Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide

Harvard Medical School consists of world-renowned affiliated hospitals, clinics, and research foundations, which include:

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Brigham and Women's Hospital* - Cambridge Hospital - Center for Blood Research - Children's Hospital* - Dana Farber Cancer Institute - Harvard Pilgrim Health Care - Joslin Diabetes Center* - Judge Baker Children's Center - Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary - Massachusetts General Hospital* - Massachusetts Mental Health Center - McLean Hospital - Mount Auburn Hospital - Schepens Eye Research Institute - Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital - VA Boston Healthcare System

(*CONSISTENTLY RANKED AMONG THE 10 BEST HEALTH INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES)

Throughout its history, Harvard's doctors have made important medical breakthroughs, including: the discovery of anesthesia - the birth of brain surgery - the first human organ transplantation (Nobel Prize) - the discovery of the polio virus (Nobel Prize) - the discovery of vitamin B12 as the cure for pernicious anemia (Nobel Prize) - the discovery of how the human eye sees (Nobel Prize) - the discovery of the aspirin-a-day prevention strategy for heart disease

Amazon.com Review
These days, when you only get to see your physician for 10 minutes after waiting several weeks for an appointment, you're often forced to get your information somewhere else. Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide will do what your doctor can't: answer your questions for hours on end. This richly packed compendium offers more than a thousand pages of health information compiled from the expertise of 7,000 physicians and researchers. Whether you're figuring out what your symptoms might mean, researching a disease, looking up a medication, learning about a body part or function, or formulating questions to ask your doctor, you can find the medical knowledge here--and in simple, layperson's language.

You'll undoubtedly make the most use of the diagnosis section, in flow-chart form. You identify a symptom, then answer a series of "yes" or "no" questions--where the pain is located, when it occurs, what makes it worse, and other related symptoms, for example. Each answer leads you to another question and/or to an action you should take, with page numbers where you can find more information about the condition you may have. Very clear and well organized! The Color Guide to Visual Diagnosis lets you match your symptom with close-up color photos of various skin infections, cancerous growths, fungal infections, insect infestations, and other conditions. The book also has chapters on lifestyle changes that will enhance health, such as nutrition, exercise, smoking cessation, and safe sex. Added bonuses are sections on eldercare, death and dying, drug interactions, and emergency care. This book is a treasure and a bargain! --Joan Price