Health Beauty and Disease Information

From Library Journal
The current interest in emerging diseases has led many virologists to write their own popular books on the subject. Many incorporate the entertaining if lurid detail popularized by Richard Preston’s bestselling The Hot Zone (LJ 8/94). Some, like Frank Ryan in his Virus X (LJ 1/97), use accounts of emerging virus outbreaks as a lead-in to fascinating discussions on the ecology and evolution of viruses. Oldstone, who directs a laboratory of viral immunobiology at the Scripps Research Institute, takes a more traditional approach, intending to write in the spirit of Paul de Kruif’s classic Microbe Hunters (1926). After a short introduction to the principles of virology and immunology, Oldstone describes the partial or total conquests of four major killers?smallpox, yellow fever, measles, and polio?then discusses old and emerging diseases that are serious threats?Lassa fever, Ebola, Hantavirus, AIDS, and influenza. Unfortunately, Oldstone’s writing lacks de Kruif’s prose style and engrossing detail; much, if not all, of his work reads like a (more…)

Health conscious parents are wary of the side effects of vaccines, but they also fear the infectious diseases to which babies and young children can fall victim. This book equips parents with the knowledge they need to cope with both the tactics of the vaccine industry, and with the very real threat from infectious diseases.

Each infectious disease has different characteristics, and each needs to be approached in an individual way. Understanding the difference between the self-resolving childhood illnesses and the ones that need intervention is the first step to knowing how to deal with infectious diseases. This book advises parents on how to bring children safely through childhood illnesses like measles and whooping cough, and discusses medical and non-medical prevention and treatment of the non-childhood infectious diseases. (more…)

Review : By D. G Sinclair

Amidst the plethora of fanatical and unbalanced writing on vaccinations (both pro and anti), this book is the ONE book you should read on vaccinations. The author, a midwife who is supposedly working on her MD, covers the history of vaccinations, including the mistakes made. She covers each disease, it’s risks and likelihood of complications, as well as each vaccine, it’s risks and efficacy. It also provides a section on naturopathic approaches to immunity. (more…)