Health Books

I started NIA 4 months ago. This book is an excellent supplement to the two classes a week that I take. NIA is an incredible fitness and spiritual experience and this book supports my participation.

Whether you are totally fit or flab, "The Nia Technique" can give you instant motivation. Learn all about Nia and how it can enhance your fitness. The only draw back, to learn the moves, I needed to get the DVD. The book will motivate to get you going.

I've read the entire book, and it is informative and easy reading. The exercises don't seem at all difficult. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

I have been involved with Nia for only a short time, but I know that it will be a long-term part of my life. It is an amazing process, not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. I have bought quite a few copies of this book and given them away to friends as a way invite them to check out the experience. It is very well done, and a pleasure to read.

A friend discovered The NIA Technique (neuromuscular integrative action) while researching something to help her cope with difficult health problems. After the first class, we were sold on NIA with it's non-impact, yet aerobic, fluid dance, martial arts and healing arts moves. Nia stresses the joy of movement, and taking the path of least resistance to move "The Body's Way."

Our instructor, Kellie, stressed pleasure while moving. That intrigued us. We could achieve optimum effects with no more pounding or even low-impact aerobics, or repetitive motions on a machine. But how? Kellie suggested The Nia Technique by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas for obtaining more background information than she could share during our hour plus class.

In The Nia Technique, Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, the creators, share their story. In the 80's and 90's Debbie owned and operated a successful aerobics fitness center in California. Due to the high burn out and injury rates involved for the teachers and students, the Rosas set out to research fitness techniques that would eliminate injury and help heal and make fit the body, mind and soul. The culmination of their intense study and research is fusion fitness like no other, incorporating nine classic movement forms from martial arts (T'ai Chi, Ta Kwon Do, Aikido), dance (jazz, modern and Duncan), and the healing arts (Yoga, Feldenkrais, and Alexander) using 52 specific movements.

Besides the history of the creation of The NIA Technique, this book gives detailed descriptions of all the movements, along with wonderful testimonials in every chapter of people who have experienced everything from alleviation of severe pain, to weight loss, to the ability to self-heal from a variety of unhealthy situations and circumstances.

I doubt that I would have been able to do perform the Nia Technique from reading the book alone. But it is a very helpful tool in understanding the movements and what the intentions are behind them. After reading and receiving more knowledge and wisdom of the history and creation of The Nia Technique, I am even more enamored of my classes, and in every move I make not only in class, but in my dance through everyday life.

- Victoria Austin

I think this is an excellent refresher for people who know Pilates. I'm living in No.Carolina (from NYC) and needed something to keep me going as I can't find a Pialtes studio here.What a perfect exercise companion, with easy, clear examples, plus a couple of great exercises to do while sitting at my desk, etc.

This is such a great book for fitness! The descriptions and pictures make it easy enough for me to do. I have been enjoying my pilates work out ever since I read the book. I highly recommend it for wimps and non-wimps!

I loved the pictures and the very simple style of this book. It is so easy to follow. For so long I was so intimidated by the Pilates method out of my own ignorance. But this book makes it all so accessible, there is nothing to be afraid of!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever even thought of starting Pilates!!!

I borrowed this book from my local library. I love it so much I have signed on to Amazon to order it for myself. Regardless of what the last reviewer thinks (how bored is that person anyway?)I have honestly read this book and found it simple, straight forward, and easy to follow. I tried several other books and videos and this was the clearest and least intimidating. People looking for an introduction to Pilates, this is definately the right book for you!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! As a physical therapist I try and incorporate Pilates in my treatment sessions to strengthen and stretch my patients. This is an easy to follow book that I can recommend to my patients so they can exercise at home in a safe an effective way. A great book for any level of fitness!!

It is about time a book like this has come along! It is filled with humor, hope and inspiration. In particular, Jana High's story brings home the importance of a good sense of humor in the midst of adversity. I also related a great deal to Julie Burch's story of struggling to be independent and learning to be happy with one's choices. I highly recommend this book for a friend, a co-worker, a relative, or yourself!

I was looking for a new book to give to my wife whom was down in spirit as our oldest left home after graduation. Well, I was impressed with this book by Jana High and Marilyn Sprague-Smith.
I read it too, on advice from my better half. The Princess Principle is a fresh interpretation on understanding and listening to one's own values, personal worth and self esteem system. The authors left me with clues and guidance on how to stay on top of the everyday life journey and how to place the bigger picture in daily focus through the road hazards ahead. I normally read astronomy and other science books but this was a great change for me.

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered

Lately we`ve seen lots of movies that trade on a little girl's desire to grow up to be cared for by a handsome prince. That includes The Princess Diaries, Maid in Manhattan and other Cinderella stories that pretend to have an up-to-date twist for the modern woman. We have fashion designers exploiting women's desire for the glass slipper with five inch heels that will trash her posture and disintegrate her spine. Now we have The Princess Principle but it is not part of a trend toward exploitation.

Instead it is full of essays by eighteen women who share their hope, joy and expertise. The title may attract the very woman who needs it. It is an authentic inducement because our culture has made the idea of being a princess a part of our psyches that we might as well turn to our advantage.

The editors, Jana L. High and Marilyn Sprague-Smith, M. Ed., have assembled literate, well educated women with different stories and different angles on how we might improve ourselves and still live with-even accept-what now may appear to be our natural urge to be a princess. For these women, The Princess Principle isn't about being rescued; they know we are beautiful and important in the ways that count.

As a writer considering my own anthology I must also comment on the format of this book. It is rare among anthologies. It gives each contributor full and complete billing including her name on the front cover, her picture on the back. It is also careful to credential each author so the reader has a sense for who each of them is and how she might best approach that writer's views.

This book might even be a resource for readers because some of the authors act as coaches, therapists, or advisors in real life.

In the spirit of this exceptional format here are the contributors:

Lorri Allen
Sue Bergstrom M.Ed.
Julie D. Burch

Jennifer Curtet
Deb Gauldin, RN
Sheryl Rudd Kuhn, MRR
Carolyn L. Larkin
Janet Luongo, M.S.Ed.
Joyce C. Mils, Ph.D.
Rebecca Pace
Lori Palm
Vickie Pokaluk
Valerie A Rawls
Sheryl Roush
Sue Stanek, Ph.D.
Amy S. Tolbert, Ph.D.

My bet is that not one of these women is a princess in the traditional sense and that every one of them is a princess in the sense she is making her own way, happily and with self assurance, in this big, bad but wonderful world.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards. Her newly released Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remember has won three. Her new book of poetry , Skyscapes: A Woman's View,is looking for a home.)

This book reinforced my belief in self and rejuvinated my sprit of "hope". I enjoyed it so much that when I finished reading it I immediately purchased copies for my wife, daughter, sister and niece. Every man can benefit by reading this book and every woman deserves her own copy.
As President of Pinnacle Speakers Bureau, I help organizations plan events that are designed to be a PEAK Experience. I can truly say that this book is a PEAK Experience!
...Benny Williford, Pinnacle Speakers Bureau

This book offers compelling insights that encourage you to see yourself in the very best light. What's more is that it awakens the awareness that each person deserves to be treated royally. Of course, that is not about being pampered and pandered to, but rather, to live, work and love in the world in ways that demonstrate your respect, caring and competence!

Give this book to every woman you know. This is an excellent book to give to young women as well.

I have been a "health nut" for years and wary of the medical establishment, but I always hoped that the mainstream approaches, though ineffective, were a result of ignorance or narrow mindedness.

In Reclaiming Our Health, John Robbins has exposed the greed and pride of a male-dominated medical community in bed with the pharmaceutical companies. Reading about the witch hunts (past and present) against alternative healing practices outrages me, but what hurts more is reading how modern medicine treats its patients. People, at their most vulnerable times, are trampled upon by doctors and nurses.

The section on how medicine has historically regarded women is eye opening (or would be if you had never dealt with a male obstetrician). Having just given birth to my son, accompanied by a midwife, and knowing what an amazing and challenging time that can be, I almost cried reading the horror stories of children's births.

John Robbins has written a phenomenal book. And as always, he has brought his caring, compassionate passion to an issue that is literally crippling our nation. Thank you, John.

New Age Retailer, November/December 1996
Have you ever watched a friend or loved one die? Did you wonder why they had to endure so much, especially at the hands of those you had expected to help? Have you ever wondered why it is taking so long to find a cure for cancer or AIDS? Have you ever had a baby in this country? Have you every tried to tell your healthcare provider something and been told he or she know best and not to worry? I believe these questions would elicit at least one affirmative answer from just about everyone in our country.

The title is descriptive and, I believe, correct - we will feel an explosion from reading this book. People will be shocked and angered. I certainly was! John Robbins has let the cat out of the bag - the cat being the way Americans are manipulated by the American Medical Association, the tobacco industry, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and by the multi-million dollar industry we call healthcare.

Robbins reveals the cover-ups, the scandals, and the greed that feed on the most vulnerable segments of our society: women, children, the elderly, and those who are already struggling with health issues. He exposes the ridicule and outright lies broadcast in an attempt to eliminate chiropractic and other alternative healing practices, not because they were not helping those who sought out alternative care, but because they were taking money from those who would rather line their pockets than cure millions of ill individuals.

Robbins outlines a practical approach using both conventional and alternative care so that we can benefit from the best of both resources. This book is well-written and researched. It has an extensive notes section that documents facts and a resource directory that give pertinent information about where to obtain more information on womens issues, parenting and children, healthy diet, alternative medicine, consumer rights, and much more. I would recommend this book to any adult, especially someone who is dealing with medical issues. Reclaiming Our Health is a must-read for any person who strives to be well-informed.

Over the past thirty years I have read about 100 books on the subject of health. Among the very best of the books I have read are two of John Robbins' other books, Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution, but I don't feel the need to review these remarkable books; they have been well reviewed by others, and I recommend you check them both out in Amazon. However, I simply had to add my voice to the reviews of Reclaiming Our Health.

This book is predominantly about the medical establishment, what has gone wrong with it, and what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones (if you can get them to listen to you). It is not a condemnation of all things conventional nor an endorsement of all things alternative. Some of the greatest heroes of the book are M.D.'s practicing both conventional and alternative therapies. This book seeks to guide us to the best of both worlds while warning us about the dangers to be found in each. However, the worst dangers by far appear to be in the conventional medical establishment where the admonition "first, do no harm" seems to have been long forgotten.

This book made me cry. This book infuriated me. It is filled with one outrage after another. But wouldn't you rather read about them than be subjected to them (or watch your loved ones be subjected to them) by not being informed beforehand? I know I would.

This is one of those rare books that is truly empowering. That's what John Robbins does so well. He does the intensive research that most of us neither would nor could do. We are blessed by his enormous contribution to mankind.

And my fellow women, you will be shocked to read some of the material in this book on how women have been treated in society and how this has influenced the way we have been treated by much of the medical community. I have shared a bit of the information with co-workers and have actually seen jaws drop open. We have not been told the complete story of how dreadfully many women have been treated in our history. It is an abomination. (Written with apologies to all of the sincerely wonderful men out there.)

Rest assured that among the very bad news of this book is a good deal of hopeful news about prevention and treatments that are out there now, but this information will probably be a long time coming to the general public. It is only through leaders like John Robbins that we are blessed to know about it now.

Read this book before you or someone you love becomes ill. Read it and pass it on.

Since I own and have read other books the author has written I was curious to see what he would share in this book on a subject that is so important to me and many Americans. And he certainly hasn't let me down.

The parts or chapters I liked so much and thank the author for, from the bottom of my heart are Part Two where he goes into great detail about the patriarchal medical system. It is worth the price of the book alone. I also like Part Three where he starts out with a quote from a signer of the Declaration of Independence (Dr Benjamin Rush) who said "Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize itself into an undercover dictatorship". And he offers so much documentation of where and how the big boys of the AMA (American Medical Association) have even gone after their own members who dared not walk the party line. On page 185 he shares how from homeopaths, to midwives, and other nontraditional medical forms, the AMA has been the bully boys who wanted their monopoly and none others. On page 1996 onward he describes once again how the feminine professions which nursing was up until the 1970's, were main targets of the male member run AMA.

Now I was aware that one way the male physicians made midwifery which had been the norm well into the 1900's, illegal was to accuse the women delivering babies of being everything from witches, pagans and even communists. Yet delivering babies in the safe and secure environment had been good enough for Moses, Jesus, George Washington and most heroes and heroines but because the AMA had discovered there was big buck in babies they did everything in their power to make their way the only way to deliver babies and feather their nest along the way. And as the author notes on page 322 that while birthing centers and midwives are persecuted by the AMA the actual cesarean rate here in the United States is outrageous and is a procedure that the rest of the civilized world shuns.

On page 327 onward the author skillfully lays out documentation that shows that many of the plagues the world has suffered have not been cured by AMA style medicine but by common sense approaches like clean water and sanitary toilet system. Washing hands and handling food in a clean manner. And that malaria is kept at bay with more preventive means than medical ones.

I could go on, but I would prefer that you buy the book and if possible buy a copy for your local library if it does not have a copy. That is how important this book is.

I read this book first in sections, but then decided to read the whole thing as my interest progressed.

I already knew some of the persecution of the chiropractic industry by money-hungry conventional doctors, but some of the stuff totally shocked me. I've seen some of the statistics that chiropractors have come up with, extensive studies that show that it has extremely low health risks and helps a lot more with lower back pain than conventional "give me the pill" medicine. However, this book totally blew the cover off the...American Medical Association, an organization I once took for granted to be dedicated to my health and well-being.

If everyone in the waiting room of a doctor's clinic were to read this book, all health care in America would be for the better.

Furthermore, the interesting sections on women and fertility totally blew me away. I was furious at the stuff they were doing to hurt and control women who went to doctors for real health reasons, hoping to get better, only to be subjected to the standard system of running tests and being tied to one position. I myself was delivered by C-section, and having been abandoned by my mother, I can also attest to the ugly and disgusting nature of conventional birth documented so well by John Robbins. The persecution of midwives, who have near-flawless records for safe delivery of newborn babies was also shocking. I had no idea that women giving birth at home do better than in hospitals, in terms of mortality rates.

The final section is worth reading alone if you have cancer. It states very clearly using facts and actual experiences how deliberately and unfortunately the medical establishment has been "treating" people (if I may use that word) with cancer, without realizing that the only goal of a person with illness is wellness and wholeness, not merely to eradicate and destroy an organism that seems foreign and toxic. It also exposes the "fact" that there have been cancer treatments with possible cures, existing for decades, which have been blocked by the cancer establishment out of hope for conventional therapies, blind ignorance, or fear of malpractice suits (you can be sued for not using "technology" to treat an illness ... but what if you just want to get better?).

The beauty of John Robbins' words inspire me. It's hard not to be moved by good stories of good doctors helping to make things better. It's hard not to believe that things could also be better if we changed our current system. Always true to form, this book discusses ways in which to reform health care that would truly work, and at minimal cost.

If you're a nonbeliever of universal health care, low-cost medicine, or just out of luck with personal illness, I highly recommend this book.

If you're not put off by the awful cover choice, this book is full of great information, charts, health tests, etc.

I read this book in a 2 hour sitting, and took it with me to my nutritionist who specializes in PCOS and it really helped to guide my questions and what modifications I'd be making in my life.

Definitely worth reading- especially if your newly diagnosed or struggling for answers.

This is the best book I have read on the subject!

This book has a lot of knowledge from a doctor who seems to know her stuff. It is helpful for me because I am getting ready to find a doctor and I will better be able to explain my situation. The book is a little bit of a difficult read, but I read it in short spurts and it is fine. Overall, it is a good book for anyone who has PCOS or who thinks that they might have PCOS but doesn't have a diagnosis. It can help someone go to their doctor and know how to tell them about their symptoms and what kind of tests to ask for.

This is a very good book with a lot of information. I did buy it for my teenage daughter who has just been diagnosed with PCOS and it's a little complicated for her to understand, so I am reading it first and giving her the most important information.

This book is an incredibly thorough guide to PCOS, albeit from a very allopathic perspective. Vliet is clearly an expert in the realm of hormonal reproductive disorders. However, I wish it contained more info regarding pregnancy and breastfeeding and on alernative and holistic treatments. It also is the type of book that could stand to have an index.

There are several things unique about the Aequus edition that are not apparent on their face. First, the editors of this edition sought to restore, as closely as possible, the last edition approved by the original author, Mary Baker Eddy, in her life time. In doing this, among other things, Aequus restore the drawing of Mrs. Eddy that was in that edition. Also, Aequus restored two testimonies, subsequently removed and replaced after Eddy's passing in 1910. Just as the Book started on a note of the coming of light into human thought, so also the last testimony was deliberatly approved by Eddy to end the entire book with the same theme of light. In fact, with the last testimony restored, the last word IS "light," which is exactly as Eddy intended it. She also intended that the last page be a full page. David Keyston and Aequus are to be commended for this courageous and noble undertaking in true Christian education. My hat goes off to them!!

(...) Using words on a page in a book to describe completely un-material ideas about spiritual existence to you and me is a difficult thing for anyone to do. Couple that with the fact that the book's author is trying to essentially show the reader how to wake up to an unseen reality--to show, in the context of primitive Christianity (and not what might be called centuries of classical churchy dogma), that spiritual existence is real, and the material is not, and what that really means to you and me right now and always--and you begin to see how difficult writing a book like Science And Health must have been, or would be for anybody. It's quite a Big topic requiring much thought to understand and "use". A seeming repetition (with intelligent variations) in this book is vital. If you're trying to say "God, good, is All, and man and universe reflect him completely", and you're trying to teach this and show this to the matter-bound reader, you're gonna need more than that one sentence to make that challenging point. I'd say you'd need as many thought-provoking ways as possible, so if your eyes slide off some of the statements, others will perhaps be more understandable to you, and as you read you start to GET it. (...) read Science And Health for yourself and make up your own mind; read it on its own terms, because it has many things to say that you won't find anywhere else, and it says them quite articulately. If you find yourself glued to Dr. Dave on Oprah and reading Deepak, you might want to go deeper to the book that is acknowledged as starting the whole "healing" movement of the twentieth century that we are only now in the last few years seeing bubble up on TV. This one is the real deal and is here to stay.

This 700-page book opened up my understanding of God and the Bible light-years beyond what many traditional theological views ever did. It also helped me give up and destroy appetites for alcohol, tobacco, foul language, pornography, gambling and other forms of laciviousness. It eliminated my dependence on matter for healing and allowed me to trust all my cares to God. This is a book you won't read once. Re-reading it unlocks the Bible's healing message and strengthens your trust in the efficacy of prayer and in the power of the Almighty.

The author, Mary Baker Eddy, was far ahead of her time in what she not only understood about God and mankind, but what she accomplished as a woman over 100 years ago. Other authors have attempted to discuss such ideas as what is real, what is illusion, what is God, Life, Truth, evil, good, etc. but have fallen short in the consistancy of their reasoning and conclusions. I find no contradictions here, only inspired thinking. I have actually had healings as a result of reading this book, and I recommend it to others regardless of religious affiliation.

This is one of those books that seems to have a life of its own. As part of my quest for deeper spiritual insight, I have been reading Science and Health for about 8 years, and every single time I open it, there is something new in there! For the reader unfamiliar with Christian Science, Eddy lays out a method for healing the way that Jesus healed--through oneness of mind with our Father, God. For those wondering what the difference is between Christian Science and other Christian denominations or New Age religions, the great divide between CS and all other systems is the idea that the entire universe was created by God, Spirit, and is therefore totally spiritual, not material. All other theologies, including atheism, make the universe either totally material, or a mixture of spirit and matter. While many people (including me) have been healed of ailments while reading this book as their thought is adjusted to be more in line with the laws of Spirit, I have found the primary effect to be one of complete transformation of character--I am more my Father's girl than ever.

This book, written by a credible physician who has done some serious research on this topic, and not written by another dime-a-dozen quack claiming to expose the insider secrets of modern medicine, provides remarkable insight into the logic behind cancer screening, and into a lot of the predicaments that medicine, science, and almost any field of scientific inquiry face.

If you find a cancer, and treat it (ie, surgically remove it) then you've "cured" the patient of cancer. But cancer is a judgement call by a pathologist looking at random slides under a microscope. Thus, since the cancer was removed, the patient "cured", we never would have known what the removed "cancer" would have done if it was never actually discovered, but it instead it lands into the success column in the statistics on the war against cancer. The treatment effectively decided the diagnosis, and since the mass is now gone, that diagnosis can never be second-guessed.

It's a remarkable dilemma that I've observed in various other realms of medicine. I've seen an ICU patient treated with narcotics for pain develop delirium and borderline hypotension. One doctor may treat him conservatively and expectantly. Another can treat aggressively, possibly intubate the patient if the mental status was particularly poor, and start the patient on antibiotics for suspected sepsis. Both physicians acted on reasonable clinical judgement, though in the second scenario the process of escalating treatment would have likely confirmed the diagnosis (or pseudodiagnosis, as Dr. Welch would say) in the clinicians' eyes--the patient was septic, he was intubated, was placed on pressors, and responded to antibiotics (or the narcotic effect simply wore off). The diagnosis would never be second-guessed, because the patient "responded" to the intervention. In the end, everyone thinks the doctor is doing wonderful life-saving work, but the reality he is fooling everyone including himself.

On the flip side, it may seem irresponsible to not excise the breast mass, or not aggressively treat the patient with suspected sepsis, but in doing so, all doubt is (inappropriately) removed. Dr. Welch provides very convincing data that it may be better leave certain things in the dark (like prostate cancer, for example).

Dr. Welch provides humorous and touching stories from his own patients that serve as very real anecdotes of the data he convincingly describes. The book is remarkable well written. I would recommend it to all my patients and colleague physicians as well.

This book is truly an eye opener. Millions of people are being screened for cancer every year, but is it really necessary? Is it really making a difference? Are people harmed by these tests in anyway?

Dr. Welch explains brilliantly, in my opinion, what these cancer screenings really mean. He argues that we are taking healthy symptom-free individuals and looking for cancer.

What most people do not know and I did not before reading his book is that:

1-There is no evidence that these screenings have actually saved lives. In fact despite increased detection of early stages of prostate cancer and breast cancer, the death rate for prostate cancer has stayed the same and the rate of late stage breast cancer has increased over a 25 year period.

2-Autopsies of people who have NOT died from cancer have shown cancer in the lungs, thyroid, kidney, etc. This means millions of people are living with cancer and die of other causes and not even know they had cancer.

3-If the screening finds cancer, it does not necessarily mean that it is the type that will grow rapidly.
a-It could regress on its own as our immune system eliminated abnormal cells, including cancers regularly.
b-It may stay the same for many years and never cause a problem
c-It may grow so slowly that cause no health problems and the person dies of something else before it does

4-Studies conducted by John Hopkins, Harvard, and others have shown that different pathologist give different diagnosis for the same tissues. They may look at the same tissue and some think it is cancer while others think it is not. Especially when it comes to the a few abnormal tissues found from screening a healthy individual.

5-Also between screenings it is possible to develop a fast growing cancer. So how often do we need to do mammograms and colonoscopies?

6-The statistics, such as the five year survival rate, are not always reliable and maybe calculated in a misleading manner.

So you have a mammogram, PSA test, colonoscopy, fecal occult test, etc done. This is what may happen:

1-You end up with a false positive, depending on the test, 10 percent false positive is the average.
2-You get the cancer scare unnecessarily.
3-This can begin a cycle of retesting, biopsies and other tests. Some can be very unpleasant and have side effects.
4-If they find an abnormal tissue, what does it mean it mean? May the pathologist made a mistake; maybe it has been there for many years; maybe it is a slow growing one; maybe it will go away on its own; maybe it is a fast growing one! Of course, your doctor can't take a chance with your health, and also does not want to get sued for malpractice, so most likely she recommends the most safest (which could be the most aggressive) course of action!

Here you were living a relatively healthy symptom-free life and now you are told you need surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy.

BUT once you or I know about they have found cancer, it is hard to know what to do, not to speak of the emotional toll. That's why Dr. Welch believes sometimes it is better not to know. However, as Dr. Welch cautions: If you have any unusual symptoms and your doctor recommends screening for cancer, make sure you are screened.

After reading the book I decided I do not need any screening. As long as I am symptom free and healthy, why put myself through tests that may or may not extend or save my life. I think as long as we don't do anything to harm our immune system, such as smoking, and do the things that enhance the immune system, such as exercise, there is no need to become a patient.

We all need to make the decision for cancer screening based on our priorities, family history of cancer, and other factors. Perhaps a good course of action is to read the book and consult your doctor for best options.

Thank you Dr.Welch for an excellent expose: Well researched and well written.

This is a great little book. In a little over 200 pages Welch reviews the science and data about cancer screening and concludes that it is not worth doing it. Cancer after cancer (prostate, skin, breast...) he shows that screening has very little benefit if at all in terms of life expectancy (I recently saw a scientific article defending mammography on the basis that it added 3 days of life to women having one regularly...) .
The main justification for cancer screening is the belief that a cancer caught early is not lethal. The problem is that a lethal cancer is in general not caught early. A lethal cancer is usually very aggressive and by screening time it has already spread (unless as Welch points out you are willing to be screened every other day...).
What screening is very good at is catch cancers (and Welch explains that the definition of cancer is not clear cut) that are growing slowly if at all and will probably never kill you... Have you noticed the epidemic of breast cancers or is it just me?
The only thing missing from the book is the broader implication of generalizing cancer screening. By devoting so much money to an irrational health policy the general population is deprived of many services that could really impact its health and improve the sorry health statistics of the United States.

Before reading this book, it had never occured to me that there were pros and cons re cancer testing. Welch has excellent credentials.He is on the staff of Dartmouth Medical College and writes articles for JAMA. In this book (which was also favorably reviewed in JAMA) Welch succinctly explains the perils of cancer testing in asymptomatic patients. He provides ample numerical data to support his contentions.The book is short and interesting and easy to read.

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. This is possibly the most valuable book you will ever read regarding your health. Dr. Welch has impeccable bona fides, and his arguments are well-reasoned and well documented. He is a wonderful writer who makes sense of complicated, nuanced statistical analysis for the rest of us.

Of particular importance to this 53 year old woman is his detailed analysis of mammography and breast cancer. He completely debunks the hysterical coercion of women to have this test, and points out why declining to have one is a completely reasonable decision. This is of particular importance now in light of Elizabeth Edwards doing public penance for "letting down" the country and her family by skipping a mammogram! Elizabeth, honey, read this book! It is doubtful that mammography would have made any difference in your outcome.

Welch's dicsussion of DCIS, which is probably the most horribly overtreated fake "disease" in the history of modern medicine should be required reading for every woman over the age of 20.
Just buy it - I plan to give a copy to every person I love. It's that good.

I bought this book and The Smoothies Bible. The Smoothies Bible, I don't really recommend because it was too redundant and the recipes were too similar. This book is the best book if you want smoothies like you get at juice bars.

I purchased this book based on what I saw at Amazon.com. The book delivers what is promised. I really liked the history of and profiles of the juice and smoothie companies that contributed recipes. As for the recipes: yum! Now I'm the smoothie pro in my apartment complex and smoothie parties happen at my place all the time!

`Smoothies, The Original Smoothie Book' by Dan Titus is the sixth book on smoothies I am reviewing. These six fall into three different categories. The first, with titles such as `The Smoothies Bible' by Pat Crocker and `The Ultimate Smoothies Book' by Cherie Calbom claim to be `everything you wanted to know about smoothies. In this category, the first is far superior to the second. The next category, with titles such as `Ultimate Smoothies' by Donna Pliner Rodnitsky and `The Best 50 Smoothies' by Joanna White are quick references, presumably with a selection of the best recipes. Again, the first of these two titles is the better in this class.

Mr. Titus' book may seem to belong to the first category, but I think it really belongs in a third with `Smoothies for Life' by Daniella Chace and Maureen B. Keane, where these books claim to offer things which may not be in other books, without pretending to be a `complete' reference on the subject.

Dan Titus' angle is that his book includes recipes from six major smoothies and juice bar chains, with the claim that this means you can make them at home just the way they are made at these chains in your local mall. This `feature' has some serious shortcomings, as I describe below. Mr. Titus does give us something unusual in a little history of the smoothie and the leading smoothie franchise chains. He also gives us some rather nice tips on smoothie technique, including an explanation of the phenomenon of cavitation, so well known and loved by fans of the movie and novel `The Hunt for Red October'. While cavitation makes it easy to detect submarines by sonar, it spoils the action of a blender rotor, which, on close inspection, looks suspiciously like a submarine screw, hence, the common effect.

All this material in the early part of the book gives the reader a good feeling that this is a worthwhile book. Especially interesting is Mr. Titus' scheme for rating smoothie recipes based on the freshness of ingredients and the extent to which they are prepared at the time one places an order.

Many of these recipes rely on juiced vegetables. This is a good thing, since vegetables contain some nutrients not found in most fruits, but I don't rank it too highly, as it means some of the recipes require a juicer, which narrows the suitable audience for the book.

I was pleased to see nutritional information on many of the recipes, but this effort is not as valuable as it could have been if the nutritional analysis was done for ALL the recipes, and, like Ms. Rodnitzky in `Ultimate Smoothies', put all the nutritional analyses at the same place on the page, so you could easily buzz through the pages to find a high potassium or low calorie recipe to fit your needs or whim of the moment.

Mr. Titus includes other worthy nutritional information, especially a no nonsense description of various important ingredients. The Appendix contains some good recipes for milk substitutes from rice and nuts. This is useful since I just discovered that soymilk is not as unalloyed a good thing as some make it out to be. This appendix also gives some quick guidelines on which smoothie ingredients are good to aid in treating which ailments. This is nice, but not nearly as good as Ms. Crocker's index of smoothie recipes by ailment in `The Smoothies Bible'.

Mr. Titus presents recipes by type, consistency, and by commercial originator. These recipes are missing my most important criteria for smoothie recipes, which are both English and metric units. I also give demerits for not including the nutritional analysis for many of the recipes and for not applying his very clever rating system for smoothies to these recipes. I also find some of the recipes to be almost worthless for the average reader as they include proprietary nutritional supplement ingredients marketed by some of the featured franchise operations. There are instructions for ordering these products but if you are put off by having to find a local GNC for protein powder, you will have no interest in spicing up your smoothies by something you need to order from the Internet.

This isn't a bad book. It just does not deserve five stars because there are several other books in the same price range, which are better. My overall favorite is `Ultimate Smoothies'. The most complete is `The Smoothies Bible'.

This book is one of the best, if not the best book on smoothies. Getting more fruit into our diets is something we all aspire to, but few achieve. Between having to shop for it, getting it home, and it spoils one day later, makes the recommended daily levels fruit consumption a lot more difficult to achieve. Then along came smoothies, and now we freeze our fruit. Chop it up into little squares as soon as you get it home, and place it in zip loc bags. Then the smoothie is always ready; no more spoilage.
My favorite is to take banannas, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries to make an all fruit shake. In this book you see a lot of varieties of the smoothies.
It's worth it just for the redipes. Highly recommended.

Now in a second printing, Smoothies!: The Original Smoothie Book by nutritional advocate and "smoothie" expert Dan Titus, is an excellent recipe guide for making smoothies that are just like those of such famous smoothie stores as "Jamba Juice" and "Smoothie King". Profiles of famous smoothie companies, basic "how to" instructions, detailed recipes for smoothies of every flavor, and a balance of quick-to-prepare recipes as well as recipes for more complex yet exotic tastes make for a first-rate guide for anyone who truly loves a smoothie. If you like smoothies, than you want to add Smoothies!: The Original Smoothie Book to your kitchen or barroom reference shelf.

Have you actually seat down and read a book? What all kinds of books do you like to read daily? Me I like all kinds of books. Such as romantic, mystery, and sad stories. That's all about what I read. But there are lots of interesting stories out there in the world.

There is this one book I read a couple of weeks ago. It was one of my favorite books I have read. Its sad, happy in some parts, has love in the book in a way. Nice and interesting. I think you should read it but first let me tell you about this book. I'm sure you will like it.

This book is by Lurlene McDaniel. She is a good author I think. I have read one of her books before. The book is called one Last Wish Someone Dies, Someone Lives. This is about a young man that writes Katie O' Roark A letter while she is in the hospital. In that letter there was a certified check for one hundred thousand dollars. On that letter it was stamped OLW meaning One Last Wish Foundation. Also it said your friend JWC. She didn't know what to think a guy that gave her money and she had no clue why. She was puzzled for days.

Then in this book a guy name Josh watched his brother on the football field go down cold. Scared to death Josh runs to him takes him to the hospital. No longer they were there. Josh and his grandfather heard the bad news of their brother/grandchild. The doctors came out and asked if they would like to donate his organs. That was the hardest mistake they have ever made in their lives. They said there last good byes, and there was no more of him. But Josh went to meet the girl that his brothers heart was going to Katie O' Roark. Did they become friends? Was he mad? Who had wrote the letter? To find more information on this book. You can check it out at Lincoln County Library.

This book was sad, but happy too, it was a great book and I think you and your friends would enjoy this book. Not just these book but also all of Lurlene McDaniel books. She is a great author.

I believe that some of the books I read as an adolescent have truly shaped my outlook on life as an adult, and few more so than this book. I picked it up by happy accident at a garage sale, and was immediately hooked on this author. Even though I still consider this one to be the best, I also loved all her others. This made me more sympathetic to people with illnesses where before they tended to make me uncomfortable. It also made me realize that I wanted to be an organ donor, and that I needed to tell my family this, in case something happened to me. Though I'd prefer to be using my own organs for a long time, if something happens to me, then it is a very great comfort to me to know that my death could mean life to others. If I have children, I will be sure to encourage my girls (or boys, though they probably wouldn't dig them) to read these books, because I think if more people read these then more people would become organ donors, and in turn more people would live.

Someone Dies, Someone lives, Is a great book it kept me hooked on to each word till the end of the last page. Its weird how a death can make a huge impact on two people. Aaron's death might have been good for both Katie for keeping her alive with his heart and heart breaking for Josh for loosing his only brother who got him as far as he is in life. This book is a type of book that will keep you guessing till the end.

At the beginning of a quartet of books starring Katie, the running champ that steals the pages of this book, Katie is plagued with a fatal heart disease. She won't survive without a heart transplant... and how many people have spare, healthy hearts to pass up? Despite getting a good transplant, Katie is down in the dumps. Will she ever run again? Will she reject the transplant? Then Katie meets Josh... she's more connected to him then meets the eye. Read this book! It's another one of McDaniel's fabulous books.

I've read quite a few books in the One Last Wish series and along with She Died Too Young, this one is my favourite. It is very realistic and with very believable characters. The story just takes you along with it. The main character in this book is Katie who desperatly needs a heart transplant after a virius has severly weakened her heart. It switches between scenes with Katie and Josh, who's brother Aaron dies and ends up being Katie's donor. After her transplant Katie had to fight to become a track runner again. I like the ending of this book because it doesn't all end 'happily ever after' but it's inspiring and uplifting. I recommend this book to anyone.

This is exactly the book I've been looking for! Objective, to-the-point facts on nutrition, vitamins, eating habits, and other topics such as preservatives, toxins, etc. I've seen too many "fad" nutritional books that are biased toward either vegan/vegetarian, low carb, low fat, high fat-low carb, etc. This book seems to be objective enough to allow the readers to decide on their own what diet path to take. This book, a good diet, and exercise can stand on their own and I feel this book can last a long time as a good reference book. Personally, I prefer a well-rounded diet (including some red meat), chicken, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts. I lean toward organic or natural foods. Should readers decide to focus on another particular diet, they can supplement this book with one that follows their philosophy. I highly recommend this book as a stand alone or as a starting point to other diets.

This is an awesome book for anyone interested in nutrition. Very indepth text book style reading but worth every miniute!

This author's books have proven practicle and invaluable over the years.
This was my first and most recent purchase.
I shared and then gave the earlier volume to a friend.
You may gain as wide or narrow insight as your demands dictate.
How and why do things work and how your needs may be met.

I use this book as a desk reference. As a wellness coach with a specialty in nutrition I refer to this book as well as others, like Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods and The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford. I like the scientific and integrative nature of this book. When I quote information from this book I can say this is by an MD. This book is the most comprehensive among the other ones I use. I have yet to use it more to suggest any area of improvement. So far I am very happy with it.

My doctor recommended this book because he knows I like to treat health issues naturally when at all possible. A nice blend of sound nutritional science and natural health care. If you want to live fit and stay healthy as you age, check out this book. An excellent reference for treating specific health issues, but so much more. If you only reach for it when you are looking for a remedy for a particular health problem, you'll miss a lot. It's a great book - even better with Amazon's price!