Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible - 4 stars

When I started reading Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible by J. Warner Wallace, it was with my carpool group. Reading a book out loud on our daily drive offered a chance to not only read but discuss what we read. We found the book interesting and the premise different than others on the topic. As a cold-case homicide investigator, the author brought his investigative expertise to the subject of Jesus and why he still matters even to a world that rejects the Bible. He approached it like he would a cold case.

 

Covid put a crimp in carpooling reading group. Due to lockdowns and social distancing, we set the book aside. We thought we’d be back in the car within a couple of weeks, but those weeks turned into months and years. It sat, but I still pondered the findings offered by the author, that even without the New Testament, evidence that Jesus matters in a world that rejects the Bible still exists all over the place. I finally picked up the book and finished reading it on my own. I was not disappointed.

 

Wallace interlaced how he and his partner solved a cold case using innovative procedures and then applied them to the case for Jesus and whether or not he matters. To his surprise, Wallace uncovered evidence everywhere he looked that Jesus does matter. Our calendars, literature, the arts, songs and music, education, exploration, science, and more provided a wealth of evidence. Wallace reveals this wealth of evidence and shares how it transformed his thinking from atheist to believer.

 

 

This book held my interest with the unfolding of the cold case as it evolved from a missing person to suspected murder. The author applied the same techniques to Jesus and unpacked substantial evidence of how much Jesus influenced this world and what the evidence reveals about him. The book is also loaded with visual illustrations that hammer home the findings. I’d recommend this book to people who enjoy history, those who think Jesus was a good teacher, prophet, or something along those lines, people interested in religion, and even people who believe Jesus is the Son of God. This book offers something for everyone.

 

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It's a Date Cookbook for Couples - More than just a cookbook

 

I’m one of those people who make most meals from scratch at home. At times, my husband steps up and makes the meal, and we have a few what we call “fiddly” recipes that we make together, like egg fu young. So when offered an opportunity to review It’s a Date Cookbook for Couples by Crystal Schwanke I said, “Yes.” I was intrigued to see what approach the cookbook would take, and as a happily married woman (52 years in), let me say that just reading the introduction had me hooked.

 

More than just a cookbook

 

This book is much more than just a cookbook. Along with great food, it creates a whole new concept of “date night” with themed menus that offer uncomplicated recipes with minimal prep work. Along with recipes, Schwanke provides ideas for setting up kitchen workstations and the logistics of working together in the kitchen so that the flow becomes more of a dance than an accidental bumping into someone (unless you want to, that is) or feeling you are in the way. Handy prep and cooking tips like how to test cooking oil to determine if it is hot enough for frying French fries make for valuable cooking takeaways. It’s a Date Cookbook for Couples also offers (often overlooked in my case) ways to add hints of ambiance, as well as games and activities that generate unpredictable conversations, a few keepsakes, and maybe even some dancing! Nothing is stale about this experience.

 

Many of the recipes are unique (to me) and not difficult to make. Ingredient alternatives are provided, like adding chocolate chips instead of basil to the strawberry sorbet. However I decided not to prejudge recipes based on what I think I like or don’t like, and I was pleasantly surprised. For example, the Sweet Potato and Bacon Hash ingredients include kale. I am not a kale fan but, I tried the hash. The pairing of flavors popped into mouthwatering goodness that surprised both my husband and myself. The recipe for Garlic Herb Pinwheels was one of my husband's favorites. And from a cooking standpoint, I was thrilled to learn how easy it is to create Grilled Sesame-Crusted Tuna Steaks (exactly how I order them at the restaurant). And for the record, my favorite It’s a Date Cookbook for Couples dessert is the Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes, but the Whipped Ricotta with Grilled Peaches is delicious and light.

 

As for the activities, my husband typically shuns games for the most part, but the date night ideas offered in this book drew him in. For instance, “The Memories Around Us” activity first brought a smile to his face as I held a small, framed replica of a Good the Bad and the Ugly movie promo from the wall. I talked about how we saw the movie together when we were dating when it cost 99 cents to get in, and how he saw it twelve times at the theater because they allowed you to stay and watch the next run of the film over and over. We laughed. Then, I mentioned how when I was pregnant with our first child, we planned to name it Clint (after Eastwood) if it was a boy. We both chuckled again. It was a great activity carrying us along memory lane with laughs and fond reminiscences. If I were to pick a favorite activity, I would choose Compliments from Around the World. Be sure to check it out.

 

I recommend this book for couples who enjoy cooking and/or eating, couples looking for something new to do for date night, couples looking to add a little spice to their relationship, and those looking for something fun to do that allows them to stay within their budget. This book will make a great gift to give to couples, young, old, and in-between. I give it 5-stars for content and creativity. It’s found a spot on my “keeper” shelf of cookbooks.

 

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The Nourished Brain - hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s - 5 stars

 

The Nourished Brain: The Latest Science on Food’s Power for Protecting the Brain from Alzheimer’s and Dementia by Cheryl Musatto offers hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s and dementia, even for those with familial genetic markers. Author Cheryl Mussatto is one of those people. She lost her Mom to Alzheimer’s and her Dad to dementia. In this book, she combines her own experience with her parents and the stories of others who have lost loved ones to the ravages of dementia in its different forms. In the first chapter, she offers an introduction to Alzheimer’s, what it is, statistics on the prevalence, incidence, mortality, cost, and caregiving. For instance, I learned that “two-thirds of Americans over age 65 with Alzheimer’s dementia (3.4 million) are women.”

 

 

The rest of the chapters offer steps to age-proof your brain based on specific findings related to neurodegenerative disorders from researchers from around the world. Mussatto taps into her 25 years of expertise as a registered and licensed dietitian to offer beneficial dietary changes and other valuable lifestyle modifications to help round-out ways to preserve and protect the brain from dementia. She introduces the MIND diet, a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, which is based on studies that looked at using diet to delay or prevent dementia and is designed to protect the brain.

 

 

This book is a quick read. Its easy-to-understand language delivers helpful, useful nutritional and health information and guidance to implement it in everyday life. The final chapter even provides recipes to try. 

 

I give this book 5 stars and strongly recommend it to anyone who is health-conscious or interested in learning how to help fight the prospect of an Alzheimer's or dementia diagnosis in the future. I received this book as a free review, copy and this review is posted in collaboration with #BookTasters.

 

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