Edited by Hope Wilson, Editorial Assistant,GEMs and Reviews

Books, curricula, audiovisuals, and otherresources that nutrition professionals may use forreference, continuing education, or in a formal orinformal education setting are designated “pro-fessional.” Books, handouts, diet plans, and otherresources specified by authors as being written forgeneral audiences are categorized as “consumer.”Inclusion of any material in this section does notimply endorsement by the Society for NutritionEducation.Evaluative comments contained in thereviews reflect the views of the authors. Pricesquoted are those provided by the publishers at thetime materials were submitted. They may nolonger be current when the review is published.( J Nutr Educ Behav. 2003;35:163-168.)

ProfessionalThe Nimble Collaboration: Fine-Tun-ing Your Collaboration for LastingSuccess. Ray K, 2002. From Amherst H.Wilder Foundation, 919 Lafond Ave, SaintPaul,MN 55104, (800) 274-6024, softcover,120 pp, ISBN 0-940069-28-8.

Collaborations can produce results that anindividual organization cannot, but they are alsochallenging. The Nimble Collaboration isfor experienced collaborations that are ready tobecome more effective, responsive, and flexible inhandling complex issues.

Collaboration has become the acceptedway of doing business for many programsbecause it can create the meaningfulchanges needed for complex problems thatone agency working alone cannot.Unfortu-nately, collaboration can also be extremelyfrustrating and time-consuming. If you haveever wondered how you could make itthrough another lengthy, unproductivemeeting, cope with unresolved conflict, orpin down accountability, this may be theresource for you.The author describes col-laboration as an “act of bravery.”

The Nimble Collaboration is a treasuretrove of succinct observations on how tomake collaborations more effective and sat-isfying. Three overarching strategies areoutlined: focusing on results includes clar-ifying your vision, the outcomes youexpect, and how the outcomes will beassessed; shaping relationships looks at howto bring together partners with differinginterests, how can you increase satisfactionby recognizing that partners (from agencyrepresentatives to clients to funders) havediffering roles in the collaboration, and howyou communicate enough of what is mostimportant in ways that people can hear; andstructuring for resilience requires that thecollaboration be built on a firm foundationwith enough flexibility to deal with chang-ing environments.

Those who are new to collaboration ornew partnerships would be better served bybeginning with a more basic reference andmoving on to this resource as quickly aspossible. The Nimble Collaboration was writ-ten for those with experience in collaborat-ing, although there were many times Ifound myself thinking, “I wish I’d known‘that’ before I became involved in collabo-rating.”

There are two short sections that wouldbe beneficial even for the collaborationnewcomer before starting or funding apilot project.They outline how to integratea pilot program into existing programsrather than running it as a parallel programso that the effects are sustainable beyondthe funding period and whether to hire afacilitator and for what purposes.There area number of other points that are useful nomatter how new or experienced one is. Forexample, collaboration is a strategy forchanging the ways in which the partnerswork; it is not a special, separate project.The easiest way to be successful is tochange each member agency’s operatingprocedures.

This is a very practical guide, full of use-ful examples. Unlike many resources, theextensive use of sidebars and boxes serves toenhance understanding rather than distractthe reader. The information is well orga-nized and helps the reader to make sense ofa complex type of association. The NimbleCollaboration is a combination of analysisthat will confirm and clarify the reader’sunderstanding and a number of insights thatwill spur her/him to think further abouther practice. The writing style is clear andinteresting. It lives up to its promise of pro-viding something useful in virtually everysentence.

The one drawback in implementationof the contents of the book is that it wouldbe difficult for just one partner who under-stood the concepts to make the necessarychanges in most collaborations. Instead, sev-eral partners who are interested in howtheir collaboration can function moreeffectively would probably need to workthrough the book, engaging others as theyproceed. It will take some dexterity tojudge how much to engage other partnerswho are interested in doing communitywork rather than in discussing how it isdone. Leaving out the less interested part-ners, however, would limit the long-termsustainability of the changes. It would also

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BooksThe Nimble Collaboration: Fine-

Tuning Your Collaboration for Lasting Success . . . . . . . . . . . .163

Food Around the World:A Cultural Perspective . . . . . . .164

Nutrition & Health . . . . . . . . . . .164Booklets

Food Biotechnology:What Is It and What Does It Mean For My Diet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

GMO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165Educational Curricula

Food Safety & Sanitation:A Distance Education Course . . . .165

SoftwareHelping Teen Parents Feed Their

Young Children:A Multimedia Learning Module for Those Who Teach Teen Parents How to Feed Their Children . . . . . . . . . . . .166

Web SitesKidnetic.com—www.kidnetic.com . . .166

Theatre Production“This Is Your Life!” . . . . . . . . . .167

Recent Arrivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

TABLE OF CONTENTS

mean that they did not have the chance tolearn useful skills for working in a variety ofcollaborative situations.

The Nimble Collaboration is for partnerswho are dealing with very complex issues,usually over several years.This book is alsohighly recommended for those who fundor support collaborations.

Karen M.Cooper,MS,MPH,RD,ProvincialNutritionist, Saskatchewan Health, 3475Albert St, Regina, SK S4S 6X6

Professional/ConsumerFood Around the World: A CulturalPerspective. McWilliams M, Heller H,2003. From Pearson Education, Inc., UpperSaddle River, NJ 07458, hardcover, 389 pp,ISBN 0-13-094456-4.

Food Around the World:A CulturalPerspective draws on the authors’ extensivetravels to show students how food preferences andeating habits provide a fascinating and veryapproachable avenue for promoting understand-ing among cultures.The text encourages studentsto visualize and sample the food heritages of peo-ple from around the world through the use ofmaps, recipes, and nearly 200 full-color pho-tographs and 200 black and white photographs.

Chicken and rice, green beans, breadand salad—a typical American-style dinner.Have you ever wondered why these foodsare prepared rather than something lessfamiliar, such as gazpacho, fufu, or bird’s nestsoup? What is available at your nearestsupermarket depends on multiple factors.Geography, climate, economic status, whoyou worship, or who discovered the landsyou walk on are among the many compo-nents that affect food accessibility.

Why do people eat what they do? FoodAround the World:A Cultural Perspective takesthe reader on a vivid voyage around theglobe as it delves into this question as well asother relevant points of interest. When thejourney is over, the reader has gained anappreciation for the culturally unique ele-ments that affect the foods our neighbors eat.

The textbook is divided into regionalchapters. Each chapter contains informationrelating to geography, history, culture, andfood patterns and concludes with key terms,indigenous recipes, a summary, and studyquestions to help the reader clarify objectives.But no matter who you are or where you live,the common bond among us all is foodbecause it satisfies much more than your body.Food nourishes your soul and makes yourhome a special place, wherever it may be.

This book includes many notable fea-tures. Specifically, the first 3 chapters, enti-tled Food Origins and History, Cultural Land-scapes, and Religions, provide adequatesummaries of information related to theensuing 20 chapters and are worthwhilereading before embarking on the rest of thebook. Colorful photographs and maps helpillustrate the multiple ingredients needed toassist with understanding such diverse peo-ple and landmarks mentioned within thechapters. The summary, key terms, andstudy questions provided in each chapterare other benefits to students, who are mostlikely to read this book.

But one of the weaker areas in FoodAround the World is that the authors did notdifferentiate between food patterns of indi-viduals from different socioeconomic levels.More clarification could help the readerdistinguish how economic resources influ-ence what is available to eat in each regionof the world.

Abbreviating the historical portions ofthe text might also help. In many parts, thehistorical facts are quite lengthy and do notsuccessfully balance the discussion of foodpatterns.The focus of the book is food, andalthough history is one of the factors affect-ing it, the book should not be mistaken forworld history.

The information is presented in a timelyand organized manner. Considering thatthe book covers food throughout theworld, the length of each chapter, includinggraphics and references, is appropriate.Themost suitable audience suggests an upper-level high school or college student. Thisbook would be a fitting accompaniment toa history or social science course or, morespecifically, a nutrition class with an interestin diverse cultures.

Food Around the World:A Cultural Perspec-tive creates a basis for understanding andrecognizing age-old food and customs thatare unfamiliar to many.These traditions andhistories offer the reader a chance to learnand therefore respect difference. For effec-tive communication to occur, this under-standing and regard toward variance is nec-essary.The American Food Guide Pyramidis just one of several different dietary rec-ommendations today’s nutritional profes-sionals need to understand and be aware of.

Today’s nutrition professionals mustunderstand not only the American FoodGuide Pyramid or the “Westernized diet.”The Chinese Food Pagoda,Filipino PyramidFood Guide, Mediterranean Food GuidePyramid, and Soul Food Pyramid are amongthe many different graphics of dietary rec-ommendations that nutrition professionalsneed to be made aware of and understand.

Sarah Eichberger, BS, Student Intern, Mari-copa County Department of Public Health,1414 W. Broadway, Suite 237,Tampa, AZ85282

ConsumerNutrition & Health. Wiseman G, 2002.Taylor and Francis Inc., 29 West 35th St,New York, NY 10001, softcover, 198 pp,ISBN 0-415-27874-0.

Nutrition and Health emphasizes thatnutrition choices and practices contribute signifi-cantly to good health at all ages.Nutrition throughthe life-cycle stages, weight management, andvitamin and mineral recommendations for those

164 EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS IN REVIEW ( J Nutr Educ Behav. 2003;35:163-168.)

living in the United Kingdom are topics includedin this quick reference.

Nutrition and Health is divided into 48“mini” chapters, ranging from 2 to 10pages each, with the intent to serve as aquick reference tool. Each chapter pro-vides basic facts on nutrition-related top-ics, such as energy requirements, exercise,and obesity.

Key points are highlighted in shadedboxes and through the use of figures andexamples. The usability of this softboundreference is enhanced through practicalexamples that allow the reader to apply theinformation to his/her life. For example, inthe chapter describing weight management,the calculation for determining body massindex (BMI) is provided.Additionally, in thechapter “How to Interpret Food Labels,” atypical food label for whole-meal bread isgiven, thus providing the reader with aquick example of how to analyze the nutri-tional information on a food label.

Nutrition and Health is geared toward ageneral audience that needs beginner infor-mation on nutrition.The intent of Nutritionand Health is to provide a quick reference toassist the reader in answering specific ques-tions related to nutrition. Given this intent,the inclusion of a glossary of terms wouldenhance the reference. Color and pho-tographs are not widely incorporated.

Nutrition and Health provides a conciseoverview of several foundational nutritionconcepts.Through the use of examples, thepracticality is enhanced and could allowreaders to apply the concepts to their per-sonal lives. Although Nutrition and Healthmay not be read from “cover to cover” inone sitting, consumers who want to knowmore about nutrition will find this quickreference a worthwhile addition to a homelibrary.

Amy Bogacki,BS, and Jacqueline Rudzinski,BS, Graduate Dietetic Interns, Melanie TracyBurns, PhD, RD, School of Family andConsumer Sciences, Eastern Illinois Uni-versity, Charleston, IL 61920

ConsumerFood Biotechnology: What Is It andWhat Does It Mean For My Diet? andGMO. STFM Group on Nutrition, 2001.From the STFM Group on Nutrition, 600Moye Blvd, Brody 4N-70, Greenville, NC27858-4354, (252) 816-5462, double-sidedpages.

Each of these publications attempts to answerbasic questions related to food biotechnology andgenetically modified organisms (GMOs): Whatare GMOs and what is food biotechnology? AreGMO foods safe? Are GMO foods labeled?What about allergies? What food products areavailable today that are genetically modified?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)have attracted a lot of attention recently.Newspaper headlines either extol thebenefits or highlight the terror of modifiedplant and animal tissues.Two recent publi-cations designed for consumers by the Soci-ety of Teachers of Family Medicine Groupon Nutrition attempt to explain GMOs andthe implications of food biotechnology.Food Biotechnology:What Is It and What DoesIt Mean for My Diet? approaches the mater-ial in a question and answer format. GMOdeals with the material in summary format.Both publications are very elementary intheir content, and therein lies both theadvantage and the disadvantage of thesepublications.The advantage is that they doattempt to present two very complex issuesin terms that consumers may be able tounderstand. Moreover, each publicationrefers to the Dietary Guidelines for Ameri-cans as the basis of a healthful diet. How-ever, summarizing issues related to GMOsand food biotechnology in just 2 pages canbe very challenging, especially with issues ascomplex as these, and the public may nothave a firm understanding of the sciencebehind the technology. In each of thesepublications, the attempt to summarizeleads to mistakes in interpretation of thescience or in explanations that are incom-plete.There is definitely a need for conciseand understandable materials for consumerson each of these topics, but these twobooklets fall short of the mark. GMO doesprovide a list of useful links for those inter-ested in digging deeper into the subjectmaterial.

Barbara Ingham, PhD, Extension FoodScientist, University of Wisconsin-Madison,1605 Linden Dr, Madison,WI 53706

Educational CurriculumFood Safety & Sanitation: A DistanceEducation Course. Shanley E, Thomp-son C, 2002. From the University of Con-necticut, College of Agriculture & NaturalResources, Department of NutritionalServices, Box U-4017, Storrs, CT 06269,software.

This self-paced module gives a thoroughexplanation of food sanitation and safety, includ-ing HACCP (Hazard Analysis and CriticalControl Point) guidelines and bacteria that causefoodborne illness. The accompanying manualcontains a copy of the slides.

Given the strict guidelines for certifica-tion in food sanitation and safety, it is a taskto develop a comprehensive and readablemanual/CD-ROM that provides the essen-tial knowledge for food sanitation andsafety. Food Safety & Sanitation: A DistanceEducation Course covers HACCP guidelinesfor food preparation, storage, and disposal;bacteria and viruses in the workplace; pre-vention of foodborne illness; and safety inthe foodservice setting. This distance edu-cation course is intended for students, pro-fessionals, and skilled workers who are seek-ing to learn more about food safety,although state certification is not includedin the course.

This self-paced course is well organizedand bias free. The developers present thesubject in terms and language that are eas-ily understandable regardless of the educa-tional background of the learner.Althoughthere are a few inconsistencies in the use ofpunctuation in the slides (ie, capitalizationof the first word and period use at the endof the phrase), the content is accurate andlimited to the critical information pertinentto the foodservice environment, with the“nice to know” information kept to a min-imum.The length of the module is suitablefor the amount of information presented.

The content and information in theprogram are extremely useful and relevant;however, the overall presentation of theinformation is somewhat distracting. Thebackground design contains pictures that

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are various shades of blue and also containsa mixture of animated pictures and pho-tographs. A less distracting backgroundwould enhance the presentation. In addi-tion, some of the slides were congested withextraneous words, thus limiting the focus ofthe slide.

In conclusion, Food Safety & Sanitation:A Distance Education Course is a well-planned, credible course for learning moreabout food safety and sanitation. From handwashing to more complex knowledgeabout microbes, the learner is given infor-mation for many situations in the foodser-vice environment.

Carly Gustafson, BS, and Amanda Quick,BS, Graduate Dietetic Interns, Melanie TracyBurns, PhD, RD, School of Family andConsumer Sciences,Eastern Illinois University,Charleston, IL 61920

SoftwareHelping Teen Parents Feed TheirYoung Children:A Multimedia Learn-ing Module for Those Who Teach TeenParents How to Feed Their Children.2002. From Oregon State UniversityExtension Service, Extension and Experi-ment Station Communications, OregonState University, 422 Kerr Administration,Corvalis, OR 97331, (541) 737-3311, CD-ROM, $15.00, ISBN EM-8804.

This learning tool is for those who teach teenparents how to feed their children. It includesinformation about teen parents and targetedinformation about 3 key nutrition messages.Learning resources include video clips, links topublications for downloading, teaching tips thatcan be printed, and other links of interest.

Computer-based learning tools areincreasingly becoming the new wave ofteaching. As technology improves, learningresources are following in stride. CD-ROMlearning tools provide an interactive, useful,and entertaining way of learning new ideasand concepts. They also provide an envi-ronment for teaching using audio and visualformats, which caters to both audio-basedand visually based learners.This CD-ROMlearning tool is a glimpse of the path thateducation is following.

This learning tool is targeted at thosewho will have the opportunity to teachteenage parents how to feed their children.It is aimed at answering common questionsand providing useful information to anyonewho teaches to a teenage parent audience.This CD-ROM starts with an interactive

introduction about the problems thatteenage parents commonly face.The intro-duction, as well as the rest of the informa-tion presented on the CD, includes audionarration and high-quality graphics. Themodule catches the user’s attention by pre-senting startling statistics about teenagepregnancy, including poverty and dropoutrates associated with teenage parents. It alsodiscusses the psychology of a teenage parentand presents a variety of situations thatteenage parents may encounter.

The remainder of the presentation isfocused on 3 key nutrition messages toteach to teenage parents. These key mes-sages are food choices, children watch, andsharing mealtime.The food choices presen-tation discusses the problem of children eat-ing the same foods and/or not trying newfoods. It assures the user that this is normalbehavior and offers ways to introduce newfoods to the child. Children watch explainshow children mimic their parents’ actionsand what they eat. It also discusses ways forparents to be a good example to the child.Sharing mealtime is an encouraging way todemonstrate to parents that sharing meal-time together, without the television, canbe a rewarding experience for both the par-ent and the child. It emphasizes that it cancreate stronger bonds and build healthfulhabits.

This teaching tool is excellent at pre-senting information in an entertaining andinteractive approach. It is presented at anappropriate reading level and allows theuser to proceed at his/her own pace. ThisCD-ROM could even be given to theteenage parents themselves to aid in learn-ing. In fact, another CD-ROM might bedeveloped for teenage parents to accom-pany the one that the teachers will have.This would provide a way for the teacherand the student to work together.

The use of multimedia in the module isvery effective.The CD-ROM presents sev-eral different video clips, including inter-views with teenage parents, testimoniesfrom parents, and Ellyn Satter’s Division ofResponsibility. An interactive true/false quizis used along with printable teaching tips,which provide the user with hard-copyinformation for future reference.These tipsinclude how to work with teens who resistlearning and how to adjust teaching styles toadapt to the “information age” with whichteenagers are familiar. Another strength ofthe module is a focus on real-life situations.It provides solutions to certain problemssuch as different reactions that teenagers willhave to the teacher and what to do if the

information presented does not work outfor the parents. One of the teaching tips iseven entitled “Let’s Get Real.”This focuseson how to connect with real-world situa-tions.Another detail that I enjoyed was thatthe CD-ROM concentrates on the teacheralways keeping a positive attitude toward theteenage parent. It focuses on being helpfuland respectful without lecturing or scoldingthe parent. It also reminds the instructor tothank parents for their time and sharinginformation with them.

This CD-ROM is very useful for some-one who is learning how to teach teenageparents the correct way to feed their chil-dren.The interactive teaching approach anduse of high-quality multimedia can be avery effective way of learning. The infor-mation is accurate and well presented to theuser. An area that would benefit from thisCD-ROM would be WIC (Special Supple-mental Nutrition Program for Women,Infants and Children) clinics. This CD-ROM would be an excellent training toolfor WIC employees who may have a highinteraction with teenage parents. Thislearning tool is of great value because ofthe importance of teaching teenage parentshealthful eating habits for themselves andtheir children.

Wesley Delbridge, BS, Dietetic Intern,Maricopa County Office of NutritionServices, 581 West Caroline Street,Coolidge,AZ 85228

Web SiteKidnetic.com. www.kidnetic.com. Fromthe International Food Information Coun-cil Foundation, 1100 Connecticut Avenue,NW, Suite 430, Washington, DC 20036,Web site.

Whereas some public health professionalsspeculate that youth’s rapid adoption of the WorldWide Web will contribute to a sedentary lifestyle,others are using the Web as an innovative vehiclefor health promotion messages.One such initiativeis the Kidnetic Web site (www.kidnetic.com),created as part of an educational outreach pro-gram of the International Food InformationCouncil Foundation.

Kidnetic’s target audience is the “tweens”(aged 9-12), and the goal of the Web site isto prevent overweight among youththrough promoting healthful eating andregular physical activity. The homepage ofthe site is very edgy, with graphic designcomparable to some of the successful com-mercial Web sites for youth. Features on the

166 EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS IN REVIEW ( J Nutr Educ Behav. 2003;35:163-168.)

WEB SITES

SOFTWARE

homepage vary, which is a sound strategyfor encouraging repeat visitors. Engagingand interactive features on the site requirekids to become a member of the “PowerPack” to take advantage of innovative activ-ities and to send Kidnector messages.

The main features of the site include thefollowing: Inner G: an animated version ofthe classic “Operation” game; Wet HeadGames: encouragement for kids to createand submit their own games related tophysical activity; Recipe Roundup: easyand nutritious recipes for breakfast, lunch,dinner, and snacks for kids to make as wellas recipes to be made as a family; and TimeChallenge: an innovative way to get kidsactive while they are actually using the Website with activities such as The ScavengerHunt and The Fitness Challenge.The mostcompelling reason to sign up as a memberof the Power Pack is the Busy Buddy, ananimated character downloaded from thesite to the desktop. He can do a number oftricks and communicates about differentfoods and activities.When the Busy Buddygets low on energy, he encourages you toreturn to Kidnetic.com to re-energize him.This is one of the most original and funstrategies to maintain contact with Web sitevisitors and encourage them to return tothe site.

The bulk of health information islocated in Bright Papers, a collection of arti-cles on fitness, foods, fun facts and activities,and feelings related to body image and self-esteem. In Communication Features, theKidnector encourages communicationbetween kids and their parents by allowingthem to send customized or original e-mailmessages.The Betchacant section dares kidsto try a challenging activity, such as jumpingrope with one foot, and then e-mail the dare

to one of their friends or family members.Lastly, the Shout Out message board allowskids to post their thoughts or questionsabout fitness, food, feelings, or fun and readquestions and responses of other members.

This site has several strengths. First, thesite was developed from several years of for-mative research with both youth and theirparents to determine the most effectivemessages and strategies to communicate thisinformation. Second, all of the content isreviewed by partner organizations, such asthe American Academy of Family Physi-cians and the American Dietetic Associa-tion, as well as a scientific advisory panel ofexperts in nutrition and physical activity.Third, the site provides a “Parent’s Place,”which includes articles appropriate for par-ents and opportunities to Ask an Expert orpost to the Discussion Board. Lastly,although Kidnetic received several unre-stricted grants from industry partners suchas Kraft Foods and even McDonald’s, thereis no commercial advertising or promotionon the site.

Despite Kidnetic’s success at creating anengaging and interactive Web site, thereremains some room for improvement.Thenumber of graphics on the Web site makesthe load time well outside of standardusability guidelines (10 seconds) whenusing a dial-up modem.With the exceptionof Inner G, the fun and interactive featureson the site lack substantial health informa-tion, leaving that for the less engagingBright Papers. Bright Papers are not easilyaccessible from the homepage, and it is notclear what they are or even that a link existsamong all of the other features on thehomepage.

Lastly, to take advantage of features suchas adopting a Busy Buddy or posting to themessage board, kids must provide their par-ents’ e-mail address and an e-mail will besent to notify them that their child hasjoined the site.This may be a deterrent foryoung children who may be uncomfortablediscussing issues related to food or weightwith their parents. Because the site does notcontain any sensitive or controversial infor-mation, it is unclear why this is a require-ment to become a member of the site.

One of the greatest challenges for well-designed sites such as Kidnetic will be get-ting kids to the site. Kidnetic is not listed bythe major search engines using all of thecombinations of diet, exercise, physicalactivity, and kids as search terms. Healthpromotion Web site creators should beknowledgeable of the ranking strategies ofthe different search engines and indexes to

optimize a site’s visibility to kids searchingfor health information.

Overall, Kidnetic is an excellent templatefor future health promotion efforts on theWeb targeting youth. The integration ofhigh-quality design and content will attracttheir target audience and encourage repeatvisits. Future plans to evaluate the impact ofthis Web site on kid’s attitudes and behaviorswill be essential to determine the role of newmedia technologies such as the Web for com-municating health information to youth.

Julie Marks, Doctoral Student, DianneWard, EdD, MS, Department of Nutrition,University of North Carolina at ChapelHill, 4115C McGavran-Greenberg Hall,Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Theater Production“This Is Your Life!” Foodplay Produc-tions, 2002. From Foodplay Productions,221 Pine St, Florence, MA 01062, (800)366-3752, theater production.

“This Is Your Life!” combines the best inlive theater with essential health messages to helpadolescents build positive self-esteem and improvetheir eating, exercise, and health habits.

Are you looking for a way to addresshealth issues that affect today’s adolescents?The live theater production “This Is YourLife!” may just be the way to reach youraudience while making them laugh at thesame time. This energized performance isorganized around topics that are age appro-priate, are interesting, and can be covered ina time frame of 50 minutes. The playaddresses the complex issues of osteoporo-sis, eating disorders, influences of media

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images, nutrition, fitness, tobacco use, andbody image, using comedy to relay theimportance of overall healthy living.

“This Is Your Life!” targets a 5th through12th grade audience. Two young actors(Chris and Claire) perform skits related tovarious health issues.During the production,the performers discuss a variety of unhealth-ful messages that adolescents encounter on aregular basis and offer healthful alternativesthat are both realistic and useful. It wasapparent from the amount of laughter dur-ing the play that the audience related well tothe characters. Props and graphics are usedwell to emphasize take-home messages. Oneof the favorite props of the audience was alife-sized Barbie doll that has a 16-inch waistand a figure that is unrealistic for 98% of thefemale population.The performers concludethe performance with a game show and a“top 5” list of important points to remember.Both of these skits build on the topics dis-cussed earlier in the performance and rein-force the take-home messages.

The play, developed by Emmy Award–winning nutritionist Barbara Storper andcowritten by Emmy Award–winning actorand writer Paul Wagner, includes accurateand interesting information.The transitionsbetween skits are well timed and impressive.The performers are able to keep the audi-ences’ attention by moving from topic totopic smoothly and rapidly so as not tooverplay some issues. Although the playengages the audiences’ attention, it involvesvery little audience participation. However,with the length of the performance and thenumber of topics that are covered, a greatdeal of audience participation may not beappropriate.

The cost of a school performance rangesfrom $795 to $1195 per program and

includes a variety of follow-up materials toreinforce lessons learned. When cost istaken into consideration, the play is mostappropriate for larger groups and canaccommodate an audience of up to 400individuals. Although the performance istargeted to schools, it would also be practi-cal for other large-group settings, such assummer camps.

The play contains a good variety ofmessages that are structured with conceptsthat are easy to remember and relevant totoday’s adolescents. Although the perfor-mance is entertaining, the messages relayedare serious and thought provoking.What agreat way to teach adolescents healthfulhabits!

Lynn S. Brann, MS, RD, DoctoralCandidate, The University of Tennessee,Department of Nutrition, 1215 W.Cumberland Ave, Rm 229, Knoxville,TN37996-1920

Professional/Consumer BookThe New Glucose Revolution. Brand-Miller et al. 2003. Marlow & Company, 161Williams Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY10038, (646) 375-1065, softcover, 368 pp,$15.95, ISBN 1-56924-506-1.

Professional BookFood Systems for Improved HumanNutrition. Katake P. and Babu S. (Eds)2003.The Food Products Press, Imprint ofthe Haworth Press, Inc., 10 Alice Street,Binghamton, NY, 13904-1580, 1-800-429-6784, softcover, 394 pp, $49.95, ISBN 1-566022-103-8.

SoftwareExploring the Food Pyramid withProfessor Popcorn. 2002. Purdue Uni-versity Cooperative Extension Service.1264 Stone Hall, Room 208, WestLafayette, IN 47907-1264, 765-494-8538.

Professional/Consumer BookStop Diabetes. 50 Simple Steps YouCan Take at Any Age to Reduce YourRisk of Type 2 Diabetes. Becker G. 2002.Marlow & Company, 161 William Street,16th Floor, New York, NY 10038, 646-375-1065, softcover, 224 pp, $12.95, ISBN1-56924-563-0.

ProfessionalFrontiers in Agricultural Research,Food, Health, Environment and Com-munities. National Research Council.2003. Committee on Opportunities inAgriculture, Washington, DC. NationalAcademies Press. 500 Fifth Street, NW,Lockbox 285,Washington, DC. 20055, 800-624-6242, softcover, 268 pp, $39.00, ISBN0-309-08494-6.

ProfessionalBotanical Medicines.The Desk Refer-ence for Major Herbal Supplements.Second Edition. Second Edition.McKennaD, et al. 2002.The Haworth Herbal Press, 10Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580,1-800-429-6784, softcover, 1138 pp, $79.95,ISBN 0-7890-1266-9.

ProfessionalA Guide to Understanding DietarySupplements.Talbot S. 2003.The HaworthPress Inc, 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY13904-1580, 800-429-6784, softcover, 713pp, $34.94, ISBN 0-7890-1456-4.

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RECENT ARRIVALS