Signals: The Hidden Power and Secret Language of Hormones

In this enlightening exploration, endocrinologist Hameed (The Full Diet) draws from decades of expertise and real-life patient cases to demystify the role of hormones in the body. Hormones define “our very idea of what a normal life feels like,” she says, explaining that energy levels, weight, and mood are governed by hormones far more than by willpower. Comparing diagnosing to detective work, she walks readers through several hormonal disorders. For example, a patient Hameed diagnosed with Graves’ disease—a disorder in which the immune system stimulates the thyroid to overproduce hormones, causing a rapid heartbeat—initially presented with symptoms of anxiety. Another patient sought assistance for unexplained weight gain and was eventually treated for Cushing’s syndrome, a disorder caused by prolonged exposure to high cortisol levels. Hameed recounts how various hormonal disorders were discovered, explaining, for example, that Addison’s disease, which occurs when adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol, was first described in 1855 by British physician Thomas Addison, who noticed patients with fatigue and skin discoloration. Elsewhere, she details common tests and treatments, including insights for those struggling to conceive or adapting to menopause. Throughout, she combines entertaining storytelling with insightful reflections. Readers will be inspired to listen to their bodies’ cues. (May)