health Books

This book is a moving account, part biographical, part medical that gives incredible insight into the experience of pain. Pain is protective and a subjective experience. Dr. Brand makes things imminently clear and understandable. Great read.

I have not quite finished reading this book (though I've skimmed the last chapters and know some of their content), but I am so excited about it that I could not wait to post this review! Be forewarned: those reviewers who used the phrases "can't put it down" and "the dishes will stack up" and "a page-turner" are not exaggerating. Every day I look forward to the time when I can open this book again and read, and I have lost not a few hours of sleep staying up late to read just a little more.

Paul Brand's account, expressed in Yancey's superb writing, of his investigation of the causes of leprosy and its devastating effects reads like a detective story, with pieces of the puzzle falling into place one by one. The stories of successes and failures are always placed in the context of the lives of real people. Brand's reflections on pain are never heavy-handed, always instructive, sometimes challenging, often humbling and awe-provoking.

If you work in the medical field, as I do, I cannot urge you strongly enough to read this book!! It should be required reading in every medical school, nursing school and PT/OT school. I have already started to re-tune my approach to patients with pain a little, and I have begun rethinking my own pain of various kinds.

Paul Brand was a compassionate genius of the highest order. I've never heard that he won a Nobel Prize for medicine or the Nobel Peace prize, but he should have. He applied his genius with sacrificial energy, enthusiasm, humility and humanity to helping "the least of these".

I wish I had read this book sooner. I recommend it more highly than I can express.

This was the first book that introduced me to the writing of Philip Yancey. He is a truly great writer and this story of Dr. Brand's life is exceptional. I suffer with chronic pain and have for many years. I was profoundly impacted by the wisdom of this book and found that reading it has made a healing difference in how I view my pain. Not only that, the tale of Dr. Brand's life is fascinating. I never knew much at all about leprosy and thought it was a disease of the past.

I think the title can deter some people from reading it. I remember hearing about it when I wasn't in chronic pain and it definitely did not sound like a subject I wanted to dwell on. For some reason, though, I purchased it and put it up on a shelf for years. One day I happened on it--when I was ready to read it.

Do miss this. The human body and the God who designed it is truly amazing.

I am a hand therapist, an occupational therapist who specializes in hand and upper extremity conditions and injuries. Paul Brand was an amazing man, an inspiring teacher and writer. Of course Philip Yancey coauthored this book, but this is Brand's own voice. It reads much like his professional writing, with clear and vivid analogies to explain difficult concepts. I never had the privilege of working with him, but I was lucky enough to spend time with him at various conferences and courses. He was a deeply spiritual man who spoke with both authority and humility, and possessed a sparkling sense of humor.

The book does not by any means cover Dr. Brand's entire career, but sheds a very bright light on the groundbreaking work he did with Hansen's disease (leprosy) patients. In the US, he moved to the Carville, Louisiana Hansen's disease center and continued to publish his writing, and to teach and guide hand surgeons and hand therapists. He was made an honorary member of the American Society of Hand Therapists, one of many honors showered on him throughout his distinguished career.

Please read this book. It will inspire you and give you fascinating food for thought.

Dr. Paul Brand's "The Gift of Pain" (with Philip Yancey co-authoring) is probably my favorite-ever book. It reads like a mystery, a biography and a story-teller's yarn all at the same time. Be careful - once you pick this book up you won't want to put it down; the dishes will pile up in the sink and you'll stay up later than you should, reading by flashlight if necessary. Apart from the Bible, I can't recall any other book that has been so uplifting to my soul. It is the only book that, after reading a library copy, I bought not one but two copies: one to keep and one to loan out to anyone I can encourage to read it. The Brand/Yancey team also wrote two other excellent works ("In His Image" and "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"), and there is a biography of Dr. Brand entitled "Ten Fingers for God." All well worth reading, but "Pain" is by far the best. My only regret is not having met Dr. Brand personally. If I had to choose one man (apart from Jesus himself) to point out to my son and tell him, "Grow up to be like that man," it would be Dr. Paul Brand. Do your soul a favor; read this book!

This is my FAVORITE cookbook and I refer to it time and time again for muffins and other treats that would normally be grain-based. My whole family is gluten free, and I have to be fully grain free. I can't say enough about the book. My favorite is the carrot muffins - YUM! And, if you can't do eggs they work just fine with egg replacer (but add ground flax seed as well to further help them stick together.) Great book!!!!!!!!!

I have this cookbook as well as Breaking the Vicious Cycle, Lucy's SCD Cookbook, and Eat Well Feel Well. This one is my favorite. I love "The World's Best Meat Sauce", which I make thick as recommended for a sloppy joe spooned over the "Basic Bread" recipe. Fantastic! The apple galette disappeared immediately among a group of non-SCD dieters. I also like the cole slaw, and the cappuccino ice cream is fabulous!

I also have Eat Well Feel Well, but find the recipes are expensive and require ingredients not typical even in the SCD kitchen. Since the SCD can be expensive on its own, I have found that I've used that book very rarely. With the exception of nut flours and standard SCD staples, most ingredients used in Grain Free Gourment are reasonably priced and easily located in your neighborhood supermarket. The recipes even include the standard rather than SCD ingredients, so this book will remain a favorite even if strict adherence to SCD is no longer necessary. Thank you Jodi and Jenny for quality recipes that are easy to follow, kitchen tested, and sure to please even non-SCDers. This is a lovely cookbook with beautiful photos. It would be a welcome addition in every SCD kitchen.

There are so many phenomenal recipes in The Grain-Free Gourmet. So far I have made the meatloaf, the spiced honey chicken, the decadent onion crackers, the gourmet pizza, the cranberry muffins, and the lemon-cranberry tarts (also great with blueberries). Everything was delicious and my family members who are not on the SCD enjoyed them all. Bager and Lass did a wonderful job on this book and I look forward to making more items.

This book will make you forget you are on a no sugar diet. The cookies are great. I have a sweet tooth and I was craving something sweet and crunchy. The Goldenmarsh Cookies cured my every woe.

I've made several of the muffins in this book, and they're all pretty good. I plan to make a lot more of them. The grain-free baked goods use lots of almonds, other nuts, and eggs. One problem is that the author/editor included no nutritional info. with the recipes. If you're counting calories, fat grams, fiber or carbs, you're on your own. It would be great if they would correct that on a revised edition.

Excellent book about how to live your life simply and in a state of abundant good health. I highly recommend this book for anyone who would like to improve their entire life, physically and emotionally.

I first bought this book in 1986 when I was still a student. I followed all the advice as best I could and found it very helpful. Starting work and a period of illness, along with all the other things that life has thrown my way has meant that I have not always kept up with all seven steps. But this is still a book that I return to time after time when I am trying to do something to improve my health. I know that I should be following the seven steps all the time - that's the whole point - but I also know I fall far short of the ideal. It's still a book I would highly recommend to anyone looking to get some perspective on how God wants us to care for ourselves.

I love this book! A friend of mine lent me this book several years ago and I had to return it after I read it. I recently decided to buy a copy for myself. It is full of very useful and wise information. I agree with almost everything that Stormie says in this book. It is written in such a way that is easy to put to use in my life. The seven steps are complete and can be put to good use in anyone's life that is truly interested in better health. I believe that if anyone were to read this book and put the information to use it could change their life in truly positive ways.

This book is very easy to understand. It gives great ideas on how to improve your life with God. There is a lot of helpful information. I would recommend this book.

Stormie OMartian has researched the health books and gleaned the best from them. She covers all the things we should do to be healthy, and inspires us through God to do it. I bought copies for several of my friends. One of the best condensed fasting books I've seen.

When one of my best friends tragically lost her teenage daughter I was at a total loss as to how to support and help her in her grief. I wish I had had this resource to give me guidance. It is a jewel for those who need it, compassionately and beautifully written.

The Grieving Garden is not only for those who have suffered the loss of a child, but also for the family and friends of grieving parents. The many contributors present their search for meaning, feelings and experiences during their grieving, and their quests to come to terms with, and live with their losses. Being long-time friends with one of the book's contributing families, my wife and I felt and saw their pain, but also felt our efforts of support and comfort fell short of what was needed. The Grieving Garden is an excellent and insightful book which deals with all aspects of the grieving process and it would have been very helpful to us if it had been available at that time.

This is a compilation of thoughtful questions asked by the two authors of 22 people who have lost their children (ranging in age from babies to middle age). No matter the age of the child, it is still devastating to have the child die before the parents. We all view tragedy through different perspectives. This book helps those who are directly involved, but it also helps their friends, relatives or even casual acquaintances who do not know how to respond to grief. We all fear saying the wrong thing, so we say nothing or simply avoid having to talk with the parents. Hearing the 22 parents' responses to the different questions helps us to be able to help others.

So many grief books ask parents to go to a place of acceptance and gratitude - long before they are ready. At least that was (and is!) true for me. This book tells it like it, this path of agony, is: challenging, painful, relentless, and far longer than anyone thinks. I especially appreciated the perspective of older parents, of which I am one, and parents who have one or no other children, without the possibility or choice to have another. The wisdom, the honesty, the application to my life....it took my breath away.

Nancy Levin, Ph.D.

My 18 year old son died suddenly 10 months ago. I have read many, many grief books since my world shattered. I found this book very helpful. Hearing from 22 other parents and how they dealt with their horrific loss somehow helped me deal with mine.

This book was highly recommended in a APDT article for it's information on how age affects learning in the "Development of Behavior" chapter.

STEVEN LINDSAY WRITES A VERY COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING BOOK THAT CAN BE USED BY BEHAVIORAL SPECIALISTS AS WELL AS A LAYPERSON WANTING TO TRAIN THEIR DOG. THIS BOOK HAS IN DEPTH EXPLANATIONS AS TO WHY SOMETHING OCCURS IN A DOG AND HOW TO COUNTERACT ANY UNWANTED BEHAVIOR. EXCELLENT REFERENCE BOOK.

I'm not a professional trainer, just a lifelong owner of multiple dogs. I also volunteer at a humane society, so I interact with a wide range of dogs on a non-professional level. Material in this book helps provide the foundation for understanding what trainers are doing and why it may work--or not! If you plan to be a professional, this book is a must.

The only downside to this book for some people will be that it is written at the collegiate level. It reminds me of any number of psychology and biology textbooks in college courses--the comprehensive ones that cover the genre from start to end! I end up taking notes while I'm reading, because there is so much there that I want to integrate into my approach. He presents information, shows how it can be applied to practice and proves his points with studies. Actually, sections are eerily applicable to human interaction. I'm a firm believer in using evidenced-based science guide practice, and Lindsay is exacting and detailed. He doesn't preach as much as present research and draw conclusions.

I only regret the generations of wolves and dogs that had to suffer to gain this knowledge. Read it and apply it, because some of the studies done to gain this knowledge could never be ethically replicated again (such as over-reactivity in sensory-stimulus deprived environments).

Contents include:
Origins and Domestication (of dogs)
Development of Behavior (in puppies)
Neurobiology of Behavior and Learning, which includes sections on motivation, fear, aggression, attachment and compulsive behaviors (see how interesting all this is!)
Sensory Abilities--knowing the dog's abilities helps target learning
Biological and Dispositional Constraints in Learning--has interesting sections on genetic strains with breeds and within breeds such as the 'nervous pointers'
Classical Conditioning
Instrumental Learning
Aversive Control of Behavior, including avoidence learning and punishment
Learning and Behavioral Disturbances
Human-Dog Companionship--the signficance of the relationship between people and dogs, and when it breaks down.

This is book has a wealth of knowledge. It addresses formal behavioral analysis and dog anatomy in a text book fashion. The strength of this book to me was how it covered each topic micro and macroscopically. I have heard many conflicting beliefs with respect to interpretation of dog learning. Each opinion is addressed and supported by scientific study here and not just taken left to the "because I said so" sort of logic I often hear. This is a dense read. It covers many subjects I had no clue that I may even care about but I took a lot from it. I look forward to reading volume 2 & 3.

Steven Lindsay's three books are the ultimate reference guide for any dog trainer, breeder, veterinarian or serious dogsports competitor. Unlike most dog training books, these volumes are unique in that they do not describe the author's pet method for training a dog. Rather, Lindsay has collated information from scientific studies in order to give the reader an unbiased, scholarly reference guide to dog behaviour and training methods.

The information contained here is exhaustive, unbiased, up-to-date and very well researched. Although the books are an intensive read (to say the least!), Lindsay's style is very readable, and the books contain many diagrams and photographs to elucidate his points.

Although most useful as a complete set, since the later books reference material and methods covered in the earlier volumes, it is not necessary to read the first books before using the last. The material is well separated into topics and each chapter can stand alone.

Excellent book with great, user friendly ideas to improve the quality of your life and your home. Recipes for cleaners are excellent. Some of the rituals described are a little far out there but are thought provoking and are worth exploring.

I use this book as a home reference all the time and it has been extremely helpful and chock full of wonderful ideas for your life, home, body..inside and out.

What an absolute miracle! Thank you, Annie for a great book! Buy it, everything you need to know is in here.

I do not have a lot of time to read with four kids and this book was a easy fast book to get through. Lots of information that was displayed easily. Not the big words either. And in the back it a huge wonderful list of resources I could look up on the internet. Wealth of information. I gave this book to our school hoping when they remodel they consider what was written.

This book helps you take better care of yourself and your love ones. We are concerned about what we eat and if it's safe. We also need to be concerned about what we use to clean our homes with and what we use on our skin. In this book there is lots of good, practical receipes for a toxin-free home. This book will be on that I will use often.

Have you ever wondered about the long-term effect of cleaning products in your home? What about pesticides, chemicals and all the other potentially toxic goods that invade our lives?

Twice poisoned by such things, author Annie Bond, host of "Annie's Healthy Living Network" online, offers realistic remedies for a natural and nontoxic lifestyle that include everything from eating and cleaning to gardening and dressing. A comprehensive path toward ecologically-healthy living.

like a cancer patient misses a piece of themselves, any person supporting a cancer patient loses themselves. to the process.
this devotional helps any and all through the process. the grief-striken, yet hope-producing process. Kudos to Yvonne for putting the hope on paper for the rest of us.

It is an excellant book. It gives the cancer patient a feeling that he/she is not alone in her feelings. It really helps give hope and a feeling of companionship.

I really don't feel worthy reviewing this book because I do not have cancer nor do I have a family member that has cancer, but I realize I am a minority.

So you might be like me and think, why should I read this book? Well let me give you some information on why this is a must read book.

Who gets breast cancer?

All women are at risk for breast cancer. Known risk factors like having a family history of breast cancer, starting menopause after age 55 or never having children account for only a small number of new breast cancer cases every year. That means that most women who get breast cancer have no known risk factors except being a woman and getting older. (source Koman.org)

So if you are a woman and you are getting older, you have a risk of contacting breast cancer.

Ortega's books is a sixty day journey looking for hope in the midst of cancer. But don't be fooled, this book is not just for the one who HAS cancer, but for family members and friends who are helping someone through breast cancer. Ortega is open and honest about her fears, her pain, depression, and having to relying on others. God took each of these areas and gives Ortega HOPE.

Each devotional begins with a "Hope Builder" which is the bible reading for each day. She displays real honesty and humility right from the first page until you finish the last. I found I could not put this book down, I kept it in my car and read it while waiting for my kids to get out of school, it was that good.

I strongly recommend each church library to have a copy of Ortega's book, each person who knows someone going through a medical crisis. I promise you this book will bless whoever reads it.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2007, had a lumpectory and radiation. I read "Hope for the Journey Through Cancer" and felt that it was so supportive to me and would help countless women. I am now purchasing copies to place in care packages that are being given to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer by a local Breast Cancer support group. I hope that it blesses them as much as it has blessed me.

Hope for the Journey through Cancer is a book that should be in everyone's personal library with extra copies at hand. It's an invaluable gift for those facing this disease, or those traveling this ( or any other) painful journey with a loved one or friend. There are no clichés here, just inspiring reality. Real fear, real tears, real depression, real wrestling with truth and decision-making, real nightmares describe a real battle against cancer and the emotional pitfalls that accompany it. But the pages are also filled with real courage, real understanding, real humor, real faith and real help from real friends and a real God. Ortega admits to it all with such humility and honesty you are one with her from the first page. What is meant to be a 60 day devotional/work book becomes a first-time straight through read. Then, you go back - again and again. She is gentle, tender, concerned and challenging -- always straight from the heart. Her suggestions and activities work! They truly do bring to life that definitive word in the title, "HOPE." Let Yvonne (through her book) be one of your traveling companions.

After reading Hope I realized how insignificant the glitches (which I thought were problems)in my life really are. Knowing the suffering people with AIDS go through and everything they must endure really put things in perspective. I believe there is a message in this book for any reader who is seeking a greater understanding for compassion, inner peace and what the true meaning of unconditional love really is. When I read Hope I must admit, I cried, however the strenghts of the author filled me with light and "hope" for anything I might encounter in the future. Thank you Joel, you're truly an Angel in the lives of many people. Thank you HOPE for giving me the message I needed to hear at the time I read you.

This is one of those amazing books that you can't put down! And although it can easily be read in one sitting, the insights and inspirations will stay with you for a lifetime.

In "Hope", Joel Rothschild describes his life (his struggles & his joys) since he was diagnosed with full blown AIDS - which was nearly 15 years before the writing of this book! In it, he shares what he's learned about the importance of living each day as if it's your last, as well as how your thoughts have a direct impact on your experiences - "as a man thinketh, so he is...".

I would highly recommend this book to everyone - it is very uplifting, and has a lot to offer each & every one of us.

Thank you Joel for taking the time to write this book!

i read this after reading Joel's first book "signals". i read it at a time in my life when i was in despair, and this book helped my immeasurably. i would recommend it and encourage everyone to read it

Hope is an inspiration to all! No matter what a persons present or past life situation, from the terminally ill, to those suffering through deep loss, to those of us who are blessed to be healthy. (As am I.) Joel has opened up his life and struggles to us to show that it is indeed possible to triumph over whatever life has to offer, transforming perceived diversities into tools for tremendous personnel growth. If you are as blessed as I am, to be in great health and have a great life, Hope will most assuredly fill you with gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon you. A wonderful book. Thank you Joel!

Joel Rothschild relates how he learned from others how to find "new meaning in times of mortal danger...I took those lessons to heart and began to search for ways to reinvent myself and give new meaning to my life."

Each of us has the opportunity to reinvent and redefine our lives when going through a major challenge or loss in our lives. Often, we don't seize it willingly, and instead let ourselves walk unconsciously through our healing. Joel Rothschild offers a path of awareness, a path of conscious choice for living a life with meaning, purpose and grace.

Through his own multitude of challenges, Mr. Rothschild has given us the gift of wisdom gained the hard way, or shall I say, the "heart" way. No other book that I have read in the last l0 years has stated so much, and so eloquently, what I have come to believe about life's lessons.

All suffering and pain has meaning and purpose. For me, I have had to experience several life challenges to feel the truth of this statement, to my very core. In his book, Joel Rothschild illustrates this so beautifully, and we are elevated by his faith and trust in the life process.

He states that "These days all people seem a little more beautiful." Thank you Joel for shining your light so brightly and allowing it to be the mirror for us to see ourselves more clearly!

Marcia Breitenbach[...]

I am so happy that I purchased this book! I recommend it to all women that want to know what is going on with their bodies as they age and approach changes. Living with discomfort because you are aging does NOT have to be. This book helps you identify problems and ways to solve them with your own physician. It actually helps you improve your quality of life because the information gives you a plan. It gives medical evidence as well as real life examples of women Dr. Redmond has treated. You will not be disappointed.

I am 37 and am loosing my hair, The information in this book has made me aware of all the reasons women can loose their hair. Many of the reason have the same symptoms. Which at first is frustrating until you realize more reasons means more possibilities to get it back even if only part of the hair. If you are considering hair transplants read this first, please.
I read other parts of the book that would be relevant to some friends this book is a great one, I have 3 more books about hair loss one is pretty good but abit out dated, the other is OK , and the other I will use to start a fire.

I went to Dr. Redmond over three years ago with a whole host of female problems that were preventing me from feeling good and enjoying my life. All that has completely changed due to his expert medical care. When I read his book, I knew that I had to buy copies for all my female friends! If you often feel that something is just "not right" with your health...then you owe it to yourself to read this book.

This book is a must-have for every woman and teenage girl. Provides a wealth of info about female hormones & physiology in an easy-to-read format. Dr. Redmond is a leader in his field, and his depth of knowledge and compassion emerge effortlessly from the text.

If you are a woman suffering with unexplained hair loss on your head, hair growth where you don't want it, irritability, constant fatigue, dry skin or other skin problems and you are starting to feel generally more like a man than the beautiful woman you used to be, this book is for you. There ARE medications that can help you although most doctors will ignore and dismiss you. I went to see Dr. Redmond and he was able to help me, it was worth the trip into NYC and every penny. I feel like myself again and that is a miracle.

I sent this to my mother who has lung cancer. She says this is the best book on cancer she's seen & wishes she had the book earlier when she was going through radiation & chemo. I know she highly recommends this book.

This book is a must for people with cancer or people trying to prevent. Easy to read and follow, you can start from the beginning or use it as a reference. A keeper for your health and medical library!

I really appreciate the fact that this book is research based and advocates complementary medicine. I feel it really helped me sort through treatment options and show me how I could help my mother after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She's currently doing cyberknife therapy, and now I know which supplements can help her with radiation therapy, and what I need to give her now (I chose curcumin or quecertin, vitamins, Ip6 and Maitake mushrooms, and am a Reiki practicioner so I do Reiki on her every night. Even Reiki is mentioned in the book!).

If you're trying to figure out what to do, get this book first. It's also approved by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which practice allopathic along with naturopathic medicine in treating cancer.

This is a great book, tons of information, really helpful and very informative regarding alternative treatments to cancer and things you can do long with conventional treatments.

I found this book to be very informative. As a Pharmacist, I do believe that certain medications are beneficial. However, I also believe in nutritious foods and exercise to be the foundation of a healthy body. This book is an educational tool, but not difficult to read. Enlightening!!