How to not die (2016)

Greger acts as a nutritionist to guide people for healthier diet. This book is handful of scientific explanation over popular diseases and preventive measures. Here is a very quick summary:

1. Heart diseases: Follow plant - derived diet (vegetable and nuts) to keep cholesterol levels average under 150 mg/dL. Avoid sugary foods, trans fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol - laden foods that clog up our arteries, allow path for blood to flow. Kale is the queen of green and best source for antioxidant-boosting.

2. Lung diseases: Load up broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower to reverse not only lung cancer but also breast cancer. Indian spice turmeric prevents DNA damage caused by smoking. Remove eggs and dairy can reduce asthma risk. Stay away from frying bacon and eggs (second hand smoker).

3. Brain diseases: Choose potassium - rich foods (greens, beans, and sweet potatoes). Eating oranges can keep you warmer and reduce stroke risk. Sleep enough. Eat food contains lots of antioxidants. How can you tell? Anything turns brown when exposes to air (Compare banana, apple vs. mango). Oat meal for breakfast. Purple grapes are for powerful brain-accessing antioxidants. Cook using the most-heat cooking methods such as steaming or stewing. Aerobic exercise for forty-five to sixty mins a day, four days a week.

4. Digestive Cancers: Curcumin, red onions, and grapes. Dark green, leafy vegetables and legumes, such as beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils. Donate blood is great to prevent excess buildup of iron. Avoid drinking tea with meal which inhibit iron absorption. Orange. Good fats are nuts, seeds, avocados, olive and vegetable oils. Avoid supermarket chicken breast (extra salt added + drug). Berries.

5. Infections: 3 apple a day or 1 tea spoon of red onion. Mushroom.

6. High blood pressure: Industry add salt to draw in water and increase the weight. Buy whole chicken. Avoid chicken breast in the supermarket! Raw vegetable > boiled one. Flaxseeds. Hibiscus tea. Beetroots.

7. Liver diseases: One to two drinks a day to lower the risk of heart diseases. Grapes, barley and potatoes. Don't share personal care items (toothbrushes, razors). Do not cook pork raw. Dietary supplements caused higher rate of liver transplants and deaths. Drink coffee.

8. Breast cancer: Soya and mushroom

9. Suicidal depression: Single carb rich, protein poor meal improve depression, tension, anger, confusion, etc. Saffron.

10. Prostate cancer: Milk is no good. Garlic and red onions.

11. Iatrogeni causes: Ginger compounds protected DNA. Lemon balm tea. Don't have aspirin.

12. Others: Eat colorful fruits and vegetable. Cook without oil. Buy organic is not worth it. 300 grams water melon to reduce muscle soreness.

Happiness: A revolution in economics (2008)

This is another book on happiness. But this time, Frey used economic theories to discuss something as abstract as happiness.

So what bring you happiness according to economics? 1. Intelligence? Not at all, people with higher IQ are not happier. Smarty expected too much. Expectation is not healthy once reality is uncertain. 2. Money. Yes, up to a certain point. There is diminishing marginal utility applied to almost everything. Also, human greed is insatiable, money can’t keep up with human need. 3. Age. You live you learn. Elderly people concentrate more on features that make them happy and circumvent those that don’t. 4. Be religious. Religion can act as a haven in difficult time 5. Work for yourself. Somehow, those who are self – employed are happier. Freedom and being self determined bring higher satisfaction. 6. Volunteer more. 7. Get married. More efficient division of labor releases stress and eases life; therefore, increase happiness. 8. Make the most of your genes. A “set point” of happiness strongly influences life satisfaction. To a large extent, the genes one inherits determine this “set- point.” To achieve happiness, it is useful to develop personality traits and life styles that support happiness. Get yourself healthy habit if happiness is the ultimate purpose of life. Thinking at margin to choose what activities yield toward lower opportunity costs. Time is scarce resource, so think twice before set your action.

This is a book on happiness which is backed up by statistics rather than personal anecdotes. Highly recommended for anyone who is looking for happiness and tired of boring self help books

Stumbling on Happiness (2007)

This is not a book on how to be happier. It is quite the opposite. Daniel Gilbert explained how people are not happy like they thought they would be.

Happiness is a product of actions which require calculated prediction. How can we predict? We imagine. We imagine if we choose plan A over plan B, how would our lives be. Then we choose to act according to our expected utility associated with consequences of both plans.

Imagination, however, contains three shortcomings. First is realism error. We fail to imagine every feature and consequence of a future event. We choose to act from too little our brain can be aware of. The second shortcomings is presentism. The imagination of the future is based on today's materials. But well.... What makes us happy today might not make us happy tomorrow. We are rolling stones with a tendency of thinking we are trees. The third shortcoming is rationalization. Imagination is a drama bitch. Bad things are not as bad. It is why people who experienced pains/tragic life events can much happier than who didn't. Resilience cures sadness.

All in all, what should we do to be happ(ier)? 1. Prefeeling is important. You feel right then you do it right. Stop imagining and expecting too much.

2. Seeking advice from everyone. Most people think we are unique. No, uniqueness is a mainstream diva (not real and never speak truly). Scrape off all the thinking that you are different, you are unique. Solutions are all around us and many tackle your difficulties. Copy them and you will do just fine