Essential Readings in Health Behavior: Theory and Practice is ideal as a companion to the textbook Essentials of Health Behavior. It complements the text in several ways: First, it offers selections from readings referred to and outlined in the text. Second, the annotations introducing the readings provide guidance and tie them to themes outlined in the basic text. Third, the readings provides students and the instructor with options for exploring issues in more depth. Finally, the reader includes case-related articles concerning ways in which the theoretical approaches to behavior have been applied in real-world settings - both successfully and unsuccessfully.