When was the last time you enjoyed a day of perfect health? A day when there was nothing - absolutely nothing - wrong with you?

Most of us feel slightly out of sorts a great deal of the time; maybe even every day. However, we often just regard our minor ailments as little more than what doctors would call a cervicalgia - a pain in the neck. But this book shows they deserve much more attention and respect.

Covering 100 ailments, Graham Lawton explains the latest scientific thinking about everything from blackheads to chilblains; dead legs to haemorrhoids; ear wax to hiccups; and hay fever to heat stroke. It's a mixture of science, medicine, anecdotes and history and provides practical information about each ailment.

Understanding a little more about minor ailments should help us to get better faster - and maybe even avoid them in the first place.

So, mustn't grumble. After all, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.