Amazon.com Review
Popular media doc Dean Edell, M.D., is at the top of his game here, offering wit and wisdom on all things health related. Are you wondering which wrinkle treatments work? Where on the body there has never been a report of cancer? Whether men notice cellulite? What to do about LSD flashbacks, 30 years later?
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Healthiness treats an array of popular health topics, with chapters on obesity, sex, alternative medicine, children, aging, "the business of beauty," and more. Edell loosely follows the successful formula of his radio program, using Q&A format to impart facts, perspective, and often a spirited opinion (e.g. "Doctors will get off their pedestals when patients get off their knees" and "Sex is the most available and direct route to ecstasy that we know"), and includes Web resources. You'll learn about a battery of diseases, conditions, and procedures, as diverse as depression, cancer, anorexia (there's a heart-breaking question from a 5'2" 21-year-old who weighs 70 pounds and wants to weigh 60 pounds), infertility, and herbal medicines. The book is so engrossing that you'll want to read it even if you're not looking for something specific. Edell, a radio doctor for 25 years, currently has eight million listeners. Highly recommended for Edell fans and for folks who haven't discovered him yet.
--Joan Price
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Edell, author of Eat, Drink and Be Merry, presents relaxed and practical advice familiar to the millions of people who have watched him on TV or listened to him on radio. Changes in the health care system can make it difficult for patients to get the treatment they want: Edell offers advice to them and also addresses the many advances in scientific research such as hormone therapy and cancer that can be confusing to physicians, let alone patients. The book is organized in general subject areas-including sex, women's issues, children, alternative medicine, aging and addiction-that feature a short introduction, resource list and q&as. These sections are logical, although there are occasional entries that seem almost trivial, compared to more serious issues. For example, Edell answers the question of whether "eating seaweed makes your hair grow thicker." Overall, however, the questions Edell fields are very specific and relevant to many, and cover a wide range of topics. It's unlikely that this volume will replace the many other health titles, but it is a useful reference, especially for advice on nutrition and alternative medicine
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--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
