Scan barcode
hannahebartholomew's reviews
161 reviews
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Strange, riveting, and upsetting. Very interesting look at the founding of Mormonism and how the teachings of early prophets have lent themselves to modern fundamentalism.
Educated by Tara Westover
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I would best describe it as a strange sort of cross over between Under the Banner of Heaven and The Glass Castle— the story of an eccentric and at times abusive childhood with influences of fundamental Mormonism.
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Completely Revised and Updated 8th Edition by La Leche League International
informative
medium-paced
4.0
I found the information in this book valuable. I have the newest edition, so I think it’s been updated a bit to be more modern, but there’s a lot about breastfeeding that simply doesn’t change. I realize that not everyone wants to follow an attachment style of parenting and for some, it’s unrealistic with their lifestyle. But, attachment parenting really is the way that biology intended and it’s what has kept the human race alive all this time. I think the emphasis on attachment parenting is helpful, even if you don’t want to or can’t follow it rigidly. I felt that the book was fairly inclusive, there’s an entire chapter at the end about troubleshooting that includes all sorts of exceptions to the “typical” nursing experience, such as Down Syndrome or cleft palette. I did find some advice to be contradictory (ie: “maybe baby is too hot” “maybe baby is too cold” “maybe baby needs more stimulation”, “maybe baby needs less stimulation”), but I think the overall point is to try to get to know your baby and be willing to make different adjustments to see what makes them most comfortable. There aren’t any in text citations, either, which I didn’t like. However, all the references are listed at the end.
Attached at the Heart: 8 Proven Parenting Principles for Raising Connected and Compassionate Children by Barbara Nicholson, William Sears, Lysa Parker, Martha Sears
informative
medium-paced
3.5
I really loved and enjoyed the vast majority of the content in this book. I did not appreciate the antivax undertones, including a claim that vaccines cause autism as well as a story of a baby who nearly died after being vaccinated. I really don’t appreciate the fear mongering and spread of misinformation around vaccines. I was also a bit put off by the multiple mentions of Christianity. I think the book would be just as relevant without any mention of God or religion. Other than that, there is a lot of great research and evidence based information that is helpful to anybody who has or works with kids.
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Informative and mostly written from an unbiased and data based viewpoint. I have the 2003 edition and would be interested to see what May updated in the 2009 edition. There were a few things that I did not agree with, such as her opinions on ultrasounds and genetic testing, but I think she does a great job overall of critically analyzing birth culture, midwifery, and obstetrics in the United States and worldwide. I would recommend to any pregnant person or anyone interested in doing birth work.