Harding, an emergency room physician and Columbia psychiatry professor, delivers an inspiring guide that will appeal to health enthusiasts fed up with the usual "10-step fitness plan or... two-week diet." Seeking to move past a predominant "biomedical" approach to health care, Harding found her key in a 1978 laboratory study on heart health in which rabbits were fed a high-fat diet. It returned an unexpected result: vastly improved outcomes for one test group under an unusually kind, attentive researcher's care. Harding thus examines various, seemingly nonmedical "hidden factors" for human health, such as nurturing childhoods, relationships, communities, and workplace cultures. To illustrate how they work, Harding employs dramatic and memorable stories, including of a small, close-knit Pennsylvania town, once famed for its low heart attack rate, whose health edge disappeared along with American social cohesion. She also includes accompanying "Tool Kit" suggestions, such as to "express your love for family... in a way that feels comfortable to you," "cut down on activities that distract you from paying full attention," and "lock eyes more with those you love"-even "for longer than feels comfortable." Harding's book will leave readers with much to ponder and, if not a surefire solution for better health, an encouraging rationale for treating others more kindly. Agent: Don Fehr, Trident Media Group (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

When Columbia University psychiatrist Harding was a medical student, she became curious about why two patients with similar symptoms and treatments could have such different outcomes. While one would thrive, the other would wane. Suspecting that mental health played a part in physical health, Harding added classes in psychology and public health to find the answer. In scientific tests and case studies as well as her own practice, she found that it was often the patient's relationships with family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and community that tipped the balance. Her title was inspired by a study demonstrating that rabbits that were held and petted maintained clearer arteries despite a fatty diet. A guest on many news and talk shows, Harding uses examples in this accessible work from her practice as well as from professional studies to explain how the habit of kindness and social interactions can improve one's health and well-being. Each chapter concludes with an Expand Your Tool Kit feature listing practical suggestions on forging and reinforcing such bonds. Readers will be inspired to make these manageable, life-altering changes.--Candace Smith Copyright 2010 Booklist