Stroke Prevention Naturally: Proven Non-Pharmaceutical Stroke Avoidance Strategies

By SPG

Stroke Prevention Naturally: Proven Non-Pharmaceutical Stroke Avoidance Strategies
by Felix Veloso, M.D. F.R.C.P.(C), F.A.A.N.
Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing
Review by Y.M. Smith
$18.88 ISBN 978-1-894431-57-6

Stroke, brain attack, and cerebrovascular accident all mean the same thing – interruption of blood flow to the brain. Dr. Felix Veloso, a neurologist and clinical professor in Regina SK, has witnessed the devastation of stroke to patients and their families countless times in his over 40 years of practice. “Stroke is the leading cause of permanent disability” and the “second leading cause of death worldwide.” Yet there is a bright light in this picture. “Studies continue to confirm that a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of stroke by up to 90%.” And at the same time a stroke is being prevented, heart attack and vascular dementia are also being prevented. In addition to the improved quality of life for people, imagine the impact on our healthcare system. “In Canada, direct and indirect cost of stroke is at least three billion dollars yearly and climbing.”

Dr. Veloso is passionate in his belief that the general population be active participants in decisions that impact their health; give people the knowledge they need to make good decisions. Non-drug strategies are covered because they are available to everyone, low or no-cost, and have no negative side-effects. While drugs certainly have their place with regards to treatment of stroke and heart attack, they are not without risk. Side-effects can range from mild to uncomfortable, and although rare, can result in death. Why treat these illnesses if we can prevent them?

Stroke Prevention Naturally is a motivating book packed full of useful and interesting information for readers of all ages in the life-long quest to prevent strokes. A sample of the extensive number of topic areas include: controllable and uncontrollable risk factors for stroke, symptoms of stroke, smoking cessation, genetics, diabetes, dental hygiene, obesity, and Tai Chi. This book is also a great resource for helpful hints such as how to convert sodium content to salt content, easy formulas to calculate caloric intake, using the glycemic index to control blood sugar, and how to brew different types of tea for maximum health benefit.

The information in the book is presented as part story, part question and answer as Dr. Veloso reflects on his experiences and various concerns of patients. The topics are presented clearly, medical terminology is well defined, and there is a logical progression of subjects. A summary of important points is provided at the end of each chapter and an impressive glossary and subject index is available for quick reference.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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Posted in Your Nickel's Worth Publishing on 18 January 2012 – 12:40 pm | Comments (0)
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Relatives With Roots

By SPG

Relatives With Roots: A Story About Métis Women’s Connection to the Land
by Leah Marie Dorion
translated by Rita Flamand
Published by The Gabriel Dumont Institute
Review by Jessica Bickford
978-1-926795-00-3

Leah Dorion has given her all to Relatives With Roots, being the writer, illustrator, and also lending her voice to the English audio narration. Rita Flamand, a Métis elder, provides Michif-Cree translations and narrates the Michif audio track which is fascinating to listen to, as I have rarely heard the Métis language spoken.

This is a lovely story about a Grandmother and her Granddaughter leaving their bush camp to go out and pick medicine, all while learning about Métis traditions. It focuses on the harmony that exists in Métis tradition between people and the earth, specifically how respect must be given to our “relatives with roots”. It includes a couple of little stories about Wisakechak (the Cree trickster) that help to further the ancestral teachings that this book is based on.

The story of Relatives With Roots is both educational and endearing, but for me, the best part was the illustrations. This is the most beautiful picture book I have ever seen. Dorion’s paintings are alive with colour, authenticity, and a timeless simplicity that will delight children and amaze adults. Every page has a gorgeous painting, some depicting the events of the story, others showing traditional Métis motifs such as the infinity symbol which represents the everlasting nature of the Métis people and their traditions, and others are pretty patterns that create a background for the text.

Anyone can appreciate this book, not just those of Métis heritage. It is a bright, enchanting book with a heartfelt story about tradition and family, with some of the best paintings you will ever find outside of a gallery.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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Posted in Gabriel Dumont Institute on 11 January 2012 – 12:31 pm | Comments (0)
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Coming to Salvation

By SPG

Coming to Salvation
by Lori Kohlman
Published by Lori Kohlman
Review by Cindy Wilson
$19.99 ISBN 978-0-9810826-1-5

Lori Kohlman returns us to a time in our history when the world was not steeped in technology and industrialization. As her novel shows, the triumphs and tribulations experienced by individuals at that time run parallel to those experienced by individuals in society today.

This novel tells two stories. The first begins in 1939 when Angelica Aster answers an ad in a Winnipeg newspaper. She comes to Salvation, Saskatchewan, as a mail-order bride for Jacob Matthews and as a step-mother for Peter, his young son. Angelica has a secret. She does not come to Saskatchewan only to find a husband. Her reasons for coming to Jacob’s farm involve the death of Jacob’s first wife and the suspicion that little Peter is unloved and uncared for.

The second storyline tells of a modern day couple, Rachel and Will. They come to Salvation to work out their marital problems, hoping to re-claim the love they have somehow lost with the passing years. They come to stay with Will’s bachelor Uncle Pete on the family farm. As the novel progresses we see the similarities between Angelica and Jacob’s story and that of Rachel and Will. As both couples become immersed in life in Salvation they come to find truth in their relationships and freedom from their past despair.

Lori Kohlman’s story will appeal to those who believe as she does, and her characters do; that life’s path can be directed by following the teachings in the Bible.

As the stories of both couples emerge we see a surprising connection between two families in two very different periods in history. As the novel continues more and more similarities come to light. The young child named Peter and the crusty old uncle named Pete are one and the same. Both Rachel and Angelica are nurses who become unwillingly involved in the delivery of babies for their neighbours. The ruby necklace shown in the illustration on the novel’s cover has special significance to both families.

Both couples live on the farm in the same “Eaton’s” house, a classic old house ordered through the Eaton’s catalogue. Modern day Rachel decides that rather than re-do the house she will restore it and enhance its past charm. In making that decision she takes one more step toward turning her marriage and life around. Angelica also finds comfort in the home that had seen better times before the drought of the 1930’s. She sets about making the house her own with fresh new curtains and crocheted doilies everywhere.

In the story of Angelica and Jacob those who enjoy a journey into the past will find familiar details of a life-style their parents, grandparents, or great grandparents may have spoken about and lived through. Those who are hopeful modern marriage can survive will be “rootin’” for Will and Rachel.

Coming to Salvation involves us in a web of secrets and hidden agendas. As her novel concludes she brings each of her characters to find life-changing fulfillment. Angelica makes a fresh start and Jacob finds a new love. Will finds strength by re-visiting his past and Rachel finds Will again.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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Posted in Lori Kohlman, Self-Published on 4 January 2012 – 12:48 pm | Comments (0)
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That’s Raven Talk

By SPG

That’s Raven Talk
by Mareike Neuhaus
Published by Canadian Plains Research Centre
Review by William Wardill
$34.95 ISBN 978 -0-88977-233-5

The title of this book attracts readers who know about the place of Raven in Native spirituality. This book is identified on its cover as literary criticism. It was written primarily for those who understand the terminology of linguistics and for whom the study of languages is both a science and a passion. That’s Raven Talk began as a dissertation and, through the editorial judgement of Canadian Plains Research, became a book which expands on the use of the holophrase (one-word sentence) in the translation of Indigenous languages into English.

Neuhaus examines carefully and at length excerpts from works by a bevy of writers who are familiar with Indigenous languages and culture. These are Ishmael Alunik ( Call Me Israel), Alootook Ipellie (Artic Dreams and Nightmares), Richard Van Camp (The Lesser Blessed), Thomas King (Green Grass, Running Water), and Louise Bernice Halfe (Blue Marrow.) In company with these authors, Neuhaus takes her readers into a half-lit world where everything familiar is subtly different. Although she writes for scientists, any word-lover can journey through her book to a deeper understanding of how Canadians are united in their diversity and how the questions and concerns of the human family, although expressed in different ways, are ageless and universal. If learning for learning’s sake means anything to you, buy this book, read it carefully, and pause to digest what you read. That’s Raven Talk could be an experience which will change the way you think.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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Posted in Canadian Plains Research Center on 21 December 2011 – 9:11 pm | Comments (0)
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With Love To You All, Bogga S.

By SPG

With Love to You All, Bogga S
by Audrhea Lande
Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing
Review by Catherine Fuchs
$28.95 ISBN 978-1-894431-62-0

This biography of Sigurbjorg Stefansson, known affectionately as “Bogga”, brings to us the original and inspiring story of “Bogga’s” life. From the outset, author Audrhea Lande engages the reader by weaving together the stories and personal letters from the life of Sigurbjorg Stefansson, long time teacher and philanthropist.

With Love to You All, Bogga S contains personal and evocative descriptions of the hardships of immigrant life in the early 20th century amid the Prairie Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The story of “Bogga’s” life are preserved with many historical pictures, letters and newspaper clippings that give a visual support to this personal account of one of Canada’s outstanding pioneers.

Audrhea Lande reveals the depth of character that was possessed by Sigurbjorg Stefansson, a woman who cared deeply about social issues, and a woman who was ahead of her time as a freethinker and humanist. Sigurbjorg “Bogga” Stefansson, like many of the Icelandic pioneers contributed greatly to furthering literacy in Canada through the arts and education.

Sigurbjorg Stefansson taught school at Carrick, Lundar, and at Gimli from 1923 to 1962. She was also a philanthropist who established three public libraries; her work also included support for education and literacy that
was recognized by many honorary life memberships. She also was the principle force of the Gimli Saga: The History of Gimli, Manitoba, an award-winning community history.

Audrhea Lande’s biography truly gives us an in depth portrayal of a woman who enriched the life of those around her and those who would live after her. This is a work that belongs in Canadian schools and libraries as a testimony to the dedication and sacrifice of a prairie pioneer, Sigurbjorg Stefansson, everyone’s “Bogga.”

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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Posted in Your Nickel's Worth Publishing on 14 December 2011 – 12:35 pm | Comments (0)
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Honouring Our Past, Embracing Our Future

By SPG

Honouring Our Past, Embracing Our Future: Celebrating a Century of Excellence in Education at the University of Regina Campus
Text by Dr. James Pitsula
Photos selected by Don Hall and Dr. Stephen King
Published by the Canadian Plains Research Centre Press
Review by Jessica Bickford
$39.95 ISBN 9-780889-772434

There are one-hundred years of history packed into Honouring Our Past, Embracing Our Future, which is a visually stunning compilation of archival photographs and historical tidbits about the University of Regina. Dr. James Pitsula, who authored the text, is not only a history professor at the University of Regina, but he is also the authority on U of R history – having written three other books on the subject.

Honouring Our Past, Embracing Our Future chronicles the U of R’s story from its humble beginnings in 1911 when Regina College (which was then a high school established by the Methodist Church) opened its doors to a whopping twenty-seven students, right up to the present day when the University now has twelve-thousand students, three federated colleges, and twenty research centres to its name. The intervening years, all chronicled through gorgeous photographs of students, faculty members, staff and buildings, are thoroughly described in four chapters that break down the history into distinct periods of growth and struggle.

My favourite part of this book though is of course the photographs. Stunning images track the progress of the U of R from one building on College Avenue (there’s one picture where you can see this building and the legislative building with nothing but bald, snowy prairie in-between), to an aerial view of the now sprawling main campus. Being able to see the actual students and staff from the particular time periods gives this book a kind of gravity that I think text alone could never adequately capture.

As a student at the U of R I found this book incredibly interesting and I learned so many things about the institution that makes up a great deal of my life. The photographs are impressive, the text is illuminating, and the fore and afterword’s from President Vianne Timmons are inspiring. Honouring Our Past, Embracing Our Future is a wonderful celebration of the history of the University of Regina in a unique and engaging format that makes it not only accessible, but a really great read.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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Posted in Canadian Plains Research Center on 9 December 2011 – 3:46 pm | Comments (0)
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Within the Stillness

By SPG

Within the Stillness: One Family’s Winter on a Northern Trapline
by Keith Olsen
Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing
Review by William Wardill
$16.95 ISBN 978–1–894431–61-3

This book encapsulates deeply etched memories of Keith Olsen, whose grandfather came to the United States from Denmark in 1910 at the age of thirteen. When he moved to Canada, he settled in the Big River district of Saskatchewan, where he married Anna Ethier in 1914. After the birth of two daughters, she became a victim of the 1918 influenza plague. The elder daughter, Florence, became the mother of James Edward Olsen, who was born out of wedlock in 1934. Florence Olsen married an English immigrant, Thomas Edward Nicholson, in 1937. After only nine years in the Nicholson family, James Olsen’s relationship with his stepfather became unendurable, and he set out on his own. He was twelve years old.

In the late summer of 1960, James Olsen, his wife (always identified as Mum), and their young sons Clarence and Keith went to Little Mahigan Lake for a winter on the trapline. What follows is a colloquial account of living off the land. Aside from a few purchased necessities, they ate what forest and lake provided: wild berries and meat of moose, deer, rabbits, squirrels, and bear.

The story reads like the hard existence of prairie homesteaders in an earlier time. The family had no modern conveniences. There was a wood stove, gasoline lantern, coal-oil lamps, candles, and a battery-powered radio. Everything else they needed they took from the land, forest and lake.

They had a team of horses and a sleigh. They had snowshoes. They built their own cabin. They had their own skills, ingenuity and boundless energy. They had neighbours with whom they shared a reverence for the land and resources near at hand. They sold their furs to the Red & White Store in Big River. The gill net which they tended under the lake ice produced another valuable harvest, which was sold to Waite Fisheries, also in Big River. They had a successful season.

In 1961, the isolation in which the Olsen family lived was disappearing in the land below the tree-line. In 2011, the deep understanding of the people north of the prairies for the places in which they live has not waned. Keith Olsen remembers. He remembers also with love and respect the tireless, caring woman called Mum.

How could two little boys disappear from school registers for a whole year without officialdom noticing? It appears that Mum was a Cree woman. Government officials forced Cree children to endure the dubious disciplines of the residential schools, but were not so concerned with the education of children of mixed blood. Nevertheless, Keith Olsen wrote, and Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing produced, a book which helps readers to understand who, why and where we are.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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Posted in Your Nickel's Worth Publishing on 7 December 2011 – 12:00 pm | Comments (0)
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Rock Creek Blues

By SPG

Rock Creek Blues
by Thelma Poirier
Published by Coteau Books
Review by Kris Brandhagen
$16.95 CAD ISBN 13: 9781550504552

While reading Rock Creek Blues a narrative began to unfold, during which I couldn’t count the number of times I felt my eyebrows raise. I was impressed by the sheer subtle courage of Poirier. This book is an exploration of death, providing the spectrum of the food chain and thickly sauced with the tart flavor of human acceptance and/or conflict about it; a study of harmony and discord spanning Rock Creek, Saskatchewan and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Poirier’s writing is versatile and organic, in a way that is neither arrogant nor assuming-A poet and storyteller in a truly dramatic way. There was suspense that I didn’t even know was building at first. To expand on that, it is like the story developed a wider and wider range as it went along like someone I didn’t even know was a minstrel walked up to me: “Want to hear a joke?” And here I am forty-five minutes later, I’m still listening, rapt, to the dynamic voice changes, and can’t wait for the end, in the very best way, because I feel a desire to know what happens.

Rock Creek Blues is unchronological: beginning somewhere and then seeming to go back and forth in time, telling the story of a character who intently observes the landscape, water, the barriers that we (humans) erect, and, above all, the blues. This story is spiced with two of my favorite things: a preoccupation with death, and the deft betrayal of intimate details about the persona. Thelma Poirier, I am proud to share Saskatchewan with you, and look forward to reading more.

Here’s a taste:

she is unaccountable for its presence,
as is the horse. It leans against her

the way dead horses do, surrounding itself
with dim lights, straw harness

hanging from the rafters. The horse is stuffed
stuffed as though it were a bag of loose oats

and toothless, too. Better than a toy horse,
a runaway galloping through the willows

the ride ends in this kitchen. Her disbelief gleams
in its glass eyes, the colour of tomatoes.

-from “not a toy horse” (48)

On the levee, I lean in to the wind, breathe Mississippi air,
a cool breeze blowing in from the river. I am as old as the river.

And on the riverwalk someone plays a saxophone,
plays a song that hasn’t been written. Not yet.
-from “New Orleans, Saskatchewan” (33)

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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Posted in Coteau Books on 30 November 2011 – 12:27 pm | Comments (0)
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Dragonflies & Damselflies in the Hand

By SPG

Dragonflies & Damselflies in the Hand: An Identification Guide to Boreal Forest Odonates in Saskatchewan and Adjacent Regions
by G. Hutchings and D. Halstead
Published by Nature Saskatchewan
Review by Colette Wheler
$24.95 ISBN 978-0-921104-25-4

Nymphs, sedge sprites, meadowhawks, and jewelwings – these may sound like characters from a new fantasy novel, but they’re actually real life creatures from this special publication made possible by Nature Saskatchewan. Part field guide and part natural history, this 158 page softcover book is full of fascinating facts about dragonflies and damselflies, which together are known as odonates. Authors Gord Hutchings and Dave Halstead share their extensive knowledge, admiration, and spectacular photographs of the 49 species of dragonflies and damselflies found in the western boreal forest, an area covering the northern parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and a small bit of British Columbia.

The book begins with a general overview of how odonates live, behave, feed, and reproduce, including an impressive account of their flying abilities – not only can they hover and fly backwards, they can reach speeds up to 35 km/h! Helpful tips are given on where and when to find these insects and how to safely “catch and release” them to make a positive identification or take a photograph. Easy-to-use sets of descriptions, called dichotomous keys, help identify the insect through a process of elimination, and first teach the reader the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly. Identification to the family level and finally to genus and species follows, allowing the reader to go into as much detail as they wish. Over 100 high-quality photographs, 26 figures, and 6 plates illustrate the various features that distinguish one brightly-coloured odonate from another.

In addition to introducing the reader to these intriguing aerodynamic insects, the authors also speak about their value as indicators of wetland health, since the aquatic larvae can live in bodies of water for up to 4 years before emerging as the conspicuous adults we typically see zooming about in pursuit of mosquitoes and other prey. From a practical point, this small, lightweight book is made to be taken into the field, and is equipped with a handy ruler on the back cover to help in measuring dragonfly and damselfly body length.

These remarkable creatures have been around in their present form for over 300 million years, pre-dating dinosaurs, and their persistence and beauty are sure to captivate beginners and seasoned biologists alike, making this book a welcome addition to any field guide collection.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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Posted in Nature Saskatchewan on 23 November 2011 – 12:45 pm | Comments (0)
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Full Steam to Canada

By SPG

Full Steam to Canada
by Anne Patton
Published by Coteau Books for Kids
Review by Catherine Fuchs
$8.95 ISBN 978-1-55050-457-6

Full Steam to Canada takes the reader along on a capricious journey from Victorian England to the wilderness of Canada in the early 1900’s. All of this is told through the eyes of 10 year old Dorothy Bolton. Young readers get to follow Dorothy and her new friends as she travels with her family across the Atlantic and across Canada to start a new life on the prairies.

Anne Patton’s latest novel is based on a true story that has magical beginnings in the chance story telling of an elderly woman. More than a quarter century ago, Anne Patton taped an interview with the original ‘Dorothy’, and built on these memories a fictional cast of characters venturing to start a new life in the Barr Colonies of the Canadian Prairie in the year 1903. Many of Dorothy’s journeys and observations of her new life were further based on the archives and diaries of the original settlers from the Barr Colonies in Saskatchewan.

The historical context in which this book is written will take the reader back in time. Young readers will surely enjoy following Dorothy’s journey from a strict upbringing in Victorian England to her being transported to a new feeling of freedom that she gets to enjoy on her travels to a strange new land. Full Steam to Canada is the perfect book for a young reader to learn about Canadian history while reveling in the daily adventures of a young girl embarking on a new life.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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Posted in Coteau Books on 16 November 2011 – 12:27 pm | Comments (0)
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