How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner

 

Shirley J.     Adult Non-Fiction       Medical tips on how not to end up early on a slab in the morgue

How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner by Jan Garavaglia     288 pages

Excellent book!  You will learn so much about how your body parts and how your body responds to various diseases, accidents, infections, stupid people tricks, internal/external bleeding, horrific vehicular accidents, gun shots/stabbings, tumors, enlarged hearts, hypertension, you name it, you will likely find it here.   She explains autopsies, both whole and partials, she explains medical procedures, she will open your eyes to multitudinous manners of death and how she goes about reasoning out exactly how a person died and how she helps solve cases with law enforcement agencies as to whether there is guilt or innocence - whether a murder or not.   She also has a t.v. show - which from reading this book ought to be fascinating to actually see the things she discusses here.   You will never look at things the same way again.   She discusses the hazards of alcohol abuse, smoking, over eating, drug use both accidental and purposeful,  and she tells you how the organs of the body are affected and exactly what they look like in each stage from healthy to extremely damaged/ravaged.    This is an excellent book on perhaps a brutal subject but you will learn so much here.   And yes, she goes into the gross parts of her job, too, (Smells, maggots, bloated bodies pulled from water, etc. )    You will reconsider some of your own behaviors when she shows you what your seemingly innocent acts or ignoring signs there might be an issue with your health and how feeling fine isn't always fine.   GREAT BOOK!  I am so glad I read it.   If the younger set are of a bent to be interested in medicine, science, anatomy then I say go for it, this stuff can never be taught too early, but, if you are at all squeamish avoid this one like the plague because she is honest and open and tells it like it is so be prepared for sincere sharing of facts here even the unpleasant ones, especially the unpleasant ones.   I would say budding scientists/doctors at any age beyond that probably mature teens through senior citizens - she also talks about breaking hips - she works in Orlando, FL. after all, with the state of Florida being the senior citizen capital of the world.