Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book

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Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book has been considered the bible of breast-care books since it appeared in 1990. In 1995, Love completely updated the book in a 600-page second edition, including new biopsy and screening methods, implants, the pros and cons of hormone therapy, new discoveries in breast-cancer treatment, and many other topics. Every chapter has been rewritten, with the exception of the anatomy chapter ("The breast, I'm glad to report, is still located on the chest!"). Love presents copious medical information in a simple, welcoming style, and plentiful illustrations make the information even clearer. About two-thirds of the book deals with breast cancer: risk factors, prevention, screening, diagnosis, staging, emotions, treatment options, surgery, alternative treatments, clinical trials, and more. But the book isn't just about breast cancer. It's also about breast development, physiology, bras, nursing, sexuality--if it has to do with breasts, Love discusses it. Love also debunks breast myths: underwire bras do not cause cancer, neither do bruises or injuries; "fibrocystic disease" isn't really a disease. The book includes a wealth of resources: books, treatment centers, and organizations (but no Web sites--perhaps in the third edition?).
--Joan Price

It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life-- Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins

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People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong--a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the multiday bicycle race famous for its grueling intensity. Armstrong is a thoroughgoing Texan jock, and the changes brought to his life by his illness are startling and powerful, but he's just not interested in wearing a hero suit. While his vocabulary is a bit on the he-man side (highest compliment to his wife: "she's a stud"), his actions will melt the most hard-bitten souls: a cancer foundation and benefit bike ride, his astonishing commitment to training that got him past countless hurdles, loyalty to the people and corporations that never gave up on him. There's serious medical detail here, which may not be for the faint of heart; from chemo to surgical procedures to his wife's in vitro fertilization, you won't be spared a single x-ray, IV drip, or unfortunate side effect. Athletes and coaches everywhere will benefit from the same extraordinary detail provided about his training sessions--every aching tendon, every rainy afternoon, and every small triumph during his long recovery is here in living color. It's Not About the Bike is the perfect title for this book about life, death, illness, family, setbacks, and triumphs, but not especially about the bike.
--Jill Lightner

How, Then, Shall We Live?: Four Simple Questions That Reveal the Beauty and Meaning of Our Lives -- Wayne Muller

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One of the hazards of a reflective life is to grope for answers before you've asked the right questions. Wayne Muller, a minister, therapist and bestselling author has taken a stab at asking the big questions: Who am I? What do I love? How shall I live, knowing I will die? What is my gift to the family of the Earth? Following each of these questions are some of the most tender and luminous discussions one could hope to ponder. More than a monastery for the armchair seeker, this has potential to be a mind-altering book with permanent impact.