Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

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aude
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Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by aude »

Can anyone recommend a medical textbook for a non-healthcare professional? This is not a solicitation for medical advice, but I feel like reading the right book might help me be a better-educated consumer of healthcare. I am familiar with PDR, and Merck Manual but am hoping for something like an 800 page overview of medicine instead of an encyclopedic reference. Thanks!
donocash
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by donocash »

I can't really recommend a general medicine textbook -I think you're better off reading up on a specific topic that interests you or affects you. Having to read up on a disease that you actually have wonderfully sharpens the mind. As a retired physician, I can't help but wonder if a motivated patient can know from internet research a lot of things about a medical condition that their physician doesn't know. Doesn't replace experience, but done right an informed patient can't make their physician better - I really do believe that.

That said, I have a lot of respect for the books put out by the Mayo Clinic for the general public. That's where I would start. Many are available at your public library, either in their collection or available by interlibrary loan.
letsgobobby
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by letsgobobby »

Up to date has good info for patients, not sure of cost or if free. I have an institutional subscription.
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BL
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by BL »

Not a med person here, but I also like Mayo Clinic as an easy to read first source.
Pub Med is another reliable source of abstracts and links to articles, some of which are available free, about a lot of medical research. Your public library might be able to help you here.

Watch out for those who have something to sell, or don't have any good science to support them. Also check for outdated information, and look to see who is putting out the information and their credentials.
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LowER
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by LowER »

WebMD is pretty good.
strafe
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by strafe »

I would check out Cecil's Essentials of Medicine. It's an overview text written at a med student level.
http://www.amazon.com/Andreoli-Carpente ... 1416061096
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Raymond
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by Raymond »

If you don't mind an online site, I find eMedicineHealth.com to be useful.
"Ritter, Tod und Teufel"
obgraham
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by obgraham »

You said you didn't like it, but the Merck Manual has more info than you would ever want to know about all sorts of medicine. Cecil and Harrison address more of the theoretical/academic side of internal med, and are really aimed at med students.

As a retired doc, I find the Merck does what I need. And faster than poking round the Web.
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Whiggish Boffin
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by Whiggish Boffin »

Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function is a pre-med text that approaches physiology from the viewpoint of feedback systems. It has anatomical pictures, but also block diagrams of signal/process flow. It has more to say about how bodies are supposed to work than about fixing them when they don't.

In college, I bought the 1973 edition. My roommate was pre-med, and I was studying feedback systems, and it looked interesting, comprehensive, and quite clear. It has stayed in print with constant revisions, and I have updated occasionally and referred to it often. New authors (Widmaier, Raff, & Strang) have taken over from the originals (Vander, Sherman, & Luciano.) It's still a required pre-med text, so it's hellacious expensive ($196.97 new), but you could buy the 2003 editionfor a song ($36.41 new). (Don't buy the Kindle version -- diagrams and equations don't reproduce well.)
mhalley
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by mhalley »

Even as a physician, sitting down to read an 800 page overview of medicine sounds pretty daunting. Exactly what are you wanting to learn? What to do when a family member gets sick or injured? Just general medical illness? The category is just too broad to make a recommendation, although the Mayo Clinic Guide to Self care might be a good place to start. I see people every day in the ER who don't have a clue about their health, so I really applaud your wanting to learn.
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drbagel
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by drbagel »

I think the Mayo Clinic website has excellent information for patients. I know this is not exactly what you are looking for. Textbooks are rapidly obsolete and harder to search than online resources.
obgraham
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by obgraham »

drbagel wrote:Textbooks are rapidly obsolete...
That is really true. My daughter is a recent grad, and bought very few texts during her med school years -- anatomy, internal med, maybe a couple of others. Far different from the weighty bookshelves of my time. And somehow she learned, possibly better than I did.
dl7848
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by dl7848 »

One of the funniest book titles I've ever seen was "Surgery at a Glance".

Apparently it's part of a series of medical books that provide Cliff's Note-type presentations.

(No idea if they're any good... just happened to notice the title.)
Kersten
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by Kersten »

These are not lengthy medical texts but you might find them useful.

For day to day medical concerns I use: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, The COMPLETE GUIDE TO MEDICAL SELF CARE.
It has "easy to use decision charts that quickly explain at home treatments, when to see a doctor and when to seek emergency medical care." Authors are Donald M. Vickery, M,D. and James F. Fries, M.D.

When the concerns are related to muscles and joints (for tennis players,golfers, runners, or anyone who occasionally suffers muscle and joint problems) I use MUSCLE MEDICINE, THE REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO MAINTAINING, STRENGTHENING, AND REPAIRING YOUR MUSCLES AND JOINTS, by Rob DeStefano, D.C. with Bryan Kelly, M.D. and Joseph Hooper (forward by Michael Strahan)

Both books have helped me address whatever the current problem is: if self care was the way to go or if seeking the help of a medical professional was advisable.

I use Web, M.D. or the Mayo site to begin to study something in depth and then go deeper into the internet from there.
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White Coat Investor
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by White Coat Investor »

Not sure what you're looking for, but you might consider something like a Paramedic textbook. Shorter and easier for a layman, but still with lots of useful information especially with regards to first aid, wilderness and emergency care.

Keep in mind you're asking for something like "Can you recommend a broad overview of the humanities?" Medicine is an absolutely monstrous field. That's why someone can train in it for a decade and still only know any significant amount about a tiny slice of it.
1) Invest you must 2) Time is your friend 3) Impulse is your enemy | 4) Basic arithmetic works 5) Stick to simplicity 6) Stay the course
dl7848
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by dl7848 »

dl7848 wrote:One of the funniest book titles I've ever seen was "Surgery at a Glance".
Here's another fun one: "Emergency Dermatology"

I guess that's when someone's botox job needs re-upping for tomorrow night's party.

(Sorry, I'm not being very helpful. :D)
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Raymond
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by Raymond »

dl7848 wrote:
dl7848 wrote:One of the funniest book titles I've ever seen was "Surgery at a Glance".
Here's another fun one: "Emergency Dermatology"

I guess that's when someone's botox job needs re-upping for tomorrow night's party.

(Sorry, I'm not being very helpful. :D)
Hey, there are a *few* dermatologic emergencies :P

"Dermatologic Emergencies"- American Family Physician
"Ritter, Tod und Teufel"
dl7848
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by dl7848 »

Raymond wrote:
dl7848 wrote:
dl7848 wrote:One of the funniest book titles I've ever seen was "Surgery at a Glance".
Here's another fun one: "Emergency Dermatology"

I guess that's when someone's botox job needs re-upping for tomorrow night's party.

(Sorry, I'm not being very helpful. :D)
Hey, there are a *few* dermatologic emergencies :P

"Dermatologic Emergencies"- American Family Physician
I stand corrected. :mrgreen:

Though I don't think showing up at tomorrow night's party with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever would go over that well either. :D
letsgobobby
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by letsgobobby »

Of course I am reminded of Seinfeld Season 9 episode 7:

http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheSlicer.html

[Jerry is on the revenge date with Sara.]

Sara: Restaurant, flowers...this is so nice.

Jerry: Well, I'm a classy guy. How's the life saving business?

Sara: It's fine.

Jerry: It must take a really really big zit, to kill a man!

Sara: What is with you?

Jerry: You call yourself a lifesaver. I call you pimple popper MD!

[A man comes to the table.]

Parry: Dr. Sitarides?

Sara: Mr. Parry, how are you?

Parry: I just wanted to thank you again for saving my life.

Jerry: She saved your life?

Parry: I had skin cancer.

Jerry: Skin cancer! Damn.
hmw
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by hmw »

I am not a primary care physician but I think the Merck Manual was pretty good when I was a med student. Do you want something less medical/technical than the Merck Manual?
Topic Author
aude
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by aude »

Thanks, everyone. I realize that medicine is complex, takes lots of training, etc., but I also believe that part of being intelligent and useful is being able to take large amounts of information in one's area of specialization, and then condense and synthesize it into pieces that a reasonably educated audience can grasp. For example, if you wanted to (re)learn about chemistry, for example, picking up your high school or college textbook, written by a Chemistry PhD and peer-reviewed, would be a great way to do it. After reading the book, you will not approach his/her expertise, but would be able to ask him/her some good questions anyway. Same goes for calculus, history, etc. I'm just wondering if there is a single medical book that would do the same. I am not looking to play doctor, just to be a more informed consumer. Merck seems to be to be a list of systems and diagnoses, and I am more looking for the big picture. Still, all of the suggestions are helpful and I appreciate them.

Aude
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StormShadow
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by StormShadow »

I couldn't recommend any layman's textbook, because quite frankly I don't read any of them.

However, if you want a nice online reference that many attending physicians, residents and medical students use.... uptodate.com is pretty good. I often frequent emedicine.medscape.com as well.

Both require a paid subscription.

If you want a written text which is generally accepted as the authority medical reference book... Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine.
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Re: Medical Textbook for the Layperson?

Post by Herekittykitty »

I applaud your interest in being informed about health. As others have mentioned, the Mayo Clinic has a website that has intelligent well written articles written at the layperson level on various conditions.

The subjects to which you are referring and wondering why there isn't a medical text book written at that level are: high school calculus, high school chemistry, and high school history. In order to even get in to medical school, one will have completed high school, graduated from college with high grades in everything including college level inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry, college level calculus, college level statistics, and college level physics. Then one has to pass an exam (the MCAT) with scores higher than the average for people who have already done well in those areas in college. Even that isn't enough to get admitted - one has to have all kinds of experience and convince an admissions committee that you should get a place in medical school. At that point - you buy your medical books and head to class. So medical books and the level they are written are not comparable to high school books.

Depending on your interest in health areas - you might want to read one of the many general books written for the lay person, and you might want to take any community courses available such as CPR.

And depending on the level of your interest, your stamina, and your background - you might want to think about going into a health care field yourself - paramedic, nursing, medical technology, radiology technology, or even medicine. And no, I'm not kidding. Many if not most health care professionals started out with an insatiable curiosity about how things work (including math, science, and the human body) and a strong desire to be of service to mankind. Perhaps you fall into that category.
I don't know anything.
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