"Brain, Bones and Body"

By -- Dr. Leigh A. Filipazzo and Ann D. Marino, B.S.W. Illustrated by -- Dan O'Connor

Please see pages xx, Parts #P-707 for information on how to order

You know, I lie awake at night just thinking about it and can't wait to get to work," said a friend of mine recently. "For the last few years I felt burned out. My practice wasn't fun anymore and I really had to push to keep up my enthusiasm. Now I feel very special and have an enthusiasm for what I do."

What he was talking about was a video that was being used to promote his office. The tape was dazzling, filled with computerized special effects with the story of his office integrated into the production. "I feel like a star of my own production. As far as my patients are concerned I'm a celebrity and they can't wait to show it around to their family and friends. Having things personalized like that really impresses my patients with the value of what I do and my ability to do it."

Which brings us to the book, Brains, Bones and Body -- the Chiropractic Connection. A book is, of course, on quite another level of influence, but it is visual and in this case personalized for the doctor's office.

Like so many of us, I have an office that not only treats children but has them waiting for their parents when not being treated themselves. In other words, they are exposed to chiropractic either as patients or those who wait. The result has been a plethora of toys and coloring books to keep them busy. All of the activities are designed to keep them busy and in some way inform them at the same time.

A few weeks ago I received Brains, Bones and Body -- the Chiropractic Connection for review. To my surprise, my name had been inserted all through the text. It came as a surprise, and I deluded myself for a moment that the book had been written especially for the patients of my office. Such is the nature of ego. Then I realized, of course, that the book had been created in such a way that each doctor could have it personalized so that the patients would believe as I first did.

Soon I put it in the reception room just to see what would happen. On the first day, one of the parents sat there and started reading it aloud to her little girl. Just listening to her asking questions as her mother turned the pages made it all worth whatever price you had to pay. As she read through it, I could hear the mother saying, "Dr. Tyler then said" or "They looked up at Dr. Tyler" -- it was impressive.

Now let me say right off that this book is definitely not for every chiropractor. It's certainly not for the technician who treats sore low backs and kinks in the neck. It's not for the practitioner who works strictly on musculoskeletal problems and feels that chiropractic should abrogate its heritage in exchange for medical "tolerance." It is, however, for the doctor who feels that through the somato/visceral reflex we can have a beneficial effect upon the functions of the entire body.

Appropriately, the text begins with a glossary. It gives you the definitions of terms that might confuse a child right up front. This is followed by the story of a little boy and girl who have to write a report on some aspect of health care for their class. They decide to jointly visit "your" office to get the information they need.

Fortunately your office has a super computer that allows you, the doctor of chiropractic, to take the children through a space-age tour of the human body, emphasizing the importance of structure upon its function.

The text is simple and clear with perfectly complemented illustrations. Well bound and printed on superior quality paper, this effort deserves your consideration as a unique and useful educational tool that can be kept in the office or given to special patients to take home.

It's fun and useful and impresses those who see it with you and as what you do. It should be in your office or in a patient's home -- and you don't need a super computer to get the value of a journey through the book -- the book is all the ticket you'll need until the real thing comes along.