Complementary-Therapy Books

When I ordered the book I did not know that it was a paperback edition. But at the price I guess I could not expect more. Tjhe book was is mint condition, save and except expected aging. I am satisfied.

Everyone would benefit from reading Dr. Ott's book, Health and Light. The information in it is vitally important to our health and well being as we live on this planet. If everyone understood what Dr. Ott learned about the importance of natural light, we'd all be a LOT healthier and happier.

This book is just amazing. Unless you have read this book, you have absolutely no idea to which extent light and more generally electromagnetic radiation influences our health and our life. If the knowlegde contained inside the pages of this book would be spread more widely, mankind would make vast improvements.

This book belongs in a list of books that are all written by pioneers in their particular field of study, and that would have huge implications if more people would have read them.

Do you want to be in control of your life? Do you want to understand, prevent and cure disease? Do you want to feel great not just physically, but mentally as well? Do you want to stop losing loved ones because of terrible diseases? Then read the following books: 'Nutrition And Physical Degeneration' by Weston A. Price, 'Enzyme Nutrition' by Edward Howell, 'The Truth About Children's Health' by Robert Bernardini, 'The Body Electric' by Robert Becker and 'Health And Light' by John Ott. If you have read these books, you will know much more about health than every doctor or scientist, but you will also have a much better understanding of industry, politics and society in general. Above all, you will have the power to change things for the better.

John Nash Ott in his breakthrough book warns of the dangers of the overuse and under-regulation of modern electromagnetic technology. He also discusses the negative effects of digital watches, certain man made fibers such as polyester and vinyl, ionizing-type smoke detectors, certain types of fluorescent lighting, video display terminals, electronic fetal monitoring equipment in hospitals, and other high technology items. The book has easy-to-do demonstrations showing the relationship of colored lighting and the positive and negative effects that it can create. He links light, color and health.

Look no farther for information on the effects of light on humans and other living creatures. John Ott is the pioneer who discovered through his slow motion photography that the quality of light has a profound effect on all of us.

Every household must have this book, ortodox medicine is dangerous an full of lies,get healthy get this book.

I can't begin to tell you how much I love this book.

1.Its easy to follow!
2.Color photos of each herb
3.A directory of ailments and detailed solutions!!

I plan to buy more of her books soon!!

My mom has one, my sister has one ,both my grandmothers have one, my aunts have one...we all have one and we swear by them! It contains detailed information and pictures of each herb, what it's good for, how to prepare it and different preparations for the same herb for different purposes such as teas and oils etc. The author who is German also shares amusing anekdotes about people and their illnesses that she has healed with herbs described in the book. This is truly one of the best herbal remedy-books I have seen. Very informative and extremely useful.

Speaking of my past medical history, I know these herbal remedies heal. I was diagnosed with an incurable disease of the bladder named "Interstitial Cystitis" and went to a good urologist for many years for treatment.By coincidence, my mother found this herbal book in German and told me there would be a cure in herbal science possible. My Godmother from Germany bought a tea from this book called:" Small flowered Willowrose" - I drank this tea for many months to come and I am cured because of it. I am a true believer in this and recommend this book to everyone out there who wants to get healed in a natural way without chemicals.

I have used herbs, & herbal remedies in the past, pre internet, then sort of forgot about them. You know busy etc..When Dr.'s started to prescribe way too much medicine, I thought, DUH!

Well, I needed something easy to read because herbs, if you don't understand them, can be dangerous to your health. This book is easy to understand, and now with the internet, so I can find the herbs, all I can say is, Great!

Just from getting back on track with what my body needs, I've lost 15lbs since Thanksgiving.

I am studying herbal medicine, and this is an excellent refresher for my courses. It would also be a great introduction to all of the basic concepts of herbal medicine for non-scholastic endeavors. Christopher Hobbs is well known in the field, and a highly reliable source.

I own about a dozen books on herbal medicine and I keep finding myself back to this one time and time again. It is well written with a ton of useful information ranging from uses,terminology, cautions, and best ways to use the herbs. A must have for anyone interested in herbal medicine

I found this book very well written and very well balanced. It is invaluable for the newcomer to herbs, and would be a valuable addition to the bookshelf of a more experienced user too. It's one of those books which sits in my kitchen and gets referred to almost every day.

This is an excellent resource book. Rosemary gives you natural remedies to common ailments that we all suffer from. Her books are easy to read and comprehend and a valuable addition to any herbal library. I can't say enough good things about her books: she gives you recipies to follow, ways to prepare herbal concoctions in various forms using a variety of bases and her writing is very down to earth.

Here is the however: This book and a few of her others are completely included in her book "Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal". The "Family Herbal" includes: Taming Stress & Anxiety, Home Remedies for Everyday Ailments, Recipes for Radiant Beauty, For Children, For Women, For Men and also For Elders and even more information then that - including information on how to prepare herbs, An A - Z Herbal Apothecary, etc...

The only book, where the topic is also touched on in "The Family Herbal", I would purchase aside from "The Family Herbal" is "Herbal Healing For Women" and any of her other books whose titles aren't included in "The Family Herbal"

I use her recipe for cleansing grains every day. It's the only thing I've found that cleans my super dry skin without leaving it drier. Also used her directions to henna my hair for the first time. I order her products as well and they are all wonderful.

I appreciate books like this that are relatively inexpensive and good
to have on hand to give the best of the best and the most useful of
the useful. Gladstars book explains those basic herbs that we should
have around the house all of the time... Buy this book to see what you
need to keep stocked in your medicine closet.

Rosemary Gladstar truly knows her subject matter. She has perfected the way to individualize health concerns and write detailing the herbal treatments for that area. In this book, however she has given us the most important and the most "universal" (in terms of their diverse uses) herbs that we should always have on hand. I don't think it was an accident that her name is Rosemary. Good work Ms. Gladstar.

Nice book with illustrations. Reminds you of how far we have come with sanitation. If you are interested in Hildegard of Bingen's career or armomatherapy or herbs, you'll find material of interest here.

www.babsbakery.com
http://www.babsbakery.com/hildegard.html

List of suggested Hildegard books to read:

HILDEGARDS HEALING PLANTS, From Her Medieval Classic PHYSICA, Translated by Bruce W. Hozeski. The general theories underlying Hildegard's writings of balancing the hot and cold 'humours' reflects the approach to Eastern healing. This is a book that captures the attention in accordance to Traditional Chinese Medical thought and food energetics, while introducing a refreshing way to keep health of the mind/body/spirit. Karan Schneider, PhD., MS., BBA, GC-C, CH-C, SC-C -Founder BABS Bakery. www.babsbakery.com

Hildegard Von Bingen was a mystic, a musician, a moralist, as well as a poet, playright, and prophet. She added a little science in there, too, and some believe she must have been a physician. She follows the tradition of the time in that created things are composed of four elements: hot or cold, and wet or dry. She then goes on to tell the medicinal uses for over 200 plants. From aloe to oats to valerian, even an opinion on St. John's wort, it is amazing that the same plants continue to be a part of natural healing over 800 years after this book was written. That alone makes the book very interesting...

Before echinacea and homeopathy there was Hildegard and her medieval herb remedies. Hildegard's Healing Plants provides a natural healing manual by a woman who used herbs around her convent in the early 1100s. Listings from her medieval Physica book provide reviews of the various herbs and their properties.

This is a business basic for any entrepreneur, but its focus is on the mirage of holistic practitioners. Those thinking of starting a new practice, as well as current business owners, will find this book rich with practical ideas to ensure success in any economy. I loved the section on clients - how to attract and keep them and how to deal with the difficult ones. Polly Baumer has shared what she learned over 16 years as the owner of a holistic health magazine. There are helpful exercises that will move you into action if you're stuck and lots of practical advice to help navigate the waters of taxes, budgets, legal requirements, marketing and all aspects of running a successful business.

Whether your holistic practice is a fledgling idea or a well-established business, you'll come to rely the Holistic Practitioner's Business Bible for advice, insights and inspiration. Polly Baumer covers all the bases--business plan, accounting, information technology, marketing, recruiting employees and more. Don't expect "Business Admin For Dummies." This is a well-written, well-researched guidebook steeped in real-life experience~with a special understanding of the unique world of holistic practitioners. Must reading for this growing niche of entrepreneurs.

This book is an ideal guide for newcomers to the holistic health field. An A to Z compendium, it covers virtually all aspects of running a small business without fussing over minute details or getting bogged down in technicalities. The Holistic Practitioner's Business Bible encourages readers to think about every business line item before taking the plunge. It also offers some refreshing anecdotes, personal stories, and exercises to stimulate the entrepreneurial thought process.


Rita Bleiman

Polly Baumer offers a variety of practical solutions to the everyday issues confronting holistic healers. She grounds an otherwise ethereal world with the no-nonsense machinery of business. Definitely a must read for all practitioners who want to make a living with their healing arts!

Vitalism is a profoundly science-ejected concept, though many CAM or 'natural health' cabals falsely claim that vitalism survives scientific scrutiny.

This ND's book is a prime example of naturopathic vitalism [aka "vis medicatrix naturae"].

I quote:

"[chapter] 4 - the life force. [Aka] biological intelligence [...] an inherent, intrinsic biological intelligence [...] coordinates every aspect of our physical life: digestion, breathing, heart pumping, clearing of wastes and toxins from the body, and the healing of tissue [...] respect for life as intelligent, rather than mechanical [...] the concept of 'life force' (prana, chi, dynamis) is the cornerstone of most systems of natural healing [...] aspects of life force: intelligence: the most obvious quality of the life force [...] control [...] energy: life force is part of, and expresses itself through, energy systems. [E.g.,] the chakra system ancient India and meridian system of acupuncture [...per] subtle functions of the life force [p.021...] adaptability [...] response-ability [...] disease and the life force. The life force resides in the deepest core of the individual. In homeopathy, it is considered that all disease starts in the life force, and all disease affects the life force [...] symptoms [...are] an expression of a strong, congruent life force [...] homeopathic remedies require a response from the life force [p.022...] the nature of causes [...] what matters is how deep an impact they have made on our being and how they affect the life force [p.029...] in deformity or contracture of the wrist, the grotesque shape formed by the wrist is a striking image of contracted, suppressed life force [p.104...] in Eastern traditions this is considered the center of physical prowess and of the life force itself [p.106]."

-r.c.

Through a meticulous labor of love, Asa has produced a virtual musculoskeletal, textbook for chiropractors and physicians who are pursuing a course of natural health care for their patients. The heart of his book, the first of its kind, addresses the homeopathic solutions for musculoskeletal complaints commonly seen in our offices and commonly experienced by many people in the course of their lives. As Asa focuses our attention on the musculoskeletal keynotes and affinities of the homeopathic materia medica, easy to read illustrations and charts help us reach the homeopathic cure, (or similimum) for many acute and chronic conditions. Asa1s book has the potential to relieve much human suffering.

Here is a user-friendly guide to treating a wide range of health problems homeopathically. Besides arthritis, it is a book to go to for spine, knee, hip, foot or ankle problems, as well as headaches. Also presents alternatives for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Extremely clear and well-organized, it offers the reader the benefit of a great deal of experience.

I concur with the previous reviewer. I'm a chiropractor with some formal training in homeopathy and before purchasing this book I was pretty much at a loss as to how to integrate acute homeopathy into my practice. This book changed everything. I now have a pharmacy of over 100 remedies that I use on a regular basis. I now have a foundation onto which I can add knowledge gained from practical experience. But be forwarned: This book will help out a great deal with acute prescribing, but don't think that you will be able to tackle constitutional levels of healing without additional training and practice.

Two distinct models of psychotherapy are emerging in the 21st century: the empirically based, programmed models and the strategic, humanistic models. Hope and Resiliency will emerge as one of the texts that epitomize the emerging strategic humanistic movements.

In the Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter interview with Scott Miller in the Winter 2005 issue (Vol. 24, No.3), Miller pointed out that techniques and procedures represent only a small percentage of the therapeutic impact in psychotherapy. Instead, it is the therapist's underlying rapport and conviction that makes the difference. Consistent with this strategic humanistic zeitgeist, Hope and Resiliency is more than a mere analysis of Erickson's strategies and techniques. It is a guide in understanding Erickson's perspective on what it means to be human and on what humans can become. Each chapter is a window into the complexity and miracle of what Erickson saw when he watched people interact with their environment and make conscious and unconscious decisions.

An implied assumption in Hope and Resiliency is that if a therapist's internal conviction is that the patient needs fixing, the patient views himself as being broken. If a therapist's internal conviction is that the patient needs curing, the patient views himself as being sick. If a therapist's internal conviction is that the patient already has everything inside that he needs with which to solve his own problem, the patient views himself as being a seeker.

This core section of the book presents strategies for clinical problem-solving. It builds on the core strategies using delightful case examples followed by explanations and elaborations. As one who has read everything about Erickson I can get my hands on, I was happy to discover many previously unpublished examples. As with the first part of the book, the second section is more than a set of how-to techniques. It is an exploration of the roots and branches of Erickson's philosophical tree as seen through concrete applications.

Each subsequent element is presented as though one were looking through a single multi-faceted window into the dynamic maelstrom of humanity. In this way, the authors have avoided having to choose between tactics or strategy by simultaneously presenting each element as both discrete and as an aspect of a larger whole.

I appreciate how the authors elegantly combined the easily readable philosophic elements with practical technique and strategy explanations. At the end of the book there is a summary of pragmatic guidelines that describe contraindications and caveats when applying the strategies with different populations or specific cases. Subsequently, there are concrete exercises that help the practitioner to internalize each of the six strategies.

In the introduction, the authors affirm that, "the content in these chapters is not meant to be memorized as a sort of stale doctrine but rather to serve as a spark for imagination and continued discovery." They are extremely successful in accomplishing their stated goal. It is impossible to read this book without one's mind immediately thinking of how to apply the learnings to one's own patients.

Most importantly, Hope and Resiliency helped me organize many of the learnings I previously internalized from Erickson but did not have pegs upon which to hang the concepts. This is a book I wish I had when I was just starting out. With it I would not have been as intimidated by the immense complexity of Erickson's worldview. To that end, I highly recommend Hope and Resiliency to anyone at any level who values both clarity and the joy of discovery.


Rick Landis, PhD
Milton H. Erickson Institute for Integrative Medicine
Orange, California

Hope and Resiliency. Understanding the Psychotherapeutic Strategies of Milton H. Erickson, M.D." is a wonderful book. I had the sense while reading it that I was in Erickson's office and just listening to him talk. This is a consequence of an informal narrative style wherein the book contains many case studies, comments by Erickson, and comments by his daughters and Short. I have not seen some of these studies and commentaries before, and they shed a new and continuingly interesting light on this remarkable man and his works. There are gems like, "Let patients know that they are going to be cured and that it will take place within them." And "Often in psychotherapy a change of reference is all that is needed." and "Erickson's philosophy of healing was characterized by his attention to the goodness of the patient's mind and body.

The heart of the book centers around organizing Erickson's contributions under the categories of: distraction, partitioning, progression, suggestion, reorientation, and utilization. Although it is next to impossible to characterize or systematize Erickson's work in simple packets, this organization does lend itself to an useful set of guidelines to the man and his work.

This book is highly recommended as it provides the reader with some unique perspectives on Erickson's work, his way of working, and many practical ideas.

Reviewed by: Rubin Battino, MS, LPCC, NCC

Dr. Dan Short has constructed a very cohesive system of describing Milton H. Erickson's therapeutic techniques, perhaps the best I have ever seen. Short's six therapeutic strategies of progression, partitioning, distraction, suggestion, reorientation and utilization are elegant constructs that I believe may well organize all human helping behavior.
This is a extremely well organized and easy to understand treatment of Erickson's ingenious methods and may inspire the reader interested in psychotherapy and other forms of human empowerment to consider the ways in which he or she is practicing the craft.

All my qualification for reading this and reviewing this, is simply the amount of reading I've done in nearly two years now. Covering NLP, hypnosis, REBT and some other odds and ends. So professional, I am not.

The 6 strategies covered, I can see operate in a wider realm. The realm of social influence in fact. Having reread the book several times now, I can see in other therapy modalities these threads running through.

From my own limited understanding, this is certainly an addition to my library that goes way beyond techniques, cookbook formulas and "how-to's". Instead, you have a wider overarching set of concepts to inform therapy in a more flexible, responsive and creative way.

The 6 strategies (it is noted that these are *not* exhaustive, just the main ones to be discussed) are Distraction, Progression, Reframing, Suggestion, Partitioning and Utilisation. On later reflection, I realised where some of these apply to rapport building, persuasion as well as engineering social attitudes.

At the time I was reading Cialdini's Influence, and found that the two books together do give me a way to understand propoganda, advertising and sales. Yet this is certainly not the aim of the book in itself. Like any excellent work, it has wider applications than the authors discuss, or where perhaps consciously aware of at the time?

I highly recommend this to hypnotherapists and therapists of any stripe in actual fact. I also recommend it highly to any student of psychology, counselling, advertising (yes, it's way off the curriculum I'm sure) and any agent of influence.

This of course, is only my perspective as one criticism I've had is the sheer number of books I've read in only 2 years means that surely I can't have processed the skills in them properly. Quite right, but I've enjoyed trying :-).

When all you want to do is feel better you'll consider all the possibilities, but it's so hard to figure out what is legitimate these days. Dr. Multz explains, dispells and validates a lot of different alternative therapies for arthritis. It's overall an educational reading, but will also be a great reference book to have in my library. I especially enjoyed discovering exactly -why- sex and alcohol are useful treatments - and appreciate knowing the details are coming from such a well-known specialist. Dr. Multz also seems to have an affinity for wine, as he has included a charming section on enjoying it through wine tastings and other fun ways. I recommend this book as a reference for anyone with arthritis and an enjoyable read as well.

This older edition is no longer available. See "Arthritis by Multz" or "Arthritis Sex by Multz" for the current edition.

This publication represents a thorough, serious discussion of Arthritis from a medical perspective and also provides insight into many herbal, mineral and homeopathic remedies. Humor is interspersed appropriately throughout.

The book is easy to read, but yet very up-to-date on the latest treatments for those with Arthritis and their caregivers. A must read even for the busy rheumatologist needing a little lighter side of the profession.

This highly improbable book title is fun, but it's also solid, scientifically verifiable information from a highly respected rheumatologist. But before you rush out to find a copy of the rheumatology Kama Sutra, let me tell you that you'll find even more information-yes, besides discussion of positions. Information about how sex and alcohol trigger a chemical reaction that reduces the pain, swelling, and inflammation of arthritis; information about over-the-counter vitamin supplements that are effective against arthritis; information about popular and absolutely worthless aids, like homeopathy, copper bracelets, magnets, MSM, and radon mines; information about dangerous therapies, like chapparel, rattlesnake meat, ayervedic products that contain lead, neck manipulation, suspect medications from south of border; and finally, some purported therapies that are just plain funny, like moon dust, radon water, red lights in a box, cider vinegar and honey, and a vibrating chair.
But then there are many more things that do work, and this is where Dr. Multz's professional expertise shines. He discussed why arthritis is more prevalent and in more forms in women than in men-it's the body chemicals, and the discussion is fascinating. The advice is adjust; avoid stress, because it makes arthritis worse; and seek treatment, because there are new things that really do work. Among the things that work are exercise (particularly aquatic exercise), meditation, and sex, which release prolactin. Surprisingly, ginger extract works to reduce pain. Not hugely, but it does work, and not incidentally, it works for the pain of fibromyalgia, a cousin of arthritis

John Graham-Pole, M.D. is authentic. His writing will be most beneficial for those (and their families) who are just now or will or perhaps already have learned what it is to be "ill". Listen, Read, Believe.

I believe everyone can benefit from this book because during our lives we will experience pain and grief in many and different ways. This book takes me back about 13 years. I recognize much of what I learned then, and (now) understand more fully some of what I didn't. G-P's subject is real. Understanding allows Peace, Thankfulness, and Blessings. God is Good.

When going through dread disease; chronic/acute;life-threatening, devastating illness; and/or depression, we often feel totally alone. We feel that others simply don't understand what we're thinking, experiencing, or feeling. Dr. G-P's authenticity shows he does understand. We are also shown another choice: Creativeness from within (and we all do have something to "say").

G-P listens and learns, observes and acts. I personally know he cares very much for his patients and his work, and I'm grateful every day of my life that Dr. G-P was our daughter's attending physician some 13 years ago. Today, I'm grateful for learning of this book and having the opportunity to read it, to share this book with others who want to be a creative, self-expressed person regardless of the circumstances of their lives or the lives of those they hold dear. This book is authentically written, gratefully received, and will be beneficial to all who read it.

Dr. John Graham-Pole's new book, "Illness & the Art of Self-Expression" is a long-needed primer on self-help for both the healthy and those receiving medical care. The author summarizes nicely the benefits of art in healing, whether it be visual art, music, dance or writing, and goes on to make the process easy for those who are new to the concept. He stresses the importance of relaxation, playtime and laughter. Whether enjoying the art of others, or expressing emotions through one's own creative art, the rewards are endless. This book can be of great value to those facing serious health problems, health professionals, or anyone with an interest in health and healing. It would be a valuable addition to every table in every waiting room in any health facility.

This is a unique, easy to read, well written self-help book that teaches the reader practical ways to use "art-making" to achieve greater health and happiness. It is written primarily for the person with a serious health problem, but it is useful reading for professionals caring for seriously or chronically ill persons. It teaches both groups of people how to bring art and self-expression into their lives.

The author has developed exercises to bring out the creative self-exppression each person possesses and to teach people to live for the moment, let go of negative thoughts or the pressure to achieve, and to enjoy the hidden artist within. The author's writing style is appealing because it is so rhythmic, flowing, and conversational that one feels as though one is sitting across from him and conversing. His style is direct and warm,and as one becomes engaged with the text and its exercises for self-expression, one comes away with a deeper understanding of,and a renewed appreciation of, the creative self-expression we all have hidden within us.

The author's writing is optimistic, hopeful, sensitive, and empathic. It is as if he has crawled into the skin of the person with an illness and is able to feel or think what he or she feels and thinks. He presents a holistic, integrated approach (using artistic or self-expression exercises) to help people take hold of theis lives, and in the face of serious illness, to feel in command. It is a moving and absorbing book with special insights into the world of people with serious illness.

We are using John Graham-Pole's book in the adult art therapy classes at the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC. Patients and staff participants alike have found inspiration and encouragement from the practical - and cheerful - application of creative self-expression to increase patient-staff communication and to reduce stress. I recommend it highly.