Are there different types of health books?

Yes, there are many types of health books. You may be familiar with the standard ones, including diet books, mental health books, wellness books, and “all about a disease” books such as Arthritis For Dummies.

Using one of these standard health book types is an excellent way to organize and present your health and wellness material. But there are other, less obvious approaches. These are the:

- A new treatment
- Unified plan
- Focus on a substance
- Many approaches for one disease/condition
- Be in the room
- Prove it!

…and many more.

Let’s take a look at these six types of health books. I’ll look at more types in a future article.

(By the way, there’s a difference between health book types and health book structures. I’ll make a note when one of the types overlays a structure.)

Health Book Type #1 – A New Treatment

The “a new treatment” health book focuses on a novel approach to a disease or condition, such as arthritis, obesity, chronic pain, or depression.

The new treatment is often a single item, perhaps a medicine or supplement, although it could be a single item within a larger program. For example, a new treatment for arthritis may consist of a single new supplement plus a good diet, exercise, and so on.

The new treatment health book typically includes:

- a look at the problem — for example, how many people suffer from arthritis, the various types of arthritis, how arthritis hobbles lives, etcetera.
- a mention of why current treatments are lacking — perhaps existing treatments are not efficacious, have too many side effects, are not utilized properly, and so on.
- a discussion of how the new treatment was discovered/developed — this may include the story of a doctor or researcher’s “aha!” moment, their observations and studies, and so on.
- instructions for applying the new treatment — this could be as simple as “take this medicine every morning,” or it may be a multifaceted approach that includes the new treatment plus diet, positive thinking, etcetera.
- case histories — stories of people who have suffered and those who have benefited from the new treatment help the readers understand their disease/condition, and how their lives can be improved. Be careful not to overdo the case histories, for then it seems as if your new idea is based solely on anecdotal evidence. Use case histories to illustrate and explain your treatment, not “prove” it.
- study results — scientific studies lend credence to your new treatment. As with case histories, however, they can be overdone. Look for the sweet spot when presenting scientific evidence: enough to demonstrate the validity of your new treatment, but not so much that readers start skipping pages. If you absolutely must include a great deal of scientific evidence, consider placing it in an appendix.

One of my early health books, The Arthritis Cure, which introduced a new treatment for osteoarthritis, included all the elements above. The first three chapters looked at osteoarthritis, why current treatments were not up to snuff, and how the new treatment was developed. The remaining eight chapters were devoted to presenting and explaining the new treatment plus the larger program for overcoming osteoarthritis pain.

The Arthritis Cure, which was a New York Times #1 bestseller, utilizes the Problem, Breakthrough, Plan book structure, which you can read about in “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

The Arthritis Cure, a bestselling health book by ghostwriter Barry Fox

Health Book Type #1 – A New Treatment

The “a new treatment” health book focuses on a novel approach to a disease or condition, such as arthritis, obesity, chronic pain, or depression.

The new treatment is often a single item, perhaps a medicine or supplement, although it could be a single item within a larger program. For example, a new treatment for arthritis may consist of a single new supplement plus a good diet, exercise, and so on.

The new treatment health book typically includes:

- a look at the problem — for example, how many people suffer from arthritis, the various types of arthritis, how arthritis hobbles lives, etcetera.
- a mention of why current treatments are lacking — perhaps existing treatments are not efficacious, have too many side effects, are not utilized properly, and so on.
- a discussion of how the new treatment was discovered/developed — this may include the story of a doctor or researcher’s “aha!” moment, their observations and studies, and so on.
- instructions for applying the new treatment — this could be as simple as “take this medicine every morning,” or it may be a multifaceted approach that includes the new treatment plus diet, positive thinking, etcetera.
- case histories — stories of people who have suffered and those who have benefited from the new treatment help the readers understand their disease/condition, and how their lives can be improved. Be careful not to overdo the case histories, for then it seems as if your new idea is based solely on anecdotal evidence. Use case histories to illustrate and explain your treatment, not “prove” it.
- study results — scientific studies lend credence to your new treatment. As with case histories, however, they can be overdone. Look for the sweet spot when presenting scientific evidence: enough to demonstrate the validity of your new treatment, but not so much that readers start skipping pages. If you absolutely must include a great deal of scientific evidence, consider placing it in an appendix.

One of my early health books, The Arthritis Cure, which introduced a new treatment for osteoarthritis, included all the elements above. The first three chapters looked at osteoarthritis, why current treatments were not up to snuff, and how the new treatment was developed. The remaining eight chapters were devoted to presenting and explaining the new treatment plus the larger program for overcoming osteoarthritis pain.

The Arthritis Cure, which was a New York Times #1 bestseller, utilizes the Problem, Breakthrough, Plan book structure, which you can read about in “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

Health Book Type #2 – Unified Plan

The “unified plan” type of health book presents a complete plan or program for dealing with a particular health issue. The emphasis is on the unified plan rather than any individual component.

The various components of the plan are all important and work in concert. Readers can’t pick and choose which component they wish to use—they must adopt the entire plan.

The elements of the plan don’t have to be new. However, there must be a reason why these particular components have been joined together to create the plan.

The “unified plan” type of health book typically includes:

- a review of the disease/condition — this can be brief or extensive, depending on how well-known and complex it is. However, the number of pages devoted to reviewing the disease/condition should be significantly fewer than the number dedicated to the plan.
- a rationale for the unified plan — an explanation of how the plan was developed, why the various components are included, how they work together to create a happy outcome, and how much relief readers can expect to enjoy when they adopt the plan. The various components are discussed briefly, but not in-depth, in this rationale for the plan.
- an explanation of each element — whether it’s a medicine, modality, supplement, surgery, or whatnot, each element should be discussed, both as an individual element and as a part of the larger plan. This last point is important, for if any individual element solved the problem on its own, why bother with the plan?
- a breakdown of the unified plan — the plan is typically divided into numerous steps, points, planks, daily activities, or something similar. These steps can be arranged in any order that makes sense. For example, you may wish to begin with the easiest step and build to the hardest. Or perhaps you prefer to start with the one that provides the most immediate relief. However, it’s important not to give the readers the impression that any one step is more important than the others. The plan, taken as a whole, is the most important thing.
- case histories & studies — the entire plan, as well as each element of the plan, should have case histories and studies that demonstrate their efficacy and importance.
- a motivational wrap-up — an inspiring call to action will help the readers embrace the entire plan, as opposed to picking and choosing among the elements.

The very first inspirational book I wrote presented a plan for healthier living through positive thinking. Called Wake Up! You’re Alive, the book offers a plan with five elements. All five had to be adopted for the plan to work, although they could be adopted in any order as long the entire plan was eventually embraced.

Chapter 1 in the book introduces both the problem (physical illness is made worse by a poor attitude) and the solution (adopting enthusiasm, belief, love, forgiveness, and perseverance to greatly improve your health.)

Each of the following five chapters discusses one part of the solution, with the last two chapters summing up and inspiring the readers to improve their lives.

Wake Up! You’re Alive utilizes the Cohesive Concept, Point by Point book structure, which you can read about in “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

Health Book Type #2 – Unified Plan

The “unified plan” type of health book presents a complete plan or program for dealing with a particular health issue. The emphasis is on the unified plan rather than any individual component.

The various components of the plan are all important and work in concert. Readers can’t pick and choose which component they wish to use—they must adopt the entire plan.

The elements of the plan don’t have to be new. However, there must be a reason why these particular components have been joined together to create the plan.

The “unified plan” type of health book typically includes:

- a review of the disease/condition — this can be brief or extensive, depending on how well-known and complex it is. However, the number of pages devoted to reviewing the disease/condition should be significantly fewer than the number dedicated to the plan.
- a rationale for the unified plan — an explanation of how the plan was developed, why the various components are included, how they work together to create a happy outcome, and how much relief readers can expect to enjoy when they adopt the plan. The various components are discussed briefly, but not in-depth, in this rationale for the plan.
- an explanation of each element — whether it’s a medicine, modality, supplement, surgery, or whatnot, each element should be discussed, both as an individual element and as a part of the larger plan. This last point is important, for if any individual element solved the problem on its own, why bother with the plan?
- a breakdown of the unified plan — the plan is typically divided into numerous steps, points, planks, daily activities, or something similar. These steps can be arranged in any order that makes sense. For example, you may wish to begin with the easiest step and build to the hardest. Or perhaps you prefer to start with the one that provides the most immediate relief. However, it’s important not to give the readers the impression that any one step is more important than the others. The plan, taken as a whole, is the most important thing.
- case histories & studies — the entire plan, as well as each element of the plan, should have case histories and studies that demonstrate their efficacy and importance.
- a motivational wrap-up — an inspiring call to action will help the readers embrace the entire plan, as opposed to picking and choosing among the elements.

The very first inspirational book I wrote presented a plan for healthier living through positive thinking. Called Wake Up! You’re Alive, the book offers a plan with five elements. All five had to be adopted for the plan to work, although they could be adopted in any order as long the entire plan was eventually embraced.

Chapter 1 in the book introduces both the problem (physical illness is made worse by a poor attitude) and the solution (adopting enthusiasm, belief, love, forgiveness, and perseverance to greatly improve your health.)

Each of the following five chapters discusses one part of the solution, with the last two chapters summing up and inspiring the readers to improve their lives.

Wake Up! You’re Alive utilizes the Cohesive Concept, Point by Point book structure, which you can read about in “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

Health Book Type #3 – Focus on a Substance

In 1998, my wife and fellow ghostwriter, Nadine Taylor, wrote a book called Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life. Her book is a perfect example of the “focus on a substance” type of health book.

The substance her book focuses on is not brand new—if it were, it would be a new treatment. Indeed, the substance may have been written about in the past.

But something about it should be new to the readers. Perhaps, as is the case with green tea, it was not well-known in the United States. Or maybe recent studies have made it worthy of a new look.

The “focus on a substance” type of health book typically includes:

a brief introduction to the substance — what it is, how it can help the readers, and why readers should pay attention to it. This introduction is a quick look at the substance’s highlights, not a deep dive.
the story of the substance — where does it come from, have humans used it medicinally in the past, why is it considered medicinal today? In the case of green tea, the book told of how green tea went from a pleasant drink to the medicine chest in Asia, and how it is breaking through in the Western world.
the value of the substance — why is it worthy of consideration? What diseases/conditions does it ameliorate? Here you can dig deeper into the substance, its makeup, qualities, and medicinal uses.
case histories and studies — these can be included in the discussion of the value of the substance.
charm — since the substance has been known for decades, or even centuries, you can sprinkle in stories of how it used in the past, interesting quotes about it, and so on.

It’s important to note that the substance can be used to ameliorate more than one disease/condition. Remember, the focus is on the substance and its benefits, not on any single disease/condition.

Nadine’s Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life is a good example of the “focus on a substance” type of health book.

The first two chapters introduce green tea and give interesting background on the tea leaf, tea plant, and its healing history. The next three chapters discuss the health benefits of green tea, focusing on cancer and heart disease. Chapter 6 looks at a related form of tea (black tea), and the final four chapters are devoted to the variations and myriad uses of green tea.

Green Tea, which sold over 70,000 copies and was featured by Jamba Juice in their stores, uses the Introducing a New Idea book structure, which you can read about in “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

Green Tea, by Nadine Taylor, representing the concept of a bestselling health book

Health Book Type #3 – Focus on a Substance

In 1998, my wife and fellow ghostwriter, Nadine Taylor, wrote a book called Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life. Her book is a perfect example of the “focus on a substance” type of health book.

The substance her book focuses on is not brand new—if it were, it would be a new treatment. Indeed, the substance may have been written about in the past.

But something about it should be new to the readers. Perhaps, as is the case with green tea, it was not well-known in the United States. Or maybe recent studies have made it worthy of a new look.

The “focus on a substance” type of health book typically includes:

a brief introduction to the substance — what it is, how it can help the readers, and why readers should pay attention to it. This introduction is a quick look at the substance’s highlights, not a deep dive.
the story of the substance — where does it come from, have humans used it medicinally in the past, why is it considered medicinal today? In the case of green tea, the book told of how green tea went from a pleasant drink to the medicine chest in Asia, and how it is breaking through in the Western world.
the value of the substance — why is it worthy of consideration? What diseases/conditions does it ameliorate? Here you can dig deeper into the substance, its makeup, qualities, and medicinal uses.
case histories and studies — these can be included in the discussion of the value of the substance.
charm — since the substance has been known for decades, or even centuries, you can sprinkle in stories of how it used in the past, interesting quotes about it, and so on.

It’s important to note that the substance can be used to ameliorate more than one disease/condition. Remember, the focus is on the substance and its benefits, not on any single disease/condition.

Nadine’s Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life is a good example of the “focus on a substance” type of health book.

The first two chapters introduce green tea and give interesting background on the tea leaf, tea plant, and its healing history. The next three chapters discuss the health benefits of green tea, focusing on cancer and heart disease. Chapter 6 looks at a related form of tea (black tea), and the final four chapters are devoted to the variations and myriad uses of green tea.

Green Tea, which sold over 70,000 copies and was featured by Jamba Juice in their stores, uses the Introducing a New Idea book structure, which you can read about in “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

Health Book Type #4 – Many Approaches for One Disease/Condition

The “many approaches for one disease/condition” type of health book looks at numerous approaches to relieving a single problem. Each approach is considered on its own, not as part of an overall program or plan. Readers may choose to use only one approach, several, or all of them.

All of the approaches could be standard medicine, all could be alternative medicine, or there may be a mix of the standard and alternative.

Nadine’s 25 Natural Ways to Relieve PMS is a good example of the “many approaches for one disease/condition” health book.

The Introduction defines PMS, explaining why it occurs, the risk factors, and other matters.

The following twenty-five chapters each look at a single approach to relieving PMS. These include diet, exercise, vitamins, phytoestrogens, massage, and more.

Each of the twenty-five is discussed on its own; they are not put together in a program. That’s because combining them in a program would shift the emphasis away from the disease/condition and onto the plan.

The “many approaches for one disease/condition” book does not have to be read from start to finish. Instead, readers can pick and choose which approaches to learn about.

25 Natural Ways to Relieve PMS uses the Encyclopedic structure, which you can read about in “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

25 Natural Ways to Relieve PMS, Nadine Taylor, types of health books

Health Book Type #4 – Many Approaches for One Disease/Condition

The “many approaches for one disease/condition” type of health book looks at numerous approaches to relieving a single problem. Each approach is considered on its own, not as part of an overall program or plan. Readers may choose to use only one approach, several, or all of them.

All of the approaches could be standard medicine, all could be alternative medicine, or there may be a mix of the standard and alternative.

Nadine’s 25 Natural Ways to Relieve PMS is a good example of the “many approaches for one disease/condition” health book.

The Introduction defines PMS, explaining why it occurs, the risk factors, and other matters.

The following twenty-five chapters each look at a single approach to relieving PMS. These include diet, exercise, vitamins, phytoestrogens, massage, and more.

Each of the twenty-five is discussed on its own; they are not put together in a program. That’s because combining them in a program would shift the emphasis away from the disease/condition and onto the plan.

The “many approaches for one disease/condition” book does not have to be read from start to finish. Instead, readers can pick and choose which approaches to learn about.

25 Natural Ways to Relieve PMS uses the Encyclopedic structure, which you can read about in “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

Health Book Type #5 – Be In the Room

The “be in the room” health book breaks down the wall between author and reader. Instead of listening to an expert speaking from on high, readers are invited to pull up a chair and chat with other people like them—plus an expert or two to provide information.

The “be in the room” book focuses on a single disease/condition, such as cancer or addiction. The book can be organized by facets of the problem, it can follow people chronologically as they work their way through the problem, or be organized in any other way that makes sense.

Ideally, the “be in the room” book begins with a patient or survivor speaking. They might speak of the physical and/or emotional damage they have suffered, their frustration with the medical system, or perhaps the difficulty in dealing with “regular people” who don’t understand what they are going through.

Whatever the patient or survivor speaks of, it should make the readers feel, “Yeah, that’s me!”

Cancer Talk, a book I co-authored with Selma Schimmel, is a “be in the room” type of health book. The book is based on a nationwide radio program that featured cancer experts and patients discussing various cancer-related problems. Selma and I used transcripts of one-hundred-plus episodes of the show to create the book.

It begins with Selma talking about her difficulty in getting a diagnosis in the Preface. Each of the thirteen chapters that follow deals with an aspect of the cancer journey. These include the doctor-patient relationship, dealing with cancer treatments, being a young adult with cancer, and cancer in the workplace.

Each of these chapters starts with a brief introduction, then has cancer patients and survivors discussing the issue. Selma jumps in every so often to sum up and move the conversation along, and the experts—cancer doctors, psychologists, and so on—contribute information.

The goal is to give the readers the feeling of being in the room with these patients, survivors, and experts. It’s almost as if the readers could raise their hands and ask a question, or tell of their own experience.

Health Book Type #5 – Be In the Room

The “be in the room” health book breaks down the wall between author and reader. Instead of listening to an expert speaking from on high, readers are invited to pull up a chair and chat with other people like them—plus an expert or two to provide information.

The “be in the room” book focuses on a single disease/condition, such as cancer or addiction. The book can be organized by facets of the problem, it can follow people chronologically as they work their way through the problem, or be organized in any other way that makes sense.

Ideally, the “be in the room” book begins with a patient or survivor speaking. They might speak of the physical and/or emotional damage they have suffered, their frustration with the medical system, or perhaps the difficulty in dealing with “regular people” who don’t understand what they are going through.

Whatever the patient or survivor speaks of, it should make the readers feel, “Yeah, that’s me!”

Cancer Talk, a book I co-authored with Selma Schimmel, is a “be in the room” type of health book. The book is based on a nationwide radio program that featured cancer experts and patients discussing various cancer-related problems. Selma and I used transcripts of one-hundred-plus episodes of the show to create the book.

It begins with Selma talking about her difficulty in getting a diagnosis in the Preface. Each of the thirteen chapters that follow deals with an aspect of the cancer journey. These include the doctor-patient relationship, dealing with cancer treatments, being a young adult with cancer, and cancer in the workplace.

Each of these chapters starts with a brief introduction, then has cancer patients and survivors discussing the issue. Selma jumps in every so often to sum up and move the conversation along, and the experts—cancer doctors, psychologists, and so on—contribute information.

The goal is to give the readers the feeling of being in the room with these patients, survivors, and experts. It’s almost as if the readers could raise their hands and ask a question, or tell of their own experience.

Health Book Type #6 – Prove It

The “prove it” type of health book presents solid evidence that a particular substance, modality, plan, or something else is, or is not, efficacious. For example, does acupuncture really work, what science supports it?

Alternative Cures that Really Work, which I coauthored with Ronald Hoffman, M.D., is an example of the “prove it” health book.

The book looks at twenty different health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, colds, coronary heart disease, fibromyalgia, elevated cholesterol, migraine headaches, osteoarthritis, and PMS.

Chapter 1 introduces the problem of conflicting claims and the resulting confusion, while Chapter 2 briefly discusses the different kinds of health studies, how they are used, and how they should be understood.

From there, the next twenty chapters each focuses on a single health issue. Each chapter begins with a short description of the health issue, its symptoms, causes, and standard treatment(s). Then comes a discussion of numerous popular alternative treatments for the issue. Each discussion features a review of the scientific evidence, and includes a rating—from one to three, three being the highest—of the strength of that evidence.

The book doesn’t have to be read from beginning to end. Instead, readers can read chapters of interest to them, put the book on the shelf, and come back to it when their health needs change.

Alternative Cures that Really Work uses the Encyclopedic book structure, which you can read about in “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

Health Book Type #6 – Prove It

The “prove it” type of health book presents solid evidence that a particular substance, modality, plan, or something else is, or is not, efficacious. For example, does acupuncture really work, what science supports it?

Alternative Cures that Really Work, which I coauthored with Ronald Hoffman, M.D., is an example of the “prove it” health book.

The book looks at twenty different health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, colds, coronary heart disease, fibromyalgia, elevated cholesterol, migraine headaches, osteoarthritis, and PMS.

Chapter 1 introduces the problem of conflicting claims and the resulting confusion, while Chapter 2 briefly discusses the different kinds of health studies, how they are used, and how they should be understood.

From there, the next twenty chapters each focuses on a single health issue. Each chapter begins with a short description of the health issue, its symptoms, causes, and standard treatment(s). Then comes a discussion of numerous popular alternative treatments for the issue. Each discussion features a review of the scientific evidence, and includes a rating—from one to three, three being the highest—of the strength of that evidence.

The book doesn’t have to be read from beginning to end. Instead, readers can read chapters of interest to them, put the book on the shelf, and come back to it when their health needs change.

Alternative Cures that Really Work uses the Encyclopedic book structure, which you can read about in “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

Think Flexible!

These six types of health books:

A new treatment
Unified plan
Focus on a substance
Many approaches for one disease/condition
Be in the room
Prove it!

…are not the only way to organize and present your material. There are many other structures, which I’ll talk about in a future article.

It’s also possible that your material may work well with more than one health book type. For example, a book about a new substance for treating a disease can be “a new treatment” type, or be placed with other elements in a “unified plan” type.

Neither are the types mutually exclusive. It is, for example, possible to present a new treatment using a combination of the “new treatment” and “be in the room” types. And “many approaches for one disease/condition” can be melded with the “prove it” type to produce a rock-solid argument for a plan.

So, learn about the various types of health books, as well as the many ways to structure a health book and to begin a health book, and use the combination of approaches that best works for you and your material.

Good luck!

P.S. While you’re thinking flexibly, you may also want to consider what makes a health book a bestseller!

Think Flexible!

These six types of health books:

A new treatment
Unified plan
Focus on a substance
Many approaches for one disease/condition
Be in the room
Prove it!

…are not the only way to organize and present your material. There are many other structures, which I’ll talk about in a future article.

It’s also possible that your material may work well with more than one health book type. For example, a book about a new substance for treating a disease can be “a new treatment” type, or be placed with other elements in a “unified plan” type.

Neither are the types mutually exclusive. It is, for example, possible to present a new treatment using a combination of the “new treatment” and “be in the room” types. And “many approaches for one disease/condition” can be melded with the “prove it” type to produce a rock-solid argument for a plan.

So, learn about the various types of health books, as well as the many ways to structure a health book and to begin a health book, and use the combination of approaches that best works for you and your material.

Good luck!

P.S. While you’re thinking flexibly, you may also want to consider what makes a health book a bestseller!

If You’d Like Help Writing Your Health Book…

Barry Fox explains how to begin a business memoir or autobiography

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We’re Barry Fox and Nadine Taylor, professional ghostwriters and authors with a long list of satisfied clients and editors at major publishing houses.

You can learn about our ghostwriting work and credentials on our Health Book Ghostwriter Page.

For more information, call us at 818-917-5362 or use our contact form to send us a message. We’d love to talk to you about your exciting idea for writing a book!