“What can I do to help” written by Deborah Hutton, is a book of practical ways family and friends can help someone diagnosed with cancer, the profits go to Macmillan Cancer Relief.

The upshot of it seems to be - cook dinner! I’d recommend the book, (not necessarily the suggestion to cook dinner, although there are plenty of other practical ideas, if cooking isn’t your strong point.)

Why is it good? Well 1)it’s quite short (about the size of a paperback) and 2) it’s quite cheap (about £6, which compared to the academic textbooks is good value for money)

What I liked were the quotes of peoples experiences, this really brings home Cancer Research UK’s slogan “Cancer doesn’t discriminate” with contributions from Dawn French, Cherie Blair, Hugh Grant, Mo Mowlam and Tessa Jowell to name but a few.
Avril Morrison's review for Understanding Cancer

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Product Description

Last November, Deborah Hutton discovered that the irritating cough she had had for two months was no trivial chest infection but in fact an aggressive carcino-adenoma that had already spread well beyond her lungs...What struck her, as she struggled to cope in the weeks following, was how difficult it was for everyone around her to deal with her news. They all wanted to help, to say the right thing. Yet somehow, all too often, their best attempts at kindness proved more debilitating than comforting. The grim reality of cancer is that life, with all its myriad demands, continues: the dog still needs walking, the daily meals need preparing and dishing up. "What can I do to help?" you ask. Well, stand by, because the answer is: plenty.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41571 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
"Cancer is the biggest killer of our times, and yet remains one of the last great taboos. What should you do, or say, when a friend is diagnosed? Finally, here, help is at hand." Susan Howell

About the Author
Deborah Hutton is a journalist and writer. She lives in north London with her family.