Hales, Dianne R. 1950-

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HALES, Dianne R. 1950-

PERSONAL: Born 1950.

ADDRESSES: Home—Marin County, CA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Bantam Books, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

CAREER: Writer.

WRITINGS:

(With Barbara J. Combs and Brian K. Williams) An Invitation to Health: Your Personal Responsibility, Benjamin/Cummings (Menlo Park, CA), 1980, 4th edition published as An Invitation to Health: Taking Charge of Your Life, 1989, 6th edition published as An Invitation to Health: The Power of Prevention, 1994, eighth edition published as An Invitation to Health: The Power of Prevention, Brooks/Cole (Pacific Grove, CA), 1999.

The Complete Book of Sleep: How Your Nights Affect Your Days, Addison-Wesley (Reading, MA), 1981.

(With Herbert A. deVries) Fitness after Fifty, Scribner (New York, NY), 1982.

(With Robert K. Creasy) New Hope for Problem Pregnancies: Helping Babies before They're Born, introduction by Arthur J. Salisbury, Harper (New York, NY), 1982.

(With Robert E. Hales) The U.S. Army Total Fitness Program, introduction by George Allen, Crown (New York, NY), 1985.

Case Histories (nonfiction), Chelsea House (New York, NY), 1987.

How to Sleep like a Baby, Wake up Refreshed, and Get More out of Life, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1987.

The Family, introduction by C. Everett Koop, Chelsea House (New York, NY), 1988.

Pregnancy and Birth, introduction by C. Everett Koop, Chelsea House (New York, NY), 1989, published with a foreword by Sandra Thurman, 2000.

Depression, introduction by C. Everett Koop, Chelsea House (New York, NY), 1989.

(With Timothy R. B. Johnson) Intensive Caring: New Hope for High-Risk Pregnancy, Crown (New York, NY), 1990.

Your Health, Benjamin/Cummings (Redwood City, CA), 1991.

(With Robert E. Hales) Caring for the Mind: The Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health, introduction by Allen Francis, Bantam (New York, NY), 1995.

Just like a Woman: How Gender Science Is Redefining What Makes Us Female, Bantam (New York, NY), 1999.

(With Robert E. Hales) The Mind/Mood Pill Book, Bantam (New York, NY), 2000.

Contributor of articles to magazines. Contributing editor to Parade magazine.

SIDELIGHTS: Dianne R. Hales is the author of more than a dozen books on health. In Caring for the Mind: The Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health, Hales and coauthor, psychiatrist Robert E. Hales, discuss how our current understanding of mental illnesses evolved. They also focus on the variety of psychiatric medical problems that people experience, such as depression, alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders, and sexual dysfunction. In addition, the authors explore mental problems as they pertain to specific populations, such as the elderly and children, and delve into specific treatments. A Publishers Weekly contributor found that "the authors' knowledgeable and compassionate approach makes their thorough guide particularly helpful." Dennis Winters, writing in Booklist, called the book "an easy-to-use reference that deserves its place in the public library."

In Just like a Woman: How Gender Science Is Redefining What Makes Us Female Hales focuses on research as it pertains to the female gender. She points out that most biological and medical research has been performed by men on men but that more and more research on women is being conducted, in part, because more women are entering the sciences. As a result, modern-day researchers are developing a better understanding of both the differences and similarities between men and women in terms of biology and health. In her review of scientific research and literature, Hales delves into a diverse range of disciplines, from anthropology and psychology to neuroscience and endocrinology. She discusses the female biological life cycle (for example, birth, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause) and such issues as female sexuality and spirituality. A Publishers Weekly contributor noted that the book "will be welcomed by readers who want to know why women are different from men but will be frustrating to those more interested in the significance of those differences." Mary Carroll, writing in Booklist, wrote that the author's "straightforward discussions … allow readers to draw their own conclusions while learning a good deal of relatively new information." In a review for the Library Journal, Kelly Hensley called the book "an engrossing snapshot of today's complicated gender landscape."

Hales discusses a wide range of issues in her book Pregnancy and Birth, including fetal development complications, prenatal health, and caring for the newborn. She also provides information on such sexually transmitted diseases as AIDS and herpes. Writing in the School Library Journal, Katie O'Dell felt that Hales does not provide sufficient information on teenage pregnancy and that the "author assumes a woman and man experience each pregnancy as a couple." In a review in Booklist, Shelle Rosenfeld commented that "the presentation is clear and detailed." International Labour Review contributor Christine L. Smith called Pregnancy and Birth "a refreshing, encouraging look at a loaded, often controversial subject, and with references provided for those wanting to probe into the author's sources."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 1, 1995, Dennis Winters, review of Caring for the Mind: The Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health, p. 1543; March 1, 1999, Mary Carroll, review of Just like a Woman: How Gender Science Is Redefining What Makes Us Female, p. 1134; April 1, 2000, Shelle Rosenfeld, review of Pregnancy and Birth, p. 1447.

International Labour Review, winter, 1999, Christine L. Smith, review of Just like a Woman, p. 477.

Library Journal, March 15, 1999, Kelly Hensley, review of Just like a Woman, p. 106.

Publishers Weekly, April 17, 1995, review of Caring for the Mind, p. 49; February 1, 1999, review of Just Like a Woman, p. 68.

School Library Journal, November, 2000, Katie O'Dell, review of Pregnancy and Birth, p. 169.