(Image credit from Etsy's Vinyl Soul and Harper Collins Publishers)
When Harper Collins Publishers sent me ZAPPED by Ann Louise Gittleman, I was annoyed with myself for agreeing to read and review it.
I was even more annoyed that I'd put off doing it, have a nasty cold and hardly felt like writing a book report. It's very title threatened my lifestyle and I braced myself in opposition as I interpreted it's glowing orange cover and it's byline as a warning to clutch my digital and electronic treasures close while she tried to tell me why they are inherently bad for me.
It's simple: I WANT my MTV, TV, cell phone, Mac, digital camera, ipod touch, wireless phone, microwave oven, Wii, TiVo, remote control for TV & said TiVo, iPod docking station, air purifier, invisible-fence collar for my dog, wireless mouse, dishwasher, blender, stove, refrigerator, Keurig one cup coffee machine...... and I really don't want anyone telling me that I should not have them. (Not to mention I felt a bit like like my fathers generation wanting to "Pshaw" the hogwash fruitcake rantings of yet another evangelist proclaiming electronic pollution "NONSENSE!" he would have cried!)
By page eight, I was truly spellbound and fascinated by what i was reading:
1) Ann Louise Gittleman is no fruitcake, but in fact a highly educated, thoughtful and introspective woman who's credentials include a PhD, CNS, and is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of over 30 books on natural health, beauty, internal cleansing, and weight loss. Most impressive right off the bat is her innate way of immediately connecting to the reader (me) by letting me know we're both on the same team. She immediately establishes her position as an avid user of technology and electronics, while simultaneously introducing the hazards of it's usage and the inconvenient truths that if brought to light, may help many of us to feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. The good news is that once you know what you did not, you can fix it!
The opening pages set the tone of the book by first and foremost establishing human beings as "energetic" beings whose own complex circuitry is specifically designed and "wired to respond to the world around us." One of several example she uses is what happens when we "touch" an antennae when we can't get a picture on TV or a radio station only to have it come in clearly until we step away, our body having momentarily been the conduit for the flow of energy.
This past winter I learned my own invaluable lesson about my "energetic" body having gone through the emotional transition of closing a business, and heading down the path of divorce.I was depleted of energy, and my inner balance was completely disrupted by my emotional state. What manifested was various types of illness including autoimmune issues, deep depression, nutrient depletion and even physiological changes to my body. My way back to health after trying almost everything was to finally seek acupuncture which brought me back to health. Anne sites acupuncture as just one scientific example of how energy can get stuck or stagnated inside the body creating blockages and "dis-ease" which can lead to almost any health issue or ailment. Once manipulated or "cleared" this energy can then flow freely bringing the body back to a state of homeostasis and balance, thereby reestablishing wellness in the body.
As human beings we can be in or out of sync with our internal balance by what happens in either our inner or exterior worlds, and our very biochemistry shifts to accommodates those influencers. When our energetic being is disrupted or compromised it can literally effect every aspect of our lives including decision making, emotions, and health.
So if we are energetic beings made up of our own frequencies and our own intricate and delicate wiring? What happens when these frequencies are repeatedly interrupted by other sources of energy? What happens when several devices in several rooms of our homes interrupt our bio chemistry repeatedly over days, months, and years?
2) The fact is that many of us have adopted technology and all it's modern conveniences without much thought about how it might be effecting our health over the long term. We are wired for instant gratification, and the conveniences and benefits of modern technology are are countless and undeniable but nor are the many "complaints" of the masses who now suffer from headaches, fibromyalgia, anxiety, insomnia, chronic fatigue, depression, cancer, attention deficit disorder, and the list goes on, and on, and on.
What if we can feel better? healthier, more energetic, sleep well?
Louise creates a very compelling argument for the eradication of these maladies by giving excellent examples of individuals who have determined the source of their ailments, and gone on to lesson or eliminate their exposure to certain environments or devices which were in fact making them sick, and in doing so have embraced a new bill of health. Some solutions are as simple as changing the location of your cell phone at night.
3) Louise has a healthy and growing body of experts who are in agreement with her findings, and compliment her work. The beauty of ZAPPED is not that she is presenting new material that's been previously undiscovered (although there is plenty of that) but instead in how she fluidly, factually, and categorically lays out the material for her reader in such a way that they can easily connect the dots to expose the whodunit of the modern day digital thugs, killers, muggers and terrorists.
In short- Zapped is fascinating, filled with some amazing information, tips, recipes and suggestions for Zap-proofing your life.
Historical, factual, interesting, and informative, Zapped is a great read for anyone who is interested in technology, ecology, health, nutrition, wellness, the digital movement, homemaking, and parenting.
It reads like a wonderful expose on a culprit who may have been an obvious suspect all along , but got away with the crime until someone came along with the right mix of skills to lay it all out. What better way to spend my morning with my box of kleenex than on a couch curled up with a good mystery? Elementary My Dear Watson!
