Gould writes well for both lay readers and his peers but does not see himself as a not-to-be-questioned authority, for 'medicine is not the same as business, ' he says; 'it is a mutual effort to improve life and survival.' After several decades of practice, close familiarity with the medical literature, and research on and clinical use of positron emission tomography (PET), Gould feels justified in declaring that heart bypass operations and balloon dilations are not as effective as their proponents have claimed and that coronary angiograms, another favorite of those proponents, can produce misleading results. Although Gould's lucid style (bespeaking, it seems, obvious skill for listening to patients) makes things easy for the reader, the uncluttered, well-labeled illustrations help substantially, too. The big concluding chapter of 'Gould Guidelines to Prevent or Reverse Vascular and Coronary Heart Disease, ' which differ from those promulgated by the American Heart Association and others, gives practical advice to those who have had heart problems and those who want to avoid them. - William Beatty; 270p-
This is a multi-title review. Titles include 'Heal Your Heart' and 'Living Longer with Heart Disease'
|
