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.

Author Highlights:

Allison Janse is a trade book editor and freelance writer. She feels lucky to call South Florida home because she can justify frequent bulk purchases of sanitizing products as early hurricane preparation. She lives with her husband who, incidentally, is showing slight Germ Freak tendencies but their young twins, who they absolutely adore, are proof that being a Germ Freak is not likely a genetic trait.

Charles Gerba, Ph.D., is an internationally-renowned environmental microbiologist who made his reputation a quarter of a century ago by opening scientists' eyes to the dangerous things lurking in our groundwater. His lab created the first test to detect parasite cryptosporidium in water, changing the way municipalities treat tap water. He is a professor at the University of Arizona where he oversees cutting-edge experiments in the department of Soil, Water & Environmental Science. He has performed thousands of studies on everything from water quality in our homes to urine levels in community pools, from the germs present in airline bathrooms to pathogens in home hot tubs. His quick wit has endeared him to American audiences as Dr. Germ, and he appears regularly on Good Morning America, Dateline, CNN News and 60 Minutes as well as national magazines and newspapers. He lives with his wife in Tucson, Arizona.

Available at bookstores or to order directly from the publisher, contact: (800) 441-5569 or www.hcibooks.com

The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu: Guerilla Tactics to Keep Yourself Healthy at Home, at Work and in the World
Allison Janse with Charles Gerba, Ph.D.
ISBN: 0-7573-0327-7
$11.95-- Trade paperback

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