The Culprit and The Cure

Book Review The Culprit and The Cure, by Steven G. Aldana, 261 pp, with illus, $24.99, 935 East 900 North, Mapleton, UT 84664, Maple Mountain Press (telephone: 866-732-3843), 2005, ISBN 0-9758828-0-5 Type and Scope of Book: In this single-authored book, a professor of lifestyle medicine describes the why, what, and how of a healthy lifestyle. Contents: This text details lifestyle changes that can benefit nearly everyone. These changes include prudent food and drink intake plus regular exercise. The author presents his facts and theories in a logical, convincing manner and offers suggestions for implementation. The book includes illustrations, a summary at the end of each chapter, Web site links, and references. Strengths: The text is up-to-date, logical, and well referenced. The information is presented in such a way that it can be incorporated by nearly anyone who wants to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Deficiencies: The author occasionally overstates our knowledge of the cause-and-effect relationship between chronic diseases (especially cancers) and poor nutrition or lack of exercise. Because many of these relationships remain unproved, I prefer the less specific “associated with” link expressed in 2 other books, Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for Everybody and Mayo Clinic Fitness for Everybody, both also published in 2005. Recommended Readership: Anyone who wants to consider a lifestyle change. Overall Grading: ##### Carl F. Anderson, MD, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension (emeritus), Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minn

Grading Key ★★★★★ = outstanding; ★★★★ = excellent; ★★★ = good; ★★ = fair; ★ = poor. © 2005 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

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