You by Lisa Oz, Mehmet Oz M.D., Michael F. Roizen M.D., Ted Spiker (2005, Hardcover)

YOU: The Owner’s Manual is a good quick read – though it’s purpose is to help you improve your overall health through simple explanations of health concepts, it does a great job of providing a lesson in anatomy and sound health. Each chapter is dedicated different organ systems and parts of the body. Topics covered in detail include the cardiovascular system, brain, skeletal system, joints and muscles, lungs, the digestive system and sexual organs, the immune system, skin, and a separate section that discusses cancer.

Think of this book as a primer on health. If you don’t enjoy most health books that espouse diets and feel like a step back to high school biology, you’ll appreciate this book. It is easy to read and its format reminds me of the ease of reading found in the Dummies book series. After the basics are covered, the book moves into a lifestyle action plan that acts as an easy to follow guide to improve your health. It explains adjustments that you can make to your lifestyle in order to live a longer and much healthier life. Simple tips explain how you can stay abreast of your health and avoid the see-saw of dieting and exercise.

I’m not a big fan of the diagrams and sketches in the book – it appears as if they were designed to appeal to a broad audience, but for most of us, such silly diagrams are unnecessary. Assuming you can look past that, I highly recommend this book as candidate for a cover-to-cover read and as a reference guide for your bookshelf.