Six Things I Like About Doug Kelsey’s New Book

I first mentioned Doug Kelsey’s latest book, The 90 Day Knee Arthritis Remedy, here. Kelsey, as anyone who read Saving My Knees knows, is the person that I credit the most with helping me figure out how to fix my knee pain -- and giving me the hope that I could be successful.

I planned to write a book review but -- yawn -- those are so 20th century, right? :) Plus, I can’t pretend impartiality here; I clearly owe him a large debt.

So instead, I give you this list of what I liked most about the book.

(1) The writing includes many examples. I like this style for a few reasons:

It makes for smoother reading.

It helps reinforce a sense of authority -- he can cite so many relevant examples because he’s seen so many patients.

It’s effective when showing how conventional wisdom for treating bad knees falls short, as with “Sue,” whose condition doesn’t improve when Kelsey, early in his career, tries applying the standard muscle-strengthening approach to fix her pain.

(2) He attacks foolish myths and exalts logical truths. For example, he talks about how, many years ago, he was perplexed by the idea that cartilage is inert and just wears out and nothing can be done -- end of story. He realizes something: This makes no sense. And it makes no sense, understandably, because it’s simply not true.

(3) You want exercises? You got exercises.

The book has plenty, with photos and video links too. Kelsey even includes multiple exercises to choose from when you have a highly sensitive and easily overwhelmed knee joint.

(4) The writing is smartly footnoted.

So Kelsey’s not just saying, “Here’s what I think” but “Here’s what I think and here’s some hard evidence why I think that.”

(5) There’s a little something for everyone.

There are abundant exercises if you’re just interested in therapeutic movement. There’s an analysis of dietary supplements if that’s what you want to know about. There’s Kelsey’s easy-to-digest explanation of the biomechanics of the knee joint.

(6) Plus, something I really like at the end: Kelsey concludes by taking a long look at “stumbling blocks.” Why, after trying so hard, have you failed to get better? This is the section that emphasizes the importance of getting your head right. How do you deal with doubt, impatience, failure to focus, worry? For some people, this part will be even more important than the description of all the exercises.

Last thing: I saw that “TriAgain,” who’s made some great, interesting contributions to this blog, made some remarks about what he saw as flaws in the book. I just wanted to say that, to be fair, Kelsey’s not a professional writer and he most probably didn’t have a professional editor helping to shape his prose. I happen to like Kelsey’s style, but that’s just me.

Also, try not to be too hard on him if he doesn’t respond to questions (or suggests you may need a “consultation,” probably at some cost). :) I can tell you, as someone who wrote a what-to-do-about-bad-knees book, that even though I lack the expertise to advise anyone, readers have approached me about essentially becoming their coach and sounding board. I always try to decline with tact and modesty, because really, I’m not qualified. So I imagine someone like Kelsey -- who clearly is very qualified -- gets scores of questions and requests. It would be overwhelming, I’m sure, for him to try to engage with everyone who wants to.

Still, I’m sure Doug Kelsey is as open to comments as I am, so anyone wishing to express an opinion on The 90 Day Knee Arthritis Remedy, whether good or bad, feel free to leave your thoughts below.