Book Review: How Not to Drop Dead

Book Review: How Not to Drop Dead

Book Review: How Not to Drop Dead

Non-Fiction

How Not to Drop Dead: A Guide for Prevention of 201 Causes of Sudden or Rapid Death

Eduardo Chapunoff, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.C.

2010

Xlibris

ISBN: 978-1-4415-1356-4

Pages: 359

How Not to Drop Dead is a reference tool that explains many major illnesses and life events that can cause sudden or rapid death. Dr. Eduardo Chapunoff offers detailed descriptions of each condition, including causes, treatment and often adds personal anecdotes about patients from his own practice.

The book is divided into eight parts covering aneurysms, heart disease, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and a variety of other conditions that may end a life if not properly diagnosed, treated, or avoided.

This is not a book to be read from cover to cover. It is a resource that will allow the reader to search for information on Kawasaki disease, endocarditis, or variations in circadian rhythm among other conditions. While the content is pretty heavy in medical jargon, Dr. Chapunoff uses humor and real-life cases, including historical references, to flesh out the technical explanations.

Dr. Eduardo Chapunoff is the author of several books including Morbid Obesity and Answering Your Questions about Heart Disease and Sex. He is the Chief of Cardiology at the Doctor's Medical Center in Miami, Florida. In 2009, Dr. Chapunoff was named one of "America's Top Cardiologists" by the Consumer's Research Council of America. The doctor's concern for his patients and for people reading this book is evident in the time he takes to describe symptoms, treatment and prevention.

I must admit, I was initially intimidated by the subject matter of this book. That changed once I came across conditions that I was familiar with and wanted to know more about. As a fan of the television series, ER and House, it was nice to get a clear definition of terms like "tachycardia" and "sepsis" that the TV doctors throw around in almost every episode. As someone who has been diagnosed with both asthma and mitral valve prolapse, it was interesting to read a succinct explanation of both conditions and pick up a few tips for keeping myself healthy. I was also impressed with the chapter Dr. Chapunoff devotes to sudden infant death. It should be required reading for all new parents.

How Not to Drop Dead is both educational and enlightening. It is a useful resource that can become a valuable addition to any personal library.

Melissa Brown Levine

for

Independent Professional Book Reviewers

www.bookreviewers.org

POST COMMENT

Train Wild Horses Book Review- Can This Book Help You Train The Wildest Of Horses? Book Review: Small Giants by Bo Burlingham Book Review: Dead of Knight by William R. Potter Running Book Review - Developing Killer Speed - Does it Work? A Critical Analysis For You Social Work Skills Workbook Review Book Review: Congo Cobalt by Colin Boxall-Hunt Book Review: Currents Deep and Deadly by Arleen Alleman Cure Your Athletes Foot Book Review Lodestone: Book One-The Sea of Storms by Mark Whiteway-a Book Review Career Book Review FIFA 2010 World Cup Hand Book - FIFA 2010 World Cup Hand Book Review ???? Book Review: Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill Building A Chicken Coop Book Review