THE INSIDE TRACT: The Complete Guide to Digestive Disorders

Bland, routine coverage of what can go wrong with the gut. Goldberg and Rubin quickly describe the workings of the entire digestive system (pancreas, liver, and gall bladder included), then move on to the problems bound to affect ""any mechanism as complex as this one."" From constipation, gas, gallstones, ulcers, and heartburn to appendicitis, infection, liver disease, and cancer, we learn--via questions-and-answers--what causes the problem, how it's usually treated, and what measures can be taken as preventives. There are few surprises--but some of the old news does bear repeating (no evidence indicates that emotional factors cause inflammatory bowel disease); and a chapter on how sexually-transmitted diseases affect the digestive system will be news to many. A simple and brief treatment of the problem, then-unexciting, but also much less obsessive than other recent guides. And those looking for more detailed advice on healthy digestive habits can still turn to Robert Holt's Hemorrhoids (1980).