health

"A picture book answering the questions young children ask Shane Burcaw about his wheelchair and life with Spinal Muscular Atrophy with equal parts optimism, humor, and empathy."--OCLC.

Describes the author's struggle to hide her illness and of her astonishing cure.

"The story of [Elena Dunkle] a girl whose armor against anxiety becomes artillery against herself as she battles on both sides of a lose-lose war in a struggle with anorexia"--Publisher.

Dr. Steven Hatch came to Liberia in November 2013, to work at a hospital in Monrovia. Six months later, several of the physicians Dr. Hatch had mentored and served with were dead, or barely clinging to life, and Ebola had become a world health emergency. With little help from the international community and a population ravaged by disease and fear, the war-torn African nation was simply unprepared to deal with the catastrophe. A physician's memoir, this book is also an explanation of the science and biology of Ebola---how it is transmitted and spread with such ferocity. While Ebola is temporarily under control, it will inevitably re-emerge, as will other plagues, notably the Zika virus, which the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency.

Memoir of black American doctor Damon Tweedy about his experiences with racism and prejudice in the medical field. Tweedy writes about the scholarship he was given specifically to increase black enrollment in medical schools which was questioned by one of his professors, up to his experiences as a doctor dealing with the, he argues, prejudiced diagnosis that some diseases are "More common in blacks than in whites.".

"A candid memoir by folk legend Judy Collins of her lifelong struggle with compulsive overeating and the spiritual solution that saved her. Since childhood, Judy Collins has been preoccupied, haunted, seduced, and taunted by food, a problem that nearly cost her her career and her life. For decades she thought her food issues were moral issues--lack of self-will, lack of discipline--and she worked hard at controlling what she thought of as her shameful inclinations, employing measures that led to serious health complications. Today she knows she was born with an addiction to sugar and grains, flour and wheat. The discovery of a solution to her problem prompted the desire to share what she has learned, which has brought her peace of mind, a clean food plan, years of maintaining the same weight, and a glow of joy and health. Alternating between chapters on her life and those of the many diet gurus she has come to know (from Lord Byron to Atkins, Jean Nidetch of Weight Watchers, and Andrew Weil), Cravings is the story of the mountains Collins has climbed and the monsters she has encountered on the path to recovery"--.

"The author of the New York Times bestseller Broken Open returns with a visceral and profound memoir of two sisters who, in the face of a bone marrow transplant--one the donor and one the recipient--begin a quest for acceptance, authenticity, and most of all, love. A mesmerizing and courageous memoir: the story of two sisters uncovering the depth of their love through the life-and-death experience of a bone marrow transplant. Throughout her life, Elizabeth Lesser has sought understanding about what it means to be true to oneself and, at the same time, truly connected to the ones we love. But when her sister Maggie needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life, and Lesser learns that she is the perfect match, she faces a far more immediate and complex question about what it really means to love--honestly, generously, and authentically. Hoping to give Maggie the best chance possible for a successful transplant, the sisters dig deep into the marrow of their relationship to clear a path to unconditional acceptance. They leave the bone marrow transplant up to the doctors, but take on what Lesser calls a "soul marrow transplant," examining their family history, having difficult conversations, examining old assumptions, and offering forgiveness until all that is left is love for each other's true selves. Their process--before, during, and after the transplant--encourages them to take risks of authenticity in other aspects their lives. But life does not follow the storylines we plan for it. Maggie's body is ultimately too weak to fight the relentless illness. As she and Lesser prepare for the inevitable, they grow ever closer as their shared blood cells become a symbol of the enduring bond they share. Told with suspense and humor, Marrow is joyous and heartbreaking, incandescent and profound. The story reveals how even our most difficult experiences can offer unexpected spiritual growth. Reflecting on the multifaceted nature of love--love of other, love of self, love of the world--Marrow is an unflinching and beautiful memoir about getting to the very center of ourselves"--.

"Having sanctified himself in The Year of Living Biblically and sharpened his mind in The Know-It-All, A. J. Jacobs had one feat left in the self-improvement trinity: to become the healthiest man in the world. He didn't want just to lose weight, or finish a triathlon, or lower his cholesterol. His ambitions were far, far greater: Maximal health from head to toe.The task was massive. He had to tackle a complicated web of diet and exercise advice, much of which was nonsensical, unproven, and contradictory. He had to consult a team of medical advisers. And he had to subject himself to a grueling regimen of exercises, a range of diets, and an array of practices to improve everything from his hearing to his sleep to his sex life all the while testing the patience of his long-suffering wife. He left nothing untested, from the caveman workout to veganism, from the treadmill desk to extreme chewing. Drop Dead Healthy teems with hilarity and warmth and pushes our cultures assumptions about and obsessions with what makes good health, allowing the reader to reflect on his or her own health, body, and eventual mortality"--.

Former Good Morning America host Joan Lunden discusses her experience with breast cancer.