Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit, M.D.

 I received a finished hardback copy of Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit, M.D. for FREE through the Goodreads Giveaways program. 

Below is my honest, unbiased review of Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit, M.D.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit, M.D. If you like reading about science and also the topic of medicine, then this is the nonfiction book to read. Paul A. Offit, M.D. discusses seven stories about science going wrong from opioids, margarine, lobotomies, DDT, eugenics, and so much more!

I thought Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit, M.D. was nicely organized, well written, and filled with plenty of material and background information for readers to gain significant insight into why certain scientific findings that initially seemed like sound science went awry and weren't that great after all.

Chapter 8 titled, 'Learning From The Past', was one of my favorite chapters in Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit, M.D. as it discusses seven areas to focus on in order to avoid science disasters in the future. Chapter 8 even sites more cases/examples of science gone wrong with hot topics like e-cigarettes, BPAs, GMOs, and Autism.

The following is a summary for Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit, M.D. from Amazon:

What happens when ideas presented as science lead us in the wrong direction?

History is filled with brilliant ideas that gave rise to disaster, and this book explores the most fascinating—and significant—missteps: from opium's heyday as the pain reliever of choice to recognition of opioids as a major cause of death in the U.S.; from the rise of trans fats as the golden ingredient for tastier, cheaper food to the heart disease epidemic that followed; and from the cries to ban DDT for the sake of the environment to an epidemic-level rise in world malaria.

These are today's sins of science—as deplorable as mistaken past ideas about advocating racial purity or using lobotomies as a cure for mental illness. These unwitting errors add up to seven lessons both cautionary and profound, narrated by renowned author and speaker Paul A. Offit. Offit uses these lessons to investigate how we can separate good science from bad, using some of today's most controversial creations—e-cigarettes, GMOs, drug treatments for ADHD—as case studies. For every "Aha!" moment that should have been an "Oh no," this book is an engrossing account of how science has been misused disastrously—and how we can learn to use its power for good.

I am giving Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit, M.D. a rating of 5 stars put of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!!

Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries by Lisa Sanders MD

 

I received a paperback copy of Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries by Lisa Sanders MD through the Goodreads Giveaways Program.

Below is my honest, unbiased review for Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries by Lisa Sanders MD.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries by Lisa Sanders MD. It's a work of nonfiction dealing with medical mysteries, which made for a captivating read.

I especially enjoyed how neatly organized Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries by Lisa Sanders MD is. Each of the five page nonfiction medical mysteries featured unusual medical complaints made by patients which fell into one of eight various subsets/topics - Fever, Abdominal Pain, Headache, Not Being Able to Breathe, It's All In Your Head, Passed Out, Rashes, or Feeling Weak.

Each story was a short, bite sized read, which was engaging and to the point. I found all of the stories interesting and I learned a lot of facts about medicine that I never knew before reading this book. This is the perfect book to read if you like reading about medical mysteries. Additionally, if you are short on time or are waiting for an appointment, etc. then this book helps to pass the time nicely.

Below is a summary for Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries by Lisa Sanders MD from Amazon:

As a Yale School of Medicine physician, the New York Times bestselling author of Every Patient Tells a Story, and an inspiration and adviser for the hit Fox TV drama House, M.D., Lisa Sanders has seen it all. And yet she is often confounded by the cases she describes in her column: unexpected collections of symptoms that she and other physicians struggle to diagnose.

A twenty-eight-year-old man, vacationing in the Bahamas for his birthday, tries some barracuda for dinner. Hours later, he collapses on the dance floor with crippling stomach pains. A middle-aged woman returns to her doctor, after visiting two days earlier with a mild rash on the back of her hands. Now the rash has turned purple and has spread across her entire body in whiplike streaks. A young elephant trainer in a traveling circus, once head-butted by a rogue zebra, is suddenly beset with splitting headaches, as if someone were “slamming a door inside his head.”

In each of these cases, the path to diagnosis—and treatment—is winding, sometimes frustratingly unclear. Dr. Sanders shows how making the right diagnosis requires expertise, painstaking procedure, and sometimes a little luck. Intricate, gripping, and full of twists and turns, Diagnosis puts readers in the doctor’s place. It lets them see what doctors see, feel the uncertainty they feel—and experience the thrill when the puzzle is finally solved.

I am giving Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries by Lisa Sanders MD a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Breast Cancer Boot Camp by William B. Hobbins M.D. & Wendy Sellens L.Ac.

In October of this year, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I read Breast Cancer Boot Camp by William B. Hobbins M.D. & Wendy Sellens L.Ac.

I found Breast Cancer Boot Camp by William B. Hobbins M.D. & Wendy Sellens L.Ac. to be a fascinating book. I think Breast Cancer Boot Camp is well written and organized. It contains a lot of educational information about optimal breast health.

I feel like Breast Cancer Boot Camp by William B. Hobbins M.D. & Wendy Sellens L.Ac. is a must read for every woman wanting to reduce their risk for breast cancer. Currently, the U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics states that "about 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime."  

As a woman, I've always been interested in learning more about breast health and monitoring my breast health through the use of thermography in addition to mammography and ultrasound. The reason I like using multiple modalities to screen/check for breast cancer is that "a mammogram is only 48 percent accurate for women under fifty and 68 percent for women over 50." (page 245 in Breast Cancer Boot Camp). 

I also like that thermography is noninvasive and doesn't use radiation. But it is very important to find a certified breast thermography center.

Breast Thermography Finds Cancer Before Mammography

I've had several thermograms performed by Wendy Sellens over the years. Wendy is extremely professional. She is thoughtful and knowledgeable. Wendy has helped educate me in improving my overall breast health. I've made some significant lifestyle changes already and am now ready to incorporate a few additional lifestyle changes as well. It's all about being informed and feeling empowered.

Below is the summary for Breast Cancer Boot Camp by William B. Hobbins M.D. & Wendy Sellens L.Ac. from Goodreads:

Bio-identical estrogens, flax, and soy create weight gain, infertility, accelerate aging, and increase risk for breast cancer. Learn how the myth of staying young with estrogen has caused a 210% rise in breast cancer even with advancements in medical technology, increased research, and awareness. If around 80% of breast cancers are "fed" by estrogens, why do doctors and "wellness centers" continue to prescribe them? Why is the answer to every female issue more estrogen?

The answers can be found in breast thermography, a safe screening procedure that begins in the twenties which monitors blood circulation in the breasts and determines individual risk for early detection.

It is time to take up arms and expose the deceptions which saturate the breast health community. Breast Cancer Boot Camp's thermographic evidence will reveal how misinformation and propaganda are increasing your risk with "natural" estrogens. Learn how estrogen deficiency is actually rare, PMS and symptoms of menopause are not normal, and that bio-identical estrogen is just as harmful as HRTs. Learn how most breast thermography clinics are not meeting the minimum standard requirements which provide you with vital breast risk information.

Today, we women are caught up in a battle for our breasts and our lives. Our mothers and grandmothers have paid the high price of believing in medical rumors. Do not let these victims become more statistics to fill headlines and further the "cause" for more walks. It is time to arm yourself with knowledge. Simply look at the images...the findings will shock every woman!

I am giving Breast Cancer Boot Camp by William B. Hobbins M.D. & Wendy Sellens L.Ac. a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars. 

The only reason I didn't give this book a higher rating was because some of the information was repeated several times throughout the book making some of the information repetitive.

Until my next post, happy reading!!