Some of the most common images of early civilizations — cave paintings of native healers, ancient Egyptian and Chinese cities with sophisticated sewer systems, and much of ancient Greek and Roman architecture — were in fact early attempts at promoting community health. Today's public health advocates, especially those working in the nonprofit sector, can be proud to trace their professional legacies back to the very beginnings of urban and community development. In their 2005 book, Community-Based Health Organizations: Advocating for Improved Health, Marcia Bayne Smith, Yvonne J. Graham, and Sally Guttmacher outline this history, and present innovative ways that their readers, from graduate students to health care providers and from community organizers to research investigators, can approach community-based health solutions.

The publication of this book is timely, as public health is a very hot issue both in academic and nonprofit circles. While there is currently a huge need and growing interest in the field, theory has been lagging behind practice of public health. Community-Based Health Organizations: Advocating for Improved Health is filling a void, and I anticipate the publication of many similar books in the near future.

The authors have extensive experience as academics and community-based health care providers, and draw upon Graham and Guttmacher's experience as board members of the Caribbean Women's Health Association in Brooklyn, NY, as a template for future community-based health organizing efforts. The association is widely acknowledged as a successful example of the implementation of sound public health practices among New York's Caribbean immigrants, a "hard to serve" population whose numbers rose by 40% in the decade between 1990 and 2000. Predominately hailing from Jamaica and Haiti, Brooklyn's West Indian population faces high rates of HIV and other infectious diseases, and various socio-economic factors that limit access to modern medicine. The association's achievement is due in no small part to its employment of community members, and its sensitivity to the unique needs of this group.

Drawing upon this successful model, the authors suggest ways that practicing public health professionals can address issues ranging from the role of the health advocate in immigration cases, the relationship between class and health, and the role of women in promoting community health. Tying together these seemingly disparate themes is a unifying belief in community empowerment, largely drawn from Saul Alinsky's model of community organizing. For those already familiar with his work, the book is at times tedious. It may also be a bit unrealistic, considering that today's public health professional will almost certainly find him or herself working too closely with government and private interests to be ultimately beholden to the community.

Community-Based Health Organizations is definitely geared toward a professional audience, and will be a valuable addition to the library of anyone studying or practicing public health. Its focus on ESL and immigrant communities will make it particularly helpful for those working in such communities, but the book's ideas extend quite well to the needs of all those underserved for health care. It is highly recommended for anyone seeking to understand the complicated factors at work in today's health care system.

For citations to additional materials on this topic refer to the Literature of the Nonprofit Sector Online, using the subject headings headings "Health care" or "Public health."