Health Recent Picks

December 2009 and January 2010

The underlined title links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.

Love, sex and long-term relationships : what people with asperger syndrome really really want, by Sarah Hendrickx. (2008)
"What are the motivations and desires behind relationship choices and sexual behaviour? Are they very different for those with Asperger Syndrome (AS) than for anyone else? Does having extreme sensitivity to physical touch or an above average need for solitude change one's perception of relationships or sexual experience? Many people on the autism spectrum have limited knowledge of how to establish or conduct sexual relationships; drawing on extensive research with people on the autism spectrum, the book openly explores such questions. For the first time people with AS discuss their desires, needs and preferences in their own words. AS attitudes to issues such as gender, sexual identity and infidelity are included, as well as positive advice for developing relationships and exploring options and choices for sexual pleasure.This accessible book is an invaluable source of information and support for couples in which one or both partners has Asperger Syndrome, as well as counsellors and health and social care professionals."(Book Jacket)

ACT made simple : an easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment therapy, by Russ Harris. (c2009)
"At ACT workshops around the world, author Russ Harris is often asked one question: 'If you could recommend just one book on ACT, what would it be'? "ACT Made Simple", a clear, accessible, and jargon-free ACT primer, is the answer to that question. Though many mental health professionals are intrigued by the concepts presented in the ACT model, they are often hesitant to delve into intimidating technical volumes that are heavy on theory but lacking in real-world tips and solutions. Based on ACT in a Nutshell, Harris' popular ten-week crash course on the ACT model, this makes the six ACT processes easy to understand and implement in therapy. ACT professionals seeking a refresher course on the model as well as therapists new to ACT will appreciate this practical approach. The book includes conversational responses and questions, but also encourages readers to tailor ACT techniques to their practices and their clients." (Amazon)

Healing the addicted brain : the revolutionary, science-based alcoholism and addiction recovery program, by Harold C. Urschel. (c2009)
"Healing the Addicted Brain is a breakthrough work that focuses on treating drug and alcohol addiction as a biological disease - based on the Recovery Science program that has helped thousands of patients defeat their addictions over the past 10 years. It combines the best behavioral addiction treatments with the latest scientific research into brain functions, providing tools and strategies designed to overcome the biological factors that cause addictive behavior along with proven treatments and medications. Using this scientific approach, you will learn to conquer the physical factors that keep people tied to drug and alcohol addiction. The proven fact is addiction is not a moral failing or an issue of not having enough willpower. It is a disease of the brain that can and must be treated like other chronic medical illnesses - such as diabetes, hypertension, or asthma - in order to defeat the disease." (Amazon)

Waking the tiger : healing trauma : the innate capacity to transform overwhelming experiences, by Peter A. Levine. (c1997)
"Waking the Tiger offers a new and hopeful vision of trauma. It views the human animal as a unique being, endowed with an instinctual capacity. It asks and answers an intriguing question: why are animals in the wild, though threatened routinely, rarely traumatized? By understanding the dynamics that make wild animals virtually immune to traumatic symptoms, the mystery of human trauma is revealed. Waking the Tiger normalizes the symptoms of trauma and the steps needed to heal them. People are often traumatized by seemingly ordinary experiences. The reader is taken on a guided tour of the subtle, yet powerful impulses that govern our responses to overwhelming life events. To do this, it employs a series of exercises that help us focus on bodily sensations. Through heightened awareness of these sensations trauma can be healed." (Amazon)

Yogabody : anatomy, kinesiology, and asana, by Judith Hanson Lasater. ( 2009)
"In Yogabody, author Judith Hanson Lasater writes, "You can't fully understand the dynamic movement of asana without first understanding the basic structure of the human body." Drawing on almost 40 years' experience as a yoga teacher and physical therapist, she focuses here on macroanatomy and kinesiology in relationship to asana practice and teaching. Organized into five parts - the locomotor system, the vertebral column, the lower extremity, the trunk, and the upper extremity, Yogabody covers the body's bones, joints, connective tissue, nerves, and muscles. This valuable guide builds on what yoga teachers already know and enables them to quickly decide what might help their students move with more enjoyment and less difficulty. It helps yoga students understand how their own body functions. Packed with color anatomical drawings, black-and-white diagrammatic asana illustrations, and helpful charts, Yogabody is the Gray's Anatomy for yoga teachers and students." (Amazon)

Today I'm Alice : a memoir of multiple personality disorder , Alice Jamieson with Clifford Thurlow. (2009)
"When Alice was a teenager, strange things started happening to her. Hours of her life simply disappeared. She'd hear voices shouting at her, telling her she was useless. And the nightmares that had haunted her since early childhood, scenes of men abusing her, became more detailed ...more real. Staring at herself in the mirror she'd catch her face changing, as if someone else was looking out through her eyes. In "Today I'm Alice", she describes her extraordinary journey from a teenage girl battling anorexia and OCD, drowning the voices with alcohol, to a young woman slipping further and further into mental illness. It was only after years lost in institutions that she was correctly diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. When her alternative personalities were revealed in therapy she discovered how each one had their own memories of abuse and a full picture of her childhood finally emerged. As she learned to live with her many 'alters', she set out to confront the man who had caused her unbearable pain. Moving and ultimately inspiring, this is a gripping account of a rare condition, and the remarkable story of a courageous woman." (Amazon)

Health cheque : the truth we should all know about New Zealand's public health system , by Gareth Morgan & Geoff Simmons. (2009)
"From interviews with those working in the sector through to a detailed examination of the latest major review of the system known as the Horn Report, Morgan and Simmons go behind the scenes of the New Zealand public health system and bring clarity to the issues that need to be addressed if crisis is to be avoided. The book explores the consequences of ongoing avoidance of the tough calls on rationing and prioritisation. It considers how many New Zealanders are already suffering or missing out from health care because of ad-hoc interventions in response to pressure groups. Co-authored with former Treasury analyst Geoff Simmons, and written in Morgan's frank style, this book takes no prisoners as it explores which patients and treatments need to be given priority." (Book Jacket)

Allergies : New Zealand's growing epidemic, by Vincent St Aubyn Crump. (2009)

It's all in the mind : my story of self-help stroke recovery, by Roger Lampen. (2009)

wisdom of menopause : the complete guide to physical and emotional health during the change, by Christiane Northrup. (2009).

Asperger's syndrome and sexuality : from adolescence through adulthood, by Isabelle Henault. (2006).

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