Written by an award-winning researcher and professor whose work straddles the fields of communication and healthcare, Talking About Health explores the importance of health communication in the 21st century, and how it affects us all. Organized around six key questions about health and communication:  How ‘Normal’ am I? What are My ‘Risk’ Factors? Why Don’t We Get ‘Care’? Is the Public Good ‘Good’ for Me? Who Profits from My Health? and What’s Politics Got to Do with It? - Provides readers with specific tools which which to better navigate the healthcare system - Translates what we know about communication and health into useful guidelines for everyday practice - Includes discussions of politics and healthcare, genetic testing, and alternative care - The author's blog http://whyhealthcommunication.com/whc_blog/  focuses on why communicating about health can make a difference in our health and our quality of life "The book is an engaging, informative read that packages health communication issues in a unique and usable way. Personal, informative, comprehensive, and integrated." (Taylor Francis Online, 19 January 2011) "This book has the added bonus of educating people about palliative care, including how to develop an advanced directive, the way to maintain a "health report," and how to manage one's health profile. It offers multiple references for each chapter that would be helpful to readers wanting more detailed information. Additionally, it could also assist health care professionals who want to increase their communication skills." ( CHOICE, December 2009)"Parrot melds her expertise in communications and health policy and administration … .Accessible and full of Parrot family anecdotes." ( The Penn Stater , January 2010) "Roxanne Parrott’s thoughtful treatment of 'why communication matters' identifies challenges and opportunities in 'talking about health' during this time of increasing consumer engagement and responsibility in health and health care." ( PsycCRITIQUES , November 2009) "Roxanne Parrot has successfully combined her expertise as the most respected health communication scholar and teacher in the discipline with her ongoing roles as daughter, mother, sister and grandmother to produce this extraordinary book placing competent communication at the heart of our health care challenges. Talking about Health is an enjoyable, must read for all of us as we cope with our health challenges and attempt to make wise health decisions across the life span." Jon F. Nussbaum, Penn State University "This book can make a difference in people’s lives. I value and applaud Dr. Parrott’s use of her knowledge, experience, and insight to write a book that empowers people to take charge of their health through communication. This book is timely and necessary―a smart book that makes the reader smarter." Professor Maureen Keeley, Texas State University Whether in the news, from our doctors, in our families, or through entertainment or commercial outlets, communicating about health can be harnessed in ways to benefit our choices, our decisions, and our physical and mental well-being. Written by an award-winning researcher and professor whose work straddles the fields of communication and healthcare, Talking about Health explores the importance of health communication in the twenty-first century, and how it affects us all.  Immensely readable and accessible, the book is organized around six questions relating to why and how we communicate about health: How “normal” am I? - What are my “risk” factors? - Why don’t we get “care”? - Is the “public good” good for me? - Who profits from my health? - What’s politics got to do with it? For more “talk about health,” and to chat with the author and others about the book, please visit whyhealthcommunication.com. Whether in the news, from our doctors, in our families, or through entertainment or commercial outlets, communicating about health can be harnessed in ways to benefit our choices, our decisions, and our physical and mental well-being. Written by an award-winning researcher and professor whose work straddles the fields of communication and healthcare, Talking about Health explores the importance of health communication in the twenty-first century, and how it affects us all. Immensely readable and accessible, the book is organized around six questions relating to why and how we communicate about health: How “normal” am I? - What are my “risk” factors? - Why don’t we get “care”? - Is the “public good” good for me? - Who profits from my health? - What’s politics got to do with it? For more “talk about health,” and to chat with the author and others about the book, please visit whyhealthcommunication.com. Roxanne Parrott is Distinguished Professor at Pennsylvania State University, holding joint appointments in the Communication Arts & Sciences and the Health Policy & Administration departments. She is also a faculty member in the College of Medicine, for the