Press Release: The Real Life Body Book
Publication Date: April 30, 2010 Publicity Contact: Debra Matsumoto debra.matsumoto@tenspeed.com 510.559.1639
THE REAL LIFE BODY BOOK
A Young Woman’s Complete Guide to Health and Wellness
by Hope Ricciotti, M.D. and Monique Doyle Spencer
“Today’s woman must ask questions in a way our mothers never did.”—Dr. Hope Ricciotti, M.D.
THE REAL LIFE BODY BOOK is a thorough and concise guide for young women to help them understand their bodies in order to make sound lifestyle decisions for a future of good health. Written by a leading OB/GYN on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and a professional writer, this complete wellness volume presents proven medical advice and evidence-based science in easy-to-read, conversational language.
While especially targeting late teens, twenty-, and thirty-year-olds, THE REAL LIFE BODY BOOK provides a great education for any woman. For example, the first chapter outlines how to navigate medical exams, what to expect, questions to ask, and which screening tests to have when. Subsequent chapters examine a full range of health issues, investigating skin, heart, digestive, and bone health as well as reproductive wellness and common concerns about mental and emotional health. From investigating such basics as the nuts and bolts of sex to answering such questions as “How can I be sure that my doctor knows the gender differences in heart attack symptoms?” this book provides prudent and straightforward advice. The chapter on stress investigates personal and professional relationships as being a common source of stress and the effects of that on the body. The chapter on skin covers everything from interpreting “clinically proven” on cosmetic labels to tanning booths, acne, skin cancer, and anti-aging topicals. From bones and joints to nutrition, and from your neck and spine to your vagina and cervix, THE REAL LIFE BODY BOOK informs readers about their bodies in a friendly and engaging way.
Handy side-bars and fact boxes highlight “Notes to Self” such as the Family Checklist, reminding readers to research family history for chronic conditions before appointments. But the book’s greatest distinction is the accessible and trustworthy voice of the authors as they discuss the full holistic range of health issues facing all women. Incorporating illustrations and simple graphs, THE REAL LIFE BODY BOOK is a candid, easy-to-understand, single go-to resource and a frank assessment of what women need to know in order to take charge of their health.
Hope Ricciotti, M.D., is a practicing clinician and an Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. She is the author of four previous books on women’s health and nutrition. She has special expertise in reproductive health, nutrition, and management of menopause. She is an active participant in a gender-specific online health education movement called “Embracing Women’s Health,” pioneered by a community of health experts on bewell.com, called Lluminari. She is available for interviews and lectures. Her blog address is http://bewell.com//Blog.aspx?blogid=3316.
Monique Doyle Spencer is a writer, author, and philanthropist. She is committed to transforming serious subject matter such as health topics into something someone will want to read.
$22 paperback 464 pages photos and illustrations 978-1-58761-357-9
Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press.
