Triumph: Getting Back

The coauthors of Choices: Realistic Alternatives in Cancer Treatment assert that 60% of all serious cancers can be cured, and accordingly direct this superbly organized, kindly book to the millions of cancer patients whom they hope will be ``triumphers'' (those who overcome the disease by taking an active role in its treatment and maintaining a positive outlook). The frequent use of statistical data based on survivors' experiences situates the cancer patient within a larger community, and, consequently, the reader feels less isolated and afraid. In addition, the book's question-and-answer format is particularly helpful to those who, dealing with the shock of bad news, find themselves better able to assimilate information distributed in small doses. An especially praiseworthy section, ``The Days Ahead,'' calmly and instructively deals with the triumpher's greatest fear: recurrence of the illness. Pragmatic advice distinguishes nearly every page (details about a program that teaches beauty tips to camouflage the effects of cancer or its treatments, summer camps for children with cancer, etc.). (Feb.)