“‘For far too long, the [health care] news has been dominated by myths and misconceptions, and truth has been buried,’ Gregory Dattilo and Dave Racer write in their new book, Your Health Matters: What You Need to Know about U.S. Health Care. The system, they note, is made up of a patchwork of public and private payers, which the authors point out many Americans find complex and confusing. Yet we have a greater stake in how well our health care system functions than in any other industry, because ‘nothing else matters if life itself is threatened by illness or injury,’ they write. Therefore, the U.S. health care system, with its extensive safety net, reflects our willingness to do all within our power to extend life and alleviate pain and suffering. In writing this book, the authors aim to crush health care myths, remove misconceptions, and make people aware that today’s decisions will affect tomorrow’s health care system. They begin by debunking the common misconception that the United States has a ‘healthcare crisis.’ There is no crisis of ‘care,’ say Dattilo and Racer; rather, the United States has a crisis of ‘cost.’” (08/01/06)