“Smart people read Idiot’s Guides.”
Many of you know that besides being a wife and a mommy, I am a nurse by day, blogger writer by night. Once upon a baby, I had a wealth of time to pursue my interests and hobbies. These days I have to be more selective and creative about those pursuits. I have always loved to learn. It’s why I continued to advance my nursing education after getting my RN license and took French classes and want to take classes to learn more about photography, cooking, travel, and even marketing!
My time is so limited these days that books have become my resource for knowledge and information. Don’t you wish their was a “how to” book that would help you learn a foreign language or organize your life? Reading is one of the best ways to begin a lifelong journey of learning. At any given time I’m reading at least one if not three books. Thanks to the Family Review Network, I was able to review two of The Complete Idiot’s Guides.
The first book I reviewed was The Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Cooking by Beverly Lynn Bennett and Ray Sammartano. I have always had a love/hate relationship with meat and I am lactose intolerant. I love the ease and convenience of a protein source that can be bought and prepared simply without a lot of effort. In that, I mean that I don’t have to worry about choosing the right combination of foods to attain the appropriate amount of protein in any given day. Generally speaking, I don’t really like the taste or texture of most meats. While I don’t consider myself a vegetarian, I do prefer the vegan diet.
The Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Cooking is resourceful and primarily functions as a cookbook. Don’t get me wrong…it is so much more than a cookbook! The book details the benefits you’ll reap as a result of a vegan diet and meal planning tips to ensure you are getting the proper amount of nutrition from your foods. My favorite section was the chapter on simple substitutions. Because I am lactose intolerant, I’ve had to be creative with finding alternative sources of calcium and Vitamin D. The book definitely promotes the use of soy but you’ll also discover numerous alternatives to meat, dairy, cheese, and eggs. Each of the chapters are preceded by a page or two of information related to the type of food discussed. I love the sections on breakfast and baking since those are the meals I actually prepare. Dinner is the meal where I will struggle with my husband since he truly is a “meat and potatoes” guy. I found the information and recipes practical and attainable. I highly recommend reading this book if you’re thinking about adopting a vegan lifestyle.
The second book I reviewed was Mark Jenkinson’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Photography Essentials. I have a passion for photography but not necessarily the skill! I would love to shoot pictures like my husband does so I was excited when I received this guide. The book teaches amateurs the principles of “shooting like a pro.” I am a complete newbie when it comes to photography so I need even the basic concepts explained to me in such a way that I will comprehend and retain the information. The author does a fantastic job of presenting the information in a concise and relevant manner. The book contains over 150 color photos designed to teach the novice photographer through visual illustration.
Initially, I felt I wouldn’t be able to apply all of the concepts presented in the book since I don’t have a digital SLR camera (hint, hint hubby!). As I read on, I found that many of the concepts can be applied to my digital camera. The section on Getting to Know Your Camera was eye-opening. It’s nearly impossible to shoot like a pro, if you don’t have an understanding of the camera you are shooting with. I found the chapters on shooting people, events, and landscape to be the most inspirational and something to set my sights on! The book concludes with a chapter on editing, archiving, and printing digital images. Here is a before and after picture that we took demonstrating the concept of shutter speed. The venue is Japonais at the Mirage in Vegas.
Check out the company’s website for more information on the books they offer. You can also preview sample chapters of many of their books in PDF format here.
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Maybe I need to read that photography one. I can never get my pictures to turn out like I want.