The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7296 p516
24 April 2004

An inspired piece of health education material for any model of man

‘Man: 120,000BC to present day, the practical step by step guide to men’s health’, by Ian Banks. Pp 0.8+37. Price £12.99. Yeovil: Haynes Publishing; 2002. ISBN 1 85969 931 7

This book is one of the most inspired pieces of health education material that I have ever read. Written in the style of a Haynes workshop manual, it likens the male body to a car. Chapters cover the major organ systems described as their car equivalents, for example, engine (heart and lungs), fuel and exhaust (digestive and urogenital systems) and suspension and steering (joints). Each chapter explains how the system works, with clear diagrams, and then explains a number of common malfunctions. There is a standard format — symptoms, causes, prevention and complications followed by self-care, treatment, action and further information. The language is clear, simple and direct and each condition is described concisely but in sufficient detail to give useful guidance. In addition to chapters dealing with major organ systems, there are sections on roadside repair (first aid), routine maintenance (staying healthy) and fault-finding. The fault-finding flow charts are excellent and would be useful in many circumstances.

One of the many refreshing features of the book is the number of times that the reader is advised to visit a pharmacy or seek a pharmacist’s advice. Another is the frequent appearance of Dipstick, a cartoon character used to reinforce key points in the text with apposite drawings and pithy captions. Marketing through Halfords, alongside the other Haynes manuals, as well as through major bookstores is another good idea.

This book makes men’s health issues fun without trivialising them. It will be useful to men and it will certainly be useful for pharmacists who talk to male patients. Indeed, it will be useful to anyone involved in the maintenance or repair of any model (of man). Reports have shown that health services are often perceived as being geared to the interests of women and children, effectively excluding adult men. This book goes a long way towards redressing the balance.


Christine Clark

Christine Clark is a medical writer and consultant pharmacist from Lancashire. She is the author of our continuing professional development series on men’s health, which begins this week (see p511)