Books with author Bonnie Z Goldsmith

In the twenty-first century, military marine mammals detect lost equipment and underwater mines. Large rats are trained to find land mines in more than 80 countries. Military working dogs search for explosive devices and other weapons and are trained to take down enemy combatants. In earlier centuries, military fighters rode horses into battle, relied on elephants to haul supplies, and trained pigeons to carry messages. Even cats, goats, and chickens have served in wartime―as mascots! Learn about the history of animals in warfare, the functions they serve and how they are trained, as well as the psychology that makes animals such good partners in warfare.

In the twenty-first century, military marine mammals detect lost equipment and underwater mines. Large rats are trained to find land mines in more than 80 countries. Military working dogs search for explosive devices and other weapons and are trained to take down enemy combatants. In earlier centuries, military fighters rode horses into battle, relied on elephants to haul supplies, and trained pigeons to carry messages. Even cats, goats, and chickens have served in wartime—as mascots! Learn about the history of animals in warfare, the functions they serve and how they are trained, as well as the psychology that makes animals such good partners in warfare.

Two soccer players collide on the field. A soldier in Afghanistan is thrown to the ground during a bomb explosion. A teen has an accident while riding her bike―and she isn't wearing her helmet. Each of these incidents can produce a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Of the 1.7 million Americans officially diagnosed with TBI each year, 52,000 die from their injuries. And that doesn't count all the unreported TBIs, which experts estimate range from about two to four million more incidents. TBIs range from concussions to penetrating head injuries to life-threatening brain swelling and coma. And they have countless causes: war, sports, car and motorcycle accidents, falls, and physical violence. The aftereffects can be devastating, including compromised memory and concentration, loss of hearing, physical disabilities, depression, brain disorders, and, in the worst-case scenario, death. Find out about the different types of TBIs, what causes them, and how they are diagnosed and treated. Along the way, you'll learn about National Hockey League player Derek Boogaard and U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, both of whom sustained TBIs, with dramatically different outcomes. You'll also meet teens and young adults living with TBIs and the doctors who treat them. And you'll learn about amazing medical technologies that help victims recover and promise hope for the future.

Drug overdosing and death from prescription painkillers and heroin are at epidemic levels in the United States. How do people become addicted to opioids and other dangerous drugs, and why? Meet the experts who study the neurology of addiction. Hear stories of addicts in recovery, and of loved ones left behind by those who died from overdosing. Discover more about the social and economic costs of overdosing and learn about scientific research to decrease it. Learn about the connection between addiction and mental health disorders. Find out how to identify signs of addiction and overdose and what you can do to help someone get assistance.

While in a war zone, a military working dog (MWD) and its handler live together, eat together, play together, sleep together, and risk their lives for each other every day. The dogs work with handlers in every branch of the US military. They guard military bases, sniff out concealed explosives and other weapons, and alert their handlers to hidden enemies.Learn how the military selects these special dogs and trains them for the many tasks they perform while on duty. Meet Rex, Clipper, Maci, Iva, Ikar, and other MWDs who have served the US military in conflicts around the world.

An ordinary blue thermos holding blood samples from a sick nun in Zaire reached Belgium's Institute of Tropical Medicine in September 1976. From the samples, researchers discovered a new virus, which they named the Ebola virus after a river in Central Africa. The virus killed two hundred eighty people before it seemingly disappeared into the jungle. No one suspected the virus would erupt in West Africa nearly four decades later to cause an unprecedented epidemic. Ebola has riveted―and terrified―the world since its reemergence from the jungle, killing more than eleven thousand people in West Africa since December 2013. Transmitted through bodily fluids―blood, saliva, sweat, vomit, feces, and semen―the disease causes high fever, widespread pain, nausea and vomiting, and severe diarrhea. Patients may develop dangerous bleeding and organ failure. With no effective treatment available, about 40 percent of infected people die within days. Using proper protective gear, safe burial protocols, cleansing techniques, and educational outreach, the disease has been slowed in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone―at least temporarily. Can researchers develop vaccines quickly enough to prevent new outbreaks? Will Ebola move beyond West Africa? Readers will hear from Ebola survivors, learn what experts say about this devastating disease, and draw their own conclusions about whether another epidemic can be prevented.

Are you looking for a healthy body? Quick weight loss with no dieting? Top athletic performance without breaking a sweat? Websites, infomercials, magazine ads, and celebrity tweets make an astonishing array of claims about the improvement to health and performance that will come from using dietary supplements. If you take supplements, you're not alone. The majority of Americans take at least one dietary supplement every day. Consumers have tens of thousands of supplements to choose from, spending an estimated $32 billion each year on such products. By law, the US Food and Drug Administration has limited regulatory powers over dietary supplements. Many supplements are manufactured overseas in nations with loose quality-control standards. Scientific evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of supplements is minimal, and in some cases, supplements have led to serious illness and death. Registered nurse Connie Goldsmith takes an in-depth look at the wide world of dietary supplements—vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements, weight-loss products, performance-enhancing products, energy boosters, and more. What do doctors, dieticians, and other experts have to say? Is it ever safe to take a supplement? What are the red flags to watch for when considering these products? Goldsmith gives teens the tools to be smart consumers, urging all readers to consult with a qualified medical professional when considering any supplement.

Are you looking for a healthy body? Quick weight loss with no dieting? Top athletic performance without breaking a sweat? Websites, infomercials, magazine ads, and celebrity tweets make an astonishing array of claims about the improvement to health and performance that will come from using dietary supplements. If you take supplements, you're not alone. The majority of Americans take at least one dietary supplement every day. Consumers have tens of thousands of supplements to choose from, spending an estimated $32 billion each year on such products. By law, the US Food and Drug Administration has limited regulatory powers over dietary supplements. Many supplements are manufactured overseas in nations with loose quality-control standards. Scientific evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of supplements is minimal, and in some cases, supplements have led to serious illness and death. Registered nurse Connie Goldsmith takes an in-depth look at the wide world of dietary supplements―vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements, weight-loss products, performance-enhancing products, energy boosters, and more. What do doctors, dieticians, and other experts have to say? Is it ever safe to take a supplement? What are the red flags to watch for when considering these products? Goldsmith gives teens the tools to be smart consumers, urging all readers to consult with a qualified medical professional when considering any supplement.

In North America, mosquito bites are usually only a nuisance. But in areas such as Africa and Southeast Asia, the bite can be deadly. There, many mosquitoes transmit a disease called malaria―and malaria can be a killer. In Africa, one child dies from malaria every thirty seconds. Worldwide, more than one million people die from malaria each year. What can be done to stop this global killer? This book examines how public health organizations work to protect people from malaria-carrying mosquitoes, how doctors care for people who do get malaria, and how researchers try to better understand and fight malaria. But malaria presents a complex puzzle for researchers. The parasite that causes malaria takes several different forms and can damage the body in many ways. Malaria does its worst damage among people in poor nations. These countries often have inadequate public health and medical systems, making prevention and treatment difficult. In addition, children who are sick with malaria cannot go to school. Adults with malaria cannot work. Thus malaria often pushes poor people deeper into poverty. Author Connie Goldsmith is a nurse and a medical writer. In Battling Malaria, Goldsmith tackles the topic with an expert’s eye. She describes cutting-edge research, medications, and public health measures that might someday defeat malaria for good.