Undoctored

April 1, 2017

Davis (Wheat Belly) presents a plan for people to take control of their well-being. He describes the difficulty that patients face in attempting to discern how to best manage their health--due, in large part, to our grossly expensive, inefficient, and ineffective medical-industrial complex, which places profit over patient care in the guise of "benevolent healers doing good." He also calls out paternalistic "I know what's best for you" doctors who benefit monetarily from the procedures they perform, and makes suggestions for how to communicate with physicians and other practitioners. His plan is based on community and collaboration--using crowdsourcing to become informed and make decisions about health. Davis recommends a list of discussion forums and support groups, including two of his own websites. He advocates a low-carb diet, specific supplements and exercise, and includes recipes. Two of the author's claims are questionable: that technology provides open access to all medical knowledge, and that raw information plus crowdsourcing will lead to positive health outcomes for individuals (see the antivaccine movement). VERDICT Fans of Davis's previous work and those who feel that the medical establishment has failed them will appreciate this book.--Rachel Owens, Daytona State Coll. Lib., FL

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