Healthy Skepticism Library item: 322

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Bibel B.
Best Consumer Health Books 2003
Library Journal 2004 May 1

Full text:

Anyone who watches television, listens to the radio, surfs the web, or reads magazines and newspapers now encounters advertising for prescription drugs. Once confined to medical journals, these advertisements encourage people to analyze their symptoms and ask their doctors for specific medications. As if coping with the time constraints of managed care were not enough, physicians and patients must make defusing commercial pressure part of the agenda. It is not surprising that many patients go to libraries to learn about these drugs and the conditions that they treat. They also want to find information about nutritional supplements and herbs. Reference questions about diseases, drugs, and the best online and print sources for health information are among the most common that librarians face.

Although 2003 brought the demise of O’Reilly’s excellent “Patient-Centered Guides” series, it also gave us many remarkable and useful titles. Publishers have responded to the aging of our population, so books about elder care, mobility issues, chronic pain, and hearing aids have appeared along with the usual information about drugs and diseases. The concerns about health insurance, drug prices, and access to care have produced interesting titles on health policy and regulation. News about rampant medical errors have led to books about how to avoid them. There are also works about how physicians, who are, after all, human, respond when they err. Last, but not least among the 22 titles here, there is a marvelous book about hope and its importance when facing illness.

Cancer
Conner, Kristine & Lauren Langford. Ovarian Cancer: Your Guide to Taking Control. O’Reilly. (Patient-Centered Guides). 576p. index. ISBN 0-596-50016-5. pap. $29.95.

Ovarian cancer is a frightening disease because there are no symptoms in the early stages. A medical writer and a patient, respectively, explain the diagnosis and treatment options and offer empowering advice about choosing physicians, finding support, and living with the therapy and its effects. Quotes from patients, an extensive bibliography and resource list, and information about participating in clinical trials make this a valuable source. (LJ 5/15/03)

Kornmehl, Carol L., M.D. The Best News About Radiation Therapy: How To Cope and Survive. Academic Radiation Oncology Pr. 155p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-9721896-0-2. pap. $14.95.

Kornmehl, a radiation oncologist, explains the methods and equipment used to administer radiation therapy for treating cancer. She discusses specific types of treatment for various types of cancers and different anatomical regions. She also offers advice about support groups, nutrition during therapy, follow-up visits, and skin care. The book goes into greater detail about radiotherapy than most cancer books. The photographs of radiological equipment, glossary, and resource list help make this volume one of a kind. (LJ 8/03)

Child Rearing
Black, Claudia. Straight Talk from Claudia Black: What Recovering Parents Should Tell Their Kids About Drugs and Alcohol. Hazelden. 150p. ISBN 1-59285-041-3. pap. $12.95.

A psychologist recognized for her work on addiction and how it affects families discusses how parents who are in recovery can talk to their children about drugs and alcohol. She explains the latest research on the genetics of addiction and offers practical strategies for child rearing using examples from five families. This candid and optimistic book will provide excellent support for parents who have an added burden when talking to their children about drugs. (LJ 11/1/03)

Jennings, Kevin with Pat Shapiro, MSW. Always My Child: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, or Questioning Son or Daughter. Fireside: S. & S. 323p. bibliog. ISBN 0-7432-2649-6. pap. $14.

Communicating with an adolescent can be difficult under normal circumstances. When a child is unsure of his/her sexual orientation or is coming out as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transsexual, parents often do not understand what he/she faces every day. They may have to face their own prejudices about sexual orientation. Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, and Shapiro, a social worker, help parents establish constructive communication with their children by explaining sexuality and teaching them to separate their own issues from their child’s. They teach them to recognize signs of depression and to advocate for the health and safety of their children. This valuable and important resource is unique among parenting manuals. (LJ 1/03)

Klass Perri, M.D. & Eileen Costello, M.D. Quirky Kids: Understanding and Helping Your Child Who Doesn’t Fit In—When To Worry and When Not To Worry. Ballantine. 384p. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-345-45142-2. $23.95.

With much discussion of the rising incidence of autism, how do parents know whether their child is “normal”? Klass and Costello, both pediatricians and mothers, discuss the many conditions that fall into the gray area of disorders such as ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Asperger’s syndrome. They offer practical and compassionate advice that will help parents understand their children and, if necessary, get the help they need. They discuss diagnosis and treatment, the various specialists who might be involved in the process, and getting support. They also consider practical strategies for coping at home, in school, and out in the world. There is an extensive bibliography. This most welcome resource covers ground that is missing from both mainstream parenting books and those dealing with serious developmental disorders. It is enriching and highly recommended. (LJ 11/15/03)

Children’s Health
Hilden, Joanne, M.D. & Daniel R. Tobin, M.D. with Karen Lindsey. Shelter from the Storm: Caring for a Child with a Life-Threatening Condition. Perseus. 220p. ISBN 0-7382-0534-6. pap. $15.95.

For a parent, nothing is worse than facing the possibility of a child’s death. Hilden, a pediatric oncologist, and Tobin, creator of the Advanced Illness Coordinated Care program and author of Peaceful Dying, offer this guide for parents of seriously ill children. It empowers parents to ask the right questions so that they can get necessary information and make the best decisions about their child’s care. It also supports them through death and the grieving process if treatment fails. Using a combination of medical advice and quotes from parents who have been there, the authors have created a sensitive and useful resource. (LJ 1/03)

Diabetes
Kaplan-Mayer, Gabrielle. Insulin Pump Therapy Demystified: An Essential Guide for Everyone Pumping Insulin. Marlowe: Avalon, dist. by Publishers Group West. 192p. photogs. index. ISBN 1-56924-508-8. pap. $15.95.

With diabetes reaching almost epidemic proportions in the United States, more people are using insulin. The insulin pump, which allows delivery of a precise dose of insulin tailored to a patient’s need, has improved the life of many diabetics. The author, a diabetic who uses the pump, explains how it works, how to decide if it is the right therapy, and how to live with it. Drawing on interviews with 75 pump users and diabetes experts, she discusses blood sugar monitoring, carbohydrate counting, record keeping, financial issues, and support. With practical information about sleeping and having sex while wearing a pump, this outstanding manual covers material that doesn’t appear in most diabetes books. (LJ 3/15/03)

Drugs
ConsumerLab.com’s Guide to Buying Vitamins and Supplements: What’s Really in the Bottle? ConsumerLab.com. 226p. ed. by Tod Cooperman, M.D. & others. index. ISBN 0-9729697-0-5. pap. $17.95.

What is really in the vitamins and supplements that most Americans take every day? Unlike prescription drugs, they are not regulated by the FDA. There are no standard dosages for herbal medicines and nutritional supplements. In 1999, ConsumerLab.com began testing these products and putting the results on its site. Now those results are published in a book so readers can see if the vitamins, herbs, and other supplements that they buy contain safe and effective ingredients. Patrons should read it before going to the drug or health food store. An essential purchase for public libraries. (LJ 9/15/03)

Hilts, Phillip. Protecting America’s Health: The FDA, Business, and One Hundred Years of Regulation. Knopf. 394p. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-375-40466-X. $26.95.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protects Americans from harmful medications and medical devices, but it is caught in a crossfire. Consumers think that the big pharmaceutical companies have undue influence while the same companies accuse the agency of delaying the development and availability of lifesaving drugs. Science writer Hilts examines the agency’s history, recounting both its successes and failures. Contemporary issues such as the treatment of AIDS demonstrate the relationship of science, business, and ethics and highlight the problems facing modern regulators. Those who follow the political intrigue in the healthcare industry will be riveted. (LJ 4/1/03)

Elder Care
Carnot, Edward J. Is Your Parent in Good Hands? Protecting Your Aging Parent from Financial Abuse and Neglect. Capital Bks. (Cares). 261p. ISBN 1-931868-37-9. pap. $18.95.

Today, many American baby boomers find themselves raising their own children while simultaneously caring for their elderly parents. Attorney Carnot learned that a dishonest caregiver was stealing his father’s assets, and the legal system offered little protection. He offers advice for adult children who may live far from their elderly parents about the importance of planning, how to find reliable caregivers, how to use the legal system when abuse occurs, and how to keep track of a parent’s condition from a distance. This cautionary tale belongs in all aging collections. (LJ 10/15/03)

Exercise
Kolata, Gina. Ultimate Fitness: The Quest for Truth About Exercise and Health. Farrar. 288p. illus. index. ISBN 0-374-20477-2. $24.

Americans are obsessed with fitness. They may not all exercise on a regular basis, but they will talk about the virtues of running, weightlifting, diets, and fat-burning zones. Kolata, an award-winning science writer and enthusiastic spinner (that’s stationary bicycle speak), looks at the fitness business and provides fascinating historical information as well as statistics and an interesting discussion of the standards, or lack thereof, for personal trainers. Readable and extremely accessible, this title will pump up all fitness collections. (LJ 4/15/03)

General Medicine
Elliott, Carl. Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream. Norton. 357p. index. ISBN 0-393-05201-X. $26.95.

Drugs for anxiety and impotence, Botox injections and cosmetic surgery to defy age, transplants and stem cells for spare parts: all are part of contemporary medical technology. Why do Americans embrace them while feeling uneasy about the implications? Elliott, a bioethicist, has written a thought-provoking book about contemporary culture and its use of medicine in the pursuit of happiness and self-realization. (LJ 1/03)

Groopman, Jerome, M.D. The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness. Random. 248p. index. ISBN 0-375-50638-1. $24.95.

Hope is essential for life. Even patients with serious, life-threatening illness improve their prognosis with a positive attitude. Groopman, a medical researcher at Harvard, discovered that hope could actually cause physiological change, blocking pain and improving respiratory, circulatory, and motor function. He shares personal experiences from his own life and his patients’ case histories that illustrate the power and importance of hope. The wise doctor notes, “True hope is not optimism. A person who has true hope sees all the obstacles ahead but can still stay clear-eyed and make the right choices.” An excellent narrative for public libraries. (LJ 12/03)

Iezzoni, Lisa I. When Walking Fails: Mobility Problems of Adults with Chronic Conditions. Univ. of California. (Milbank Bks. on Health & the Public). 380p. photogs. index. ISBN 0-520-23742-0. $60; pap. ISBN 0-520-23819-2. $19.95.

Ten percent of all American adults have some kind of mobility problem. Most have some sort of health coverage, but, according to Iezzoni, a physician who has multiple sclerosis and uses a motorized scooter, things could be much better. Although she addresses her book to policymakers, anyone with impaired mobility or anyone caring for such a person will find a great deal of useful information here. Iezzoni discusses environmental barriers and compares assistive devices such as scooters and wheelchairs so that both patients and healthcare providers can find the best tools for coping. An informative and accessible critique for most libraries. (LJ 6/1/03)

LeBow, Robert H., M.D. Health Care Meltdown: Confronting the Myths and Fixing Our Failing System. Hood & Co. 281p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-911469-22-2. $25.

A physician with a master’s in public health who has directed a community health center for 25 years, LeBow takes a hard look at the American healthcare system and analyzes its shortcomings. His conclusions: there are too many institutions, too much paperwork, and a bureaucracy that makes it hard to institute change. He makes a strong case for a national health system with universal coverage. Such a system would lower costs by using a single provider and one risk pool and improve business conditions because employers would not have to pay for health coverage. His eye-opening treatise belongs in all libraries (LJ 6/15/03)

Hearing Disorders
Burkey, John M. Overcoming Hearing Aid Fears: The Road to Better Hearing. Rutgers Univ. 175p. illus. index. ISBN 0-8135-3309-0. $44.95; pap. ISBN 0-8135-3310-4. $17.95.

Ten percent of all Americans, and nearly one-third of those over the age of 70, have some hearing loss. Only 20 percent of these people use hearing aids. Burkey, an audiologist, explains how the ear works and addresses the most common misconceptions and fears that people have about using hearing aids. He demonstrates the devices’ advantages for both the wearers and those with whom they interact. He also discusses the various types of hearing aids, their cost, and the process of diagnosing hearing loss and obtaining the proper hearing aid. A practical guide, with advice to which readers should listen. (LJ 9/1/03)

Pain Management
Rosenfeld, Arthur. The Truth About Chronic Pain: Patients and Professionals on How To Face It, Understand It, Overcome It. Basic Bks: Perseus. 299p. ISBN 0-465-07138-4. $26.

Chronic pain affects 75 million Americans who suffer from arthritis, headaches, cancer, and other ailments. The healthcare system denies relief owing to insurance limits, addiction fears, and the war on drugs. Rosenfeld, the son of noted physician Isidore Rosenfeld, interviews patients, healthcare professionals, ethicists, policymakers, and clergy to learn about pain from many viewpoints. The excellent result is an inspirational and moving book that sheds light on the issue and pleads for compassion. (LJ 5/15/03)

Pregnancy & Childbirth
Alcañiz, Lourdes. Waiting for Bebé: A Pregnancy Guide for Latinas. One World: Ballantine. 416p. tr. from Spanish by José Nicholson. illus. ISBN 0-345-45211-9. pap. $14.95.

An award-winning medical writer and correspondent for Radio Bilingue has written a book for Latinas that addresses not only the usual information about pregnancy and birth but also the health issues affecting Hispanic women in particular. She discusses traditional herbs, foods, and customs related to birth in Latino communities. A Spanish-language edition, Esperando a Mi Bebé, is available from Random House Espanol (ISBN 1-4000-0181-1. pap. $17.95). This comprehensive title will be an invaluable addition to all health collections. (LJ 4/15/03)

Gaskin, Ina May. Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. Bantam. 368p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-553-38115-6. pap. $14.95.

Gaskin, the doyenne of modern midwifery in America and author of the classic Spiritual Midwifery, has written a guide that makes a strong case for natural childbirth. She explains that the female body is well designed for normal birth and provides techniques for dealing with the discomforts of labor. A whole chapter devoted to women’s birthing experiences supports her stance. More than a childbirth guide, this comprehensive book provides insight into the sociological and historical aspects of the natural childbirth movement. (LJ 1/03)

Lerner, Henry M., M.D. Miscarriage: Why It Happens and How Best To Reduce Your Risks. Perseus. 291p. illus. index. ISBN 0-7382-0634-2. pap. $16.95.

One pregnancy out of five ends in miscarriage. This is usually caused by an improper fusion of the chromosomes in the sperm and the egg. Women who miscarry repeatedly may have other problems such as uterine fibroids or immunological disorders. Lerner, an obstetrician-gynecologist, explains the various causes of miscarriage, provides support for women and their partners, and offers advice for preventing it. This book provides the latest information about miscarriage in greater depth than mainstream books on pregnancy and women’s health. An ideal title for patients and an important resource. (LJ 3/15/03)

Moore, Michele, M.D. & Caroline de Costa, M.D. Cesarean Section: Understanding and Celebrating Your Baby’s Birth. Johns Hopkins. 160p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-8018-7336-3. $49.95; pap. ISBN 0-8018-7337-1. $14.95.

Twenty-five percent of all babies are born by Cesarean section despite its being considered by critics an often unnecessary and dangerous procedure. Women who have had C-sections often feel that they have somehow failed. Physician Moore and obstetrician/gynecologist de Costa take a positive attitude and reassure mothers by emphasizing the healthy delivery of their babies. They explain why C-sections are sometimes the best method of delivery and discuss the anesthesia, surgical procedure, recovery, and care of the mother and child when they return home. They also cover postpartum depression, planning for future births, and the possibility of vaginal birth after a Cesarean section (VBAC). They provide a list of questions for women to ask their doctors, nutritional information, an Apgar score chart, a glossary, and a bibliography. A timely book on a controversial topic. (LJ 5/1/03)

Murphy, Magnus, M.D. & Carol L. Wasson. Pelvic Health and Childbirth: What Every Woman Needs To Know. Prometheus. 312p. illus. ISBN 1-59102-078-6. pap. $21.

Most women who give birth sustain some damage to the pelvic floor. This network of nerves, muscles, and fascia play a role in urinary and anal continence and sexual function. Although the majority of women affected have only minor damage, those with symptoms often suffer needlessly because they are embarrassed. Murphy is an obstetrician-gynecologist who specializes in treating pelvic floor disorders. He has written a unique book about a neglected subject. It explains the symptoms and treatment as well as the advances in labor and delivery and the politics of childbirth, including the option of elective Cesarean birth. An excellent presentation of childbirth options. (LJ 6/1/03)

Psychiatry
Shapiro, Dan. Delivering Doctor Amelia: The Story of a Gifted Young Obstetrician’s Mistake and the Psychologist Who Helped Her. Harmony: Crown. 255p. ISBN 1-4000-4895-8. $24.

According to conventional wisdom, doctors are highly trained professionals who do not make mistakes. Of course, they are human and mistakes happen. This is the story of a gifted young obstetrician who thinks that she may have made a mistake. The resulting self-doubt brought her to clinical psychiatrist Shapiro. This book is the story of the therapy that helped both of them. The doctor emerges as a good woman with a threatened career, and readers will be rooting for her. Shapiro remembers his own cancer treatment and interactions with physicians as both parties delve into their pasts. This absorbing narrative reveals the nature of healing and the professions that we patients take for granted. (LJ 6/15/03)

Women’s Health
Seaman, Barbara. The Greatest Experiment Ever Performed on Women: Exploding the Estrogen Myth. Hyperion. 332p. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-7868-6853-8. $24.95; pap. Jun. 2004. ISBN 0-7868-8734-6. $13.95.

Women have been taking estrogen in some form to combat the effects of menopause and age for almost 100 years. It provided relief from the more extreme symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes. In recent years, physicians prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease. Newer studies offer proof that the hormone actually increases the risk for these conditions as well as breast cancer. Veteran science writer Seaman has been a critic of estrogen therapy since the 1960s. Her new book traces the history of estrogen use and looks at the results, from DES babies to cancers. She wonders how the “menopause industry” managed to conduct a large-scale experiment without oversight or any idea of the long-term results. With questions and controversy continuing to swirl around HRT, this thought-provoking book from a respected women’s health advocate will be most welcome. (LJ 6/15/03)