Publishers have long known that people are interested in medicine. That's why so many books dealing with medical conditions, medicine and treatment trends come out on a regular basis.
Here are two worth reading:DESPERATELY SEEKING SNOOZIN': THE INSOMNIA CURE FROM AWAKE TO ZZZZ; by John Wiedman, Towering Pine Press, 1999.
More than 60 million Americans have trouble getting to sleep either often or almost always. John Wiedman was an old hand at the cycles of sleeplessness when he decided to take a personal approach to combatting insomnia.
In this book, he draws a blueprint, based on what he learned, to help people get to sleep without drugs, alcohol or herbs.
He's not a doctor. He's just a guy, he says, who has spent his entire life trying to get a good night sleep. And finally he knows how.
Weidman's book, which has gotten great responses from doctors and insomniacs, is divided into sections, starting with a history of sleeplessness and a look at his own difficulties. He goes into a fair amount of detail on things that defeat the quest for sleep and the ramifications of long-term use of sleeping pills. Then he offers a plan and a bunch of references to back up his statements. As a bonus, the book is decidedly conversational in tone.
LIVING TO 100: LESSONS IN LIVING TO YOUR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL AT ANY AGE; by Dr. Thomas T. Perls and Margery Hutter Silver (with John F. Lauerman), published by Basic Books.
This book has been billed as "life lessons" based on a landmark study of centenarians by Perls and Silver, researchers at Harvard medical school.
There are now more than 50,000 100-plus Americans. Within 31 years, Perls and Silver expect the rate of people over 65 to grow to more than twice the rate of the general population.
And they believe these people can usher in the millennium with "a greatly extended life span" filled with "opportunity, lucidity, mobility and good health."
The book outlines the latest findings on aging. More fun, though, it presents the personal stories of some of these older Americans (including one who, at 100, cooks for her 70-year-old son and his wife).
It will be on bookshelves April 1.