The Lupus Book: A Guide for Patients and Their Families »

About the Author:
Daniel J. Wallace, M.D., currently heads the largest clinical practice in the country devoted to the treatment of patients with lupus. World renowned for his expertise on the subject, he is Clinical Chief of Rheumatology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA. He is also co-author of the leading textbook on lupus, DuBois' Lupus Erythematosus.

The symptoms are puzzling, intermittent, and frequently seem unrelated: mysterious rashes, sore joints, fatigue, headaches. It can take years to properly diagnose, often leaving its victims suffering not only from the disease, but from the uncertainty about whether they have the disease and from the not-insignificant problem of finding a physician to treat them. The disease is lupus, which, simply put, is what happens to the body when it becomes allergic to itself. It is quite widespread and it is highly deadly, claiming the lives of thousands of patients yearly.
Now patients and their families can turn to The Lupus Book, a clear, reassuring guide that explains virtually every aspect of the disease. Written by Daniel J. Wallace, M.D., one of the world's leading experts on the subject, The Lupus Book is packed with useful, easy-to-understand information and practical guidance for the sufferer. Here the reader will discover clear descriptions of the symptoms that most commonly afflict victims of lupus, a helpful survey of all aspects of diagnosis—from why the disease is so difficult to recognize to the latest, most innovative tests—and background information on the cause of the disease, which researchers now believe is genetic in origin. Wallace shows how lupus may affect different organ systems in the body, including the brain, heart, and lungs; he offers well-informed advice on how patients can work with their doctors to take an active role in fighting the disease through exercise, diet, and medication; and perhaps most important, he answers the questions he is most often asked by his patients, including queries on prevention, cure, sun exposure, pregnancy, and many other concerns. Throughout the book, Wallace reveals a talent for communicating difficult concepts to the general reader as he illustrates his discussion with numerous anecdotes culled from his years of clinical experience (he has treated over one thousand lupus patients).
Nearly one million people suffer from lupus in the United States alone. More common than leukemia, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy combined, lupus is a pervasive and little- understood condition. With The Lupus Book in hand, lupus sufferers as well as their families, friends, and physicians have a reliable guide that will answer their questions and help them to better manage their day-to-day fight against this debilitating disease.

Publishers Weekly

Continuing with his quest for physical and emotional health, Deepak Chopra (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind) zeroes in on common intestinal disorders in Perfect Digestion: The Key to Balanced Living, due in October from Harmony. Digestion plays a central role in our lives, says Chopra, turning to Ayurveda, the traditional Indian science of health, for greater understanding of the mind-body connection. Explaining how the gastrointestinal tract works when it's healthy, he offers suggestions for restoring it to health when ideal functioning is lost through imbalance or disease. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternate selections. ($15 128p ISBN 0-517-79975-8) An autoimmune disorder that often defies diagnosis and to date has defied a cure is closely considered in Dr. Daniel J. Wallace's The Lupus Book, an October title from Oxford University Press. Describing the mechanism of the disease and putting therapies into perspective, Wallace, an L.A.-based specialist in lupus, blends clinical information with practical advice. ($25 256p ISBN 0-19-508443-8) In The Race Is Run One Step at a Time: Every Woman's Guide to Taking Charge of Breast Cancer, a September title from the Summit Group, Nancy Brinker addresses the reader in personal terms. Having lost her sister to breast cancer and waged her own successful battle with the disease, she describes the devastating course of her sister's disease and discusses the importance of early detection, care and preventative measures. This revision is updated from a 1990 edition to incorporate information about the latest technologies and statistics. ($13.95 paper, 224p ISBN 1-56530-182-X)