Ah-Choo!
Jennifer Ackerman
'People usually catch colds unwillingly, but Ackerman caught one deliberately as part of a medical test and part of her research. Now that's dedication. The result is entertaining and informative ... A cold is no fun, but Ackerman has a wry, humorous style and, at least, it's fun to read about.'
Steven Carroll (The Age)'In the hands of gifted science writer Ackerman, the cold is addressed with dry wit while she covers every detail from soup (chicken, of course) to nuts (folk remedies).'
(Booklist (starred review))'An engaging, funny and informative book...while it's hard to see the funny side of a cold while in the throes of one, Ackerman manages to elicit a great many laughs.'
(Taranaki Daily News)From one of America’s most acclaimed science writers comes an entertaining look at the common cold — including the best advice on prevention and reducing symptoms.
Some colds are like mice, timid and annoying; others like dragons, accompanied by fever and deep misery. In Ah-Choo!, Jennifer Ackerman explains what, exactly, a cold is, how it works, and whether it’s really possible to ‘fight one off’. Scientists call this the Golden Age of the Common Cold because the average Australian suffers from up to six colds each year, resulting in millions of hours of missed work and school and thousands of doctor visits. They’ve also learned over the past decade much more about what cold viruses are, what they do to the human body, and how symptoms can be addressed.
In this ode to the odious, Ackerman sifts through the chatter about treatments — what works, what doesn’t, and what can’t hurt. She dispels myths, such as susceptibility to colds reflects a weakened immune system. And she tracks current research, including work at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, a world-renowned centre of cold research studies, where the search for a cure continues.
'God Bless You!—and this thoroughly delightful compendium of facts, fiction, and down-to-earth advice about the pesky viruses (200 and counting) that knock you down and drag you out ... Ackerman parses the variety and durability of the cold, its well known miseries, paradoxes, and myriad mysteries with the thoroughness of a scientist, the doggedness of a journalist, and the verve of a thriller writer,'
(Publishers Weekly)'This book is full of the latest research presented .n lively. conversational prose together with recommendations about prevention.'
(Better Homes & Gardens)'Ackerman, who loves to hunt and gather in researching a topic like this, discovered that the common cold served up a tantalizing array of good stories, such as the weird 'cure' endured by Calvin Coolidge (three days in a chlorine chamber). The book is full of interesting facts (you're more likely to catch a cold from a simple handshake than from kissing or getting sneezed on) and busted myths (susceptibility to the cold does not require a weakened immune system)... Her little ode to the odious cold will leave readers with an infectious interest in the planet's most common infection--and also, solid knowledge of how to avoid catching these ubiquitous bugs in the first place.'
(Kirkus Reviews)'Author Jennifer Ackerman attempts to uncover the mysteries behind our snuffling, sneezing and coughing in her entertaining gem of a book Ah-Choo! Hypochrondriacs and germaphobes be warned, what Ackerman finds is not at all pretty. But people looking for gross-your-guests-out cocktail conversation are in the right place.'
(New York Post)'[Ackerman] is a gifted storyteller with the ability to simultaneously inform and entertain her readers.'
(Winnipeg Free Press)'This humorous, practical and well-researched book offers insight into all the ways to avoid catching a cold.'
(Hamptons.com )Jennifer Ackerman
Although Jennifer Ackerman has been writing about health and science for the past 20 years, she still gets the average of two to four colds a year. Her most recent book, Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: a day in the life of your body, explores what goes on in the body over the course of a 24-hour day. The book, a New York Times ‘Editor’s Choice’, was published in ten languages.
Ackerman’s essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic, More, Health, Real Simple, Women’s Health, and many other publications. She has written about subjects ranging from the importance of napping to food safety to dyslexia. Her writing has been collected in several anthologies, including Best American Science Writing (2005).
Ackerman is currently a senior fellow at the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University. She has lectured at Harvard University, MIT, the University of Virginia Medical Center, the American Association of University Women, and for numerous other groups and organisations. Born in 1959, she was educated at Yale University, where she graduated cum laude in 1980 with a BA in English. Ackerman is married to novelist Karl Ackerman and has two daughters.
Website: http://www.jenniferackerman.net/
Buy from Readings
Extent: 256pp
Size: 210mm x 135mm
ISBN (13): 9781921640681
RRP: $29.95
Pub date: October 2010
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