Review: The Whole Pregnancy Handbook: An Obstetrician's Guide to Integrating Conventional and Alternative Medicine Before, During, and After Pregnancy

The Whole Pregnancy Handbook: An Obstetrician's Guide to Integrating Conventional and Alternative Medicine Before, During, and After Pregnancy by Joel Evans

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



Might be better subtitled "An Obstetrician Gutlessly Recommends a Bunch of Ineffective 'Alternative Medicines' that At Least Won't Hurt You." Or "In Which I Recommend Red Raspberry Leaf Tea for Everything Because It Is Totally Inert."

On the other hand, I was happy to see that the doctor-author recommends being very flexible about a birth "plan" and finding a real healthcare provider and then taking his/her advice.

Otherwise, it was definitely not useful to me at all. I was hoping to find some real information (medical studies, for example) about some of the "alternative" options (yoga, chiropractic, various herbs, acupuncture/pressure, diet, hypnosis for childbirth, etc.), and there was none of that. Just a lot of information about what those things are purported to do with some guidelines on what is proven to be dangerous.



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Review: Ender in Exile

Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is much better than the other recent Ender "midquel." Great craftsmanship as is usual from Card. I felt that it suffered from Ender being a bit TOO perfect and insightful. It made Ender a bit irritating and it doesn't fit with the earlier books (which come later in the in-world timeline).

And, as usual, Card has to fit in his Mormon apologetics. This time he points out that it makes total sense to be polygamist when the number of available women is disproportionately low. Um, sure.

Otherwise, I felt this was a good way to connect the Bean and Ender books, wrap up some loose ends from the Bean series, and set up the universe of the Ender series.



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Review: Shadows in Flight

Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



So-so. I really enjoyed reading this one, and it was very quick, but it was no. 5 in the series and suffered somewhat from being derivative. You've got the the loving-your-enemy thing, the travel through heating ducts, even a repetition of the Ender/Peter/Valentine trinity.

Still, there aren't many authors beside Card who could make such an action-less book so interesting.



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Synthesis

It's fascinating to see the kiddo combining concepts from various sources, but sometimes she ends up with something like this:

"I'm a tickly crab, and I just eat crabs with my crab-paws!"

Truth to power

Kiddo addresses an important issue with one of her parents: "Your butt is... pretty huge."

Learning

Kiddo makes Mama proud: 
After naptime, I asked the kiddo if she wanted to help me make bread. She dragged her stepstool to our baking station and surveyed the countertop.

Her: Fiwst, we need some ingwedients.

Kiddo makes Daddy proud:
 T.G. and Kiddo are going to watch some music videos on YouTube.

Him: What should we listen to?
Her: I want a Meshuggah song.

Word hoard

Sometimes one's desire to express oneself outstrips the ability to do so. Then things like this happen:

Us: Kiddo, what's wrong?
Her: I don't remember! I can't say it! I AM NOT OKAY.

Daddy's girl

"I'm a good widdow New Mex'can. Mo' posole please!"

Make your breadwinner sad in one easy step

The kiddo has been refusing to give her dad a hug and kiss when he leaves in the morning, and I think she thinks he might not leave if she doesn't. This morning she did consent to say good-bye.

Her: Bye-bye!
Him: Bye, I love you!
Her: I love you, and I miss you every day.

Awwwwwww.

Texture

The nice thing about having a curly-haired toddler is that when she self-administers a haircut, it's easy to hide.