Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Oct 15

21

Review: Perspectives on Type 2 Diabetes by Zeena Nackerdien

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on October 21, 2015
Posted in Book Tours • Books Read in 2015 • Non-Fiction  | Tagged With: , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Perspectives on Type 2 Diabetes by Zeena Nackerdien:

Zeena Nackerdien

Publisher: Create Space (April 20,  2015)
CategoryNon-Fiction,  Health, Type 2 Diabetes, HIV, TB, Patient Empowerment
Tour Dates: October/November, 2015
ISBN: 978-1511734837
ASIN: B00WGR90VK
Available in: Print & ebook,  41 Pages

The rising socioeconomic toll of diabetes, in particular the Type 2 form of the disease, is reverberating around the world. A disease that has sporadically plagued mankind for centuries seems to have increased in prevalence in tandem with rapid economic transitions, notably in countries with the highest number of diabetics such as China and the USA.

This resource guide is comprised of information about diabetes in those countries as well as in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Africa. In addition, the latest antidiabetic therapies and infectious comorbidities associated with the disease are discussed in separate chapters. Scattered throughout the guide are fictional scenarios about challenges diabetics and their doctors might face in individualizing recommended management algorithms.

My Thoughts on Perspectives on Type 2 Diabetes by Zeena Nackerdien:

 

In the beginning of this book Zeena Nackerdien gives us perspective on how prevalent Type 2 Diabetes is in many different countries and continents including the U.S., China, the Middle East, and Africa. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are “29.1 million people who have diabetes” and there are many who don’t even know it.  Nackerdien also sites that “China has 96 million, India 66.8 million, and Africa 21 million.” 

Included in the short book is hope.  For people who have use of smart phones there are several apps that can help people make wiser food choices.  I know that my sister uses one because whenever I go to Minnesota to visit family, I see her use it.  In fact, when her and I go out she tells me how many calories is in just about everything we see.  LOL!  When she knows she skips all of her meals but the one.  It has been working for her for a few years now.  She has dropped a lot of weight and is totally off insulin.  

Nackerdien has also discussed newer science that is helping doctors and families find out how pre-disposed they are to diabetes.  If you know that you are at a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes, you can start making wiser food decisions.  There are also support groups that can help.

There are several signs you can watch for that may give you a clue that you may be diabetic.  Some include “increased urination, increased thirst, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, increased hunger, and sores that do not heal.” If you have any of these symptoms, you should talk with your doctor.  There are blood tests to diagnose if you have diabetes.  If you live in a western country, you most likely have easy access to all that I have mentioned.  It is much harder in other places like India and Africa.

This book and its companion ‘HIV/TB/Diabetes Resource Kit’ packs a lot of information into a short number of pages.  Some of it is aimed a bit more towards professionals and more of it is aimed at everyone else.  Most of it is easy to understand and gives many helpful suggestions to people who may have a disposition to or already have type 2 diabetes. This book is so empowering!!  In my opinion, ‘Perspectives On Type 2 Diabetes is a must read for anyone who is at risk for getting type 2 diabetes or those who have already been diagnosed as having it!

5/5

I received the ebook for my honest review.

Zeena NackerdienHIV/TB/Diabetes Resource Kit by Zeena Nackerdien:

Publisher: Create Space (April 23,  2015)
CategoryNon-Fiction,  Health, Type 2 Diabetes, HIV, TB, Patient Empowerment
Tour Dates: October/November, 2015
ISBN: 978-1511864060
ASIN:  B00WMNRDWG
Available in: ebook,  35 Pages

Who are the groups likely to be in the frontlines of either administering or receiving anti-HIV/AIDS-containing treatments for this disease and any associated comorbidities? The answer is frontline healthcare professionals, lay educators, and patients, especially in high-disease burden countries such as South Africa. While the reinvigorated national response to HIV/AIDS underscores the country’s commitment to the health crisis, the socioeconomic costs are likely to have a lasting impact on its citizens.

I have compiled a resource kit outlining some of the challenges faced in the treatment of patients with HIV, TB, and diabetes. In addition, the kit contains disease management and prevention tips suited for discussions with healthcare professionals, particularly in resource-poor settings.

About Zeena Nackerdien:Zeena Nackerdien

Zeena Nackerdien is a dual US and South African citizen. She obtained a PhD degree in Biochemistry from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. Zeena has been a research chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland and a senior research associate at The Rockefeller University in New York.

She is the author of several publications in scientific journals and two poetry collections, “Mist Over Peace” and “Scatterlings.” As a scientist turned patient advocate and writer, she is intensely interested in building relationships with people from different cultures through story-telling and education. Zeena currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Website: http://www.heroinenextdoor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeenasbooks
Google+: https://plus.google.com/105525451604342478576/posts
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/zeena-nackerdien/9/175/b6a
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/zulu2/zeena-nackerdien/

Buy Perspectives on Type 2 Diabetes by Zeena Nackerdien:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository

Buy HIV/TB/Diabetes Resource Kit by Zeena Nackerdien:

Amazon

Giveaway of Perspectives on Type 2 Diabetes by Zeena Nackerdien:

I announced my giveaway of this important book on a previous post.  There is still time to enter to win it.  Just click on the following link to enter: https://theteddyrosebookreviewsplusmore.com/2015/10/review-giveaway-perspectives-on-type-2-diabetes-kit.html#.ViSEY36rS71

Follow the Perspectives on Type 2 Diabetes & HIV/TB/Diabetes Resource Kit by Zeena Nackerdien:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Oct 2 Interview & Giveaways

What U Talking Bout Willis? Oct 8 Guest Post

What U Talking Bout Willis? Oct 9 Excerpt

Avenue Books Oct 9 Guest Post & Excerpt

From Isi Oct 19 Reviews

Teatime and Books Oct 20 Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaways

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Oct 21 Reviews

Cassandra M’s Place Oct 22 Reviews & Giveaways

Celticlady’s Reviews Oct 26 Excerpt

Zeena Nackerdien

Oct 15

1

Review & Giveaway: Heroine Next Door by Zeena Nackerdien

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on October 1, 2015
Posted in Book Tours • Books Read in 2015 • My Past Giveaways  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Zeena NackerdienThe Heroine Next Door by Zeena Nackerdien:

Publisher: Book Venture (January 7,  2015)
Category: Modern Day Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Health
Tour Dates: October/November, 2015
ISBN: 978-1941736-272
ASIN: B00TIMY97G
Available in: Print & ebook,  154 Pages

The emotionally-wounded survivors of the 9/11 attacks include a fifty-year old, South African Muslim scientist, Leila, who lost her fiancée, Khalid, on that fateful day. She is the narrator of a story threading together the lives of four South African Muslims navigating a technologically advanced and increasingly-complicated world.

Initially tentative in pursuing her dream to aid patients with HIV/AIDS and other diseases (following deaths of loved ones to these illnesses) in the face of adversity encountered as a US immigrant, Leila finally asserts herself in middle age to carve her own identity and provide possible solutions to the management of diseases rampant in Sub-Saharan Africa.

My Thoughts on The Heroine Next Door by Zeena Nackerdien:

Zeena Nackerdin is a scientist first but has written not only about the health issues she is most interested in but also books of poetry and now ‘The Heroine Next Door.  She wanted to find a way to help us non-scientists better understand the issues of HIV/AIDS, TB, and Diabetes especially the vast numbers of people it effects in her motherland of South Africa. She decided to tackle this through the use of fiction and the lead character, Leila in this short novel.

We learn not only about the epidemic in South Africa but also issues facing U.S. immigrants. The book opens with Leila visiting the 9/11 memorial, thinking of her fiancée who died on that fateful day 13 years earlier.  She is an unemployed scientist but soon realizes that she wants to make a difference in South Africa.  Leila decides to pursue her dream of patient advocacy.  She decided to go back to South Africa to try to help of of the patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, TB, and Diabetes.  She makes fast friends with four South Africans who aim to accomplish the same goal.

I really liked how Nackerdien wove in 9/11 in contrast to the health epidemic in South Africa Though some readers may find the numerous references sighted during the story a bit disruptive to the flow of the story, ‘The Heroine Next Door’ is a tender look at the problems of HIV/AIDS, TB, and Diabetes. Leila and her friends strive not only to to help medical professionals better work with patients but also to help patients understand what they can do to gain the best outcome.  This patient empowerment could be used all over the world.

4/5

I was given a ebook copy of this book for my honest review.

Praise for The Heroine Next Door by Zeena Nackerdien:

“As a scientist turned patient advocate and writer, Nackerdien is intensely interested in building relationships with people from different cultures through storytelling and education. It is that drive that is palpable in this novel THE HEROINE NEXT DOOR – the author’s dichotomous life as experienced in apartheid-South-Africa and a Western world responding to the digital information age and emergent diseases: she knows terror, especially as a Muslim woman. She incorporates all of this In THE HEROINE NEXT DOOR, surprisingly her debut novel, by creating a fictional character, Leila, emerging from the darkness cast by personal and political upheavals, who gains a sense of her own identity and contributes knowledge gained in the USA to improving the management of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other illnesses in South Africa.
One of the many shining aspects of Zeena’s luminous novel is her sharing the sensibilities of immigrants whose new life in a new country must sort out not only language and dress barriers but also religious or spiritual belief differences. In electing to focus on that turning point moment in history – the 9/11 tragedy – as the stimulus for altering life perspectives she manages to give us all a better sense of understanding and at least a different point of view – both healing factors in a nurturing a wound worthy of comparison to Amfortas’ wound in PARSIFAL. Highly recommended.” –Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Reviewer, Hall of Fame

“I am able to identify with both the notion of being personally and/or emotionally uprooted on and after 9/11 as well as the concept of being utterly overwhelmed by life in NYC. Zeena Nackerdien’s work rings a personal note with both natives and those making the journey to establishing themselves in the metropolis.”-Curt, Amazon Reviewer

” What a haunting story. We all remember that fateful day. We are introduced to Leila, a brilliant woman whose life is turned upside down on September 11, 2001 when her fiance is killed in the attack. Through a series of Facebook posts we are taken on a journey that explores Leila’s past, her relationships with family and friends, and her background in the field of science. Heartwarming and raw, you will find yourself in a great story of triumph. Zeena Nackerdien has written a wonderful story, highly recommend this read!”- Sierra Klein, Amazon Reviewer

About Zeena Nackerdien:Zeena Nackerdien

Zeena Nackerdien is a dual US and South African citizen. She obtained a PhD degree in Biochemistry from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. Zeena has been a research chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland and a senior research associate at The Rockefeller University in New York.

She is the author of several publications in scientific journals and two poetry collections, “Mist Over Peace” and “Scatterlings.” As a scientist turned patient advocate and writer, she is intensely interested in building relationships with people from different cultures through story-telling and education. Zeena currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Website: http://www.heroinenextdoor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeenasbooks
Google+: https://plus.google.com/105525451604342478576/posts
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/zeena-nackerdien/9/175/b6a
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/zulu2/zeena-nackerdien/

Buy The Heroine Next Door by Zeena Nackerdien:

Amazon
Book Venture
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository

Giveaway of The Heroine Next Door by Zeena Nackerdien:

This giveaway is for the ebook version and is open worldwide.  This giveaway ends on November 4, 2015.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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SolaFide Self-Publishing Oct 5 Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway

Ajoobacat Blog Oct 6 Review & Excerpt

Infinite House of Books Oct 7 Interview

Father, Writer, & Logistical Wizard Oct 14 Review

Father, Writer, & Logistical Wizard Oct 15 Interview

Cassandra M’s Place Oct 16 Review & Giveaway

Avenue Books Oct 19 Guest Post  &  Excerpt

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What U Talking Bout Willis? Nov 2 Guest Post  &  Excerpt

Deal Sharing Aunt Nov 3 Review

Zeena Nackerdien

Sep 15

7

Review: Circling The Sun by Paula McLain

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on September 7, 2015
Posted in Books Read in 2015 • Historical Fiction  | Tagged With: , , , | 11 Comments

Paula McLainDescription of Circling the Sun by Paula McLain:


Paula McLain, author of the phenomenal bestseller The Paris Wife, now returns with her keenly anticipated new novel, transporting readers to colonial Kenya in the 1920s. Circling the Sun brings to life a fearless and captivating woman—Beryl Markham, a record-setting aviator caught up in a passionate love triangle with safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen, who as Isak Dinesen wrote the classic memoir Out of Africa.

Brought to Kenya from England as a child and then abandoned by her mother, Beryl is raised by both her father and the native Kipsigis tribe who share his estate. Her unconventional upbringing transforms Beryl into a bold young woman with a fierce love of all things wild and an inherent understanding of nature’s delicate balance. But even the wild child must grow up, and when everything Beryl knows and trusts dissolves, she is catapulted into a string of disastrous relationships.

Beryl forges her own path as a horse trainer, and her uncommon style attracts the eye of the Happy Valley set, a decadent, bohemian community of European expats who also live and love by their own set of rules. But it’s the ruggedly charismatic Denys Finch Hatton who ultimately helps Beryl navigate the uncharted territory of her own heart. The intensity of their love reveals Beryl’s truest self and her fate: to fly.

Set against the majestic landscape of early-twentieth-century Africa, McLain’s powerful tale reveals the extraordinary adventures of a woman before her time, the exhilaration of freedom and its cost, and the tenacity of the human spirit.

My Thoughts on Circling the Sun by Paula McLain:


In this Historical fiction memoir, Beryl Markham, born in 1902,  has had a very unconventional upbringing.  She was born in England and brought to Kenya as a young child.  Her mother hated living in Kenya and abandoned Beryl and her father to live in England, once again.  Beryl was left to wonder the vast grounds on their estate, on her own.  You could even say that she was partially raised by the natives, called the Kipsigis tribe, who also live on the estate.

She learned the Kipsigis ways along with her playmate from the tribe, Kibii.  He was her only childhood friend.

Due to her up bring, people thought of her as fearless.  At 17 years old, her father decides to leave his failing estate and work as a horse trainer at far away estates.  Beryl is given the option to go with him and his mistress or marry. As much as she loves her father, she does not get along with his mistress and decides to marry. 

She soon discovers that her husband has a drinking problem and eventually leaves and becomes the first female horse trainer in Africa, at the age of only 18.  Because she is female, it takes a long time for her to gain the respect she earns in her trade.

Throughout her life, she has many affairs but nothing that lasts.  Her most famous affair being that with Denys Finch Hatton.  She considers him to be the love of her life but he is the type who can’t commit fully to one woman and certainly is not the marrying type.

In her late 20’s, Beryl learned to fly and in 1936, she becomes the first female to fly solo across the North Atlantic from England to Cape Breton Island, Canada.

Paula McLain’s writing is nothing short of sumptuous!  She brings Beryl Clutterbuck Markham back to life for us all to know this fascinating woman from history. Every time I had to put this book down, I felt like I was abruptly dropped back into 2015.  I wish I could have lived in this book forever!

I found Beryl Clutterbuck Markham to be truly inspirational. I highly recommend ‘Circling the Sun’ for lovers of historical fiction and strong females,  as well as those who love the backdrop of Africa.  If I had to sum this novel up in one word, it would be mesmerizing.

5/5

I received the ebook version of this book via Net Galley for my honest review.

About Paula McLain:Paula McLain


Paula McLain was born in Fresno, California in 1965. After being abandoned by both parents, she and her two sisters became wards of the California Court System, moving in and out of various foster homes for the next fourteen years. When she aged out of the system, she supported herself by working as a nurses aid in a convalescent hospital, a pizza delivery girl, an auto-plant worker, a cocktail waitress–before discovering she could (and very much wanted to) write.

She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996. Since then, she has received fellowships from the corporation of Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, the Ucross Foundation, the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Her first book of poetry, Less of Her, was published in 1999 from New Issues Press and won a publication grant from the Greenwall Fund of the Academy of American Poets. She’s also the author of a second collection of poetry, Stumble, Gorgeous, a memoir, Like Family: Growing Up In Other People’s Houses, and the novel, A Ticket to Ride. Her most recent book is The Paris Wife, a fictional account of Ernest Hemingway’s first marriage and upstart years in 1920’s Paris, as told from the point of view of his wife, Hadley. She lives with her family in Cleveland.

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