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Coming to Terms with Cancer 2nd Edition

Name: Coming to Terms with Cancer 2nd Edition
Author: Edward H. Laughlin
ISBN: 978-1484908228

A GLOSSARY OF CANCER-RELATED TERMS EASILY UNDERSTOOD

by Edward H. Laughlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2013

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A veritable dictionary of cancer that provides background on medical terms and resources for patients and their loved ones.
Laughlin, a doctor, presents a revised edition of his 2001 alphabetized catalog covering oncology topics from a patient’s perspective. The book has entries on diagnoses, medications, treatment types and side effects, ranging from ablative therapy (cancer treatment that uses extreme cold or heat instead of radiation) to Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (a disorder involving excessive gastric acid production that leads to painful ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding, and a possible symptom of stomach cancer). Each entry offers an overview and provides context in terms of cancer pathology and treatment. Some entries debunk myths with passing references to medical studies, such as the entry for “fruit intake,” which indicates that a study of 9,000 cancer patients showed that a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables offers “little to no protection from cancer” in adults. Laughlin also includes terms that highlight cancer’s ripple effects: Sufferers of bone cancer and other metastatic cancers are likely to suffer from bones that “fracture.” Longer entries cover oncology basics, such as “radiation therapy,” “staging” and “tumor marker.” Through these terms, readers unfamiliar with epidemiology will be able to piece together a disease’s origins and behaviors and get a glimpse into the treatment process. Although the guide often eschews medical jargon, the informal, passive voice and occasional oncology vocabulary (such as the use of the term “osteogenic sarcoma” rather than “bone cancer”) can sometimes make the guide feel clinical rather than consolatory. The middle section breaks down oncology terms into specific cancer types, with sections describing risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis and staging in detail, and the final section groups support services by category, with contact information listed alphabetically. The listing of agencies helpfully points to organizations and hospitals that specialize in certain cancers or provide particular services, such as Camp Keser, a free sleep-away camp in California for kids whose parents have cancer.
An often useful primer for readers dealing with a recent cancer diagnosis.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1484908228

Page Count: 564

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2014

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.