"John Vine says he wrote this book for people who have been newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Well, I was diagnosed 24 years ago, and I still learned something new on every page." - Michael Kinsley, Vanity Fair columnist and author of Old Age: A Beginner's Guide. A Parkinson's Primer begins where John Vine's education about Parkinson's disease began -- with his diagnosis in 2004 at age 60. Relying on his experiences over the past 12 years, John writes knowledgeably about the basics of the disease: its causes, symptoms, and effects. He examines current treatments as well as therapies in development. He has compiled easy-to-reference lists such as "Myths and Misconceptions," "Questions" for patients to ask doctors, "Drugs Treating Movement Symptoms," and John's personal "Guidelines." John also interviewed 22 Parkinson's patients and their partners, whose stories and advice he includes throughout. Parkinson's is the second most prevalent neuro-degenerative disease in the U.S.; approximately 60,000 people are diagnosed each year. Here is the book that John and his wife, Joanne, wish they could have consulted when John was first diagnosed -- a clear, candid, nontechnical, personal guide written from the patient's perspective. It is essential reading not only for the newly diagnosed patient but for all Parkinson's patients and their loved ones. As John writes in his preface: "I wrote this book to help Parkinson's patients become better patients, to help their relatives become better relatives, and to help their friends become better friends." John M. Vine and his wife, Joanne, live in Washington, D.C., where he practices law with Covington & Burling LLP. John is the senior member and former head of Covington's employee benefits group. Over the years, John has represented clients before the Treasury and Labor Departments and other federal agencies, testified at hearings held by House and Senate committees, and litigated cases in the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Since his diagnosis with Parkinson's in 2004, John has spent considerable time learning about the disease, interviewing other patients and their partners, and developing the ideas presented in this book. - Publisher.