Winter, Ruth (Nancy G.) 1930-

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WINTER, Ruth (Nancy G.) 1930-

PERSONAL: Born May 29, 1930, in Newark, NJ; daughter of Robert Delmas (a judge) and Rose (a physical education teacher; maiden name, Rich) Grosman; married Arthur Winter (a neurosurgeon), June 16, 1955; children: Robin, Craig, Grant. Education: Upsala College, B.A., 1951.

ADDRESSES: Home—44 Holly Dr., Short Hills, NJ 07078. Agent—Toni Mendez, Inc., 140 East 56th St., New York, NY 10022. E-mail—Rwinter@BrainBody. com.

CAREER: Writer. General assignment reporter for Newark Star Ledger, Newark, NJ, 1951-55, and Houston Press, Houston, TX, 1955-56; Newark Star Ledger, science editor, 1956-69; Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Los Angeles, CA, columnist, 1974-78. Instructor in Teach Prose Program, St. Peter's College, 1969. Director of Non-Fiction Writer's Conference, American Society of Journalists and Authors and Long Island University, 1975, 1976, 1978. Fellow of board of trustees, Upsala College.

MEMBER: Authors America, American Society of Journalists and Authors (president, 1977-78), Overseas Press Club, National Association of Science Writers, American Medical Writers, American Association for the Advancement of Science, New Jersey Presswomen's Association, New Jersey Daily Newspaperwomen.

AWARDS, HONORS: New Jersey Daily Newspaper Women, award for series, 1960, Woman of Achievement Award, 1971; Science Writer's Award, American Dental Association, 1966; New Jersey Dental Society Award, 1968; Cecil Award, Arthritis Foundation, 1968, for series on arthritis in Newark Star Ledger, 1977, for article, "Update on Arthritis," in Ladies Home Journal; Citizens Award, New Jersey Academy of General Practice, 1969; Essex County Heart Association Award, 1969; Upsala College Alumna of the Year, 1970; New Jersey Presswomen's Association Award for Books, 1975, for Don't Panic; National Association of Science Teachers Award, 1977, for Scent Talk among Animals; named Woman of Achievement, Millburn-Short Hills Professional and Business Women's Association, 1991; Eric W. Martin Memorial Award, American Medical Writers Association, for magazine articles; additional awards from American Academy of General Practice, 1971, American Osteopathic Association, and American Academy of Family Practice.

WRITINGS:

Poisons in Your Food, Crown (New York, NY), 1969, revised edition published as Beware of the Foods You Eat, 1971, revised edition published as Poisons in Your Food: The Dangers You Face and What You Can Do about Them, 1991.

How to Reduce Your Medical Bills, Crown (New York, NY), 1971.

A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, Crown (New York, NY), 1972, 5th edition, Three Rivers Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Vitamin E: The Miracle Vitamin, Arco Publishing (New York, NY), 1972.

Ageless Aging: How Science Is Winning the Battle to Help You Extend Your Healthy and Productive Years, Crown (New York, NY), 1973.

A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, Crown (New York, NY), 1973, 5th edition, Three Rivers Press (New York, NY), 1999.

So You Have Sinus Trouble, Grosset (New York, NY), 1973.

So You Have a Pain in the Neck, Grosset (New York, NY), 1974.

Don't Panic, Western Publishing, 1975.

The Fragile Bond, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1976.

Triumph over Tension, Grosset (New York, NY), 1976.

The Smell Book, Lippincott (Philadelphia, PA), 1976.

Scent Talk among Animals (juvenile), Lippincott (Philadelphia, PA), 1977.

Cancer-Causing Agents: A Preventative Guide, Crown (New York, NY), 1979.

Feet First, Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 1980.

The Scientific Case against Smoking, Crown (New York, NY), 1980.

The People's Handbook of Allergies and Allergens, Contemporary Books (Chicago, IL), 1984.

(With husband, Arthur Winter) Build Your Brain Power: The Latest Techniques to Preserve, Restore, and Improve Your Brain's Potential, St. Martin's (New York, NY), 1986, revised edition published as Brain Workout: Easy Ways to Power Up Your Memory, Sensory Perception, and Intelligence, 1999.

(With Arthur Winter) Eat Right, Be Bright, St. Martin's (New York, NY), 1988, revised edition published as Smart Food: Diet and Nutrition for Maximum Brain Power, 1999.

A Consumer's Dictionary of Household, Yard, and Office Chemicals, Crown (New York, NY), 1992.

(With Bonnie Eaker-Weil) Adultery, the Forgivable Sin: Healing the Inherited Patterns of Betrayal in Your Family, Carol (New York, NY), 1993.

A Consumer's Dictionary of Medicines: Prescription, Over-the-Counter, and Herbal: Plus MedicalDefinitions, Crown (New York, NY), 1993, new edition published as A Consumer's Dictionary of Medicines: Prescription, Over-the-Counter, Homeopathic, and Herbal, plus Medical Definitions, 1996.

(With Arthur Winter) Consumer's Guide to Free Medical Information by Phone and by Mail, Prentice Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1993.

A Consumer's Guide to Medicines in Food: Nutraceuticals That Help Prevent and Treat Physical and Emotional Illnesses, Crown (New York, NY), 1995.

Super Soy: The Miracle Bean: Includes a Cookbook of 50 Soy Recipes, Crown (New York, NY), 1996.

The Anti-Aging Hormones That Can Help You Beat the Clock: Benefits and Dangers of: Melatonin, Human Growth Hormone, DHEA, Estrogen, Testosterone, Insulin, Leptin, Thyroid, Growth Factors, Three Rivers Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Brain Workout: Easy Ways to Power Up Your Memory, Sensory Perception and Intelligence, St. Martin's (New York, NY), 1997.

Vitamin E: Your Protection against Exercise Fatigue, Weakened Immunity, Heart Disease, Cancer, Aging, Diabetic Damage, Environmental Toxins, Three Rivers Press (New York, NY), 1998.

(With Gloria Beim) The Female Athlete's Body Book: How to Prevent and Treat Sports Injuries in Women and Girls, Contemporary Books (Chicago, IL), 2003.

Contributor to Ladies Home Journal, L'Offıciel, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Family Weekly, Science Digest, Reader's Digest, Glamour, Town and Country, and other periodicals. Former editor of Pulse of Sports (newsletter of Sports Safety and Health Care Society); writer of Backstage Healthletter.

SIDELIGHTS: Award-winning science writer Ruth Winter has written extensively on health topics, food safety, and medicines. In A Consumer's Dictionary of Household, Yard, and Offıce Chemicals, for example, Winter provides the ordinary consumer of household cleaning products with information about the hazards and potential dangers of these chemicals if used incorrectly. Her book documents the environmental dangers these chemicals may also pose. Included are explanations of how to read the ingredient labels on household products and a listing of common chemicals, how they are used, and what dangers they present. Bettina Wood, in her review for Pediatrics for Parents, concluded: "We may not have control over outdoor pollution or hidden additives, but we can control what we purchase for household use, with a Consumer's Dictionary of Household, Yard, and Offıce Chemicals." Winter's book A Consumer's Dictionary of Medicines: Prescription, Over-the-Counter and Herbal is a complete guide to common medicines for the average consumer. The reviewer for Booklist explained that the book contains descriptions of medicines, each entry containing "the chemical name of the drug and its brand names, uses, side effects, and interactions with other drugs or foods."

With her doctor husband, Arthur, Winter has written several books and coedits the Web site BrainBody. com. The Web site contains "information about food additives, cosmetic ingredients, nutrition, medicines and the latest health news," as an introduction to the site explained. Winter also writes the Backstage Healthletter, an electronic newsletter on breaking health news.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 1994, review of A Consumer's Dictionary of Medicines: Prescription, Over-the-Counter and Herbal, p. 849; May 15, 1996, Barbara Jacobs, review of Super Soy: The Miracle Bean, p. 1559.

Pediatrics for Parents, September, 1993, Bettina Wood, review of A Consumer's Dictionary of Household, Yard, and Offıce Chemicals, p. 6.

Publishers Weekly, May 31, 1993, review of Adultery, the Forgivable Sin, p. 38; October 6, 1997, "Do It Yourself," p. 29.