go and pick it up. Then, when I got it, I was surprised about how small the book actually is. It's under 200 pages and a chunk of those are the quizzes to help readers assess their own primary "love language". I finished the book in 3 days.

Now, for some explanation... I am getting married this September and before everyone gets images of green meadows, rainbows and bunny rabbits, I'd like to clarify that I'm the furthest from being "lovey dovey". I just want to get this party over with so I can get on with my life. I dove into the book and Mr. Chapman starts going on about married couples and all that marriage counselling stuff; I was really put off. I thought, "ugh, is this going to be bunch of emotionally driven jargon that is going to tell me to talk about my feelings and turn me into a blubbering (I apologize in advance...) lady mess?" Because I really needed that. But, cynicism aside, I found the book insightful and powerful.

Getting past the fluffy marriage stuff and "in-love" thing, I was able to distil the central message of the book: there are 5 primary love languages (with different dialects) and each individual (and perhaps animals?), adult or child, has a basic emotional need to feel loved, wanted and appreciated. These principals are not only applicable for the married couple alone, but for all people. You learn that the information he's presenting is applicable for everyone for all relationships. Chapman also has written variations of what this book talks about... there is even a "men's edition" for those finicky husbands who think that this "hippie-dippy" stuff is below them. I haven't read it so I'm not sure how different it is but I do know that the typical man thinks and perceives things differently. In addition, there are variations of this concept but properly accommodated for the different relationships that exist... like parent-child, single person, employee-employer.

In terms of execution of the book... I love that it's short and concise. It's also simply written with examples of people and at the end of each chapter, an activity for the reader to reflect and think. In addition, there are directions about activities one can try, based on that chapter. It's like a workbook too. You're probably also wondering... how do I assess my own love language? There's two profiles in the back of the book (one for wives and another for husbands) and you can go online to do the profiling test and get sent an email about your results.

While this book is light reading in some regards because I'm coming from the perspective of being someone who doesn't have major relationship issues, I have a different perspective about it. I do like that Chapman actually has a chapter about "what if our relationship is too far gone? Can I love someone whom I hate?" I won't tell you what he says but he really rounds out the book well in terms of starting with "what is this fluttery 'in love' feeling?" to "the 5 love languages and their dialects" to "how do I love someone unlovable?". As I've said before, it's a good opportunity to learn, if nothing else.

There are no claims that you or your other half will be perfectly speaking the other's 'love language' 24/7, once you've read the book... as we know: we all make plenty of mistakes regularly, and love is a choice... but we'll be better prepared to understand that other person on what drives them to do what they do. And perhaps, you might just have an improved relationship in general.

A Review: Looptail

I always believed our company culture could change the world. That freedom and happiness would transcend what we do and create a company capable of extraordinary things. 

-- Bruce Poon-Tip

The first time I saw this book, I saw (what seemed like) an employee of G-Adventures reading it during his morning commute into (as Bruce refers to it) Base Camp in Toronto. Although he seemed thoroughly engrossed in his read, my first thought was "oh great... another fat-cat who thinks that he did the world a favour by telling us his story". Naturally, I didn't bother to look it up. But, I've travelled through G-Adventures before... They took +ADW and I to visit (for the complete series of posts) Peru to experience Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail, the Amazon and the Nazca Lines. As much as I enjoy nature and outdoor activities... I have absolutely no interest in camping; it is so low on my list of happy activities that I swore it off permanently. But, climbing the Inca Trail required me to adjust for 4 days, to sleeping on the ground and using nature's outhouse. It was possibly the most inspiring 4 days of my life and I would climb into the Andes again, in a heartbeat.

As I said, I didn't have interest to pick up the book but I love what G-Adventures stands for. I've always identified with what they do as an organization through their core principles as their guiding light to whatever they do. It's revolutionary, to say the least. However, I received the book as part of a talk Bruce did in Toronto last year on the Future of Tourism. I missed his 2012 talk because I had a night class but I was determined not to miss the 2013 one. In short, at the end of the touching and inspiring lecture, he gifted everyone in the audience a copy of the book and I went home with it and put it on my shelf with the determination that I'd read it... eventually.

I'm so glad that I decided to pick it up for 2014 because his concepts and ideas wholly resonate with me. I have the highest levels of admiration for what he does, as an entrepreneur; he didn't just come up with an idea and then worked for a decade or so... he created something, built it from the ground up, dove fully into his concept, made enemies (and won them over or totally blew them away with his innovation) and even recreated himself and the company several times! Through his journey, he rarely took the "easy" route out and continued to forge ahead with his directive to make the world a better place, through travel and tourism. Overall, I found the read incredibly spiritual and inspiring. I'm not a religious person by nature but I do have a good deal of what some consider "spirituality" and reading about his journey and thoughts really spoke to me as a person/at my core; my biggest inspirations from his book is to "pay it forward" and "Do the right thing". It's hard to express my personal feelings and experiences from reading Looptail but I am energized and inspired to do better than I've been doing so far.

Moving away from how the book made me feel, I would discuss opinions about the actual execution of his writing and the book content. The first thing is that I felt the first chapter or so was forced and didn't flow like the rest of the book. I wonder if I had to adjust to his style because he writes the way he speaks. When you read Looptail, it's like you're in a hall listening to Bruce speak about his beliefs and experiences. He doesn't use particularly eloquent prose--he writes succinctly and simply and, as if he's speaking to you directly; it's a very personal approach. He went a step further and built a web page that compliments the book by adding an audio-visual aspect that is otherwise missing from a book. When he talks about a project that Planeterra launched or the lip-dubs that his company makes, globally, he makes reference to a link on that web page. It's definitely a great way to enhance the written word and provide ever changing content to readers turned fans/believers.

I love even more, that through all his actions, experiences and thoughts, you see the quintessential struggles of an immigrant growing up in Canada and then succeeding and excelling through entrepreneurship, by not only harnessing the wanderlust of Canadians, but all the global citizens through a common purpose of learning about other cultures while having an adventure in the most sustainable and responsible way possible. As Bruce mentions, travelling, learning and experiencing other cultures helps us develop as compassionate and learned individuals who will be able to see the world for its diversity and similarity simultaneously. Further, it helps us become better individuals in whatever it is we do on a daily basis because we experience outside of our little bubble. We become driven to do better for not just what we see, but everyone (and everything) around us; it's what he calls the 'Looptail'.

As I've said, it's tough to put into words, one's spiritual experiences and I think there are moments where if you're a non-believer, this book can be a hard sell. To fully embrace the Looptail is not something everyone will take away from this book... but it certainly is a good start for anyone who just wants to expose themselves to something unconventional that is wildly successful... or just for someone who needs a fresh perspective on the world as it is today.

A Review: Catching Fire

I am pretty sure I've been reading Njal's Saga for months now. So, I decided to take a break and read one of the books on my list that I knew I'd finish quickly: Suzanne Collins' Catching Fire. This is the second installment to the trilogy of the Hunger Games and I got through the first one so fast that I figured it would be the same here. I was not wrong.

Written in (logically) the same style, the narration was done in first person perspective in the present; Katniss is not telling a story but rather, experiencing the events. Hence, we are experiencing them simultaneously. I said before, that this is perhaps the most effective way to bring in a reader by getting us to feel and think like Katniss. This the the type of story though, that can be difficult to capture on screen.

I watched the movie the minute I finished the book and that was the thing... I noticed that if I had not read the book, I probably would have been somewhat confused and not gotten the amount of insight into Katniss' motives for doing things. However, the movie was done reasonably well in terms of the cinematography, costumes, sets and casting; it also provided a visual basis for me when I read. But, I felt that the characters were one-dimensional, after having read the book.

The book does a much better job at pacing the story along with a build-up of what's happened since Katniss and Peeta won the games. You experience the lives they live/d and get an appreciation for life of the Seam and even the Victory Tour. I think it was nearly half the book that was spent on life in the Seam and the thoughts and events between the 74th and 75th Hunger Games. I liked this because I got way more in-depth with what's happened and how much has changed. The reader also gets a much better appreciation for the time that has passed. There is much more build up of the characters and the turn of events. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't portray this well and I felt like we were quickly pushed into the games. There was a lot that was missing from the book, that the movie just either skimmed over, or all together skipped. It was kind of disappointing because I felt that the things they did skip really added to the plot and characters.

Because they skipped so much, I felt that they didn't have the opportunity to really develop Peeta's character. I'd say of all the characters so far, he has developed the most and you really see more depth of his character and motives in the book, than you do on-screen. On-screen, it's as if they just put a lot of Gale shots in there to remind us that he's the more quintessential manly man that every girl pines over, in the Seam. Then, to pull us back on #teampeeta, they alter the story about how Gale gets those lashings in the square. They force #teampeeta on you instead of letting his actions do the talking. I love Peeta not because Josh Hutcherson is a cutie but because when I read about his character in the book, I am so moved with who he is becoming.

I can't wait to read the next one but they've split the last book into TWO movies!! One comes out this fall and then the second one finishes in the fall of 2015. Since I like to read the book just before seeing the movie, this is going to be a long time to wait...!

A Review: Reaching the Animal Mind

I picked up this book with the intention to better understand the positive reinforcement branch of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning was coined by the behaviourist B.F. Skinner. Skinner believed that internal thoughts and motivations could not be used to explain behaviour; basically his theory explained how we acquire the range of learned behaviours we exhibit daily. It's insightful to see these theories applied to creatures big and small.

Karen Pryor's ethological expertise gives her an edge to train animals, that is traditionally out of reach from the "old school" trainers. She understands basic biology and behaviour of the animal and is able to leverage that information when training. It's interesting to read her experiences with dolphins of varying species, fish, octopi, dogs, ponies (presumably horses too), cats and even humans. The chapters are made up of mini stories and exhibit examples of what she is trying to convey in both detail and a particularly honest tone; she lays out her thinking process as well as her outcomes--successful or not. She gains a reader's attention and trust quickly... as if she's telling you the story directly!

Her subject is, as the title outlines, reaching (deep into) the animal mind; humans included. Her initial foray into the training is kind of accidental and developed based purely on her innate scientific mind, if you will. She doesn't have a formal graduate degree in animal behaviour or the such but she's keen and observant and thinks critically of what she perceives. The concept of her training is derived through the animal's natural behaviours and then positively reinforced, to encourage those favourable behaviours. Her story telling method builds through small blocks (much like clicker training!) and aids the reader to understand. To further enhance the stories and observations, she has a website that lists references and resources about the chapter topics as well as videos of exactly what happened.

The best part about it? You can take something away, after completing the book and start your own clicker training. And if you don't, you have a renewed insight into the mind as well as animals as thinking, reacting and feeling creatures. The training success is incredible; animals learn at an astonishing rate. I have enlisted Buckingham on my clicker training trek and we are working on a few novel tricks and "good behaviours". Yes, Buckingham is a cat; and he's completely trainable. Most cats already have many desirable behaviours but when you want to have some fun with the little guy, clicker training is by far the best way to teach a cat. After all, when has punishment ever worked on a cat? Good luck to ya.

Clicker training goes beyond just telling an animal to do something because you said so... you develop a teacher and student relationship where you are asking him to think about what it is that you want of it and then associating a cue with that behaviour. He is happy to do it b/c he successfully learned it on his own and received something from it--he's basically playing! And what creature doesn't enjoy playing and then getting treats from it?

Karen doesn't just stop at how to accomplish this technique through plenty of examples but she looks into the science/biology behind it. She seeks out members of the academic arena to better understand the way the clicker training works and you have proof that this isn't just some whacky hippie science based on anecdotal observations. In my opinion, the only way to be sure that you're not just imagining things.

A Review: Cat Sense

Have you ever thought about what your cat is thinking about, when he's looking at you? Or what he does all day when you're not home? I am curious about what goes on, inside my kitty's brain and why he'll go and do one thing while it doesn't seem to logically make sense to me. I read the Cat Whisperer last month and learned a great deal about why cats do what they do and how to address some of the less desirable consequences of not meeting their basic requirements.

John Bradshaw is the writer of Cat Sense and his book takes a slightly varied approach to Mieshelle's book. In Cat Sense, it's more about the cat as a species, its history of coming to be and includes many factual studies done, to discuss the details of what he is talking about. The breakdown of the book is well thought out and flows well, too. We start about the history of cat and move to cats of the future and go through everything else in between. Bradshaw is thorough in his details and it is clear a lot of research has been done on his part. I like that he includes a few illustration scattered throughout the book where helpful and the various "extras" that he includes in boxes throughout the book. His writing style is clear and easy enough to read for the average reader and the prose he chooses is simple enough for even the non-science types.

I felt like every sentence was teaching me something new. He isn't about dumping a bunch of facts for you to read... no, this is not a text book but rather a critical collection of feline history and behaviour compiled through a logical and thoughtful concept and a logical hypothesis made. A lot of his musings are just that... thoughts and questions based on both what he andecdotaly observes combined with scientific research that he pulls in. He provides a good deal of food for thought about some of the current practices that humans employ, to control unwanted cat breeding and reflects both sides of the debate. I found myself critically questioning things I believe and support right now. It gives a different perspectives and either further reaffirms what I think, or encourages me to reflect about some of the perspectives I hold.

The best piece of information I learned was that our cats view us as a type of surrogate mom and giant non-hostile cat. This all makes sense because mother cats and their kittens are very close and I've seen daughters stay with their mothers for the long term but I rarely see males of the family stick around. I wonder if Buckingham tells his friends that he's got two mommys.

If you have a cat or just have a wonder of what makes animals tick, you'll find this read informative and enlightening. I'd highly recommend all cat owners to pick this book up so they can learn about their fuzzy feline friend!

I couldn't resist!
This is both hilarious and common of what people
think of cats.

A Reading Rainbow

I was unsuccessful in fulfilling my late 2013 goal of completing 9 books by December 31st. I finished 7 novels and a stack of graphic novels, which I didn't write about. In case you're wondering, the series included volumes from: Gotham Central, Criminal and Fables. I have so many books which I still need to read... so my theme for this year is to read books on my book shelf and complete the ones which the book club at work will draw on a monthly basis. Hopefully I'll be able to get through at least 14 for the year and if I read more, then hurrah for me!

Check out my Book Club page for updates and new listings.

Onwards into 2014

When I started this blog, I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to write about. I did know though, that this would be an outlet for things that interest me and projects that I undertake to improve myself. I had just turned 30 and decided it was time to take control of my life beyond what I was doing the last decade; it was now or never. We're on year 3 now and upon brief reflection, I realize that my blog subjects focus around a few primary subjects: equestrian, travel, photography, and facts and stories (through books or otherwise).

I think I've done well for myself so far but this isn't close to being a lifetime of information yet! So, onwards to improving, growing and learning. I have made a series of resolutions and goals for myself that will continue to push me in my journey of things that help me drive this blog. As well, with an audience, I'll be much more likely to be held accountable for my promises as I do hate to break them... more out of pride than anything else. So, here goes:

• Plan my fitness regimen for the week and execute as expected. One of these must be yoga.
• Practice my piano diligently daily so I am able to play at a deeper level and excel at a level that I never accomplished previously.
• Sleep at designated times daily, as per my weekly plan.
• Take more pictures of people. Get out of my comfort zone of standard landscape. Seek to find the 'mesmerizing' and 'beautiful' in people (a difficult feat for someone like me!).
• Read more. And not just the types of books I'd tend towards or are already comfortable with. Always be reading something and learning. Get bold!
• Back off from over-eating... this is tough because I love to eat a lot. The main reason that comes up for this one... I don't waste food and I don't waste my time having to work off the excess caloric intake.
• Stay positive when the worst (or annoying) looks imminent or likely.
• Even though I'm very much the perfectionist when I do things and am not likely to "get out there" until I deem everything to be perfect, I resolve to enroll in the in-house horse show if there is opportunity to do so.
• Get proficient and confident enough to get out on a hack this summer.
• Start 2 lessons (or bi-weekly restart) per week once Old Man Winter decides to retreat for the next several months.

I sure hope that I'm able to follow through without too much of a struggle... already the first few have been posing a real challenge. But, as my title, onwards!