TABLE OF CONTENTS

UPDATED CORE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CONSUMER HEALTH REFERENCE BOOKS

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The following recently published books may be of interest to public libraries and health sciences libraries that have consumer health collections. These books are not part of the Health Center Library collection.

Informed decisions: the complete book of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Gerald Murphy, Lois B. Morris, and Dianne Lange. American Cancer Society. Viking, 1997. 689 p. (ISBN 0-670-85370-4), $39.95.

This long awaited updated guide to cancer from the American Cancer Society was worth the wait. Much improved from their earlier work (American Cancer Society cancer book, 1985), this new guide offers the latest information on cancer diagnosis and treatment. Topics include screening for cancer, diagnostic tests, cancer causes and risks, and developing a support network. The section on treatments describes the basic principles of treatment, chemotherapy, biological therapies, bone marrow transplant, surgery and radiation, investigational treatments, and alternative and complementary therapies.

The tone of the section on alternative and complementary therapies is quite different from the earlier work. Then the words "alternative" and "complementary" were synonyms for "quackery". The new edition recognizes that many of these therapies may have some merit and deserve further scientific research.

An encyclopedia of common and uncommon cancers describes the risks, signs, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of specific types of cancer. Each discussion includes a section alerting the reader to controversies related to the treatment of the cancer. Clinical trials and new or experimental treatments are also covered. This information is offered to help the patients more effectively discuss treatment options with their doctor.

Appendixes include a directory of resources and a guide to cancer information online, which lists cancer databases and Internet resources. This is an essential guide for all public and health sciences libraries.

The Yale guide to children's nutrition. William V. Tamborlane and Janet Z. Weiswasser. Yale University Press, 1997. 415 p. (ISBN 0-300-07169-8), $40.00; (ISBN 0-300-0007169-8), pap. $18.00.

This new guide to children's nutrition covers all the topics most parents are interested in and then some. While short on practical advice in many of the subject areas, some of the topics covered are often not found in other similar nutrition books.

The standard topics covered include normal growth and development, basic nutrition, feeding from infancy through adolescence, overweight children, the picky eater (aren't they all?), and vegetarianism and children's health. Special topics include childhood obesity, food allergies, high blood cholesterol, the child with cystic fibrosis or diabetes, feeding the child with cleft lip and palate, and diet and the child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A chapter on fast foods and restaurants gives advice on choosing more healthful menu selections.

A section with recipes (there are 67) includes imaginative dishes from the "most respected chefs in the United States". Recipes for infants include carrot and potato puree and french green lentil and rice puree. Dishes for older children include banana split pancakes, cantaloupe soup, waldorf tuna salad, peanut butter bread (not the spread on the bread kind), and baked elbow pasta with shrimp and zucchini. Don't worry - desserts haven't been ignored. How does maple glazed tropical fruit salad sound, or perhaps super cherry tiramisu?

Growth charts, recipe conversion tables, and recommended dietary allowances are included in appendixes.

When a parent has cancer: a guide to caring for your children. Wendy Schlessel Harpham. HarperCollins, 1997. 164 p. (ISBN 0-06-018709-3), $24.00.

A diagnosis of cancer can be particularly devastating for parents of young children. How can the parent face treatments and long periods of recovery and still care responsibly for their children and at the same time answer the many questions that arise about the illness.

Wendy Harpham's helpful book gives parents who have cancer the expert guidance they need to help their children through a parent's diagnosis and treatment, remission and recovery, and, if necessary, confronting the possibility of death. Harpham, who is a physician and the mother of three young children, speaks from experience having lived through a diagnosis and subsequent treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Her earlier books (Diagnosis cancer: your guide through the first few months, 1992; After cancer: a guide to your new life, 1994) chronicled her struggle in fighting the disease and coping with its consequences.

With understanding and sensitivity, she discusses ways to meet the child's fundamental needs and emphasizes the importance of being honest about the gravity of the illness. The emphasis here is on helping the children cope with changes in their lives while at the same time fostering their need for reassurance and a sense of security. Harpham also expertly covers dealing with loss, grief, and fear, using play as a therapeutic tool, helping children tame their fear of death, and the special needs of teenagers, single parents, and the well spouse.

Included with this guide is an illustrated childen's book called "Becky and the worry cup", which tells the story of a seven-year old girl's experiences with her mother's cancer. The book can be read by children alone or together with a parent. A glossary and a list of resources are also included

The following titles were recently added to the UCHC Library collection and may be of interest to public libraries:

Fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain syndrome : a survival manual. Devin Starlanyl and Mary Ellen Copeland. New Harbinger Publications, 1996. 401 p. (ISBN 1-57224-046-6), $19.95. UCHC Library Call #:WE/544/S795/1996.

Twenty-six million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia (FM) or myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). The symptoms of both of these conditions include chronic, widespread musculoskeltal pain, accompanied by multiple tender or trigger points, painful or restricted movement, and persistent fatigue. Often these conditions are misdiagnosed and patients may spend many years searching for a specific reason for their symptoms.

This comprehensive guide offers advice on managing these conditions. Descriptions are given for each, including similarities and differences between the two. Patients are taught how to evaluate their own symptoms and to identify the tender or trigger points that are crucial for treating them. Up to date information on treatments is offered, including medications, a nutritional program, exercise, and other "healing tools".

Life issues such as managing the conditions in order to keep working, disability rights, travel, and finding a primary care physician are also discussed. A list of resources, a reading list, and a directory of suppliers of health care items are included in appendixes.

Living with Parkinson's disease. Kathleen E. Biziere and Matthias C. Kurth. Demos Vermande, 1997. 160 p. (ISBN 1-888799-10-2), $24.95 (UCHC Library Call #: WL/359/B625/1997.

This book was written for those who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, their family members and friends, and for physicians and health care providers. The content is divided into two main sections: the disease and its management and research aimed at improving the management of Parkinson's disease. The first section describes what the disease is, how it is treated and managed, surgical treatments, and promoting optimal health while living with Parkinson's disease.

The second section gives a helpful overview of research currently being conducted on treatments for Parkinson's disease. More specifically, developments in improving the effectiveness of levodopa, the search for longer acting agents, and improvements in the management of late-stage complications of the disease are discussed. Information on clinical trials and their role in the development of new therapies is covered in a separate chapter. Although somewhat technical, this information can be valuable for many patients and their families. A glossary and a brief list of resources are included.

Nutrition almanac. 4th ed. Gayla J. Kirschmann and John D. Kirschmann. McGraw-Hill, 1996. 494 p. (ISBN 0-07-034922-3), $16.95. UCHC Library Call #:QU/145/K61/1996.

This purpose of this nutrition guide is to help readers develop a personal nutrition plan and to serve as a handy reference to quickly answer simple questions regarding food, nutrition, and health. General topics covered include the role of nutrition and health, exercise, basic components of foods, vitamins and minerals, and diseases and medical conditions that may result from an imbalanced intake of nutrients. Herbs are also discussed with a brief summary of common types and how herbs may be used to treat or prevent common ailments. Food composition tables are included as are discussions of specific foods and beverages.

Although a bibliography is included, this guide's main drawback is the lack of specific references to research related to the subjects covered. The bibliography includes, for the most part, secondary sources, most of which are popular nutrition books. Credentials of the authors are not given, except for a brief mention that John D. Krischmann is director of his own nutrition consulting company and that his daughter Gayla works for him.

This is an optional purchase for public libraries and for health sciences libraries. For more complete and authoritative nutrition information try The concise encyclopedia of foods and nutrition or The American Dietetic Association's complete food and nutrition guide.

Your dieting daughter : is she dying for attention? Carolyn Costin. Brunner Mazel, 1997. 217 p. (ISBN 0-87630-836-1), $19.95. UCHC Library Call #: WM/175/C844y/1997.

Over fifty percent of females between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight. By the age of 13, 80 percent have attempted to lose weight and 10 percent report the use of self-induced vomiting to achieve their weight loss goal. Dieting to extremes, or anorexia and bulimia, have become serious health issues facing young girls. Parents are often at a loss to know how to deal with the complex issues related to these conditions.

This guide, written by the director of the Eating Disorder Center of California who is also a recovered anorexic, offers helpful advice for parents and other family members. Costin describes the symptoms of the conditions, their psychological causes, and how the conditions can be prevented. Expert guidance with concrete examples is given to help parents cope with different situations that may occur.

Costin also analyzes factors in our society that contribute to the development of these disorders. She offers a useful evaluation of popular weight loss programs, how they are supposed to work and why they often are not successful. Appendixes include a minicourse on nutrition, a table of recommended daily allowances, a list of resources, and a bibliography.