Paul Bergner, president of Bergner Communications in Portland, Oregon, has written a book about a "wonder drug of nature." His The Healing Power of Garlic: The Enlightened Person's Guide to Nature's Most Versatile Medical Plant, published by Prima, notes garlic remedies are among the top five natural prescriptions made by naturopathic physicians and that the plant has been proven to be equally, if not more, effective in lowering cholesterol as the leading drugs on the market. He writes that garlic can help prevent cancer, lower cholesterol levels, reverse high blood pressure, boost the immune system, resist colds and flus, and overcome fatigue. "In this age of skepticism," he says, "it is hard to imagine a single, inexpensive medicine that could work wonders on all parts of the body." He is an editor for Medical Herbalism and Clinical Nutrition Update and a faculty member of the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies in Colorado. He can be reached at 503-255-5976 or at abergner@teleport.com. The PR for the book is Catherine Schmitz at 916-632-6967.
Bernard Dixon, Ph.D., European Editor of Biotechnology is the author of Power Unseen: How Microbes Rule The World, published by W.H. Freeman in paperback and, according to JAMA, "An extremely stimulating book that can be read with pleasure by a wide audience." Dr. Dixon reveals in the book how every aspect of human society and every part of the natural world is affected both positively and negatively by the activities of microbes--bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. He tells their story through 75 vignettes. The mycobacterium tuberculosis, which he calls the "literary microbe," affected Orwell and Austen, Moliere and Balzac, Keats and Browning. "No other infection has had such an impact on literature and the arts, perhaps because the microbe has an extraordinary capacity to cause long periods of illness," he concludes. Dr. Dixon does mention AIDS, writing: "Around 1980, just as medical scientists were basking in the triumph of the smallpox eradication campaign, an even more fearful epidemic disease came to light: acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)." Among the good microbes he describes are lactobacillus, which suppresses harmful bacteria in the intestines and rhodococcus chlorophenolicus which helps cleanse the environment. A review in Scientific American said of the book, "prose as edifying as it is entertaining." The New York Times raved, "there are so many gee-whiz facts and figures to be astonished by." The PR for the book is Stacey Landowne 212-561-8221.Dr. Dixon can be reached in Middlesex, England, by phone: 44-895-632390 or by FAX at 44-895-678645.
Stephen Hart, a Port Angeles, Washington, freelance is the author of The Language of Animals co-published by Scientific American and Owl Books, with a foreword by Frans B.M. de Waal. Hart describes how animals converse, the gamut from insects to birds. He points out that their modes of communications, while vastly different from ours, nevertheless allow them to mate, find food, and warn each other of impending danger. Among the observations he describes are: the ability of cuttlefish and squid to alter the color and texture of their skin to woo females and fend off competing suitors; the building of trysting places, i.e. bowers, by male bowerbirds where they show off their dancing and singing prowess to admiring females; the mixture of juvenile and adult animal sounds that may have made barking dogs seem less threatening, thereby allowing them access to human encampments. Hart writes that from the "elephant's low infrasonic exchanges undetectable by human hearing to the blue whale's powerful ocean-crossing moans; from the simple vibrations emitted by butterfly caterpillars to the long, complex songs of the humpback whale, communication in the animal kingdom will continue to fascinate and confound us for a long time to come." Hart can be reached at 306-452-5544 or at CompuServe at 7040,3072. The PR for the book is Katharine Smalley at 212-886-9273.
Scott Veggeberg, a Swarthmore, Pennsylvania freelance, is the author of Medications of the Mind co-published by Scientific American and Owl Paperbacks with an introduction by Richard Restak, MD. He offers a blend of ethics, biology, and medical past and future in describing the treatments of mental illness. The pros and cons of psychopharmaceuticals--"mind medicines"--are given. He describes the brain and its functions and the major mental illnesses. Veggeberg includes answers to why drug abusers and alcoholics often return to their habits after being detoxified; why the body creates far more neurons than needed and then "weeds them out" through programmed cell death and why perfect pitch is an ability of exceptional musicians found only in those who began musical training before the age of 7. He also reveals why the rate of depression is so high among famous artists and why treating the artistically gifted with mind medicines may blunt creativity. Veggeberg may be reached at 215-4328-1469 or by CompuServe 72124,2314. The PR for Owl is Katharine Smalley at 212-886-9273.
Ruth Winter, Short Hills, New Jersey, freelance and author of this column, has had her 27th book, Super Soy: The Miracle Bean, published by Crown. It describes how soy can help fight cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, cancer and other ills. Chefs from New York's Natural Gourmet Cookery School contributed the recipes. Doubleday's Book Club acquired the book club rights. The PR for the book is Rachel Pace 1-212-572-2262. And, of course, I can be reached at 201-376-8385.
The New York Times headline said "Small Book From a Small Publisher Is a Big Hit" and it described the unexpected success of former New York Times science writer, Dava Sobel's Longitude, published by Walker & Co. It is a brief history of the chronometer, which uses time to measure distance at sea, and its inventor, John Harrison. "What made Longitude work", Gayle Feldman, the author of the article, wrote, "was meticulous planning and packaging, relentless marketing, carefully controlled printing, fortunate timing and a publisher who put himself on the line." George Gibson, Walker's publisher, emphasized sales to independent bookstores instead of the chains, and it paid off. The first printing was 10,000 copies and at this writing, 101,000 copies of Longitude were in print. For those who write books about science, this should provide inspiration and hope. If you want a review copy of the book or are interested in contacting such an author-friendly publisher, the PR is JoAnn Sabatino 212-727-8300.
The National Health Council has published Guide to Member Voluntary Health Agencies. The book contains an alphabetized listing of major diseases and disorders cross-referenced with the agencies that can provide relevant information, assistance and direct services. The guide also includes key personnel and toll-free numbers for the agencies. For a copy, contact Jack Popse, director of public affairs, 202-785-3910.
The newly revised classics, The Well Cat Book and The Well Dog Book by Terri McGinnis DVM, has been published by Random House. If you "practice" human medicine with the Merck Manual, you'll love these guides for veterinary care. Do you know how to put a pressure bandage on a cat's tail or what to do if your dog has dandruff? The PR for the books on the East Coast is Tracey Zemitis 212-572-2621 and on the West Coast, Tammy Richards 310-582-8800.
Heart & Soul is a book by Bruno Cortis, MD, published by Villard, that describes his 30 years of experience treating "other doctors' hopeless cardiac patients to show how to prolong and preserve the quality of life." Dr. Cortis uses holistic and spiritual methods as well as traditional ones in his Illinois cardiology practice. He can be reached for interviews at 847-366-7200. The PR for the book is Brian McLendan at 212-572-2681.
W.H. Freeman has published several books that may be of interest: The Science of Words by George A. Miller, which introduces readers to cognitive mechanisms at work when we store and retrieve a word in our memory; The Consumer's Good Chemical Guide: A Jargon-Free Guide to the Chemicals and Everyday Life by John Emsley, Ph.D., and Life Before Birth: The Challenges of Fetal Development by Peter W. Nathanielsz, M.D., Ph.D., which describes the world of the fetus in the womb. Stacey Landowne is the PR for all the books, 212-561-8221.
When you can't find definitions of those scientific or too new words in a medical dictionary or the Merck Index, you most likely can find them in CRC Press' new books. In the Illustrated Dictionary of Immunology by Julius Cruse and Robert Lewis, you can find the definition of "accessory molecules" as "molecules other than the antigen receptor and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) that participate in cognitive activation, and effector functions of T lymphocyte responsiveness." In the Concise Dictionary of Biomedicine and Molecular Biology by Pei-Show Juo, the definition of independent binding is "The binding of one ligand to one binding site on a macromolecule that exerts no effect on the binding of subsequent ligands to other binding sites." In the Concise Encyclopedia of Foods and Nutrition by Audrey and M.E. Ensminger and James Konlande and John Robson, there are more down-to-earth substances such as "Windberry, a low shrub of the family Erucaceae that is native to Europe and north Asia. It is closely related to blueberries and huckleberries. Windberries are used fresh or in confections, jams and pies." The food encyclopedia covers everything to do with edibles from algae to zwitterion (the term used to describe the property of amino acids, when ionized in solution, to behave either as an acid or a base depending on the need of the solution in which they are present. This capacity makes amino acids good buffer substances.) Still another new CRC book that may be of interest to science writers is Author's Handbook of Styles for Life Science Journals by Michel Atlas. It contains the formats and requirements of the thousands of biomedical journals published today. The contact at CRC press is Lynn Downer-Goss 407-994-0555.
Please send information about your books directly to Ruth Winter, 44 Holly Drive, Short Hills, NJ 07078, not to the NASW office.
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