Harold Silverman is a prominent pharmacologist who has written the bestselling, life- saving book, The Pill Book: The Illustrated Guide to the Most-Prescribed Drugs in the U.S. This book lists the 1600 most-commonly prescribed drugs and provides descriptions, including side effects, adverse reactions, and warnings. Silverman has said, "Books like mine make it possible for people to care for themselves effectively, and on more than one occasion The Pill Book has saved a life by alerting someone to a drug's side effect". Four million copies of this drug dictionary have been sold. It is in its 8th edition and has drawn praise for providing official FDA-approved information in a readable, easy-to-use format. Silverman has also written, The Consumer's Guide to Poison Protection (1984), The Women's Drug Store (1985) and The Vitamin Book: A No-Nonsense Consumer Guide (1993). He is a frequent contributor to professional journals, with more than 35 published articles to his credit. Harold Martin Silverman was born in New York City in 1945. He is married and the father of two daughters. He holds B.S. and Pharm.D degrees from Columbia University where he was assistant professor of pharmacy 1969-1976. In a long and distinguished career, he has also taught at Long Island University and at Herbert H. Lehman College, both in New York. Since 1983, Silverman has been a full-time pharmacy consultant and writer.