Daily Cornbread: 365 Ingredients for a Healthy Mind, Body and Spirit

African-American people have benefited from the social sciences, but it's down-home, commonsense know-how that has nourished the community for centuries--and that's what Stephanie Stokes Oliver, founding editor in chief of Heart and Soul magazine, offers in Daily Cornbread. The book contains 365 bits of friendly, spirit-building shout-outs for the mind, body, and soul: "Celebrate a week of wellness," for example, or "On Malcolm X's birthday, remember his healthy habits." "Daily Cornbread was written to provide words of comfort to all," Oliver writes. "Here you'll find reassurances that you're on the right track, as well as new information about African-American health and well-being." Resolutions such as "Commit to get fit" and "Worship your body, your temple" are paired with anecdotal descriptions of the problems they're meant to address, as well as advice that includes a "secret ingredient." Put it all together, and Daily Cornbread is delivered with the love and care honed by generations of kinfolk wisdom. --Eugene Holley Jr.