The Loner

An amusing and exciting tale of student life in Liverpool in the Swinging Sixties. Mark is a nervous student. He is ruled by an overwhelming, irrational fear of people – particularly girls – which shows itself in a bad stammer, and a terror of heights. Fiona is the girl of his dreams, but she is in a steady relationship with a lifelong boyfriend in Scotland. Mark realises he is never going to get anywhere in life or in love unless he undergoes a complete personality change. He is befriended by Bob, who has a passion for potholing (and free love), and a plan is hatched. If Mark can beat his fear of heights – an escapade down a cave or two should sort that one – maybe he can also overcome his fear of girls and win Fiona... So begins a whole series of madcap adventures, featuring a yacht race, horse riding, underground adventures in Yorkshire and Mendip caves, dances, parties and some wild and riotous student incidents, often involving too much...

Take As Directed gives Canadians a much-needed guidebook to safely navigate our encounters with health-care providers and optimize the management of our own health. In recent years, evidence indicating that our health-care system can be made safer has emerged. Here, a family physician and a pharmacy professor discuss the role each of us can play in achieving the best and safest possible health outcome for ourselves and our families. In clear and engaging language, Take As Directed walks the reader through the call to the family doctor's receptionist, the examination room encounter, the pharmacy counter, a visit to the emergency department, and a stay on the hospital ward, and outlines common pitfalls in these encounters. Health-care consumers will learn how to provide critical information to their caregivers and know what information they must obtain from them. Since many adverse health outcomes are related to the use of medications, readers will learn how to safely and effectively use their prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs.

Take As Directed is the first and definitive source book to:

• offer down-to-earth advice on how Canadians can obtain good health care, even in a "sick" system.
• outline communication styles of health-care providers and offer tried-and-true tips and tricks on dealing with various "bedside manners."
• offer guidance on optimizing the use of medications at home and reducing the chances of experiencing an adverse drug event, one of the commonest reasons for visits to Canadian emergency departments.
• identify trustworthy sources of health and medication information on the web.

All health-care consumers will benefit from the sage voices of the authors, two of Canada's most respected health-care professionals.

A rich and exciting blend of humour, adventure and romance. The book is about student life in Liverpool in the Swinging Sixties, and the wild, hilarious escapades the students could get up to.