Simple Everyday Practices To Boost Your Brain

Posted on by alexesguerra

In today’s fast-paced world, you may find yourself running from one task to the other. There is just so much to do and so little time to do it in. As such, it is easy to become overwhelmed and distracted by the constant bombardment of information and demands on your time. This can lead to fatigue, lack of focus, and even mood swings.

Fret not, though! There are many simple practices you can instill in your everyday life that will help you navigate the complexities of the modern world. These practices might seem trivial, but they add up over time to improve your brain health and your overall well-being. Let’s take a look at some of them below.

1) Start Your Day with Exercise

In the past decade or so, most people have become aware of the incredible positive impacts of exercising. It is not only a boon for your physical health but also your mental and emotional health. When you get some physical movement first thing in the morning, it can help wake up your brain and provide an energy boost. Even something as simple as jogging can help release feel-good hormones and improve your mood and focus.

2) Eat A Healthy Breakfast

Probably everybody’s parents taught them the value of a healthy breakfast. It not only fuels your brain for the entire day but also improves your mood. Foods like whole grains, fruits, and nuts provide important vitamins and minerals that can improve memory and focus. So, make sure you eat the right breakfast no matter how busy your schedule is.

3) Take Regular Breaks

We, humans, are biological beings. Even though we sometimes think of ourselves as machines, the truth doesn’t change. As such, we need breaks from time to time to recharge physically and mentally. So, it’s a good idea to take short breaks throughout the day. This can help improve focus and reduce stress. You could try taking a five-minute break every hour to stretch, meditate, or take a short walk.

4) Stay Hydrated

Water is an essential ingredient of good mental health that a lot of people underestimate. Did you know that even mild dehydration can cause headaches and lead to fatigue? This is why it is important to drink plenty of water throughout the day. It can help keep your brain hydrated and improve cognitive function.

5) Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is one of the best spiritual practices you can incorporate into your daily life. Like meditation and yoga, it can reduce stress and improve your focus. It can also help keep your attention in the present moment, which can improve your productivity and happiness. You can try practicing mindfulness for a few minutes daily and slowly increase the duration.

6) Challenge Your Brain

Like any other muscle in your body, your brain becomes stronger when you put it through challenges. This is why engaging in mentally stimulating activities is a great way to enhance your cognitive functions. To that end, you could spend some time every day solving puzzles or learning a new skill. This can help improve memory and focus.

These are just some of the daily practices you can instill in your life to change your brain for the better. In his book, “Change Your Brain Every Day: Simple Daily Practices to Strengthen Your Mind, Memory, Moods, Focus, Energy, Habits, and Relationships,” Dr. Daniel G. Amen talks about many more effective daily habits that can help you master your mind, boost your memory, and make you feel happier, healthier, and more connected to those you love.

15 Natural Remedies For Migraine Headaches

Posted on by alexesguerra

15 Natural Remedies For Migraine Headaches

Anyone who has ever suffered a migraine headache knows how terrible it can be. The pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound you experience during a migraine can make even simple tasks seem herculean. On top of it, sometimes, these types of headaches can last for two to three days, which can drastically decrease one’s quality of life.

Fortunately, there are many powerful and effective migraine drugs available on the market. And doctors readily prescribe them to anyone suffering from this condition. However, as millions of people around the globe have discovered, these drugs come with side effects. In some cases, the side effects are so severe, that people have to stop treatment altogether.

So, what should you do if you’re suffering from migraine headaches and are looking for safer ways of treatment? Well, that’s where natural remedies come in.

1) Butterbur

This might sound like a delicious beverage but it is actually a herb that grows throughout Europe. It has also been used for centuries to treat migraine headaches. In fact, even scientists have recommended using this herb to reduce the severity and frequency of migraines. If you do choose to use Butterbur, make sure you get a high-quality supplement that does not have some of the harmful chemicals present in the raw plant.

2) Ginger

Ginger has been a staple of traditional medicine for thousands of years. Its anti-inflammatory properties are quite popular and it is the go-to natural remedy for a lot of people in eastern countries. Its healing properties also make it the perfect choice for treating migraine headaches. What’s great about ginger is that it can be consumed in a variety of ways. You could make tea out of it, consume it in powder form, or even take ginger supplements.

3) Feverfew

Feverfew is a flowering herb that looks like a daisy. It has been used for centuries to treat migraine headaches, stomach aches, insect bites, and even fertility problems. It is said that feverfew reduces inflammation in the body and prevents the constriction of blood vessels in the brain. This is what provides relief from migraine headaches. However, scientists are still studying its effects and are yet to come to a conclusion on its effectiveness.

4) Essential Oils

Essential oils are one of the most popular forms of alternative treatment in today’s world. People from all walks of life have made them a part of their daily lives for a plethora of reasons. Essential oils have been found effective against stress, anxiety, chronic pain, headaches, sleep deprivation, nausea, and so on. So, you can definitely use them to treat your migraine headaches. Oils such as lavender and peppermint are quite effective at reducing the symptoms of migraines.

5) Yoga and Meditation

Yoga and meditation are both ancient spiritual practices that are still popular today. If you make these practices a part of your daily life, you can greatly reduce the frequency and severity of your migraine headaches. These practices work by reducing stress and tension throughout your body and can also help improve sleep, thereby keeping you in a more relaxed state.

These are just some of the natural remedies that can help you treat migraine headaches. There are many more you can turn to, depending on your preference and other health factors. Dr. Jay Cohen’s “15 Natural Remedies for Migraine Headaches” is a great book you can check out to learn more about these remedies.

5 Ways to Heal Yourself Spiritually

Posted on by alexesguerra
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5 Ways to Heal Yourself Spiritually

Wise people often say that this world leaves no one untouched. Right from the moment you are born to the moment you die, you go through countless experiences in life. Some of these are good, some of these are neutral, and some of these are heart-breaking.

Naturally, we all get hurt and experience a lot of pain in our journeys. And we try to heal from all of this in a myriad of ways. One of these ways that most people are beginning to turn to these days is spiritual healing. This type of healing happens when you experience something greater than yourself and understand what life is all about. As such, it paves the way for greater peace, happiness, and fulfillment in our lives.

But how do you heal yourself spiritually? Well, there are many ways you can do so. Below, we are going to look at five of the most popular ones.

1) Meditation

Meditation is one of the most ancient spiritual practices in the world. It also happens to be one of the most powerful ones. When you meditate regularly, you naturally learn to connect with your inner self. This gives you great insights into your thoughts, emotions, values, and feelings. It also helps you understand what is bothering you and why. You’re able to get to the root of things and address them once and for all. Meditation also trains you to anchor your attention in the present moment. Suffice it to say, this practice is a great way to heal yourself spiritually.

2) Tarot Reading

Tarot reading is another spiritual tool that can help you gain insights into your thoughts and emotions. It can also help you better understand the situation you are in right now and ways you can get out of it. Not only that, tarot reading can make a murky future a lot clearer and provide a sense of direction in your life. It can even help you understand who you are as an individual. This helps you release any negative energy or past trauma that may be holding you back.

3) Gratitude

A lot of spiritual practitioners will tell you that the best way to live is with an attitude of gratitude. This is because gratitude is a great way to shift your attention from what you don’t have to what you have. This might seem like a trivial thing but it is one of the best ways to live a happier and more content life. It takes away the immense pressure you might feel in the modern world with all of its complexities. And it naturally gives you a more positive outlook on life and helps you enjoy the little things that life has to offer.

4) Yoga

Yoga is perhaps as old as meditation. And contrary to what many may believe, it is not only about physical movement. In the spiritual world, yoga means union. It is the profound experience of feeling a sense of oneness with something greater than yourself. When you experience this oneness, you are bound to move away from all the pain in your life and into a state of bliss and happiness.

5) Service

Spiritual gurus often say that human beings are at their best in a state of giving. There is immense wisdom in these words if you think about it. When you serve others selflessly, you feel a warm and fuzzy sensation in your heart. That is because it helps you connect with other people on a higher level. This connection transcends the physical and ventures into the realm of the spiritual. It gives you a taste of what the true nature of reality is. It also helps you realize that you are not alone in this journey. There are countless other beings all playing out their story. This brings in a sense of comfort and peace.

If you want to learn more about these spiritual practices and more, be sure to check out our website. It has tons of resources to help you along your spiritual journey and find healing.

Creating a safe environment: How to cultivate well-being in the workplace

Posted on by Dr. Alberto Parra

Some people spend most of the day at work. But even if it’s just a few hours with your co-workers, it’s easier to do so in a comfortable and safe place.

Workplace safety and wellness are critical to effective work performance. That’s the focus of the book “Well at Work: Creating Wellbeing in Any Workspace“.

Whether in the role of boss or employee, we can do many things to improve the work environment. But keep in mind that, like a plant, well-being in the workspace requires ongoing care, as you’ll see below:

Choose seeds and nurture the roots of wellness

A big tree grows from a small seed and is founded on its roots. In the workplace, the seed of wellness is mental health, and the root is the commitment to maintain it.

Once we learn to cope with stress, we will be able to do so at work and everywhere else. Communication skills make us more assertive in achieving our goals. All of this contributes to feeling fulfilled and happy.

Mental health programs and workshops are very useful for this. A coaching session or something as simple as a self-esteem session can make all the difference.

But it is also important for employees to be willing and collaborative. This is a two-way job.

Recognize the right nutrients: light and water

Following the comparison with gardening, a great tree thrives on an adequate supply of light and water. In work wellness, the main nutrients are ongoing improvement and personal recognition.

By ongoing improvement, we want to expand our skillset and learn. If we contribute to it every day, it makes us feel more confident.

Employers can help in the process by providing training opportunities. But there is also self-learning, which is very important to keep growing.

On the other hand, continuous personal recognition is also important. That is, constantly recognizing the positive fruits of our work. By doing so, we can keep up our motivation and inspire our employees.

There are two types of recognition: from ourselves and from others. Everyone makes mistakes. Instead of pointing them out, let’s adopt a positive culture. Let’s see and celebrate our successes.

Sometimes you need to prune and spray for pests

A third important component of growth is to evaluate and make changes. This applies to both gardening and creating your workspace.

First of all, we have feedback, which helps us pinpoint potential improvement. Providing these recommendations constructively makes them easy to follow and contributes to everyone’s well-being.

Secondly, we have the identification of workplace pests: work-related stress. It is normal to feel stress, and some jobs are more complex than others.

But can we do anything to reduce it? What strategy can facilitate the work and accelerate the results?

Burnout is a common problem in some stressful workplaces. It can often be avoided with something as simple as learning to delegate and working as a team.

Conclusion

Cultivating a safe and comfortable workspace is a slow and ongoing process. However, just like a large tree that bears shade and fruit, it is well worth the effort.

To do this we will need strong seeds and roots, by working on mental health. We must provide the right nutrients, including training and personal recognition. Then, pruning and spraying are necessary through feedback and correction of work-related stress.

When Memories Fade: The Unseen Toll of Alzheimer’s on Caregivers

Posted on by Dr. Alberto Parra

Most of us can empathize with the daunting task of living with a relative afflicted by Alzheimer’s. But very few truly comprehend what it involves and how it feels.

There’s no one better than an actual caregiver to tell us about it, as in the book “Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer’s: One Daughter’s Hopeful Story.”

Far from adopting a gloomy outlook, Lauren Kessler offers us an uplifting and heartfelt narrative that shares a compassionate light on dementia.

Indeed, caring for a relative with Alzheimer’s is a herculean undertaking that many children and grandchildren don’t choose voluntarily. The disease does not come knocking at the door but barges into our lives uninvited and without concession.

That’s why it’s paramount to safeguard our mental health while in this endeavor.

Sacrifices for the greater good

Alzheimer’s is like an uninvited intruder that completely changes family dynamics.

One could say that the Alzheimer’s patient is the sufferer. However, the entire nuclear family takes the hit as well. Supporting loved ones with this debilitating disease entails three types of sacrifice:

  • An emotional sacrifice: Certainly, watching your father, mother, uncle, or grandparent succumb to the clutches of Alzheimer’s disease is a heart-wrenching ordeal. Seeing their functions deteriorate is frustrating, much more so if you can’t communicate. At some point, you may suppress your emotions, and your role becomes only that of a caregiver.
  • A physical sacrifice: Caregivers also have a physical burden, especially in the advanced stages of the disease. Moving patients, transporting them, enduring sleepless nights, and coping with ceaseless stress can affect your health.
  • A financial sacrifice: Alzheimer’s is also a financial quagmire. In addition to medications and doctor’s appointments, caregivers sometimes have to sacrifice their formal work. Often it is, in itself, a full-time job.

But does it have to be this way?

Efficient organization among relatives and caregivers reduces the burden considerably. Granted, not everyone may feel the same depth of compassion. But it is also true that every caregiver deserves respite, regardless of their devotion and love for their relative.

The cry for help

The rigors of living with Alzheimer’s disease can have a profound impact.

A study published in the Clinical Gerontologist Journal followed 226 Alzheimer’s patients and their families for five years. At the end of the study, 60% of the caregivers showed symptoms of depression.

These symptoms worsened over the years. And once depressed, less than 10% of the caregivers improved their symptoms. That is why you should seek assistance before the weight of the burden spreads to other family members.

There are ten telltale symptoms of caregiver stress:

  • Denial, as they most likely assume that the illness is not that serious.
  • Anger, sometimes directed toward other family members, the caregiver himself, and even the person with dementia.
  • Social isolation, as they no longer enjoy the activities they used to love.
  • Anxiety about everyday situations, and that which could happen in the future.
  • Sadness, which often manifests as indifference or lack of energy.
  • Insomnia, as even sleep becomes stressful and nightmares may occur.
  • Irritability, with emotional reactions becoming much more exaggerated.
  • Lack of concentration, especially on complex tasks, and problem-solving difficulties.
  • Health problems, such as getting sick more often or developing more serious, chronic ailments.

If you experience these symptoms, start taking action to mitigate stress.

Take a realistic view of the disease. Evaluate what you can do and know your limitations. If you have conflicting feelings, the first step is to accept them. Then, talk about them with someone you feel comfortable with.

Seek out a support group or health professional and be sure to ask for help. There are many online resources, support groups, and places to go for help. Take your time, and explore your available options with a healthcare expert. Remember that help is always within reach.

The mind unveiled: Explore the depths of your brain

Posted on by Dr. Alberto Parra

The enigmatic realm of the brain perplexed philosophers and scientists for millennia. That’s the topic covered by the celebrated book “We Are Our Brains: A Neurobiography of the Brain, from the Womb to Alzheimer’s.” 

Today, we have more tools and technology to unravel this cosmic conundrum, But many questions remain unanswered. In some cases, space exploration might seem easier than understanding our brains.

Still, science has made some impressive leaps and bounds, and today, we have fascinating data on brain function. Here are just a few of those thrilling brainy tidbits.

Brain and behavior across different life stages

At birth, the brain has approximately 100 billion neurons. Thus, the grand pregnancy marathon requires producing over 250,000 nerve cells per minute.

What happens after that?

The child’s brain

Right from the start, the brain is one of the most demanding organs. And it continues to be so throughout childhood and adolescence.

It gradually gives rise to a defined personality, a distinct personality, very particular tastes, and a highly variable set of talents and skills.

Brain changes through adolescence

However, the most radical transformations occur during adolescence. Hormones waltz onto the scene and modulate nerve interactions. The pre-frontal cortex transforms and develops further.

And there’s a societal rollercoaster that brings new pressures and experiences upon us. It is the perfect recipe to awaken the seeds of rebellion in the search for one’s own identity.

The brain in adulthood

And then adulthood arrives. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a snooze fest. The brain continues to change during this stage. That’s neural plasticity, and it never stops.

We keep producing new nerve cells and forging fresh connections. It is a perfect time to develop our full potential. But some of us stumble into an identity crisis, especially if we haven’t explored our talents and passions in life.

Seniors and cognitive decline

After hitting the golden years, the brain does not behave as many people think. Despite cognitive decline, old age is a time of consolidation.

All the experience we have accumulated over a lifetime becomes our little treasure trove of wisdom. It is a testament to the brain’s ability to grow and develop.

The brain’s role in health and disease

Over the years, the brain is subject to one wave of neurotransmitters after another. Sometimes, they work together as a symphony of neural fireworks. Other times, chaos arises due to a chemical excess or deficiency.

Brain disturbances may strike us. Count in clinical depression and maybe even hallucinations. What they have in common is altered brain chemistry.

But we don’t have to go very far to explore brain chemistry changes. A day-to-day example is stress, which raises cortisol and adrenaline levels. The entire body is put into a state of “fight or flight” because of a thought that went rogue. That’s why mental health is more than a sidekick. It defines and impacts our overall wellness.

Likewise, a good diet and healthy habits are pivotal. They protect us from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

These diseases throw a wrench into your nerve impulses and destroy your neurons. All this results in cognitive deficits and severe long-term problems.

Harnessing knowledge about yourself and your brain

Yes, the brain is an intriguing field of study. But why dive into its depths beyond a simple thirst for knowledge?

After knowing how the fetus is churning out nerve cells every minute, a mother may put more interest in nutrition. We might reconsider our junk-food-filled, overburdened lifestyles after a view at its long-term effects. Understanding the adolescent brain will help us understand the changes our teens are going through. The journey through the brain can be much more than just a random curiosity.

If this short read was interesting, many aha moments are ahead in “We Are Our Brains: A Neurobiography of the Brain, from the Womb to Alzheimer’s.” It is one of the most famous books by the Dutch neurobiologist D. F. Swaab. This must-read can be the first step to learn about yourself and take action to prevent future brain diseases.

Reiki – How This Energy Healing System Can Help You

Posted on by alexesguerra

Reiki is a holistic system for balancing, healing, and harmonizing all aspects of the person-body, mind, emotions, and spirit-encouraging deep relaxation and the release of stress and tension, and promoting awareness and spiritual growth. 

In the past decade or so, spiritual practices and healing techniques have gone mainstream. If you think about it, that’s not surprising at all. As people constantly look for natural ways to deal with the increasing pressures and complexities of modern-day lives, they inevitably find their way to the spiritual world.

Take, for instance, Reiki healing. This ancient energy healing system dates back thousands of years. Its knowledge was eventually lost to time, only to be rediscovered in Japan in the late 19th century. Since then, it has spread across the globe, changing millions of lives for the better.

Reiki And Its Benefits

Reiki is based on the idea that there is a fundamental life force energy that permeates the entire universe. In fact, it is said to be the force that animates all living beings. The ancients figured out that this energy can be channeled to promote healing and balance in the body. Not only that but it can also be used to make progress on one’s spiritual path. This knowledge was passed down through the generations and today, millions of people reap its benefits.

Reiki practitioners use a variety of techniques to channel this energy, including hand positions, visualization, and meditation. The recipient of the treatment remains fully clothed and typically lies down or sits comfortably during the session. In order to understand how Reiki can help you, it’s important to learn about its benefits.

1) It Brings Balance And Harmony

Reiki healing can bring the different dimensions of your being into balance and make them work in harmony. Essentially, this means that your body, mind, emotions, and life force energy achieve a certain alignment, which helps you live a happier and more balanced life. This particular benefit shows up in almost all aspects of your life such as health, career, relationships, well-being, and so on.

2) It Helps You Relax

This is one of the first things people experience during or after a Reiki healing session. Since Reiki removes energy blockages and knots from the body, your fundamental life force energy is able to flow undeterred. When that happens, you experience a deep state of relaxation. In fact, this can also help a person deal with mental health issues like stress, anxiety, depression, etc.

3) It Complements Your Immune System

Reiki complements your immune system by getting rid of the toxins that might be stuck in your physical or energy body. This is why some people cough or even cry during Reiki healing sessions. Also, Reiki allows your body to let go and releases it from being in a fight or flight mode all the time. This promotes faster healing and strengthening of the immune system.

4) It Hastens Your Body’s Natural Healing Ability

One of the most important features of life force energy is that it knows the fastest and best way to heal any ailment in your body and mind. However, this process is often hampered due to blockages, negative energies, and some types of disorders. Reiki can remove these blockages and allow your life force energy to function at its best. This supercharges your healing ability and you’re able to get rid of your ailments much more quickly.

5) It Promotes Deeper Sleep

In today’s world, where every other person seems to be sleep-deprived, this benefit is really relevant. Reiki can bring a sense of ease into your system by releasing suppressed emotions and thoughts. It also allows your various systems to relax and let go of stale energy. This helps you feel a lot lighter and deep sleep becomes a natural byproduct.

If you would like to learn more about the various spiritual practices and techniques that you can potentially benefit from, make sure to check out our website. You will find tons of resources to enhance your knowledge of all things spiritual and make progress on your path.

With all the stories and events around, maybe it’s time to listen “When God Whispers”

Posted on by alexesguerra

When God Whispers Your Name, based on best-selling author – MAX LUCADO

Just a day after a series of mass shootings again all over cable news. Just as it was a time for celebration for Lunar New Year, the air waves opens up again on this tragic chaos not to mention with all the politics that goes with it.

So on a time like last night, I pulled one of my favorite authors books, “When God Whispers” by Max Lucado and open the book marker I had left. Page 2 on his acknowledgement says, ” And so may I introduce you into this book? It’s a book of hope. A book whose sole aim is to encourage.”

It continuous in saying am anxious, bad news outpaces the good. Problems outnumbers solutions. And we are concerned. He ends by saying that God knows my name. Many chapters auditioned for this book, but not all were selected. So as we read Max’s books and interpret them as laymen, religious or even poet’s, he creates that inspiration that we need through his writings.

In this book we discover the path towards hope and God’s care in everyday life stories and examples. Listen closely as we read the pages, what God may whisper that may erase doubts, pain, sorrow, despair and even fear. Yet the author do reference some of the Old and New Testament so we can connect better in understanding the numerous ways God is there for us. Max Lucado is a pastor, speaker, and bestselling author who, in his own words. Max has a way of writing it is a mixture of lesson and life all at once for us the readers.

Chapter 23, The God Who Fights For You starts, “Here is a big question. What is God doing when you are in a bind? When the lifeboat springs a leak? When the rip cord snaps? When the last penny is gone before the last bill is paid? When the last hope left on the last train? What is God doing? I know what we are doing. Nibbling on nails like corn on the cob.

In the Heights: Finding Home

Posted on by alexesguerra

The eagerly awaited follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller Hamilton: The Revolution, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new book gives readers an extraordinary inside look at In the Heights, his breakout Broadway debut, written with Quiara Alegría Hudes, soon to be a Hollywood blockbuster.

In 2008, In the Heights, a new musical from up-and-coming young artists, electrified Broadway. The show’s vibrant mix of Latin music and hip-hop captured life in Washington Heights, the Latino neighborhood in upper Manhattan. It won four Tony Awards and became an international hit, delighting audiences around the world. For the film version, director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) brought the story home, filming its spectacular dance numbers on location in Washington Heights. That’s where Usnavi, Nina, and their neighbors chase their dreams and ask a universal question: Where do I belong?
 
In the Heights: Finding Home reunites Miranda with Jeremy McCarter, co-author of Hamilton: The Revolution, and Quiara Alegría Hudes, the Pulitzer Prize–winning librettist of the Broadway musical and screenwriter of the film. They do more than trace the making of an unlikely Broadway smash and a major motion picture: They give readers an intimate look at the decades-long creative life of In the Heights.
 
Like Hamilton: The Revolution, the book offers untold stories, perceptive essays, and the lyrics to Miranda’s songs—complete with his funny, heartfelt annotations. It also features newly commissioned portraits and never-before-seen photos from backstage, the movie set, and productions around the world.
 
This is the story of characters who search for a home—and the artists who created one.

On June 15, there will be a Zoom Virtual event with the authors organized by publisher, Random House. This virtual event will take place on Tuesday, June 15 from 8:00-9:00 pm. ET and will be hosted by Random House on Zoom. ADLE International one of the independent bookstores organizers has bundled this event with “one book, one ticket” model which includes a copy of in “The Heights”, ISBN – 9780593229590 on sale: June 15, 2021.

Ticket Cost: US$40.00 includes online zoom event and hardcover book. Fees, Taxes and Book shipping are additional. ADLE International one of the independent bookstores organizers has bundled this event with “one book, one ticket” model which includes a copy of in “The Heights”, ISBN – 9780593229590 on sale: June 15, 2021. On June 13 , approx. 48 hours before June 15, you can click on the Webinar page and click on the link to join the Cloud HD Video Meeting link with the ID and passcode for you to join.

For tickets you can go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/x/in-the-heights-virtual-book-launch-tickets-152925894467

The Hoax, Lies, Realities and RAGE

Posted on by alexesguerra

Bob Woodward’s new book, Rage, is an unprecedented and intimate tour de force of new reporting on the Trump presidency facing a global pandemic, economic disaster and racial unrest.

RAGE
Rage

Woodward, the #1 international bestselling author of Fear: Trump in the White House, has uncovered the precise moment the president was warned that the Covid-19 epidemic would be the biggest national security threat to his presidency. In dramatic detail, Woodward takes readers into the Oval Office as Trump’s head pops up when he is told in January 2020 that the pandemic could reach the scale of the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed 675,000 Americans.

In 17 on-the-record interviews with Woodward over seven volatile months—an utterly vivid window into Trump’s mind—the president provides a self-portrait that is part denial and part combative interchange mixed with surprising moments of doubt as he glimpses the perils in the presidency and what he calls the “dynamite behind every door.”

At key decision points, Rage shows how Trump’s responses to the crises of 2020 were rooted in the instincts, habits and style he developed during his first three years as president.

Revisiting the earliest days of the Trump presidency, Rage reveals how Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats struggled to keep the country safe as the president dismantled any semblance of collegial national security decision making.

Rage draws from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand witnesses as well as participants’ notes, emails, diaries, calendars and confidential documents.

Woodward obtained 25 never-seen personal letters exchanged between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who describes the bond between the two leaders as out of a “fantasy film.”

Trump insists to Woodward he will triumph over Covid-19 and the economic calamity. “Don’t worry about it, Bob. Okay?” Trump told the author in July. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get to do another book. You’ll find I was right.”

Review

“Woodward has established himself as the best reporter of our time. He may be the best reporter of all time.” —Bob Schieffer, CBS News (2004)

In listing the all-time 100 best nonfiction books, Time magazine called All the President’s Men, the 1974 book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, “Perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history.”

“He has an extraordinary ability to get otherwise responsible adults to spill [their] guts to him . . . his ability to get people to talk about stuff they shouldn’t be talking about is just extraordinary and may be unique.” —Robert Gates, former director of the CIA and Secretary of Defense (2014)

“[Fear] is a remarkable feat of reporting. . . . There’s nothing comparable in American journalism, except maybe Woodward’s The Final Days (1976), co-written with Carl Bernstein, about the downfall of Richard Nixon.” —George Packer, The New Yorker (2018)

About the Author

Bob Woodward is an associate editor at The Washington Post where he has worked for 49 years and reported on every American president from Nixon to Trump. He has shared in two Pulitzer Prizes, first for the Post’s coverage of the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein, and second 20 years later as the lead Post reporter for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Woodward recalled how much of the most important Post reporting on Watergate was published in September and October 1972. Nixon promptly went out and got re-elected, claiming victory in 49 of the 50 states.

As for how America will fare on and after Nov. 3, Woodward knows it will be less clear-cut.

Having allowed Trump to defame and disqualify himself, Woodward concludes that he is the wrong man for the job of president; I’d add that someone so thoughtless, so unfeeling and so orange-tinted hardly qualifies for membership of the human race. And come to think of it, my opening premise is an insult to the brave, fond, ever-faithful canine species.