Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #265812 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780618479085
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Amazon.com Review
Why do we get sick? How do we get well? How do we avoid getting sick again? Dr. Andrew Weil attempts to answer these fundamental questions in Health and Healing, but the real joy of the book isn't in learning the answers, but in following his mind down the path to an answer.

He starts with homeopathy, a treatment that, to an outsider, seems more like a leap of faith than an actual system of healing. Weil recounts how homeopathy cured--completely cured--an annoying intestinal problem he suffered. Then he discusses the principles and history of this type of treatment, including the surprising ways in which homeopathy has affected the course of modern medicine. Finally, he gets to the real question: does homeopathy work or is it simply a placebo effect? The only reasonable answer is "maybe," but accompanying Weil as he gets to that answer is a fascinating experience.

One of the strongest points made in this book is that "perfect health" is simply unattainable. We're all going to feel bad sometimes. Another is that the body eventually heals most of its injuries, illnesses, and infections--up to 90 percent of them, by some estimates. But it's the other 10 percent that raise havoc. Weil, trained as a medical doctor, believes that conventional medicine is great at handling trauma and sudden, life-threatening conditions like heart attacks, but it's less good at dealing with chronic conditions like arthritis. Health and Healing examines the strengths and weaknesses of both conventional and alternative medicine, and offers a roadmap to determine which is best for what ails you. --Lou Schuler

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Customer Reviews

Objective View Of Mulitple Healing Modalities
Dr. Weil presents an objective view of many healing modalities that may be familar to most Americans. He includes allopathic (traditional Western) medicine, homeopathic, naturopathic, osteopathic, and chiropractic paths; acupunction, holistic medicine, shamanism/mind cures/faith healing, and psychic healing. He not only presents assets and disadvantages of each modality, but also presents some theories on why any course of treatment works. He explores the role of faith and the patient's belief in the treatment as a positive contributor to the effectiveness of the treatment. He describes the "placebo effect", where people are cured of illness by drugs that have no biological affect on the illness. He discusses the origins and effectiveness of pharmeceutical drugs and narcotics.

Dr. Weil's questioning leads the reader to also question his/her own role in healing and in making appropriate choices in health care. His treatise does not entirely put down allopathic or alternative medicine, but does put each in its place so the reader is left with a sense of responsibility. It is up to us to decide what we, as persons seeking health, need in terms of treatment and what will choose to place our faith in.

An excellent overview of the history of alternative medicine
This book is required reading for all students at the Clayton College of Natural Health. It should, in fact, be required reading for anyone entering the field of health, as it convincingly drives home an important point: just because allopathy ("conventional" or "western" medicine) has the most powerful medical lobby in the US, its history is far from flawless, and is often downright embarrassing when compared with that of time-honored systems such as homeopathy or tribal approaches to healing. In an entertaining and lucid manner, Dr Weil introduces the reader to many of the alternative approaches still being practiced the world over, and their advantages and shortcomings. He also points to the need for ALL kinds of medicines, and provides guidelines on which types of dis-eases are best handled by the various specialties. All in all, a thoroughly readable and informative book which will hopefully abolish forever the popular regard of M.D.s as "demigods in white," and the idea that allopathic medicine is the only credible and worthwhile approach to healing our sick.

This book is a great book.
I have known and a been friend and colleague with Dr. Weil, so I am biased. But when I read this book when it was first released in the 1980's I couldn't put it down. And I find myself returning to it often and recommending it to my patients that are new to integrative medical approaches. In this book, Dr. Weil shares his wealth of personal experience and professional wisdom which tells the story and history which led to the even greater of his works to follow. I do not miss anything he writes, but this one is especially favorite for the information about the history of the world's journey for health and healing.