Book review

Wylde on Health: Your Best Choices in the World of Natural Health
by Bryce Wylde, BSc, DHMHS
Random House, 2012, 338 Pages, $24.95
ISBN: 978-0-307-35587-4

It is the mark of a successful author when he or she can provide information that is highly accessible. Accessibility to information is what allows people to help themselves, to feel empowered, and, ultimately, to feel happier and healthier.

Enter Bryce Wylde. Canadians may recognize the author of Wylde on Health from his popular weekly TV show of the same name, which broadcasted from Toronto. Today, this articulate expert on natural health trends and treatments is a media darling with regular guest appearances on The Dr. Oz Show and other programs.

His broad appeal stems from a deep-seated understanding of the science of illnesses and their natural treatments—and the accessibility of his information. The world of proven natural health treatments is a passion for Wylde. He thrives when fielding questions during public interviews and from call-in guests. Wylde’s enthusiasm for sharing natural health news and for “debunking the junk” is contagious.

The new book is no exception. Wylde on Health is a tool for making informed personal health choices, naturally. It helps readers to examine their own dietary habits and to know which diagnostic tests to ask for when visiting the doctor. Why choose one treatment over another? Which treatments have the most solid studies to support their claims? How effective are those products?

One thing that sets this book apart is that it leaps forward in terms of accessibility. Scattered throughout the margins of Wylde on Health are about 200 QR codes (those square-shaped bar codes scanned with smart phones and similar devices), which provide an easy bridge to supplementary information. Pointing a smart phone at the QR code brings up a mini video of Wylde speaking directly to readers. It’s the best-produced interactive book I’ve seen.

Yet while the inclusion of QR codes offers potential for increased functionality, in Wylde’s case, the videos impart nothing more than the author voicing tightly scripted excerpts of academic-sounding text on camera. The videos lack the personality found in Wylde’s writing, and ultimately, the QR coded segments are not used to their best potential. Still, the text makes for a rock-solid good read and useful natural health tool.