What if everything you thought about health was wrong? That bold question, posed by an oncologist-researcher, launches a discussion of why health cannot be defined simply as the absence of disease. A fresh concept is needed. Such a model would take into account the human body's complexity, system of checks and balances, and ability to make repairs. Agus pushes proteomics (study of the body's proteins), customized medicine, and prevention. Along the way, he debunks medical misinformation. Agus questions the fervor for vitamin D supplementation, and he finds no logic in the routine consumption of multivitamins (in fact, some studies link vitamins to a greater risk of cancer). His advice is down-to-earth. Wear comfy shoes. Move, and move often. Maintain a regular schedule. Take a breather from digital devices. The U.S. is first in health care spending, but the World Health Organization ranks it thirty-seventh in performance. Out of 30 developed countries, America is twenty-second in life expectancy. We must do better. Agus' call for the end of illness is premature, but you can't fault its optimism.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)
