Always Follow the Elephants

In this follow-up to the bestselling “Never Shower in a Thunderstorm”, “New York Times” columnist Anahad O’Connor uncovers the truth behind a hundred more old wives’ tales and conventional-wisdom cures. O’Connor investigates nagging questions of domestic safety, such as whether you can get radiation poisoning from standing too close to a microwave (you’ll actually be exposed to more watts from your cell phone). He unearths astounding first-aid ‘MacGyverisms’, such as the attempts by Vietnam War battlefield medics and professional sports stars to seal wounds with super glue (the bottom line: it works, but can irritate skin). And he looks into the claim that a pregnant mother with heartburn should expect a hairy newborn (and is as baffled as the scientists who tallied up the clearly evident infant hairdos). For anyone curious about whether to starve a fever or a cold, or whether stifling a sneeze will damage the body, O’Connor delivers yet another winning and irresistible collection of tips about our health.