Reported by Meygan
Nevermore opened with the discussion of Charles
Duhigg’s The Power of Habit: Why We Do
What We Do in Life and Business. The book discusses the neurons in our
brains and what exactly causes habits to form. The reader said it goes like
this: first there is a cue, then a routine, then a reward. For example, if
someone gets a cue to eat something sweet at a certain hour or on a specific
day, then the routine is to eat that something sweet; hence, the reward is
eating something sweet and tasty. But what happens when you are trying to watch
your diet and cut out sweets? Well, the author states that the cues never go
away. However, you can change the routine. Therefore, when you get the cue that
it is time to eat something sweet, do not give into the routine of eating a
chocolate cupcake or a glazed doughnut, as difficult as that may be. Instead,
change your routine and do something different to “reward” yourself! The reader
said although there are very interesting parts, there are a few pages she
skimmed over due to the information not being particularly interesting. Another
Nevermore member recommended that she read the beginning and the end but skip
the middle. There is even a section about a habit that the author had to break
and how he did so. Duhigg also talks about corporations and advertising and how
they have changed culture by creating products, such as Febreeze, that cause
consumers to develop habits.
We have discussed Broken by Karin Fossum in Nevermore before (it is a mystery novel
where the narrator, who is an author, is
awakened by a man that she has created through her own imagination and asks her
to write his story). Another Nevermore attempted Broken but could not finish it. Most Nevermore members have a 35
page rule, meaning that if the reader doesn’t like the book within 35 pages,
then it is a sign to move on. The story could not hold her attention. But this
is why we love coming to Nevermore—it is wonderful that us book lovers can
agree and disagree about books, all while enjoying our doughnuts, hot coffee,
and the company of one another, of course.
Jacqueline
Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story by Barbara
Leaming was discussed next. This book focuses on Jackie Kennedy’s
post-traumatic stress disorder that developed after her husband, John F
Kennedy, was assassinated. Our Nevermore reader said Barbara Leaming approached
the topic with a narcissist view about Jackie Kennedy and her opinions are not very
flattering. The reader isn’t sure if she would recommend the book and thought
the book would really dish the dirt about Jackie but didn’t.
Next was Barbara J. Martin’s Elixir: The American Tragedy of a Deadly Drug. This is the true
story of a deadly drug, which was created in our very hometown! The drug,
called Elixir Sulfanilamide, was developed to help patients take sulfa drugs
without the bitter taste of sulfur. However, shortly after the drug was
prescribed, some of the patients started dying. The Massengill Company ordered
a recall but did not specify why. This book focuses on the deadly drug and how
it killed more than 100 people, many of them children.
The
River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by
Candice Millard was highly enjoyed. The Nevermore reader said this book
reminded her why paper books are better than online books because the paper
book had pictures while her Kindle did not. The
River of Doubt is about the true adventure of Theodore Roosevelt and his
trip down the Amazon. On this trip, he encountered Indians with poison-tipped
arrows, piranhas, snakes, and rapid rivers. Roosevelt survived a treacherous
trip that killed three men, but this book gives a deeper insight to Roosevelt’s
actions and feelings. The Nevermore reader was fascinated with the story and
couldn’t understand how Roosevelt and the others could have been so careless
when planning for this trip.
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