An intriguing look at staying healthy that takes a critical view of current practices.
A debut health book offers readers a theory for a better quality of life.
People are living longer and longer, but what is the use of longevity if their quality of life is not also improved? Quality of life in America is still hampered by the tremendous amount of misinformation people have regarding their health and nutrition. “There are two simple steps to achieve well-being,” writes Håkerud in the book’s preface. “1. You have to find out what is good for you and what is bad for you. 2. You have to do what is good for you and avoid what is bad for you.” The author, an experienced chiropractor and physiotherapist, believes that the only obstacles keeping people from following these steps are either a lack of education or a case of denial. The best way to maintain a good quality of life is not better treatment for the ill, Håkerud argues, but to keep healthy people from getting sick in the first place. The author examines the history of health science, pointing out areas where he thinks it has gone astray—he disagrees with the widely held concept that genes dictate behavior independent of environmental factors, for instance—and questioning treatments that don’t force patients to change their lifestyles. He proposes his own understanding of the interaction between the mind and body, and he presents a guide to “the art of living” that will help maintain a desirable quality of life. The author’s prose is conversational and accessible, even when he delves into matters of scientific complexity: “With these laws, Descartes bumped into a problem. Human thoughts have too many variables to fit into these predictable laws. Descartes solved this problem by claiming that the laws that applied to the objective physical world did not apply to the mind.” Håkerud’s ideas are generally thoughtful and persuasive, though some readers may find him overly skeptical of medicine. The book is more a treatise on the state of health science than a practical manual with tips and tricks. But for those looking for a considered challenge to conventional wisdom, the author’s words make for engrossing reading.
An intriguing look at staying healthy that takes a critical view of current practices.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-982217-07-5
Page Count: 165
Publisher: BalboaPress
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Useful but disappointingly commonplace tips.
In a follow-up to The End of Illness (2012), which explored how technological advances will transform medicine, Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) restates time-tested but too often overlooked principles for healthy living.
The author outlines simple measures that average citizens can take to live healthier lives and extend their life spans by taking advantage of modern technology to develop personalized records. These would include a list of medical tests and recommended treatments. Agus also suggests keeping track of indicators that can be observed at home on a regular basis—e.g., changes in energy, weight, appetite and blood pressure, blood sugar and general appearance. He advises that all of this information be made available online, and it is also helpful to investigate family history and consider DNA testing where indicated. Along with maintaining a healthy weight, Agus emphasizes the importance of eating a balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and a minimum of red meat. Avoid packaged vitamins and food supplements, and if possible, grow your own vegetables or buy frozen vegetables, which will generally be fresher than those on supermarket shelves. The author also warns against processed foods that make health claims but contain additives or excessive amounts of sugar or fat. Regular mealtimes and plenty of sleep, frequent hand-washing and oral hygiene are a must; smoking and excessive time in the sun should also be avoided. Agus recommends that adults should consider taking statins and baby aspirin as preventative measures. He concludes with a decade-by-decade checklist of annual medical examinations that should be routine—e.g. blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings, from one’s 20s on; colonoscopies, prostate exams and mammograms later—and a variety of top-10 lists (for example, “Top 10 Reasons to Take a Walk”).
Useful but disappointingly commonplace tips.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4767-3095-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Oncologist Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) predicts that the application of advanced technology for modeling complex systems will transform 21st-century medicine.
The author writes that a remark Nobel Laureate Murray Gell-Mann made to him in 2009—“Look at cancer as a system"—transformed the way he views his own specialty and the entire field of preventative medicine. It made him realize that “[r]ather than honoring the body as the exceedingly complex system that it is, we keep looking for the individual gene that has gone awry, or for the one ‘secret’ that can improve our health.” Agus writes that although the ability to sequence the entire human genome is a great step forward, it is insufficient for achieving a significant breakthrough. Even though it may start with a mutation, cancer “is a dynamic process that's happening…far from the confines of a static piece of DNA”—it involves the body's immune system, its ability to regulate cell growth, metabolism and more. Agus directs his university’s Center for Applied Molecular Medicine and is the co-founder of two personalized medicine companies, Applied Proteomics and Navigenics. His hope is that their research will contribute to developing better analytical tools for preventative medicine and for the treatment of cancers. These will address the functioning of the body as a whole, applying digital technology already used by physicists to provide virtual models of cancers and model the action of proteins that regulate cell communication in the body. He also hopes to develop tools that will provide information on the concentration of different proteins in a drop of blood taken from a patient, which may reveal the onset of disease. The author also includes some guiding principles and warnings about certain healthy practices that may not be so healthy. A refreshing change of pace in the medical field, but by venturing beyond his field of expertise to pontificate on a wide range of subjects, Agus makes his otherwise intriguing narrative difficult to follow.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1017-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Free Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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