Health Care Books that Restore Mind and Body

Tish Green knows first-hand how important health care information can be to patients and their family members. As medical librarian at Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa, she helps people find the latest research on physical and mental health and disease. “The medical library is really two libraries: One is geared toward physicians, nurses and health professionals; the other is for the consumer who’s interested in a variety of topics, including specific diseases, medical conditions and learning disabilities.” Green says the hospital serves Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Lake Counties.
    “Like many hospitals, Queen of the Valley recognizes that patients and their families want information about the health issues they face. Our visitors come in person or contact us by phone because of their conditions. They can also access the library via the hospital’s website (thequeen.org).  Sometimes family members do lots of research on treatments and the latest developments in certain areas of health. They want to be fully informed and we help them do that. We have more in-depth information on health issues than a public library because our library has a narrower focus. We even have information on alternative approaches to health care.”
    Green says she loves doing the research necessary to help people learn more about their health issues. “Whether it’s information on wellness, a learning disability or end-of-life decision-making, I can usually help them find useful material.” For her book recommendations, Green didn’t want to get disease-specific, so she focused on more general interest books. “I chose one that’s a memoir, one that is more philosophical about dealing with life issues, and an enneagram that looks at personality types.” Here are her recommendations:

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Green says one of her favorite books is My Grandfather’s Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging (Riverhead Trade, $15) by Rachel Naomi Remen. “The author is a Bay Area physician and a professor at UCSF School of Medicine. Remen’s grandfather died when she was seven years old, but he had a marvelous impact on her life. He taught her what a true blessing is. This book is an affirmation of who you are and what you are about. Remen recounts stories of her patients who have experienced cancer and many of life’s traumas. This book is about being faithful, and there’s wisdom in every chapter. The author tells us that if you look at life with gratitude—even with its challenges—you’ll find the unknown blessing that’s in everything. You can read a chapter at a time and go back and read it again and again.” This collection of often-tearful vignettes explores the value of our contributions to life and life’s contributions to us, proving to be both mystical and insightful.

She touts Thanks for the Mammogram! Fighting Cancer with Faith, Hope, and a Healthy Dose of Laughter (Revell, $10.99) by Laura Jensen Walker as the perfect book to give to someone recently diagnosed with cancer because it isn’t preachy or scary. “This book provides nuggets of wisdom to hang for the right attitude. We’ve all been touched in some way by breast cancer. Life can become your disease instead of the disease being part of your life. Walker is a Sacramento author who has gone through it all: cancer, mastectomy, high-dose chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery. She writes about coming out of it all ‘gratefully lopsided.’ She reminds you that you have a life and breast cancer is not who you are. It’s just a small part of your life. Walker shows how hopeful, positive people grab every element of healing—even humor. You have to be truly involved in your healing and that makes the difference.” This book validates the healing power of laughter and optimism when facing fear and pain, while emphasizing the importance of mammograms, early detection, and treatment.

Green recommends The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People (HarperSanFrancisco, $18) by Renee Baron and Elizabeth Wagele because the book can help you understand your own personality and how you relate to others. “Some of our staff go into a leadership program called Mission and Mentoring and they use this book. It’s very clever because each chapter describes a personality type, complete with sections on how to get along with each, what relationships are like for each type, what’s good about each, what’s hard about it, and what that personality is like as a child and as a parent. It’s very practical in terms of understanding your own self-esteem and relationships.” Enneagrams are a revealing method of understanding personality types, and this book covers nine types: Perfectionist, Helper, Achiever, Romantic, Observer, Questioner, Adventurer, Asserter, and Peacemaker. Whether you want to understand more about personality types in general or if you’re looking for a way to jump-start your own self-awareness, here’s a book that’s full of insight and advice for self-development.

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