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.

Did you know that in 2017 anemia was the main source of disease in females and that the impairment caused by anemia is more than that resulting from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and asthma combined? These are only a few important facts concerning blood health covered in Blood Works: An Owner's Guide, subtitled What Every Person Needs to Know Before They are a Patient. Dr. Shannon Farmer, Dr. Irwin Gross, and Dr. Aryeh Shander provided this book to help the reader learn more about blood health and the steps they can take to prevent medical complications if they are ever diagnosed with blood-related disorders. The chapters include detailed instructions and explanations on a variety of topics, including the patient blood management toolbox, what you need to know when you require surgery, and the direct and indirect hazards of blood transfusions.

A collective of 48 experts and leaders in blood health led by Dr. Shannon Farmer, Dr. Irwin Gross, and Dr. Aryeh Shander have done an excellent job of informing the reader by providing an in-depth exploration of medical practices dating back to the first century and including information from other countries. Clear illustrations, highlighted points, colorful charts, and reader-friendly formatting choices make the book more enjoyable. According to the authors, the necessary improvements in blood-related healthcare services are taking a long time to introduce, resulting in unnecessary health complications with the potential loss of life. However, the many doctor and patient stories and logical analysis will expand the reader's knowledge about what is best for them and will eventually speed up improvements in blood-related healthcare practices. Everyone should take note of the important information in Blood Works: An Owner's Guide because it has enormous life-saving potential.

Attention to the importance of blood health is the focus of Blood Works: An Owner's Guide: What Every Person Needs to Know Before They are a Patient by Dr. Shannon Farmer, Dr. Irwin Gross, and Dr. Aryeh Shander. The body's production of blood, its contents, and functions form the basis of this resource. The authors show how far we have come in understanding the importance of blood health, the accountability of medical practitioners when immediate information is available to patients, and patient choices. It contains sections painted in eye-catching colors, mixing graphs, resources, patient stories, photos, and other blood-related material.

Blood Works by Dr. Shannon Farmer, Dr. Irwin Gross, and Dr. Aryeh Shander is more than an overview of the fluid that feeds every part of our body. It is an all-inclusive resource that provides depth and detail in a way I've not seen before. The immune modulation effect of transfusion is a revelation to readers who have undergone this process, including those who have been through cancer treatments requiring additional transfusions to manage anemia. I wish Blood Works had been a part of my journey, but I am happy it is available for others on theirs. There is much to learn here, and the authors provide a benchmark for managing our health and options.

Blood Works: An Owner's Guide, What Every Person Needs to Know Before They are a Patient by Dr. Shannon Farmer, Dr. Irwin Gross, and Dr. Aryeh Shander is a non-fiction medical book that focuses on the importance of blood: “the best thing to have in our veins.” Until recently there was little or no emphasis on the importance of Patient Blood Management or PBM. Addressing blood failure in its various forms, from anemia to lack of iron and other deficiencies, was reactionary when it could rather be managed. Broken down into fifteen distinct and interconnected chapters, the book covers areas such as patient choice and the dangers of blood transfusion, testing for anemia and cancer treatment, menstruation and childbirth, and emergency preparedness.

When I first picked up Blood Works, I found the size of the book and its subject matter to be overwhelming. However, I was drawn to it as it sounded incredibly important and was geared toward the layman so I hoped it would be accessible. Happily, it is not overpowering and contains important information. Dr. Shannon Farmer, Dr. Irwin Gross, and Dr. Aryeh Shander have put together a virtual encyclopedia that is chock-full of critical information in bite-sized but exhaustively researched sections. As a parent, the case study of a child named Sofia was the story I most connected with. At thirteen years old, her extreme anemia would have resulted in an emergency blood transfusion at the hands of a practitioner less informed on the risks. Her anemia was managed alternatively, and she was spared the possibility of complications when having a child years later. This book should be required reading for anyone in healthcare, medicine, or who cares about their lifeblood. Highly recommended.