Health Recent Picks

June and July 2010

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Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.

Body intelligence : creating a new environment, by Ged Sumner. (2010)
"Body intelligence offers a new understanding of how the body works and leads the reader to a greater sense of wellbeing and an enriched sense of self. The anatomy of the body is explored without the complexity of medical terminology. Instead, common descriptions are used along with a multitude of images, allowing the reader to visualize and work with different levels of the body. Experiential exercises, guided meditations and movements are provided throughout the book, helping the reader to develop improved levels of health and body intelligence that are natural and accessible all the time. As body intelligence increases through these exercises, physical changes occur and a new posture emerges, followed by positive mental and emotional shifts. The reader will begin to feel differently, move differently and think differently" (Global Books in Print).

Slow death by rubber duck : the secret danger of everyday things, by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie. (c2009)
"Pollution is no longer just about belching smokestacks and ugly sewer pipes; now, it's personal. The most dangerous pollution, it turns out, comes from commonplace items in our homes and workplaces. To prove this point, for one week authors Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie ingested and inhaled a host of things that surround all of us. Using their own bodies as the reference point to tell the story of pollution in our modern world, they expose the miscreant corporate giants who manufacture the toxins, the weak-kneed government officials who let it happen, and the effects on people and families across the globe. This book - the testimony of their experience - exposes the extent to which we are poisoned every day of our lives, from the simple household dust that is polluting our blood to the toxins in our urine that are created by run-of-the-mill shampoos and toothpaste. Ultimately hopeful, the book empowers readers with some simple ideas for protecting themselves and their families, and changing things for the better." (Global Books in Print)

Herbs & natural supplements : an evidence-based guide, by Lesley Braun and Marc Cohen. (2010)
"Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Guide 3rd edition presents evidence-based information on the most popular herbs, nutrients and food supplements used across Australia and New Zealand. Organised alphabetically by common name, each herb or nutrient listed includes information such as daily intake, main actions/indications, adverse reactions, contraindications and precautions, safety in pregnancy, and more. This is the only book that was listed in the report from the National Prescribing Service Review of Complementary Medicine Information Resources published in March 2009." (Global Books in Print).

A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook, by Bob Stahl, Elisha Goldstein. (c2010)
"In 1990, Jon Kabat-Zinn revolutionized the way millions of people handle distressing thoughts and feelings by writing Full Catastrophe Living, the book that introduced mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) to the public for the first time. In A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, mindfulness experts Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein adapt Kabat-Zinn's groundbreaking programme into an accessible workbook format. Readers turn to this book once a week for eleven weeks, gradually improving their ability to relieve intense stress and reconnect with the present. The workbook invites readers to participate in formal and informal practices and use fill-in exercises to reflect and track their progress. After each weekly session, readers can apply the techniques they learned that week into everyday life, gradually learning to replace stress-promoting habits with mindful ones. The audio CD bound with this book offers extensive and helpful supplemental material that readers can listen to anytime to receive a refresher course on MBSR techniques and useful guidance for incorporating these techniques into their days" (Global Books in Print).

Crazy like us : the globalization of the American psyche, by Ethan Watters. (2010)
"If you thought McDonald's and strip malls were the ugliest of America's cultural exports, think again. Western ideas about mental illnessfrom anorexia to post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, general anxiety and clinical depressionas well as Western treatments have been sweeping the globe with alarming speed, argues journalist Watters (Urban Tribes), and are doing far more damage than Big Macs and the Gap. In this well-travelled, deeply reported book, Watters takes readers from Hong Kong to Zanzibar, to Tsunami ravaged Sri Lanka, to illustrate how distinctly American psychological disorders have played in far-off locales, and how Western treatments, from experimental, unproven drugs to talk therapy, have clashed with local customs, understandings and religions. While the book emphasises anthropological findings at the occasional expense of medical context, and at times skitters into a broad indictment of drug companies and Western science, Watters builds a powerful case. He argues convincingly that cultural differences belie any sort of western template for diagnosing and treating mental illness, and that the rapid spread of American culture threatens our very understanding of the human mind: 'We should worry about the loss of diversity in the world's differing conceptions of treatments for mental illness in the same way we worry about the loss of biodiversity in nature." (Gloabl Books in Print).

The secret life of the grown-up brain : the surprising talents of the middle-aged mind, by Barbara Strauch. (2010)
"A leading science writer examines how the brain's capacity reaches its peak in middle age. For many years, scientists thought that the human brain simply decayed over time and its dying cells led to memory slips, fuzzy logic, negative thinking, and even depression. But new research from neuroscientists and psychologists suggests that, in fact, the brain reorganizes, improves in important functions, and even helps us adopt a more optimistic outlook in middle age. Growth of white matter and brain connectors allow us to recognize patterns faster, make better judgments, and find unique solutions to problems. Scientists call these traits cognitive expertise and they reach their highest levels in middle age. In her impeccably researched book, science writer Barbara Strauch explores the latest findings that demonstrate, through the use of technology such as brain scans, that the middle-aged brain is more flexible and more capable than previously thought. For the first time, long-term studies show that our view of middle age has been misleading and incomplete. By detailing exactly the normal, healthy brain functions over time, Strauch also explains how its optimal processes can be maintained. Part scientific survey, part how-to guide, The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain is a fascinating glimpse at our surprisingly talented middle-aged minds." (Global Books in Print)

The secret history of the war on cancer, by Devra Davis. (c2009)
"Why has the War on Cancer languished, focusing mainly on finding and treating the disease and downplaying the need to control and combat cancers basic causestobacco, the workplace, radiation, and the general environment? This war has targeted the wrong enemies with the wrong weapons, failing to address well-known cancer causes.As epidemiologist Devra Davis shows in this superbly researched expos, this is no accident. The War on Cancer has followed the commercial interests of industries that generated a host of cancer-causing materials and products. This is the gripping story of a major public health effort diverted and distorted for private gain that is being reclaimed through efforts to green health care and the environment." (Global Books in Print).

Power over panic : overcoming panic and anxiety, by Bronwyn Fox. (2010)
"Anxiety affects more than two million Australians, making it twice as common as depression. Yet awareness of anxiety-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress, panic disorder and social phobia is still unacceptably low. In this third edition of her bestselling book, Bronwyn Fox helps us to understand the symptoms of anxiety disorders and teaches us how to manage panic attacks and anxiety with meditation and a mindfulness-based cognitive technique. Her method is based on decades of experience counselling people in Australia and overseas, and running her award-winning programs and workshops. Bronwyn writes with compassion and authority, having experienced panic disorder and agoraphobia for five years. Using case studies and up-to-date research findings, she also explores the deeper causes of anxiety disorders, and shows us how working with self-esteem contributes to our long-term recovery. Power Over Panic is a practical, insightful resource for anyone living with an anxiety disorder, or caring for someone who does" (Global Books in Print).

The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. (c2010)
"Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells - taken without her knowledge - become one of the most important tools in modern medicine. Taken in 1951, these cells became the first immortal human cell line ever grown in culture. They were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered the secrets of cancer, viruses and the effects of the atom bomb; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilisation, cloning, and gene mapping, and have been bought and sold by the billions. Put together, her cells would now weigh more than 22 million tons and placed end-to-end would wrap around the earth five times. Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the "coloured" wards of Johns Hopkins in the 1950s to poverty stricken tenements of East Baltimore today, where Henrietta's children are unable to afford health insurance, and struggle with feelings of pride, fear and betrayal. Their story is inextricably linked to the birth of bioethics, the rise of multi-billion dollar biotech industry, and the legal battles that determine if we own our bodies. Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences." (Global Books in Print)

The The story of stuff : how our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet, our communities and our health - and a vision for change , by Annie Leonard. (2010)

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