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List Price: £17.99
Our Price: £5.34
Author:
Elizabeth Pisani
By Granta Books
 Down and dirty with what most of us like doing, 2008-09-23
The come-on title fronts a detailed account of HIV infection investigations in the field - chiefly among sex-workers and drug-users in Jakarta - and a passionate plea for the large sums now made available for AIDS prevention to be decoupled from self-serving political ideologies such as the US's `abstinence' conditions of aid. Listen to the people on the ground, is the message: see how they behave, target money and expertise to produce demonstrable reductions in transmission rates.
Pisani's re-training in epidemiology is grafted on to a tabloid hack's instinct for the jugular and the visceral metaphor (most women don't like the female condom "because it looks like a supermarket shopping bag stuck up your p***y, with handles hanging out the bottom"), allied to a lucid brain for figures from her Far East financial correspondent days. "When people ask me what I do for a living, I say, `Sex and drugs,'" she starts, disarmingly. The hands-on focus on her own work in Indonesia - the book's most readable, and affecting, sections - doesn't stop her comparing other countries' varying situations ("For the same amount of sleeping around, you now have a greater risk of getting infected if you use a condom every single time you have sex in Swaziland than you do if you never use a condom at all in China"), or from taking a global perspective: "When bishops, presidents and the media poke holes in condoms, they become ineffective."
The Wisdom of Whores has a rushed, provisional feel to it - which actually gives a sense of the speed at which responses to AIDS have developed over the past 20-odd years, and are still developing. Though she has tough words for a lot of decision-makers, she gives honour where it is due, to the talented, dedicated researchers and to some government bodies such as Britain's own DfID. There is wisdom and humour in this book, and essential information, too: the section `Back to Basics' ("Forgive me for getting graphic, but as you probably know sex can be a sticky business.") should be compulsory reading for all secondary-age children.
List Price: £18.99
Our Price: £11.74
Author:
Richard Hollingham
By BBC Books
If you only read one book in your lifetime make it this one...., 2008-12-01
I saw some of the TV series on which this book is based and found it utterly fascinating so I just had to buy the book to find out the bits I missed on TV. The title makes it sound very gruesome and whilst some of the techniques covered live up to this title the way it is written makes it very enjoyable and entertaining to read without making you feel in the least bit queazy. It really highlights the way the surgical techniques we have today have been founded on the ideas of pioneers who came up with inventions ranging from the astounding to the downright bizarre and morally questionable. Throughout the book I was constantly asking myself "how on earth did they come up with that?!" These really are people who were prepared to try absolutely anything in the pursuit of medical advancement. There are also some excellent pictures and photos which illustrate the techniques discussed. This is really the most interesting book I have ever read and I'd recommend it to anyone.
List Price: £12.95
Our Price: £7.27
Author:
Luke Jackson
By Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolesence, 2008-08-28
I first came across this book when I was at secondary school, and since leaving back in 2005, I have been searching for this particular title. I must say how highly impressed I was with this book and to read about the experiences of someone who has Aspergers Syndrome as it was a pleasure to read. This book is a real must for anyone who has Aspergers Syndrome or anytime of autism or for those who know nothing about this condition.
List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £5.02
Author:
V.S. Ramachandran, Sandra Blakeslee
By Fourth Estate Ltd
What would you say about a woman who, despite stroke-induced paralysis crippling the entire left side of her body, insists that she is whole and strong--who even sees her left hand reach out to grasp objects? Freud called it "denial"; neurologists call it "anosognosia". However it may be labelled, this phenomenon and others like it allow us peeks into other mental worlds and afford us considerable insight into our own. The writings of Oliver Sacks and others have shown us that we can learn much about ourselves by looking closely at the deficits shown by people with neurological problems. VS Ramachandran has seen countless patients suffering from anosognosia, phantom limb pain, blindsight and other disorders, and he brings a remarkable mixture of clinical intuition and research savvy to bear on their problems. He is one of the few scientists who are able and willing to explore the personal, subjective ramifications of his work; he rehumanizes an often too-sterile field and captures the spirit of wonder so essential for true discovery. Phantoms in the Brain is equal parts medical mystery, scientific adventure, and philosophical speculation; Ramachandran's writing is smart, ...
Reverse engineering the brain, 2008-08-21
Building a brain from scratch too difficult? No problem. Why not try it the other way. Dismantle a brain piece by piece to find out what each bit does (or did). OK, since this is ethically incorrect, how about waiting for patients with brain injuries to come to you and if you know which part of their brain is damaged (and there are plenty of modern techniques that can do this these days, such as PET or MRI) and if they also have behavioural or physical symptoms then you can put two and two together to infer what that piece of the brain is responsible for. This is kind of what Professor Ramachandran does. Not only does he introduce us to his patients (or composites of them), he also scours medical literature to find other celebrated cases too.
With his own patients he also sometimes devises deceptively simple experiments to probe their conditions further. Such as his Blue Peter-style mirror box which he uses on his neglect and phantom pain patients (two intriguing pathologies). The result is a fascinating book. My only slight gripe was with the last chapter, 12, which was supposed to be a summing up chapter about putting everything we'd learned together to tackle the problem of "self" via "qualia" -- the subjective, raw feel of something. For me he stretched what I'd learned in the preceding chapters too far and crammed too much information in. The result was that I finished a delightful book feeling a little frustrated. I'd like to give it 4.5 stars but demoting it to 4.0 would be too unfair.
List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £9.99
Author:
Gretchen Becker
By Robinson Publishing
Comprehensive, good quality information., 2008-12-26
As someone with a paramedical degree, I am often irritated by books on Medical subjects which are "woolly", over-generalising or just plain wrong. This book is a vey welcome contrast. I can vouch for the accuracy of the information, all the areas of health that affect Diabetics are covered and the style is very readable. What more could you want? If you have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, one of the best things you can do for your health is to read this book and act on its recommendations.
List Price: £7.99
Our Price: £3.23
Author:
Jeffrey M. Schwartz
By HarperCollins
"It's Not Me - It's My OCD", 2007-04-20
This book has been a real eye opener. It reveals OCD for what it really is - "a biochemical imbalance in the brain" - and it offers a common sense step by step approach to eliminate the pain the discomfort caused by the Obsessions and Compulsions, which cause havoc in the life of the individuals who suffer from this merciless condition.
The book can be repetitive at times, however, this can be useful as it re-enforces the points made and encourages the reader to change their perception of this illness as an unbeatable condition that they have to endure. There are ample examples of various real life OCD cases, along with a section on the effect of OCD on family life and the positive role that can be played by the family members to help the sufferer to recover and re-gain control of their lives.
Brain Lock gives a clear explanation OCD, its symptoms, affects, and the tools to combat it. It is equally useful for individuals with OCD as well as their families, or anyone who has an interest in the subject.
This is the first book that I have read on OCD so I have nothing else to compare it with, nonetheless it is highly recommended.
List Price: £11.99
Our Price: £7.06
Author:
Jennifer Cornbleet
By Book Publishing Company
quick and easy, 2008-07-25
I am delighted with this book. Started off with the walnut & raisin cakes - actually dates, almonds, walnuts, raisins. My husband loves them so I make double batches every few days, and it stops him eating choc bars! Cucumber soup for dinner guests was next - absolutely delicious, one I intend to make again and again. Personally I don't think there is anything wrong with the photos or the book itself. All looks fine to me. Thoroughly recommend it. Am looking forward to trying out some more recipes.
List Price: £3.99
Our Price: £0.50
Author:
Allen Carr
By Penguin
Cheaper than patches and twice as effective!, 2007-07-10
This really is an indespensible item for anyone even contemplating stopping smoking. The author used to smoke 100 a day for 3 decades so he knows his subject matter!!He gives very matter-of-fact, no nonsense answers to all the questions you always wanted to ask about quitting, but didn't dare to.If you want to stop being a nicotine addict this book will definitely help.
List Price: £24.95
Our Price: £18.37
Author:
Bruno Rushforth, Val Wass
By Royal Society of Medicine Press Ltd
ignore poor reviews - this book is good, 2008-09-25
I used both the blue and green books (you know what I mean) and found the green book (ie this one) much more useful, better written and more relevant for the nMRCGP CSA specifically. It was also more realistic for practicing for the exam.
List Price: £22.99
Our Price: £19.34
Author:
Richard Drake, A. Wayne Vogl
By Churchill Livingstone
Good for overview and revision, 2007-11-17
These cards contain clear images on one side with arrows and numbers pointing at muscles / nerves / bones ect. The answers are then on the back so you can test yourself. They probably will not cover enough detail for most courses so you'll need you textbook as well. The website you can access with them is good as it is pretty much a digital version of the cards and probably easier as you can reveal answers one at a time. On the cards you sometimes can't help looking at the next answer which can be annoying and defeats the purpose of the cards!
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