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Are you bothered with achy knees and hips that don't always cooperate? Join the club!! Dr. Michael Wilson has taken those topics (and more) that plague so many of us and made them really understandable. I would never have thought that I would be reading a book on "arthritis" with the same enjoyment with which I have read novels; but that's the truth! Dr. Wilson has a wonderful ability to make medical information understandable, interesting, and very relevant for the reader. He interjects humor and wonderful stories from his own life in his writing along with very sage advice. He offers a "down to earth" view of exercise "do's and don't's" that I found to be very refreshing and helpful. I highly recommend this book as a "must read" for everyone.

My wife bought a copy of Michael Wilson's book for me and I thought, "Why would I want to read a medical book on arthritis" I lived to eat those words. Michael Wilson's writing is totally reader focused with understandable terms and great illustrations. He comes across as very human and very interested in educating the general public about arthritis and "all those other aches and pains". I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. I highly recommend it.

Dr. Michael R. Wilson has written a superb book here that will inform anyone who takes time to read this easy-to-follow, thorough look at our bones, joints, ligaments and tendons . . . plus all those pesky pains associated with them. The information will help you avoid having problems, reduce the amount of problems you will experience and minimize the pain and lost time you will have to suffer.

I was attracted to this book because many members of my family have arthritis or bone-related medical problems. A good friend is an orthopedic surgeon, so I had received from him good advice a long time ago: Avoid exercise that damages joints (like jogging). Beyond that, I knew very little.

As I began the book, I was a little concerned when chapter two contained many pages of medical terminology to be learned before reading the rest of the book. That chapter was the only hard and not very rewarding reading. The rest I enjoyed very much, and found easy to follow. I particularly liked the cartoons, drawings and x-rays of the various conditions and syndromes. I could often grasp with the image what a whole chapter would have had trouble conveying.

Although the book is aimed at those who are middle aged (currently, the baby boomers), there's also lots of information for younger people and the elderly. So you get the whole enchilada. That makes the book helpful in working with parents and children, as well as with one's spouse, siblings and oneself.

I particularly benefited from learning the differences between osteoarthritis (the joints wearing out) and rheumatoid arthritis (infected joints). I had questions about shoulder problems (including those I hear about on television for athletes), tennis elbow, bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, bifocal neck, sciatica, knee problems, heel pain, osteoporosis and gout. All of my questions were answered in more than adequate detail, and I learned important information that I didn't realize that I needed to learn.

Unexpectedly, I came away with a better understanding of how each of my joints works, how to react in an accident, and what to talk to my physicians about if I have a bone or joint problem. Although Dr. Wilson is an orthopedic surgeon, he is candid about the situations when surgery will probably make matters worse.

As I finished the book, I was thankful to the gym teacher who many years ago taught me how to fall so that I would not hurt myself.

This book, by this most extraordinary woman, is a gift to all outdoor health and gardening enthusiasts. Barbara is also fun to exercise with and to garden with. I have read all, of her books and this is the top of my personal list. It reads so easily yet is full of so much meaningful information.I recently started giving a copy of this book as a gift and am getting rave reviews from one and all.

Finally there's a book to help you stay in shape for gardening. I found Gardener's Fitness to be just what I was looking for in terms of exercises to save my back, hands and knees--not only to prepare for a season's gardening, but also what to do when your back gives out from lifting bags of fertilizer. To my delight this book was also full of information about health and safety issues related to gardening i.e. what to do about bug bites, sun-burn, nail fungus, grime removal etc. I loved the beauty tips ranging from herbal baths to foot massage. Ms. Pearlman has thought of everything(!)and has written it all down in an informative and clever way. I've already started taking the book into the garden with me!

We got some great ideas on how to get in shape for the planting season. Although we so look foward to the spring, we all know how sore we are the day after the first planting. This fun book has lot's of great hints on getting in shape and staying in shape for gardening. It will be a great gift for all the gardeners in our extended family. I am going to see if I can get the author - Ms. Pearlman - to speak to our flower club! Please EMAIL me if you can! PS - Great pictures too!!

Excellent reference book. Dittos to previous review.

This is a book no home should be without. At one time or another, everyone has pain -- whether the minor ache of a stiff neck or stubbed toe, the irritation of a sore throat, a trauma to a knee or ankle or shoulder, chronic back pain, recurring headaches, or serious conditions like cancer. Regardless of the severity of the problem, this easy-to-use guide will provide instant help. Each of the 77 conditions listed is explained in breezy, reader-friendly prose. Every one of the thousand or more remedies is drawn from a credentialed expert, in most cases an MD. In addition to do-it-yourself recommendations for easing pain and healing the condition, you'll find guidelines for when to see your doctor and tips for preventing recurrences.

This book really helped. After injuring myself went to the doctor who suggested lot's of medications, etc. Skeptical, I went to bookstore and came across this book. Found other treatment ideas in it and took it back to the doctor with me. He was shocked at my audacity, but agreed with the recommendation in the book. Saved me thousands of bucks and lots of grief. Doc said he was going to buy a copy. WOW

Well thought out book. It takes every ache and pain and tells you how to fix it. Easy to read and clear in its directions. I stumbled across this book in store and am glad I did. It's a reference I will use often

Massage Made Easy begins with background information on the history and benefits of massage, basic massage strokes, and information about acupressure and reflexology. The rest of the book consists of massage routines for specific goals, including relaxation, and relief of backache, tension headache, and joint pains. The reader is given a step-by-step routine of which stokes to perform, and acupressure and reflexology techniques. The routines are illustrated with hundreds of color photographs that show exactly how to do it. Important safety guidelines and information about massage oils are also provided. Overall, I found this book very interesting and easy to understand.

Last year I had a back injury that left me immobile for two months. During that time I read four back books to "empower" me with knowledge and tips for recovery. Dr. Homola's book (now with post-it-notes stuck in numerous chapters) was the most helpful. From helping to determine causes of pain, to outlining simple excercises you can do without buying expensive equipment, this book was the only one I really needed to read. It's a book I'll keep on hand as a helpful resource for years to come.

I found this book very informative and have reccomended it to several others. When my herniated disk was causing lots of pain, I was desperate to get some relief. I just happened to find a reference to the author somewhere on the internet and even actually called him. He was very gracious to talk to me, shared some advice and kept me from making a very expensive decision concerning chiropractic care for my entire family. His book is straightforward and understandable. I thank him for the words of advice and his expertice, if your back is giving you trouble in any way, you'll find this book to be quite an interesting read. Thanks Mr. Homola!

Dr. Homola's latest book is expertly written, clear and concise, and is a wonderful reference self-help book for people like me. The more of the book I read, the more I say to myself that the author is talking to me, about me. I will seek out the self-help remedies described in this book when I have aches and pains.

I started out reading at whim and then realized that I should read in chapter order, as I did in school. As a result, the book is all highlighted in yellow and underlined in blue ink for quick reference.

I especially liked Chapters 13 and 14. Dr. Homola was such a support and a great help to my daughter when she was suffering with a herniated disc and sought his opinion and advice. It has now been a year since her disc herniation, and she is doing fine.

I got worried for a minute when Dr. Homola described in great detail how to make an ice pack. I was going to ask about frozen peas -and then they appeared! I've used them often and successfully. His book leaves nothing out and is complete in every detail. The Glossary is very useful. I was glad to see proper definitions for all the M.D. specialties as well as definitions of straight and mixed chiropractic along with descriptions of what is good and what is bad in chiropractic -which I never knew.

I will certainly recommend this book to my friends. Dr. Homola has written some mighty fine books -and now this one, which is one of the most useful I have read.

At their best, Maeve's books contain wonderful warmth and humour. This one, sadly, falls far short of that promise.

For example, various sections (such as the one on how uncomfortabless with being undressed means self-obsession), rather than being witty or understanding of a patient's pain and fear, seem instructions on how to be a "good patient," to cause doctors or nurses maximum convenience. Many of those who are ill have found that doctors are not the nicest of people with whom to deal, and there is nothing to make a patient feel comfort or empathy in this book. The little "poem" about telling about eating, smoking, and drinking is far from funny.

I would not dream of giving this to anyone who was ill. The copy I'd intended to present ended up in my recycling bin.

Having had hip replacement surgery myself recently, this book was sent to me by a friend, both of us familiar with Maeve Binchy's books. I can't begin to tell you how each page brought tears to my eyes from laughter as I related to her stories of elastic stockings, "invalid" gadgets from walkers to commodes, the unfailing compassion of overworked nurses, and the embarassment of those wonderful hospital gowns! Wendy Shea's illustrations were hysterical reminders of hospitals and then the long awaited recovery period. You both deserve 10 Stars!

Many years ago, the writer Norman Cousins, wrote a now classic book about the part laughter and humor played in his recovery from a life threatening illness. And today, its as if Maeve Binchy continued this premise when she wrote her newest book, Aches and Pains.

Maeve Binchy is primarily known as the best selling Irish author who writes wonderful tales filled with memorable characters. Some also know her from her meaningful columns which appear in the Irish Times. But now readers everywhere will be introduced to a very different Maeve Binchy as learn about Binchy as a patient when she first had surgery to replace her hip and then during her recuperation. And readers will have an extra bonus from the illustrations done by Wendy Shaw who had the same operation as Ms. Binchy. The book is really funny, filled with all sorts of advice on how to survive a stay in any hospital and some anecdotal dopctor and nurse stories. And strange as it may seem, Binchy and Shaw make it a pleasure to read about their confinements.

Consider reading this book to see how it is possible to make light of your aches and pains or think about giving this as a gift to somebody who is also recuperating.

And an extra benefit is that all of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be contributed to the Arthritis Foundation.