The CIA’s Control of Candy Jones by Donald Bain

An absurdly interesting premise carries this real-life story about how a doctor (Gilbert Jensen), working for the CIA, controlled Candy Jones, the most popular model of the 1940s, through hypnosis. Not a great book, but a good start into a necessary area of research. I definitely need to learn more about hypnosis.

Potatoes, Not Prozac: Solutions for Sugar Sensitivity by Kathleen DesMaisons

Provocative and life-changing. It proved to me once and for all that sugar is a drug, that I am sugar sensitive and have been addicted to it since I was a boy. For me sugar is a major trigger for depression, and now that I know to avoid it and what foods to consume when I’m craving it, I have a lot more control over my health and well-being. An absolute must-read for anyone interested in health and self-improvement.I haven’t indulged in sugar since I read this, even though I’m currently craving a Oreo Cookie shake from Jack in the Box (75 grams of sugar).

The Fix Is In: The Showbiz Manipulations of the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, and NASCAR by Brian Tuohy

An easy read. The title is self-explanatory. The evidence with regards to the NFL being “manipulated” is somewhat specious; although I am inclined to believe it, it is not scientific. This was a good incentive to continue on my path from deprogramming from watching sports: not only is it a waste of time, there’s a long history of the outcomes being compromised in one way or another.

Natural Prozac: Learning to Release Your Body’s Own Anti-Depressants by Joel C. Robertson

It has some quality scientific information. But it’s fairly redundant when compared to Potatoes Not Prozac. (I read the latter first.) In a vacuum, however, it’s excellent.

The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children by Carol Simontacchi

See above. It has some really good scientific information on the neurotoxicity of chemicals, and on breastfeeding, but it gets old because it has a narrow focus on infants and children. I’m nitpicking; it just wasn’t as riveting as Potatoes Not Prozac.

Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen

Fantastic! A must-read for everyone. At first I found it a little dry, but that’s because it has a lot of depth. It’s real history, with a lot of citations, information, and detail. Fortunately Loewen is a great writer with a sense of humor who takes a bipartisan approach.

Nigger by Dick Gregory

An autobiography from the famous black comedian. A great perspective about the hardships black people dealt with just a generation prior. An “easy” read that sticks with you.

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