Media Reviews

Consuming Health –The Commodification of Health Careedited by Saras Henderson andAlan Petersen.Routledge, London, 2002, 208 pages,£18Æ87, ISBN 0 415 25949 5.

Whilst predictable areas of treatmentsuch as cosmetic surgery are explored,the authors also draw on examplesfrom mental health, substance misuse,sexually transmitted infection, chronicheart failure and mainstream hospital-based care. The book also examines theinfluence of the media, particularly thegrowing influence of lifestyle magazineson the public’s perceptions of healthcare. The focus of this new publicationis the concept of health care as aconsumer item. Drawing on sourcesfrom as far afield as Australia, Canadaand Finland as well as across the UK,the book considers the implications ofhow the changing focus from patient toconsumer has affected commissioningand provision of health services. Twomain themes are explored, the contextof consumerism theory and associatedpolicies, and its application in societyand the experiences of patients/consum-ers.

The editors have done an excellentjob of drawing together the contribu-tions of 19 authors into a concise andvery readable format. An appropriatebalance has also been struck betweenthe philosophical concepts and the prac-tical applications of these concepts. Thecomparisons from both the health careand treatment systems provide a helpfulstructure to explore impact of consu-merism. Whilst readers may not agreewith the views expressed, the insightsgiven will give them an opportunity toreflect on their own field of practice, andnational health care system. Overall thisis a well-researched and thought-provo-king publication that should be ofinterest to a wide range of nurses.

Roderick P.M. ThomsonSouth Sefton Primary Care Trust, UK

Control and the Psychology of Health:Theory, Measurement and Applicationsby Jan Walker.Open University Press, Milton Keynes,2001, 272 pages, £17Æ99, ISBN0 335 20264 0.

The concept of control can be consid-ered to be important in our everydaylives. The perception of control byourselves, by others, by internal andexternal events may shape the way webehave, think and feel about issues inour lives. The concept of control hasalso been the subject of investigation inthe psychology of health over the pastcentury. References to ‘control’ arenumerous in health care with specificlinks to stress, coping and adaptation.The term ‘control’ has been variouslydefined but in general relates to theachievement of a desired outcome orgoal for instance the survival of theindividual or species or the protectionof one’s health and well-being. Thisbook provides a comprehensive over-view of the literature concerning con-trol and the psychology of health. Theauthor traces the origin and theoreticalbasis of key concepts of control, issuesof measurement and practical applica-tions. This book was written by ahealth psychologist with a backgroundin nursing providing not only the the-ory but examples drawn from practicalexperience.

The book is well written and dividedinto eight chapters. The first chapterprovides a summary of the key conceptsof control used in the literature and theterms used in the book. Chapters 2–7describe the key theories, including:perceived control, locus of control, selfefficacy, learned helplessness, social sup-port and emotional states. The finalchapter presents a unifying theory ofcontrol as a single theoretical frame-work. This book will be of value tostudents and those working in healthcare settings. It provides a clear andin-depth assessment of the issues of

control related to health, its measure-ment and an intriguing unification of thetheories presented.

Janine BestallUniversity of Sheffield, UK

Coping: A Practical Guide for Peoplewith Life-Challenging Diseases andtheir Caregiversby Rubin Batino.Crown House Publishing, Carmarthen,2001, 182 pages, £14Æ99, ISBN 1 89983668 3.

This book is a practice-based guide forall who have to live with life-threaten-ing diseases and for those who care forthem. It covers a wide range of topics,such as nutrition, meditation and sup-portive group therapies, and offers avariety of ‘alternative’ strategies, someof which are research-based, for alle-viating the symptoms of serious illnessand reducing the isolation which suchillnesses often impose. Most import-antly it argues for an holisticapproach: psychological, spiritual andemotional dimensions have a majorpart to play in medical and nursingmanagement and this fact is oftenunacknowledged.

Battino also suggests that the patientor client takes a more active role in thedecisions that affect his or her ownwell-being; you do have the right to askquestions, complain, say no, and clini-cians need to recognize this. This is, onthe whole, a compassionate and usefulbook which many nurses, particularlythose involved in palliative care, wouldbenefit from reading. There is a culturalproblem though. On a factual level thecontact numbers and addresses are allAmerican, and a British appendixwould have been useful. Nonetheless,this is a valuable contribution to adifficult field.

Brendan McMahonSouth Derbyshire Mental Health Trust,UK

604 � 2002 Blackwell Science Ltd

Handbook for Mortalsby Joanne Lynn, Joan Harold andRosalynn Carter.Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2002,258 pages, £9Æ35, ISBN 0 195 14601 8.

The Handbook for Mortals proved to bean interesting read. This small text,written in simple language, is mostdesirable for everyday people. It is agood resource for those who are facedwith chronic illness. However, when Ifirst received the book, I thought it wasjust another doom and gloom text. I

wasn’t duly impressed. Beware; firstimpressions don’t count here! This bookdeals with topics such as finding mean-ing in illness, enduring physical andmental changes, communicating withfamily and health care professionals,and managing illness side-effects. Onechapter deals entirely with coping withnear death events. I especially enjoyedthe poems and stories interspersedthroughout the text. Variety did en-hance the quality of this handbook.

Therefore, I highly recommend thisbook to anyone who is chronically ill or

who works with chronically ill patients.It is a useful text for patients and familymembers. Health care professionals inhospitals and clinics should provide thistext as an educational tool. As this textanswers questions about health problemssuch as nausea/vomiting to depression/anxiety, it should be shared early in theillness trajectory. By sharing this helpfulguide, you may improve the quality oflife for the chronically ill patient.

Judy A. CrinerUniversity of Texas, USA

Media Reviews

� 2002 Blackwell Science Ltd, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 40(5), 604–605 605