Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook

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Summary: OUR BIBLE FOR 2 YEARS
Review: WE SERVED IN THE PEACE CORPS IN RURAL PARAGUAY AND THIS BOOK ,IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH, WAS ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT THEY GAVE THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO TAKE TO THEIR ASSIGNED SITES. IT WAS INVALUABLE TO US AND WE COULD SHOW THEM THE SAME PASSAGE IN THE SPANISH EDITION AND THEY COULD FOLLOW ALONG. THANK YOU DAVID!

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Summary: Review before buying
Review: Well, at the risk of incurring the wrath of all the others, I would say it would be best to try to review the book before purchasing if one is indeed interested in family preparedness in the USA. This is not the best forum to argue world view or intent. Check out the book before you buy; plain and simple. Perhaps those with extensive training will forgive us who do not have the head knowledge and/or experience to fill in the obvious gaps in the text. A different perspective, we who dissent have, looking at ourselves as potential patients. Maybe the author(s) will revise or produce a companion text with the layman in mind (hint, hint). Thank you and be gentle.

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Summary: Indispensable outside Europe and North America
Review: When we visit my wife's village in Ghana, this is almost the first thing that we pack. Anyone travelling to the less developed parts of the world should take a copy - and leave it there with someone who can use it. This is probably the most widely used medical reference book in the world - it has been translated into 80 languages. Its simple language, clear explanations and illustrations make essential medical knowledge accessible to anyone with basic literacy. The diagnostic charts are very straightforward and make it easy for a lay person to distinguish between diseases which can be easily confused. The treatments described are completely appropriate for village conditions. There is considerable emphasis on preventative health care and on health education. Anyone familiar with village life in underdeveloped countries will acknowledge that this book is an extraordinary achievement. For those who complain that it is not relevant to the United States: the book was written for "those who live far from medical centers, in places where there is doctor". However there is plenty of information which *is relevant* to a North American audience, particularly the section on nutrition. Anyone backpacking or camping in the more remote regions of the US would benefit from taking this a long.

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Summary: Nick P. owes me his life...
Review: While living in the wilds of San Diego, CA, I used this book to help send a friend to the emergency room. Diagnosis: Acute appendicitis. How did I know? I read this book! Being he had no health insurance he didnt want to go, but using the rebound method learned in this book, I convinced him to go and dragged him there in the back of my pickup. He is probably still mad at me about the bill he got, but that is another story...