Books of Health

A short, honest note about reading, because the difference between a good health book and a bad one is largely the difference between a claim and a citation.

How to judge a health book

Does it cite anything? A book making strong claims with no references is asking for faith, not offering evidence.

Does the author have relevant qualifications - and are they in the field they are writing about, rather than an adjacent one used as borrowed authority?

Does it acknowledge uncertainty? Real science is full of "probably", "in most people" and "we do not yet know". A book with no doubt anywhere in it is not being straight with you.

Is it selling something? A book that resolves into a supplement line, a clinic or a branded programme has an interest in your conclusion.

Be most suspicious of the book that explains everything. Bodies are not that tidy.

The reliable free sources

For most practical questions, national health services and major medical bodies publish plain-language, regularly reviewed information at no cost - and it is generally better than the paperback. In India, the Ministry of Health and ICMR publish guidance; internationally, the NHS and Mayo Clinic sites are readable and dependable.

The single best filter

Extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence. If one book has solved a problem that thousands of researchers have not, the likeliest explanation is not that everyone else missed it.