ABOUT THE BOOKIn today's world, the amount of germs lurking in our shadows is astounding. It's impossible to avoid germs altogether. However, staying away from germs is your best defense against getting sick. People who get sick frequently are more likely to die at a younger age from common illnesses than people who stay relatively healthy throughout their lifetime. Although contracting the common cold may seem like a minor inconvenience, it is important to your long-term well being to avoid germs at all costs.Many people know the common germy areas to avoid. For example, it is common knowledge that you should put toilet paper down on public toilet seats, and that it's necessary to wash your hands after cooking raw meat. But germs lurk in many places that that people don't immediately think about. Germs truly do live all around us, and it is a great idea to know where to look for them in common places so that you can avoid them in the future.EXCERPT FROM THE BOOKAnyone who goes to the gym knows that it is the rule to clean the equipment before and after you use it, but not everyone abides by that rule. Sweat is home to hundreds of germs, and it often drenches the equipment. If people don't clean the gym equipment, then you are touching all of those germs that the person before you left.In 2006, the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine tested many different types of equipment at many different fitness centers. They found that on 63 percent of the tested equipment there was rhinovirus germs. The rhinovirus germ is the main instigator of the common cold. They also found that weight equipment had an even higher percentage of rhinovirus present: 73 percent. The worst and most disheartening thing that the researchers found was that cleaning the equipment twice a day did absolutely nothing to lower the amount of rhinovirus that was present on the equipment.In order to combat the rhinovirus germ at gyms, try to avoid touching your face after you change equipment at the gym. The rhinovirus is often transmitted through hand-to-nose contact, so if you avoid touching your face or itching your nose, then you should be protected. Also pack hand sanitizer in your gym bag...Buy a copy to keep reading!