health Books

This is a really fascinating read! For people who are interested in the unknown reasons for why tragic events happen, Goss's book will surely be a best seller. I don't think anyone could write fiction as unbelievable as this.

--An "I can't wait for more like this" fan.

As a health care professional, I was definitely impressed by THE LUCKIEST UNLUCKY MAN ALIVE. I have always been interested in the outcomes of illness and how people relate to the same situations differently. The outcome is in the belief system of the afflicted. This book talks about getting past adversity that we all have to face at some time in our life. It is really fascinating, especially for those of us who want to find meaning in the tragic events that plague us mortals.

I loved the book and it reminds us all how short life is and how we need to live it to the fullest. I have already loaned the book to a melanoma survivor in hopes it will be an inspirational story to her.

It is easy to read and well worth the money.

YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK ON PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL FULFILLMENT! If people invested their money like Bill Goss invested in life, we'd all be billionaires.....Executives can relate with Bill's background as a Navy pilot because we too fly high-performance aircraft at over 500 mph---it's called your company---and we're all on this plane together---and we don't want to crash and burn either! ..................YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO GET YOUR TWO HANDS ON THIS BOOK AND READ EVERY WORD OF IT!

Retired Navy pilot Bill Goss' autobiography chronicles his life-threatening experiences, including a bout with a quick-killing cancer, auto accidents, a plane wreck and the collapse of a mine that left him dangling over a chasm by his safety belt.

The Associated Press...

Syracuse Herald American, November 7, 1999...

....Young Bill Goss plunged his head into a sink full of water, hoping to get the wethead look of Elvis Presley. His head wedged between two facets as the water poured in. Bill, just 9 years old then, thought for sure he was going to drown.

"My screams dissipated into gurgling noises, since my face was immersed in the water," he recalls. "My head was too big and the basin too small. There was simply no way I could get my hands around my face to to unplug the lifesaving stopper and drain the water. That's when I knew I was going to die."

Goss survived by ripping out two hunks of scalp, denting the facet handles. It was the first of 30 near-death experiences that he says he survived over the next three decades. From mine collapses to plane wrecks, his dances with the grim reaper are recounted in his book, "The Luckiest Unlucky Man Alive."

TAKING ON CANCER. The most threatening of the retired Navy pilot's experiences began five years ago with a small pink cyst-like bump behind his ear. Navy and civilian doctors told him to get his life in order because the cyst was a rare form of malignant melanoma, a quick killer. In a desperate attempt to stay alive, Goss found a doctor who removed his left ear and 200 lymph nodes.

The stitches along the side of his head and down his neck made the dashing naval officer look like he had been put together with spare parts. Reconstructive surgery helped him look normal again, but for a while he had to glue on his silicon ear with rubber cement.

Greg O'Neil, a Cinncinnati businessman and lifelong friend of Goss who was with him on several misadventures, thought the cancer would kill Goss.

"I was devastated. I thought this was it for Bill," said O'Neil, who grew up with Goss in the Millburn, N.J. area.

Goss, 44, has been cancer-free for five years now. "I lucked out," he said. "I learned from those dark days that behind every challenge are great opportunities."

O'Neil doesn't see Goss as being unlucky.

He was always able to pull something positive out of bad circumstances," O'Neil said. "Bill Goss is like 'Forrest Gump' meets 'Terminator II."

BRUSHES WITH DISASTER. Few people, however, would wish to be quite as "lucky" as Goss.

While attending University of Arizon in 1974, he worked weekends at a nearby copper mine. He was rigging blasting caps 5,000 feet underground to clear a chute along a 40 foot hole when he heard the sound of splitting granite. When the dust cleared, he was dangling over the chasm by his safety belt.

In 1985, Goss was in Spain as a Navy pilot of a P-3 Orion, an aircraft used for tracking soviet submarines and drug runners. He was doing test landings when a crew member inadvertently shut down one of the planes four engines.

"Suddenly the aircraft snapped to the left more violently than before," he wrote in his autobiography. "It departed the left side of the runway, twisting off the landing gear and causing the number 3 propeller to touch the ground. That instantly tore the entire 4600 shaft horsepower engine propeller assembly off the aircraft. I remember seeing it out the corner of my eye as it flew over the right wing."

Damage amounted to $3.5 million. No one was injured.

In 1991, Goss stopped his car on Interstate 295 in Jacksonville to remove a box of garbage from the roadway. As he stood in the median, he was struck by a car going about 50 mph. The police report stated he flew 45 feet through the air and he had an out-of-body experience, but he escaped without serious injury.

"It felt great to be dead, still able to think but no longer constrained to my physical being," Goss wrote. "I felt my mind and spirit advance out beyond our stars. In the big picture; I mean the really big picture, time, space, distance, structure, weight, dimension -- these things have no meaning -- only human spirit does."

His cancer forced Goss to retire from the Navy. Now he spends much of his time writing and giving inspirational and motivational talks, billing himself as a "totally unique speaker" on his website: www.luckiestman.com

Bill Goss lives on historic Fleming Island, in Orange Park, southwest of Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife Peggy and their 12-year-old twins, Brian and Christie. He said the kids were his inspiration for writing the book.

"I wanted to leave something behind -- something for my kids to remember me by just in case I didn't make it -- something to let them know who their dad was," he said.

"Bill has been knocked down, but never out, and he would always rise again. The guy I married has nine lives," Peggy said. "My problem was I didn't know what number he was on."

You'll want to read this book.

After reading Dr. Dean's original magnesium book, I ordered her revised version. She included transdermal magnesium application in this revised edition. Transdermal magnesium is very effective. Transdermal magnesium is on of the most effective applications I have come across for use in musculoskeletal issues. I have applied it in fomentations on frozen shoulders, knee problems, back issues all have had expedited results. If you liked this book, you should check out "Transdermal Magnesium Therapy" by Mark Sircus.

This isn't your typical "you need Magnesium so here is where you buy it" and then bloated with a bunch of pages with a thousand sources that anyone can easily find on the internet. This is good reading and well done to open your eyes and make you aware, not only of the need, but the reasons. If you want hand-holding go to the health food store but if you want an education on the subject, this a good one.

This book will teach you about what everyone needs to know and have more off in the diet. Check out what others say and buy the book today. A book that urgently needs to be read.

I knew magnesium was important from other books I had read, and other classes I had taken, but I didn't realize how many things reduce the amount in the body such as, exercise, sweating, stress, prescription drugs, fluoride, and calcium supplementation. Magnesium is necessary to properly metabolize calcium, and it keeps calcium in solution in the body, so it prevents calcifications, which are quite common.

Magnesium is therapeutic in treating the following:
1. Anxiety and panic attacks- because it helps keep adrenal stress hormones under control
2. Asthma - both histamine production and bronchial spasms increase with magnesium deficiency
3. Blood clots - magnesium prevents blood clots and thins blood without side effects.
4. Bowel disease - magnesium deficiency is one of the main causes of constipation.
5. Cystitis - bladder spasms are worsened by a magnesium deficiency.
6. Depression - serotonin (mood elevator) is dependent on magnesium for its production and function.
7. Heavy metals - magnesium is essential for the removal of heavy metals such as aluminum and lead.
8. Diabetes - magnesium facilitates the production of insulin and the transfer of glucose into the cells.
9. Fatigue - magnesium deficiency affects hundreds of enzymes, and fatigue is one of the first signs of a magnesium deficiency.
10. Heart disease - The heart requires magnesium as does all muscles.
11. Hypertension, hypoglycemia, insomnia, kidney disease, migraines, nerve problems, PMS, osteoporosis, Raynaud's syndrome, and tooth decay are all aggravated, and sometimes caused by a magnesium deficiency.

Calcium causes muscles to contract, while magnesium gives them the ability to relax. This is why it is so helpful in the treatment of heart disease, asthma, migraines, PMS and Raynaud's syndrome.

She told a very scary story where a Florida high school football coach gave his players a calcium supplement on a very hot day before a game. Eleven players became disoriented and had difficulty walking. Their speech was slurred, they complained of muscles spasms, and they were breathing very deeply. Within an hour eight of the boys collapsed into full-blown seizures. Thirteen of the players reported headaches, blurred vision, muscle twitching, nausea, and weakness. They all eventually recovered. The heat, exercise, and calcium supplementation had driven their magnesium levels dangerously low. Magnesium deficiency may play a role in sudden cardiac death syndrome as seen with athletes.

She generally recommends 600-1,000 mgs, and depending on your health condition will determine what type of magnesium to take. This is one of the better books I have read on natural health care. I'm currently working on a summary for myself, I'm about halfway through and already have four pages of notes. I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about natural healthcare.

"The Magnesium Miracle" is a well written, understandable look at this key mineral. The book details the studies done showing magnesium's role in the healing of so many disease conditions. As the author rightfully says, "We are not drug deficient, but rather nutrient deficient." Also, all the key minerals and vitamins are synergistic in their operation. This means that they work togehter to procuce the desired effect. For example, calcium is a muscle contractent, while magnessium is a muscle relaxant. For magnesium and calcium to do their jobs you also need vitamin D, copper, maganese, boron and zinc. Also these nutrients need to be in the proper ratio to each other. You might have heard that you need two parts calcium to one part magnesium. The author contends that you need one part calcium to one part magnesium. I agree with her.

The author stresses the importance of a healthful diet with whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, cold water fish, organic meat, beans, nuts and seeds. She also gives you a supplement protocal for every disease condition talked about in the book. She isn't for mega doses of any one nutrient, but the right ratio of all the needed nutrients. I've known quite a few people, who while professing to be supplement takers, are slip-shod about the whole thing.This approach will not provide the necessary nutrients on a daily basis that are essential to regaining your health. You need to be responsible and discipline yourself to follow a supplement protocal and eat at regular times as well.

The author tells you about the various kinds of magnesium, how readily each one is absorbed by the body and whether they can cause loose stools in sensative people. Dr. Dean takes all the guess work out of chosing a magnesium supplement.

The one negative comment is where the author tells people with certain disease conditions to lay off meat. While some people need more protein and fat than others, we all need some in our diet. Because of the way most animals are raised, of all the foods to purchase organically meat is the most important. While organic meat is definitely more expensive, especially if you are already sick, you do not want to be eating growth hormones, antibiotics, etc. Some people are carbodydrate types, others are mixed types, while still others need a higher fat and protein diet. One simple way to determine your food type is to ask yourself what kind of chicken you most perfer. If like me you love dark meat, you are probably in the last catagory. If you perfer white meat the opposite is probably true. If both are equally appelaing you are probably a mixed diet person. For a more detailed test on this important subject go to Joseph Mercola's website.

I would also highly recommend you you read "Vitamin D Is It The Fountain of Youth?" by Paul Stitt. Vitamin D is another miracle nutrient. The more I study on nutrients the more convinced I become that only what our Creator designed us to function on will produce abundant health. We can't eat junk food, take a multi vitamin and be healthy. Also, lipitor will never replace magnesium. And while natural remedies such as herbs, chiropracitc, etc definitely have their place in a healthful lifestyle they don't replace proper eating, drinking enough water, getting adequate sleep, exercse, sunshine and fresh air. Also having a right relationship with God and close, healthy personal relationships is key to health. We need to learn to take responsiblility in every area of our lives.

This is a GREAT book. I bought it after my husband had by pass surgery and have never looked back.
I collect cookbooks and it is my "go to" book for everything. Have not run across a bad recipe. From soup to cake, everything is great. The carrot cake is YUMMY and heart healthy!! So far have given 5 of these books to friends and they too love it. Can not wait for the new book coming in May '07.

Norene Giletz has done an outstanding job with this cookbook. It is packed with well-written, thoroughly tested recipes, with enough variety to keep any home cook happy. Every recipe I have tried has been delicous, and easily prepared. The whole-wheat challah is a regular on our table. This is a perfect book for truly healthy cooking, without fad dieting. The recipes are for real people, and real cooks.

Mealleaniyumm (pronounced similar to "millenium") is an excellent book on healthy eating habits for the kosher or not person! It is packed with 800 recipes, all delicious AND nutritious.

Kosher foods are foods permitted to be eaten by the Jewish dietary law as described in the Bible. Forbidden foods include pork, wild game, horse, shellfish, fish without scales (such as eels), snakes, camels, hippos, bears and fermented drinks (with the exception of wine). Also, dairy products and meats must not come into contact. Therefore, if you are craving a turkey and cheddar sandwich, you won't be able to eat it!

What I enjoyed most was that there was a nutritional analysis for each recipe. There were also tips on how to cut fat and add fiber to recipes. And if you are a vegetarian, fear not, there are numerous recipes for you in here as well!

This cookbook contains recipes with easy-to-read instructions, as well as easy-to-find ingredients. There are tips on how to save time, a substitution guide, and recipe variations. She shows us how to read a label, and how to eat healthier. She suggests some pantry staples, an herb guide, ideas on how to cut fat and much more!

Excellent recipes to try are: Oven-Roasted Vegetables, Terrific Tofu Stir-Fry, Luscious Lemon Squares, Jumble Berry Crisp, Skinny Potato Skins and Herbed Lemon Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms.

This is a fabulous book. With more than 800 recipes, healthy eating tips, with easy-to-read instructions, this book is an excellent addition to anyone's library!

This cookbook is invaluable to anyone who likes to cook healthy. 800 recipes that are easy to follow, nutritious AND tasty. You won't run out of ideas or resort to the same old tired broiled chicken and iceburg lettuce salad ever again!

Did you know that using Prune Puree as a substitute for fat in baking adds lots of fibre? One cup equals 12 grams!

While the recipes alone are worth the cost of the book, the accompanying nutritional information (for each recipe), the food substitutions, the food tips and hints, etc. make MealLeaniYummi a must for any kitchen!

My first dish was "Mom's Rice Pudding". My husband LOVES Rice Pudding and I've always been too intimidated to attempt it. Norene's recipe was so simple, the directions so clear that I was sure of success and my husband pronounced the dessert "delicious"!

I can't wait to try the Whole Wheat Pitas, the Tuna Caponata, the Bean, Barley & Sweet Potato Soup, Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms . . . Well, you get the idea!!

This is one cookbook that destined to be food-splattered!

Good news! You were introduced to MEALLEANIYUMM! by Canadian cookbook maven, Norene GIlletz, in 1998. Now the updated and revised edition, Mealleaniyumm!: 800 Fast, Fabulous & Healthy Recipes is available for public consumption.

As a professional book review columnist, I'm pleased to see another edition of Mealleaniyumm! available for health conscious readers who are searching for delicious ways to eat well. You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy the wonderful, home-style recipes created by this author because this quick and easy cookbook, which focuses on low-fat, nutritious cuisine, is perfect for EVERYONE.

Emphasizing the use of every day ingedients, author Gilletz's step-by-step recipe directions, timesaving tips, substitutions and recipe variations are a real bonus. One of the best features of this cookbook is the complete nutritional analysis which accompanies each recipe. Healthful hints about fat, fiber, cholesterol, calories, calcium, etc. are especially helpful to anyone with special dietary concerns.

Whether you have diabetes, are a cardiac patient, vegetarian or just plain love good food, this book offers recipes from family fare to bountiful buffets, perfect for today's time-challenged cook. Five out of five enthusiastic stars to this cookbook and its author, Norene Gilletz!

This book provides an honest description of how SAR calls are organized and carried out. Essential reading for any wilderness first responder and outdoor enthusiast, because it unveils the reality of wilderness rescues. Well written using easily understandable language and concepts. Helps bridge the gap between first responder and trained rescuer without being a "how to" guide.

A great read, exciting action, the author's style holds your interest.
I will absolutely make it part of my mountaineering oriented first aid classes!

Superb! That is the one word I'd use to sum up my reaction to this well written, un-put-downable book. The author captures the beauty of the mountains and the nuances in the behaviors of those who love the challenges of the wilderness. This book made me laugh and yes, made me cry. I recommend it highly.

Great message
Anyone that has set foot in the outdoors needs to read this book. I find it refreshing today that there are people, like Doc Tilburg and the Crag Rats, that are willing to risk their lives for the bennifit of others without being highly compensated. The book is very enlightening by exposing us to real life situations and it is a book that you will read cover to cover in one sitting. For entertainment and the human tales the book is worth twice the price

"Mountain Rescue Doctor" is the perfect addition to any outdoor enthusiast's book shelf. The harrowing accounts of rescue in a multitude of environments leaves the reader captivated throughout the story. The mix of adrenaline pumping high angle rescues and true personal accounts of such a lifestyle add depth to this incredible novel.

As a Ski Patroller and aspiring physician, this book was too good to put down. I highly recommend this account of life as a search and rescue doctor to any wilderness junkie or rocking chair adventurist. Van Tilburg truly inspires you to chase your dreams and get outside!

A cannot-put-down book for all including the non-outdoor enthusiasts and/or non-health care providers. Dr. Van Tilburg vividly describes as only a particpant can the different, current scenarios & their outcomes. The reader feels as if we too are on these incredible rescues in one of the most spectacular natural settings in North America: Mount Hood & the Hood River Valley. A book,its valiant heroes & heroines plus unforgettable stories that the reader can never forget.

This book is great- between the detailed illustrations, the extensive lists of muscle functions and the breakdown of why the muscle does what it does, it really helped me to learn. The only think I didn't love is the order the muscles are listed in, in my brain they would have been logically grouped together a bit differently, especially when it comes to trunk muscles.

I bought this book after attending one of Dr. Muscolino's cadaver lab workshops. I highly recommend this book and, if you are thinking about a cadaver workshop, I recommend that as well. Dr. Muscolino is very knowledgeable, caring and sensitive.

It is nice to find a book dedicated to the muscular system. Although the graphics are simple (not photographic), the information and the lay out are great for learning and understanding of the muscles. The best pages in this book are those that lay out the muscular attachments of a region of the body.

Highly recommended for anyone that works in any field where the muscles are the focus!

Dr. Joseph E. Muscolino truly compiled the ultimate Musculoskeletal system anatomy textbook.

I esspicially found the Latin and Greek derivation section's to be very helpful in understanding the origins of the muscle names.

This author's logic and approach is unmatched.

Kudos to Dr. Joseph E. Muscolino!!!

This book is comprehensive in nature, scrupulous in detail, and the product of an obvious passion for the wealth of information to be found in our musculoskeletal system. As a massage therapist and perpetual student of the human body, I am glad to add this book to my library. It is well organized which makes it easy to reference whether I know the muscle, the bony landmark, or the general anatomical area of the body. Having so much information about an individual muscle in one book makes it easy to enhance or refresh my existing knowledge. I have opened the book just to refresh my knowledge of what an individual muscle looks like and found the illustrations clear. I have used the cross reference to find other muscles that might be adding to an existing muscular problem in a client. I have refreshed my awareness of an individual muscle by using the easy to follow palpation information. And I have added to my knowledge of individual muscle actions when helping a client isolate a muscle's tightness. Every time I have opened the book I have not been overwhelmed by what I do not know but rather come away feeling smarter.

I bought this book for my mom. I believe that she is enjoying it. The seller was great.

If you are experiencing panic attacks of significant intensity with or without agoraphobia, this is a great book to consider. Dr. Carbonell's sense of humor is tops and his writing will make you feel at ease. It is, however, a self-guided program that takes extra guts and moderate motivation, which is sometimes hard to muster when you're experiencing severe anxiety. I tried it for a few weeks and it helped me get back on my feet.

I think the way the author deconstructs panic attacks, in a thorough, friendly and humorous way, makes it easy to see just how harmless they really are, regardless of how painful it seems at the time. I am learning to apply the techniques to manage panic attacks, and have already seen results. I have even found relief with anticipatory anxiety (a whole chapter on that). There are also helpful chapters devoted to public speaking and flying.

I also found it helpful that the author had suffered with his own panic issues and relates how he faced those and handled them. I think that goes a long way to lending credence to the work. Some other authors I have read have seemed too insensitive on the issue and have been too clinical, which caused me to drop their techniques.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who has suffered with panic attacks. And DO the exercises and answer the questions! It's a workbook, after all.

This is without a doubt the best material for anxiety/panic attack recovery. I found myself laughing(in joy and motivation) at a lot of the questions Dr. Carbonell asks- partly because they relate so well to me and forced me to think of how silly my notions of "danger" and "fear" as it relates to anxiety actually are. The author literally dismantles and tears down anxiety for what it actually is- a trick, nothing more, nothing less. I felt as though my long held stuggle with this apparent giant monster of anxiety/panic had been slapped in the face and stomped on. Ater reading this book, I can't help but to think that anxiety is the hack illness of all illnesses. In other words," why am I panicing over something thats completely harmless?" Great Book.

A client told me about this book. It is essentially the same process that I use in therapy. Very good self-help book!

Christian Science is a bible based religion that believes that the things Jesus did were not miracles. He taught his followers to do what he did, and we believe that Christian Science is the explanation of the science, the demonstrable provable methods, that are available to anyone. Anyone can learn to do likewise, and to follow Jesus' example. This is the Christian Science textbook. If you are sincerely seeking answers, this is the best place to go. You'll want a copy of the King James Bible as well, because you'll be referred back to it frequently.

(...) 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.

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.

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!!

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 is an excellent example of just what a tutorial should be: readable, accessible, and well illustrated.A great, must- have book!

Excellent book, very well designed and organized. This is the best book on this subject.simple and concise.Perfect for anyone and everyone.A Must have!!

If you want a real-world, practical guide, this is it. I found it hard to put down. Packed with great advice and "usable" examples.

This author does an excellent job of explaining the concepts, where other authors do not explain, because of space limitations. He doesn't just give one illustration like many other books would do.I highly recommend this book. I will definitely buy other books by this author!

This undoubtedly is one of the greatest books I've ever read.Very well-written and very easy to understand.and the info are to die for.Kudos to the author.Well Done!

Find the book clear,concise and complete. Full of facts; their experiences and the others well narrated

My first copy was pretty worn, so I decided to buy this edition. Really interesting new stories, not only from the Pardeys expereinces in storms, but also from others. I liked the deductions made by folks from both ends of the experience spectrum, one a real novice, others all along the expereince wave, they all add to the information Lin and Larry share in a very understandable manner. I still think this book is really important. And this edition is definitely easier to navigate. I have the Storm tactics DVD and like it. The two work well together.

The authors give their opinion. It can be discussed but they support it by many examples. I was convinced by the interest of heaving to in bad weather or just to wait and rest at sea. Now, I am buying a parachute anchor...

In my humble opinion this is the Pardey's best book to date. The techniques they present are life savers have no doubt.
M. Bertsche

My wife and I spent four years living on our sailboat (55ft) voyaging from Calif. to the east coast and read every book I could find on heavy weather sailing. About half-way through I came across Pardey's book. I think it's far and away the best volume out there on the subject. Even if you pass on the parachute angle and just plan on heaving-to in a tough situation. Should be in every crusing boat's library, and read and implemented by the skipper.

This is a great book. I enjoyed reading it as it is easy to read and has numerous transcipts of interviews with patients who are real. The book also containes medical material which will be of interest to surgeons, nephrologist and patients. The books was very well received in a major medical journal. I am pleased that the book is doing well and I strongly recommend it to public and medical libraries.

Book Review
The struggle for life: a psychological perspective of kidney disease and transplantation: Authors: Lyndsay S. Baines and Rahul M. Jindal Publisher: Praeger

Colin Baigent, BM BCh, MA, MSc, Reader in Clinical Epidemiology a [MEDLINE LOOKUP]

In the preface to this book, the authors challenge the reader to approach the subject matter with a fresh perspective. There is, they say, no place for the quantitative tradition when assessing psychological problems among patients with kidney disease. Complex emotional states defy classification by reference to quantitative psychology, and must instead be understood in the context of each particular patient's worldview. That sort of understanding comes only from talking to patients, and not from getting them to fill in questionnaires. It was in order to make this point forcefully that the authors, who run a psychosocial support service for kidney patients in Glasgow, Scotland, decided to write this book describing their own practical experience. They hoped that, by bridging the gap between psychotherapeutic and clinical services, others would try to create similar types of support for their own patients. Will they succeed?

Since the target audience is transplantation team members, the book begins with useful background material, including an outline of psychotherapeutic theory as it relates to chronic illness, and a short section on psychoanalysis. After this, however, the authors hit their stride, and we have chapters on a wide range of "human dilemmas," among them medical noncompliance, grief, abnormal body self-image, substance abuse, debt, depression, anxiety, and sexual problems. In each area, the authors explain why, in relation to these problems, dialysis and transplant patients ought to be considered sui generis and argue that much of the related psychological literature on other chronic illness (eg, cancer) simply misses the point. They explain, for example, that transplant patients frequently see themselves as the recipient of a "gift," and feel pressure from within to do something "special" with their lives. This aspiration is difficult enough if we are healthy, but many such patients have experienced years of poor health, perhaps even reduced cognition, and the inevitable result includes a range of consequences from depression and reduced self esteem, through to relationship difficulties and suicide. Each chapter gives us several vignettes from the authors' own experiences, together with a transcript describing how they tried to help, often with some success. Even as one steeped in the so-called quantitative tradition, I was impressed by the skill involved in trying to realign patients' expectations of their postmorbid lives, or in helping them to come to terms with their limitations, or in helping to ease their feelings of isolation. For me, these accounts were the most worthwhile part of the book: they remind us, above all, that health professionals have first of all to be human beings to connect with patients' experience of illness.

In spite of my enjoyment of much of the book, however, I fear it will be less widely read than it should be. Quite simply, for a book that aims to win over clinicians to the cause of psychotherapy, it seems to be too long. Busy physicians, surgeons, and other health professionals who are chronically short of time may lose patience with much of the supporting quantitative material on psychotherapeutic research and the sections on theory. It is a pity that the authors did not stick to their guns about the value of the oral tradition in this context. For the selective reader, however, reading of the transcripts of the psychotherapist's art will be rewarded by a rare insight into the emotional world of transplant or dialysis patients. In that respect, the authors may prompt others to explore how such a service might be provided in their own practice, and this can only be a good thing for present and future patients.

Publishing and Reprint Information TOP

aUniversity of Oxford, Clinical Trial Service Unit, Harkness Building, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, United Kingdom UK
Copyright © 2004 by National Kidney Foundation, Inc.
doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2004.05.015

As a patient who received a kidney transplant, I found it easy to read and understand. Some of my questions which were not answered by doctors were neatly answered in this book. The transcripts of the patient interviews captured some of my own experiences as a patient. I recommend this book to patients and their carers, in particular, patient support groups and public libraries.

I am pleased that there is a new book dealing with chronic renal failure and transplantation. Psychological issues tend to get ignored; therefore, this book fills a need.

This book may be useful for patients and support groups as well as physicians, surgeons and perhaps nurses.

I found the transcripts interesting as we deal with similar patients in my work as a transplant coordinator. I congratulate the authors for this work.

I found that the book was well researched and it does have some interesting aspects on live kidney transplants and compliance issues in kidney transplant patients. Later editions could have material on liver and heart transplant patients. Patients with chronic diseases tend to be ignored, so this is a good start.