Veterinarians serve on the front lines working to prevent animal suffering and abuse. For centuries, their compassion and expertise have improved the quality of life and death for animals in their care. However, modern interest in animal rights has led more and more people to ask questions about the ethical considerations that lie behind common veterinary practices. This Common Threads volume, drawn from articles originally published in the Journal of Animal Ethics (JAE), offers v...

We have freedom of speech but we’re afraid to speak. Our lives have become subjected to PC tyranny-a constant fear of offending” someone. We think that we are independent and that it is the other guy who is influenced, brainwashed, duped, persuaded. We feel like we think for ourselves. How can we feel” otherwise? There’s no way to know because countless influences and interactions have molded us.We’re members of various groups-circles of friends, family, professi...

Healing Hormones tackles a huge, attention-getting subject. TV and radio shows, websites telling people to take it easy, slow down, de-stress to feel better, live longer, be a better parent and more loving mate. But how? The prescriptions are disappointing: Yoga? Time-consuming and difficult for many. Prescription drugs? Costly, subject to abuse and may not be helpful. Naturopathic remedies? Unproven, untested and often ineffective.Healing Hormones

Severe, chronic pain affects at least 116 million Americans every year. But there are fewer than 4,000 pain specialists in the United States, and many insurers won’t cover physical therapy. But powerful pain medicines?They will certainly cover those. Prescriptions for powerful pain killers doubled between 1994 and 2008 - and abuse skyrocketed as well. The grim headlines are all too familiar. Celebrities such as Whitney Houston die of overdoses. Teens mix legitimate...

We have freedom of speech but we’re afraid to speak. Our lives have become subjected to PC tyranny-a constant fear of offending” someone. We think that we are independent and that it is the other guy who is influenced, brainwashed, duped, persuaded. We feel like we think for ourselves. How can we feel” otherwise? There’s no way to know because countless influences and interactions have molded us.We’re members of various groups-circles of friends, family, professi...

Most cholesterol doesn’t come from foods - it's made by the body itself! Statins work by interfering with the body’s ability to manufacture cholesterol. Statins: Miracle or Mistake? explains both the pro and con sides of this incredible drug, using interviews with statin researchers and prescribers and presenting the findings in clear, jargon-free language.Learn how to watch for warning signs if you are using statins. Discover how statins are a huge busine...

Doctors think they heal with drugs. But only living cells can heal. When something is out of balance, your cells move to correct it because bodies want to be well. HEAL YOURSELF! HOW TO HARNESS PLACEBO POWER shows how to tap into this mysterious process to get well and stay well by harnessing your body's natural healing power-the power of placebo.These amazing effects are not just "in the mind." They can be observed and measured in the body's physiology. When patients believe in th...