The Silent Assassin.

This book provides the ultimate insiders' look into the world of kidney diseases. There is a gaping chasm between the latest medical literature and what patients actually understand about potentially fatal kidney diseases. This book is an attempt to reduce sophisticated medical literature into simple, bite-sized, digestible material to reduce fear of the unknown. Through this book, Dr. Ahmad hopes to empower his patients with data that will help them make rational and informed decisions for their health and wellbeing.

A wise man once asked 2 blind men to describe an elephant. One touched the trunk and the other handled the tail. Neither of them had encountered an elephant previously. Would you say that they were both accurate when the first man described the elephant as a large python and the second one as a rope? After being a physician for 31 years, Dr. Ahmad has found that many of his colleagues are struggling to bridge the gap between the information available in medical literature and patients and family members' comprehension. He believes medical professionals leave a lot to be desired in terms of navigating the labyrinth of medical literature. Although The Center for Disease Control and the American Society of Nephrology do a stellar job conveying knowledge to kidney disease patients, there is more to be shared. Nine out of ten patients with kidney disease are unaware of their diagnosis. The medical literacy rate for Black Americans is only 2% and only 14% for White Americans. This book is an attempt to bridge the gap between the latest medical knowledge and a layperson's health care literacy, so that patients and family members can feel equipped to make major decisions about their healthcare and wellbeing.

Testimonial by Dr.Kathryne Tapper. Dr. Ahmad is the most intelligent, humble, kind-hearted and diligent board certified nephrologist that I know. He has over 31 years of experience as an award-winning leader in his field of kidney health and disease. As a passionate educator throughout his medical career, he felt a strong desire to convey to his patients in a clear and simple way what he thought he would like to know if he had the disease. This book was designed to bridge the gap between the latest medical knowledge of kidney disease and health care literacy within the general public. Being a patient with chronic kidney disease as well as being a board certified physician myself, I have had the privilege of both working with Dr. Ahmad and also being one of his patients. As a result, I have the unique lens of reading this book, "The Silent Assassin" from both perspectives: patient and doctor. I can honestly say that the wealth of knowledge you will read in this book is nothing short of AMAZING! Dr. Ahmad's dedication to public education shines through this book as he spans the discussion of kidney disease starting from a historical perspective all the way to the impact of nutrition, cost, mental health, employment and even Covid-19. After reading this book, you will walk away feeling empowered to use the information to help you make rational and informed decisions for your overall health and well being. Dr. Ahmad's book is a MUST-READ!