Conquering Lyme Disease receives 2019 Choice Award for Outstanding Title

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In this authoritative book, Brian A Fallon and Jennifer Sotsky reveal what patients and doctors need to know about Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections - the diverse symptoms, the diagnostic tests and how to interpret them, treatment options, the differential diagnosis, the neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric manifestations, the profile of other tick-borne infections, the reason for the Lyme Wars, and prevention methods.  They unravel the controversies and address the hard questions, including how to help those with persistent symptoms. Drawing on extensive clinical experience and cutting-edge research Conquering Lyme Disease gives an up-to-the minute overview of how the scientific revolution in medicine is transforming our understanding of Lyme disease . 

Book cover for Conquering Lyme Disease: Science Bridges the Great Divide

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Reviews

From the scientific journal, Nature. "So what is science’s role in turning the corner on what some have labeled a ‘public health failure’? Physicians Brian Fallon and Jennifer Sotsky tackle this question in their insightful study Conquering Lyme Disease, in which they journey beyond the history, biology and symptoms of the illness. Their greatest accomplishment, by far, is delivering multiple viewpoints with minimal bias and great sensitivity: the clinician’s, the researcher’s, and particularly the patient’s.” (Read the full review in Nature.)

From the medical journal, Lancet Infectious Diseases. "Patients and clinicians will find nothing better than can be read by both to gain insight into their comprehensive management.....A valuable book"

From Ying Zhang, MD. Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health. "An enlightening, informative, and up-to-date account of the key issues surrounding the complexity, controversy, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme borreliosis, especially the persistent form of the disease. Fallon, an outstanding and well-respected physician with tremendous experience helps to bridge the divide and offer new hope in our fight against this debilitating disease. A must read for all interested in Lyme and associated diseases."

From Publishers Weekly.  "Fallon and Sotsky, the director of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center and a psychiatry resident at Columbia University Medical Center, respectively, assemble a sturdy reference on an illness whose varied presentations can bedevil patients and caregivers alike. The authors zero in on the unsettling effects that medical uncertainties have on patients and their families, lavishing praise on those who’ve “played a pivotal role in shaping our understanding” of the disease that has led to better insurance coverage and funding. The authors also hail new discoveries and “the biotechnology revolution” in diagnosing and treating Lyme, offering practical advice and resources for disease prevention and transmission. Perhaps most poignant is their analysis of the daunting experience of being a Lyme patient. But there’s hope, too: 'Medical professionals are gradually waking up to the complexity of Lyme disease and to the real suffering of patients with chronic symptoms.'  Fallon and Sotsky’s heady volume presents the multidisciplinary cadre aiming to restore Lyme patients “to their former well-being and good grace".

From John Aucott, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Lyme Disease Research Center. "Lyme disease is a more complicated and nuanced illness than has been previously recognized. Fallon and Sotsky’s experience with the neuropsychological manifestations of Lyme, combined with their insights into the current patient experience, make this book a significant addition to the literature. A well-organized, comprehensive treatment of Lyme disease and the associated issues that patients face."

From Stephen W. Barthold, DVM, PhD, University of California, Davis. "Conquering Lyme Disease is a balanced and factual synthesis of what is known and unknown about Lyme disease. Written in a clear and understandable way for a lay audience as well as medical professionals, it is a rich source of information on this complex subject, explaining the science behind current treatments and future directions for research."

About the Authors

Brian A. Fallon, MD, is director of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Jennifer Sotsky, MD, is a physician with a specialty in narrative medicine. She is a resident at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.