Irritable bowel syndrome and the mind-body-spirit connection Seven steps for living a healthy life with a functional bowel disorder, Crohn's disease or colitis

With the help of medical doctor Neimark, Salt has updated and improved his excellent book on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) (LJ 10/15/97). This second edition preserves Salt's clear writing and lively illustrations while completely revising the format. Instead of eight steps on learning to live with IBS, now there are seven steps, which put greater emphasis on choices and action. A nice addition is a chapter on journaling as a mind/spirit health tool, and helpful symbols scattered throughout indicate that more detailed information on a subject is available on the publisher's web site. This book is essential, even for libraries that own the first edition. The Sensitive Gut also deals with irritable bowel syndrome, but it includes other functional gastrointestinal disorders as well: heartburn, dyspepsia, excessive gas, and constipation. It carries the powerful creditability of Harvard Medical School, but its textbook-like format may scare off many potential readers. This is unfortunate, as the language is very clear and easy to understand. The book's conversational tone makes the explanation of the digestive system's mechanics one of the most entertaining yet concrete descriptions available. This guide also discusses the mind/gut connection and alternative medicine options, but since it covers a broader scope than Salt's book, there is less depth in most areas. This is a nice addition to larger collections but is not an essential purchase. KellyJo Houtz Griffin, Eatonville, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.