Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Mens Health Maximum Muscle Plan or Magic Menus for People with Diabetes

Men's Health Maximum Muscle Plan: The High-Efficiency Workout Program to Increase Your Strength and Muscle Size in Just 12 Weeks

Author: Thomas Incledon

The science of muscle building has changed, and this pioneering workout book—packed with new discoveries that cannot be found in other books—shows how lifters today can get bigger, stronger, and more ripped

Forget everything you ever learned about strength training. Whether you're just an occasional lifter or a gym rat who lives next to the dumbbell racks, there's a good chance that nearly everything you're doing is wrong. This program replaces outdated myths with the newest findings at the vanguard of the strength-training world. Readers will discover:
   • how to add as much as 50 pounds to their bench press in just 12 weeks, with no single workout session taking longer than 30 minutes
   • hundreds of exercise variations and information on tailoring workouts to one's body type, lifestyle, and goals
   • definitive answers to dozens of fitness debates, such as: Can you get an aerobic workout by lifting faster? Does the "slow burn" technique work? What's the best time of day to lift?

In addition to exercises for each muscle group, there are sections devoted to flexibility, cardio workouts, nutrition, and sports performance.



Read also Cuisines of Asia or The New Kitchen Science

Magic Menus for People with Diabetes: More than 200 low-fat, calorie-controlled diabetic meals

Author: American Diabetes Association

Here is a calorie/carbohydrate-controlled collection of delicious, hassle-free meals to make meal planning a breeze. Based on a 1,500-calorie-a-day menu, every breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipe balances the reader's meal plan perfectly. Every mealspecific recipe includes the same number of carbs no matter which one readers pick--they get 45-60 grams for every breakfast, 60-75 grams for every lunch, and 70-85 grams for every dinner--which helps keep blood sugar levels stable. Readers can mix and match recipes to their tastes. Includes more than 50 breakfasts, 50 lunches, 75 dinners, and 30 snacks. This new edition includes complete nutrition analysis and carbohydrate counts for every meal and recipe.



Bootcamp 360 for Brides or Take the Fight out of Food

Bootcamp 360 for Brides: A Complete Fitness Program: The Few, the Proud, the Fit

Author: Tamara Kleinberg

You are cordially invited to get your butt in gear! Bootcamp360 for Brides is a health and fitness program that will whip any woman into sultry shape in time for her wedding, and prepare her for a healthy lifestyle even when the honeymoon's over.

"Do you want to look stunning in your wedding dress?"

"YES, SIR!"

"Would you like to impress family members you've never met before with toned arms, sculpted back, and flat abs?"

"YES, SIR!"

Bootcamp360 for Brides is a popular extreme fitness program geared for the woman who wants to look buff in time for her wedding. "Be his better half, not his better three–quarters," says Tamara Kleinberg, whose program focuses on weight loss, nutrition, and shaping up those areas that all eyes will be on that special day, especially the arms, shoulders, and back. Every bootcamp trainee will set time–oriented goals for herself, building an exercise regimen that includes both challenge and variety. The book will also include "tips from the trenches" advice; inspirational success stories and before–and–after photos from bootcamp graduates; and practical nutritional guidelines and "mess hall" recipes; and progress charts to keep brides–to–be focused on their fitness goals.

The Bootcamp360 program has been extremely successful in New York City and in Denver (its two outposts), and Kleinberg is in the process of building a franchise. We think this book, and the program, is going to be a great success.

Library Journal

Sleeveless wedding gown? Honeymoon in a bikini? It can be done! Kleinberg, a certified personal trainer, means business. Requiring a PT ball, dumbbells, and resistance bands, these exercises are demanding, at Basic, Advanced, and Hard Core levels. Although there is a chapter on nutrition and several recipes, the book's main focus is on exercise. Several before-and-after pictures are sprinkled throughout, with tips from brides who've survived the course. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.



Book about: Thomas Jefferson or Operation Valkyrie

Take the Fight Out of Food: How to Prevent and Solve Your Child's Eating Problems

Author: Donna Fish

All foods are good. That is the message of this commonsense book that helps parents speak to their kids about food and nutrition. It is a message that is long overdue, especially when you consider that 81 percent of ten-year-olds are afraid of being fat -- half are already dieting -- and twelve million American children are obese. There is a disease gripping our nation's children and it strikes early. Take the Fight Out of Food offers a cure.

This practical guide is filled with hands-on tools and in-depth advice for putting a stop to unhealthy eating habits before they begin. In Take the Fight Out of Food parents will learn how to:

• Understand their own "food legacy" and how it affects their children

• Keep their children connected to food in a positive way

• Talk to their kids about food and nutrition

• Recognize and deal with the six types of eaters --

including the Picky Eater, the Grazer, and the Beige Food Eater

With guidance, inspiration, and encouragement, this invaluable book helps parents to teach their children to eat for life in a positive and healthy family environment.

Library Journal

Fish, a licensed social worker specializing in eating disorders, aims to help children develop a positive relationship with food. A critical part of her approach involves parents appraising their own attitudes and hang-ups about food and eating. Once that is accomplished, adults can become better role models and instill good eating habits in their children, e.g., differentiating physical feelings of hunger from emotions. In a confident tone that will reassure readers, Fish notes that children who are so mentored are more likely to have self-control in all areas of life. She also groups children into six different types of eaters-"The Food Demander," "The Trouble Transitioner," "The Picky Eater," "The Beige Eater," "The Spurt Eater," and "The Grazer"-up to about age nine. Though she includes some tools and tips for resolving their issues, this is less the problem-solving manual the title suggests than an "eat for life" manual for the family. If it's recipes you're after, consider instead Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals for Kids: Cooking Rocks! Recommended for large public libraries and child-rearing collections.-Douglas C. Lord, Connecticut State Lib., Hartford Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.



Overcoming Thyroid Problems or The Gleasons Gym Total Body Boxing Workout for Women

Overcoming Thyroid Problems

Author: Jeffrey R Garber

A complete guide to understanding, treating, and living with thyroid disease, from Harvard Medical School

More than 13 million people in the United States suffer from some form of thyroid disease, and that number is expected to rise precipitously as the baby boomer generation approaches its sixties.

Written by an internationally respected authority on thyroid disease, Dr. Jeffrey R. Garber, The Harvard Medical School Guide to Overcoming Thyroid Problems is an up-to-the minute, authoritative source of practical information for thyroid patients and those who think they may have a thyroid problem. Working from the belief that "being informed is your best cure," Garber:

  • Explains how the thyroid works, what can go wrong and why, and how to work with a doctor
  • to feel better and stay healthy
  • Dispels common myths and misconceptions about thyroid disease and describes the best diagnostic tests and both conventional and alternative treatment approaches
  • Covers the most common forms of thyroid disease in detail, including Graves' disease, Hashimoto's disease, and thyroid cancer

Jeffrey R. Garber, M.D., is an assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School and chief of endocrinology at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, a Harvard-affiliated independent practice. He is affiliated with both Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital, two world-renowned Harvard teaching hospitals, and he is a director on the executive council of the American Thyroid Association.

Sandra Sardella White is an award-winning freelance health writer and coauthor of The Children's Hospital Guide toYour Child's Health and Development.



Read also Architectural Photography or MATLAB Primer

The Gleason's Gym Total Body Boxing Workout for Women: A 4-Week Head-to-Toe Makeover

Author: Hector Roca

Defined arms; sleek shoulders; flat, tight abs; lean, firm legs -- this is the shape that women want to get from their workouts. World-renowned trainer Hector Roca and owner Bruce Silverglade bring Gleason's Gym's boxing secrets to your home with The Gleason's Gym Total Body Boxing Workout for Women, outlining a step-by-step program that gets any woman into knockout shape -- fitter, faster, and firmer than ever in just four weeks!

Boxing is not only a dynamic fitness program but also a powerful addition to other fitness routines. Using unique combinations of muscle groups and both aerobic and weight training movements, boxing works out the entire body at one time. You'll lose weight; build lean, toned muscle; improve cardiovascular fitness; and feel physically and emotionally stronger all at once.

Roca and Silverglade break down all the boxing basics, from how to make a fist and how to stand, to more advanced boxing moves and various ways of jumping rope and include a nutritional plan to maximize results. The Gleason's Gym Total Body Boxing Workout for Women offers the ultimate workout for women who want to look their best, feel their best, and be their best.



Table of Contents:

Contents

Foreword by Hilary Swank

Introduction: The History of Gleason's Gym Bruce Silvergrade, owner

1 Gleason's Total Body Makeover: About the Program

2 Mental Preparation: Are You Ready?

3 Live Right

4 Boxing Basics

5 Training Basics

6 Week One: Build Your Foundation

7 Week Two: Find Your Style and Strength

8 Week Three: Counterpunch

9 Week Four: Become a Knockout

10 The Next Level: Advancing Your Skills in the Gym

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Tormenting Thoughts and Secret Rituals or Healthy Life Kitchen

Tormenting Thoughts and Secret Rituals: The Hidden Epidemic of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Author: Ian Osborn

Obsessive-compulsive disorder has been called the "hidden epidemic": only a very few of the many people who have it reveal their condition. Dr. Osborn discusses the various forms OCD takes andusing the most common focuses of obsession - presents detailed and dramatic cases whose objects are filth, harm, lust, and blasphemy. He explains how the disorder is currently diagnosed, and how it differs from addiction, worrying, and preoccupation. He summarizes the recent findings in the areas of brain biology, neuroimaging, and genetics that show OCD to be a distinct chemical disorder of the brain. He contrasts OCD with other "OCD spectrum disorders" such as anorexia nervosa and hairpulling, and he provides a historical overview that traces the development over the centuries of both behavior therapy and medications.



See also: The Samaritans Dilemma or The Prince

Healthy Life Kitchen

Author: Marilu Henner

If you're like most people, 70 percent of what's in your kitchen right now is unhealthy and has to go. Now the good news...there are healthy and tasty alternatives to everything in your refrigerator and pantry, and the transition is easier than you think.

When it comes to food, most of us go through a constant tug-of-war between the foods we love and the foods we feel we should be eating. But what if we didn't have to give up our favorite foods? What if we could take recipes from our childhood or our favorite cookbooks and find healthier ways to enjoy them?

Marilu Henner's Healthy Life Kitchen shows you a new way, a better way, to create a "health factory" in your home. Out go the red meat, dairy, and refined sugar products, and in come the freshest fruits, vegetables, grains, soy, seafood, poultry, and seasonings imaginable-and, in a few easy steps, you've created a Healthy Life you!

After inspiring legions of readers with Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover and The 30-Day Total Health Makeover, Marilu presents the first cookbook in her bestselling series, introducing tantalizing dishes that fit perfectly into her life-changing health plan. Marilu has collected her best-loved recipes of the last twenty years and mixed in her distinctive warmth and humor. With pioneering health advice, helpful kitchen tips, and plenty of gusto, she serves up a magical array of hearty meals for your nourishment and pleasure.

Only Healthy Life Kitchen features:

  • 175 delicious recipes, such as Blueberry Crunch Muffins, Savory Squash Soup, Thai Shrimp and Asparagus Salad, Upside-Down Garlic Chicken, Sierra Stew, Miso-Glazed Sea Bass, Coconut Sorbet, and Killer Brownies.
  • A virtual tour of a health food store to help you select the healthiest brands and products.
  • Secrets for steaming, boiling, poaching, grilling, roasting, baking.
  • Easy-to-use conversion tables for modifying your favorite foods and recipes to achieve maximum health benefits.
  • Helpful suggestions on what to cook for kids.
  • Extensive lists of the harmful chemicals and preservatives in your food and under your sink, and the healthy alternatives to these kitchen hazards.
  • 14 easy-to-make entrees using soy, America's fastest-growing food product, including EZ Sloppy Joes, Tofu Tacos, Hunter's Tofu, and Santa Fe Wrap.



Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Ch. 1Kitchen 101: Evaluating Your Kitchen1
Ch. 2Out with the Bad Stuff!11
Ch. 3In with the Good Stuff!45
Ch. 4Healthy Conversions67
Ch. 5Preparation, Cooking, and Presentation Methods77
Ch. 6What You Will or Will Not Find in These Recipes87
Ch. 7Recipes99
Appendix319
Glossary327
Additional Recipe Categories332
Index339

Second Year Sobriety or The Pharmacology for Massage Therapy

Second Year Sobriety: Getting Comfortable Now That Everything Is Different

Author: Guy Kettelhack

This second volume in Kettelhack's series takes on the "terrible twos. " Here people in recovery share their experiences and insights in dealing with long-suppressed feelings of anger, loss, guilt, love, and self-acceptance. Kettelhack shows how "sticking with it"--persevering with the struggle to deal with new feelings and refusing to give in to addictive impulses--ultimately creates the sense of life as an ongoing adventure, one more vivid, exciting and sustaining than had ever been thought possible.

Guy Kettelhack has written seven books on recovery. He is completing a Master's degree in psychoanalysis, and is an analyst-in-training at the Boston and New York Centers for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies. A graduate of Middlebury College, Kettelhack has also done graduate work in English literature at Bread Loaf School of English at Oxford University. He lives in New York City.



New interesting textbook: Design for the Environment or Investments

The Pharmacology for Massage Therapy: Procedures and Quick Reference

Author: Jean M Wibl

Written specifically for massage therapists, this excellent text makes the basics of pharmacology easy to understand. It explains the biochemical and physical effects and actions of a wide variety of drug classes, explores how they move throughout the body, and addresses the use of drugs to prevent and treat diseases. This cutting-edge text also introduces a deductive reasoning process that can be used to develop safe individualized bodywork protocols for clients receiving drug therapy. Readers will learn a practical method for assessing the effects of drug therapies on their clients and the implications for massage therapy.



Monday, December 29, 2008

15 Minute Total Body Workout or Everything Gluten Free Cookbook

15 Minute Total Body Workout

Author: Joan Pagano

No time to exercise? No problem! DK's new 15-Minute Fitness series gives you all the tools you need to squeeze regular exercise into your life. This fantastic new format offers: four detailed gatefolds for easy, step-by-step instruction; a DVD to walk you through each routine; and a fully-illustrated, fully-annotated book to help you perfect your technique. Choose one of four complete mini-workouts each day to target a specific part of the body, and to strengthen, stretch, and build your way to a more toned, more healthy you.



Book review: Eleanor Roosevelt 1884 1933 or Why We Want to Kill You

Everything Gluten-Free Cookbook: 300 Appetizing Recipes Tailored To Your Needs!

Author: Rick Marx

If you're one of the millions of people affected by Celiac Disease or a gluten/wheat allergy, The Everything GlutenFree Cookbook is your complete resource for greattasting, glutenfree meals. Complete with 300 recipes especially created with your needs in mind, you'll find many options for healthy, tasty eating. From pasta casseroles and creamy soups to cakes, cobblers, and vegetarian fare, The Everything GlutenFree Cookbook offers instructions on preparing meals perfect for family dinners and special occasions.

Features recipes for:

  • Yellow Squash and Apple Soup
  • Shrimp and Lobster Salad
  • Spicy Cornbread Stuffed with Chilies
  • Curried Lamb Grilled on Skewers
  • Turkey and Fruit with Wild Rice
  • Chocolate Mint Swirl Cheesecake with Chocolate Nut Crust

    In addition to these mouthwatering meals, you'll also find resources for buying glutenfree ingredients, suggestions for parentapproved kids' snacks, and entertaining tips for sitdown dinners, children's birthday parties, and more. Whether you're planning everyday meals or cooking for a crowd, The Everything(r) GlutenFree Cookbook is packed with a flavorful variety of foods to tantalize your taste buds and fit your dietary needs!

    Rick Marx is the author of The Everything Grilling Cookbook . He currently edits two monthly magazines, The Westchester County Times and The Fairfield County Times , serving audiences in New York and Connecticut, respectively. Informally known as "The Grillmaster," he was featured on CNBC and The Discovery Channel for his "everyman" attitude and facility behind the grill. He resides in Katonah, NY.

    Nancy T. Maar has written about food, health and nutrition for more than twenty years. She has written for magazines and newspapers on food, events, business, and restaurants. For four years she wrote internationally syndicated, weekly columns"Now You're Cookin'!" on food, and "Caring Well for Your Older Loved Ones," for caregivers. Nancy Maar lives with her husband in South Norwalk, CT



  • Athletic Fitness for Kids or Cracking the Metabolic Code

    Athletic Fitness for Kids

    Author: Scott Lancaster

    Finally, here is a conditioning program designed to fully develop a young athlete's physical skills without dropout, injury, or burnout.

    Athletic Fitness for Kids enhances athletic skills for young athletes using a fun, self-directed, and self-tested system. Gamelike activities help young athletes develop seven key sport skills:

    • Flexibility
    • Coordination
    • Balance
    • Stamina
    • Strength
    • Speed
    • Agility
    Athletic Fitness for Kids includes drills, games, and exercises that cross over with popular sports such as baseball, basketball, football, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and tennis. Sport-specific drill suggestions are also included.

    Developed by Scott Lancaster, founder and CEO of Youth Evolution Sports, and Radu Teodorescu, fitness adviser, Athletic Fitness for Kids will maximize athletic potential and open doors to a lifetime of fitness and sport participation.



    Table of Contents:
    Chapter 1. The Athletic Fitness Method
    Chapter 2. Set Up the Program
    Chapter 3. Improve Flexibility
    Chapter 4. Gain Coordination
    Chapter 5. Build Balance
    Chapter 6. Boost Stamina
    Chapter 7. Increase Strength
    Chapter 8. Maximize Speed
    Chapter 9. Enhance Agility

    New interesting textbook: The Travels of a T Shirt in the Global Economy or Every Man a King

    Cracking the Metabolic Code: 9 Keys to Optimal Health

    Author: James B Lavall

    Doctors traditionally prescribe a pill for every ill. But for most people, these single solutions don't work. The truth is, most chronic health problems, including stubborn weight gain, unbeatable fatigue, intestinal distress, high blood pressure, creeping cholesterol, and high blood sugar, are not found in simply one organ, but in several parts of the body (oftentimes in twos and threes). This is the result of years of slow, subtle challenges to your metabolism, which is as unique as you are. Your diet, lifestyle habits, stress level, prescription drug use, and relationships, as well as the genes you inherit and the environment in which you live -- in effect, the sum total of your life experience up to this day -- determine your personal metabolism and, in turn, your current state of health. Using a step-by-step, easy-to-implement system of diet, lifestyle strategies, and state-of-the-art nutrients and supplements, Dr. James LaValle will help you create an individualized program for reclaiming your metabolism and health. At long last, this book provides readers with the information and tools that have been used successfully by thousands of Dr. LaValle's patients over the last twenty years to help them take charge of their diets, their health, and their lives.



    Sunday, December 28, 2008

    Nordies at Noon or Body Mind and Sport

    Nordie's at Noon: The Personal Stories of Four Women Too Young for Breast Cancer

    Author: Patti Balwanz

    The true story of four friends diagnosed with breast cancer before they were thirty, and the monthly luncheon that lifted their spirits.

    A diagnosis of breast cancer before the age of thirty had brought Patti, Jana, Jennifer, and Kim together for a monthly lunch at their local Nordstrom's café, but it was a desire to provide hope to others that would make them friends for life.

    The fruit of their lunchtime labor, Nordie's at Noon shares the personal stories of each of these courageous women. A source of humor, strength, inspiration, and education, the book is a celebration of friendship and of living life to the fullest. "A rare book that has the saddest of endings and yet still manages to be life affirming,"* it encourages women everywhere to be proactive with their health-and to realize that no one is "too young" for breast cancer. (*People Magazine)

    People Magazine

    ...this is a rare book that has the saddest of endings and yet still manages to be—yes—life affirming.

    Bette-Lee Fox - Library Journal

    They took a department store café and turned it into a metaphor for support and strength in the face of a disease for "older women." Now in paperback. (LJ9/1/06)

    Library Journal

    Most women go to Nordstrom for the shopping. These four Midwestern women-Balwanz, Kim Carlos, Jennifer Johnson, and Jana Peters-met weekly at the store's cafe to share information and perspectives on the disease that came into their lives at an all-too-tender age. Ranging from 24 to 30 at diagnosis, they merged their experiences and diverse personalities into this funny, poignant, and exceedingly valuable resource. Each believed that her breast cancer helped to strengthen her relationship with God and moved her into advocacy and areas of support for other women confronting the same challenge. Some statistics: breast cancer affects one out of every 229 women in their thirties and one out of 3000 pregnancies. A superb text for all health collections, especially those serving younger women. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.



    Interesting book: Logbookone or Share the Care

    Body, Mind, and Sport: The Mind-Body Guide to Lifelong Health, Fitness, and Your Personal Best

    Author: John Douillard

    Until recently, the effortless "Zone" of peak performance was only within the reach of serious athletes. Now, with Body, Mind, and Sport, anyone can reach the Zone, regardless of fitness level.

    Designed to accommodate a variety of individual fitness needs, the Body, Mind, and Sport program is split into two levels. Level 1 is for non-athletes who want to improve overall fitness; Level 2 is for those who want to train for competitive or recreational purposes. Your own unique mind-body type is taken into account to guide you in achieving your personal best without stress or strain. In this revised and updated edition of Body, Mind, and Sport, fitness expert and trainer John Douillard outlines a program in which your individual seasonal constitution -- Winter, Spring, or Summer -- determines what exercises or sports are best suited to your mind-body type and what foods you should eat for optimum results.

    Using the Body, Mind, and Sport approach you can decrease heart and breath rates while improving both fitness and performance. Dozens of world-class athletes, including Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, have used John Douillard's expert breathing techniques, dietary recommendations, and seasonally balanced workouts. Now you can, too!



    Marie Claire Makeup or The Competitive Runners Handbook

    Marie Claire Makeup

    Author: Marie Clair

    You can apply makeup like a professional—let the experts and Marie Claire show you how. From the most accessible techniques to the most sophisticated tricks, this beautiful guide features the secrets of such cosmetic industry insiders as Bobbi Brown, Olivier Échaudemaison from Guerlain, and James Kaliardos from L’Oréal Paris. Offering page after full page of informative color photos, everything from head to toenails is covered in striking close-up. Marie Claire Makeup is filled with lessons that will give you great results: find the freshest palettes for each season and smart ways to camouflage the effects of stress and exhaustion on your skin; see how to enhance facial structure, contour and highlight eyes with Technicolor brilliance, put on false eyelashes, shape brows, and create luscious lips in shades ranging from near-natural to the sexiest red. It’s a step-by-step guide to creating the right look for every face and any occasion.



    See also: Mrs Whaley Entertains or Hometown Recipes for the Holidays

    The Competitive Runner's Handbook: The Bestselling Guide to Running 5ks through Marathons

    Author: Bob Glover

    For both runners entering that first neighborhood race and elite marathoners, trainers Bob and Shelly-lynn Florence Glover's completely revised guide is the book on training to compete. A book that's already sold close to 200,000 copies, The Competitive Runner's Handbook will now offer all the latest information needed to design basic training programs; special workouts to increase strength, endurance, and power; schedules and worksheets to develop individual goals; and specifics on preparing for all kinds of races--with an emphasis on the 10K and the marathon.

    Informed by their over thirty years of coaching experience, the Glovers give winning tips on alternative training, footwear and diet, and common injuries and illnesses, as well as sensible advice on balancing running with work and home life.

    Kick!

    A fresh revision of a classic....Does the remarkable job of improving on an already thorough and impressive resource....For understanding the logic that undergirds sensible, effective training, this book is a gem.

    Library Journal

    As anyone who has ever run competitively knows, there's more to it than putting one foot in front of the other as fast as possible. The Glovers here provide a full range of advice and instruction on all aspects of running, including diet, exercise, training, strategy, and footwear. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

    Kick!

    A fresh revision of a classic....[D]oes the remarkable job of improving on an already thorough and impressive resource....For understanding the logic that undergirds sensible, effective training, this book is a gem.



    Table of Contents:
    Introduction: The Challenge of Competitive Running
    Pt. IBasic Training
    Pt. IISpeed Training
    Pt. IIIPlanning your Training
    Pt. IVSpecific Training for Racing
    Pt. VMarathon Training and Racing
    Pt. VIMental Aspects of Competitive Running
    Pt. VIIRunning Form and Shoes
    Pt. VIIIFood and Drink for Health and Performance
    Pt. IXThe Running Environment
    Pt. XSpecific Competitors
    Pt. XIIllness and Injury
    Pt. XIISpecial Training
    Pt. XIIIBalance
    Appendix
    Index

    The Essential Difference or Coyote Medicine

    The Essential Difference: Male and Female Brains and the Truth about Autism

    Author: Simon Baron Cohen

    We all know the opposite sex can be a baffling, even infuriating, species. Why do most men use the phone to exchange information rather than have a chat? Why do women love talking about relationships and feelings with their girlfriends while men seem drawn to computer games, new gadgets, or the latest sports scores? Does it really all just come down to our upbringing? In The Essential Difference, leading psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen confirms what most of us had suspected all along: that male and female brains are different. This groundbreaking and controversial study reveals the scientific evidence (present even in one-day-old babies) that proves that female-type brains are better at empathizing and communicating, while male brains are stronger at understanding and building systems-not just computers and machinery, but abstract systems such as politics and music. Most revolutionary of all, The Essential Difference also puts forward the compelling new theory that autism (and its close relative, Asperger's Syndrome) is actually an example of the extreme male brain. His theory can explain why those who live with this condition are brilliant at analyzing the most complex systems yet cannot relate to the emotional lives of those with whom they live. Understanding our essential difference, Baron-Cohen concludes, may help us not only make sense of our partners' foibles, but also solve one of the most mysterious scientific riddles of our time.

    The Washington Post

    He has come up with a fascinating crazy-quilt of studies to prove our sexual differences...I thank Simon Baron-Cohen more than I can say for having written this book. It has explained a good part of my own life to me; it's made men achingly human to me.—Carolyn See

    Publishers Weekly

    Should the title fail to express Baron-Cohen's certainty about gender differences, the Cambridge Univ. professor of psychology and psychiatry lays out his controversial thesis on page one: "The female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy. The male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems." Defending this bold view is a tough but engaging battle, one that's alleviated by Baron-Cohen's disclaimer that his conclusions refer to statistical majorities rather than "all men" and "all women," but exacerbated by his habit of simultaneously skirting and employing gender stereotypes. His copious evidence ranges from the anecdotal to the anthropological, and from the neurological to the case study (the author and his research team conducted many of these studies). Not all his support fully convinces: e.g., the music-classifying habits of novelist Nick Hornby's High Fidelity protagonist isn't confirmation of the male brain's predisposition to systems-building. After acknowledging cultural and social influences on gender differences, Baron-Cohen "surfs the brain" (and offers evidence from a number of studies, both human and animal) to establish a biological link. But if male rats navigate their way through mazes more easily than female rats, does that mean men are better at directions than women? His speculations on how binary brain types have evolved over the eons, which have the male brain co-opting traits like power and leadership, leaving the female brain with gossip and motherhood, may ruffle a few feathers. Perhaps the most refreshing section of this cerebral volume is devoted to what he calls "extreme" examples of the male brain-autism and its cousin, Asperger's syndrome. The author of previous autism books, including Mindblindness, Baron-Cohen offers curious lay readers a provocative discussion of male-female differences. (July) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

    Library Journal

    In this engaging collection of letters, Pipher (Reviving Ophelia; Another Country) writes about her 30 years as a psychotherapist and what she has learned about people. Far more than just career advice for young therapists, however, she offers insights that could be subtitled Life 101 for Laypeople. The correspondence, based on the seasons, reflects Pipher's outlook on life (it's hard), childhood (never idyllic), family relationships (vital), and healing (often best through play, music, and travel). As a therapist, she agonizes over clients she can't help and injects plain thinking into complex problems. Families are not dysfunctional, she insists; parents may be quirky or incompetent, but clients should hang on to family relationships. Pipher concludes that what is dysfunctional is our society, through the pressures of time, expectations, suburban lifestyles, and jobs. "We therapists are small potatoes," she writes, though readers will feel richer and more competent for having read the wisdom she shares. For all collections.-Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.



    Table of Contents:
    List of Figures
    Acknowledgments
    1The Male and Female Brain1
    2Boy Meets Girl13
    3What Is Empathizing?21
    4The Female Brain as Empathizer: The Evidence29
    5What Is Systemizing?61
    6The Male Brain as Systemizer: The Evidence69
    7Culture85
    8Biology95
    9Evolution of the Male and Female Brain117
    10Autism: The Extreme Male Brain133
    11A Professor of Mathematics155
    12The Extreme Female Brain: Back to the Future171
    App. 1The "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" Test187
    App. 2The Empathy Quotient (EQ)201
    App. 3The Systemizing Quotient (SQ)209
    App. 4The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)217
    References223
    Bibliography235
    Index265

    Interesting book: Learning to Program with Alice or Photoshop

    Coyote Medicine: Lessons From Native American Healing

    Author: Lewis Mehl Madrona

    Inspired by his Cherokee grandmother's healing ceremonies, Lewis Mehl-Madrona enlightens readers to "alternative" paths to recovery and health. Coyote Medicine isn't about eschewing Western medicine when it's effective, but about finding other answers when medicine fails: for chronic sufferers, patients not responding to medication, or "terminal" cases that doctors have given up on. In the story of one doctor's remarkable initiation into alternative ways to spiritual and physical health, Coyote Medicine provides the key to untapped healing methods available today.

    Publishers Weekly

    "My own twin journeys through the worlds of medicine and the spirit" is how Mehl-Madrona describes this well-written, if uneven, account of his odyssey from the orthodox halls of Stanford Medical School in the early 1970s to his Cherokee-Lakota Sioux roots and on to a career in holistic medicine in the 1980s. While still a medical student on rotation, horrifying examples of incompetence and the power of ego-driven doctors to silence protest, plus their refusal to listen to pleas for change, prompted Mehl-Madrona to delve into his memories of the different healing methods practiced by his grandmother, a Cherokee, and to investigate the methods of other Native American healers. Soon, he was learning about sweat lodges, medicine men, shamans, peyote and curanderas, in addition to Western medical techniques. Predictably, Mehl-Madrona quickly ran into trouble with the medical establishment. Mehl-Madrona breaks little new ground here in this memoir, and his chronology is sometimes confusing. His descriptions of Native healing procedures are vivid and illuminating, however, as are his details of life in the medical profession. A worthy complement to the work of Larry Dossey and other forward-thinking physicians, this should appeal to students of Native American culture as well as to those interested in alternative healing. (Feb.)

    Library Journal

    With all the recent books on Native American healing and numerous accounts of how physicians are combining both alternative and traditional medicine, librarians might think there is no room for another. But they would be wrong if they did not add this title to their collection. Mehl-Madonna, a "half-breed Cherokees Injun," was only 21 when he graduated from Stanford University's medical school in the mid 1970s. Originally planning to go into family practice and psychiatry, where he could use his knowledge of Native American healing gleaned from his grandparents, he was either thrown out of or resigned from three different residency programs because he could not hold his tongue about what he often thought of as modern medicine. He considered giving up orthodox medicine but finally completed his residency. All readers, from those with a casual interest in Native American healing to health providers who want to learn more about alternative medicine, will enjoy and learn from this book. Recommended for most collections.-Natalie Kupferberg, Ferris State Univ. Lib., Big Rapids, Mich.

    Kirkus Reviews

    A treatise on "half-breed" medicine that partakes of both Anglo and Native American traditions but is at home in neither.

    Mehl-Madrona, who now teaches family-practice medicine at the University of Hawaii, offers two books in one. The first is an account of the education of a doctor, one that often veers into self-importance ("I have always believed I have a mission on earth") but that may prove instructive for anyone tempted to enter medical training. The second is a look at Native American healing practices, and it is even less satisfying. The literature of Native American medicine is already peppered with naive and uncritical texts that suggest that healing techniques can be divorced from their cultural contexts and readily adapted elsewhere. Mehl-Madrona contributes to this notion of mix-and-match doctoring: "The medicine passed in a dipper around the circle," he writes in a description of a healing ceremony. "Everyone took a sip. Then we passed the dipper again, pouring water on our heads to open the crown chakras." (Hanta yoga, anyone?) The author, who claims Cherokee ancestry, is clearly a longtime student of Native American traditions, and he discusses some of them with welcome clarity. He inclines, however, to a mysticism that will discomfort some readers, as in his description of an encounter with a curious rattlesnake during healing ceremonies in the Arizona desert ("its head rested on my shoulder, and its rattle massaged my foot"). Elsewhere Mehl-Madrona writes, "Native American spirituality is a gift to us from North America itself. . . . Native American people have been preservers of this spiritual path for centuries, but they do not own it."

    This position is likely to appall cultural purists, but it will comfort browsers in the great department store of spiritual salves that is the New Age.



    Saturday, December 27, 2008

    The Reflexology Atlas or What You Must Know About Vitamins Minerals Herbs and More

    The Reflexology Atlas

    Author: Bernard C Kolster

    HEALTH / BODYWORK

    Of all the ancient practices that have been revived by the growth of alternative healing, reflexology is one of the most popular and is especially well-suited to self-treatment, the treatment of a partner, or the treatment of children. The Reflexology Atlas is a fully illustrated and comprehensive reference guide, the first to provide an overview of, and instructions for, each the many forms of reflexology--foot reflexology, hand reflexology, ear reflexology, head reflexology, and the total massage known as shiatsu.

    In the reflexology system it is possible to stimulate a distant organ or body part by massaging a corresponding "reflex zone" on the hand, foot, ear, face, or scalp. By examining the location of the reflex zones, one can visualize a projection of the entire human body superimposed over each of these massage locations. On the foot, for example, the big toe represents the head; the area at the base of the toes corresponds to the neck and shoulder girdle; the digestive organs can be massaged in the middle of the foot; the curves of ball, arch, and heel on the side of the foot mirror the curves of the spine; and the pelvic organs find correspondence just below the anklebone. Because the placement of the reflex zones makes intuitive sense, reflexology is easy to learn and can be applied anywhere.

    Reflexology provides a quick and effective treatment for many of the health disorders experienced by people in today’s world. In an alphabetized symptom-by-symptom section, Drs. Kolster and Waskowiak offer reflexology techniques tailored to a wide variety of common health disorders,including allergies, joint problems, headaches, back pain, sleep disorders, and heart and circulatory problems. The Reflexology Atlas contains step-by-step instructions, illustrated in full color, that put the healing techniques of reflexology massage at your fingertips.

    BERNARD C. KOLSTER, M.D., is a physical therapist and doctor specializing in the various forms of reflexology. He has written a number of books on the topic in German and is the author in English of Partner Massage and Look After Your Back.

    ASTRID WASKOWIAK, M.D., is a doctor and medical scientific editor. She writes about general medicine, natural healing methods, and travel medicine. The authors live in Germany

    Bernard C. Kolster, M.D., is a physical therapist and doctor. He has written a number of books on acupressure and reflexology in German and is the author in English of Partner Massage and Look After Your Back. Dr. Kolster is also a coauthor, in English, of The Reflexology Atlas. He lives in Germany

    Astrid Waskowiak, M.D., is a doctor and medical scientific editor. She writes about general medicine, natural healing methods, and medical tips for travelers. Dr. Waskowiak is also a coauthor, in English, of The Reflexology Atlas. She lives in Germany.

    Publishers Weekly

    In a grand gesture to the notion that everything old is new again comes this how-to guide on reflexology, a form of healing dating back to 2300 B.C. Translated from the German in a concise, fluid format, medical doctors Kolster and Waskowiak map out a system for therapeutic massage of the feet, hands, ears or head to implement healing effects bodywide. Working much like acupuncture, reflexology divides these areas into meridians that correspond to specific organs, muscles and tissues. Making correlation easy, the book provides succinct charts of the areas to be massaged. The accompanying photographs, though not exactly works of art, are clear and precise. Each major section ends with a helpful roundup of the most important points to remember. Refreshingly, the book offers no outlandish promises of healing or even rejuvenation; instead, it plainly spells out the potential benefits while reminding readers throughout that the best results can often be seen when the techniques are used as an adjunct to conventional medical care. Still, those seeking to remedy headaches, back pain, insomnia or weak knees might do well with the solutions featured here alone. (Dec.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

    Library Journal

    The centuries-old technique of massage, which is said to promote healing, pain relief, and relaxation, has been widely used in many cultures and is exceedingly popular today. In Essential Massage, general editor Bentley (Head, Neck & Shoulder Massage: A Step-by-Step Guide) describes a variety of Eastern and Western massage techniques (e.g., holistic, Chinese, shiatsu, Reiki, aromatherapy massage, reflexology, and head massage) and also features chapters on relaxation, Tantric sexual, and self-massage. Easy-to-follow descriptions of techniques are accompanied by photos and drawings, and advice is given on meditation, distance healing, and visualization. The appendixes include illustrations of chakras (energy nodes in the body), body landmarks, aromatherapy oils, acupoints, and reflexology charts. In The Reflexology Atlas, German physicians Kolster (Partner Massage) and Waskowiak identify a variety of ailments-e.g., back and joint pain, digestive and urinary disorders, and allergies-that respond well to reflexology, the application of pressure to certain parts of the body to promote relaxation and healing in other parts of the body. The authors give detailed instructions for administering this healing method while also discussing shiatsu, a similar technique that originated in Japan and is used to remove blockages to life energy (chi) throughout the body. Historical information on the origins of reflexology is summarized; techniques for treating specific ailments are described and illustrated in detail. Bentley's book is similar to Carole McGilvery & others' Stressbusting Book of Massage, Aromatherapy & Yoga: A Step-by-Step Guide to Spiritual and Physical Well-Being and Lucy Lidell's The Book of Massage: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Eastern and Western Techniques and would make an excellent acquisition for general and alternative health collections. The narrow focus of The Reflexology Atlas makes it most suitable for large holistic health collections. Alternatives include Ann Gillanders's The Busy Person's Guide to Reflexology: Simple Routines for Home, Work, and Travel and Valerie Voner's The Everything Reflexology Book.-Karen McNally Bensing, Benjamin Rose Lib., Cleveland Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.



    See also: If Your Adolescent Has Depression or Bipolar Disorder or Feeding Your Child

    What You Must Know About Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, and More: Choosing the Nutrients That Are Right for You

    Author: Pamela Wartian Smith

    Almost 75 percent of your health and life expectancy is based on environment, nutrition, and lifestyle. Yet even if you follow a healthful diet, you are probably not getting all the nutrients you need to prevent disease. In What You Must Know About Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & More, Dr. Pamela Smith explains how you can restore and maintain health through the wise use of nutrients.

    Part One of this easy-to-use guide presents the individual nutrients necessary for good health. Part Two offers personalized nutritional programs for people with a wide variety of health concerns. People without prior medical problems can look to Part Three for their supplementation plans. Whether you want to maintain good health or you are trying to overcome a medical condition, What You Must Know About Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & More can help you make the best choices for the health and well-being of you and your family.

    About the Author:
    Pamela Wartian Smith, MD, MPH, is the owner and director of the Center for Healthy Living and Longevity, with locations in Ann Arbor, Center Line, Rochester, and Traverse City, Michigan



    Table of Contents:
    Acknowledgments     ix
    Introduction     1
    The Purpose of this Book     3
    Mixing Supplements, Drugs, and Food     9
    Nutrients
    Vitamins     15
    Vitamin A     17
    Vitamin D     22
    Vitamin E     24
    Vitamin K     27
    Vitamin B Complex     29
    Vitamin C     53
    Minerals     57
    Calcium     58
    Chloride     62
    Magnesium     64
    Phosphorus     69
    Potassium     72
    Sodium     75
    Boron     78
    Chromium     79
    Copper     82
    Iodine     85
    Iron     87
    Manganese     91
    Molybdenum     94
    Selenium     95
    Silicon     98
    Vanadium     99
    Zinc     100
    Fatty Acids     105
    Saturated Fatty Acids     107
    Essential Fatty Acids     108
    Trans Fatty Acids     113
    Amino Acids     117
    Alanine     119
    Arginine     120
    Asparagine     122
    Aspartic Acid     122
    Carnitine     123
    Carnosine     125
    Cysteine     126
    5-Hydroxytryptophan     128
    Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid     129
    Glutamate     130
    Glutamine     131
    Glutathione     133
    Glycine     134
    Histidine     137
    Lysine     138
    Methionine     140
    Phenylalanine     141
    Proline     143
    Serine     143
    Taurine     144
    Threonine     146
    Tryptophan     147
    Tyrosine     148
    Herbs     151
    Aloe Vera     155
    Ashwagandha Root     157
    Bilberry     158
    Black Cohosh     159
    Cat's Claw     160
    Cayenne     161
    Chamomile     162
    Echinacea     163
    Eleuthero     164
    Evening Primrose Oil     167
    Garlic     168
    Ginkgo     169
    Ginseng     170
    Goldenseal     173
    Green Tea     174
    Hawthorn      175
    Milk Thistle     176
    St. John's Wort     177
    Saw Palmetto     179
    Vinpocetine     180
    Other Nutrients     187
    Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline     187
    Alpha-Lipoic Acid     188
    Coenzyme Q[subscript 10]     189
    Enzymes     192
    Fiber     194
    Indole-3-Carbinol     195
    Melatonin     196
    Methylsulfonylmethane     197
    Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPCs)     199
    Phosphatidylcholine     200
    Phosphatidylserine     204
    Probiotics     205
    Pycnogenol     206
    Resveratrol     207
    Health Conditions
    Acne     211
    ADD/ADHD     213
    Adrenal Fatigue and Exhaustion     215
    Allergies     218
    Alopecia     218
    Alzheimer's Disease     218
    Anorexia Nervosa     221
    Anxiety     222
    Arteriosclerosis     224
    Arthritis     224
    Asthma     224
    Atherosclerosis     226
    Attention Deficit Disorder     228
    Autoimmune Diseases     228
    Balding     229
    Benign Prostastic Hypertrophy     229
    BPH     232
    Cancer     232
    Candidiasis     235
    Cataracts     238
    Cerebrovascular Accident     239
    Cervical Cancer     240
    Cervical Dysplasia     241
    Cholesterol     241
    Chronic Fatigue Syndrome     241
    Closed Head Injury     244
    Common Cold     245
    Concussion     246
    Congestive Heart Failure     247
    Crohn's Disease     248
    Dementia     250
    Depression     250
    Dermatitis     253
    Diabetes Mellitus     254
    Dry Eyes     260
    Eating Disorder     260
    Eczema     261
    Enlarged Prostate     262
    Estrogen-Related Problems     263
    Exhaustion     265
    Eye Health     265
    Fatigue     265
    Fibroids     265
    Food Allergies     267
    Gall Bladder Disorders     269
    Gallstones     269
    Gingivitis     269
    Gout      270
    Hair Loss     271
    Hashimoto's Thyroiditis     272
    Head Injury     274
    Headaches     274
    Heart Failure     274
    Hepatitis C     274
    High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)     276
    High Cholesterol     281
    HPV Infection     290
    Hypercholesterolemia     290
    Hypertension     291
    Hyperthyroidism     291
    Hypothyroidism     291
    IBS     294
    Inflammation     294
    Inflammatory Bowel Disease     296
    Insomnia     296
    Insulin-Dependent Diabetes     298
    Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)     298
    Leaky Gut Syndrome     301
    Leg Cramps     303
    Lupus     304
    Macular Degeneration     305
    Menopause-Related Problems     307
    Migraine Headaches     308
    Multiple Sclerosis     310
    Muscle Cramps     312
    Myasthenia Gravis     312
    Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes     314
    Osteoarthritis     314
    Osteoporosis     315
    Ovarian Cysts      317
    Parkinson's Disease     317
    PCOS     318
    Perimenopause     319
    Periodontal Disease     319
    Periodontitis     320
    Pimples     321
    PMS     321
    Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)     321
    Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)     323
    Prostate Disorder     325
    Psoriasis     325
    Pyorrhea     327
    Rheumatoid Arthritis     327
    Scleroderma (Systemic Sclerosis)     329
    Sjogren's Syndrome     331
    Skin Disorders     332
    Sleep Disorders     332
    Stress     332
    Stroke     333
    Systemic Sclerosis     334
    Thyroid Disorders     334
    Type 1 Diabetes     334
    Type 2 Diabetes     335
    Ulcerative Colitis     335
    Uterine Fibroids     337
    Varicose Veins     337
    Wound Healing     338
    Yeast Infection     339
    Maintaining Health
    Birth Control Pills and Nutrition     343
    Bodybuilder's Nutrition     344
    Dieter's Nutrition     345
    Enhancing Detoxification      346
    Enhancing Energy     348
    Enhancing Immunity     349
    Liver Health     351
    Memory Enhancement     354
    Men's Health     356
    Oral Contraceptives and Nutrition     359
    Smoker's Nutrition     359
    Sports Nutrition     361
    Sun Tanner's Nutrition     365
    Surgery and Nutrition     366
    Weight Loss     367
    Women's Health     368
    Conclusion     373
    Resources     375
    References     377
    Index     423

    Massage or 3 Minutes to a Pain Free Life

    Massage: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide

    Author: Clare Maxwell Hudsons

    Soothing and revitalizing, massage is the supreme mind-body therapy for people of all ages. Written and demonstrated by leading massage expert Clare Maxwell-Hudson. Shows unique techniques from the world's great massage traditions.



    Read also Writing Power or Cases in Management and Organizational Behavior

    3 Minutes to a Pain-Free Life: The Groundbreaking Program for Total Body Pain Prevention and Rapid Relief

    Author: Joseph Weisberg

    Relieve and prevent chronic pain forever with this simple, safe, and sure-fire three-minute daily program!

    Imagine a world free of aches and pains...no back pain, headaches, joint stiffness, or arthritis; no expensive ergonomic equipment or pain medications. With Dr. Joseph Weisberg's revolutionary new system, a pain-free life is now within reach of everyone--even those who have endured chronic pain for years.

    At the heart of Dr. Weisberg's system is the 3-Minute Maintenance Method--a unique program for all ages and fitness levels that eliminates the conditions that cause pain in the first place. By utilizing six different thirty-second therapeutic movements the program makes it possible for the body to keep itself free of pain.

    Thanks to Dr. Weisberg's groundbreaking program, relief--and a lifetime of healthy muscles and joints--is finally at hand. In fact, it's just three minutes away!



    Friday, December 26, 2008

    Bipolar Teen or The Wall Street Diet

    Bipolar Teen: What You Can Do to Help Your Child and Your Family

    Author: David J Miklowitz

    If your teen has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder-or your child's moods seem out of control-Dr. David Miklowitz can help. The bestselling author of The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide has tailored his proven treatment approach to meet the specific needs of teens and their families. The Bipolar Teen provides tools you can use to make home life manageable again. You'll learn to spot the differences between normal teenage behavior and the telltale symptoms of mania and depression. Together with your child's doctors, you'll be able to strike a healthy balance between medication and psychotherapy, recognize and respond to the early warning signs of an oncoming episode, and collaborate effectively with school personnel. Like no other resource available, this powerful book delivers practical ways to manage chaos and relieve stress so everyone in your family-including siblings-can find stability, support, and peace of mind.

    About the Author:
    David J. Miklowitz, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Colorado, Boulder

    About the Author:
    Elizabeth L. George, PhD, is coinvestigator with Dr. Miklowitz on the Colorado Family Project

    Doody Review Services

    Reviewer:Nicholas Greco IV, MS, BCETS, CA(College of Lake County)
    Description:This is a reference tool and instructional guide for families with bipolar teens. It provides the necessary knowledge for families on such topics as diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in an easy to read, easy to understand format. Most importantly, the book provides realistic expectations, not meaningless banter.
    Purpose:The purpose is to provide understanding, awareness, and a tremendous amount of knowledge for families of bipolar teens. The book emphasizes family-focused treatment as well as a combination of medication and psychotherapy. The authors advocate a combination of treatments to meet the needs of the bipolar teen. The book provides a realistic view of the disorder with the ups and downs associated with it, while highlighting the strengths of the teenager, which can provide needed optimism.
    Audience:Families with bipolar children and adolescents will find comfort and substantial benefit from this book. Additionally, this is a worthwhile and important read for any child and adolescent psychiatrist and psychologist to integrate into their treatment plans. Both authors are experienced members of the field, and their latest work further supports their expertise.
    Features:The highlight of the book is its no-nonsense approach to the disorder. It is realistically optimistic, unbiased, and supportive. Of the four solid chapters on understanding bipolar disorder, two, covering how to obtain an accurate diagnosis and what the family can expect, are essential reading. A frank discussion on psychopharmacology and psychotherapy helps guide andeducate the family on available treatment options, but the most valuable chapters are the ones dealing with prevention and maintenance.
    Assessment:This is the only book on adolescent bipolar disorder that truly offers realistic expectations, meaningful treatment options, and clearly provides families with invaluable knowledge on their child's illness. One of the best books of the year!



    Table of Contents:
    Preface     ix
    Understanding Bipolar Disorder in Teens
    "What's Happening to My Teenager?"     3
    A Close Look at the Symptoms     21
    Getting an Accurate Diagnosis     43
    Living with Bipolar Disorder: What Your Family Can Expect     79
    Treating Adolescent Bipolar Disorder
    "How Did My Teenager Get This Illness?"     109
    Medications for Bipolar Disorder in Teens     125
    How Psychotherapy Can Help Your Teenager and Your Family     150
    Helping Your Teen Accept Ongoing Medication Treatment     172
    Helping Your Teen Stay Well
    Family Management and Coping     197
    Tools and Tactics for Preventing Mood Episodes     215
    What to Do When Mania Begins     237
    How to Handle Depression     260
    Dealing with Suicidal Thinking and Behavior     281
    Tackling the School Environment     302
    Resources     327
    Bibliography     335
    Index     349
    About the Authors     356

    See also: MacBook for Dummies or Adobe Photoshop CS4

    The Wall Street Diet: The Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Plan for People Who Don't Have Time to Diet

    Author: Heather Bauer

    The Wall Street Diet helps readers lose weight, keep it off, and still keep up with their busy lives.

    Heather Bauer knows there aren't enough hours in the day for you to focus on the details of a complicated weight loss plan. A registered dietitian with a thriving practice in New York City, her clients have high-pressure jobs in high-profile fields: CEOs, Wall Street brokers, producers, doctors, lawyers, editors-fast-track workers at every level. These time-starved professionals don't have time to count calories or weigh food, but with Bauer's breakthrough weight loss plan they've been able to shed their extra pounds and enjoy a healthy new lifestyle.

    The Wall Street Diet provides a framework of simple but powerful strategies that will keep you on track, all the time. The first diet to address real-life obstacles, it gives specific, proactive ways to gain control over situations that can spell diet disaster. And because The Wall Street Diet understands that the real secret to losing unwanted pounds is making sound decisions every day about what you love to eat, it will become a seamless part of your lifestyle, not an add-on project to your already full schedule.

    Is "weight loss" on your to-do list?

    The Wall Street Diet will show you how to:

    * Master the ins and outs of eating out.
    * Discover the art of strategic snacking.
    * Trim the fat from your business trips.
    * Overcome jet lag-induced overeating.
    * Avoid tempting hotel food.
    * Be a savvy eater in any situation.

    It's your own personal business plan for diet success.

    Publishers Weekly

    Bauer, a dietician, directs her flexible plan at people who would never go for prepackaged meals or calorie counting. Her clientele are workaholics who grab meals on the go, do business over expense-account lunches and are frequently confronted by unhealthy treats in the conference room or at office parties. Bauer claims her approach "makes losing weight a seamless part of the corporate lifestyle rather than an add-on project to an already full schedule." First, readers are asked to decide if they are a "Clean Plate Clubber" or a "Controlled Eater," as this will help determine the course of their diet in regards to snacking, purchasing food and meal portions. Next, they are allowed to choose a few "non-negotiables," i.e., the things they feel they cannot live without. Once these guidelines are intact, Bauer offers strategies for dealing with the food choices most working people confront daily (for ordering in with co-workers, take note of the healthy menu options beforehand, and don't succumb to dishes like "General Tso's Chicken). Though Bauer's "diet" consists of nothing earth-shattering (avoid flour and refined sugar, control portion sizes, etc.), the specificity of the situations and solutions presented should appeal to its target audience. (Apr.)

    Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    What People Are Saying

    Erica Jong
    "Heather Bauer taught me how to eat to live instead of live to eat. I now go to restaurants and eat 'Wall Street-approved' meals. She has changed my life."--(Erica Jong, author)


    Alan Siegel
    "I was finally able to reach my desired weight with the Wall Street Diet. It's the only weight loss plan that's worked with my hectic life, and I'd recommend it without reservation."--(Alan Siegel, chairman of Siegel & Gale, and author of The Wall Street Journal Guides to Understanding Money and Markets, Personal Finance, and Retirement)


    Michael D. Fleisher
    "The whole concept is so simple-eat healthy, balanced meals and still enjoy the foods you really love when you're actually going to notice that you're eating them. I'm down forty pounds and have had no problem maintaining that for over a year."--(Michael D. Fleisher, EVP and CFO, Warner Music Group)


    David Eisner
    "The Wall Street Diet really is surprisingly simple. It's the first diet I've tried that conforms to my lifestyle, not the other way around. I've lost ten pounds and gained a whole new perspective on food."--(David Eisner, CEO and president, TheMarkets.com, LLC)


    Beverly Feldman
    "The Wall Street Diet changed my life. Heather Bauer's understanding of food and nutrition is just so comprehensive and beneficial, I'm sure she has made Wall Street lighter by thousands of pounds."--(Beverly Feldman, founder/CEO Beverly Feldman Shoes)




    Praying Through Cancer or Blood Matters

    Praying Through Cancer: Set Your Heart Free from Fear: A 90-Day Devotional for Women

    Author: Susan Sorensen

    Cancer can't be explained away. No amount of Christian cliches will decrease its power. Enter Praying Through Cancer, a daily devotional written specifically for cancer patients by cancer patients with insight, wisdom, and clarity found only through personal trial. Even with cancer, an uncertain future, and a complete lack of control it is possible to experience the grace and provision of Christ's love. The focus of each daily devotional is prayer - personal encounters with God - where fears and anger are transformed into confident expectation and pure worship. Readers will feel as though they are meeting kindred spirits, old friends who will come alongside them in their journey, encouraging them and understanding what no one else can. Contributors include Kay Warren, Pat Palau, Barbara Johnson, Joyce Wright, and many more.



    Table of Contents:

    Contents

    Acknowledgments....................xi
    We're Praying Through with You....................xiv
    1. Refined in the Fire, Kay Warren....................1
    2. Centered on Christ, Susan Sorensen....................3
    3. An Unwelcome Intruder, Lynn Eib....................5
    4. Throw Yourself a Party, Missy Morrow and Ann Snuggs....................7
    5. A Way in the Wilderness, Melinda Merwin....................10
    6. Let Go ... Let God! Laura Geist....................12
    7. The "Big C" and the "Little c," Sister Sue Tracy....................14
    8. Hands Wide Open, Linda Pewitt....................16
    9. God's Love Language, Elizabeth Jane....................18
    10. Peace or Panic, Debbie Petersen....................20
    11. All for His Glory, Kayleen Merry....................22
    12. Firmly Held, Melinda Merwin....................24
    13. A 100 Percent Guarantee, Lynn Eib....................26
    14. God's Mercies to Our Children, Pat Palau....................29
    15. A Warm Covering, Sue Stalzer....................31
    16. No Fear of Bad News, Susan Sorensen....................33
    17. Seeing God in the Rainbows of Life, Susan Wilkinson....................35
    18. Death of a Dream, Trina Mavin....................37
    19. Suffering: God's Megaphone, Sherri Schut....................39
    20. Silent, Jan Parker....................41
    21. He Is Able to Make My Way Perfect, Susan Sorensen....................43
    22. Is Your Face Turned Toward Me? Barbara Johnson....................45
    23. Safety in the Lion's Den, Katherine Powers....................47
    24. He Will Quiet You with His Love, Joyce Wright....................49
    25. Fearfullyand Wonderfully Made, Mary Beth Buhr....................51
    26. Are You Sure, Lord? Sarah Eggerichs....................53
    27. Climbing into God's Chariot, Susan Sorensen....................55
    28. Crucified with Christ, Susan Sorensen....................57
    29. Be Still, Lynne Davis....................59
    30. Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow, Laura Geist....................61
    31. Unmistakable, Joanne Arentson....................63
    32. Cancer Isn't Very Funny, Lynn Eib....................65
    33. My Chemo Buddy, Laura Geist....................67
    34. The Reservoir, Joanne Arentson....................69
    35. As the Shepherd Gathers His Lambs, Julie Kuntzman....................71
    36. Beauty Shop Blues, Elizabeth Jane....................74
    37. When There's Nothing You Can Do, Kayleen Merry....................76
    38. The Gift of Suffering, Elizabeth Jane....................78
    39. Carabiner of Hope, Laurann Patterson....................80
    40. My Sanctuary, Diane Lankford....................82
    41. A Win-Win Situation, Barbara Johnson....................84
    42. The Unwrapped Gift, Laura Geist....................86
    43. Bolder as I've Gotten Balder, Kim Newlen....................88
    44. The Children's Prayers, Diane Willis....................90
    45. The Eternal Now, Marti Odle....................92
    46. Angel Wings, Kayleen Merry....................94
    47. Sleep Deprived, Lois Olmstead....................96
    48. Do You Trust Me? Julie Kuntzman....................98
    49. Grace in Time of Need, Sandra Burmeister....................100
    50. Giving Thanks Is Quite a Sacrifice! Sarah Eggerichs....................102
    51. In Sickness and in Health, Pat Palau....................104
    52. Joy in the Journey, Barbara Johnson....................106
    53. Thirst Quencher, Laura Geist....................108
    54. A Lamp unto My Feet, Judy Anderson....................110
    55. Fixing My Thoughts on God, Amy Givler, MD....................112
    56. Not "Why?" but "How?" Susan Sorensen....................114
    57. The Balm of Gilead, Joyce Van Dyk....................116
    58. Counting on His Faithfulness, Melinda Merwin....................118
    59. The Woman in the Mirror, Pam Brown....................120
    60. A Very Special Birthday, Debbie Petersen....................122
    61. An Unexpected Gift, Sue Stalzer....................124
    62. Closet Time, Laura Geist....................126
    63. The Best Prescription of All, Susan Sorensen....................128
    64. His Eye Is on the Sparrow, Connie Hastings....................130
    65. MRI: Mini Roll Insertion, Barbara Johnson....................132
    66. A Hot Flash Is Not a News Bulletin, Lois Olmstead....................134
    67. Prayer Is Not a Feeling, Pam Formsma....................136
    68. Disappointed Plans, Amy Givler, MD....................138
    69. The Whisper of God, Betty Jo Lewis....................140
    70. The Fruit of Suffering, Kay Luther....................142
    71. Surrendered, Pam Brown....................144
    72. Forever Blooming, Donna Lewis....................146
    73. Deep Beauty, Laura Geist....................148
    74. Humor Saved the Day! Eva Rice....................150
    75. Can I Exchange This Tent for Another? Susan Sorensen....................152
    76. My Ebenezer, Elizabeth Jane....................154
    77. No Excuses, Joanne Arentson....................156
    78. God's Woman in God's Time, Laura Geist....................158
    79. Surprise Treasures, Ruth Ann Dusek....................160
    80. Strong Roots, Laurann Patterson....................162
    81. Now Where Did I Put It? Lois Olmstead....................164
    82. Faith, Suffering, Endurance, Character, Hope! Nancy Tucker....................166
    83. So Much More, Trina Mavin....................168
    84. When Faith Falters, Eva Rice....................170
    85. Unexpectedly Lonely, Barbara Johnson....................172
    86. A New Normal, Patti Nagle....................174
    87. Renewing Your Mind, Laura Geist....................176
    88. Hope, Julie Duesing....................178
    89. Is Jesus Enough? Lynn Eib....................180
    90. Passing Through Baca, Laura Geist....................182
    A Final Word....................184
    Notes....................190

    New interesting textbook:

    Blood Matters: From Inherited Illness to Designer Babies, How the World and I Found Ourselves in the Future of the Gene

    Author: Masha Gessen

    In 2004 genetic testing revealed that Masha Gessen had a mutation that predisposed her to ovarian and breast cancer. The discovery initiated Gessen into a club of sorts: the small (but exponentially expanding) group of people in possession of a new and different way of knowing themselves through what is inscribed in the strands of their DNA. As she wrestled with a wrenching personal decision—what to do with such knowledge—Gessen explored the landscape of this brave new world, speaking with others like her and with experts including medical researchers, historians, and religious thinkers.

    Blood Matters is a much-needed field guide to this unfamiliar and unsettling territory. It explores the way genetic information is shaping the decisions we make, not only about our physical and emotional health but about whom we marry, the children we bear, even the personality traits we long to have. And it helps us come to terms with the radical transformation that genetic information is engineering in our most basic sense of who we are and what we might become.

    The Washington Post - Susan Okie

    Masha Gessen faced a searing personal dilemma. At 37, this journalist and mother of two young children learned that she had inherited a genetic mutation that greatly increases its possessor's risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Many doctors advise such women to have their breasts and ovaries preventatively removed—as Gessen puts it, "cutting off their breasts to spite their genes." To force herself to decide what to do, and to gain a measure of psychological distance, Gessen contracted with Slate magazine to write a series of articles on her decision-making process, promising that she would reveal her choice in the last one. That desperate research lies at the heart of this book, and the author's unusual emotional investment in the topic renders her exploration of the world of genetic testing far more nuanced and insightful than a mere scientific primer.

    The New York Times - Jennifer Senior

    While it was Gessen's misfortune to have inherited her mother's cruel mutation, it was her good luck—and ours—that she also inherited her mother's storytelling grace and critical dexterity (Yolka Gessen was a writer and a translator). Blood Matters is valuable reading to almost anyone facing a huge health decision, not only for the literary commiseration it offers, but also for the inspired example of medical sleuthing on one's own behalf that it provides. Gessen keeps an inflammatory topic at room temperature, writing elegantly and without self-pity. The book is very funny in places…It's also very lucid, even when the science gets complex. It's a liberating book. Strange as it sounds, it would make a great Mother's Day present.

    Publishers Weekly

    This energetic but unfocused account awkwardly merges several strands: the author's experience with the threat of breast cancer, discussions of genetic inheritance in Jewish families and a look at how the ability to test for genetic predispositions to various diseases is changing lives. With a family history of breast cancer, journalist Gessen (Dead Again: The Russian Intelligentsia After Communism) was not surprised to learn she had inherited a "deleterious mutation" in the BRCA1 gene, one of two genes known to be linked to breast and ovarian cancer. The BRCA1 mutation was first discovered in Jewish women, a "compact population" with a higher-than-average breast cancer rate. Gessen describes her narrow options, with "nondirective counseling" steering her toward prophylactic removal of her breasts and ovaries. Then she jumps the track to talk about Dr. Henry Lynch, who, in 1966, first suggested that predisposition to cancer might be hereditary. Gessen also covers Huntington's disease, maple syrup disease among Old Order Mennonites, eugenics and how a genetic testing program is affecting marital choices for some Orthodox Jews. Gessen covers a fair amount of ground, but in a haphazard fashion. The book's strongest parts are on genetics and heredity in the Jewish community. (Apr.)

    Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    Dick Maxwell - Library Journal

    An experienced journalist exploring issues that bear directly on her own life and health, Gessen here shares a personal journey that began in 2004, when she learned she had a "deleterious mutation" in a BRCA1 gene that predisposed her to ovarian and breast cancer. Like many of the people whom she interviewed for this book, Gessen faced decisions none thought or had to make just a few years earlier, beginning with whether to be tested at all. She unflinchingly describes her feelings, the reasons for her choices, and their consequences, also surveying the state of the science as practiced from academic medical centers to a clinic in the heart of Amish country. The narratives are fascinating, and the research is well documented. This distinctive combination of personal narrative and objective account tackles a subject that will continue to become increasingly important to us all; recommended for public libraries where patrons are proactive about their health.

    Kirkus Reviews

    Unsettling medical memoir by a worried-but-still-well journalist who carries a breast-cancer gene. Gessen (Ester and Ruzya: How My Grandmothers Survived Hitler's War and Stalin's Peace, 2004, etc.) has steeped herself in genetics lore-and conjecture-in this wide-ranging account of genetic information past, present and future. Her own story is often the focus, as she relates the deaths of her mother and other relatives from breast or ovarian cancers and traces the inheritance of the BRCA1 gene to her great-great-grandmother. The mother of one adopted and one biological child, she is considering having another baby, but the genetic counselor she consults advises an ovariectomy and perhaps a double mastectomy. As Gessen wrestles with decision-making, the text increasingly leans toward a deterministic view of genetic destiny: The BRCA genes do not simply increase the odds of cancer; they cause it, with more stubborn forms occurring at an earlier age. This pessimism colors her account as she reviews the history of genetics from the horrors of eugenics and Nazism to the discovery of the gene for the sickle-cell trait, which persists in the population because it increases protection against malaria. There is much discussion of Ashkenazi Jews and their genetic load of diseases, as well as the genetic problems of other groups. She lauds the clinicians who work with Amish and Mennonite groups in Pennsylvania, developing diets to stave off the worse effects of inherited metabolic diseases. Gessen rightly addresses such issues as the reliability of the new genome-testing firms and the value of tests in cases like Huntington's, where the disease is inevitable but as yet untreatable in carriers. Butthe text is again disturbing as she moves on to discuss controversial behavior-related genes, even pondering whether her young son's Russian heritage may make him vulnerable to alcoholism. Credit Gessen with absorbing gobs of information, but this is a case in which a little learning may be a dangerous thing-for the author and her readers. Agent: Elyse Cheney/Elyse Cheney Agency



    Reversing Osteopenia or Giving The Love That Heals

    Reversing Osteopenia: The Definitive Guide to Spotting and Teating Early Bone Loss in Women of All Ages

    Author: Harris H McIlwain

    For the eighteen million American women afflicted with early bone-loss disease, here is the first comprehensive guide to identifying and controlling the condition before it progresses to osteoporosis

    Osteoporosis, which afflicts more than half of all American women over the age of fifty, is a widespread and all-too-familiar problem. Osteopenia, a milder bone-loss disease that is the forerunner of osteoporosis, is less well known but affects an estimated eighteen million young and middle-aged women-including women in their late teens and early twenties. Since many doctors associate low bone density exclusively with postmenopausal women, millions of women in their childbearing years suffer from undetected bone loss, putting them at risk for debilitating fractures down the road.

    In Reversing Osteopenia, Dr. Harris H. McIlwain and his two daughters, also rheumatologists, fill the knowledge gap about this easily diagnosable disease, help younger women recognize the risk factors for bone loss, and provide a five-step program for controlling and even preventing bone loss. Their age-specific recommendations for women in their twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties include

    - exercises that strengthen rather than threaten your bones

    - new information about foods that build bone density

    - ways to avoid medicines that rob bones of their strength

    - recommendations of natural dietary supplements

    This groundbreaking book offers new hope for young women at risk for osteopenia.



    Table of Contents:
    Ch. 1Step 1 : baby your bones1
    Ch. 2Step 2 : the bone-building workout26
    Ch. 3Step 3 : feed your bones53
    Ch. 4Step 4 : take strong steps to prevent fractures78
    Ch. 5Step 5 : an integrative medicine approach90
    Ch. 6Special situations119
    Ch. 7Bone-building recipes148
    Ch. 8Bone-building exercises187

    Interesting book:

    Giving The Love That Heals

    Author: Harville Hendrix

    Harville Hendrix has illuminated the paths to healthy, loving relationships in his New York Times bestsellers Getting the Love You Want and Keeping the Love You Find. Now, with his coauthor and wife, Helen Hunt, he brings us to a new understanding of the most profound love of all -- by helping parents nurture their own development as they encourage emotional wholeness in their children.

    This groundbreaking book offers a unique opportunity for personal transformation: by resolving issues that originated in our own childhood, we can achieve a conscious, and thus healthier, relationship with our children, regardless of their age. Harville Hendrix and Helen Hunt help us explore:

    • The Imago -- the fantasy partner that our unconscious mind constructs from those we loved as a child, a that has guided our search for a life partner
    • Maximizer and Minimizer parents -- the defensive styles that internally shape what we say and how interact with our children
    • A Parenting Process that helps to end the "cycle of wounding" -- the handing-down of wounding we received as children -- as we raise our own children
    • Safety, Support, and Structure -- how to give children what they really need from us
    • Modeling Adulthood -- using our healed sense of self as a model for our children.

    With other practical, insightful approaches that can powerfully shape the parent-child bond, Giving the Love that Heals gives us the keys to helping our children to become healthy, responsible, and caring people.

    Library Journal

    Having advised couples and singles, Hendrix now offers tips for parents.



    Thursday, December 25, 2008

    Easy Labor or Pushed

    Easy Labor: Every Woman's Guide to Choosing Less Pain and More Joy During Childbirth

    Author: William Camann

    THE FIRST COMPLETE, COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PAIN RELIEF DURING LABOR AND DELIVERY

    Far too many expectant mothers find themselves unprepared when labor begins and natural techniques don't effectively manage the pain. This indispensable guide provides reassuring, proven approaches to combining medical and natural techniques to ensure the most comfortable pain-free labor possible. In Easy Labor, you'll discover

    • what to expect during labor, and key factors that affect your comfort
    • the facts on epidurals, safety concerns, and how effectively they reduce pain
    • the pros and cons of pain-relief medications
    • complementary and alternative methods, including water immersion, acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, and birth balls
    • how your choice of hospital or birth center affects your pain-management options
    • techniques to calm and eliminate the specific fears and stresses associated with childbirth

    So relax and enjoy your pregnancy, with this important book by your side!

    Library Journal

    Camann (anesthesia, Harvard Medical Sch.; director of obstetric anesthesia, Brigham and Women's Hosp.) and Alexander, a frequent contributor to parenting and healthcare publications, present a guide to the birth experience in general and, more specifically, to pain relief during childbirth. Recognizing that most women who give birth consider the process to be beautiful and joyful yet also perhaps the most painful event of their lives, the authors detail the options available to make the process easier-possibly even pain-free. They provide a thorough discussion of pain management approaches; document the latest and most effective pharmacological interventions (e.g., advanced epidurals, spinals); and devote substantial sections to alternative methodologies (e.g., Lamaze, water birth, hypnosis). But it is the inclusion of opinions and personal birth stories by mothers and caregiver professionals that gives this book a meaningful touch that is certain to speak to expectant mothers. Considerably newer than Sanjay Datta's Childbirth and Pain Relief: An Anesthesiologist Explains Your Options (2001) and even more up-to-date than Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler's Your Pregnancy Quick Guide: Labor and Delivery (2004), this resource is enthusiastically recommended for consumer health collections.-Linda M.G. Katz, Drexel Univ. Health Sciences Libs., Philadelphia Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.



    Interesting book:

    Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care

    Author: Jennifer Block

    A groundbreaking narrative investigation of childbirth in the age of machines, malpractice, and managed care, Pushed presents the complete picture of maternity care in America. From inside the operating room of a hospital with a 44% Cesarean rate to the living room floor of a woman who gives birth with an illegal midwife, Block exposes a system in which few women have an optimal experience. Pushed surveys the public health impact of routine labor inductions, C-sections, and epidurals, but also examines childbirth as a women’s rights issue: Do women even have the right to choose a normal birth? Is that right being upheld? A wake-up call for our times, Block’s gripping research reveals that while emergency obstetric care is essential, we are overusing medical technology at the expense of maternal and infant health.

    Kansas City Star

    This is a worthwhile book for anyone who cares about reforming our health-care system-right from the start.

    BOLD Book Club

    [Block] really gets that maternity care is a woman's issue that all people should care about, not just mothers, and she has no agenda through a birth experience or professional work in maternity care. Pushed shines a spotlight on maternity care and asks important questions about the standard practices in America.

    Publishers Weekly

    According to writer and editor Block (Our Bodies, Ourselves), "the United States has the most intense and widespread medical management of birth" in the world, and yet "rank[s] near the bottom among industrialized countries in maternal and infant mortality." Block shows how, in transforming childbirth into a business, hospitals have turned "procedures and devices developed for the treatment of abnormality" into routine practice, performed for no reason other than "speeding up and ordering an unpredictable... process"; for instance, the U.S. cesarean section rate tripled in the 1970s and has doubled since then. Block looks into a growing contingent of parents-to-be exploring alternatives to the hospital-and the attendant likelihood of medical intervention-by seeking out birthing centers and options for home birth. Unfortunately, obstacles to these alternatives remain considerable-laws across the U.S. criminalizing or severely restricting the practice of midwifery have led trained care providers to practice underground in many states-while tort reform has done next to nothing to lower malpractice insurance rates or improve hospital birthing policies. This provocative, highly readable exposé raises questions of great consequence for anyone planning to have a baby in the U.S., as well as those interested or involved in women's health care. (June)

    Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

    Kirkus Reviews

    Some terrible truths about being born in the USA. Were there ever any doubts as to the personal being political, this former editor at Ms. and editor of the revised Our Bodies, Ourselves convincingly lays them to rest in a gripping expose of American obstetrics. With extensive field research and thorough historical contextualization, Block reveals some disturbing statistics in this country's birth management and shows how medical views of birth are as subject to change as the whims of fashion. Current interventionist trends in obstetrician-centered care have yielded the ironic phenomenon of natural childbirth in the U.S. becoming an almost anomalous event. Block shows that, in the United States, "well over half of labors are chemically induced or augmented," and "two-thirds of women have their water broken manually"; two years ago, nearly a third of women gave birth by cesarean section, and of those delivering vaginally, another third had an episiotomy. Yet preterm births are rising, cerebral palsy rates remain constant and "women are 70% more likely to die in childbirth in the United States than in Europe." Why? Because, Block argues, what's deemed safe changes: "In the age of evidence-based medicine . . . care is constrained and determined by liability and financial concerns, by a provider's licensing regulations and malpractice insurance. The evidence often has nothing to do with it." Somewhere along the line, probably when barring midwives from the delivery room came into vogue, the notion that "what's best for women is best for babies" was lost; that message Block hopes to deliver anew to her readers. A provocative and hotly controversial analysis of a side of reproductive rightsfeminism seems to have forgot. Agent: Elizabeth Kaplan/Elizabeth Kaplan Literary Agency



    Table of Contents:

    Acknowledgments     xi
    Preface to the Paperback Edition     xiii
    Introduction     xvii
    Arranged Birth     1
    The Short Cut     45
    Denied Birth     73
    Consequences     109
    Mothers' Helpers     149
    Underground     177
    Criminalized     213
    Rights     249
    Appendix A     273
    Appendix B     277
    Notes     279
    Index     301