SIMON & SCHUSTER’S POCKET GUIDE TO WILDERNESS...

SIMON & SCHUSTER’S POCKET GUIDE TO WILDERNESS MEDICINE by Paul Gill Jr. MD (Fireside: $9.95, illustrated). Both a doctor and an outdoorsman, Gill wisely emphasizes that prevention is the most effective medicine in the wild. He explains how to avoid breaking limbs, how not to get bitten by snakes and insects and how to prevent sun stroke, snow blindness and plant dermatitis. Should these misfortunes occur, he presents clear, non-technical first-aid instruction, stressing basic rules of care that can be applied to many situations. This conveniently slim volume belongs in every hiker’s backpack, although after reading about the dangers of Giardia, lightning strikes and scorpions, the armchair adventurer may decide to stay home and watch “Bambi.”