Eugene weekly., December 13, 2018, Page 15, Image 15

k The Messy Joys of Being Human: A Guide to Risking
Change and Becoming Happier
by Helen Rosenau. Riverview Press, $17.
You know that old saying: Don’t judge a book
by its cover? Well, I have a really hard time in that
department when it comes to actual books. While
pursuing the bookstore or library, I am way more
likely to pick up a book whose cover speaks to
me. I have to admit, when I first came across The
Messy Joys of Being Human by Eugene-based
author Helen Rosenau I didn’t think it would be
a book for me. I was proven wrong, however, as
I read the first page and found myself screaming,
“Yes!” to the questions posed by the author right
out of the gate. Apparently, to my own surprise, I
did require a Jewish fairy godmother — Rosenau’s
self-professed title — this whole time without
being aware of it. It’s a book of questions, of
sharing, of enlightening self-awareness, and most
of all some of the best advice I have been given
in a long time. While devouring the pages with a
pencil and notebook in hand, I felt like I was having
a conversation with an old friend. The Messy Joys
of Being Human challenged me to embrace my struggles and guided me on a journey of both
change and discovery. Unlike other self-help books I have read in the past, Helen’s writing
is warm and compassionate, and sprinkled with a type of wit and humor that could only be
delivered by the Jewish fairy godmother that you never knew you needed. — Elisha Young
HOUSE OF BALSAMIC • TYLER CANDLES • ALL-CLAD
“The majority of Harney County’s community just wanted the Bundys, the militia, outside
law enforcement, and the media to leave them alone.” — Bob Keefer
• UGG • WÜSTHOF • LECREUSET • BAGGALLINI • HOBO ••
2 Shops
of Beautiful Living
A delightful
collection
of all your
favorite things!
OPEN
HOUSE
Dec 14 & 15
10a-4p
• Cookware
& Cutlery
• Cooking classes
McKenzie
H oney
Farm
• UGG lounge & sleepwear
• Exquisite fragrances
• Handbags & jewelry
• Candles & more!
P epperberries
Tools for the Cook.
2536 & 2538 Willakenzie Rd
(Across from Sheldon High School)
• COOKING CLASSES • CUCINA • LOLLIA
• THYMES •
VERA BRADLEY • COOBIE • PETUNIA PICKLEBOTTOM.
Winter Reading
The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of
Sustained Peak Performance by Tom Brady. Simon & Schuster, $15.95.
I don’t trust anyone who genuinely likes Tom Brady. Brady, the New England Patriots
and their head coach Bill Belichick are basically the villains of professional football. Yet,
despite winning five Super Bowls and Brady’s annoying habit of making a comeback —
and being a 40-something quarterback who doesn’t get hurt that much — I figured there
was something to learn from the guy. I’m no NFL quarterback — though I am trying to
perfect my Madden skills — but, being human, I’m always interested in books that offer
an athletic Sorcerer’s Stone. This publication covers Brady’s athletic growth, the thesis
of his workout plan, and sampling of menus and workouts. Sure, the workouts are rooted
in the idea of increasing pliability and flexibility, and the book offers some great exercise
routines. However, the downside is that it not only sells the Brady brand, but you have to
deal with his arrogant face the whole time. — Henry Houston
Gene Machine: The Race to Decipher the Secrets of the
Ribosome by Venki Ramakrishnan. Basic
Books/Hachette, $28.
Remember the race to sequence the human
genome? That didn’t win a Nobel Prize. This
book tells the story of another race in molecular
biology going on about the same time. It wasn’t
as public — until three of the competitors
shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and one of
them wrote this engaging and highly readable
book. If DNA is the blueprint of life, then these
pages center on a major part of the molecular
construction crew to transform the genetic code
into flesh and blood.
The author, one of the Nobel winners, tours
readers through the human side of science —
the frequent failure punctuated by tiny but
exhilarating successes, as well as the corrupting
effect of science prizes. The personalities,
obsessions, love lives, humor and occasional
paranoia could fuel a Big Bang Theory knock-
eugeneweekly.com • December 13, 2018
15