By Claudia Harris, RN, CDE
Sherwood, OR

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Type 2 Diabetes could have easily been titled the Cliff Notes of Type 2 Diabetes or The Beginner's Encyclopedia of Type 2 Diabetes to attract readers who have a little prior knowledge or those who may benefit from a great tune-up about type 2 diabetes. The title only hints at the thoroughness and attractive, easy-to-read style, formatting, and presentation of information. A seasoned certified diabetes educator (CDE) will find this softbound text chock full of more than initial expectations of what an Idiot's Guide would hold. This book will also find an audience in the health care professional office staff nurse, lab assistant, internist, family practice physician, and less experienced CDE, all of whom might find many useful examples of accurate, appealing explanations for often complicated diabetes-related subjects.

The use of humor raises the interest level in individuals with diabetes who may be skeptical of what they hear or read about their diagnosis and management. The authors use humor as an almost audible voice from the page, speaking the bartering comebacks, objections, and common responses by those newly diagnosed with diabetes. The authors use this voice to describe the denial, bargaining, and anger pattern early in the book in the "Coping With Diagnosis" chapter, providing empathetic encouragement to continue reading and putting things into a perspective most readers with diabetes would relate to. Throughout the book, organizational boxes labeled "Bet You Didn't Know" (interesting facts and information that help to dispel common diabetes myths), "Sugar Sense" (practical hints), "Medlingo" (terminology) and "Caution: Warning" (safety hints) are catchy and clever ways to keep the reader interested, address many beginners' questions, and allow readers to take a peek at what the chapter includes.

The book is divided into 3 distinct parts, with chapters organized in a logical fashion, beginning with diabetes basics and building on pathophysiology and management. In addition to the basics, the book also contains feature chapters titled "Coping With Diabetes (diagnosis), "Assembling Your Treatment Team" (including insurance information), "The Three Ss" (stress, sleep, and sickness), "Alternative Approaches" (complementary medicine), "Sex" (erectile dysfunction and even a bit about women), "Baby Makes Two" (pregnancy in type 2 diabetes), "On the Job Issues," "Moving Research Forward" (clinical trial participation), and "A Glimpse Into the Future" (new therapies). Chapter summaries called "The Least You Should Know" address the reality that some readers may want only minimal information. The glossary is worth reading as a diabetes dictionary and is followed by an impressive resource appendix.

Other plusses to this guide include the historical perspectives provided in nearly every chapter: from a discussion regarding the Pima Indians and the work regarding type 2 etiology, to how insurance health maintenance organizations first came to be and what they do, to why stress raises glucose (the Neanderthal response), to a nice insulin history and primer.

There are a couple of misleading statements, such as "To become a CDE a dietitian or any other professional for that matter…" when in fact not all "professionals" can sit for the CDE examination. The authors state that rapid- and short-acting insulin "both have about the same time of duration once injected." In addition, some minor inconsistencies can be found throughout the book, such as the use of the abbreviation for HgbA1c, a few grammatical errors, and the never failing frustration in reading a book fresh off the press that is already dated (Byetta is discussed as only a potential new product, and older meter technology is featured on the front cover). To produce a guide so complete, as fast as diabetes management changes and new products become available, is a major success, and most of these small details can be forgiven by the health care professional or CDE who chooses to recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Type 2 Diabetes to their patients and other people interested in the epidemic of type 2 diabetes. The limitations of the "complete guide" approach are demonstrated in the brief statement regarding "the danger in and of itself" of hyperinsulinemia without any further explanation. Many studies are quoted throughout and lend to the credibility of the book. Citations and a bibliography could be an addition to future editions that would be appreciated by both lay and health care professional users.

The authors Mayer B. Davidson, MD, professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, an editor of Diabetes Care, and past president of the American Diabetes Association, and Debra Gordon, an award-winning health care journalist team up with their expertise and creative talent to produce this book that comes highly recommended from a CDE who will regularly suggest it to young CDE colleagues, health care professionals, and people with diabetes new and old to type 2 diabetes. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Type 2 Diabetes receives a big thumbs up as easy to read, thorough, and full of need-to-know information for a wide audience.