Consumer Connections
ISSN 1535-7821 Vol. 28 No. 4 2012
Book Reviews
- Macular Degeneration: From Diagnosis to Treatment
- Changing Roles and Contexts for Health Library and Information Professionals
- 22 Accessible Road Trips: Driving Vacations for Wheelers and Slow Walkers
- The Reality Slap: Finding Peace and Fulfillment When Life Hurts
- Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Practical Guide to Your Future
- Two Whole Cakes: How to Stop Dieting and Learn to Love Your Body
- Eat What You Love Love What You Eat with Diabetes: A Mindful Eating Program for Thriving with Prediabetes or Diabetes
- Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know
- Parenting Your Child With Autism: Practical Solutions, Strategies, and Advice for Helping Your Family
- FAST MINDS: How to Thrive if You Have ADHD (or Think You Might
- Calming the Emotional Storm: Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Manage Your Emotions and Balance Your Life
Publication Information
Book Reviews
Boyer, David S., M.D. and Tabandeh, Homayoun, M.D. Macular Degeneration: From Diagnosis to Treatment. Addicus Books, 2012. 134p. index. ISBN 978-1-936374-32-8. $19.95. In the not-too-distant past, a diagnosis of macular degeneration meant nearly certain loss of central vision with no hope of improvement. In the past decade, however, treatments have improved greatly, providing patients with better options and improved outcomes. Patients with recent diagnoses of the disease will have many questions about treatment options and what to expect as the condition progresses. To answer this need, retina specialists David S. Boyer, M.D. and Tabandeh Homayoun, M.D. have taken on the task of explaining a complicated topic in an easy-to-understand manner.
The first four sections of the book include an overview, symptoms, diagnosis, and current treatment options. Well-labeled diagrams and images help to demystify the complex subject matter. Of particular value to patients will be the final sections on reducing the risk of disease progression and living with the disease. Both of these sections offer practical tips and strategies that will help patients modify behaviors, adjust to daily activities with vision impairment, and take steps to continue living a full life. Materials in the Appendix include an Amsler Grid - a tool for checking changes in one’s vision; a list of relevant organizations; an index; and a useful glossary of terms.
With macular degeneration accounting for the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50, this book will be a valuable addition to any library’s consumer health collection and will provide an excellent reference for patients, families, and anyone wanting to learn more about the disease.
Reviewed by: Kelli Ham, NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region, UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library, Los Angeles, CA.
Brettle, Alison & Urquhart, Christine. Changing Roles and Contexts for Health Library and Information Professionals. Facet Publishing, distributed in the US by Neil-Shuman Publishers, 2012. 172 p. ISBN 978-1-85604-740-1. $115.
‘Changing Roles’ offers valuable perspectives on the future of library practice that has something to offer for educators, librarians, library students, and those considering health librarianship. The succinctly written text begins with an overview of change in healthcare environments, primarily in the UK and Canada. While our colleagues’ contexts for practice differ markedly from those in the US, library leaders such as Andrew Booth, Prudence Dalrymple, Nunzia Giuse, Taneya Koonce, and Alison Brettle – experienced, visionary, and respected practitioners, researchers and educators - illuminate gaps in knowledge and challenges faced in a clear and engaging manner that will leave readers thinking about possibilities regardless of locale. Perhaps of particular interest is a discussion on changes and trends in health technology and technology applications along with librarian involvement in clinical information systems (Ch. 3), and a section by contributing editor Urquhart on ‘skills, competencies, and knowledge’ for LS professionals, which points the way forward and expands on the MLA Competencies for Lifelong Learning. Ensuing chapters offer case studies that explore new roles: librarians as information brokers, liaisons, educators, and more. Recommended reading if you’re wondering where the library field is going as a profession, the text is a valuable contribution to the professional literature.
Reviewed by: Carol Perryman, Assistant Professor, School of Library and Information Studies, Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX
Harrington, Candy B. 22 Accessible Road Trips: Driving Vacations for Wheelers and Slow Walkers. DemosHealth, 2012. 318 p. index. ISBN 978-1-936303-26-7. $21.95.
22 Accessible Road Trips is an excellent travel guide for anyone interested in exploring the United States. Focused on the accessibility of locations, Harrington shares insights that would benefit many family vacations, especially multi-generational ones. The travel tips and resources included are practical and useful for planning. The descriptions of attractions are clear and concise enough to peak a traveler’s interest. The book can be used to generate vacation ideas or single city trips as well.
The book organizes the country by region – Pacific States, Mountain States, Central States and Eastern States. Drives within these regions vary, some cover multiple states and others only one depending on the theme of the trip. Harrington directs travelers off of the beaten path and although routes may go through major cities she highlights the small towns along the way and briefly mentions the well known destinations. The Florida road trip is a perfect example of bypassing the major Orlando attractions for this particular route but it is still possible to add if the traveler desired. Each route offers alternate entry points and a fly-drive option. There are free options included in nearly every route and a variety of activities for multi-generational families. Hotel and food suggestions are made for the routes, most of which are local restaurants and some bed and breakfast lodging. As a bonus there is a section for each route called, “variation on a theme” that allows for additional tour options as schedules permit.
Reviewed by Christine Willis, MLIS, Shepherd Center, Atlanta, GA
Harris, Russ. The Reality Slap: Finding Peace and Fulfillment When Life Hurts. New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2012. 298p. index. ISBN 978-160882-280-5. $16.95.
Author Russ Harris writes his 5th in a series of self help books to help people deal with the pain and suffering that happen all around us. In The Reality Slap, the author describes this situation as a jolt that causes us to realize things are not as we would like. This jolt may be as simple as not getting something we want to the death of a loved one. Whatever the cause, the realization that it must be dealt with is there and it is troubling.
The author encourages the reader to focus on the fulfillment that comes from within oneself. He guides the reader through a series of steps to find “inner fulfillment”. These steps show the reader how to not depend on things outside our self so that during time of intense trial and stress, resources are always available to us.
These steps are often simple and considered “common sense” but are not always thought through during times of difficulty. He often uses his own slaps of reality from learning of the diagnosis of autism in his young son as examples in his writing.
This book follows the author’s other books The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living; ACT with Love: Stop Struggling, Reconcile Differences, and Strengthen your Relationship with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; The Confidence Gap: From Fear to Freedom and ACT Made Simple: An Easy-to-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. In the consumer health library where many go to look for answers to life’s reality slaps, all these books would be a helpful addition.
Reviewed by: Monique McCollum RN, MPH Patient Education Coordinator, University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, Colorado
Keene, Nancy; Hobbie, Wendy; & Ruccione, Kathy. Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Practical Guide to Your Future. Childhood Cancer Guides. 2012. 480 p index. ISBN:978-1-457-11867-8. $29.95.
This updated third edition, written by co-authors Keene (advocate, author, and mother of a childhood cancer survivor), Hobbie (author, editor, and associate director of the cancer survivorship program, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia), and Ruccione (Codirector of the Hematology-Oncology Psychosocial and Education program at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles) is an essential resource for cancer survivors and their families. The book provides readers not only with medical and practical information but emotional support as they end treatment and become cancer survivors. Each chapter intersperses short quotes from patients and or family members regarding their own personal experiences during the cancer journey of treatment and survivorship.
The book begins by discussing survivorship and the transition to normalcy after treatment is completed and explains how to deal with the emotional aspect of the transition. Also, survivors will also obtain advice on how to deal with relationships after treatment and as they grow older and into adulthood.
One important aspect of the book is that it emphasizes the long-term effects of cancer and its treatment and advises patients to seek medical care from a physician who is well versed in the long-term effects of cancer. The book contains a chapter on navigating the complexities of the health care system including information about insurance coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.
There is a chapter on the major childhood cancers and there are chapters on many of the body systems that cancer treatment can affect. The book concludes with an appendix with survivor sketches and a list of patient resources. Patients and their family members will find this to be an essential resource for dealing with the complexities of health care and cancer survivorship. Overall, this is a well-written and easy to read resource for patients and is highly recommended for all public and consumer health libraries.
Reviewed by: Dana Ladd, Community Health Education Center, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, VCU Libraries. Richmond, VA.
Kinzel, Leslie. Two Whole Cakes: How to Stop Dieting and Learn to Love Your Body. The Feminist Press, 2012. 167p. ISBN 978-1-55861-793-3. $14.95.
This book is about how women of all shapes and sizes should be confident in their bodies and reject society’s pressure to diet and be unrealistically skinny “in the name of health” especially since, according to the author’s personal experience, diets are fairly unhealthy.
The author’s college degree is not in nutrition or a related field. She co-founded and moderated the blog “Fatshionista,” a website looking at size acceptance and other similar topics. The author states multiple times that according to the current research no scientific link has been found between sugar and diabetes (which is true), but then fails to acknowledge that current research has found a strong link between diets high in sugar and diabetes. The author states being skinny is not synonymous with being healthy, and in many cases is quite the opposite. Her humorous accounts of failed dieting experiences and her related experiences with health professionals are entertaining and easy to relate to.
While the author does comment on the importance of being confident in your body regardless of size, she has many misconceptions about nutrition and health which may not be obvious to readers with little knowledge of the subjects. According to the SMOG readability formula, this book is written at a 10th grade reading level.
Reviewed by: Linda Whiteford, University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA
May, Michelle with Fletcher, Megrette. Eat What You Love Love What You Eat with Diabetes: A Mindful Eating Program for Thriving with Prediabetes or Diabetes. New Harbinger Publications, 2012. 243 p., index. ISBN 978-1-60882-245-4. $17.95.
Following up on the successful Eat What You Love Love What You Eat (2011) book for “eat, repent, repeat” dieters, Drs. May and Fletcher have tweaked their approach to help those diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes. Since the prevalence of these conditions is currently at near epidemic levels in the U.S., this book will surely be welcomed by both consumers and consumer health librarians. It helps that the main author, May, is not only a family physician but a “recovering” yo-yo dieter herself. As such, she understands on a personal level the psychological risks of restrictive dieting which all too often brings on subsequent rebellious binges followed by paroxysms of guilt.
Focusing on “mindful eating” as a counter for the distracted and heedless approach to nutrition by most Americans, the authors describe the pathology of diabetes plainly and succinctly. This mindfulness theme guides the organization of the book, which is divided into parts with states of being titles like “Curiosity” or “Acceptance.” Each section is further divided into the standard chapters, Think, Care Nourish and Live. Unfortunately, although the mindful eating prescription and other guides (such as the Body Mind Heart Scan) are valid and helpful, this chapter organization can be confusing and repetitive at times. However, there is a “Putting It All Together” Chapter that reviews the highlights of the book for the reader. Quotations from diabetic and prediabetic patients interspersed throughout the book add a supportive element to the recommendations in the chapters. A bibliography of resources on the topic and a good index complete the work.
While Eat What You Love Love What You Eat with Diabetes is not flawless, the topic and the sensible, compassionate approach to nutrition and exercise for people with high blood glucose make this an important addition for most consumer health collections.
Reviewed by: Kay Hogan Smith, UAB Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences, Birmingham, AL
Rosenblatt, Alan I. and Carbone, Paul S., editors. Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know. American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012. 305 p., appendices, index. ISBN: 9781581106510. $14.95.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 88 children is currently diagnosed as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASDs have received much attention in the media, and there are millions of websites retrieved in a search of autism on Google. With so much information available to parents it can be difficult for them to find authoritative resources on ASDs. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has produced this comprehensive book to provide parents with reliable information on most aspects of these conditions.
The authors, Rosenblatt and Carbone, are pediatricians who have compiled an extensive resource on this topic; Carbone also has a child on the autism spectrum. Written in a straightforward manner with a compassionate tone, it includes discussions of the medical, behavioral, educational and parenting issues involved in raising a child with an ASD. While it appears to be at a fairly high reading level, the text is divided into short sections with many bulleted lists, and important information is summarized in boxes set apart on the pages. The authors highlight evidence-based interventions used with individuals with ASDs, but they also offer information about a variety of available treatments and caution parents to carefully research any intervention before trying it. Stories about the experiences of other families are also included throughout the book. There are several appendices, including a helpful listing of resources and an index. With the imprimatur of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know is highly recommended for most consumer health libraries.
Reviewed by: Deborah Magnan, Samuel and Sandra Hekemian Medical Library, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ
Sastry, Anjali and Aguirre, Blaise MD. Parenting Your Child With Autism: Practical Solutions, Strategies, and Advice for Helping Your Family. New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2012. 201p. ISBN 9781608821907.
The authors co-wrote this book from two different perspectives: Ms. Sastry is the parent of two boys both on the autism spectrum and an MIT-trained academic, and Dr. Aguirre specializes in a psychiatric condition known as borderline personality disorder (BPD). He states that BPD and autism are similar in that they are both developmental disorders whose behaviors puzzle parents trying to understand the
experiences of their children. Both authors interviewed parents and experts, read hundreds of books, magazine articles, blog postings and more. They admit that knowledge in the field is fluid but aim to equip the reader with tools to make practical decisions in the care of their child.
The authors aim to assist parents in sorting out answers. Chapter 1 begins by addressing the question “What is Autism?”. From there, with compassion and practicality, the book goes on to address educational and medical issues, treatments and interventions both medical and social, and ends with a recommended reading list that enlarges the scope of this book. Along the way, heavily sprinkled throughout the book, there are “Practical Notes”; sections dealing with putting that particular chapter’s information to work that were vetted by parents who used the advice themselves. For instance, one note covers the topic “Five Habits for a Highly Effective Appointment”.
This is a book I would highly recommend for a family with a newly diagnosed child for its practical advice and the kind way in which it is imparted. Families with a child on the autism spectrum who are already familiar with the diagnosis would most likely glean new, helpful information from this book as well.
Reviewed by Judy Griggs, MLIS, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, OH.
Surman, Craig, M.D. and Tim Bilkey, M.D. with Karen Weintraub. FAST MINDS: How to Thrive if You Have ADHD (or Think You Might). 352p. Berkley, 2013. $25.95 ISBN: 978-0-425-25283-3.
Adults living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a hard time organizing their lives. The symptoms in the title’s acronym: Forgetful, Achieving below potential, Stuck in a rut, Time challenged, Motivationally challenged, Impulsive, Novelty seeking, Distractible, Scattered; make it difficult to stay focused. The authors, physicians who specialize in the treatment of adult ADHD, offer a program to help. Using the latest research, which shows that the brains of people living with ADHD are structurally different, they explain the disorder and show how to become aware of the symptoms. They then provide tools to help those with ADHD create structure and organize their lives so that they can function effectively at home and at work and cope with potentially stressful events and changes. They use a variety of techniques, including medication, and show users how to track their symptoms and their progress. Cognitive and behavioral therapies, mindfulness meditation, coaching, exercise, nutrition, support groups and supplements may be useful. The authors also offer advice about telling family, friends, and colleagues about the disorder so that they will understand.
This is a very useful book with sound, supportive advice. One caveat for librarians is the workbook section with blanks to fill in at the end. The excellent content and extensive bibliography make it a worthwhile addition to consumer health collections.
Reviewed by: Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland Public Library, Oakland, CA.
Van Dijk, Sheri. Calming the Emotional Storm: Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Manage Your Emotions and Balance Your Life. New Harbinger, 2012. 174 p. ISBN 978-1-60882-087-0
Who hasn’t experienced painful emotions, like anger, grief, disappointment, anxiety? But when we lose control of our emotions and overreact to difficult situations, these feelings can be overwhelming, causing us to behave in ways that are destructive and unacceptable to ourselves and those around us.
This latest book from Sheri Van Dijk, a mental health therapist practicing in Ontario with an extensive background in dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive-behavior therapy, and mindful practice, draws on psychologist Marsha Linehan’s work in cognitive therapy and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Centering on the four skills of DBT—mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness—Van Dijk offers clear steps toward managing runaway emotions, establishing balance and a sense of well-being, learning to accept oneself, and coping with crises.Van Dijk is also the author of The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder and Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens, and coauthor of The Bipolar Workbook for Teen.
This is an exceedingly readable self-help guidebook, with clear, concise prose; helpful case-study examples; and easy exercises that teach new skills. Highly recommended for anyone experiencing difficulties managing their emotions and for healthcare professionals who treat people with emotion regulation problems.
Reviewed by Margaret A. Havran, MLIS, University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences, 2011; Pittsburgh, PA
Publication Information
Statement
Consumer Connections (ISSN 1535-7821) is the newsletter of the Consumer and Patient Information Section of the Medical Library Association. It is published on the CAPHIS website quarterly. Notification of publication is sent via the CAPHIS listserv. CAPHIS is the largest section of the Medical Library Association.
Newsletter articles and book reviews are copyrighted; please contact the editor for reprint permission.
Submissions
Please submit items for Consumer Connections during the third quarter for publication in the following quarter.
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Please send submissions in electronic format to the editor:
Nikki Dettmar
e-mail: snydern@u.washington.edu
Telephone: (206)543-3409
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