Anchorage Daily News

Mired in the Health Care Morass

By Neil Davis (Ester Republic Press, $18)

The blurb: "This well-researched book differs from several recent titles on the topic in that it is written by a consumer rather than a professional. The book is framed around experiences the author, professor emeritus of geophysics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, had while paying for medical services provided when his uninsured daughter was diagnosed with lung cancer. It discusses billing procedures in detail, compares national health care systems and concludes with a strong case for single-payer universal health care."

Excerpt: "My initial finding was stunning. On the world market, I could buy 50 milligrams of carboplatin in bulk (2,000 doses) for $13.50 per dose. This drug obviously did not cost much to manufacture, and I found that a major pharmacy retailer in New York was selling it in small quantities for $61.36 per dose. Yet Patricia was being charged, in one case, $1,224 and, in another, $1,328. Clearly, something was radically wrong here.

"Armed with what I had learned about the pricing of carboplatin and the two related expensive drugs, Anzemet and Taxol, I visited Patricia's oncologist to ask why he and his associates were billing her so much for these drugs."

Winston of Churchill: One Bear's Battle Against Global Warming

em>By Jean Davies Okimoto; illustrated by Jeremiah Trammell (Sasquatch, $16.95)

The blurb: "Churchill, Canada, is the polar bear capital of the world, and the tourists are in for a big surprise. Winston, a fierce, brave bear, teaches the other bears about why the ice is melting. Using the words of his famous namesake, he rallies the bears to convince humans to save the bears' arctic home." Illustrator Trammell is originally from Willow.

Excerpt: " 'We will fight for ice,' boomed Winston. 'We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight on the hills. We shall never surrender.'

"All the bears cheered and cheered.

"In the back row a cub raised his paw. 'Yes, son,' Winston called on him.

" 'We don't live on an island. We live in Manitoba.'

" 'I know that -- it was just a figure of speech.' "

Send books to be considered for Reading the North to Mike Dunham, Anchorage Daily News, 1001 Northway Drive, Anchorage 99508.

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