Allison Janse and Dr. Charles Gerba Present THE GERM FREAK'S GUIDE TO OUTWITTING COLDS AND FLU

Most Americans, whether they admit it or not, have a little Howard Hughes in them: 50% of women won't sit on a toilet seat without a paper guard. And while we make fun of the lead character in the TV sitcom, Monk, these freaks are the ones who are laughing as the rest of the population sniffles away in bed during germ season (which is actually all year).

In The Germ Freak's Guide To Outwitting Colds And Flu: Guerilla Tactics to Keep Yourself Healthy at Home, at Work and in the World (HCI Books -- $11.95), Allison Janse-a committed Germ Freak-and Dr. Charles Gerba (Dr. Germ) give us the lowdown on how to avoid The Common cold and survive flu season with your health and sanity intact. Dr. Gerba has appeared regularly on Good Morning America, Dateline, CNN News and 60 Minutes as well as in national magazines and newspapers.

The book is the perfect mix of science meets suburbia: the microbiologist and the mom. While he's swabbing surfaces around the globe to detect dangerous germs, she's trying to discern whether the crust on her couch is Play-Doh or poop. This is the practical information your doctor won't give you (they always say not to worry and may be giving you the latest bug by not washing their hands when they examine you!) but which you're dying to know, such as:

How clean is my office desk? (It's better to eat off a toilet seat)

Do I have to shake that snotty person's hand?

• Are my hygiene products killing me?
• How do I get out of a public restroom without contamination?
• What is the best way to wash my hands?
• Am I the only germ freak in America?
• Why didn't anyone tell me about The New Respiratory Etiquette?

Key Features:

• Janse is the mother of twins, a boy and a girl, and Dr. Germ is a frequent guest on national television worldwide (recently on The Today Show).
• Illustrations, quizzes and sidebar trivia make it a great impulse gift purchase for that Germ Freak in your life-whether you're seriously trying to help or making fun of them!
• Simple, practical tips to keep readers healthy in a variety of places-at home, at work, the health club, restaurants and eek...airplanes!
• Sidebars profile the efforts of other Germ Freaks, many of them famous, to spread the gossip of cleanliness.

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