Pharmacy Books

Big, bountiful, beautiful book. Heavy, hard to get around, huge for transport reference guide. Quite expensive and not very portable... palm pilot version would be nice or quick, pocket reference....

I do locum tenens (temporary) doctoring and when I go on an assignment this is the first book to go in my suitcase. I take it to the office with me in the morning and take it home at night in case I get a question that I need it for. It is clear, concise, comprehensive and as authoritative as any text can be. If you care for or prescribe meds to pregnant or lactating women, this is a "must have".

I found this book very helpful in getting clear on the key controversies in stoic philosophy of mind.
My main reason for not giving this book a five-star rating is because I had the impression that the author could have made his points in far few words than he often did. The added verbiage made the book somewhat slow and tedious in a few parts, giving the impression that the author was more concerned with impressing the reader than with enlightening him. But all in all an informative work.

What are emotions ? Are they felt movements occasioned or caused by our judgements, as held by the founder of the Stoic school, Zeno of Citium ? Are they our mistaken judgements themselves, accompanied by felt movements, as argued by his successor, Chrysippus ? Or do they sometimes originate in some irrational part of the self, as claimed by Posidonius, «the Stoic who deliberately reverted to Plato's tripartite psychology» ?

Should we eradicate them, as most Stoics and some Church Fathers advocated, or should we merely moderate them, as the Aristotelians and most Church Fathers held ?

And what methods of control and/or eradication are available to us ? What works and what does not ? Is it sufficient to reappraise the situations we are confronted with as indifferent and to consider it inappropriate to react emotionally to them, as Chrysippus taught ? Should our emotions be purged by catharsis as Aristotle believed ? Or should we play them off against each other in order to get rid of unwanted moods, as the Christian Desert Father Evagrius recommended ? Are some aspects of emotion- the so-called «first movements»- unavoidable, as modern neurophysiology seems to prove ? And do they pose a threat to the Stoic program of eradication, or can they be meaningfully defined away as non-emotions ?

These are some of the highly challenging questions Richard Sorabji, Professor of Ancient Philosophy at King's College London, addresses in this sweeping survey of classical theories of emotions and emotional control, from Plato to St Augustine.

The author himself is not a Christian : he rejects the doctrine of Original Sin, which he quaintly describes as «dear to Jerome and Augustine» ; defends «models of marriage more favourable [ ?] than Augustine's, for example Plutarch's» (which is presented as more « romantic » and as seeing «sex as a treaty whose renewal enables you to put up with the annoyances of daily living») ; and regrets the Pelagians did not win the «political battle» for orthodoxy against St Augustine. But though he evinces the modern scholarly antagonism to the latter's view of lust, he does recognize him as «a philosopher for whose genius I have repeatedly expressed my admiration.»

Neither is Sorabji a Stoic. But he goes so far as to admit that «the case against eradication [of the emotions] is not so obvious as one might take it to be at first», which has the merit of turning a modern prejudice back into an open question.

The book will be of interest both to historians of ideas, who seek to understand how (mostly Stoic) Pagan views of emotion were developed and enriched across the centuries, and how they were absorbed into and reformulated by the Christians of the Patristic age ; and to anybody who has begun to question the appropriateness of having whatever emotions he happens to have and aspires to a more ordered affective life.

Though dense, highly detailed and occasionally very technical (as in its 20-page analysis of the formation of the modern concept of will), *Emotions and Peace of Mind* is a very accessible book which spares the reader untranslated quotations or terms. Whatever Greek or Latin words are used in the text are always well-defined and/or translated, and it is very easy to get along by jotting down a short glossary of less than a dozen recurrent Stoic terms (like horme, oikeiosis, proairesis or akrasia.)

Another recently published treatment of Stoicism I highly recommend is A. A. Long's *Epictetus : A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life*.

This is a very well written and organized introduction to pharmaceutical chemistry, and for a non-chemist is reasonably easy to follow, especially with definitions being complete and included when needed. Tutorial examples are very helpful. Overall, the content is instructional and practical. I can recomend this book especially to those not too familiar the subject matter.

I have read the book and will recommend it as the textbook for pharmacy students. It covers most relevant chemistry topics for pharmacists and does so in just the right amount of explanatory detail. The selection of topics is very good and the text does not assume that pharmacy undergraduates must learn all the topics which chemistry undergraduates do.
It is truly a well thought out applied chemistry text.

This is a very well written and organized introduction to pharmaceutical chemistry, and for a non-chemist is reasonably easy to follow, especially with definitions being complete and included when needed. Tutorial examples are very helpful. Overall, the content is instructional and practical. I can recomend this book especially to those not too familiar the subject matter.

I have read the book and will recommend it as the textbook for pharmacy students. It covers most relevant chemistry topics for pharmacists and does so in just the right amount of explanatory detail. The selection of topics is very good and the text does not assume that pharmacy undergraduates must learn all the topics which chemistry undergraduates do.
It is truly a well thought out applied chemistry text.

I have used many of Valerie's recipes for many years (on a personal level) and have been delighted and have greatly benefited from the results. So the conditioner on page 200 is the first one that hasn't 'worked' and I wonder why? I am the sort of girl that meticulously counts out 6 grains of salt if that is what the recipe says so I followed her conditioner recipe exactly. The problem? Well, the instructions say to rinse off and I did, hmmm and did again, and did again. Sticky, greasy hair still described my dark locks. I tried the Vinegar rinse. I then resorted to shampooing off (which Valerie advises for some of the other conditioners) which resulted in only slightly less sticky, greasy hair. Still not able to go out into the world arena. My hair felt yuk!

It was only when I washed my hair again, (this time with a commercial shampoo) that I was able to remove the residual oil of the conditioner.
Disappointing and extremely time consuming. Thank goodness I wasn't washing my hair prior to a big night out.

Can any 'guru' out there help me with this? Is there a misprint in the book? I love making my own personal care products and want to make my own conditioner as well. Please advise. Thank you!

Excellent book. Very good explanations and very helpful with finding remedies for all the common ailments. I reference this book all the time and basically can't do without it. I recommend it very highly.

A must for pharmasists and physicians concerned with compounding drugs for more personalized care. This book brings to light some of the alternative medicines along with the conventional. Dr. Ghen's approach to medicine brings back the belief that you must treat not only the problem but the individual.

Reference guide for the physician Steven J. Bock, MD

The last quarter of the 20th century witnessed the emergence of integrative medicine. Previously, healthcare practitioners faced increasing pressure to make cookbook diagnostic and treatment protocols to facilitate coding and reimbursement. This led to an attempt to fit the patient's "dis-ease" into the treatment, instead of fitting the treatment to the patient. In contrast, integrative medicine evaluates each individual's symptoms, what they mean, in whom they are occurring, and what that patient needs. Pharmaceutical compounding has endured the same restraints and is now enjoying a rebirth. A compounding pharmacy can expertly mix and dispense various medications and natural supplements in a unique prescription for a patient's unique problem. Editors Mitchell Ghen, D.O., Ph.D., and John Rains, compounding pharmacist, F.A.C.A., have pulled together a significant reference guide on pharmacologic compounding: The Ghen and Rains Physicians' Guide to Pharmaceutical Compounding. (Green Bay: IMPAKT Communications, Inc., 2000). Standard medications will probably work for 80 percent of your patients. However, the other 20 percent may need something special. For example, a menopausal woman may have multiple concerns. Perhaps she experiences certain symptomatology, including a personal or family history of cancer, gastrointestinal problems from oral medication, side effects secondary to allergy, and a unique liver metabolic detox profile for the breakdown of hormones. Her physician may be cognizant of these needs but hampered by the pharmacologic preparations available. Her physician may want to get measurements of the patient's hormones, possibly by blood or salivary determination, and then prescribe a transdermal hormonal preparation, a custom-tailored combination of estriol, estradiol, natural progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA. A qualified compounding pharmacy can specifically design a unique formula for that patient. The Ghen and Rains Physicians' Guide to Pharmaceutical Compounding provides an excellent overview of the myriad aspects involved in compounding a prescription. Mr. Rains gives us a detailed description of the equipment and processes that compounding pharmacies use to implement a formula. The authors discuss the various vehicles and dispersion solutions that are available, and their advantages. You'll learn about the many ways that analgesics can be dispersed, such as rectally or transdermally. Chapters are included on bio-identical hormones, anti-aging nutraceuticals, and homeopathic compounding. The chapter on homeopathic prescribing offers a clear, concise description of homeopathy for the uninitiated physician. There are also sections on bioavailability of various medications, and information on preservatives, stabilizers, flavorings, and coloring agents. I especially enjoyed the chapters on analgesics, nutritional formulations, and rehabilitation/sports medicine, where the authors share sample prescriptions. This will give practitioners a strong starting point so they may eventually create their own unique prescriptions based on their patients' needs. The Ghen and Rains Guide includes professional monographs for over 200 compounding prescriptions for a multitude of conditions. These formulas range from bromelain PLO gel for treating painful inflammation, to testosterone PLO gel preparations. One can also compound DMPS or DMSA, preservative-free medications such as clonidine solution, or preservative-free nutrients such as taurine injectables. Again, this section provides a well-tested armamentarium for established protocols, as well as a starting point from which to create new avenues for your treatments. This is an indispensable office manual for medical practitioners who want to explore the potential of compound prescription writing. In this new millennium, we are becoming more aware of the unlimited amount of medical information and possibilities available to us. We need to make the treatment fit the patient, rather than trying to make the patient fit the treatment. The top-down style of pharmaceutical treatments may work for many of our patients, but we also need the option of customized, individualized products, such as compounded prescriptions. The Ghen and Rains Guide is the first textbook in this field that typifies a shift in the healthcare system. It puts the patient first with respect to prescription remedies. I recommend it highly, and feel it will be very helpful to many primary care physicians, OB-GYN specialists, orthopedists, rehabilitation practitioners, pain-management specialists, and other physicians who choose to expand their repertoire.

A classic standby...for checking unfamiliar generic names, or new meds, to confirming suggested dosage limits. Small enough for a coat pocket, but generally up to date enough to be very useful.

This was the best 20$ I spent on a book in college, and it has still worked well for me in practice. Outlined with each drug is cost information and clinical pearls/pertinents which are extremely useful. Very user-friendly!

This is one of the few books on the market for salt selection of pharmaceutical compounds. It has some of the most useful tables I have found anywhere. It is, however, a little lean on methods of salt selection. Overall, I would say this text has become one of the most important tools for preformulation salt selection that I have.

All,
This is a must have book for the Medicinal/Formulation Chemist. It's a bit pricey (or maybe I am just a frugal Scotsman !) but worth it. It gives an incite into the direction chemist should take when making pharmaceutically acceptable salts and things to look for. Wish some sections were expanded upon, but there we go.
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Brian

"The Healing Kitchen - An Indoor Herb-Garden Pharmacy for Cooks" is a small, excellent book for gardeners, particularly those of us who enjoy container &/or indoor gardening. After a brief introduction, the book is divided into chapters for each of the following herbs: Sweet Basil, Curly Chervil, Garlic Chives, Dill, French Lavender, Ginger, Italian Parsley, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Sweet Marjoram, Mizuna, Nasturtium, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage & Thyme. Each chapter starts with a one-page line drawing, description of the herb & its uses in cooking & healing, an excellent photo, & a one-page how-to describing the (brief) Botany, the container to use, how to plant, Light, Temperature, Water & Food and When to Harvest. Each chapter ends with one page each of an "food" recipe and a "healing" recipe using the chapter's featured herb.
This book has everything anyone needs to successfully grow herbs in containers indoors. The writing is easy to understand & follow, the photos are excellent, the instructions for growing & the recipes are succint. It gets right down to it, without any superfluous or complicated nonsense. The book is only 80 pages long, and that's all it needs to be!
The only difficulty is that the book came out in 1996 & is out of print. I discovered it through the public library. To order it, you must use Amazon's used book merchants, which I'm doing now, because I liked the book so much. I consider the book a must-have, alongside my various Taylor's Gardening guides.

This book gives instructions on growing, gathering and using your herbs. Each herb is divided into it's own section for growing, and two recipes are included for each herb: one for cooking and one for pleasure or healing. This book was well organized.

It's basic book on many herbs. Anyone interested in natural medicine should buy and own this book. More about this book, as well as some other important books on health can be found at starthealthylife.com You can get there some free ebooks on many health topics, as well as buy some popular books on health . Also look for special gift packages.

An old time herbalist tells all she's learned carried down from generation to generation. Includes herbal advise for just about any illness of which they are all listed (cancer to the common cold) with explanations of all the medicinal herbs and how to prepare them; drying, teas, tinctures (essences), juices, pulp, poultices, ointments and oils, compresses, and herbal baths. How to collect them and the back has great color plates so you can identify herbs. My very first book on herbs. Hard to understand for a beginning book, but a good one for anyone interested in herbs.