<p><strong>Antibiotics can be lifesaving, but they are so often prescribed without good reason that they generate more drug side effects than any other class of medicines. On a personal level, antibiotics can cause mild to deathly side effects.</strong></p><p>Antibiotic overuse in the larger society has forced the widespread growth of drug resistant bugs, causing a global health crisis according to the World Health Organization.</p><p>In this latest in the series of No-Nonsense Guides, Dr. Dolan describes a rational approach to appropriate antibiotic use or avoidance. This handy reference for many of the most common symptoms and illnesses discusses antibiotic characteristics and side effects in easy-to-understand language. As with Dr. Dolan&rsquo;s other SmartMEDinfo No-Nonsense Guides, this book is not &lsquo;anti-drug&rsquo; but rather &lsquo;pro-informed consent&rsquo; with the goal of empowering consumers to consider the risks and benefits of prescriptions for themselves.</p>