"The Insider's Guide to Living Kidney Donation: Everything You Need to Know If You Give (or Get) the Greatest Gift" offers nontechnical information and practical advice, and the multifaceted guidance that potential and past donors and kidney patients need. The book explains what to expect before and after the donation and helps recipients deal with the often-neglected, nonmedical aspects of their experience.

Deciding to be a living kidney donor, or having a transplant, is much more than a medical decision. It presents emotional, financial, familial, and even social challenges. This book addresses all these aspects with accessible, thorough information and realistic advice that potential donors and kidney patients need.

The book goes well beyond providing life-changing information for past and potential kidney donors. It speaks from the heart, and through the authors' experience. Carol Offen donated to her son, and Betsy Crais received a kidney from a colleague. This book includes their own candid, moving accounts, along with thought-provoking chapters from others who have been personally or professionally involved in this remarkable process.

Living donation is crucial to reducing the typically several-years-long wait for a deceased-donor organ and the tragic loss of life for those who don't get one in time. This book demystifies the live-donation process by providing all the information that anyone needs to make an informed decision.

Carol Offen is a writer/editor and donation advocate. Her varied publications career includes turns as a magazine editor and writer, an author, book editor, publications manager, and research editor. Early in her career she wrote features for major publications, including Esquire, Family Circle, and Vogue.
In 2006, Carol donated her kidney to her adult son, who had developed chronic kidney disease following a strep infection. She has been passionate about raising awareness of kidney disease ever since her donation. She has written widely about her experience and created a website and blog, kidneydonorhelp.com. As a National Kidney Foundation advocate, Carol has spoken to members of Congress and legislators. As a UNOS Ambassador and Donate Life/WELD member, she also shares her donation story at patient workshops and community groups--and with anyone who'll listen. Carol lives with her husband in Carrboro, North Carolina. Elizabeth (Betsy) Crais is an educator and researcher in speech and hearing sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she has spent most of her career. She has co-authored or co-edited several books and has been published in numerous professional journals. She also has presented at professional meetings in the United States and internationally. Her area of expertise is identifying and intervening with young children with autism spectrum disorder and other disabilities.

In 2004, Betsy, who has polycystic kidney disease, received a kidney transplant. PKD runs in her family, and two of her sisters also had transplants. She has served as a transplant mentor and often speaks to prospective kidney recipients and their families in patient workshops. Betsy lives with her husband in Chapel Hill, North Carolina