Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

The Complete Directory for People with Chronic Illness, 9^th edition. 856p. Millerton, NY: Grey House Publishing, 2009. 978-1-59237-415-1; 96-640803. $165.

For most families, the realization that a loved one suffers from a chronic illness is a shock. The first notice may be stroke or a heart attack. Others learn at a doctor’s visit that they, their child or spouse faces a life-changing surgery or a lifetime of treatment for an incurable condition. That treatment may stretch their emotions, family and economic means to their limits. This directory is designed to help those families in their hour of need. The intention is to assist by leading users to readily available sources of information and support for 89 specific chronic illnesses. The guide consists of three parts. The introduction encourages users to take their time to seek support, gather information, consult with doctors and make informed decisions on their treatment options. The bulk of the directory arranges 10,855 resources by disease or condition. Each entry defines the illness and then lists relevant national and state agencies or associations, research centers, special libraries, support groups, hotlines, books, pamphlets, magazines, newsletters, videos and websites. Some entries specifically list materials for children. Every condition is not necessarily life-threatening. Thus, the coverage includes AIDS, Alzheimer’s, bulimia, diabetes, Down syndrome, heart disease, Hepatitis, incontinence, infertility, muscular dystrophy, Scoliosis, tuberculosis and war syndromes. The condition-specific entries are complemented by a list of general resources, including wish foundations and organizations for dealing with death and bereavement. The indexes list resources by name and organizations by state. Owners of the 2007 edition will not find the directory substantially changed since the number of entries has only grown by 173 resources, or less than 2 percent. However, most public and health science libraries will want an up-to-date edition to best serve their patrons.