Dr. Nieca Goldberg's Complete Guide to Women's Health

“I want to be the doctor going to the doctor with you,” Dr. Goldberg tells readers as she opens this user-friendly handbook to women's health. Goldberg, who runs NYU's Women's Heart Program and other cardiac projects, knows women's bodies aren't just small versions of men's. Women have different medical needs and different ways of relating to treatment, so they may not be getting the care they need. First, though, women have to get in the habit of telling their doctors everything—what symptoms they have, what medicines and supplements they're using—without deciding in advance what their doctors need to know. Goldberg explores the range of medical problems that might bring a middle-aged woman to the doctor's office, from hormonal imbalances to heart disease. She explains what the doctor may ask you and why, as well as the benefits and risks of various treatments. She wisely includes discussions of procedures like chemical peels, Botox and breast implants, since women often imagine they don't need to advise their regular doctors about such “cosmetic” interventions. Happily, the closing section on healthy lifestyles, mostly diet and exercise advice, is geared to realistic expectations. By offering solid, up-to-date medical information in a comforting, woman-to-woman tone of voice, Goldberg's got just what the patient ordered. (Jan.)