Good book. I have read her other book on thyroid. Great resource. I bought 2 books and gave one to my sister who has the same problem. This books gives lots of information and treatment options. I would suggest reading it to anyone who has these issues.

I bought this book after being told by my doctor that I have an autoimmune disease, she just does not know which one. This book is very well written, informative, and easy to read. I learned a lot about the cause of autoimmune diseases and how the immune system works. My only complaints about the book are that there is no index showing what disease is on what page and not all the autoimmune diseases are discussed in the book. The author grouped the diseases by what parts of the body they affect. In the beginning of the book there is a list of all the autoimmune diseases, but the book does not tell you what section they are under or what page to find them on. Also, not all the diseases listed are explained in the book. I was looking for a book that would explain all of the diseases. If you have a fairly common AID, then you will be pleased with the book. If you have a not-so-common one then you are out of luck.

This is a very helpful book for the millions of people dealing with autoimmune diseases. Shomon does an excellent job of identifying the many different types of autoimmune diseases and their symptoms. She offers many traditional treatments as well as more holistic options. Most importantly, she lets you know that if you have one autoimmune disease, you have a much greater chance of contracting another. I learned far more from this book than I did at doctor appointments.

This was the most informative book that I have read. I have had fibromyalgia for several years and have had to learn on my own alot of the information that was contained in this one book...a must have for any new autoimmune sufferer.
GREAT READ ! GREAT INFO !

This is a very informative book. It is well worth keeping on hand for referral. It describes many autoimmune diseases and tells, in many cases, how they are connected. It also tells, whenever possible, how these diseases may get started, what their symptoms are, and how they are treated. Since much of this information is very new to the general public, the book may be of great help to people searching for answers to their own medical problems.

The reason the doctor doesn't tell you: it isn't true.
This book contains a lot of information for the average patient, and it SOUNDS logical. Unfortunately, only about half of it is based on science. In a world where those desparate for solutions are easy prey for snake-oil salesmen and fearmongers, this book leads right to them.

Most of the information of value in the book can be found in simple one-page summaries that many organizations provide (including the NIH and CDC). It lacks anything truly informative and the time reading it is wasted.

Mary's book is set in a logical, understandable format. The table of contents and the index make it easy to search, making it have further value as a resource. She discusses key autoimmune diseases from medical, alternative, nutritional and lifestyle points of view rounding out a complete picture from which to consider further research or treatment options. The only topic I wish she would have covered in greater depth is candidiasis, as this condition sometimes mimics an autoimmune disease. If you were looking for a masterful book to learn about some confusing symptoms and conditions, however, this is a good place to start.

Mary's book is set in a logical, understandable format. The table of contents and the index make it easy to search, making it have further value as a resource. She discusses key autoimmune diseases from medical, alternative, nutritional and lifestyle points of view rounding out a complete picture from which to consider further research or treatment options. The only topic I wish she would have covered in greater depth is candidiasis, as this condition sometimes mimics an autoimmune disease. If you were looking for a masterful book to learn about some confusing symptoms and conditions, however, this is a good place to start.

A good start for basic information on a wide variety of autoimmune diseases.

A good start for basic information on a wide variety of autoimmune diseases.

One piece of advice from this book changed my life. This book has a wealth of information and advice concerning autoimmune disease, but all I needed was one tip. Thank you Mary J. Shomon.

Amazingly all-encompassing, this book is a must. Ms. Shomon offers honest information in a manner that neither talks down nor oversimplifies. Magnificent.

This is the best book I have read on the subject and I have now ordered 10 copies for friends.

VERY INFORMATIVE AND AN INTERESTING READ. COVERED MANY AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS BUT NOT ALL. BETTER FOR SOMEONE WITH A MORE COMMON DISORDER.

There isn't a fact or bit of advice in this poorly written book that you can't easily find and read on the Net for free. Written by yet another patient that thinks she can write and has something to say.

I was diagnosed with auto immune hearing loss 2 years ago, and although my condition is so rare that it didn't make it in the book, the general information in it changed my life. Through reading the book, I was encouraged to figure out if I had a food allergy. Discovering a food allergy (to wheat) changed my life and my body. It put my chaotic body into a state of order for the first time in 5 years, and I had more energy than I had known in my life.

Carol
Grand Haven, Michigan

Having been diagnosed with an AD (Chrohn's Disease) six years ago and not changing my living habits, I found myself hospitalized and in need of surgery (double ostomy). Since this surgery I have found myself reevaluating my life. I have trying to absorb all of the information about Chrohn's and AD in general.

This is the third book about AD that I have read and by far the best of the three. The other two were medical text books that contained a lot of technical information with little practicality. They went into a lot of depth about what AD is and current treatments, but they did not go into any depth about living with an AD.

This book gives great information about all AD and what you as the patient can do to prevent getting more AD (yes if you have one it is easier to get another), and treatments (mostly herbal and general diet guidelines) that a doctor won't discuss with you.

Although this is a great book in that it covers all AD, it does not go into any significant depth. What I came to realize is that all of the information that I had read (specifically with Chrohn's) was previously provided in all of the AD specific books that I had read. I learned nothing new about my disease (except that if you have one AD it is easier to get another).

If you have just been diagnosed with an AD, then I would highly recommend reading this book, but I don't think it was worth adding it to my "medical" library (check it out from the library). After that explore you AD and use the information in this book to get started on your treatment.

This review is sort of blasphemy. Shomon is the queen on this topic so my comments will probably meet with lots of resistance.
Nevertheless it's a rather slam dunk book; very general and cursory. Allot of the information here is old & vague and almost proverbial in it's common sense.
Nevertheless everyone will tell you to read her so you might as well get it cheap from Amazon so you'll know the name and hype that way you can talk the talk and walk the walk.

this book touches on so many autoimmune disorders. it gives insightful information about treatments, the disease itself, etc. i found it to be one of the most helpful books i have read for my conditions.

I had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, the doctors just did not know which one. There was a baffling array of symptoms that suggested that there were two disorders involved. Which two? The lack of information, and the lack of something specific to research, was maddening.

This book helped it all make sense to me. Seeing all the possible disorders and all the possible symptoms, it became clear how difficult it was for the doctors to pinpoint a problem. It also helped me to realize that I did not need a label before I could begin working for a treatment. This book gave enough information for me to feel more in control and to familiarize me with the different diseases that were possibilities. Now I know which symptoms could be significant and should be reported. Things that did not seemed trivial before now have a different level of importance. But without guidance, I would not know what was worthwhile to report. Now I can be a better patient and can help my doctor narrow the diagnosis.

This book was an excellent springboard to new topics to research and possible treatment avenues that might be worth investigating. The references for more information -- and why you would care -- was helpful too. This is a great book for those new to the autoimmune disease community.

Having treated auto-immune conditions for over 20 years, I am delighted to finally have a book on the subject that I can recommend to my patients wholeheartedly. Mary Shoman has done a truly superb job in collecting and coordinating a wide variety of very helpful diagnostic and therapeutic information. I am especially please to see the inclusion of both conventional and alternative approaches. In fact, her book makes more sense out of the auto-immune challenge than most of the medical textbooks I have read.

Best of all, this richly packed comprehensive overview is easily readable and understandable. Her action plans are a compelling incentive for patients to take health issues into their own hands. Her detailed list of resources and references together rounds out a sparkling achievement. With auto-immune illness increasing dramatically all over the world, EVERYONE needs to read this book.

This book gives some good background on various autoimmune disorders, some of which I didn't know are actually classified as autoimmune, and some I'd never heard of. However, I found this book to possess more breadth than depth. It mentions many autoimmune disorders, but it does not always go into depth about every disorder that is mentioned; on the other hand some disorders rate their own sections.

This book is worth owning anyway, since it brings up both conventional and alternative treatments, and it's a place to start your journey. If you find something of interest in this book, you'll probably need to reference other books or information elsewhere to get the rest of the details.

Shomon offers valuable guidance on getting a correct diagnosis, finding a doctor who will work with you and fight for you, and assembling a traditional and/or holistic care plan that works for you. An accomplished author and medical writer in her own right, Shomon's own experience with an autoimmune condition (thyroid disease) gives "Living Well..." added insight that sets it apart from other books of its genre. An impressive resource section rounds out this reference work that should be in every autoimmune patient's collection (and on their doctor's bookshelf as well).

As an woman with autoimmune condition, Graves' disease, I have been desperately looking for information to help me in my efforts to improve my health. I am very grateful for Mary Shomon's book, because it's a fresh approach, and doesn't back off of looking at alternative and natural medicine options, but does include all the standard information (symptoms, how it's diagnosed, traditional treatments) that some people want.

As for me, I struggled for years with symptoms that were vague, and were pooh-poohed by the numerous doctors, until finally hitting on the right doctor to get a diagnosis. That was when my horror story just began, because I had to go through the dreadful maze of antithyroid drugs, radioiodine and thyroid treatment. What a mess. Since that time, I have suspected that I might have other conditions as well [symptoms of Raynaud's, arthritis, hair loss, I am even worried at times that I might be getting lupus], but most doctors look at me like I am losing my mind when I raise the risk of autoimmune disease, or complain about these symptoms as related to my Graves' disease.

I learned a great deal reading about the more than 30 conditions discussed in depth. They're grouped according to the organs or systems under autoimmune attack (like hair & skin, gastrointestinal, and such), which I've not seen done anywhere else.

There's a chapter that's just a list of symptoms and various things that put you at risk for autoimmune diseases. It's particularly detailed -- that list alone would have made this book worth its weight in gold to me back when I was struggling with mysterious symptoms and my GP and I couldn't figure it out. It would have saved me months of fear, and helped us narrow down the field pretty quickly, instead of going to a neurologist, an infectious disease specialist and a gynecologist before they figured out I had Graves' disease.

The writer has included information I had not seen in any other book, including the use of antibiotic and anti-pathogen therapies, how supplements and diet can help the immune system without suppressing it, the role of diet, detoxification and food allergies in autoimmune disease, and natural antiviral therapies. I'm taking the book to my latest practitioner [my current doctor is actually pretty understanding on these conditions] and he and I will use the book to continue finetuning my efforts to feel better. (FWIW, I'm also using Elaine Moore's terrific book on Graves' disease, Mary Shomon's other book which is on thyroid problems, and the Paleo Diet, which are all helping as well.)

As a fan of integrative medicine, I'm glad to see someone finally look at autoimmune disease from this perspective, and offer me some practical things I can actually do to help my own health. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book.

And there you have it -- a concise summary of this book. As a Lupus patient, I found Shomon's book to be nothing more than what I've already read in other books, as well as what's on the Net. This book reads like a rehash of the Merck Manual, with the only differences being that it's poor science, and regardless of your symptoms, you have an autoimmune disorder. A more appropriate subtitle for this book would have been, "What You Already Knew."

Nothing new here. Lots of the same stuff from Mary's thyroid book and just a skimming of the major autoimmune diseases. Some of the medical facts were off, like cells making plasma??? I wondered if the long list of doctors who reviewed this book actually read it because when the book attempted to skim deeper waters, it sank. This book was a poor imitation of Ravicz's Thriving with Your Autoimmune Disorder.

The checklists included in the book are helpful tools in working with my doctor to try to figure out what is wrong. I also found that because I had read the book I was able to understood so much more of what was going on that I had more of a feeling of control over my own health. That by itself made me feel better.

Two years ago I dragged myself to the doctor for blood tests after a friend told me to read Mary Shomon's Living Well with Hypothyroidism. Reading that book changed my life, it gave me the tools I needed to DEMAND correct treatment by my doctor. I've been waiting for Living Well with Autoimmune Disease to read more about Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (my autoimmune disease) and to share the book with my mother, who suffers from Raynaud's Phenomenon. I can't believe that Ms. Shomon keeps writing books that *I* need; it's like she's a close personal friend.

So far my mother has already taken what she's read in this book and written it all down to ask her doctor questions about changing her current treatment. To empower my mom this way is just a gift.

I need to buy two more copies now, as I know folks with Crohn's Disease who will benefit greatly from Ms. Shomon's wisdom. 5 Stars.

In Living Well With Autoimmune Disease, Mary shows the reader how to successfully take charge of their autoimmune condition. Mary empowers her readers by showing how the best of both conventional and alternative medicine can be incorporated into a lifestyle plan. She not only teaches us about cutting-edge therapies, she explains how lifestyle changes contribute to healing. Showing us how diet, stress, and environmental toxins affect immune system health, she invites the reader to take charge and reduce their symptoms. By including anecdotes, symptom lists, and recommendations from a wide array of medical practitioners, Mary makes this book very user friendly and a welcome addition to any personal library.