The Well Adult could add clarity to the physician's voice in communication with patients and the worried well. It also offers laypersons an intelligent understanding of disease prevention, as well as insight into medical care, early recognition of clinical conditions, and reasonable self-help advice. As such it joins a spate of recent books by physicians, but it is especially helpful in that it focuses on common, significant clinical conditions.
Patients who carefully read The WellAdult can, in theory, better utilize their time as well as that of their physician by presenting symptoms more clearly; having increased understanding of medical management; asking relevant questions about therapy; and better appreciating their role in making care effective. After such praise, can there be any drawbacks for the first-time reader?
First, one must overlook the publisher's hyperbolic claims on the back cover: "The Well Adult is the most comprehensive and accessible book ever