Health and Healing for African-Americans

In a sister-to-sister, brother-to-brother approach to good health for African Americans, this folksy guide addresses everything from acne to breast cancer, heart disease to HIV/AIDS, prostate problems to sickle cell anemia, vitiligo (loss of brown pigment resulting in white skin patches) to weight problems. Written by and for African Americans, Health and Healing for African-Americans features more than 100 chapters, each of which begins with an anecdote about someone who's grappled with a particular health issue, and concludes with advice from African American health professionals about prevention and treatment.

In heart-to-heart words from former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, whose brother died from a gunshot wound and whose sister was killed in a car crash, and with advice from more than 150 experts from Harvard Medical School, Howard University, Meharry Medical College, National Cancer Institute, and elsewhere, the book sends the message about taking control of your health loud and clear. "We can't be wealthy unless we're healthy, and we can't be healthy unless we're wise," Elders writes in the foreword. "And to get that wisdom," she says, "the information in these pages is the next best thing to having a doctor at your disposal 24 hours a day."