Summary of reading: July – September 2011

• "Eat, Drink and be Healthy" by Walter C. Willett - an interesting modern guide to healthy eating. I like the author's scientific approach in rebutting some common diets and even the official USDA food pyramid. Unfortunately, reading the book also makes it painfully obvious how little we really know about the long-term effects of different kinds of foods and vitamins on our health. The author bases most of his conclusions on just a small number of trials, and freely admits that new trials often turn some recommendations around.
• "From the Wilderness and Lebanon" by Asael Lubotzky (read in Hebrew) - a memoire of the 2006 Israel-Hizbullah war, from the eyes of a young infatry lieutenant. Asael tells about the missions his platoon was assigned, and later about his recovery from difficult injury when an anti-tank missile hit the vehicle he was riding in. The book is of variable quality, and isn't suitable for understanding the war since it explicitly focuses on the experiences of the author. On the other hand, it's a relatively unique account of military action as seen by a low-rank field commander.
• "Krakatoa" by Simon Winchester - an account of the great Krakatoa volcano eruption in 1883. Well written, although tiresome at times. The relevant details of plate tectonics could be explained much better, I think.