What Your Doctor Hasn't Told You and the Health-Store Clerk

April 10, 2006
Aging boomers eager for answers to health-care questions couldn't ask for a better guide to the best treatments than Schneider, a practicing clinician and dean emeritus of USC's Andrus Gerontology Center. Evaluating the latest medical research on topics ranging from arthritis, depression, menopause and male libido to heart disease, brain function and cancer, Schneider (The Longevity Quotient
) outlines his recommendations for a combination of conventional and alternative treatments. Though recent studies have shown that some of the supplements that he and others advocate (saw palmetto for prostate problems and glucosamine and chondroitin for joint pain) can be ineffective, the use of these are, in general, just a small part of Schneider's comprehensive wellness program. All chapters are easy to navigate and well organized, and feature not only useful "to dos" but a number of "how tos" (relaxation response for sleeplessness, for example). When dealing with insomnia, he suggests an exercise program and good "sleep hygiene" (firm mattress, no caffeine) and discusses various nonaddictive prescription drugs (including dosage and side effects). Overall, Schneider's balanced view of integrative therapies and his great fund of practical and medical advice are both reassuring and invigorating.

April 15, 2006
Researcher and clinician Schneider (gerontology, dean emeritus, Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles) and coauthor Hirschman ("The Chronic Pain Solution") focus on 11 common disorders and perform a sort of consumer-oriented meta-analysis, distilling research to highlight the most promising alternative treatments for each. They resist the temptation to provide a single answer, instead drawing on degrees of efficacy (highly recommended, recommended, acceptable, do not use) based on the quality of research available and the strength of the results. In doing so, they not only offer sound clinical information but also teach basic critical analysis of research literature. Ginseng is -good, - right? Surprise -it depends. This is refreshingly reality-based medicine. Dosage levels are included for recommended therapies, and the authors conclude with a -Top Ten - list of recommendations for general good health. The only drawbacks are the limited number of conditions researched and the exclusion of some therapies (e.g., remote prayer, acupressure, shamanic healing). Highly recommended for public libraries, though one has to wonder who asks a clerk for medical advice." -Andy Wickens, King Cty. Lib. Syst., Seattle "

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.