Arthritis for Dummies

Rating:
Summary: The good, the bad and the equivocal...all rolled into one!
Review: I found this book to be informative and entertaining but also somewhat disturbing. There seems to be a tendency to overemphasize so-called "alternative" therapy, and the information is presented in such a way as to cajole the unwary reader into thinking that mainstream and alternative treatments are equivalent. Curiously, neither of the authors is a physician, and the book hardly mentions the existence of the "rheumatologist",i.e.,the physician who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases. I found this surprising at best, and also a bit offensive. It was clear that this is not a completely objective or balanced guide to arthritis and its management.

Rating:
Summary: Informative and Practical
Review: I've had arthritis for a long time, so I was happy to find this well-rounded, informative and practical arthritis book. I learned more from this book than I have from all the others I've read - combined. It gives a good overview of all kinds of arthritis, the ways they diagnose it and treatments. It also talks about the drugs used for the disease, their pros and cons. There's also good information on supplements, exercise, body alignment, and more. I especially like the nice balance the authors struck between traditional and alternative medicine. There are a lot of new ideas in the book I hadn't heard of before - some of which worked well for my arthritis. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who has arthritis.