14 DAYS TO A WELLNESS LIFESTYLE

by Donald B. Ardell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1981

To help readers develop the proper mind-set, Ardell (High Level Wellness, 1977) divides his sketchy advice on healthful living into 14 progressive reading segments (no peeking ahead--with suggested musical accompaniment, Vivaldi to Tchaikovsky. Since he first covered this ground, Ardell has somewhat softened his attitude toward physicians and abandoned ""a good number of wellness measures (e.g., voice stress analysis),"" but the principle remains the same: aim for wellness, not just for avoiding illness. The text is too shallow and skimpy, however, to enable one to confidently change one's habits, let alone to give readers ""the basics and then some about fitness, nutrition, and stress management,"" to illuminate the role of personal responsibility, and to provide, as also claimed, ""a thorough grounding in the power of cultural norms"" in determining attitudes toward health. The 14-day reading program is complemented, in Part II, by descriptions of ""Creative Programs"" to promote better health habits in a few hospitals, businesses, schools, and organizations around the continent; and, in Part III, by an ""Honor Roll of Recommended Books""--the standards on exercise, nutrition, and the environment, exhaustively and tediously evaluated. A similarly focused entry, better organized, more knowledgeable, and generally superior down to the reading lists, is A Physician Complete Guide to Medical Self-Care, by Tim Rumsey and Orlo Otteson (p. 1147).

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1981

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Whatever Publishing (158 E. Blithedale, Mill Valley, CA 94941)

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1981

Categories: NONFICTION