Review by Azairwe -- Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
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Azairwe
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Review by Azairwe -- Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
[Following is a volunteer review of "Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks" by Morton E Tavel, MD.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The book Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks - a Physician’s Advice by Dr. Morton E. Tavel presents sound scientific evidence for taking up a healthy lifestyle, overcoming common health related misconceptions, and defeating the various tricks designed to take your money in exchange for useless or dangerous health products.
From more familiar topics such as weight loss, smoking and regular exercises, Dr. Tavel effectively uses his vast clinical and medical research experience to provide advice on a variety of more complex issues including: safety of vaccines, raw milk, genetically modified foods, irradiated foods; whether and to what degree one should drink caffeine, chocolate, energy drinks etc; the role, if any, of food supplements, fortified foods, organic foods and gluten-free diets, and many other health products. Compelling evidence is provided for staying away from “alternative medicine” practices. The reader is also guided on how to identify and avoid scams that promote useless and often dangerous health products.
What I liked most about the book is the great depth of evidence and references presented before providing advice to the reader. In most cases, the evidence is overwhelming and will quickly move you to action. As I read through the pages, I found myself checking labels of various foods in my fridge to verify the ingredients. Not surprisingly, most food products listed the ingredients (e.g. fats) but did not specify the quantities. Similarly, reading the book caused me to take appropriate steps to improve the quality of my sleep.
However, despite excellent attempt to simplify complex scientific notions such as the use of recombinant DNA technology in genetically modified foods, or the “vanishing caloric density” concept for junk foods, some readers may still find the book rather too technical. For such readers, the depth of scientific evidence presented may be overwhelming. Finally, though quite informative, I did not appreciate the health related value of the section on polygraphs.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The book has very useful advice on different health matters. Every reader will find something interesting and relevant. However, the book has some editing errors, for example on page 32 under chapter 13. The formatting of the references section also needs to be improved in terms of indentation, font size and types. There are also a number of typos.
Additionally, the current arrangement of chapters creates a degree of repetition; for example the topic of allergies is discussed in chapters 32 and 47 but also under chapter 10 (allergies to shellfish) and chapter 39 (allergies to gluten). Fortified foods are covered under chapter 36 while dietary supplements are discussed under chapters 21 and 56. Bringing related topics closer and discussing the tips, myths or tricks to them in one section would improve readability of the book.
The book appeals to a wide range of audiences. From the parent that has to vaccinate a child, a youngster tempted to use energy drinks, an adult worried about onset of cancer, and an aging adult contemplating use of growth hormone to stop the aging process, there is something for everyone. Even Government regulatory bodies such as the FDA will find areas to improve and guarantee better consumer protection.
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Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
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3 out of 4 stars
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The book Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks - a Physician’s Advice by Dr. Morton E. Tavel presents sound scientific evidence for taking up a healthy lifestyle, overcoming common health related misconceptions, and defeating the various tricks designed to take your money in exchange for useless or dangerous health products.
From more familiar topics such as weight loss, smoking and regular exercises, Dr. Tavel effectively uses his vast clinical and medical research experience to provide advice on a variety of more complex issues including: safety of vaccines, raw milk, genetically modified foods, irradiated foods; whether and to what degree one should drink caffeine, chocolate, energy drinks etc; the role, if any, of food supplements, fortified foods, organic foods and gluten-free diets, and many other health products. Compelling evidence is provided for staying away from “alternative medicine” practices. The reader is also guided on how to identify and avoid scams that promote useless and often dangerous health products.
What I liked most about the book is the great depth of evidence and references presented before providing advice to the reader. In most cases, the evidence is overwhelming and will quickly move you to action. As I read through the pages, I found myself checking labels of various foods in my fridge to verify the ingredients. Not surprisingly, most food products listed the ingredients (e.g. fats) but did not specify the quantities. Similarly, reading the book caused me to take appropriate steps to improve the quality of my sleep.
However, despite excellent attempt to simplify complex scientific notions such as the use of recombinant DNA technology in genetically modified foods, or the “vanishing caloric density” concept for junk foods, some readers may still find the book rather too technical. For such readers, the depth of scientific evidence presented may be overwhelming. Finally, though quite informative, I did not appreciate the health related value of the section on polygraphs.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The book has very useful advice on different health matters. Every reader will find something interesting and relevant. However, the book has some editing errors, for example on page 32 under chapter 13. The formatting of the references section also needs to be improved in terms of indentation, font size and types. There are also a number of typos.
Additionally, the current arrangement of chapters creates a degree of repetition; for example the topic of allergies is discussed in chapters 32 and 47 but also under chapter 10 (allergies to shellfish) and chapter 39 (allergies to gluten). Fortified foods are covered under chapter 36 while dietary supplements are discussed under chapters 21 and 56. Bringing related topics closer and discussing the tips, myths or tricks to them in one section would improve readability of the book.
The book appeals to a wide range of audiences. From the parent that has to vaccinate a child, a youngster tempted to use energy drinks, an adult worried about onset of cancer, and an aging adult contemplating use of growth hormone to stop the aging process, there is something for everyone. Even Government regulatory bodies such as the FDA will find areas to improve and guarantee better consumer protection.
******
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
View: on Bookshelves
Like Azairwe's review? Post a comment saying so!
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