Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, by Peter H.R. Green MD & Rory Jones

If you buy only one book about celiac disease, this one -- by the director of The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University -- should be the one.

As About.com's Guide to Celiac Disease, I get asked a lot of questions about this disorder, and the first place I look for answers is this book: Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, by co-authors Peter H.R. Green, M.D. and science writer Rory Jones (HarperCollins Publisher, New York, 2006).

Dr. Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University in New York, is one of the world's foremost celiac disease experts. In just over 300 pages, he and Ms. Jones provide 28 chapters with detailed, medically correct explanations of celiac disease, its symptoms, the tests performed to diagnose it, and the gluten-free diet. They discuss genetics, related illnesses (including neurological manifestations, malignancies, osteoporosis, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, thyroid disease and other autoimmune disorders), complications, research, and day-to-day lifestyle issues facing adults, adolescents, and small children with celiac disease.

Chapters are helpfully broken down into manageable sections. For example, the chapter on Infertility is broken down as follows: What Causes Infertility; The Relationship to Celiac Disease: Effect on Females; The Relationship to Celiac Disease: Effect on Males; What Causes Infertility in Celiac Disease; The Effect of the Gluten-Free Diet; Next Steps.

There are chapters with advice for parents, frequently asked questions, a selected bibliography, medical contact information, and much more. The book is encyclopedic, authoritative, and remarkably easy to read.

Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic should be required reading not just for patients but for every healthcare provider who treats people with celiac disease. If you're a patient who can buy only one book about celiac disease, this should be the one.