cover image The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Over 1,200 New Doctor-Tested Tips and Techniques Anyone Can Use to Heal Hundreds of Everyday Health Problems

The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Over 1,200 New Doctor-Tested Tips and Techniques Anyone Can Use to Heal Hundreds of Everyday Health Problems

Sid Kirchheimer. Rodale Press, $27.95 (613pp) ISBN 978-0-87596-158-3

In the helpful tradition of Rodale's health-concerned series comes this book, aiming to cure mostly minor ailments and tell us what's going on when something's going wrong. The board of editors usually keeps their collective feet on the ground: as an antidote, for instance, to a stuffed-up nose, they suggest, ``Eat Mexican,'' and caution on the use of antihistamines, which may cause some surprise. If you stutter and want to stop, they say, ``Nix the sweets,'' ``Bag the coffee,'' and ``Practice natural breathing,'' striking a balance between mandatory good cheer and practical detail. Organized alphabetically in short entries, the book includes correctives for Type A Personalities, panic attacks, warts, chipped teeth and hiccups. All of the advice is backed up by a doctor's name or affidavit. Reassuring, readable and sometimes even entertaining, this is not the last word in fixing the problem, but it's a good beginning. (Sept.)