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Dr. G's is an amazing person, read this book and learn

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Dr. Jan Garavglia, M.D. is a forensic pathologist, Chief Medical Examiner for District Nine, Florida and tv show star as well showing us the "inner working" of what she does and of course she solves the mysteries of "her patients" for lack of a better word and doing so brings peace to the families and knowledge to people interested enough to tune in to what she is generously sharing with us. She profoundly cares about helping people and does so far more effectively through the unconventionally route she has chosen!

Her beauty is her a dynamic and powerful positivity which you get a feel for immediately as she begins the book thanking each and every person she has autopsied because they allowed her the privilege to learn. I love her "acknowledgements" including to her husband.


She is not a coroner but she explains the origin of the word and system dating back to the 12th Century A.D., England where sheriffs main job was collecting taxes for just about everything (here in NYC there are plenty of scandals & don't even mention the word taxes-someone could have a heart attack) but the sheriffs where stealing all the money and the king figured it out and created the coroner position to keep track of the money and I will give you a big hint dieing even than was expensive!!!! I am fascinated with corruption and I do think living and even dieing in New York is expensive so you can imagine what is running thru my mind as I read this section. Dr. G is fearless and she touches on so many topics from self help, safety tips, health tips and the importance of positive thinking. She mentions the HPV vaccine and while I am pro fighting cancer, I am against this vaccine which was heavily advertised targeting teen age girls and I am guessing there might be some big lawsuits coming so it appears the company hawking this vaccine has stopped the hard core advertising at least for now. My gut feeling is do not get this vaccine. Some of the reading is not easy for me because of the topic but the advice and insights Dr. G shares are worth it.

It is a great book and she includes many empowering tips on including the advice "don't go it alone" and she encourages you to be happy. She has also included a list of resources and websites.



I don't want to be autopsied but if I have to be I would want her to do it. She has such an amazing positive respectful attitude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well worth reading

Customer Rating:
I picked this book up while waiting for friends to finish shoppong and got hooked. There is information in the book which I had not known. I am a probation officer and now have some of my clients reading this. Good information for everyone.

Disappointing

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As an avid mystery fan, I was intrigued by the book's title. Like most people, I expect forensic medical examiners to perform autopsies when crimes are suspected. So I expected some juicy stories.

I realize the book is nonfiction but I felt the title was designed to reach crime buffs and evoke association with Patricia Cornwell.
To be sure, Garavaglia offers lively and entertaining stories. But a lot of her advice can be found elsewhere. Stay thin. Wear seat belts and motorcycle helmets. And so on. Nothing wrong with this advice but not what I'd expect based on the promises of the front cover.

Page 18: "How not to die from latrophobia or odontophobia." Garavaglia suggests we fear doctors because we don't want to discover we have a serious problem or "maybe you don't think your symptoms are important."

But there are good reasons to be afraid of doctors! I've read that more people are killed by preventable medical errors than car accidents. Garavalia herself presents some reasons people die from medical errors.
I've known people who won't go to doctors because they expect to be treated rudely or ignored altogether.

On page 239 the author presents a list of places where we can "shake the blues." These suggestions are disturbing because depression can be serious -- much more than "the blues," as she well knows -- and getting the right kind of help can be challenging in a managed care society. Each place on the list caters to a different population and problem set, so the ordinary person actually has few options.

Surprisingly, the author says nothing about domestic violence or other kinds of death by crime. I'd think she'd pick up some good prevention tips, or perhaps debunk some myths, after hanging out with law enforcement folks.

Bottom Line: This book doesn't live up to the promise of "teasing secrets from the dead." The whole angle of "from a medical examiner" doesn't get incorporated into the text. The title promises "surprises" so I'd have expected to get some.

"Their bodies store secrets and have stories to tell."

Customer Rating:
Dr. Jan Garavaglia is the host of the Discovery Channel's "Dr. G: Medical Examiner" and the author of "How Not to Die," with valuable "lessons on living, longer, safer, and healthier" lives. Dr. G. is a forensic pathologist who performs autopsies in Orange County, Florida. The knowledge that she gains from investigating how and why someone passed away unexpectedly serves many purposes: It can bring closure to the decedent's family, solve crimes, and settle lawsuits. In addition, Dr. G. hopes that the living will learn from the dead that it pays to follow common sense rules about diet, exercise, mental health, and accident prevention "to avoid an early trip to the morgue."

The author loves her work and it shows. She speaks with relish about the challenge of solving the tricky puzzles that she faces. Dr. G methodically examines each body, takes notes and photographs, makes microscopic slides, and sends fluids out to the toxicology lab. She also factors information from the individual's medical history into the equation. All of this leads to the doctor's findings about cause and manner of death.

Dr. G's chatty writing style, colorful and fascinating case studies, compassionate attitude, and insights into her own life combine to make this an entertaining, educational, and lively book. Aficionados of "CSI" will find Dr. G's stories particularly engrossing, since they are sometimes dramatic, unusual, and at times, gruesome. Fortunately, Dr. G. has a sense of humor that makes even such grim subject matter a bit more palatable.

Much of the author's advice is obvious: Be your own advocate if you are hospitalized, avoid abusing alcohol and other drugs, get regular checkups, do not ignore symptoms of illness, drive defensively (with seat and lap harness securely fastened), and make sure that you eat properly, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. Some of the recommendations that Dr. G. passes on, however, may prove surprising. For instance, an untreated dental infection can cause bacteria to migrate to the bloodstream, resulting in multisystem organ failure, so don't neglect your teeth and gums. The author emphasizes the crucial role of psychological well-being since the mind and body are so closely interrelated. Social connectedness, self-esteem, and a sense of purpose can affect a person's attitude and contribute to his longevity.

"How Not to Die" contains useful and informative charts, a list of resources and Web sites, a bibliography, and a thorough index. As Dr. Garavaglia says in her epilogue: "Life has its challenges at times, and death is inevitable. We just don't have to help it along."

But, then you die anyhow

Customer Rating:
So, maybe you can try to die from something not stupid...I purchased this book thinking it would be chock full of exercise and diet tips. Not being a television watcher, I was not familiar with Dr. G. But, I believe this title is an excellent library purchase for the good doctor's video fans and should have a certain impulse purchase aurora also. Since, I enjoy a good puzzle, the cadaver dissections had a certain vague appeal to me. There were a few dietary and exercise hints to make the book useful otherwise and the epilogue does include a wrapup on the matter and a list of "Resources and websites" is also appended along with a selected bibliography. Worth reading from whichever perspective you are coming from. And, I will try to avoid being struck by lightning...