Tuesday Giveaway: The Checklist

UPDATE: We have a winner! Mike, author of Something About Parenting has one a copy of The Checklist. If you haven't seen Mike's blog yet, you need to. Now. It's great! Mike, please send me your address, and I'll get the book right out to you.

If you read mom blogs at all -- and obviously you do, because here you are -- then you've probably seen ads for today's giveaway book, The Checklist, by Manny Alvarez, M.D., a.k.a., Dr. Manny. You may also know the author from FoxNews, where he is managing editor of health news. He also runs a Web site, AskDrManny.com.

As part of their ad campaign for The Checklist, the publisher offered me a "gift" copy of this book. I asked if I could have two, one to review and one to give away, and I'm glad I did.

The first thing I noticed when I received the books was the endorsement/introduction by doctors Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, others of YOU, The Owners Manual. The pair has made several appearances on Oprah over the years, and recently had their own special on the Discovery Channel. I love them. They are my health gurus du jour, so an endorsement from them goes a long way with me.

The Checklist is presented in eight chapters, one for each decade of life, with a preface for pregnant women and a pep talk at the end entitled "Living Long." My Mom, age 72, was a bit taken aback when she looked up her decade and found "The Eighth Decade and Beyond: Ages 70 to 100." How's that for an age bracket?

Each chapter ends with a "Test Checklist," and the appendix has a "Master Checklist of Tests and Vaccinations," that explains why you need it, when and how often, what to expect and what the results mean. Throughout the book, there are useful charts and sidebars, such as myths and facts about teen depression, how to help someone with mental illness, how to choose a plastic surgeon, and the best cities for seniors to live in.

The structure makes the book an easy reference for all members of the family. Everything is in laymen's terms; a 12 year old could easily read the chapter on his age and understand the information presented. While the book touches on all of the common health issues for each decade, complete with symptoms, prevention and treatment, it presents just the necessary basics. This result in a book that is both comprehensive and succinct, a useful resource for all ages but not an overwhelming tome.

The Checklist is a useful health reference for anyone's bookshelf, as it has key information for all age groups. Moms, especially, will find it helpful, since we tend to look out for the health of family members of all ages. Teens can even use it nag their parents to start exercising. Something for everyone!

Would you like to win a hardcover copy of The Checklist? Just leave a comment here between now and Thursday at midnight, EST. I'll pick a winner at random and update this post Friday morning. Good luck!