Here's What We're Reading

‘Tis the season to curl up with a good book: we’ve rounded up our team’s favorite healthy reads to give you some fireside inspiration for the holidays. All of these books can be found in The Lanby’s Lending Library, a robust selection of the best health & wellness reads, curated by our team, with input from our members. Books are available to members to take home with them and bring back whenever (we don’t believe in late fees) — just another way we’re more than just your doctor’s office. (As always, no affiliate links — just our real picks.)

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‍‍Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe

Selection by: Rorie McCarthy, Operations Manager

“Empire of Pain reads like a novel. It's a little bit like hate-watching a TV show or getting sucked into a serial killer documentary. Keefe illustrates the Sacklers as complete characters, and you get a real sense of who the family was before they became opioid distributors. (The book gets a little slower towards the end, but by then you're already so invested you can't put it down.)”

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Atomic Habits, James Clear

Selection by: Taylor Fazio, MS, RD, CDN, Wellness Advisor

“Atomic Habits is an easy-to-read guide on how to make small actions add up to consistent, impactful behaviors. Clear illustrates the importance of recognizing routines you already have and building on top of these, while being mindful of individual pitfalls that may have been the reason previous attempts at new habits were less fruitful.”

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In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan

Selection by: Geoff Gilb, Medical Assistant 

“I appreciate the perspective that Pollan provides on contemporary food science, and how the focus on eating select nutrients rather than whole foods can have unhealthy consequences.”

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Emperor of All Maladies, Siddhartha Mukherjee

Selection by: Tandice Urban, Co-Founder, Creative Director

“The definitive ‘biography of cancer,’ Emperor of All Maladies masterfully weaves together history, science, public policy, and the story of human resilience in the face of medicine’s most elusive adversary. It’s beautiful, it’s gut-wrenching, and it’ll make you want to give a gigantic hug to everyone who’s dedicated their lives to getting us one step closer to a cure.” 

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The End of Alzheimer’s, Dale Bredesen, MD

Selection by: Shera Raisen, MD, Lead Physician

“Dr. Bredesen lays out the theories of why dementia develops and gives case studies of amending dementia with a nutritional and hormonal healing program. He takes the view that the approach to healing the brain should be like that of fixing a leaky roof: you have to patch all the holes. You need to address all the issues — lifestyle, exercise (both physically and mentally), diet, nutritional status (e.g. B12 levels), hormonal status and replacement (e.g. thyroid), optimal weight, social issues and more.  His approach to health is all encompassing.”

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Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?, Mark Hyman, MD

Selection by: Chloe Harrouche, Co-Founder, CEO

"For the first time, I felt like I understood how to eat with a focus on quality and function, above all else. Hyman addresses all of the concerns I had around eating meat, dairy, grains, fruits, fats, etc. Overall, if you're looking to be smarter about how and what you eat, I think this book does a great job at explaining how to build a balanced plate that's satisfying, nutritious, and clean."

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Healing Back Pain, John E. Sarno, MD

Selection by: Rachel Alperin, Concierge Manager

“Healing Back Pain is an extremely relatable read, explaining the connection between stress and other psychological factors that can cause back pain. I love that this book highlights a different way of healing — one that involves the relationship between your mind, your stress, and your pain.”

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Nudge, Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

Selection by: Sidd Hariharan, Chief of Staff

"Nudge is a very thoughtful book that helps us think about our choices and their impact. I love how it leverages behavioral science research to make me reevaluate how to make healthy choices more easily!"

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