It really is incredible to think of how far modern medicine has come. Not only do we have multitudes of treatments available to us, we’re able to move beyond merely treating ailments and can focus on optimizing our health at all times.

But with these advances have come an easy (and sometimes misplaced) reliance on prescription medication. One blogger notes: “It’s pretty clear that in this modern world we’re a medicated society. Have high blood pressure? There’s a pill for that. Depressed? There’s a pill for that, too. Need help getting it up? Of course there’s a pill for that.” She goes on to remind us that, “A pill may fix one problem, but cause a different problem in return, which warrants another pill to fix the new problem.” Another blogger agrees: “Seeing as I once thought a pill could cure all ills, I am now living in a world where I am more careful, more responsible, and definitely up for anything that is a natural remedy for what ails you.”

So it’s not surprising that our second round of reviewers were just as thrilled with “The 24-Hour Pharmacist” as the first group. “Suzy is different. A pharmacist, sure. But pills aren’t always her answer. She offers a fairly objective perspective, when pills might be useful, how supplements, herbs and non traditional treatments might also be a solution. And how overall, our goal should be to listening to our bodies and not looking for a quick solution to fix everything.” Another blogger echoes this sentiment: “It’s about getting to know our womanly bodies and being informed about how to get them to run as efficiently as possible.”

Being parents, we often consider the health of our children to be paramount - “…boys are just accident prone.” - but we also worry about the associated costs: “Being a household of six can be tough, especially in the budget department.” We’re accustomed to taking care of others, not ourselves. “The 24-Hour Pharmacist helps us focus on our own health as well: “…although it’s useful for moms, it’s not just about kids. It’s really a book for the whole family and it offers a wide variety of solutions to basic ailments.”

Author Suzy Cohen earned the trust of our bloggers - “Her formal training and extensive knowledge about the traditional route encourage me to be trusting of her advice and theories regarding the alternative route. She understands the chemistry. I was intrigued by her descriptions of what substances are involved in which systems, so how we can alter those interactions.” - including those who are devotees of traditional medicine: “The author is not advocating a rejection of traditional medicine. Instead, she is encouraging us to consider all of the therapies, traditional and alternative, that are available to treat (and that have been shown to improve) a given condition.”

She made them think - “[My son] has allergies…he has been taking Singulair. The Singulair has been causing bad dreams and restlessness. I looked up allergies in The 24-Hour Pharmacist, and whaddaya know…it says allergy meds cause bad dreams and restlessness, and to try lemon balm.” - and laugh - “I laughed while reading a book about HEALTH issues. About someone saying pills are not the answer. (I usually only meet them in meetings.) But Suzy wrote with humor and fun! Not so common when talking health and such.” - and even fall in love: “I love you, 24-Hour Pharmacist. I love you to the breadth and depth and height my soul can reach. We will never, ever be parted. Even though your soft white cover may get tatty and stained, and even though your pages might tear and become defaced by toddler graffiti - I will carry you with me. I will lovingly bind you with tape and wrap you in brown paper like a much-loved English textbook and carry you with me. Always.”

Now there’s devotion. Not just to a book or to an author, but to health and wellness.

Congratulations to Heather L. from It’s all for the best - she’s our winner of the $50 CVS gift card and a copy of The 24-Hour Pharmacist! To purchase your own copy, click here!