Informed-Consent Books

Dr. Grace Jackson has done the human race a great service. She has produced
an Owners Manual for the human brain.

This book goes far beyond "informed consent".

More precisely, this is a "Shop Manual", of the sort normally reserved for the
"priesthood" of technicians who work in the "under the hood" innerds
of todays highly complex marvels.

Because of the deluge of misinformation and disinformation on the human mind
one is faced with in everyday life; it is vital to get the straight story. Anything less
might produce catastrophic consequences. Dr. Jackson's no nonsense approach demystifies
this much-bedeviled topic.

This is not light reading. While her book is a meticulously documented and precise
treatise written by a professional for professionals; Dr. Jackson provides helpful, brief
explanations of the medical terms involved for the lay reader.

This book should be standard equipment for every human being.

Keep it handy in your "glove compartment".


Vince Boehm, Wilmington, DE

The very best I have read on the subject of psychiatric drugs...Dr. Jackson does not merely describe the effects of the Rx as with most other text on the subject, but actually provides explainations for the effects. It is exceptionally well researched and written and does indeed provide a guide for informed consent. In fact it provides a very sound critque for NOT consenting to psychiatric drugs...Rethinking Psychiatric Drugs should be compulsory reading for all Health Professionals as part of their CME ( continiung medical education). It is written ineasy to understand language without the extreme academic medical jargon incomprehensible to the layman. It is an ideal book for those who have found themeselves having to care for someone who has been labelled as "mentally ill"...and being treated with these mind altering drugs. The book is a revelation that these Rx's do indeed prevent symptomatic recovery...ask any patient in a psychiatric ward.

Dr. Grace Jackson has done an excellent job in engaging and capturing the reader's attention beginning with the Prologue and ending with the epilogue... Rethinking Psychiatric Drugs: A Guide for Informed Consent.... as Emeril would say.... BAM!!! Job well done.

The structure of the book is well organized; the headings are clearly defined with supporting data, statistics, and content. The size of font and spacing are excellent ... I appreciate that the paragraphs are not lengthy and made for easy reading.

The book is a worthy reference manual. literally... each line led me to want to read more. more .. faster and faster.. I did not find myself having to ask, what am I reading? What is this author trying to tell me?

Most of chapters are short (7,8,9-are longer chapters), concise, clearly outlined, digestible, revelant, not awkward or overly complicated, and they flow.

Beginning with chapters 4 to 9 Dr. Jackson provides a variety of scientific studies, visual aids, tables, and comparison studies, which substantiate the content of her book.

I appreciate that Dr. Jackson deciphers and explains the comprehensive data for the non-scientific mind in chapters
4 to 9

As a mental health professional, Rethinking Psychiatric Drugs: A Guide for Informed Consent has now equipped me with some vital information to be a more effective clinician.

A hundred thanks you, Dr. Jackson!!!

Very highly recommended. After obtaining data through the Freedom of Information Act from the FDA, Dr. Irving Kirsch did an analysis of the 6 most widely used antidepressant drugs. It found that on average they only have an 18% effect over and above placebo effects. Given the side effects, expense, and withdrawal syndrome, these kinds of findings should cause everyone to reevaluate reliance on medication treatment. There are similar findings with anxiety medications, and shockingly, the average ritalin follow-up study is only 3 weeks long. However, tne multi-billion dollar drug companies have tremendous influence on psychiatry and the FDA. The public must realize that FDA approval for a drug only requires 2 controlled studies showing a statistical significance over a placebo, and there is no limit on how many other studies have been done that found no positive effect. Although medications can certainly play a role in treatment, this book will inform the public and mental health professionals alike on how over-rated medication treatment is.

This is a brilliant and well referenced book. Dr. Jackson explores the scientific information involving psychiatric medication. Not the usual stuff from the sales oriented psychiatric establishment or from antidrug supplement salespeople. As a psychiatrist, I have read the book three times as the detail and complexity merit repeated readings. This should be a standard text for medical students and psychiatry trainees - psychiatrists should not be recertified for their boards unless they know the information in this splendid book. If you are a patient, looking for information upon which to make an informed decision about a potential drug therapy, 'Rethinking' has what you need. The book describes drugs in general and then goes into detail about specific classes of drugs. Information is both scientifically and technically appropriate for physicians and also readable and informative for the patient. Dr. Jackson has performed a major service to humanity in this book.

This is the best book I have read on the potential for stem cell therapy from the patient's perspective. It is written in the most straightforward manner possible, focused not on polemic but on being helpful. So much so, that the author takes nothing for granted, even the patient's knowledge about the Internet (a few plodding pages on that topic alone) but also on the practicalities of using pluripotential cells. The book is also exceedingly honest: the author recounts his experiences (and transient recovery) during the placebo arm of a trial of stem cells. My one quibble is that after giving us so much detail about the wind up to the transplant, we get very little detail on the author's outcome after the stem cell infusion. Did it last longer than the placebo? How many years out has it been effective? This part of the review may be grossly unfair as I have no idea how sick the author was when he wrote this. Maybe he was in a hurry to get the word out and did not have much follow up time to report on. Despite among the driest writing styles I have experienced in many years, I find the story of this book has stuck with me.

Stem Cells Saved My Life: How to Be Next is the true-life story of author Bernard Van Zyl, who suffered from severe heart disease that could not be brought under control by conventional surgery or therapy. Yet an FDA-approved clinical trial transformed his life - adult stem cells were harvested from his own body, and used to bolster the strength of his heart, transforming him from a dying invalid and giving him a new leash on life. Stem Cells Saved My Life does more than tell his story; it presents what he has learned about stem cell treatments, FDA-approved clinical trials for stem cell therapies that are currently helping thousands of people, and advice for readers who may be in need concerning how to locate and get into such clinical trials. Written in plain terms for readers of all backgrounds, Stem Cells Saved My Life discusses adult, embryonic, fetal, and umbilical cord stem cells, and is enthusiastically recommended for its inspirational message to never give up hope to anyone struggling with a medical problem that can potentially be helped through stem cell treatment.

This book has given me a new perspective on Stem Cell research. Especially as it pertains to real science as opposed to rhetoric. The book presents an interesting case study about a specific kind of treatment, but it also delves into the various research that is going on in the field of Stem Cells. It was informative and well researched.

As a librarian, I am often asked to help patrons find information on health conditions. I have found that these patrons aren't just looking for cold facts, they are also seeking the human side, the human impact of their medical condition. One of the aspects of the book Stem Cells Saved My Life: How to Be Next I enjoyed the most was the balance of these two needs.

I highly recommend this book to libraries large and small, to those with similar conditions, and especially to those whose families are affected.

Mr. van Zyl describes the severe heart condition which resulted in death, resuscitation, and a six way bypass which left him totally disabled. Severe fatigue prevented him from leading a normal useful life. After being turned down as a candidate for a heart transplant the doctors indicated there was no hope for improvement and no further medical treatment was available. Mr. van Zyl would not give up that easily. He researched the internet to find experimental medical clinical trials that could result in improvement in his condition. He found a clinical trial using adult stem cells that are injected directly into the heart. If successful the damaged heart muscle would be repaired and the function of the heart improved. The lengthy study was being conducted in the Boston area and Mr. van Zyl lives in Florida which presented a physical challenge for him to travel each month to receive the treatments. His dedication and determination resulted in a marked improvement to his heart and he now leads a useful and purposeful life. His story is an inspiration to all people with a desperate medical condition for which there appears to be no hope and no further standard medical treatment is available. This book is a "must read" for people in this condition and for all people who want to learn more about the potential of adult stem cell research.

A riveting story from start to finish. A book that was truly impossible to put down. The characters were realistic and vividly drawn. I had complete empathy for the main character, Kieran. The reader is drawn into his story and his reasons for the actions he undertakes. A treat for those who are unfamiliar with Roger Radford's work.

Roger Radford, I have a bone to pick with you... Shame on you, Roger, you have no pity for your readers who are going to become so engrossed in this novel that the world could pass them by. Seriously though, I want to commend you on writing an insightful and thought provoking book. I kept thinking while reading this, "If only we could get the powers that be to read this". Your characters are so vivid and real. I felt like I really knew Kieran and felt deep empathy for him. For those of you who have not read it, you have a treat in store. CONGRATULATIONS, Roger, on a beautiful job.

Roger, I have a bone to pick with you. My morning was shot and it is all your fault. Last night I was reading "Informed Consent" until I could no longer keep my eyes open. When I awoke this morning I grabbed the book off the nightstand and, without even getting coffee to fortify myself, I started reading. I could not stop until I had finished the book. As a consequence, I didn't get a shower or have breakfast until after 12:30pm. Shame on you, Roger, you have no pity for your readers who are going to become so engrossed in this novel that the world could pass them by. Seriously though, I want to commend you on writing an insightful and thought provoking book. I kept thinking while reading this, "If only we could get the powers that be to read this". Your characters are so vivid and real. I felt like I really knew Kieran and felt deep empathy for him. For those of you who have not read it, you have a treat in store. CONGRATULATIONS, Roger, on a beautiful job.

Roger, I have a bone to pick with you. My morning was shot and it is all your fault. Last night I was reading "Informed Consent" until I could no longer keep my eyes open. When I awoke this morning I grabbed the book off the nightstand and, without even getting coffee to fortify myself, I started reading. I could not stop until I had finished the book. As a consequence, I didn't get a shower or have breakfast until after 12:30pm. Shame on you, Roger, you have no pity for your readers who are going to become so engrossed in this novel that the world could pass them by. Seriously though, I want to commend you on writing an insightful and thought provoking book. I kept thinking while reading this, "If only we could get the powers that be to read this". Your characters are so vivid and real. I felt like I really knew Kieran and felt deep empathy for him. For those of you who have not read it, you have a treat in store. CONGRATULATIONS, Roger, on a beautiful job.

We all know that 'mistakes' can happen in hospitals. Roger Radford's Informed Consent is a fictitious story which begins with of one of those possible 'mistakes.' The story is of a woman who suffers devastating consequences following an epidural for 'painless' childbirth. Her husband, a former IRA hit man, plots revenge against those he holds responsible for his wife's suffering. Until the very end the reader is held in suspense wondering if he really means to carry out his threat. Despite Kieran Kelly's violent past, this reader found herself sympathising with his mental torture and almost willing him to succeed in his mission.

The author dramatically writes this story revealing facts about what has been described by many as one of the British Government's best kept secrets. Informed Consent intelligently combines both fact and fiction.It tells of medical and pharmaceutical cover-ups (which, I believe, threaten to stir many guilty consciences), and brings awareness of the little known disease of Arachnoiditis. Roger Radford has deliberately taken the opportunity of exposing the sad reality behind so much unnecessary suffering, and this is very well portrayed through the characters in this story. There is nothing exaggerated in his description. There are sadly many who can relate to this suffering and who will share the pain and anger through every written word.

This is Radford's valuable contribution to society. A book that everyone should read, because this story, based on reality, informs its readers of the truth behind certain dangerous medical procedures. Hundreds of thousands of patients have become victims of toxic injections (with no informed consent) or so-called failed back surgery. In the guise of a thriller, the author has provided the public with important information that is otherwise denied it. It is a book which could prevent a lot more suffering.

There is no-one more qualified to write a novel on this subject than one who has suffered the agony of this little- known disease, and Roger Radford is one of its many victims. He has dedicated his book to the many silent victims of invasive spinal procedures, with acknowledgement to members of COFWA (Circle of Friends with Arachnoiditis) whose courage and fortitude gave him inspiration to write this novel. Informed Consent comes from the heart and deserves to be a bestseller and cries out for a film to be made.

Janet Kraal

Author of Released from the Web.

This book is a real gem. The author not only knows his medicine inside out but is also a brilliant writer. This is a rare combination indeed, and the result is a book that challenges all the received wisdom of the medical profession in a way that both draws the reader in and imparts knowledge effortlessly.

As a society we have come to accept that breast cancer must be treated by surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, or some combination of the three. Rare indeed is the woman who escapes with simple lumpectomy, no lymph node dissection and no adjuvant treatment with radiation or chemotherapy. Yet after reading this book it becomes inescapably apparent that this protocol is founded on nothing but habit and medical vanity; it is certainly not founded on science, and, as the author demonstrates with great clarity, it has done absolutely nothing to extend life expectancy, nor to enhance quality of remaining life. To the contrary: lymph node dissection is disfiguring and potentially disabling, and is not correlated with increased survival time. Neither is chemotherapy, nor radiation. These statements are not mere rhetoric: the author cites medical literature and studies to back every one of these conclusions up, and the result is a book that is as empowering as it is revolutionary. Everyone should read this book, not just those women who are unlucky enough to be dealing with breast cancer. It is an education in its own right, and it begs many questions which the medical profession might rather were left unbegged. The author deserves huge acclaim for having combined an astute knowledge of medicine (he is a malpractice lawyer) with great literary skill. What a treasure - and thank you, Amazon, for bringing this book to my attention: I would never have found it otherwise.

Every woman diagnosed with breast cancer should have access to this book BEFORE making treatment decisions. Clearly written, understandable even to the reader without a scientific background, this well-documented book offers a critique of the standard and routine treatments for early breast cancer. It helps prepare the woman with breast cancer to make truly informed choices about treatment best for her alone rather than accepting the one-size-fits-all treatment program for the "average" patient.
Too often, authority figures lead women to believe that they must accept sometimes seriously debilitating treatments or be accused of being a difficult patient, or perhaps of having a "death wish." This book, with its extraordinary complete set of footnotes, provides sound information with which to respond.
Enough Already was a labor of love and compassion by a Harvard Law graduate whose wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was presented with the routine array of treatment options--lumpectomy vs. mastectomy, axillary dissection, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone replacement. When she asked for references to the medical literature, she was given a copy of Bernie Siegel's Love, Medicine and Miracles--a book of inspirational prose, poetry and crayon drawings that has helped some women cope with breast cancer (and angered others) but which does not even begin to address the safety or efficacy of routinely prescribed treatment. Where could the Goldbergs find the latest findings about these treatments, their chances of success and their side effects?
Not, they soon learned from the books that breast cancer doctors write for the general public, their customer pool. They typically give as much pertinent, impartial information as a glossy brochure from a car dealership assuring prospective buyers that the cars offered are the greatest vehicles every made. Any negative studies showing totally inadequate brakes or horrific repair records are glossed over or ignored. Buyers often must rely on consumer magazines for the truth.

Unfortunately, there are no consumer magazines dedicated to researching and reporting their informed findings to women with breast cancer. Most of the information comes directly from the cancer industry. The surgeon who recommends an axillary dissection will probably never mention, if he discusses it all, that it may permanently impair arm function or even result in the extremely debilitating, incurable condition--lymphedema--gross swelling of the arm. Axillary dissection is routine and is used only for staging the cancer. If women were aware of how damaging this procedure can be, many would likely refuse. After a century of damaging axillary lymph node dissections, the cancer industry is just beginning to make little peeps about the possibility of extracting only one node--the sentinel node. Long, long overdue.
The radiation therapist will never warn in publications written for women with breast cancer that the radiation they receive will be ten times that suffered by victims of the Hiroshima atomic bombing and that it may burn their skin and damage their heart. Nor will the chemotherapist admit, as one did when diagnosed with cancer, that he would never accept chemotherapy himself.
Women may elect to accept any of the treatments described above but they need truly informed consent. Goldberg makes clear in a chapter entitled "Your Tumor or Your Life" that he feels that surgery to remove at least the tumor and enough healthy tissue to assure safe margins is a sound decision. And the other treatments? It all depends. If there is one area where one size does not fit all, it is the treatment of breast cancer.
It is easier for the cancer industry personnel to give all women in certain "stages" the same treatment rather than individual treatment. This practice has continued for decades because women are poorly informed about their options and physicians are somewhat in a bind because of potential malpractice suits. One can never be sued for giving too much treatment, only for omitting some treatment that some specialist is willing to testify should have been given. Thus, many doctors order up whatever is available and conventional. If they have serious doubts, they almost never communicate these doubts to the women receiving the treatment.
For our own protection, then, we must know as much as we can about the choices we will face if we are among the 1 in 9 American women who will someday be diagnosed with breast cancer. The figures really are astonishing.

Every year, millions of women undergo mammograms (another subject for serious exploration). Some 800,000 of these x-rays of the breast will contain areas sufficiently suspicious as to require biopsies. Of these, 180,000+ will be found to be malignant. Each of these women, with information supplied primarily by the cancer industry, will usually be given a week or two to decide what treatments to accept or reject; treatments that will seriously affect the quality of her life and perhaps even its duration.
Can a women with breast cancer do the necessary research in a week or two? Of course not! It took Goldberg, a former trial lawyer and law professor, accustomed to preparing flat-out, around-the-clock briefs, a full year to gather and analyze the vast body of clinical literature available on-line and in the National Library of Medicine in Betheseda, Maryland. Then he added the reality check of reported medical malpractice cases (with citations) in which real women report (under oath) what was done to them by real doctors in the real world.
Like me, Ms. Goldberg chose only surgery and said "No, thank you" to all the rest. It has been three years since her diagnosis and everything is fine. For me, I have had same-side recurrences and additional surgery only (never axilla lymph node excision). I eat no animal products (vegan) exercise regularly and I have enjoyed almost ten years of very high quality life. I am, however, fully aware that micro-metastasis is totally unpredictable (no matter what "treatment" is chosen) and that my future is, therefore, unpredictable.
George Goldberg's book and extensively cited research will help women to discuss the options for treatment or non-treatment with their medical providers in their native tongue--citing the studies. The decisions to be made could seriously affect each woman's entire life. Knowledge can translate into powerful, real participation in the medical decision-making process.

The book was so extremely infused with all elements of pediatric ethics that any pediatrician who does not have it on his shelf or his holiday wish list will be greatly diasdvantaged. Ross's intellect and genuine caring, as pediatrician, philosopher and parent shine through the words of this text. ***A must have for anyone involved with children and the medical decisions present in their lives!***.

This Author reminds the reader to aim for exceding the "standard of care".
Anticipating risk is a part of benevolent care for the client/patient, and a safeguard of liability for the professional.
This is a book to store for easy reference and one I will readily recommend to colleagues.

In Everything You Need To Know About Nursing Homes: The Family's Comprehensive Guide To Either Working With The Institution Or Finding Care Alternatives, journalist, lecturer, teacher, and author Charlotte Digregorio provides a complete, truly definitive, 488-page instruction manual specifically designed for non-specialist general readers who find themselves having to deal with arranging for the care of an invalid elder. Charlotte was made aware of the need for a book like this when her own mother needed institutional care due to having lapsed into a coma. Everything You Need To Know About Nursing Homes is a consumer's guide to dealing with the nursing home bureaucracy, working with the institution to resolve care problems, advocating for an elder's therapies, right-to-life and life support issues, finding alternatives to nursing home placement, caring for a bedridden elder at home and so much more. Special features include a wealth of checklists for basic elder care, house options for the elderly, sample letters to health care personnel regarding care, a summary of effective communication to use with health care personnel. Enhanced with an index, as well as appendices listing organizations and website devoted to care options, a glossary of general halth care and legal terms, nursing abbreviations to aid in reading an elder's medical chart, and a bibliography for further study, Everything You Need To Know About Nursing Homes should be on the shelve of every community library and available to every family member charged with an elder care responsibility.

The story is very fast-paced. I'd suggest you not begin the book until you have adequate time to finish it. Otherwise, you day may be shot or you'll show up severely sleep deprived in the morning.

Without giving up too much of the plot, the story's protagonist, Alex, finds a plum case in his lap: A patent war may be shaping up between competing factions for the holy grail of medicine: A legit AIDS treatment that is essentially a cure! But with this great breakthrough comes potential great profits. And great greed. Alex finds himself literally battling for his life as he tries to save himself and the treatment's rightful owner from disgrace, and even death.

Unlike a lot of legally-centered novels, the medical aspect is accurate, deep, and does not detract from the plot. The writing style is smartly entertaining. Be prepared to show a lot of grins on the airplane as you turn the page briskly, waiting for the next revelation.

I highly recommend the book. It is a rare find in a market all too flooded with offerings that show little substance and poor taste. Feast and enjoy!

Excellent overview of Informed Consent policy and practice within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the largest health care system in America.

Ms. Schiff takes on "truth" of facts. She uses the information developed about homelessness to examine how that information is produced. Examining materials used for homeless shelter intake and through interviews of all active parties (police, social workers, advocates, etc.) she exposes how the producers of information attach their ideological baggage and predetermine the information produced. The reproduction of original source material (intake forms, etc.) forever demolish the idea that "facts" are non-ideological.

The significance of the book addresses issues we face every day. How is information produced in any fiel?. What goes into the informtion produce about unemployment, teenage pregnacy, economic data, and the like?

Throughout her book she also brings to light the plight of people without homes. She demonstrates how they are categorized and dismissed in order to conform to governmental necessity.

The final chapters culminate in a devastating summation of how ideology and ideological institutions (government, social agencies, etc.) are linked in our everyday lives.