Tara Parker-Pope

Tara Parker-Pope is an author of books on health topics and a columnist for the New York Times, where she writes the Well blog.^[1][2]

Work

Her books include "For Better: How the Surprising Science of Happy Couples Can Help Your Marriage Succeed," "The Hormone Decision," and "Cigarettes: Anatomy of an Industry from Seed to Smoke."^[1]

Prior to joining the New York Times, Parker-Pope wrote for the Wall Street Journal.^[3]

Personal life

Parker-Pope was born in Arizona, and has lived in Japan, Taiwan, Texas and Ohio. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her daughter and several pets.^[4]

Reception by other journalists

Other journalists, in the USA and across the world, cite Parker-Pope as a serious columnist and a valuable point of reference on the social topics on which she writes:

• Peter Gosselin, reviewing Parker-Pope's book in the New York Times, describes the book as "a useful guide to the world's most lethal legal industry, and to efforts to reduce the carnage at a time when globalization is extending opportunities for self-destruction through smoke to billions." ^[5]

• The Week cites Parker-Pope in its discussion of the issue of teenage drinking: "After watching the latest Harry Potter movie, I have to ask, “Does Hogwarts have a drinking problem?” said Tara Parker-Pope in The New York Times. Unlike in previous Harry Potter movies, alcohol has a “starring role” in “The Half-Blood Prince.”" ^[6]

• Australia's 'ON LINE opinion' quotes Parker-Pope: "According to Tara Parker Pope writing in the New York Times, American pediatricians are recommending wider cholesterol screening for children and more aggressive use of cholesterol-lowering drugs, starting as early as the age of eight, in the hope of preventing adult heart problems. This has followed guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics which also calls for children to be given low-fat milk after 12 months of age. The academy estimates that 30 to 60 per cent of children with high cholesterol are being missed under screening guidelines and that statins or cholesterol-lowering drugs, may be their best hope of lowering their risk of early heart attack."^[7]

• 'Dissident Voice' praises Parker-Pope's health reporting, writing: "As reported by The New York Times’ excellent health columnist Tara Parker-Pope, all use of cellular telephones while operating an automobile — in both “hands-free” and hands-on forms — is as dangerous as drunk driving, research announced today shows. That means many thousands of people in the USA and around the world are being killed each year by the public’s continuing toleration of this ubiquitous practice."^[8]

• The Arizona Daily Star cites Parker-Pope as an authority on health matters: "...and trigger a brain-chemical release that stimulates a "shopping high ," health writer Tara Parker-Pope said in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal."^[9]

• The Los Angeles Times reviews Parker-Pope's book on marriage with the words: "One of the perks of being a journalist is that it can give professional license to explore subjects of personal interest and to knock on doors closed to most people -- all in the course of doing your job. Author Tara Parker-Pope has made the most of that opportunity with her excellent new book, "For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage.""^[10]

For Better...

Parker-Pope's book on marriage, For Better, was enthusiastically received by reviewers.

• "For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage" from Newsweek
• "Book Review: 'For Better' by Tara Parker-Pope" from Los Angeles Times
• "'For Better' Offers Hope, Optimism About Marriage" from The Wall Street Journal
• "Scientific look at marriage" and "'For Better' takes scientific look at marriage" from Associated Press
• "Editorial Review" from Publishers Weekly
• "A Chemistry Set For 'The Science Of A Good Marriage'" from All Things Considered
• "Book review: 'For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage,' by Tara Parker-Pope" from The Washington Post
• "MIND Reviews: For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage" from Scientific American
• "Book Review: For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage" from GeekDad (part of Wired).

Bibliography

• Tara Parker-Pope. CIGARETTES: Anatomy of an Industry From Seed to Smoke. New York: The New Press. 2001. ISBN 978-0-7567-9138-4

• Tara Parker-Pope. For Better (For Worse): The Science of a Good Marriage: Lessons from the Love Lab. Vermilion, 2010. ISBN 978-0-09-192927-5

• Tara Parker-Pope. HRT: Everything you need to know to ... Untangle the controversy, understand your option and make your own choices. Rodale, 2007. ISBN 978-1-905744-10-7

• Tara Parker-Pope. The Hormone Decision. Pocket Books, 2008. ISBN 978-1-4165-6201-6

References