Book Club

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Dr. Maurice Pickard speaks with psychologist Dr. Bernard Golden, an anger management specialist and author of Overcoming Destructive Anger: Strategies That Work. Dr. Golden draws on both compassion-focused therapy―a model for change that encompasses and expands on cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and practices in compassion and self-compassion―and theories of emotional intelligence to offer concrete tools for turning destructive anger into healthy anger. This in turn can have positive health effects on a range of disease states, from cardiovascular disease to diabetes to depression. Bernard Golden, PhD has been a practicing psychologist for almost forty years. He specializes in working with children, teens and adults on anger management issues, utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness techniques and practices in compassion and self-compassion. Dr. Golden is the author of Overcoming Destructive Anger: Strategies That Work (John Hopkins University Press, 201

Host: John J. Russell, MD In recent years, malaria has emerged as a cause celebre for voguish philanthropists. Bill Gates, Bono, and Laura Bush are only a few of the personalities who have lent their names--and opened their pocketbooks--in hopes of stopping the disease. Still, in a time when every emergent disease inspires waves of panic, why aren't we doing more to tame one of our oldest foes? And how does a pathogen that we've known how to prevent for more than a century still infect 500 million people every year, killing nearly one million of them? In The Fever, journalist Sonia Shah sets out to answer those questions, delivering a timely, inquisitive chronicle of the illness and its influence on human lives. Dr. John Russell hosts this fascinating discussion about her book.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Over the past fifty years, more than three hundred infectious diseases have either newly emerged or reemerged, appearing in territories where they’ve never been seen before. Ninety percent of epidemiologists expect that one of them will cause a deadly pandemic sometime in the next two generations. But which one, and how? In Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond, prizewinning journalist Sonia Shah interweaves history, original reportage, and personal narrative to explore the origins of contagions, drawing parallels between cholera, one of history’s most deadly and disruptive pandemic-causing pathogens, and the new diseases that stalk humankind today.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO On this episode of Everyday Family Medicine, host Dr. Jennifer Caudle welcomes Dr. Antonio J. Webb to discuss his book, Overcoming the Odds: From the War on the Streets of Louisiana to the War on Terrorism in Iraq. Dr. Webb is an orthopedic surgeon in residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. He is also a motivational speaker and mentors underprivileged middle and high school students interested in medical careers.

Host: John J. Russell, MD In medical school, Matt McCarthy dreamed of being a different kind of doctor—the sort of mythical, unflappable physician who could reach unreachable patients. But when a new admission to the critical care unit almost died his first night on call, he found himself scrambling. Visions of mastery quickly gave way to hopes of simply surviving hospital life, where confidence was hard to come by and no amount of med school training could dispel the terror of facing actual patients. In his memoir, The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly, Dr. McCarthy offers a window on to hospital life that dispenses with sanctimony and self-seriousness while emphasizing the black-comic paradox of becoming a doctor: How do you learn to save lives in a job where there is no practice?

Host: Thomas C. Wright, Jr., MD Guest: Patricia Sulak, MD Dr. Thomas Wright joins Dr. Patricia Sulak, renowned OB/GYN and author of Should I Fire My Doctor? Eleven Essential Elements to Living Well Aware, to discuss the key principles outlined in her book. Should I Fire My Doctor details the self-induced nature of common health problems today and how patients can take ownership of these issues by applying essential elements of health and happiness, with the potential to dramatically decrease depression, disability and death. Additionally, the potential for this approach to reduce the need for office visits, prescription medications and surgeries has made it a popular read for clinicians as well.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Thought of as the seat of our soul, then as a mysteriously animated object, the heart is still more a mystery than it is understood. Rob Dunn, evolutionary biologist and author of The Man Who Touched His Own Heart, tells the raucous, gory, mesmerizing story of the heart, from the first "explorers" who dug up cadavers and plumbed their hearts' chambers, through the first heart surgeries-which had to be completed in three minutes before death arrived-to heart transplants and the latest medical efforts to prolong our hearts' lives, almost defying nature in the process.

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD A traumatic brain injury is a life-changing event, affecting an individual’s lifestyle, ability to work, relationships―even personality. In The Traumatized Brain: a Family Guide to Understanding Mood, Memory, and Behavior after Brain Injury, co-author and neuropsychiatrist Dr. Sandeep Vaishnavi explains how traumatic brain injury, whether mild, moderate, or severe, affects the brain. He describes how emotional symptoms such as depression, anxiety, mania, and apathy can be treated; how behavioral symptoms such as psychosis, aggression, impulsivity, and sleep disturbances can be addressed; and how cognitive functions like attention, memory, executive functioning, and language can be improved.

Host: John J. Russell, MD No substance on earth is as hotly debated as marijuana. Opponents claim it’s dangerous, addictive, carcinogenic, and a gateway to serious drug abuse. Conversely, fans claim it as a wonder drug, treating cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, glaucoma, arthritis, migraines, PTSD, and insomnia. In Stoned: A Doctor's Case for Medical Marijuana, palliative care physician Dr. David Casarett investigates with researchers, doctors, and patients around the globe how marijuana works—and doesn’t—in the real world. Dr. John Russell hosts a discussion with Dr. Cararett on this fascinating work.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Wealth, or the appearance thereof, is often portrayed in American popular culture not by the allocation of one's assets, but rather the number of assets. As such, the most common mechanism by which healthily employed Americans get into financial trouble is, simply, from owning "too much stuff." Health care professionals, especially those in higher income positions, are particularly susceptible to this problem after experiencing delayed financial gratification for so many years in training. What is the seasoned clinician in financial crisis to do? Dr. John Russell welcomes James Hemphill, Chief Investment Strategist and Managing Director of TGS Financial Advisors, and author of Changing Outcomes: A Financial Recovery Strategy for Peak-Career Physicians. Mr. Hemphill discusses strategies for making significant changes to a troubled financial portfolio, from pushing savings to making assets more functional and productive.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter was an audacious medical innovator who pioneered the use of ether as anesthesia, the sterilization of surgical tools, and a compassion-based vision for helping the severely deformed, which clashed spectacularly with the sentiments of his time in the mid 19th century. Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, author of Dr. Mütter’s Marvels, interweaves an eye-opening portrait of nineteenth-century medicine with the riveting biography of a man once described as the "P. T. Barnum of the surgery room."

Host: John J. Russell, MD Not too long ago, there was no coming back from death. But now, with revolutionary medical advances, death has taken on the appearance at times of just another serious complication. In Shocked, author Dr. David Casarett chronicles his exploration of the cutting edge of resuscitation and reveals just how far science has come. Dr. John Russell hosts.

Host: John J. Russell, MD In the 1940's, popular American President Franklin D. Roosevelt developed a serious illness that went undetected by the media and general public. That illness was severe hypertensive heart disease, and unbeknownst to everyone outside the White House, the medical staff may have been hiding its progression to protect the President's image during his last campaign. Did the secrecy cost him his life prematurely, or were treatments too limited at the time to make a fundamental impact? Furthermore, had it been known by everyone, would the President have been reelected? Joining Dr. John Russell to discuss the fascinating history of a possible White House medical conspiracy of old is Dr. W. Bruce Fye, author of Caring for the Heart: Mayo Clinic and the Rise of Specialization,

Host: John J. Russell, MD Physicians are expected to memorize and maintain an enormous amount of clinical information on a wide variety of topics. But when it comes to financial management, it's this particular population that often comes up the shortest. Perhaps the most at-risk individuals within this community are the young physicians just out of training. For this group, having endured anywhere from 8 to 15 years of low wage training, financial disasters are just a few instant gratification purchases away. Dr. John Russell welcomes James Hemphill, author of PAY YOURSELF FIRST: A Financial Guide for Doctors Entering Practice, Mr. Hemphill is Chief Investment Strategist and Managing Director of TGS Financial Advisors.

Host: John J. Russell, MD In the late 19th century, America’s most popular spectator sport drew thousands of fans, created celebirty athletes, endured scandals for performance-enhancing drugs, and opened doors for immigrants, African Americans, and women. But this sport wasn’t baseball, boxing, or horseracing—it was competitive walking. Dr. John Russell speaks with Matthew Algeo, author of Pedestrianism, about competitive walking’s peculiar appeal and popularity, its rapid demise, and its enduring influence in American spectator sports.

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Up to 24 million Americans of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders: binge eating disorder, anorexia, and bulimia—linked todepression, they have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Yet, only 1 in 10 people with eating disorders receive treatment. Host Dr. Maurice Pickard welcomes author Sarahjoy Marsh to review the steps and stages of recovery from disordered eating patterns including yo-yo dieting, emotional eating, binge eating, compulsive eating, restricting, obsessive food thoughts, and body-centered shame and self-hatred.

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Renowned trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk has spent over three decades working with trauma survivors. In his book, The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. van der Kolk adds to modern understandings of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain’s wiring—specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. He discusses how these areas can be reactivated through innovative treatments including neurofeedback, mindfulness techniques, play, yoga, and other therapies.

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Stress and other negative emotions contribute to about 25 percent of heart attacks. But recent cutting-edge research shows that positive emotions can cause a chemical change in your body that directly improves your overall cardiovascular health. Dr. Maurice Pickard welcomes Dr. Michael Miller to discuss his book, Heal Your Heart: The Positive Emotions Prescription to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. Dr. Miller is a Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Mediicne and is the Director of the Center of Preventive Cardiology.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Dr. Bruce Fye's unique book, Caring for the Heart: Mayo Clinic and the Rise of Specialization, weaves together three important themes. It describes major developments in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in the twentieth century, explains how the Mayo Clinic evolved from a family practice in Minnesota into one of the world's leading medical centers, and reveals how the invention of new technologies and procedures promoted specialization among physicians and surgeons. Join Dr. John Russell in overviewing with Dr. Fye this pivotal epoch in American medical history.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Internationally respected neurologist Frances E. Jensen, M.D. speaks with host John Russell, MD about her book, The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide To Raising Adolescents And Young Adults. This insightful book offers new findings and dispells myths and also provides practical advice for parents and teenagers.