Sunday, November 23, 2014

100 Names for Love by Diane Ackerman

I love this book: 100 Names for Love: a Stroke, a Marriage, and the Language of Healing.

I was browsing through some quotations when I came across this one by Diane Ackerman.

“Look at your feet. You are standing in the sky. When we think of the sky, we tend to look up, but the sky actually begins at the earth. We walk through it, yell into it, rake leaves, wash the dog, and drive cars in it. We breathe it deep within us. With every breath, we inhale millions of molecules of sky, heat them briefly, and then exhale them back into the world.” 
I went to the library and found this book. I took it home and started reading. It was fascinating. I couldn't put it down! I finished reading it in 3 days.

I recommend it to anyone who has a relative who experiences a stroke. The author's husband had a stroke at age 75 and this book chronicles his 5 year recovery. The famous neurologist, Oliver Sacs, visited them shortly after he returned home from the hospital. Dr. Sacs inquired as to what they were told about the "window of opportunity." The author said 3 months. Dr. Sacs informed her that the brain can continue to heal and learn new skills as long as it is challenged. The author decided to devise her own therapy to encourage her husband to recover his verbal faculties. The book shows how successful they were.

After I finished the book, I purchased a copy and sent it to a friend, whose husband had a stroke 3 weeks ago. Her husband is much younger, but has brain damage in some of the same areas. I encouraged her to read it, because it is optimistic in it's viewpoint, and also has resources in the last chapter.

I think this book deserves 5 stars.

The vocabulary is fantastic and I will write another blog and publish it in my other blog, Philolog's Blog.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Why do they call it gluten?

Why do they call it glue?

You can make glue from flour and water. And gluten sticks to your intestines and gums things up.

So did they call it glue because of gluten or gluten because of glue?

Eureka!

This word is supposed to come from Greek, meaning I found it! Probably a gross mispronunciation.

NO, glue is not related to gluten., Though gluten can refer to something sticky.

Glue is a gelatinous substance obtained by boiling animal products, not wheat or grains.

I suspect the glu in gluten is related to glucose!