Media Mix

POWER TO THE PATIENT: The Treatments to Insist On When You’re Sick

By Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld

Warner Books, 448 pages, $25.95

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Overview: Rosenfeld, a cardiologist and author of several bestsellers including “Live Now, Age Later,” has again written an excellent guide to getting the most from the health-care system. He recognizes a need to help the average patient at a time when doctors tend to be rushed and health insurers focused on the bottom line. “Knowledge is power, and when it concerns your health, it can save your life,” he writes.

What Works: Rosenfeld has targeted 39 conditions, including acne, depression and stroke. In each chapter, he defines the problem, lists risk factors and symptoms, outlines treatment and often spells out “what to insist on” during medical encounters. The book, which displays the author’s trademark humor, is written in the conversational style that has made him a popular fixture in books, magazines and on television.

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Jane E. Allen