Best Consumer Health 2008

The economic downturn caused the elimination of 2.6 million jobs in 2008, a devastating figure that translates to even more Americans without health insurance. Library use has significantly increased as a result, with patrons searching for health information on coping with chronic conditions, caring for elderly parents and/or young children, and maintaining good health so as to avoid a trip to the ER.

Fortunately, publishers issued a wide range of empowering books to meet the public's needs. Staple topics like Alzheimer's, cancer, and pregnancy made strong showings via more nuanced information than we normally find, while increasingly prevalent conditions such as insomnia and traumatic brain and spinal cord injury earned some long-overdue exposure. Strategies for fixing the U.S. health-care system as a whole fell off. Instead, we got a powerful exposé of drug companies.

The health memoir continued to evolve thanks to the unflinching portraits of chronic illness, insomnia, and AIDS by the writers featured here. Autism, which didn't register on our 2007 list, makes a comeback with two heavily researched titles.

Alpert, Michelle, M.D. & Saul Wisnia. Spinal Cord Injury and the Family: A New Guide. Harvard Univ. 314p. ISBN 978-0-674-02714-5. $35; pap. ISBN 978-0-674-02715-2. $16.95.

Physiatrist Alpert explains the anatomy and physiology of these injuries as well as the medical treatment and rehabilitation involved. She also addresses crucial but little-covered topics like emotional trauma, fertility, and sexuality. Important in light of the surge in spinal cord injuries from the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. (LJ 4/15/08)

American Diabetes Assn. What To Expect When You Have Diabetes: 170 Tips for Living Well with Diabetes. Good Bks. 209p. ISBN 978-1-56148-630-4. pap. $9.95.

Because diabetes affects approximately eight percent of the population, solid primers like this are necessary. Using a Q&A format, it tackles all aspects of the chronic disease, from causes to treatment options. (Xpress Reviews, 10/22/08)

Bonner, Dede. The 10 Best Questions for Living with Alzheimer's: The Script You Need To Take Control of Your Health. Fireside: S. & S. 336p. ISBN 978-1-4165-6051-7. pap. $15.

James, Vaughn E. The Alzheimer's Advisor: A Caregiver's Guide to Dealing with the Tough Legal and Practical Issues. AMACOM: American Management Assn. 320p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-8144-0924-4. pap. $19.95.

Whitehouse, Peter J., M.D., with Daniel George. The Myth of Alzheimer's: What You Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis. St. Martin's. 319p. ISBN 978-0-312-36816-6. $25.95.

Here's a trio of essential Alzheimer's titles. Bonner, who has written other titles in the “10 Best Questions” series, offers a program for coping with every stage of the disease, the centerpiece of which is queries for health-care professionals. James deals with the often overlooked but difficult legal and financial responsibilities associated with caring for elders with memory loss and/or dementia. Whitehouse, a leading expert on Alzheimer's, delivers a new perspective on the disease, addressing the aging brain, clarifying what Alzheimer's is and isn't, and offering new parameters for approaching memory loss and aging with dignity. (The 10 Best Questions and The Alzheimer's Advisor, both LJ 11/1/08; The Myth of Alzheimer's, LJ 12/07)

Boston Women's Health Collective. Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth. Touchstone: S. & S. 352p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-7432-7486-9. pap. $15.

Doubilet, Peter M., M.D. & others. Your Developing Baby, Conception to Birth: Witnessing the Miraculous 9-Month Journey.McGraw-Hill. 194p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-07-148871-0. pap. $18.95.

Kropp, Tori. The Joy of Pregnancy: The Complete, Candid, and Reassuring Companion for Parents-To-Be. Harvard Common, dist. by National Bk. Network. 400p. ISBN 978-1-55832-305-6. $26.95; pap. ISBN 978-1-55832-306-3. $14.95.

Pregnant women and their spouses will find a wealth of material in these three books. The Boston Women's Health Collective provides comprehensive coverage of pregnancy and birth within a psychosocial and political context. Harvard radiologist Doubilet and his colleagues Carol B. Benson and Roanne Weisman offer a window into the miracle of life through 250 well-labeled ultrasound pictures of the developing fetus. Kropp, a perinatal nurse and childbirth educator, highlights both the joyful and the challenging aspects of pregnancy, explaining the changes in the body and addressing fathers. (Our Bodies, Ourselves, LJ 1/08; Your Developing Baby, LJ 4/1/08; The Joy of Pregnancy, Xpress Reviews, 2/26/08)

Chez, Michael, M.D. Autism and Its Medical Management: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. Jessica Kingsley. 224p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-84310-834-4. $24.95.

Offit, Paul A., M.D. Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure. Columbia Univ. 298p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-231-14636-4. $24.95.

Together, these books offer an overview of the autistic spectrum and autism treatment options, plus coverage of the controversy about its causes. Offit (director, Vaccine Education Ctr., Children's Hosp. of Philadelphia) confronts the issue of vaccination and the marketing of expensive, unproven cures. Chez (director, Pediatric Neurology, Sutter Neuroscience Inst. & Sutter Memorial Hosp.) touches on this but concentrates more on medication options and other treatments. (Autism and Its Medical Management, LJ 4/1/08; Autism's False Prophets, LJ 8/08)

Culinary Institute of America. Techniques of Healthy Cooking. Wiley. 578p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-470-05232-7. $65.

This hefty tome is worth its hefty price, thanks to extensive information about diet and nutrition, guidance on reading labels and shopping for healthy food, and directions for preparing food with techniques that maximize flavor while reducing calories and fat. More than 400 recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts, along with advice on menu planning, make this a great resource. (LJ 4/1/08)

Danielsson, Krissi. After Miscarriage: Medical Facts and Emotional Support for Pregnancy Loss. Harvard Common, dist. by National Bk. Network. 240p. ISBN 978-1-55832-353-7. $21; pap. ISBN 978-1-55832-354-4. $12.95.

Young, Bruce K., M.D. & Amy Zavatto. Miscarriage, Medicine & Miracles: Everything You Need To Know About Miscarriage. Bantam. 352p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-553-80550-5. $25.

Here are two much-needed books on miscarriage. Danielsson, a freelance writer who has had several miscarriages, provides advice to those who have also lost pregnancies, or wish to understand friends or family members who have been affected. Young (Silverman Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, NYU) specializes in the care of women with high-risk pregnancies. Along with writer Zavatto, he supplies the latest information about pregnancy loss and treatment options without underestimating the difficulties involved. (After Miscarriage, LJ 2/15/08; Miscarriage, Medicine & Miracles, LJ 4/1/08)

Duke, Kacy with Selene Yeager. The Show It Love Workout: Celebrate the Body You Have, Get the Body You Want. McGraw-Hill. 256p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-07-149446-5. $24.95.

Manocchia, Pat. Anatomy of Exercise: A Trainer's Guide to Your Workout. Firefly. 192p. ISBN 978-1-55407-375-7. $35.

Curious what the body is doing when it's working out? Fitness expert Manocchia shows readers with a glossary of anatomical terms and detailed color illustrations that identify muscles. Duke, a personal trainer to the stars, has devised diet-and-fitness regimens for women. Distinctive to her approach: her encouragement to appreciate our bodies instead of aiming for an ideal that may not exist. (The Show It Love Workout, LJ 12/07; Anatomy of Exercise, Xpress Reviews, 4/22/08)

Edwards, Laurie. Life Disrupted: Getting Real About Chronic Illness in Your Twenties and Thirties. Walker. 288p. ISBN 978-0-8027-1649-1. pap. $14.95.

Twentysomething Edwards presents an inspiring, realistic view of life with serious chronic illness. Since people in her situation now live longer, her discussions of financial truths, college, dating, and whether to have children are relevant. (LJ 5/1/08)

Greene, Gayle. Insomniac. Univ. of California. 502p. ISBN 978-0-520-24030-0. $29.95.

Literature professor Greene brings personal experience as an insomniac to this account of the latest developments in sleep research. Despite studies, sleeping pills, and other suggested behavior-modification techniques, there is still no cure. Greene imparts a feeling of solidarity to fellow sufferers. (LJ 2/15/08)

Mason, Michael Paul. Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath. Farrar. 256p. ISBN 978-0-374-13452-5. $24.

Traumatic brain injury affects 5.3 million Americans, and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are rapidly increasing that number. Mason, a case manager for brain injury patients, vividly depicts the tragic effects of this trauma through patient profiles. The inadequacy of treatment facilities and the lack of services for this severely handicapped population come through. (LJ 1/08)

Petersen, Melody. Our Daily Meds: How the Pharmaceutical Companies Transformed Themselves into Slick Marketing Machines and Hooked the Nation on Prescription Drugs. Farrar. 432p. ISBN 978-0-374-22827-9. $26.

Petersen, a business reporter who covered the pharmaceutical industry for the New York Times, uses her home state of Iowa to document the unscrupulous practices of drug companies. She persuasively argues that they influence physicians with swag, subvert peer review, and take over continuing education. A disturbing book. (LJ 2/1/08)

Pisani, Elizabeth. The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels, and the Business of AIDS. Norton. 288p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-393-06662-3. $25.95.

Pisani, an epidemiologist who has worked with international health organizations, notes that the millions spent on AIDS prevention each year produce only modest results. The main reason: politicians who oppose highly effective programs such as needle exchanges. Colorful stories combine with well-supported arguments about disease prevention. (LJ 5/1/08)

Queller, Jessica. Pretty Is What Changes: Tough Choices, the Breast Cancer Gene, and Learning How To Live in the DNA Age. Spiegel & Grau. 256p. ISBN 978-0-385-52040-9. $24.95; pap. Apr. 2009. ISBN 978-0-385-52041-6. $14.

Queller watched her mother die of ovarian cancer, then decided to get tested for BRCA, the breast cancer gene. After learning she carried it, she had to make difficult decisions—like opting for a prophylactic double mastectomy. Powerful. (LJ 2/1/08)

Servan-Schreiber, David, M.D. Anticancer: A New Way of Life. Viking. 264p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-670-02034-8. $24.95.

When physician-researcher Servan-Schreiber was diagnosed with a brain tumor, he drew on his resources to understand better the mechanics of his disease and develop ideas about cancer prevention. These include guarding against environmental imbalance and healing psychological wounds. (LJ 7/08)

Snyderman, Nancy, M.D. Medical Myths That Can Kill You: And the 101 Truths That Will Save, Extend, and Improve Your Life. Crown. 272p. ISBN 978-0-307-40613-2. $24.95.

Snyderman, the medical editor for NBC News, tells readers about common medical myths that may harm them: only old people have heart attacks, “natural” means safe, etc. She explains why they are wrong and why they are common. Also included is advice for staying healthy. (LJ 3/15/08)

Yarosh, Daniel B. The New Science of Perfect Skin: Understanding Skin Care Myths and Miracles for Radiant Skin at Any Age. Broadway. 293p. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-7679-2539-6. $23.95.

Yarosh, who holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology, conducts research on skin care products. His book offers welcome explanations of the dizzying array of current toners, moisturizers, sun screens, etc. Readers should take it with them when they go shopping, as it identifies which ones work and which are unnecessary. (LJ 4/1/08)