The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health [Hardcover]

Librarians will breathe a sigh of relief at the release of this new edition. There is so much good information in the 1996 version, but eight years is a long time in the area of medical guides, and many of us have likely withdrawn the previous edition.

As before, the guide's major focus is on diseases and disorders of the female reproductive system and how diseases common to both sexes may manifest themselves differently in women. The most important change is the updated information on estrogen replacement therapy. In 1996 ERT was viewed as an ideal treatment for women. The 2002 findings of the Women's Health Initiative changed that thinking completely. The research results and the current position of medical professionals are reflected in this edition. Medical advances in the treatment of other diseases and disorders are also covered. The growing acceptance of alternative medicine is reflected in revised articles on the topic. Among the new entries are Airbags, Dissociative identity disorder,^B Lyme disease, and Lymphedema.

This edition is 30 pages shorter than the previous one but contains more entries and a center "blue pages" section with bodily systems diagrams, nutrition charts, and more. The page reduction has been accomplished by the use of smaller type. Information on diseases and disorders is presented as questions and answers addressing definitions, symptoms, treatments, and prevention. A topical resource list gives organizations to be contacted for additional information. Many labeled medical drawings appear throughout the book.

The guide is an outstanding source for public and professional libraries. It is aimed at an educated readership. Given the recent publicity on the literacy problem in consumer health information materials (most of which are written at a tenth-grade reading level and above), libraries should be sure to provide other sources on the topic. Marlene Kuhl
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

More detailed and in-depth than most books in the field, with more than 300 A-Z entries on diseases, domestic violence and eating disorders. (Women's Health Supplement, New York Times 20040801)

For anyone who has a burning health query, The Harvard Guide to Women's Health is, quite simply, the book buy of the decade. It looks like a heavyweight, medical-school textbook, but it's actually an easy-to-follow, Q & A health manual that covers everything from alcohol abuse and breast care to cosmetic surgery and depression. It's the next best thing to having your own at-home GP. (Cosmopolitan 20040801)

Almost anything you need to know about women's health--from breast-feeding to wrinkles--can be found in The Harvard Guide to Women's Health. This encyclopedic guide covers women's health concerns at every stage of life and is a superb resource for those who want to be active in their own health care. (Living Fit 20040701)

A remarkably navigable virtual encyclopedia...The guide is more than a laundry list of diseases. It covers a host of psychosocial issues, from rape and domestic violence to sexual harassment and sexual preference...A good gauge of any medical book purporting to be the definitive one for women is how well it covers gender issues in heart disease, a field that has historically neglected women. Here the guide gets high marks.
--Leslie Laurence (Houston Chronicle 20041101)

This exhaustive resource offers information on everything from adolescent acne to menopause in the belief that better-informed women can have better partnerships with their physicians. (Chicago Tribune )

From A to Z, [The Harvard Guide to Women's Heath] skillfully traverses topics from abdominal pain, through cytolytic vaginitis, interstitial cystitis, onward to occupational hazards, and, ultimately, zinc...In both the book and on the CD-ROM, finding information is easy...One patient commented, 'In my house this book would be brought out a lot--for myself, when talking to my sisters, mother or close friends. It's practically a coffee-table book.'
--Charlea, T. Maisson, MD (JAMA )

An invaluable guide for every stage of a woman's life.
--Aline McKenzie (Dallas Morning News )

The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health is your everything-from-A-to-Z resource when you need to address a health concern. (Complete Woman )

'Comprehensive' is definitely the first word that comes to mind to describe The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health. This hefty volume, an updated version of the first guide, published in 1996, covers almost every imaginable women's health concern, from face-lifts to fibromyalgia. Incorporating new findings from the Women's Health Initiative, the authors (two Harvard doctors and a medical writer) delve into such hot topics as estrogen replacement therapy and perimenopause. The text is detailed, but presented in a way that's understandable for the lay reader. Helpful charts and illustrations explain anatomical references. Appropriate for readers of any age, The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health can help ensure that women are informed partners in their own medical care. (BookPage )

The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health combines the expertise of physicians from three of the world's most prestigious medical institutions: Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. This A to Z reference book contains complete information on women's health concerns from physical to behavioral issues. Featuring over 300 entries, with helpful charts, illustrations, cross references to other sections, and a comprehensive Index at the back of the book, the subjects cover everything from common ailments and diseases to new and broader categories, such as body image, cosmetic surgery, domestic abuse and patients' rights. (New Living )

An indispensable guide to nearly every female health concern.
--Hillary Wright (Environmental Nutrition )