BOOK REVIEWS
“Healing Our Village: A Self-Guide to Diabetes Control”
As an exploding obesity epidemic contributes to a burgeoning development of diabetes in adults, adolescents and children, now more than ever before is there a need for the patient to “take charge,” in partnership with the health care provider, as an active participant in their own healthcare. But, where can patients find a resource to arm themselves with the proper diabetes knowledge to take on this important role? “Healing Our Village: A Self-Guide to Diabetes Control” is an example of such a tool!
In addition to being a “quick read,” “Healing Our Village” is packed with valuable information in one handy source. Even the clinician, whom is already familiar with this topic, will find this book useful. From the smart tables for diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol medications; to the handy graph of A1C levels correlations to blood glucose levels; to a table outlining frequency of necessary lab tests; to an overview of questions that patients should ask their doctor; this book is a priceless tool for any patient with diabetes.
The final chapter pulls everything together and further provides a summary that reinforces the highlights offered in the body of this book. All of the risk factors related to diabetes are carefully and thoroughly discussed. To top it all off, the book cover cleverly depicts a heterogeneous community engaging in healthy lifestyle choices, as recommended by the author within the body of the book.
This reviewer gives “Healing Our Village: A Self-Guide to Diabetes Control” resounding accolades for its innovative capture of salient information needed by all patients to combat diabetes. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book for patients, and their providers, as a “diabetes bible” for empowerment in taking charge of this disease.
Wilma Wooten, MD
Director, Public Health
San Diego, California
Kirkus Discoveries
Self-help guide for diabetes sufferers, mostly in question-and-answer format, with an emphasis on helping racial and ethnic minority diabetics.
Coleman is a pharmacist with a doctorate in her specialty, Gavin a Ph.D. and M.D. Aside from acknowledgements and a foreword signed by Gavin alone, their voices and expertise are indistinguishable, offering lucid, simple solutions for diabetes patients. Gavin relates watching his great-grandmother endure debilitating pain as a result of diabetes while he visited her as a youngster. He remembers hearing adults mention that sugar killed her, and he wondered how something that tasted sweet could cause so much harm. As an adult, he realized that his great-grandmother's affliction could be controlled through treatment. The authors focus on Type 2 diabetes, the most common form in minority populations. An estimated 20.8 million Americans are diabetic, with perhaps 5 million unaware of their situation. About 13 percent of U.S. diabetics are African-American, and about 8 percent are Latino. The question-and-answer format begins with an overview section about diabetes, with an emphasis on risk factors. Section Two covers management of the disease, including nutrition, exercise, blood-testing, oral medications and insulin use. In addition, the authors continually recommend smoking cessation, as well as instructing patients on the readiness of self-treatment. Section Three explains the complications - high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease - that could arise if the condition remains untreated or treated ineffectively. The questions in all of the sections are worded simply, and the answers are usually free of medical jargon.
Authoritative and, most helpfully, accessible.
