Non-Fiction for the soul

by Shelley Civkin Richmond Public Library

Other Columns Autotalk by Jeremy Cato and Rob MacGregor Good Living In the Garden by Barry Peters New on the Net by Richmond Public Library Staff

This week's helping of new books at Richmond Public Library will appeal to a variety of readers. For those of you who watch "The View" television show, you'll be familiar with Star Jones, the gutsy, ultra-confident and often sassy giver of advice. Her new book You have to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything, is filled with the hard-earned, homespun wisdom she regularly dispenses on "The View". Drawing on her own personal stories, Jones shares life lessons and basic truths that have sustained her through all kinds of adversity. She challenges readers to give themselves permission to be strong, and stand up for their beliefs. In her typically controversial, outspoken, funny and inspirational way, she touches on subjects as varied as racism, family, politics, religion and friendship. Her candour is refreshingly smart and appealing. An uplifting and empowering book.

The long-awaited companion book to Susan Jeffers' Feel the fear and do it anyway is finally out. It's called Feel the fear...and beyond. The second book is every bit as good as the first and well worth the read. Offering step-by-step, active, concrete advice, Jeffers' book speaks to all of us. Using easy to understand concepts, Jeffers offers positive help for people with irrational fears, large and small. Her theories are based on the belief that people can actually overcome fear, not just learn to cope with it. Believing in the power of positive attitude, Jeffers suggests taking chances and risks in order to take charge of our fears. Understanding the basis for our fears helps us to conquer them, according to Jeffers. This highly practical, life-changing book gives those who suffer from fear, a way out of their emotional prisons.

If you need a bit of levity and laughter in your life, pick up Kate Clinton's newest book called Don't get me started. This self-proclaimed feminist, humorist, lesbian went from teaching English to washing windows to doing stand-up comedy. And good thing, too, because her quick-witted humor would have been lost on those high school English students. For those who appreciate off-beat, irreverent and sometimes off-color humor, Clinton is definitely laugh-out-loud funny. She offers advice like "Never come out to your father in a moving vehicle", and refers to gay marriage as "Mad Vow disease". While this book is certainly not to everyone's taste, it's bound to tickle the funny bone of open-minded people who are not easily offended.

For those who suffer from chronic or occasional pain, there's new hope. Foods that fight pain by Dr. Neal Barnard, the author of the popular Eat right, live longer and Food for life, offers a revolutionary approach to healing. Barnard claims that by using common foods, traditional supplements and herbs, people can lessen and even cure pain. He outlines which foods typically contribute to pain and suggests how to avoid them. With a nice selection of menus and recipes to browse through, the reader will learn how to tackle everything from fibromyalgia to diabetes to backaches to shingles. Barnard doesn't exclusively discuss food; he also touches on the importance of exercise and rest. For those who are wondering, Barnard is a clinical researcher who travels around the world lecturing on nutrition and health.