BOOK REVIEW
Synopsis
The book reviewed is named as Contemporary Health Studies: An Introduction authored by Warwick-Booth, Cross, and Lowcock is based on the discussion related to the current topics and major arguments in the field of contemporary health studies. The book is based on the closer look at the experience of modern humans related to their health, in the context of global, social, political, and environmental aspects. The book acts as a key to understand the challenges faced by the researchers in the modern world of health studies. The discussion in the book is not characterized and filled with saturated information and knowledge on health studies as the authors have adopted an open approach in discussion.
Book is divided into three parts in terms of its content and division. First part discusses the basic definitions on the field as well as study the debates related to the modern understanding of health. This part is basically to prepare the reader for the coming discussion. Second part is about reviewing the major fields that come under the umbrella of health studies such as sociology, psychology, and other relevant fields. The third part of the book is related to the discussion on the factors influencing health as well as highlighting the individual’s practices that impact health. Public policy on health and health conditions around the world are also discussed in this part (Warwick-Booth, Cross & Lowcock, 2012).
The debates and discussion are supported by the use of relevant tables, diagrams, and pictures so as to bring meaning to the textual information. The authors have also provided web-link to find our further relevant information that useful to the academia.
The book has elaborate details regarding the key ideas and concepts listed in the beginning of every part, with detailed learning outcomes. The health related discussion about modern health practices makes the book a useful addition to a health studies’ major.
The book makes intelligent use of case studies and debate to instigate questions about the relevant discussion in the minds of the reader. In this manner, the book sets itself apart from the other books written on the similar kind of topics. The book has a great deal of research and rationale involved in its arguments and the book is a reflection of the learning and experience of the authors. In this regard, it is interesting to notice that the authors have been in the field of health education for many years, which makes them authority in discussing contemporary health studies. The book can act as an academic resource for the students with health studies as major in their graduate program.
Another interesting dimension of the book is related to the individual’s experience of health in a modern society while invoking the social and psychological concepts, rather than the scientific discussion. The book acts as a corridor to the study of health conditions in the modern world without relying excessively on complex scientific explanations. In this manner, the book is reader-friendly, while making the point clear upon the readers. The book provides an insight on the issues related to contemporary health and theoretical challenges, all of which is structured and organized in such logical sequence that the reader can easily get with the flow of the ideas.
The book presents the various views and contemporary debates on health topics, so as to study their implication in practical sense, than merely providing the theoretical understanding.
REFERENCES
Warwick-Booth, L., Cross, R., & Lowcock, D. (2012). Contemporary health studies. Cambridge: Polity Press.
