Anne Katz is a widely respected and internationally recognized authority on the subject of sex and cancer in women and men. Of all her many excellent books on this topic, this one may be her finest. With a sure hand, compassionate heart, and profound wisdom based on decades of experience, she leads the reader through every stage of dealing with the diagnosis and making informed treatment choices. Her depth of knowledge about the disease and available therapies is impressive, and her approach is realistic and pragmatic. While she doesn't mince words or tiptoe around the difficult truths, she maintains a compassionate, basically optimistic attitude. She also combines a gentle sense of humor with wry observations about ironies that are inherent in interacting with the medical establishment or reading between the lines when interpreting information provided by the pharmaceutical industry. Prostate cancer is definitely a couple's disease. One of the many features that differentiates this book from others in the field is that it is written for the partner of the patient, not just for the patient himself.

There are dozens of books that provide medical facts and statistics about the disease but in this book, Dr. Katz also addresses the quality-of-life consequences of difficult decisions a couple will have to make and empathically offers guidance on dealing with the inevitable emotional stressors and avoiding typical communication pitfalls. This empowering book should be required reading for couples who have been plunged into the world of prostate cancer. It is written in a down-to-earth, warm, and supportive style and makes a valuable contribution to the reader's understanding of the disease. According to the author, the primary intended audience for this book is the partner of the cancer patient but in my opinion, it is also invaluable for the patient himself. I advise both members of a couple to read the book together. This book may also be of interest to any other members of the patient's health care team who wants to understand more about the nonmedical aspects of the experience. Another noteworthy feature of the book is the comprehensive coverage of the issues and the thorough documentation of facts.

The author provides an index plus two bibliographies--a thorough alphabetical listing of authors (there are more than eight pages of references) and a listing of references relevant to each chapter, which makes it convenient to read further on individual topics.