I received a copy of the third edition of The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook. for review on Mischiefmakers. Between the hard covers of this 2,000+ page reference book is an overwhelming stock of information.
When I first received the book in the mail, I admit I was awe struck by the sheer size and volume of it. Over the next few weeks, every now and then I would take some quiet time to go through the manual. I schlepped it along with me on trips to Starbucks and would take in a chapter here and there. By the time I had gone through the bulk of the manual, I was satisfied that I had fed my brain well. I was able to fill in a lot of holes I had in my head on various medical, health industry topics and on common health conditions. What a satisfying consumption!
I was extra enthusiastic about getting this book to review because the country is in the middle of the Health reform debate. It was very timely. In actuality, I wrapped on the book on the eve of the historic House of Representatives passing their version of the Health Reform Bill.
Anyway, one of the early chapters that piqued my interest was the one that explains in laymen terms managed health care and how HMOs v. PPOs v POS get paid. The later chapters about preventing diseases and diagnosing them, especially the sections on vaccines and screen tests were eye opening because these topics ordinarily are quite confusing to wrap the brain around. Especially in this time with health care being a hot button issue, it's important for people to know the facts! The charts and tables were wonderfully dispersed throughout the book and are organized in nice nugget sized chunks of data that are easy to digest when skimming through the book.
When I say the book is comprehensive, I am not joking. The font was pretty small and there were a dearth of photos and illustrations which I would have wanted more of because I am a visual person. Notwithstanding, the pictures and tables in the manual were pretty clear and did not get bogged down in complex medical terminology and jargon.
Although a morbid topic, I also enjoyed the section on preparing for death, either your own or that of a dying loved one. It goes through the emotions and various stages of prepping for death and delves into complex sub-topic of preparing financially for after death. It was a very insightful section.
The remainder of the book goes through various conditions, their diagnosis, the symptoms ,causes, evaluation, treatments and as I think of it, it's one of those books that is good to review all in once quickly and as you do make mental notes of the sections that stick out in your head for later.
Towards the end, there are chapters on family planning, infertility and children ailments and treatments. Those chapters also do a great job answering common questions and concerns for families.
You know, because I have family members who have certain medical conditions and in case I ever hear of the conditions getting complicated or causing trouble, I am happy to have this book to turn to and read up on some more information.
All in all, this is a manual that would be a great addition to any library. At bottom, I know my children are set when and if the time ever comes for them to do a school report on a disease or medical related topic.
Overall, I'd highly recommend The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook.
You can order it from Merck's website or Amazon.com
When I first received the book in the mail, I admit I was awe struck by the sheer size and volume of it. Over the next few weeks, every now and then I would take some quiet time to go through the manual. I schlepped it along with me on trips to Starbucks and would take in a chapter here and there. By the time I had gone through the bulk of the manual, I was satisfied that I had fed my brain well. I was able to fill in a lot of holes I had in my head on various medical, health industry topics and on common health conditions. What a satisfying consumption!
I was extra enthusiastic about getting this book to review because the country is in the middle of the Health reform debate. It was very timely. In actuality, I wrapped on the book on the eve of the historic House of Representatives passing their version of the Health Reform Bill.
Anyway, one of the early chapters that piqued my interest was the one that explains in laymen terms managed health care and how HMOs v. PPOs v POS get paid. The later chapters about preventing diseases and diagnosing them, especially the sections on vaccines and screen tests were eye opening because these topics ordinarily are quite confusing to wrap the brain around. Especially in this time with health care being a hot button issue, it's important for people to know the facts! The charts and tables were wonderfully dispersed throughout the book and are organized in nice nugget sized chunks of data that are easy to digest when skimming through the book.
When I say the book is comprehensive, I am not joking. The font was pretty small and there were a dearth of photos and illustrations which I would have wanted more of because I am a visual person. Notwithstanding, the pictures and tables in the manual were pretty clear and did not get bogged down in complex medical terminology and jargon.
Although a morbid topic, I also enjoyed the section on preparing for death, either your own or that of a dying loved one. It goes through the emotions and various stages of prepping for death and delves into complex sub-topic of preparing financially for after death. It was a very insightful section.
The remainder of the book goes through various conditions, their diagnosis, the symptoms ,causes, evaluation, treatments and as I think of it, it's one of those books that is good to review all in once quickly and as you do make mental notes of the sections that stick out in your head for later.
Towards the end, there are chapters on family planning, infertility and children ailments and treatments. Those chapters also do a great job answering common questions and concerns for families.
You know, because I have family members who have certain medical conditions and in case I ever hear of the conditions getting complicated or causing trouble, I am happy to have this book to turn to and read up on some more information.
All in all, this is a manual that would be a great addition to any library. At bottom, I know my children are set when and if the time ever comes for them to do a school report on a disease or medical related topic.
Overall, I'd highly recommend The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook.
You can order it from Merck's website or Amazon.com
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