Keep Sharp

Behind every landmark drug is a story. It could be an oddball researcher’s genius insight, a catalyzing moment in geopolitical history, a new breakthrough technology, or an unexpected but welcome side effect discovered during clinical trials. Piece together these stories, as Thomas Hager does in this remarkable, century-spanning history, and you can trace the evolution of our culture and the practice of medicine.

​Beginning with opium, the “joy plant,” which has been used for 10,000 years, Hager tells a captivating story of medicine. His subjects include the largely forgotten female pioneer who introduced smallpox inoculation to Britain, the infamous knockout drops, the first antibiotic, which saved countless lives, the first antipsychotic, which helped empty public mental hospitals, Viagra, statins, and the new frontier of monoclonal antibodies. This is a deep, wide-ranging, and wildly entertaining book.

An indispensable reference which is sure to become the go-to health and wellness guide for parents.

This comprehensive and contemporary guide is written by the pediatric experts at the world-renowned Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). It goes without saying that no one understands kids or relates to parents better than these extraordinary experts. It covers over 235 childhood conditions and illnesses in children ages newborn to ten in a friendly yet authoritative manner.

Parents will find all the valuable information they need to better understand and manage their child’s health concerns. All the illnesses are arranged alphabetically by “Condition & Care” — making it easy, quick and accessible for parents — for those situations when time really is of the essence. Parents will find expert advice on how to cope with everything from common accidents and emergencies that occur in childhood, to information on the nature of the many conditions that can affect their child. Most importantly, they get answers to three questions: 1) what is the condition, 2) what might happen as a result of the condition, and 3) how should the problem be treated?

Some of the topics covered include:
-Fever, headaches and migraine, asthma, abdominal pain
-Croup, failure to thrive, thumb sucking and nail biting, night terrors
-Heart murmurs, infective endocarditis, measles, mumps and rubella
-Rheumatic fever, spina bifida, tonsillitis and strep throat
-Down syndrome, head lice, separation anxiety, shingles.

There are photographs and diagrams featured throughout the book, making it easy for parents to accurately pinpoint what potential condition and/or illness their child may be experiencing. An extensive glossary of terms combined with a well-organized index complete this valuable guide.