Bookreview: The nourished brain

 A very interesting book! 

Summary

Worldwide, up to 50 million people and their families are living with some
form of the degenerative and irreversible disease of Alzheimer's. By 2030,
this number is expected to rise to a staggering 76 million people globally
who will be living with this condition. At this time, there is no cure. Many
families have asked, "Is there something that could have been done to
prevent or slow down Alzheimer's disease?" Written by a Registered Dietitian
who witnessed the gradual decline and loss of both her parents to this disease,
this book takes a look at the evolving and promising power of food and diet
to thwart off the clutches of Alzheimer's. The author also includes brief
anecdotes of other families whose lives have been forever affected by loved
ones with Alzheimer's disease.

-Takes a look at the inner workings of the human brain and numerous studies
showing a strong correlation between food choices that either nourish or
hinder brain health

-Provides guidance on meal planning to maximize brain health

-Includes a listing of the top brain-healthy foods to be consuming daily
and brain-draining foods to avoid

-Offers an in-depth look at specific nutrients and their role in promoting
better brain health

-Reveals the top 10 lifestyle factors for protecting brain health

-Provides simple, delicious recipes with ingredients containing
nutrients known to be beneficial for brain health

My review

Alzheimer can affect all of us. An aunt of my husband suffered Alzheimer
and it was really sad to see her deteriorate. 

Unfortunately there is still no medicine to solve this tragic illness. But how
is Alzheimer related with food?

While reading the book: "The Nourished Brain" it was clear that the author
knows something about the brains and about food. She knew her stuff! The
book was scientifically underbuilt. At the end there were some lovely 
recipes which I liked.

I would recommend "The Nourished Brain" to all who are interested in the
combination: food versus illness.

Of course I give this a 5 star rating due to the huge work, the author made for
this book.

The author

CHERYL MUSSATTO, MS, RD, LD, is a registered dietitian, teacher,
and blogger at Eat Well to Be Well (EatWellToBeWellRD.com). She has
helped thousands of people change their lives by changing their diet,
and her work has appeared in various media outlets including U.S. News
and World Report and Reader's Digest.

Booktasters

I received a free copy from "The nourished brain" via the author and Booktasters.
Thank you very much for this excellent reading and reviewing chance! 

Bookreview: Frank Cullotta's Greatest (Kitchen) Hits

 A gangster's Cookbook

written by Frank Cullotta and Dennis N. Griffin 

"Very interesting recepies"

Summary

“I have known Frank Cullotta since he served as a technical consultant
for the movie ‘Casino.’ Frank’s reputation is primarily that of a master
criminal and an enforcer for Chicago Outfit mobster Tony Spilotro.
While that is true, he also had a softer side that few people knew about.
He loved to cook. In ‘Frank Cullotta’s Greatest (Kitchen) Hits,’ Frank
swaps his gun and fedora for an apron and chef’s hat and shares the
recipes for some of his favorite dishes. If you like to prepare and eat
delicious meals, this is the book for you.” – 
Nick Pileggi, screenwriter and author of "Casino"

Frank Cullotta was best known for his exploits as an associate of the
Chicago Outfit and his role as Tony Spilotro’s enforcer and street lieutenant
in Las Vegas. However, he had another interest besides crime.
He loved to cook. In this book he shares some of his favorite recipes
for your eating pleasure. Although Frank died on August 20, 2020,
his memory will live on every time you prepare one of these lip-smacking dishes.

"I first met Frank in 2005. Over the years we became close friends and
co-authored a total of four books, including the bestseller The
Rise and Fall of a 'Casino' Mobster. As Frank's health failed,
I promised him that I'd see the cookbook through to publication even
if he couldn't be with me. I know that Frank is pleased that our final joint
project is now a reality." - Dennis N. Griffin

My Review

Reviewing a cookbook with Italian dishes looked great! And indeed
the recepies, the pictures were well described.They gave me inspiration
to try them out. I think the ingredients are easy to find. I missed some
structure at the end of the book for example no list of all the ingredients.

Nevertheless this cookbook is a must read for all lovers of the Italian
cuisine! I give it with lots of pleasure a 4 star rating on 5 and I want
to read more books of Dennis N. Griffin.

The Author

Dennis N. Griffin was born in Rome, New York in 1945. He joined the U. S.
Navy in 1962. After being honorably discharged in 1966, he returned to
central New York. He is married and has four adult children.

Mr. Griffin began his career in investigations and law enforcement in
1975, when Pinkerton, Inc. hired ...him as a private investigator.
His duties included insurance fraud, missing persons, financial
and background investigations, as well as undercover operations.

In 1979 the Madison County, New York Department of Social Services
hired him as a Senior Child Support Investigator. He was responsible
for locating and conducting financial investigations of persons failing
to provide legally mandated child support.

In 1981 he joined the Madison County Sheriff's Department, and attained
the rank of sergeant. He was a shift supervisor and public information officer.
During the same time-period, he moonlighted as a part time patrolman for
the Village of Chittenango Police Department.

In 1987 Mr. Griffin was hired by the New York State Department of
Health as Director of Investigations, Wadsworth Center. The primary
mission of his unit was to investigate violations of the Public Health Law
relating to clinical and environmental laboratories, and health care fraud.
He was responsible for hiring and training investigators, case assignments
and general supervision. In addition, he personally handled the more difficult
and complex investigations. Many of these cases received both local and national
media attention. He retired in 1995.

In 1996, Dennis was supposed to be retired, but decided to tell the story of
what he learned while investigating the operation of a medical examiner's office.
It was an eye-opening experience and he felt compelled to share it with others.
Dennis eventually authored a fictionalized account called, The Morgue.
However, readers didn't believe anything in the book could actually happen,
but they liked the story and his style; rough edges and all.
Six more mystery/thriller fictions followed.

The author is an active member of the Police Writers Association.
He attended Onondaga County Community College, Mohawk Valley
Community College and the Central New York Regional Academy for
Police Training. He has three other novels published through 1stBooks.
The first, The Morgue, was published 1999. Red Gold, followed in 2000.

In January 2002, his writing career was at a crossroads. Would he continue
the uphill struggle for recognition in a genre with a number of well-established
authors? Or was it time to find another hobby? The question was answered at
a writers' conference when a lady suggested Dennis try his hand at police-related
non-fiction. That was the turning point. He began writing Policing Las Vegas,
the history of law enforcement in Las Vegas and Clark County from 1905 thru 2004.
Policing was released in April 2005.

Writing that book opened his eyes to some interesting things about Las Vegas
and the mob that he wanted to explore; leading to his second non-fiction book,
The Battle for Las Vegas, the story of the Vegas reign of Chicago mob enforcer
Tony Spilotro. In the movie Casino, actor Joe Pesci played a character based
on Spilotro. The Battle for Las Vegas was released on July 1, 2006.

In writing that book, Dennis relied heavily on resources such as retired FBI
agents and police detectives from that era, and through his conversations with
career criminal and former Spilotro lieutenant Frank Cullotta. Those conversations
led to a third Vegas-based non-fiction, CULLOTTA - The Life of a Chicago
Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster, and Government Witness, released nationally
in July 2007.

Since that time, Dennis has written several books on the true stories of the
Las Vegas mob and the era in which they reigned.

In 2007 Denny began hosting his own Internet radio show on Blog Talk Radio.

BookSirens

I received an advance copy for free via BookSirens and I'm leaving 
this review voluntarily.

Source picture: Bookcover