Book excerpt: Understanding Your Health offers an exciting and practical approach to the teaching of the traditional content areas of personal health. Its two key themes - the six dimensions of health and the five developmental tasks - help students apply the text's content to their own lives, by improving their decision-making skills. The strength of the Understanding Your Health narrative includes its appeal to both traditional and non-traditional students, particularly the special attention it pays to students over age 25 who have returned to college. In addition, among its many health assessment activities, Understanding Your Health includes one of the most comprehensive health assessments found in any personal health textbook - a great tool for establishing a health baseline for students. The companion Online Learning Center (website) offers a wealth of pedagogical and assessment features, including quizzes, Internet activities, downloadable MP3s, and more.