Blood Works: An Owner’s Guide subtitled What Every Person Needs to Know Before They are a Patient is a medical non-fiction book from 48 global leaders in blood health, designed to give patients an understanding of what their blood does and how to look after it. Dr. Shannon Farmer, Dr. Irwin Gross, and Dr. Aryeh Shander give insight into how common minor health complaints such as general lethargy can often be a symptom of a blood condition such as anemia. However, the lack of understanding about how blood works can lead to these issues going untreated for years. By providing an accessible field guide for readers to look after their blood health, the book aims to promote good health and a higher quality of life for its readers.

I selected this book for review due to the exciting premise of exploring a key cornerstone of good health. I was quickly blown away by how little I had previously understood about my cardiovascular system and the blood that flows through it. Fortunately Dr. Shannon Farmer, Dr. Irwin Gross, and Dr. Aryeh Shander have a sense of writing that transforms their highly advanced subject knowledge into a text that takes complex concepts involving biology and health and sets them out for the reader in a way that makes them easy to understand. The lessons you’ll learn about your body through the pages of Blood Works: An Owner’s Guide are as fascinating as they are important. The authors carefully impart practical knowledge of how the most important fluid in the body works, while teaching a series of valuable lessons to ensure readers walk away with the understanding needed to live a healthier life.