The Checklist or Salud

The Checklist: What You and Your Family Need to Know to Prevent Disease and Live a Long and Healthy Life

Author: Manny Alvarez

In the tradition of YOU The Owner's Manual, The Checklist is organized as a guide to help individuals and families take the right precautions, at the right time in their lives, to avoid the most common health pitfalls and illnesses, and put them on the path to a vigorous and sound lifestyle.

Each decade in a person's life introduces new risks not seen in their previous ten years. A health plan must be tailor-made to fit a body as it matures decade to decade. Dr. Manny's friendly, easy explanations and simple maintenance breakdowns show people how to act preventively and proactively, without unnecessary fears or reliance on the abundance of outdated, counterproductive health myths. Dr. Manny's mission is to aid readers in their pursuit of living a healthy and long life, and to help close the door on future life-threatening illnesses using proven, sound medical knowledge.

Library Journal

Alvarez, the senior medical contributor for Fox News, presents a unique handbook of diseases and health risks within chronological "decades." Each chapter incorporates relevant, age-related precautions with an accompanying short checklist of recommended medical tests. Alvarez's somewhat chatty, engaging, and encouraging approach works in addressing most of the normal range of age-appropriate health concerns (e.g., prenatal development and migraines in the twenties; urinary diseases in the thirties). Violence, safety, environmental, workplace, and alternative medicine issues are given little or no coverage. Complex medical terms are often not defined in context; a glossary is not included. A somewhat helpful appendix briefly describes common medical tests that are mentioned at the end of chapters; an index would have been useful. The unannotated alphabetical resource list is virtually useless. Although intended as a preventive guide for the whole family, conditions are unevenly covered. While no similar handbooks are currently available, The Checklist is recommended with reservations only for medium to large public libraries as well as consumer health collections.-Janice Flahiff, Univ. of Toledo Health Science Campus Lib. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Book review: Der Berufsstudentenangelegenheitsadministrator: Pädagoge, Führer und Betriebsleiter

Salud: Guia para la salud integral de la mujer Latina

Author: Jane L Delgado

Salud está basado en el trabajo de aquellos proveedores de servicios de salud que durante décadas investigaron las singulares necesidades del cuidado de la salud de las mujeres hispanas. Las latinas encontrarán aquí la información más reciente y además consejos sobre la salud integral, el resultado de los avances científicos al igual que el fruto de experiencias personales de muchas latinas. Compilado por una defensora del cuidado de la salud de las mujeres y bajo la acreditada orientación de la Iniciativa Nacional para la Salud de las Mujeres Hispanas, Salud responde con gran sensibilidad a las inquietudes de las mujeres latinas en todos los aspectos: fisiológicos, culturales o espirituales. Este recurso esencial para las mujeres latinas trata de asuntos como:

• Cómo ser una mejor consumidora de los servicios de salud
• Cómo las tradiciones espirituales y religiosas afectan el modo en que las latinas ven su salud
• La prevención y el tratamiento de las enfermedades más comunes que afectan a las latinas tales como la diabetes, el cáncer cervical y la depresión
• La sexualidad y la salud reproductiva desde la perspectiva de la mujer latina
• Los papeles esenciales que la dieta y el estilo de vida que juegan en la prevención de los problemas de salud

Publishers Weekly

First published in 1997, Salud remains one of the most comprehensive health manuals available for Hispanic women, satisfying the medical community's urgent need to address the concerns of Latinas in this country. Delgado is a familiar figure to millions nationwide as a frequent commentator in national media and as the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the country's largest network of Hispanic health providers. Practical, empowering, and engaging, this updated manual is designed to help Latinas become smarter consumers and benefit from health advantages that can enable them to live longer lives. Blending an accessible standard Spanish with true-life health stories that touch upon cultural myths and taboos, Delgado covers a wide range of topics in four sections. "Being a Latina" discusses the important role that the family and sense of community can play in Latinas' well-being and provides useful recommendations for choosing the best health plan, treatment, and doctor. The second section, "Being a Woman," analyzes female health issues such as fertility, sexuality, menopause, and pregnancy from a Hispanic perspective. In "Diseases," Delgado explains many of the ailments that affect the Latino community such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, alcoholism, sexually transmitted diseases, and diabetes. Finally, in "To Live Well" she highlights useful diets, exercise routines, and medicines and guides Latinas on how to take care of their seniors. Although the book could have had a clearer layout for those who just want to skim or skip sections, the illustrations, advice boxes, and chapter summaries do allow for a quick read. Delgado also provides a list of bibliographical resources and organizations that work on the issues covered, at the end of each chapter. Unfortunately, Delgado assumes that all her audience has access to health benefits when the sad reality is that many Hispanic immigrants lack the money or the proper legal documents to seek treatment. Nonetheless, there is little available literature on this subject that is as well suited to the needs of this audience. Since other available guides for Hispanic women tend to focus on childrearing and pregnancy, Salud is the most comprehensive guide by and for Latinas. Highly recommended for public libraries and bookstores serving Hispanic communities. Carmen Ospina, "Criticas" Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.