BookOpinion

BOOKOPINION REVIEW: The idea of shrinking my waist (and other body parts) in two weeks is definitely appealing. As someone who has exercised most of my adult life, I was really intrigued with “The 12 Second Sequence” by Jorge Cruise. And I have to tell you, I was really impressed with the indepth explanations, exercise programs and dietary info in this rather revolutionary approach to obtaining a healthy, energetic body.

Cruise believes that the key to becoming fit is resistance training but that it has to be efficient in order to develop lean muscle tissue and burn belly fat. He quickly outlines the three biggest myths about getting fit: 1. The more aerobics myth; 2. The more reps myth; and 3. The more sessions myth. Okay, toss those ideas out the window. The solution, according to Cruise, is Controlled Tension which produces full muscle saturation. This routine combines slow cadence lifting and static contraction with circuit training for a complete, full-body workout. These combined components will allow you to work your entire body in two 20-minute weekly sessions.

How to do the 12 Second Sequence is explained in thorough detail. You are provided with workout logs to ensure that you are indeed working your entire body. And you will discover how to avoid the Fat Trap, control your food portions and which foods actually act as fuel and why they are so crucial to achieving success on this program.

“12 Second Sequence” includes tons of exercises, many of which can be done with no additional equipment. You will learn how to count as you work out, how to breathe properly and at what intensity you should be working. There is also a great section of Frequently Asked Questions as well as a chapter of delicious sounding recipes. Included is an Ideal Foods List and even a Fast/Frozen Foods List for people on the go (who isn’t?) or evenings when you’re just too busy to prepare a home cooked meal.

Cruise is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, “8 Minutes in the Morning” and “The 3-Hour Diet” and coaches clients daily at 12second.com. His guest appearances include: Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, Good Morning America, Today, Dateline NBC, The View, The Tyra Banks Show and VH1. Quite impressive!

Most things that sound too good to be true…well, you know the adage. But I have to admit, “12 Second Sequence” is worth a try. The program seems to be based on solid science and is recommended by Dr. Mehmet Oz, co-author of “You: On a Diet.” At any rate, if you’re looking for an unorthodox way to get fit or just disgusted with your old routine that may not be working, then you might want to check out this book. I think I will start next week…if you decide to try it also, keep me posted, please! We can compare progress reports!

– Elizabeth Channery

BOOKOPINION REVIEW: “God is a Verb” – Buckminster Fuller.

“Raw” is the first instinctive definition that appeals to me when I try to characterize my feelings about “The Shack” by William P. Young. And not just raw in the traditional sense…raw emotions, raw pain, etc. But ruthlessly honest, words honed to a fine point somewhere beyond what one is capable of reasoning.

This intriguing story opens with a camping trip involving Mack, his son Josh, daughter Kate and the beautiful little six year old, Missy. But when Mack momentarily turns his back on Missy to rescue his son from drowning in an overturned canoe, Missy is silently abducted and, being unfound by a massive search, finally assumed brutally murdered by a serial killer. This tragedy throws Mack into a downward spiral of what he refers to as “The Great Sadness” and his constant companion, “if only, if only.” Eventually, the family begins, in some measure, to cope with the situation and appears to move forward. Nan, Mack’s wife, whose relationship with God is her constant source of comfort, actually even refers to Him lovingly as “Papa.” But Mack is different. His relationship with God is broken and bitter and he functions merely because it is a necessity to do so. And then, suddenly, everything changes.

Mack receives a note….from Papa, instructing Mack to meet Him at the shack where Missy had been murdered. And now, reason flees from Mack. God wrote a note? Was this someone’s idea of a really horrible, sadistic joke? Since when does God write letters? And without realizing it, Mack has made a decision…he will go. He doesn’t wish to disclose to Nan what has occurred and, fortuitously, she decides to take Josh and Kate to visit her sister and extend spring break by a week.

As soon as Nan and the children have left, Mack begins making plans for the trip. He then packs up a four wheel drive Jeep and heads out for northeastern Oregon, the last place on earth he wishes to revisit. But when he arrives, he doesn’t find exactly what he expects. As he begins the climb to the cabin, winter begins to disappear. Instead of ice and snow and leaden skies, there are summer wildflowers blossoming everywhere. And the shack has now become a beautiful little log cabin, surrounded by pungent herbs and fragrant flowers. Mack now suspects he is having a psychotic break.

The front door opens and Mack is confronted by a large, African-American woman who immediately lifts him off his feet, spins him around and professes her delight in seeing him. Within seconds, Mack meets a fragile looking, Asian woman and a middle eastern man dressed like a laborer. Who are these people? They obviously expected to see Mack, they know him, seemingly quite well, but he is a bit overwhelmed and questions are gathering in his mind.

When the large black woman introduces herself as “Elousia” Mack is bewildered. Then she tells Mack to just call her what Nan does. This is “Papa?” And the laborer? He tells Mack to call Him Jesus if he likes or even Yeshua. And the Asian woman indentifies herself as Sarayu, keeper of the gardens. When Mack is finally able to ask “Which one of you is God”, all three respond in unison, “I am”.

What follows must surely be pure fantasy. Or is it? Is Mack having a complete breakdown? Or could this be true that God is responding to the pain in Mack’s heart? And how is Mack going to be healed if this is truth? What will this journey cost him? And what will be the gain?

“The Shack” is well written, evenly paced and frankly, shocking. The characters are well drawn, the humor is fantastic and the story breaks your heart. I think William P. Young stepped outside of himself when he wrote this book and wanted to see God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, whatever you want to call it, in a new light. He definitely succeeded. It’s not quite like any other book I’ve ever read…at times I would think, “Aha, C.S. Lewis” and then turn the page and retract that conviction.

I think everyone who reads “The Shack” will come away with something unique for themselves alone, something very personal. If you choose to read it, please don’t skip. Every word is alive with meaning, every expression, enlightening. Do I recommend it? Absolutely!

– Elizabeth Channery

BOOKOPINION REVIEW: If you are tired of begging, pleading and nagging your children to eat your veggies, “Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food” by Jessica Seinfeld offers a collection of recipes that might end your daily food fracas. Jessica Seinfeld, wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld and a mother of three, basically took baby food one step farther. She cleverly hids veggie, fruit and bean puree in a variety of breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert fare.

Basically, Seinfeld spends one evening per week preparing enough purees to last her for a week’s worth of meals. Then she just pops them out of baggies or containers and mixes them with food to create kid-friendly items such as macaroni and cheese, mini pizzas, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken nuggets and so on. For example, she hides carrot puree in the mix when she makes hamburgers and blends butternut squash into a cheese sauce to create macaroni and cheese.

Because my children actually eat and enjoy their veggies, my primary purpose for buying the cookbook was to sample the desserts. I figure they usually get dessert anyway, it might as well be healthier. So far I have tried the Blueberry Oatmeal Bars, which not only contain healthy blueberries but spinach as well. They taste like regular cereal bars and you would never know the spinach was there. I also tried the marshmallow crispy treats, which used brown rice cereal in place of the traditional Rice Krispies. She also mixes in flaxseed meal. This new version tasted more like popcorn balls or sweet rice cakes than the traditional treat, but you could not taste flaxseed at all, and my kids loved them. That was good enough for me.

So far, we are enjoying the cookbook. The recipes I have tried were easy and yummy. I really want to try her homemade chocolate pudding. She mixes in avocado of all things. The fried rice balls (with hidden sweet potato and spinach) look promising, as well. Overall, “Deceptively Delicious” is a well-designed, fun cookbook with a bunch of good ideas.

–Jane Leisteiner