- Details
- Category: Ron
A fascinating look at the new drugs that have dramatically shaken up weight loss treatment, and an exploration of the broken relationship that the West has with food, body image, and pharmaceutical interventions as solutions rather than systemic ones.
25% of the US population are expected to be taking these medications within the next two years; if it wasn’t for the current cost of treatment, I expect those numbers would have already been achieved. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, has already climbed into the #1 spot for the most valuable company in Europe.
Johann Hari (Chasing the Scream, Stolen Focus, Lost Connections) is a somewhat polarizing author. He doesn’t seem to be able to write without firmly placing himself into the narrative. Magic Pill details his own use of Ozempic after life long struggles with his weight, including being an emotional eater that always enjoyed feeling stuffed after gorging on fast food. This is part of what endears his writing to me: how personal it can be. Give me what some critics disparage as “breathless style” any day. The appeal of this book should be fairly obvious, with over half the people in the US & UK overweight or obese, with Canada coming in at 35% overweight, 30% obese. Even if this isn’t an issue for the individual reader, odds are it affects someone in their life, not to mention the societal ripple effects (e.g. the effect of an obese population on health care costs).
It won’t surprise me if this book sparks contentious debate and some angry reviews. Hari left his journalism job at The Independent in 2012 after it came out that he’d stolen quotes and libelled rivals and has never been forgiven or forgotten for this in some circles, despite his owning it and apologizing for it. Others are already crying foul for “classic fatphobia” simply based on language found in the book’s blurb. Hari does write at length about the effect these drugs are having on the body positivity movement, which has already resulted in some leading figures that have lost weight being shamed for it, as though abandoning the cause. But I’d urge people to read it and make up their own minds.
Adult Non-Fiction Hardcover pr7458617
- Details
- Category: Ron
Owning Up: New Fiction by George Pelecanos
Four novellas set in and around Washington D.C. touching on issues of crime, race, violence and prejudice.
Pelecanos hasn’t published a book since 2018, having fallen “victim” to the golden handcuffs of success in television, as a writer for The Deuce, Treme and The Wire. It’s good to have him back; hopefully we’ll see a return to full length novels soon.
Adult Fiction Hardcover pr7456352
A Map of the New Normal by Jeff Rubin
A convincing argument from the former CIBC World Markets chief economist that the sharp increase of inflation being experienced worldwide is just the beginning of domestic upheaval, energy scarcity, worsening environmental conditions and supply chain disruptions.
Rubin lays out, in a very accessible way, the ripple effects of sanctions that well meaning democratic governments put in place after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which have lead to a slew of consequences that have mostly missed their target. This is a difficult read, reminiscent of John Vaillant’s Fire Weather, that confronts us with difficult truths and will haunt the reader long after.
Adult Non-Fiction Hardcover pr7426714
- Details
- Category: Ron
While male voices dominated the grunge movement of the 90s, it was far from the only scene happening in the Pacific Northwest. Kathleen Hanna, as front woman of Bikini Kill, became the unofficial leader of the Riot Grrrl movement: proto punk feminists with indominable DIY spirits determined to make their own way on their own terms, bringing “girls to the front.”
In short, conversational chapters, Hanna takes us through a disorderly childhood and formative college years to her first shows and life on the road, where Hanna spent more time counseling rape survivors than signing shirts and zines at the merch table. She builds friendships and working relationships with Kurt Cobain, Kim Gordon and Joan Jett, while falling in love with Ad-Rock of The Beastie Boys, struggling to have a child, and eventually being diagnosed with Lyme disease.
For a book filled with harrowing tales, this is a surprisingly fun and inspiring read told with style, humour and grace. Something than won’t disappoint fans and likely to create many new ones.
Adult Non-Fiction Hardcover pr7183308