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Title: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Healthiness : Dr. Dean's Commonsense Guide for Anything That Ails You by Dean Edell, Melissa Houtte ISBN: 0-06-057723-1 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 23 December, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.27 (11 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Brief Summaries of the Latest Medical Research
Comment: Can you really address the most important questions people have about their health and appearance in one volume? Probably not. I certainly cannot fault Dr. Edell for trying. I came away unimpressed with the results though.
A side effect of his brief prescriptions here is that you will frequently learn very little more than what kind of specialist to visit and what to say during the visit. When I checked the answers against the most important health problems that my family has had in the last several decades, I found that he told less than I learned from our primary care physician or from looking up answers on my own. The information in the book was so brief, in fact, that it was misleading . . . especially as it related to childhood illnesses. The book is filled with web site references . . . but you could have found those on your own in less time.
The only general sections in the book are at the beginning of the twelve topics: There's a Reason We're Fat; Good Sex, Bad Sex, No Sex; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Alternative Medicine; The Women's Room, From Fertility to Fibroids; Smart Medicine for Your Children; "Old" Is All in your Head, Now Where'd I Put My Hat?; Boxtox, Brava Bras, and the Business of Beauty; Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives; The Dirt on Infectious Diseases; Strange Lumps and Second Opinions; The Hard Facts on Booze, Grass, Paxil, and the Patch; Life, Liberty, and Medical Miscellany. These general sections make up less than 10 percent of the book, and frequently focus on lifestyle issues. So you can't just read those parts, and have your answer.
My biggest disappointment was in realizing that if you have a fine primary care physician for each member of your family, that person will provide all of this information in reference to you in the first place. But nowhere in the book does Dr. Edell address how to find such a primary care physician and how to work with that person on a routine basis. That seems like a pretty fundamental oversight.
He's actually pretty opinionated in several areas where not everyone will agree. He doesn't see any benefit, but does see lots of potential harm, from male circumcision. He doesn't care for much in the way of nonmedical treatments (can the Chinese really be failing to block pain with acupuncture when they use it for thoracic surgery?). His thoughts on food are to follow the general medical guidelines (thus contradicting studies that show that people with different blood types may benefit from differentiated diets).
I suspect that women readers may like the book better. There seems to be a slant in coverage towards women's medical issues. But, once again, it's quite superficial.
I don't listen to medical call-in shows on the radio. They seem like a waste of time for getting answers to my medical questions. These shows are popular and must serve some other purpose other than informing listeners about their own medical problems. Perhaps they are like thrill rides at the amusement park and horror movies: They make you appreciate what you have going for you.
Finally, I'll have to say that I didn't care very much for Dr. Edell's writing style. I could only read about 20 pages a day, and found it very unpleasant to finish the book. If I hadn't promised to review it, I wouldn't have read more than 30 pages before giving up.
As I finished the book, I was grateful for all of the physicians who have taken the time to inform and help my family and me over the years.
Rating: 5
Summary: Realistic approach to health.
Comment: Dean Edell, M.D. does not tell you anything that you have not suspected all along. When you get conflicting reports from the government on what is good for you and what is not or when both diets work and neither diet works then it is time to ask what is going on here. Figuring out what is right for you in several health categories including diet, sex, alternative medicine, and many more, is not rocket science but can be confusing. Dr. Edell has a clear and simple way of sorting though all the muck, and soon you too can see how simple the answer is.
The book is divided into the different areas mentioned and each section includes a question and answer session. So try to stump him with specifics as even those questions have a clear answer. Many times it may just being conservative with a wait and see attitude rather than going off the deep end with some fad.
I have modified my life somewhat in accordance with this book and am now re-reading to see if I missed anything significant. This is not dogma but common sense.
If you wish to go beyond this book on a specific subject there is a page of URLs to various specialty organizations such as "American Cancer Society."
Rating: 5
Summary: It's a keeper
Comment: As a mother of 2, this book will join my other more traditional health books on the book shelf. My husband and I really enjoyed the "readability" of this book. We like the family health aspect as opposed to the childrens health books we already own. Reading Dr. Edell is like getting a second opinion. We can also relate to his common sense take on things, since this is how we live our lives.
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