Nursing Books

The thought of reading a book on Urology had never really crossed my mind, but for one reason or another I had an opportunity to exchange emails with the author, Jack Cassell, M.D.. I figured a guy with such a great sense of humor had to write a great book.
What I found was a book full of great insight into a topic that people don't talk about. Advice about issues that you wouldn't ordinarily discuss with your Dr.. This book dispells age old fears about some issues and above all I learned that with some help, my sister in-law might not have to stop at every restroom while on a road trip.
This book is full of interesting facts and cover issues that I am sure cross peoples minds but they never seek out the answers; Blood in the urine and what it means, Kidney stones and why they are there, types of urology tests and why they are performed, Erections, prostate cancer and a host of other issues.
I would recommend this book to any adult.

I enjoyed reading `Better Living through Urology' very much because it informed in a practical manner that the non-medical profession could easily understand as well as entertaining the reader throughout.

Dr Cassell interjects his great sense of humor to illustrate medical procedures and explanations as well as his observations on us human beings! The book is written in an informal way that the new generation can relate to. The explanations are serious and thorough but never in long-winded, complicated, medical terminology, so the average layman like myself found it perfectly comprehensible, even fascinating and informative. His perspective on the Dr/ patient relationship with regard to both necessary and unnecessary procedures is also refreshing and enlightening.
His book had me turning the pages well into the wee hours of the morning! And I feel I have gained a greater knowledge on how the male works urologically and even how the female ticks too!

I highly recommend this book for both male and female readers (for those with husbands or boyfriends who have problems in that department!) It's a great and funny read.

This book explained to me in very readable language what urology is all about. Dr. Cassell gives wonderful laymen explanations and fascinating behind-the-scene views of what it's like to practise urology. Plus a lot of wit, humor and wisdom. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anyone interested in this field of medicine. You'll learn a lot.

In an age where the medical profession has seemingly gone impersonal and where doctors no longer have "good bedside manners", comes a book which shows how medicine ought to be practiced and communicated - with humility, professionalism and with a positive attitude.

Most medical books tend to be tedious and laborious.
Unlike most, "Better Living Through Urology" is straightforward, informative, witty, down-to-earth, and humorous at times which makes it such a delight to read.

My main objective in purchasing the book was my concern specifically with the prostate and prostate cancer. I learned more from Dr. Cassell in this book than I ever imagined I could learn about the subject and more importantly I went on to read all the topics on urology. I began reading the first night I received the book and wound up reading throughout the night.

Ever hear about a "good read"?, this is a great read, and that's saying something when it comes to a medical book! Highly recommended and then some.

Accurate, clear and enjoyable. Three ingredients necessary for cutting through the fog of yesteryear's grandiloquent, ho-hum reference works.

Connelly offers a general overview of each Bible book and sets a context allowing the passage to make sense. Like, the passage MAKES SENSE because we know who, what, why and where! Doug provides the skeleton on which the story comes to life revealing the intended meaning of the authors to farmers, kings and Internet surfers.

In covering three huge bases, Connelly hits a home run!

With a title like "Bible for Blockheads," you might tend to think this book is a bit too dumbed down for all but the totally biblically illiterate. And though it's true that a newcomer to the Bible can immediately profit from this book, it has much more to offer than first meets the eye.

Connelly is sensitive to the historical and literary context of each book, letting it speak for itself and address the original audience's concerns, rather than simply supporting church dogma. Sure, it has cute pictures and avoids technical theological language, but behind its simplicity lies a rather profound understanding of the nature and purpose of a biblical text.

A refreshingly straightforward everyman's guide to the Bible.

This book has a great layout, with little columns off to the side featuring bits of extra info. The print is large and the layout is uncluttered, so even though there's lots of ground to cover, you can skim thru without getting a headache. Each chapter has a good amount of information, not too much to bore the reader and not too little to make it not worth reading. Written in a carefree but informative style.

Accurate, clear and enjoyable. Three ingredients necessary for cutting through the fog of yesteryear's grandiloquent, ho-hum reference works.

Connelly offers a general overview of each Bible book and sets a context allowing the passage to make sense. He provides the skeleton on which the story comes to life to reveal the intended meaning of the authors to farmers, kings and surfers.

In covering the big three bases, Connelly has hit a home run with "The Bible for Blockheads".

Patricia Thomas writes a phenomenal book of science, of politics, of a deadly disease, intertwined with business and the age-old struggle of societal good vs. personal/business gain. I was at first daunted by the size of the book alone, but the writing is so clear, so concise, so reader-friendly that it is an easy read. This is a must read for everyone interested in finding solutions to science-society issues such as AIDS. It is a must read for every health care professional and medical researcher, as well. As a science/health writer myself, I also highly recommend it as a teaching tool for how to write science for the lay person.

Sept. 11 has had a galvanizing effect in reminding Americans that planet earth is really a small place where whatever affects one person ultimately affects us all. The emergence of AIDS in the early 1980s might also have united Americans to fight a common enemy. Might have. But the truth, so compellingly told by Ms. Thomas, is that personalities and politics (both personal and national), prejudice and posturing got in the way of mounting a cohesive campaign. As a result, we are still far from stopping AIDS. Sure, treatments are better, but most of the world cannot afford treatment.
What makes "Big Shot" especially timely is that, as America prepares to fight the "new war," more military personnel will likely be exposed to the AIDS virus. When the GIs line up for vaccinations and grimace comically for the camera, as our fathers and grandfathers did for previous wars, protection against the AIDS virus won't be part of the cocktail. Because there is no vaccine against AIDS.

It's a pretty depressing scenario, but Ms. Thomas retains a wonderfully upbeat message with the subtext "that was then, this is now, so let's move forward."
Besides, she tells a helluva entertaining story.

It's been said that politics, like sausage, is best not seen in the making. But those who wonder why we don't yet have a vaccine or a cure for AIDS need to know why. Pat Thomas takes us behind the scenes and lives of the cast of characters deeply involved in the science, politics and business of one of the most hotly sought-after pharmaceutical products of all time.
"Big Shot" gives us reason to despair that science can ever succeed, given the private and public agendas of so many involved in the AIDS epidemic.
But it also gives us hope, as we see the many dedicated to finding a way to stop the spread of an epidemic that has already claimed 22 million lives. This is a masterful job by one of the best science writers working today -- wonderfully written and compelling.

I think "Big Shot" is the first important nonfiction work of the 21st century. With a clarity and an exuberance not often found in books about hard science, Patricia Thomas explains how politics, human frailty and corporate greed have prevented us from finding a vaccine for AIDS. Comparisons with previous books about AIDS and public policy don't exactly do justice to "Big Shot." If books must be categorized, Thomas' scrupulous research sometimes places this book with top ranking medical journals; but the wonderful writing -- you can almost dance to Thomas' prose -- places it among the better mysteries. In the hands of a lesser writer, the workings of DNA, retroviruses, surface antigens and hard-working proteins would cause one's eyes to glaze over. Instead, I found myself turning pages with Evelynwoodesque speed to get to the next development and the next, wondering which young researcher would win the race to the vaccine goal. Thomas has raised the bar for future books about medical research.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone who would like to learn about the biology of ferrets. There are lots of pictures, both illitrations and photographs of the interal workings of the ferret. It's a great way for anyone interested in ferrets to learn how they work. This book isn't a large one with 330 pages of text and illitration, but the information that it contains is seeping out it's binding. It is very extensive covering everything from ferreting to breeding and the reproductive cycle to common and not so common diseases. With illistrations showing you exactly what everything looks like. This is something every ferret owner should have, and never be without

This book isn't really meant for pet owners, but for those interested in biology, its a good resource. Despite a fairly thorough review of what's known about ferret bio, its decidedly lacking in some areas. One example is the coverage of vision, which is so small it seems a mere afterthought. We're not even treated with a cross-section of the ferret eye, nor any kind of detailed analysis of rod/cone density, optic nerve cross section, and how these might influence visual resolution. Each chapter, however, does include a list of references.

this book is a must for caring ferret owners, especially for those who live in a region where medical information about these animals are not so readily available.

Whilst this book isn't for every ferret owner, it is certainly a signifcant reference for veterinarians, animal technicians, biliogists or the really serious ferret owner. With indepth articles on certain topics (theres a massive section on neurology) most aspects of ferrets biology and diseases are covered in this text. Although the information is becoming a little dated, an update to the text is due out soon. A worthwhile read for anyone who has the time and patience to study it.

This book bridges the gap between the old and new acupuncture. What was previously seen as an exotic, traditional and obscure art is now simplified and quantified by these authors in a way that fits it directly into modern scientific thinking, and by extension, into the work of any contemporary health practitioner who has to treat pain. This book is all that a currently-practicing MD, osteopath, chiropractor, or other practitioner needs to incorporate acupuncture into their work, and in doing so to thoroughly transform and improve their ability to relieve most pain symptoms, and by amplifying the body's own natural healing capability, to cure many common causes of chronic and acute pain. I recommend it wholeheartedly, and anticipate that it will have a far-reaching effect.

Finally there is a biomedical explanation of practical acupuncture system which anyone practicing acupuncture can immediately use. It is easy to read and easy to understand. Explanation of basic neuroanatomy and dynamics of acupoints immediately answers a lot of my practical questions. The best part is their unique easy to follow system which I start to use for pain problems. This book definitely will be the desk reference for many practitioners.
Katrine Levin, London

I am a western trained Osteopathic Family Physician with a strong interest in integrating acupuncture into my clinical practice. I have studied numerous Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) texts and find myself lost and confused. My western trained mind has a difficult time grasping Qi, Essence, Channels, the Four Examinations, the Eight-Principle Pattern Identification. . . What I can grasp are the concepts of Biomedical and Neuroanatomic acupuncture as presented in "Biomedical Acupuncture for Pain Management". If you are a western trained health professional and are interested in learning more about acupunture or are interested in a practical book that can help you integrate acupuncture into your clinical practice, then this book is for you. I strongly recommend that you also look at "Acupuncture, An Anatomic Approach" by Houchi Dung. I carry both of these books back and forth to work every day. I use them and refer to them that often.

I don't know too many physicians who pick up a textbook and consider themselves qualified for an entire branch or subspecialty of medicine. Those who seek to add acupuncture to their practices almost universally do it out of frustration with drugs and surgery, and the quest to help their patients in ways that western medicine cannot. I fall into this category, as do several of my colleagues.

I was not issued this book through my training, but I have purchased a copy and have found it to be very valuable as a reference in many ways. I would highly encourage anyone who is undergoing, or considering undergoing, acupuncture education to get a copy of this book and add it to their library, and if you're already in practice it's critical. Since MANY patients who are seeking acupuncture do so for some complaint related to pain, having a larger armamentarium with which to treat them is beneficial to everyone. Get this book.

i was very much so surprised it came with the other book of core concepts and that i got both of them for that price thank u!...

I read this as an undergraduate while taking a course in medical ethics. I later went on to medical school, and I read a few other texts and many other sources for most of the same material. This book is by far the best of all of these that I've seen. It's almost perfect in the scope it covers and in its readability. It gives a good overview and raises intriguing questions in each section. It almost perfect. I can't recommend it enough. It is well worth a look.

Biomedical Ethics is a wonderful introduction to bioethical issues. The authors' styles of writing are (usually) easily understandable, and the inserted case studies make for interesting reading. More of a textbook than a "quickread".

This is an excellent overview of the myriad of issues that fall under the term "biomedical ethics". This was used as one of the texts for my health care ethics graduate course, and I could actually read this. Although Childress and Beauchamp may be considered the "standards" in the field, they are also when known for being very difficult to read (my prof warned us on day one that their "Introduction" would be very heady, and the warning rang true the moment I opened their book).

This book brings together writings from numerous excellent authors that are all very easy to digest, particularly in light of other "introductions" available. I enjoyed this book immensely. Not only did it help me greatly in my studies, it has also helped me greatly in navigating my own health care. Whether you are reading for academic pursuits, or are otherwise interested enough in the field to buy a book about it, I highly recommend THIS ONE!

If you are a woman looking for a thoughtful review of our modern birthing culture this is a wonderful book. I have read a lot about birth options, perspectives of the birth experience, and midwifery history and philosophy but went away wanting for more. My desire to really explore an informed text about our birthing culture was finally satiated by this book. I am not an anthropologist by training and yet found the book accessible, educational, and challenging. I really suggest this book be read by everyone interested in the birth experience, partners, attendants, birthing woman, or children of technocracy.

If you really want to know what to expect when you're expecting, read this book and Henci Goer's Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth. If you'd really like to remove yourself from the technobirth machine, read Ina May Gaskin's Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Spiritual Midwifery. If you've always thought you might want a natural birth, read Peggy O'Mara's Having a Baby, Naturally. And remember this one thing: If you really (really) want a natural, unmedicated birth, don't give birth in a hospital.

This was a paradigm blowing must read for any woman. A fluid read and with intense narratives. The most educational book I've read in a long time.

The majority of obstetric procedures, from putting on a hospital gown to the birthing position itself, are unnecessary and sometimes dangerous rituals that are perpetuated by an authoritarian system in its desire to maintain control over a virtually uncontrollable process. Robbie Davis-Floyd has studied these rituals of birth; why taking the ride to L&D in the wheelchair sets up an invalid mindset in the laboring woman, and how the lithotomy position robs the woman of her birthing power, forcing her to rely on the medical professions to deliver her baby for her.

It is powerful stuff and difficult to accept, but truth sometimes is.

Mind you, it has been over 13 years since I last read this book. I lent my copy out and lost track of it. I intend to replace it, however, because it is the single most empowering birth book I have encountered--and I've read many. Odent, through his own experience as a physician in Africa and France, developed a highly humble and respectful attitude toward a woman's inate ability to give birth--when supported and given an envirornment in which she is granted the space, saftey and integrity to deliver her child. It was his confidence in and reverence for women and the birth experience that mightily empowered me in my second delivery, which was a home birth. I recommend this book for every mother-to-be regardless of the place and format she has selected for her delivery. In fact, it should be required reading as a part of prenatal care worldwide.

This was the most important book I read on childbirth. Odent displays sensitivity and respect for women in this book. He sees himself and all physicians as facilitating a natural process, which ultimately empowers a woman to tap into her safest and most trusted self to experience the most intimate of all life's experiences. In addition to Odent's insights from years of groundbreaking experience, the book includes journal entries from women at his clinic. These writings provided me with a community of women who shared their experiences, giving me the peace of mind and confidence to gently bring my baby into this world. For us, this meant a home birth with a midwife. Anyone in the least bit nervous about childbirth would find support in these pages.

On the surface, Birth Reborn is a detailed description of the transformation in birthing practices that occurred at Pithiviers, a state run French hospital. Questioning conventional obstetrical wisdom, Dr. Michel Odent led this change at Pithiviers.

On a deeper level, Dr. Odent's experience is a profound message to birthing women and the professionals who work with them. For prospective parents, Dr. Odent's work at Pithiviers empowers women to believe in their ability to birth naturally with minimal intervention. Following their instincts, women naturally know what to do. They are the experts!

More importantly, for professionals who work with birthing women, Dr. Odent's book encourages one to question conventional obstetrical practice. Is birth really a disaster waiting to happen? Does interference in the process produce better results? Or, does it inevitably introduce new complications? Dr. Odent's work exemplifies that birth is indeed a natural process whose outcome is best when left untouched by modern medicine. Scientific evidence supports this premise. Intervention should be the exception, not the rule!

In sum, Birth Reborn is a good choice for prospective parents. Through it, a woman will develop a confidence in her instinctive, natural ability to give birth. Meanwhile, her partner gains insight into her experience and how he can assist her in the best manner possible. Though an excellent choice for parents, Birth Reborn should be required reading for those who work with prospective parents, particularly birth attendants. One should never be afraid to question commonly held beliefs. After all, that is how progress is made!

If you have never seen a woman give birth in a completely natural way, without interventions (and I hadn't when I first read it), this book will be very informative and, perhaps, surprising. When I chose to pursue childbirth in an out-of-hospital birth center, I wanted to buy this book again to remind myself of how birth should be. The book is moving, inspiring, and simply a wonderful documentation of the beauty of the birthing experience. I believe that any person interested in the miracle of birth should read this book. Especially, any woman who is planning a home birth or a birth center birth, or wants a non-medicated birth in a hospital should consider this book mandatory reading. The book is about natural, unmedicated childbirth - the attitudes and the emotions as well as some of the how-tos and some medical information. It contains many photographs of the birth process and of the center in France where the births take place. There's no other book like it, and I've read a lot of childbirth books.

An excellent source for those who are interested in the governance of health care organizations. Relations of staff and CEO to boards are critical to the effective functioning of health organizations. This book provides the tools to more effectively understand how to harness and lead the power of boards to the best advantage of the organization. Pointer and Orlikoff are two of the best (actually unique) individuals in this important area. They have used the knowledge acquired through work with a large number of organizations to help understand how they work and how to work with them. Must reading for CEOs, board members and those who interact with boards.

Outstanding! This book is great - not only for health care organizations, but boards at all levels - small business, corporate, even community and homeowner associations. It is practical and resourceful, providing me with an action list to make my board interactions more effective.

This book provides excellent tools and guidleines to take governance into the 21st century. Dennis Pointer and James Orlikoff provide fresh ideas and insights into how boards can effectively and successfully enhance their organizations. This book should be read by every health care board who wants to make a difference in their organization.

Board Work is as clear and practical a work on governance as I've ever read. I commend it to new and experienced board members, to the chairs of governance committees charged with board improvement, and to the executives who staff boards.

As a trustee and governance consultant, I know these authors and have heard them speak -- and it was a pleasure to see how well the book transfers their years of experience into print.

The book works so well because it is built on a straight-forward model that the authors carry throughout every chapter. The model suggests that healthcare boards (and most other boards, for that matter) have five central roles: defining organizational ends, ensuring management performance; overseeing financial performance; overseeing quality; and providing for the board's own structure, composition and effectiveness. Boards carry out these roles in three ways: by making policies, making decisions, and overseeing performance. One of the book's strongest components is explaining how - in order to define organizational ends - a board identifies the organization's stakeholders and their expectations. Few boards do this at all, much less do it well.

Board Work joins books by John Carver, William Bowen, Cyril Houle and Richard Chaitt as an exceptional contribution to the emerging body of pragmatic governance literature.

I recommend it highly.

Carolyn Thomas de la Pena has written a masterful book. In exploring the ways Americans have used their bodies to understand new technologies, she sheds light on the origins of our own interactions with modern machines. The author supports her findings with meticulously researched facts, and it is clear she spent exhausting hours in the archives, combing through newspaper articles, advertisements, and product materials. She does an equally thorough job of contextualizing her conclusions. By linking her findings to social and cultural shifts taking place at the same time people were drinking radium water or experimenting with electric belts, she strengthens her argument and is able to draw new and important conclusions about the ways Americans were using technology around the turn of the twentieth century. Her clear and concise writing style make the book a smooth and enjoyable read, besides being one that is extremely relevant to our modern lives.

As I read this book, I marveled at the way in which Ms. Thomas de la Pena explained in detail the obsession Americans have had for so long with physical fitness and weight loss techniques; the belief by many Americans that their bodies, after use of some of these documented, extreme -- to us -- measures, would emerge greatly improved. This book helps us energy-bar-eating, aerobically-charged, iron-pumping 21st-Century individuals understand how it is that we got this way!

This book shows that our current obsessions with our bodies and machines have roots as old as the rise of consumer electricity. Technology in America takes on religious forms. And Professor de la Pena shows the extent of influence of such ideas as "electricity as therapy." This is so well written you won't be able to put it down. It explains complex technological details in clear and precise terms. Its influence should last a long time.

A delightful history of our American obsession with self-improvement and reinvention, our love affair with gimmicks and gadgetry, and our unshakable devotion to the promise of the quick fix. A font of well-researched information treated with humor and insight, this book provides a rich context for the ongoing body-image debate in present day American culture. Highly recommended!