"In all my world travels, never have I picked up a book with the kind of love, concern and information that I’ve seen put into this book… Information is power.

The power in this book is unimaginable. I thank the editors for taking the time and effort to teach the masses the truth about how important diet and nutrition are… Some of you aren’t even aware that you’re eating badly or living unhealthily… On every page, there’s something you must know.

When I look at the state of health in America, particularly African-Americans’, I say, ‘My God, we need a shift in the wind.’ I believe this book is the shift in the wind we’ve been waiting for."
—Excerpted from the Preface by Dick Gregory (pgs. 3-4)

You can’t help but take notice when Dick Gregory gives a how-to book promoting health a ringing endorsement. After all, the well-preserved, 78 year-old comedian is almost as well known as a health food advocate as he is for his acerbic wit. Furthermore, he’s even written his own cookbook and stands as a shining testament to the virtues of longevity via a nutritious dietary regimen.

What makes "The Hood Health Handbook" unique is not just its sound advice but the way in which the authors have carefully couched their pearls of wisdom in street vernacular to grab the attention of their target audience. In order to interest members of the Hip-Hop Generation, the chapters have been given catchy titles like "Teefus," "When Gold Grills Go Bad," "11 Things Not to Get from the Dollar Store," "Keep Your Coochie Right," "Junk Food Is Crack," "The Def Jam Detox," "Don’t Be a Booty Scratcher," "How to Not Have a Rotten Face," "At Least Try This, You Chump" and "K.O the B.O."

While many of the headings are admittedly hilarious, they merely serve as attention grabbers to get folks absorbed by an array of serious subjects of concern to the black community. Edited by C’BS Alife Allah and Supreme Understanding, "The Hood Health Handbook" features contributions from over 20 experts in fields ranging from diet to hygiene to exercise to psychology to massage to reproduction to money management to pollution and beyond.

Weighing in at a hefty 480 pages, pound-for-pound, this encyclopedic manual for urban survival in the 21st Century just might be the best investment you could make this year in your mental and physical health.