All about Arthritis

By Derrick Brewerton

Book Overview

This book--intended to dispel the mystique and folklore surrounding arthritis--is the first to explain clearly the scientific aspects of arthritis research and treatment. Brewerton tells the intriguing story of arthritis research, from the days before germs were recognized as causes of disease and when reasons for inflammation were obscure, to the present, when breakthroughs in genetics, epidemiology, X-ray crystallography, cell biology, and molecular biology support major advances in research and treatment. He also addresses the human element, discussing the role in arthritis of such factors as age, gender, emotions, pain, and personality. Brewerton ends the story on a hopeful note, carefully explaining the prospects for prevention and treatment.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674016165
• ISBN13: 9780674016163
• Release Date: July 1998
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.03 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Can I give this book extra stars? It's one of the greats.

If you're at all interested in medical science, reading this book will be a wonderful experience. I would expect this to be true even if you don't have arthritis (I don't). I learned quite a bit about the immune system, the nervous system, and about how first-rate minds think about research problems. Of course, I also learned about arthritis, too, as you might expect. What I think I will remember best, though, is the letter from Pamela Bjorkman in chapter 20, where she describes her work, over the course of 8 years, in determining the structure of the HLA protein molecule using X-ray crystallography. No, that's not true, I'll remember having my mind engaged, thinking along with Derrick Brewerton, as he lays out the research into arthritis, researcher by researcher, step by step. Chapter 20 will still be an exciting high point, though.And this might sound funny, but I particularly enjoyed seeing pictures of all the researchers in scientific medicine, from Pasteur to the present day.Since each chapter was quite famously interesting, I hope you don't mind if I list the table of contents so you can get a better idea of the scope and focus of this eminently re-readable book:Prologue1. The Search for Germs2. The Body's Defenses3. Joints and Arthritis4. Bacteria, Alive or Dead5. Tales of Ticks in America6. Access to the Joints7. Three Key Diseases8. The Many Faces of Arthritis9. One Gene, One Disease10. Joint failure11. Age and Sex12. Other Common Causes of Pain13. Adrenal Hormones14. The Nervous System15. Personality, Emotions, and Pain16. Populations and Families17. Self and Nonself18. The Race for Answers19. DNA, RNA and Proteins20. The Beauty of Crystals21. Cells in Action22. Truth is Rarely Simple23. Prospects for Prevention and TreatmentSome Common DisordersGlossarySources and Suggested ReadingsVoluntary Health Organizations