Presents articles describing the causes and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment (both traditional and alternative), prognosis, and prevention of various diseases, disorders, injuries, and infections.
Reviewed with
Body by Design and
Healthy Living. UXL has published a group of titles (under the umbrella name UXL Complete Health Resource) that is invaluable as a health-education reference for topics commonly taught in middle and high school: diseases, the human body, and mental and physical wellness.Body by Design consists of 12 chapters. Volume one contains information on the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, integumentary, lymphatic, and muscular systems. Volume two covers the nervous, reproductive, respiratory, skeletal, and urinary systems and the five senses. Following an introductory overview of the system and its function, each chapter covers the anatomy and the physiology in four sections: "Design," "Workings," "Ailments," and "Taking Care." Black-and-white and color photographs are plentiful, and color is used throughout to highlight headings and subheadings, sidebars, and other features. Volume one of Healthy Living focuses on nutrition, exercise, and environmental health; volume two concentrates on medicine and health care; volume three addresses mental health and self-esteem. The ultimate goal is to provide a solid information base and useful guidelines for sound decision making about topics such as physical fitness, stress management, safety and accident prevention, and aging. More than 160 black-and-white photographs are included; unlike the other components of the Complete Health Resource, there is no use of color. Sick! rounds out the set, examining a total of 140 ailments. These are alphabetically arranged and include common ailments such as athlete's foot, glaucoma, and rubella; more rare afflictions, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (mad cow disease); and conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and shaken baby syndrome. Each entry, varying in length from three to eight pages, discusses causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment (standard and alternative), prognosis, and prevention. Most helpful is a listing of affiliated national organizations. The more than 240 black-and-white photographs and 80 color images are vivid and add interest. Sick! provides six sample research and activity ideas for interdisciplinary projects or enlightenment in science and health instruction.The text in all volumes is extremely readable for the intended audience--clear and concise and not overloaded with technical jargon. In each chapter, "Words to Know" boxes define terms and sidebars highlight biographies of notable doctors and scientists, modern advances, interesting facts, health tips, and the results of medical research. Lists of suggested books and Web sites conclude each topic. In addition, there are extensive general bibliographies, furnishing an abundance of print and electronic sources. A random sampling of URLs found that most sites are accessible, and the information available at these addresses is extensive. In short, the potential for furthering research is phenomenal.The titles in UXL Complete Health Resource can be purchased separately or as a complete set ($250, 0-7876-3917-6). Comprehensive in coverage, they are highly recommended for middle- and high-school collections, as well as for the young adult section of public libraries frequented by students. REVWR
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