Early Review: The Rough Guide to Men's Health

I've recently found myself embracing a long-awaited resurgence in reading, so I've taken advantage and given myself an opportunity to knock down more of my LibraryThing Early Reviewer responsibilities, delinquent though they may be.

This review is quite a change of pace, as it is not at all a novel but more of a nonfiction reference guide: The Rough Guide to Men's Health, written by Lloyd Bradley in conjunction with a number of experts and originally published in December of 2008. Despite it not being a novel, my testicularly blessed readers may have particular interest in this text, and so I present my review for your perusal.

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There's only so much a person can expect from a reference book on men's health--particularly when that person is horribly unused to reading any nonfiction at all. Despite this, I was excited to receive The Rough Guide to Men's Health, expecting that, as a man whose health could use some improvement, I would be able to glean some ideas from it. In the end, it proves to be a useful, well-written, easy-to-read manual that's lacking in certain areas, but is nevertheless a great start for any man trying to look and feel better.

The Guide is divided into three parts, with the first part, "Wherever, Whenever," being the one that makes up the bulk of the book. This section features lengthy chapters focusing on specific aspects of male health--from physical fitness to digestion, the workings of the brain to working it in the bedroom. The second part, "Fit for Life," is much shorter and more focused on what to expect as one ages, and how one can maintain the best health possible over time. The final part is a reference suggestion, chock full of Web sites and suggested readings, as well as a handy self-diagnosis section and an A-Z list of ailments men can expect to deal with in life.

While the book's structure and wide range of topics make it feel as if it wants to be comprehensive, it's worth noting right off the bat that it is far from an exhaustive guide. Men expecting to find each chapter providing a specific outline of what to do to reach their maximal health will be disappointed, as the book is less interested in explaining precisely what to do as it is in giving a clear, straightforward explanation of how each system works. Along the way, of course, Bradley and his team of experts give you suggestions as to how best to feel healthful, but it's usually done by way of showing how our 21st-Century lifestyles are disrupting how our systems ought to run. This is not a fault, per se, but something the how-to reader should be aware of.

The text of this section, and the rest of the book, actually, is incredibly readable. Bradley's tone is relatively jovial but also businesslike: he understands how a man would want to be addressed, and the book speaks very comfortably in that manner. Alongside the main text are a great deal of text boxes, charts, facts, figures, and images, all of which add to the book's value as a resource. Interestingly, however, they take away from the narrative of the book, which is surprisingly engaging and well-presented. There are moments that feel like information overload, particularly since many of the info boxes have a tendency to repeat things (almost verbatim) from the main text--and, in a few cases, from other text boxes in other parts of the book. But all in all, the book never feels like a chore to read, which is a huge plus.

While the first section is incredibly well-written and engaging, the other two leave a bit to be desired, most probably because they are so dreadfully short. "Fit for Life" feels like a bit of an afterthought, as it tries to compress dealing with aging, doctors, and the motivation to keep at a fitness plan all within 35 brief pages. Incorporating these details more into the earlier sections might have been more palatable in terms of structure and effectiveness. The reference section, by contrast, is equally brief but surprisingly comprehensive, and while the self-diagnostic tables are far from the be-all and end-all of identifying one's ills, they are a useful start.

All told, The Rough Guide to Men's Health is full of good information, even if it's not always presented in the ideal or expected manner. (Or, for that matter, well-edited: note well, there are typos galore.) But it is a compulsively readable book that takes a notoriously boring topic and adds fresh life to it. It's the kind of book that makes you want to make the changes it professes about, and that alone makes it worth the price of admission. It may not singlehandedly save your life, but it'll get you on the right path--and, as Bradley astutely points out near the end, sometimes the motivation is the hardest part.