News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee has done just that with his The emperor of all maladies : a biography of cancer, just one of the new additions to our collection of health-related books that we’re highlighting this month. Also included this month: a memoir co-written by an award-winning British war correspondent and his son Henry who suffers from schizophrenia (Henry’s demons : living with schizophrenia, a father and son’s story), as well as a book of advice on options, treatments and aftereffects from prostate cancer survivors. Have a browse.

The emperor of all maladies : a biography of cancer / Siddhartha Mukherjee.
“Apparently researching, treating, and teaching about cancer isn’t enough of a challenge for Columbia University cancer specialist Mukherjee. He was also moved to write a biography of a disease whose name, for millennia, could not be uttered. The eminently readable result is a weighty tale of an enigma that has remained outside the grasp of both the people who endeavored to know it and those who would prefer never to have become acquainted with it. An unauthorized biography told through the voices of people who have lived, toiled, and, yes, died under cancer’s inexorable watch.” (Booklist)

Good girls don’t get fat : how weight obsession is screwing up our girls and what we can do to help them thrive despite it / Robyn J.A. Silverman with Dina Santorelli.
“Dr. Silverman delivers a thoughtful and empowering book on helping young girls overcome society’s pervasive negative messages about weight obsession and body image to become healthy, well-adjusted young women.” (Syndetics summary)

The tennis partner / Abraham Verghese.
“When Abraham Verghese, a physician whose marriage is unraveling, relocates to El Paso, Texas, he hopes to make a fresh start as a staff member at the county hospital. There he meets David Smith, a medical student recovering from drug addiction, and the two men begin a tennis ritual that allows them to shed their inhibitions and find security in the sport they love and with each other. This friendship between doctor and intern grows increasingly rich and complex, more intimate than two men usually allow. And just when it seems nothing more can go wrong, the dark beast from David’s past emerges once again. As David spirals out of control, almost everything Verghese has come to trust and believe in is threatened. Compassionate and moving, this is an illuminating story of how men live, and how they survive.” (Drawn from Publisher’s description)

Wide awake : what I learned about sleep from doctors, drug companies, dream experts, and a reindeer herder in the Arctic circle / Patricia Morrisroe.
“Journalist and biographer Morrissoe has suffered from insomnia all her life. Here, she takes us on her odyssey in search of sleep, trying everything from drugs to hypnosis to meditation. Like Elizabeth Gilbert’s recent Committed, this book manages the rare feat in an “issue” memoir of successfully integrating the history of a topic with the author’s personal story. Informative, accomplished, and occasionally hilarious. Readalikes: Elizabeth Gilbert’s Committed and Kay Redfield Jamison’s An Unquiet Mind.-Lauren Gilbert (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC” (Library Journal)

Your voice in my head / Emma Forrest.
“Emma Forrest, a British journalist, was just twenty-two and living the fast life in New York City when she realized that her quirks had gone beyond eccentricity. In a cycle of loneliness, damaging relationships, and destructive behavior, she found herself in the chair of a slim, balding, and effortlessly optimistic psychiatrist — a man whose wisdom and humanity would wrench her from the dangerous tide after she tried to end her life. She was on the brink of drowning, but she was still working, still exploring, still writing, and she had also fallen deeply in love. One day, when Emma called to make an appointment with her psychiatrist, she found no one there. He had died, shockingly, at the age of fifty-three, leaving behind a young family. Reeling from the premature death of a man who had become her anchor after she turned up on his doorstep, she was adrift. And when her all-consuming romantic relationship also fell apart, Emma was forced to cling to the page for survival and regain her footing on her own terms. A modern-day fairy tale, Your Voice in My Head is a stunning memoir, clear-eyed and shot through with wit. In her unique voice, Emma Forrest explores the highs and lows of love and the heartbreak of loss.” (Amazon)

Henry’s demons : living with schizophrenia, a father and son’s story / Patrick Cockburn and Henry Cockburn.
“An award-winning British war correspondent and his artist son, Henry – diagnosed with schizophrenia at 20 – have composed a gripping drama of family life in a maelstrom. They bring home the rigors of major mental illness; the strangeness and suffering; the absurd thinking, feeling, and acting so close to the edge of normal; a magnification of our own wayward, crazy thoughts. Patrick shares what he learned as a caring, smart, articulate layperson doing what he could for his son. This is a kind of war-and-peace story, with internal and external turmoil, hope, sabotage, and surprise. Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC” (Library Journal)

Prostate cancer survivors speak their minds : advice on options, treatments, and aftereffects / Arthur L. Burnett II, and Norman S. Morris.
“If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you need to know the medical facts about treatment options, side effects, and outcomes. You also need practical advice and moral support from those who have been there. Prostate Cancer Survivors Speak Their Minds combines expert medical guidance from one of the world’s leading authorities on prostate cancer with personal stories of men who have battled and defeated prostate cancer. Survivors tell you what you need to know about:Coming to terms with your diagnosis and preparing to fight the diseaseThe special risks prostate cancer poses to African American menRenewing your sex life as you recover from the diseaseDr. Arthur L. Burnett’s open and honest comments put each survivor’s story in a meaningful medical context and give you the knowledge, as well as the courage, you’ll need to make the right decisions and win your battle against prostate cancer.” (Global Books in Print)

Living with Parkinson’s / Gabriella Rogers.
Journalist Gabriella Rogers presents readers with an insightful guide into Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative brain disorder affecting approximately 6.3 million people world-wide. Living with Parkinson’s is an excellent guide for those suffering from the disease and those caring for people afflicted with it.

At this time of the year overeating is almost compulsory but for some it becomes a major health issue. Have a look at these books to get help and advice.
According to author Linda Bacon dieting is the worse way to lose weight. Her book Health at every size: the surprising truth about your weight is not a diet book but encourages people to tune into the body’s needs and find food as a pleasure and not an enemy. Her programme has been published in scientific journals and discusses why thin is seen as healthy where the reality can be the complete opposite. 

 Binge eating affects 3.5 % of women and 2 % of men in the United States. Considered a psychological disorder Cynthia Bulik’s book Crave: why you binge eat and how to stop describes the psychology of this disorder. Learning good habits along with physical activity is part of the overall success.

On a more energetic note Zumba: ditch the work-out: join the party: the Zumba weight loss programme combines exercise with Latin beats and is great fun. The book and DVD features a complete workout to tone up and lose weight. Start shaking those hips!!

Enjoy other Christmas reading including the original human diet, yoga, vegetarianism and improving brain performance in this month’s Health Recent Picks.

With a long history of unexplained illness and in chronic pain author Tim Parks began looking at alternative ways to improve his health. His book Teach us to sit still: a sceptic’s search for health and healing lead to an understanding of how the busy modern world affected his health. With this knowledge and insight into the relationship between mind and body led to a marked improvement in his health and well-being.

Continuing on the theme of improving health in today’s busy lifestyle The mindful manifesto: how doing less and noticing more can help us thrive in a stressed-out world by Jonty Heaversedge and Ed Halliwell looks at how to stop and appreciate what is happening around us. Scientific research has confirmed that mindfulness, the ability to be aware of what is happening in our lives has a positive effect on both mind and body – something that Eastern traditions have known for a long time.

In Garry Egger and Boyd Swinburn’s book Planet obesity: how we’re eating ourselves and the planet to death they make the statement that obesity is ‘collateral damage in the battle for modernity’. What does that mean? It is looking at the results of the improving standard of living and how our bodies cannot cope with our increased intake and the resulting waste. Combined also with an increase in greenhouse gasses major changes are needed to sustain both the planet and ourselves. We only have one of each.

Other titles in this month’s Health Recent Picks include information on dementia, food for better living, girls in crisis, thyroid and thinking smarter.

The Gabriel method: the revolutionary diet-free way to totally transform your body devised by Jon Gabriel is a combination of obesity research, scientific aspects and the influence of our own mindset to weight loss. After losing 220 pounds without dieting or surgery he showed minimal physical signs of his previous body shape and size.

Forget the gym, get fit and lose weight by cycling. Selene Yeager’s book Ride your way lean: the ultimate plan for burning fat and getting fit on a bike will show you how. Included are training strategies, tips, pitfalls to avoid, nutritional information and advice from others who have been successful with this programme. 
The book The ultimate pH solution: balancing your body’s chemistry to prevent disease and lose weight recommends starting the day sipping a glass of water with lemon juice. This helps to neutralise our pH by lowering the acid levels in the body and improving health. Author Michelle Schoffro Cook includes 50 recipes to try as well as success stories by people who have used this method.

Look into these books as an option for losing weight or for other topics including prostate cancer, moods, anxiety and even how Google affects our intelligence in this month’s Health Recent Picks.

Some women have concerns about what they should or should not eat and may feel guilty if they have a day of less than perfect healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Doctors Susan Love and Alice Domar take on the “health police” in their book Live a little: breaking the rules won’t break your health. Focussing on areas such as sleep, stress, prevention, exercise, nutrition and personal relationships they give realistic guidelines for a healthy enough lifestyle and importantly includes laughter, relaxation and commonsense.

A lack of sleep affects all aspects of our lives. In Restful insomnia: how to get benefits of sleep even when you can’t Sondra Kornblatt has developed a New Age methodology to cope with sleepless nights. Using a combination of diet, management of stress, evening rituals and relaxation this book will assist to control random and conscious thoughts leading to peaceful sleep.

31 year old black woman Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer in 1951. During her treatment tissue samples were taken without her or her family’s knowledge or consent. Although this enhanced medical science the ethics of it was never discussed but ironically the cell line discovered was named HeLa. Author Rebecca Skloot of The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks does not make judgements but leaves it up to the reader to decide.

Read these books and others on a wide range of topics including art therapy, Gestalt, mindfulness, anxiety and phobias, depression, immortality and malaria in this month’s Health Recent Picks.

There is often a piece on the news about compulsive hoarders but when it affects and upsets family, friends and neighbours it becomes an issue. The book Stuff: compulsive hoarding and the meaning of things, which is featured in this month’s Health Recent Picks, looks at why people become so obsessed. Case studies are included of real situations where the impulse to hoard over-rides logical thinking.

The medicine garden by Rachel Corby looks at the medicinal properties that can be found in lawns, flower and vegetable gardens and used on a daily basis. Treatment can be found for colds, sore throats and other minor illnesses just by stepping outside.

Is “it’s my hormones” a valid reason for behaviour? According to Vivienne Parry’s The truth about hormones the answer is yes. Hormones rule virtually every aspect of our “internal world” including growth, metabolism, fertility and much more even influencing who we fall in love with. Read about how the use of a nun’s urine collected daily from the Vatican was used for infertility treatment!

Find information on these topics and others on macular degeneration, multiple personality disorder, autism and the health effects of leaky homes – a timely subject – in this month’s Health Recent Picks.

Age can reduce flexibility causing aches and pains. In Anita Boser’s book Relieve stiffness and feel young again with undulation 10 minutes a day can make a difference. 52 simple exercises, one for every week linked with easy-to-follow guidelines and photographs will provide relief without medication, equipment or expense.

Written by the NSW Family Planning Contraception: healthy choices: a contraceptive clinic in a book is an accessible guide to all main forms of contraception. This up-dated edition allows women to make the best choice for today and the future.

Even small injuries can mean time off training and ChiRunning: a revolutionary approach to effortless, injury-free running by Danny and Katherine Dreyer aims at preventing this. ChiRunning combines the principles of yoga, Pilates, and t’ai chi increasing the strength of the core muscles. This is suitable for all levels of runners.

Look at these books to improve lifestyle, and others about living with chronic conditions, healing depression the mind-body way, the seven-day total cleanse and food for sports performance in February’s Health Recent Picks.

Today I’m Alice: a memoir of multiple personality disorders by Alice Jamieson with Clifford Thurlow is a story of a tormented life. When Alice became a teenager, hours of her life disappeared with no recollection of what had happened. Institutionalised for many years it was not until her diagnosis with multiple personalities that she was given appropriate treatment leading to an understanding of her rare condition. 

Authors Gareth Morgan & Geoff Simmons take a hard look at New Zealand’s public health system. Using interviews from health professionals and examining recent reviews they discuss rationing, prioritisation and the implications of ad-hoc interventions. Written in an easy-to-read style Health cheque: the truth we should know about New Zealand’s public health system is for anyone interested where the health dollar is spent.

Healing the addicted brain: the revolutionary, science-based alcoholism and addiction recovery program by Harold C. Urschel looks at addiction and alcoholism as a biological disease rather than a personal weakness. He combines traditional behavioural treatment and scientific research to increase the ability for long-term success.

Read these books and others including allergies, stroke recovery, menopause and commitment therapy in this month’s Recent Health Picks.

Listening to depression: how understanding your pain can heal your life by Lara Honos-Webb is a new way of thinking about depression. She sees it as an opportunity to review, change and let go of what is actually causing the depression leading to greater understanding of the illness. The book concludes with a section on when to seek professional advice.

As many as one in eight women have a thyroid condition but diagnosis can be difficult as symptoms can mimic other illnesses. Mary J. Shomon is a health writer as well as a thyroid patient and discusses both aspects in Living well with hypothyroidism: what your doctor doesn’t tell you that you need to know. Both conventional and alternative treatments are included.

Living with gluten intolerance gives clear information on both Celiac disease and gluten-intolerance and how they differ from other digestive disorders. Information is given on treatments and self-help measures.

Get advice on these topics as well as ADD, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Manic Depression and children’s allergies in the month’s Recent Health Picks.

We all forget things but when does it become a concern? In Joan Carson Breitung’s book Forgetting: when to worry, what to do, discusses the difference between “normal” forgetfulness and what may have a more serious underlying cause. Aspects of cognitive change is discussed with a focus on the elderly.

Most of us would like to change some part of our body but in general our feelings do not lead to the serious health condition called Body Dismorphic Disorder which causes an unrealistic preoccupation with what is a perceived fault. Overcoming body image problems including body dismorphic disorder: a self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques by Peter Breggin explains the disorder and gives advice as to how cognitive therapy can assist.

Anti-cancer: a new way of life by David Kessler looks at ways to make small changes in lifestyle and diet to assist your body to prevent cancer. He covers aspects including stress reduction, the importance of a positive attitude, healthy eating and physical exercise.

Read these books and others about exercise anatomy, sports Pilates and psoriasis in this month’s Health Recent Picks.