Snoring Books

This is a life altering read about one of the most common and baffling problems. Dr. Josephson's approach to sinus relief is both new and innovative and gives the reader both hope and relief. The answers are so simple when put into use everyday.

After following Dr. Josephson's program and suggestions, my sinus problems improved significantly and I enjoy a new found breath of fresh air! Highly recommended it to my family and friends.

This book is very informative, but a lot of the book deals with how the sinuses work, and how they are subject to irritation. While this is not bad information, it is dealt with too often. I basically wanted this book for relief of my problems, and in that respect, it is quite thorough. However, just skim through the first few chapters to get ideas about correcting your sinus problems.

This book is approachable by a layperson and which covers most of what a sinus sufferer should know before seeking treatment. It provides a good overview of the anatomy, a brief description of surgical evaluation and intervention, and detailed descriptions of medications and recommended lifestyle adjustments

I'm a patient of Dr. Josephson and he strongly encourages patients to read this book so I read it. Before reading my review, I recommend you first read the best review I could find, written by Walt Ballenberger who is founder of PostNasalDrip, "a resource web site for sinusitis sufferers like himself". You can find the review at the following links: [..] Ballenberger's review identified a number of questions which were unanswered in his book. By talking with Josephson in person, I was able to get answers for some of them.

LASER
The book doesn't explain the tradeoffs of laser vs. traditional cutting instruments. Before Josephson, I saw an ENT who recommended laser to lightly cauterize the turbinates in order to reduce their tendency to swell when inflamed (the scarification reduces the membrane's elasticity). Dr Josephson is not a proponent of laser except in certain cases. Although a laser is self-cauterizing and therefore reduces bleeding, it causes heat damage to surrounding tissue (more than the damage caused by a cutting instrument) and instrument setup adds time/cost to the procedure. Only where the decrease in bleeding outweighs these costs is use of a laser justified (e.g. when the patient has many small polyps). I didn't ask him but I'd imagine that the thermal heat injury would likely cause more damage to mucus-producing goblet cells and mucus-transporting cilia cells than cutting tools.

SINUPLASTY
This book doesn't explain the tradeoffs of sinuplasty® vs. traditional cutting instruments. Sinuplasty® is a proprietary tool made by Acclarent which uses a thin balloon similar to an angioplasty balloon to open the sinus passages. As in heart vessels, the balloon is placed into position and inflated, then deflated and removed. According to Acclarent's description, this results in permanent widening of the critical areas leading into the sinuses while leaving the nose lining unharmed rather than destructing this lining as occurs in typical sinus surgery. I would have to imagine that if the pressure applied expands bone than it certainly will crush the membranes and must do some damage to them and the cilia which are so necessary to remove the infection and mucus (mucociliary clearance) which is the whole basis by which the sinuses protect you. When I asked Dr. Josephson about what the pressure does to the membranes he said that he knew of no studies that showed what the effect of the balloons on the membranes and cilia were. It turns out that Dr. Josephson is trained in sinuplasty but relies almost exclusively on FESS (endoscopic cutting instruments, as described in his book). He pointed out that unlike angioplasty, which operates on only soft tissue and requires a stent to hold open the expanded tissue, sinuplasty expands a passageway or sinus by dilating bony openings and pathways--widening one passageway by crushing an adjacent sinus cavity. He speculates that such pressure fractured cells could result in a problem later such as mucocele formation--the procedure was too recently developed and long term studies were not available. In addition, while sinuplasty can open up a closed frontal, maxillary, or sphenoid sinus, it cannot open up the labyrinth of the ethmoid sinus. If the ethmoids are closed, functional FESS may be required in conjunction.

FUNCTIONAL ENDOSCOPIC SINUS SURGERY (FESS)
Josephson doesn't much describe his surgical techniques in this book, which makes it difficult to compare FESS with alternative approaches. Dr Josephson says Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) uses microcutting instruments to remove bony partitions and to widen openings into the frontal, maxillary and sphenoid sinus when necessary. I asked how he expands the passages to closed sinus cavities. He explained that, in my case, he would remove the wall between the passage to a frontal sinus and an adjacent ethmoid sinus cell (rather than crushing the ethmoid cell as in sinuplasty). This would be more controlled than expanding a balloon (as in sinuplasty) and avoid creating a new closed cell which could become a cyst. While FESS changes the connectivity of the cavities, it avoids potentially closing off the adjacent cells. He claims that research shows that mucus transport from the now-opened frontal sinus to the ostiomeatal complex is preserved with this method. This book should include and expand on these descriptions. I also asked in what cases the membranes grow back which seems important when polyps are removed from sinus cells, leaving bare bone walls. He replied that they quickly grow back. This book should include pointers to research validating this claim.

SINUS ANATOMY
This book describes the sinuses as cavities which clean and humidify inhaled air. However, the diagrams show the sinuses as dead-end spaces off the primary airway connected only by tiny passages. Why does air travel through them except a small amt via turbulence? Although I suspect they do indeed clean and humidify inhaled air, it would be helpful to me if the book resolved this seeming contradiction.

CAT SCANS
The book includes a series of diagrams showing an idealized representation of the sinuses and other organs. I found it very difficult to relate my CT scans to these idealized diagrams even though I'm quite good at 3D visualization. It would be helpful if this book included a link to an online series of example CAT scans with annotation explaining what's what, how the structures relate to disease symptoms, and (assuming some patents get post-operative CT scans) what the structures look like after surgery. Josephson told me that he had a CT review in a draft of the book and Penguin Publishers needed to make the book shorter and insisted that he cut it out. Eventually he plans to put it on line.

Overall, an excellent book and highly recommended.

Sinus Relief mow is the most comprehensive book i have read on the subject. It is the first book that links Sinus Problems,Allergies,ASTHMA,SLeep Apnea,and Gerd (gastroesophageal reflux) i suffer from most of these problems and have been treated for years by many different physicians. And no one has made these connections which Dr Jordan S Josephson makes. He is brilliant and i am living what he describes. I am using his book asc a feference and have been following his five step program. I am already seeing a difference. I like the fact that DR Josephson combines the best from traditional and alternative medicine to bring relief for these problems If you suffer from any of these problems this book would be the best investment that you can make. It has many tips that woll help you with your problems. I am going to actually make an appointment to see DR Josephson. I like the wat he thinks. It makes sense.

In the interests of full disclosure, I should reveal that I am a patient of Dr. Josephson's. In fact, he recently performed a FESS procedure on my sinuses.
It needs to be noted that Dr. Josephson practices what he preaches. Before we arrived at the decision to perform the surgery, I followed each of his recommendations, including a long use of antibiotics, smoking cessation, the use of an air purifier and a humidifier, etc., etc. Only after these actions failed to result in a "cure" for my sinus problems did he recommend surgery. True to his word in the book, post-surgery did not require packing and I hope that the procedure will result in long-term improvement. In the meantime, I constantly refer to Dr. Josephson's clear and coherent book to guide my treatment.

This book is a classic in its beautiful graphic presentation. It is just so wonderful for the age appropriate you designated. I can not say enough about how wonderful it is.

This book is from the viewpoint of a child. It is obvious to me that the author/illustrator, William Carman, was able to draw on his own childhood imaginings and on the imaginations of his children to create such a brilliant work. It is inspired, simple, sweet, with exquisite illustrations that just draw the viewer in and takes you on a journey through a child's imagination with a lovely ending. Bravo!

This book was written and illustrated by my professor William Carman. This is a great book for children, but also a great source for illustrators interested in children's books. As a former Graphic Designer, Carman's experience lets him work with type easily and creatively, its not a burden to read, nor does the reader, children or adult, have any trouble following. Full of imagination, and great pictures, this book reflects his creativity and sensitivity towards children. I have seen the work put into the making of this book, from the prelimanaries to the final, lots of work and effort was made to make it the great book it is.

It's a quiet night, until a little boy hears a mysterious noise which requires him to bravely investigate. The possibilities are crossed off during the course of his search in What's That Noise?, a highly recommended, wordless picture book of bravery and discovery.

A little boy, awakened in the middle of the night by a noise he can't quite identify, searches his home for its source. Could it be a neighbor mowing his lawn, or a UFO landing in the yard? Is there a monster in the closet, an octopus in the bathtub, or a bear in his parent's bedroom. Bravely, he decides to find out.....William Carman's minimal, repetitive text sets the stage for his evocative and creative illustrations. The youngster's real world is rendered in soft, nightime tones with the noise as a string of letters, swirling and buzzing around the page. His scary, imagined scenes of disasters with monsters, aliens, machines, and huge animals are given a surreal treatment in ominous black and white. Together word and art help take the fear and mystery out of a dreaded middle-of-the-night noise. With a delightful twist at the end to set everything right, What's That Noise is perfect for preschoolers, and makes a light and humorous bedtime read.

This book is so cute. My husband snores and so everytime I read it to the kids we laugh. Your kids will love it and so will you if you know someone who snores.

Our two boys (5-years old and 4-years old) were scheduled to undergo tonsillectomies. They were scared at the thought of surgery, so we bought this book to explain why it is so important for them to be able to breath at night.

The book is funny, short and very, very silly. Daddy snores like a train, an earthquake and all sorts of other natural disasters, keeping Mommy and the rest of the house awake at night. Finally, Mommy takes Daddy into the doctor's office to fix his snoring. The surprise ending will draw giggles from your kids.

This book helped take the fear out of the surgery for our sons. I recommend it to other parents who are considering the same surgery for their young children.

My 5 year-old loves this book. The illustrations are inventive and vibrant. Even though my son is a new reader, he can already read many of the words in this book because of repetition.

This book provides a comical view of the annoying problem of snoring! My husband snores, and my son loves to read this book!

This is a really nice book. My 2yr old daughter just loves it! A nice book to read to your child or definatley a great beginer reading book.

One of several library books we just had to buy and own. Marsha Diane Arnold's clever rhyming verse is fun to read aloud and gets funnier as more family members awake and join Jack's search. Pratt's illustrations are witty and childlike and have the warm and cozy feel of incandescent lamplight. It even has a plot surprise (or two!) "Roar of a Snore" joins our short list of children's books that get better with each reading. Hint: we read this to our little girls (ages 2 and 3) and they laugh aloud when the family's rhyming names are read to them very quickly!

SUCH a cute story! The rhyme is wonderful...Dr. Seuss-ish, yet it has it's own flair. My boys (4, 3, & 21 months) all sit and listen through the entire story. (A miracle unto itself...) They also repeat many of the phrases in the book and all ROAR right along with their Dad as he reads it aloud! My 4 yr old has started "reading" it to his brothers. We originally checked it out at the library, and have just purchased it so we can have our own copy. That is the only way my children would not throw a fit at having to return the book! :-)

I borrowed this book from the library and my 3 year old daughter and her friend really enjoyed it. SUCH a cute book, the illustrations are good as well. KUDOS to the author I like the book so much I bought it so we could have our own personal copy. Great for any child between 2 1/2 to 6 I think. My 6 year old neiced enjoyed it too, especially when you do the voices with it. :)

My kids and I LOVED this book. The writting and the pictures were so funny! My three year old has begged me to buy this book for her ever since we took it back to the library. It is a new twist on the fairytale style. We will give this book to all our friends!

What an adventure! The vocabulary and subtle remarks make it fun for the adult reader as well. The artwork draws the eye to such elaborate, joyful characters. My grandkids and I have enjoyed many hours of storytime and they all proclaim it the BEST READ in a long time.

This was such a funny book, I love the humor, the names the story line and the Hippity Hops! I just have one question, although I should probally ask Howard Fine the illustrator this question... on the "Pie" page what kind of Pie is the "Tiger and the speed boat" I think I guessed all the other pie types and laughed but that one eluded us. And not really a question but a statement, we're not sure we really believe you Bruce that your wife doesn't snore...

A wonderful resource describing the apnea experience from both the doctor's and patient's viewpoint. A must for anyone who snores!

Albert J. Nock was a libertarian anarchist who entitled his autobiography "The Memoirs of a Superfluous Man" because he acknowledged that he did not fit in the 20th century. Little is known of his private life; he followed a maxim of Epicurus: "Live unknown," but his ideas were legion. He grew up in Michigan, played semi-pro baseball, graduated from college with a class of four, developed a felicitous prose style, and wandered back and forth between America and Europe discussing and writing about ideas for 30 years before retiring to Brussels, one of the last "civilized" refuges available. Nock was a clarifying thinker. He never presented his ideas as being new, hot off the press. It was his forte to give the known a new twist, a slant on things which usually conflicted with the stereotypical thinking of his contemporaries. Nock was also a "radical" thinker, insistent on getting to the root of the matter and not being satisfied with supreficial explanations. His desire in every instance was to find the reason of the thing, to get wisdon, to get understanding. What is remarkable about Nock is that he helped the truth along without encumbering it with himself. "The Art of Snoring" is a collection of dozen essays with titles as varied as: "Utopia in Pennsylvania: The Amish," "Henry George: Unorthodox American," Bret Harte as a Paradist Wtih a Note on Nationalism in Literature," and "Alas, Poor Yorick! An Apology for the Human Race." A veritable treasure chest of of provocation delivered in a warm, spare style which never loses the reader however complex the idea. The title essay is a discursion on the discovery that Tolstoy's portrayal of General Kutusov, the leader of the Russian army at the time of Napoleon's invasion, was correct, even though the study disagreed with most military histories of the conflict. Kutusov's strategy was to ignore the advice of his subordinates and the Tsar, who hungered for distinction and a battle, and to do nothing and let the Russian climate drive Napolean out. As Nock put it: "Even the Tsar had to bottle up his chagrin in the face of the fact that, even if his old general's management had not been exactly stylish, it had nevertheless somehow turned the trick in the cheapest and most effective way." When's the last time you heard a general described as stylish? Nock tells the story of Kutusov and draws the lesson that under certain circumstances, "snoring should be regarded as a fine art and respected accordingly." He concludes by noting that too little snoring is done - quite the opposite. I can recommend without reservation any book Nock wrote. He's largely unknown to readers, but as one of his admirers said: "To him Henry George and Thomas Jefferson were quite as unassailable as Montaigne and Rabelais, and he reserved the right to be their exclusive interpreter. . . .A man who writes like an angel deserves to be loved for that; but Nock was to be even more admired for his ideas which never failed him." He was a man too rare today, a writer willing to defend his prejudices, immoveable, ineradicable, Gargantuan, buttressed on every side with warehouses of learning pigeonhold for immediate and triumphant service. Try him. You'll never look at the world the same way.

My son loves this book. It is one of the three that we read together each night. I have him participate with me now and have him say the sounds that each of the monsters make. He has as much fun doing that as I have reading it to him.

This was a very honest book about snoring and the problems it causes. I snore and I know I snore loud. Girlfriends, family, and roommates have suffered greatly as a result. I liked this book because the author was very honest about his snoring problem and the problems it creates for others. It is a short book and does not take long to read. I also enjoyed how the author fairly evaluated the many "so called" snoring treatments out there. Masks, surgery, nose strips, tennis balls, all "supposed" cures which did not work for the author or most snorers. Sadly the author had no answers to cure snoring and unfortunately that is the reality. However, kudos for the author for openly discussing a problem many of us suffer from but are embarrassed to talk about.

And there is a moral there. In the beginning of this excellent little book with wonderful illustrations by Lee Lorenz, Sylvester Bear and his wife are getting ready to tuck in for the winter. However, sadly for Sylvester his wife falls to sleep first and snores so loudly, he can't get to sleep himself. A week passes, longer, and still she snores. Sylvester can't take it, so he leaves a note, telling her he'll be back in the spring, and he sets off to find a place to lay his head, eventually finding a tree so comfortable that he not only sleeps winter away, but spring as well.

Sylvester's wife panics when he doesn't come home and sets out to find him. When Sylvester returns a season late, she is gone and he sets out to find her. He's almost ready to give up, when he comes across her in a traveling circus. Now it's winter again, and again she falls to sleep first, but this time her snoring is music to his ears. See the moral. I think my three-year-old niece gets it. I do and this cute little book gets five stars from Captain Katie.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne