Cesarean delivery - childbirth through an incision in the mother's lower abdomen - is now the most common major surgical procedure performed in the United States. No one argues over the fact that it can be a life-saving procedure when the baby or mother is at risk. But for almost three decades in this nation, cesarean deliveries have increased, without substantially better outcomes for babies or mothers. Experts warn that up to 50 percent of the more than 1 million C-sections performed here each year are unnecessary. And that is where Nicette Jukelevics, a certified childbirth educator,...

For those who want to make educated decisions about whether, and when, to use natural products, this text explains the most current scientific evidence of the roles that plants can play in our health: how they can prevent, modify, or treat disease. Since antiquity, humans have used botanicals to treat various conditions affecting their organ systems, and this book is built around explaining which plants may be used for major ailments affecting the various systems. The increasing availability of botanicals on the market, intended to be used as dietary supplements for health, has been fueled...

Who is the typical alcoholic among the 12.5 million living in the United States now? Many, if not most of us when asked that question, would envision a skid row bum or someone at least out of work or with little education locked into a low-skill, low-paying job. But that is not accurate, according to the results of a national study released in June, 2007 by the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The NIAAA determined that alcoholics in the United States really fall into five subtypes, including nearly 20 percent who are highly functional alcoholics, well-educated with good...

"The Coming Shortage of Surgeons: Why They Are Disappearing and What That Means for Our Health" is the only quantitative analysis of the workforce in orthopedic and thoracic surgery, otolaryngology, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, neurosurgery, and urology. It analyzes the demand and supply for these surgeons and gives the causes and remedies for these shortages.

"The Coming Shortage of Surgeons" quantifies the demand for the surgical workforce, then examines the constraints to supply, which include soaring tuition and medical students' debts, the demand for a controllable...

For anyone facing this often overwhelming situation, "Sustenance and Hope for Caregivers of Elderly Parents: Bread of Angels" offers a wealth of insights from experienced caregivers, extraordinary personal stories, and most importantly, reassurance and support. It is a refreshing new vision of the positive potential for caregiving and the rewards that come with evolving relationships between adult children and their parents.

Gloria G. Barsamian's remarkably perceptive new volume dispels the myth that caretaking is a thankless burden. Like no other work, it captures the emotions of...

"Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters: History, Science, and Controversies" describes the emergence of nutritional science and its contributions to our understanding of how the body functions. It is an absorbing look at the men and women, many little known in their lifetimes, whose medical detective work helped us conquer a number of devastating health conditions, including some forms of mental illness.

Each chapter of "Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters" focuses on a specific vitamin, describing the researchers, the research, and the historic and scientific contexts for its discovery....

"Pain is everywhere and everyone is talking about it," says Dr. Hillel Finestone, M.D., a researcher and rehabilitation specialist whose work has been featured in publications as diverse as "The Lancet," and "USA Today." The key to understanding causes and solutions for many apparently mysterious, recurring aches, he explains, lies in understanding the mind-body relationship and the "real meaning" behind symptoms with no immediately obvious cause.

Taking the reader into several diagnostic sessions to illustrate what he sees as a "detective" process to find the source of pain, Finestone...

"Excellent Care for Cancer Survivors: A Guide to Fully Meet Their Needs in Medical Offices and in the Community" is edited by the director of the Lance Armstrong Cancer Survivorship Program at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and comprised of articles by experts from that prestigious institution, from the Harvard Medical School, and other leading cancer programs. Its goal is simple: to assure that the millions of cancer survivors in the United States get the help they need to live life to its fullest.

This timely work, enriched by conversations with cancer survivors themselves, explains...