| short takes
 Net worth of good health
 by Randeep Wadehra
 Women's Health on the
        InternetPages: 153. Rs. 140. & Men's Health on the Internet. Pages: 117. Rs.
        110. Both edited by Sandra Wood & Janet Coggan, & published by
        Unistar, Chandigarh.
 
 
  Today,
        not only are we becoming more health-conscious but also have come to
        realise the value of healthcare; we want to know our rights as consumers
        of medical services too. Thanks to information technology, some of the
        most esoteric subjects have been demystified. In the case of medicare,
        one can have information on almost any topic under the sun just by a
        mouse-click. If you're worried about the authenticity of the downloaded
        data you can always crosscheck with other official websites of medical
        institutions around the globe that'd readily validate a given piece of
        information. This development's of vital importance to women in India,
        who've to often rely on outdated 'ancient wisdom' handed down by wizened
        dayees. For far too long has the health of Indian women been neglected.
        Only recently is it being realized how essential it's for women to be
        healthy, as not only are they a vital human resource by themselves but
        also the nurturers of coming generations. Only a healthy mother can
        beget a healthy baby - the future of any society.
 Man's health is of equal
        importance. Economic, social and related activities can be performed
        with efficiency by a person with a healthy mind and body. The authors
        argue that men are less likely than women to seek healthcare; they say
        that women visit the doctor 150% as often as men do. Well, this may be
        true of the western society, but at least in India women get fewer
        opportunities to visit the doctor than men; often they go to the doctor
        when it's too late. However, let's concede the authors' contention that
        men prefer to delay going for a medical check-up to the maximum possible
        extent, thus making early diagnosis almost impossible. They're
        supposedly more secretive about their illnesses. These twin volumes provide
        essential information on reliable sources and websites dealing with all
        aspects of women's healthcare, and male-specific ailments including
        impotency and infertility.
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