Review by link2brian -- Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks

[link2brian]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks" by Morton E Tavel, MD.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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HEALTH, TIPS, AND TRICKS: A Physician's (Brighton Publishing, LLC, Mesa, Arizona, 2015), by Morton E. Tavel, M.D., is a helpful follow-up to his prior work, Snake Oil is Alive and Well: The Clash between Myths and Reality. Reflections of Physician (Brighton Publishing, LLC, Mesa, Arizona, 2012), in which the author presents us with an easy to read synopsis of what to and what not to believe about modern medicine and alternative treatments. I found the book particularly enlightening as I often am trying to determine the fact or fallacy of material that (often circulated by friends) comes from the internet concerning what is good or bad for my health. It does a good job of showing how nefarious treatments are couched in sketchy terms or practices to make them look like they are scientifically-proven treatments. The only concern that I had was what seemed to be a somewhat heavy-handed opposition to almost any form of “alternative medicine”, although the author does an excellent job of explaining his opposition.

I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. The book would warrant 4 stars, but the feature that makes it so appealing, the short and concise treatment of each subject, also leads to the feeling that some discussion may have been omitted for sake of brevity or other reasons. Also, the publication date (2015) and some references that seem old made me think that an updated version might be in order.

The book should be of interest to anyone interested in their health and especially those who need help in determining what they should believe or not in the area of medical treatments, alternative medicine, food regiments, vitamins, supplements – especially in this era of mass transmission of “medical” information through social media and the internet. Individual chapters make it of great use as a layman's equivalent of the Physician's Desk Reference for certain medical issues. On the other hand, even a researcher or medical professional can appreciate the author's reliance on quoted and footnoted medical research. Physicians might even find it useful in their practice when discussing treatment alternatives with their patients. especially "populist" ones suggested by their patients.

Reading the book is easy both in terms of a very straight-forward writing style and no over use of technical terminology. I found myself reading it cover-to-cover in one sitting, then thinking that I will be going back over specific chapters to consider taking the advice available therein. Thus, if one isn't interested in reading the whole book, they easily might want to consider browsing the Table of Contents and reading it for singular chapters, such as “Chapter 33: Belief in Conspiracy Theories about Health”, “Chapter 37: Genetically Modified (GM) Foods and Mass Hysteria: The Facts”, and “Chapter 40: Bottled Water: Another Great – And Costly – Myth!”. Just reading “Chapter 43: Hand Drying: Paper Towels or Blower” has me considering a change in my public bathroom hygiene.

Read, learn, and enjoy!

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Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
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[mandalee519]

Your review is a great summary of the book's content. I like that you took the time to pay attention to the publishing year with this book. Though for other book genres it may be unimportant, for this particular book, and its use of research and reports, the older the book becomes the less reliable it can be.

[EvaDar]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks" by Morton E Tavel, MD.]

The only concern that I had was what seemed to be a somewhat heavy-handed opposition to almost any form of “alternative medicine”, although the author does an excellent job of explaining his opposition.
******
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like link2brian's review? Post a comment saying so!

I concur with your assessment of this book.I thought it was a useful and informative guide to sorting out what information to believe in terms of healthcare. I didn't think, however, that the author did a very good job of explaining his wholesale condemnation of alternative medicine. My 1 star demotion was solely based on this flaw in the author's presentation. There is plenty of great research out there that shows many of these alternative methods and products do work. I really enjoyed your review. Hope you will check mine out. Thanks. viewtopic.php?f=114&t=53462&p=808684&hi ... on#p808684

[EvaDar]

Your review is a great summary of the book's content. I like that you took the time to pay attention to the publishing year with this book. Though for other book genres it may be unimportant, for this particular book, and its use of research and reports, the older the book becomes the less reliable it can be.

Thank you for reading my review. Yes, I found myself wondering if he was planning to write a book updating the information. It seems like the healthcare industry changes so frequently, you'd have to write updates to make it relevant beyond a couple of years.

[ermalbr]

Thank you so much for the review.
This be can be a useful information for anyone.
It has also documented even the work of other researchers ,looks
like reliable.
Good review

[pinklover]

I like this book because I discover something that salt is the silent killer of our body. I love the DASH diet as well. Nice review. DO check mine as well, Thanks.

[kdstrack]

I agree with your assessment of the chapter structure. I liked that the chapters were short, but it seemed like something was missing. Great point.