Book Reviews

Defeating Dementia

As of today (May 9, 2018), if you Google How to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease, you’ll be given About 25,400,000 results. That means there are A LOT of people talking about Alzheimer’s (and Dementia) prevention and even more people looking for the information.

From the Inside Cover of Defeating Dementia:

Dementia. It’s one of the most dreaded conditions we face as we age. Many people claim they would rather be diagnosed with cancer than dementia or Alzheimer’s. What many don’t realize is that dementia is not a forgone conclusion as we get older. Our own lifestyle choices and habits can have a significant impact–for good or ill–on our chances of developing the disease. And that means there’s hope.

Drawing from the latest medical research, Dr. Richard Furman helps readers understand dementia and Alzheimer’s and shows them how to make three powerful lifestyle changes that can help decrease the probability of developing this disease. He explains how eating the right foods, exercising, and sustaining an ideal weight can dramatically reduce the likelihood of developing dementia in the first place, and even how it can slow the progression of the disease in someone who has already received a diagnosis.

When you’re talking about one of the most unkind and relentless diseases of our time, “hope” is a beautiful word, indeed.

When reviewing a book on the self help blog (or any other blog, for that matter), I think it’s always important to give a little information about the author. After all, if we’re going to invest in reading what they say… we should know why we should! Richard Furman, MD, FACS spent more than 30 years as a vascular surgeon. He is the past president of the North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, Past president of the North Carolina Surgical Society, and two-term governor of the American College of Surgeons. He co-founded the World Medical Mission (the medical arm of the wonderful “Samaritan’s Purse“) and is a member of the board of Samaritan’s Purse. He is also the author of Prescription for Life and Your Cholesterol Matters.

About Samaritan’s Purse:  Samaritan’s Purse is a non-denominational evangelical Christian International Relief organization. The author’s proceeds from Defeating Dementia will be donated to Samaritan’s Purse for World Medical Mission to assist doctors serving at mission hospitals abroad.

Defeating Dementia gives a clear and concise overview of Dementia (including Alzheimer’s Disease) – broken down in terms we can all understand… and, as you’ll see when you read the book.. understanding the disease is pivotal in preventing the disease.  There are, in fact, quite a few things we can do to tilt the odds in our favor – That is where hope comes in.

There are four distinct parts of Defeating Dementia.

1. Understanding Dementia, The Stages of Alzheimer’s, & The Brain, Imagery, and Testing
2. The Aging Process and the Health of Your Arteries
3. The Risk Factors for Developing Alzheimer’s Disease (such as high cholesterol, being overweight, having high blood pressure….)
4. Lifestyle Choices for Defeating Dementia (covers diet, physical activity, and other areas you probably haven’t even considered)

Each of the four sections are packed with valuable information and advice which is, again, presented in a very clear and concise manner. The book is very enjoyable and “reads” very fast – in fact, you should make yourself slow down every now and again to make sure you don’t miss anything. Mental fitness is one of my biggest passions in life, so I actually took notes along the way.

From the Back Cover:

In the fight against dementia, the most powerful player is you.

“While many books have been written about individuals with Alzheimer’s, none has so seamlessly connected the disease biology, the patient experience, and the preventative science as Dr. Furman does so skillfully. Dr. Furman’s work will serve as the definitive guide on preventative measures to decrease one’s chances of developing Alzheimer’s dementia.”–Senator Bill Frist, nationally recognized heart and lung transplant surgeon, former US Senate majority leader, and chairman of the executive council of Cressey and Company, from the foreword

“I had always thought that there was little one could do to prevent or slow the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. However, in this amazing book, Defeating Dementia, Dr. Richard Furman explains in an easy to understand and detailed way that there are actually things you can be doing right now to decrease your odds of developing Alzheimer’s dementia. This book can change the way you live. It can give you a new hope and practical steps to deal with–and even help prevent–Alzheimer’s.”–Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and founder of Samaritan’s Purse, from the foreword

“Dr. Furman has created a unique book for the public–one that synthesizes decades of research on the prevention and early treatment of dementia into understandable chunks and practical advice. Pairing the science with personal story provides immediacy, underscoring that this advice is not just a good idea, it’s crucial and matters now.”–Dr. Richard Ackermann, director, Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship, Mercer University School of Medicine

Defeating Dementia is available on Amazon and I highly, highly recommend you click through and take a closer look.