There may be a correlation, but you’re not sure. Do wrinkles directly contribute to crabbiness?  Can the sprouting of gray hair cause a general miasma? And why do people think “Senior Moments” are so darn funny? You wonder, because you’ve spotted another wrinkle and two more grey hairs, you forgot where your keys are, and there’s nothing humorous about that. But getting older has its benefits, says Marc E. Agronin, MD. In his new book “How We Age”, he takes a look at aging – not from your body’s POV, but from your brain’s perspective. Growing up in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, Marc... (Read More ...)

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam. A half-hour a day, that’s all you need. If you could somehow cram that extra thirty minutes into your already-overscheduled day, you might have a chance to get everything done. But alas, that’s not possible because  you’re crazy-busy with never enough time. Isn’t everybody? No, says author Laura Vanderkam. As a matter of fact, there are people busier than you, and they find plenty of time to volunteer, start businesses, and run marathons. In the new book “168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think”, she explains how... (Read More ...)

You’ve been looking for something for days. The last time you had it, you put it down here. Right here, and now you can’t find it. But that’s no surprise. You’re always shifting a pile of something from table to counter to desk and back, and inevitably, things get lost. As soon as you get some of those plastic bins, you’ll get organized. A little mess is normal, right? Well, that depends on how much “a little” is. In Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things, authorsRandy O. Frost and Gail Steketee take a fascinating look at how even the smallest of possessions can make... (Read More ...)

The recipe is the original, in her handwriting. You’ve figured out that a “handful” equals one cup and a “pinch” is a quarter teaspoon. You’ve measured and spooned and sifted faithfully. So why can’t you get anything to taste the way Grandma made it?  You wish she was around to tell. What mysterious addition made food different when it came from her kitchen? Ask Rose. There’s always something extra in her food, but in the new book “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake” by Aimee Bender, it’s rarely edible. It started on the cusp of Rose Edelstein’s ninth birthday. Rose’s... (Read More ...)

The story Why does it always happen? You find a television show you like. The characters are appealing or irritating (in a good way), the plot isn’t moronic, and it’s fun to re-hash episodes with your co-workers the morning after. And they cancelled it. It always happens. Maybe the show was too controversial. Maybe it got cancelled because the ratings were low. Or maybe, as you’ll see in the new novel “Ape House” by Sara Gruen, it was cancelled for more sinister reasons.  Read More →