“An in-depth, well-researched, and thoughtful exploration of the ‘fat boom’ in America.” —TheBoston Globe Low carb, high protein, raw foods . . . despite our seemingly endless obsession with fad diets, the startling truth is that six out of ten Americans are overweight or obese. In Fat Land, award-winning nutrition and health journalist Greg Critser examines the facts and societal factors behind the sensational headlines, taking on everything from supersize to Super Mario, high-fructose corn syrup to the high costs of physical education. With a sharp eye and even sharper tongue, Critser examines why pediatricians are now treating conditions rarely seen in children before; why type 2 diabetes is on the rise; the personal struggles of those with weight problems—especially among the poor—and how agribusiness has altered our waistlines. Praised by the New York Times as “absorbing” and by Newsday as “riveting,” this disarmingly funny, yet truly alarming, exposé stands as an important examination of one of the most pressing medical and social issues in the United States. “One scary book and a good companion to Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation.” —Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Today Americans are the fattest people on the face of the earth (save for the inhabitants of a few South Seas islands). About 61 percent of Americans are overweight. This book shows how and why Americans got that way.

A seminal book, reissued after almost 50 years, offering a personal vision of a less-mechanized and less polluting world.

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan became free of the Soviet Union in 1991. But though they are new to modern statehood, this is a region rich in ancient history, culture, and landscapes unlike anywhere else in the world. Traveling alone, Erika Fatland is a true adventurer in every sense. In Sovietistan, she takes the reader on a compassionate and insightful journey to explore how their Soviet heritage has influenced these countries, with governments experimenting with both democracy and dictatorships. In Kyrgyzstani villages, she meets victims of the tradition of bride snatching; she visits the huge and desolate nuclear testing ground "Polygon" in Kazakhstan; she meets shrimp gatherers on the banks of the dried out Aral Sea; she travels incognito through Turkmenistan, as it is closed to journalists, and she meets German Mennonites that found paradise on the Kyrgyzstani plains 200 years ago. We learn how ancient customs clash with gas production and witness the underlying conflicts in new countries building their futures in nationalist colors. Once the frontier of the Soviet Union, life follows another pace of time. Amidst the treasures of Samarkand and the brutalist Soviet architecture, Sovietistan is a rare and unforgettable travelogue.

FAT TALE, written and illustrated by Karen Land, is a picture book that will help children focus on good nutrition. Not long ago, a chubby child meant a healthy child. Today, obesity is our nation's fastest growing health problem. Our children are experiencing a nationwide epidemic of poor eating habits. The good news is for the most part, obesity is preventable. Planting the seeds of good nutrition at an early age is a fundamental preventative measure. Fat Tale is an educational story showing the pitfalls of overeating. Using the empathy children have for animals, the story tells how a cute little frog gets into big trouble by becoming addicted to junk food. Gorf, the children's name for him, becomes so fat from eating sugary cereal, fries, and other scraps of fast food he can not dive down to the bottom of the pond to hibernate. Winter is coming and he will freeze. The children realize that they are lethargic and grossly overweight, too. A healthy diet of real food is adopted by all. This book will interest children in pre-school through third grade. It can be used as a supplemental text to introduce a health lesson and by concerned parents who want to teach their children about the perils of poor eating habits. Karen Land is a School Media Specialist and has worked in the field of library service for more than 30 years. She has written for School Library Journal and is a member of The Children's Book Council.

A mother goes from poverty to wealth, expecting happiness but only finding a cruel Catch-22. Anzia Yezierska wrote about the struggles of female Jewish immigrants in New York's Lower East Side. She confronted the cost of acculturation and assimilation among immigrants. Her stories provide insight into the meaning of liberation for immigrants—particularly Jewish immigrant women.