Complementary-Therapy Books

This is one of the very best books for any type of enegy work. (i.e. magic, healing, transformation.) This author did her homework! A very nice oversized book with tons of information on runes, rays, color work, tarot, stones, and astrology correlations! Over 14 years ago, this was one of the first books I had read on subjects surrounding enegy work~it definately opened the door wider for my personal development. This was a book I found randomly at a library and I even had to pay a late fee on it. Someone must have liked this book as much as I did, because I went to check it out again and it never came back!! Thank you for reconnecting me with this book as it is one of the best refrences ever!

I have found this book to be a definitive book for all kinds of magical work, the one reference that I cannot do without. I recommend it to all of my students, and to those of my peers who are interested in expanding their magical toolkit. Her book is clear, concise, and encyclopedic in its use of the expanded system of colored Rays and Lights, and their associations with everything from stones to Runes to energy centers in and around the body. Buy this book.

This has been one of the most valuable tool-kits I have ever encountered in working with magic. Amber Wolfe's clear explanation of the rays and lights makes sense, and her application and extension of their use to many different magical systems is inspired.

An example: She gives associations between the rays and the runes. I used her color association with the rune Uruz to magically strenghten my house through two hurricanes in 1995. In one case, a tornado destroyed a tree in front of the house, the screen door, and then some trees in the back yard. Yet the house was unharmed.

I'm very saddened that this book is out of print, and I hope that it is reissued as soon as possible.

Dale Pendell's "Pharmako" series is an excellent resource for those interested in the relation of human cultures to plants, especially plants with consciousness-changing properties. The author devotes sections to each of a wide array of different plants, as well as sections dealing tangentially with aspects of the "Poison Path". One of the most refreshing aspects of the series is the way it deals with the whole spectrum of these plants - coffee, chocolate, marijuana, opium, tobacco, wine and beer, cocaine, and many others, on the same footing. One of the few other books to take this perspective - Terrence McKenna's "Food of the Gods" - is also well worth reading, but is shorter, deals with a narrower range of "allies", and lacks some of the poetic and stylistic verve of Dale Pendell's books.

Another comparison - to Hoffmann and Schultes' "Plants of the Gods" is in order, as both have encyclopaedic range, but the Pharmako series takes a more integrated viewpoint, and (again) is longer. When the series is complete (with Pharmako/Gnosis) I expect it to be one of the fullest and most useful references on this fascinating subject.

One feature which recommends this series is the variety of perspectives which the subsections of each chapter bring to each plant: we learn about botany, about pharmacology, history, religious uses, personal views of the effects, poetic odes, esoteric commentary, and more. The author takes seriously the question of how to report on plants whose effects involve changes in consciousness: he lets the narrative voice reflect some of the kinds of awareness associated to each (one reason the book on stimulants ended up being so long that the two-book series turned into a three-book series!)

If you interest in these plants is scientific, historical, religious, or whatever else, you'll surely find facets of this multi-sided work that appeal - and you may discover an interest in the others. If you merely want to see an innovative kind of reportage, you may even discover an interest in the subject.

Warmly recommended.

Since my own interests include gardening, herbs, plant poisons, and natural pharmaceuticals such as caffeine, I quickly decided Dale Pendell's PHARMAKO-DYNAMIS and PHARMAKO-POEIA were must-read books for me. These books are also for historians, drug counselors, people who write laws associated with drug use, those concerned with the impoverishment of countries invaded by world-based industrialized corporations, and drug users. Think you aren't a drug user? Other than tea, coffee, chocolate, wine, beer, the paregoric my mother fed me as a child, and the aether and morphine I ingested at different times as a hospital patient, neither am I. Incidentally, paregoric and morphine are related to opium and it's offspring heroin.

Pendell suggests the reader can begin anywhere in either of his two books and arrive at the same place. I read the sections that interested me most and then backfilled. I ended up reading all of PHARMAKO-DYNAMIS (the second volume) first. This volume includes essays on coffee, tea, chocolate, kola, betel, Ma Huang (Ephedera), Khat, Coca, and Nutmeg. Nutmeg?? Yes, nutmeg is a "drug" or herb of choice for some. You probably knew the poppy seeds on your bagel could lead to a positive on a drug test, but you might not have known that nutmeg in the proper doses could lead to euphoria, delirious visions, or headaches. Pendell says he prefers his nutmeg in eggnog.

Pendell writes provocatively, " Billions of dollars are spent to keep adults from having access to methamphetamines, while Adderall (amphetamine) and Ritalin (methylphenidate) are widely prescribed for children." Many of the plants with "suspect" pharmaceutical uses have been cultivated for thousands of years. Coca has been around for five to seven thousand years, and until the drug czars cracked down, it was an ingredient in Coca-Cola. The soft drink no longer includes it's namesake, but devotees can find the real stuff without a great deal of difficulty. Pendell characterizes the attempt by governments to control "drugs" as a continuation of the 19th Century Spice Wars, and more or less an unmitigated disaster (and given the recent news the Columbian drug lords may have links to terrorism, one must be concerned about this).

My favorite drug, or drug of choice is tea (Camilla Sinensis). Fortunately, all sorts of benefits are associated with tea drinking. Another favorite is cacoa, a favorite drink of shamans and Goethe, who had a life-long interest in both the drink and the mysticism. Goethe once wrote..."Four epochs of the sciences: childlike, poetic, superstitious; empirical, investigative, curious; dogmatic, didactic, pedantic; and ideal, methodical, mystical." Pendell covers each with the plant substances he explores.

a wonderfully creative book - in design and content. This incredible, magical book was obviously formed from an amazing mind who looked beyond normal book requirements and envisioned something that would satisfy (like the subject matter) beyond expectations.

Bravo to the author, publisher and designer for an all-around spectacular work.

The Practical Application of Meridian Style Acupuncture is an easy read for those with a background in Chinese Medicine. It provides very interesting and informative infromation that allows the reader to gain great insight into meridian style acupunture. I would recommend this book for those wishing to gain a different perspective on acupunture.

I loved this book. While not every section of it is outstanding, most of it is!! The content is of high quality, and yet is written in a straightforward manner. I am very glad that I purchased this book. The section on the Eight Extraordinary vessels is superb!

As the name implies, meridian based acupuncture places a prime importance on the meridian system in both the diagnosis and treatment of disease and dysfunction in the body. It is often called classical acupuncture because its theory is based on ancient classical texts like the "Ling Shu", the "Su Wen" and the "Nan Jing."

Meridian based acupuncture contrasts with the herbalized form of acupuncture taught in most TCM schools in the USA today. Where herbalized acupuncture has strict anatomical location of acupuncture points and assigns functions to points based on the "Eight Principles" like clearing, harmonizing, tonifying and reducing in order to effect the Zang-Fu, meridian based acupuncture stresses palpation to locate points and ascribes two functions to points... tonifying deficiency and reducing excess.

Until recently information on classical meridian based acupuncture was only available in workshops from practitioners like Miki Shima, Kiiko Matsumoto, Jefferey Yuen, Mark Seem and others. A few books on the Japanese style of meridian based acupuncture are available ("Introduction to Meridian Therapy, Denmei and Brown") and Mark Seem's books are based on meridian acupuncture ("A New American Acupuncture".)

Just as the body is viewed as a series of energetic zones and levels in meridian style acupuncture, Pirog designed his book in five sections leading step by step to a deeper understanding and application of Meridian Style acupuncture.

Pirog begins on a superficial level by laying out the basics of Meridian Style acupuncture: (1) finding and needling locally tender ahshi points, (2) determining the meridian(s) involved and (3) needling key distal points of the involved or energetically related meridian.

From here Pirog moves to a deeper understanding of the body's meridian complex, including the importance of secondary vessels in diagnosis and treatment. Pirog devotes a large part of the book to a discussion of the energetic function and therapeutic use of the classical groupings of acupuncture points: Luo-connecting, Xi-cleft, the Five-Shu transporting points, etc.

Where a standard TCM textbook makes a simple statement like "The He-sea points are used to treat the Fu organs", Pirog uses references from the Nan Jing and discussions of the Chinese characters to bring the energetics of the point to life. For instance, the character "He" translates as "uniting" or "connecting" giving the point the energetic function of connecting the meridian to the inner body with the ability to drain energy from the meridian into the body, hence its ability to treat the internal Fu organs. But the point has additional important functions. It can also draw excess energy from the inner body. It "connects" the distal and proximal segments of the meridian allowing the point to harmonize the meridian especially in cases of pain in the Yang meridians. Finally, because the He-sea points connect the "river" of the meridian to the "sea" of the body they may be used to treat systemic conditions. This explains why the He-sea point, LI-11, is often seen in point prescriptions for skin conditions.

Pirog also presents treatment plans for musculoskeletal pain and deficiency patterns, two commonly seen complaints in clinical practice. Using the teachings of Ngueyen Van Nghi as his basis, Pirog lays out a sophisticated method for determining the energetic location and depth of a disorder and treating it accordingly. Variations to the basic treatments include the use of Luo and Extraordinary Vessels, treating musculoskeletal pain caused by underlying organ pathology and treating systemic pain conditions for the patient who "hurts everywhere."

The book uses ample tables and illustrations and each section is cross referenced making the book very useful for the studious scholar as well as the busy clinician. It is a "must have" for any practitioner who has been to a meridian acupuncture workshop and wished there was a textbook available.

I have been studying hypnotism for many years now. Saying that when I got this book I read it from front to back. It is a excellent resource for anyone practicing hypnotism.

Warning though: If you like the idea of hypnotism as a fad don't buy this book. This book is for people who use it as a desk reference and source of knowledge to help further their skills in the field of hypnotism.

If someone was going down the path of becoming a hypnotist as a professional then I would recommend this book to them first before any other.

This is a professional (but easily readable) monography. It is very comprehensive and can be used as both a textbook and a handbook. The author is a well-known expert on the subject and he conveys his knowledge to the reader. Among the many books available, this one is the likeliest to be "the only one you must have if you can afford only one".

Tremendous...incomparable. no other book on the practice of hypnosis comes close. Dr. Weitzenhoffer is in a class by himself. He also writes incredibly well, and the book itself, as large as it is, is deeeeply absorbing. You will find yourself, the more of it you read, increasingly, almost suspensefully, absorbed by it. You are tempted to buy the book NOW, because you want to learn pretty much all there is to know about hypnosis, that's right, in a single, addictively readable volume. And the more you think about it, the more it makes sense, and the more sense it makes, the more tempted you are to BUY THIS GREAT BOOK NOW. And when you BUY THE BOOK, and start reading it, you will find that every one of its virtually countless gems will remind you, with immense gratitude, of this book review, and the reviewer who steered you to it.

I've been a massage therapist about 15 years, and the first edition of the book is the one I own, which was the textbook we used during my advanced clinical training. I have several other books on muscle energy technique(MET) but Greenman's book is one I come back to time and again for quick reviews because it's just laid out very well and explained clearly. Although I don't have the most recent edition yet, I do want to point out that the original was only HALF as many pages as the 3rd edition, so it looks like they packed a LOT more information in it, making it easily worth the price. As the old version is a classic, I don't doubt the updated one is going to be equally impressive.

Dr. Greenman conveys his tremendous knowledge very well in his 2nd edition text. After taking courses given by the author this book exemplifies his expertise in the realm of manual medicine specifically muscle energy techniques. A MUST have for anyone serious about improving their manual skills!!!!

This is another Bible for the manual medicine. i think it is one of the best book for musculo skeletal therapy.

The market is flooded with qigong (chi kung) books. The magazines are filled with "masters" of this esoteric discipline. There are classes in every major city across the world. So how do we, as novices, determine which system or master is best-siuted to us? We try them and stick with what works.

For 30 years I have suffered from migraines, chronic spinal pain, and a general lack of energy. I have tried the Western treatments of massage, chiropractic, and bio-feedback. Nothing worked. I then purchased this little book of qigong exercises by FaXiang Hou and Mark Wiley, I practiced the self-healing exericises as described for three months. The result: I am pain free!!!

I am truly amazed at the efficacy of the exercises, and even at the seemingly simple presentation of the material in the book. It does not bog the reader down with heavy discourse, philosophy, or Eastern thought. What it does do is offer in clear language the exercises needed to build and maintain vital energy (qi) in the body to relieve and prevent pain and illness.

It works and you should by this book if all else has failed!

This is truly a wonderful book. I have personally benefited greatly from the exercises in terms of improvement to my health!

This book is essential to anyone who is interested in learning the ancient internal martial art of Qigong. For someone who has been fortunate enough to study with Master Hou directly, this book will serve as a valuable resource to the teachings, and for others, you will be able to learn simple and perhaps not so simple techniques for increasing your energy, and improving your state of being. Get the book, and start using it today!

It's really a great feeling to have your views confirmed. Amit Goswami's book the Quantum Doctor surely did that for me .. confirmed my already developing world view of "who I am, where I came from and where I'm going". Don't miss reading this one!

I was thrilled to get the book I ordered so quickly! I ordered it and the next day, it was delivered. I needed the book for a class. That's why I use Amazon!

Like so many others, I define consciousness as the primary reality. Therefore, the physical reality becomes the illusory one. This is all well and good until the physical reality starts to show signs of illness and disease. Then we see who is really able to walk their talk. Do they crumble with fear or do they rise up to the challenge and into a deeper consciousness? Nowhere is this more apparent than in the differences between allopathic and alternative medicine. If there was ever any place to begin this expansion of consciousness, it is within the connected realms of medicine, science, the mind and the spirit.

Dr. Amit Goswami is a leading quantum physicist with more than seven books under his belt and over thirty years' experience teaching physics at the University of Oregon. He is now a resident researcher at the world-renowned Institute of Noetic Sciences. His latest book brings the reader to the heart of all illness and healing: our consciousness. Deepak Chopra waxes on and on about Dr. Goswami, calling him "one of the most brilliant minds in the world of science." This is a man we can listen to and learn from.

The Quantum Doctor: A Physicist's Guide to Health and Healing details the system he coined as "science within consciousness". In it, Goswami reinterprets leading modalities such as acupuncture, homeopathy, Chinese medicine and Ayurveda with profound insights into the relationship between physics and consciousness. The Quantum Doctor follows his previous work: Physics of the Soul: The Quantum Book of Living, Dying, Reincarnation and Immortality - but we'll leave that greater leap of faith for another day...

The Quantum Doctor is for practitioners, medical doctors, patients and seekers. They will not be disappointed.

This is an extraordinary text. The author, Jean Elmiger, MD. is a Swiss physician of 40 years experience in internal medicine. Roughly 25 years ago, deeply dismayed because he was able to offer only palliative chemicals to his patients, he originated and developed the concept of Sequential Therapy.

Sequential Therapy is based upon Hering's Law which states that the body heals from the inside outward. Extrapolating from this premise, Elmiger demonstrates that as we go through life we suffer physical and emotional traumas in layers; similar to the layers of an onion. Early traumas such as five simultaneous vaccinations at the age three months, a blow to the head, or the loss of a close loved one, can leave the person's vital force disturbed; more susceptible to disease. We all have family or friends who have suffered physical or emotional traumas and, "have never been the same since". Their vital force has been disturbed - it is out of balance. As the unresolved trauma continues to affect the person, the vital force attempts to re-establish an equilibrium, but it is at the continuing cost of much energy that would otherwise be spent on health and healing. It is similar to a broken bone that was not properly set. On the outside all appears normal but, beneath the surface, one can easily find the disjointed union and mechanical dysfunction.

Thus, if the important layers of trauma are addressed in the reverse order of their occurrence, with each layer re-balanced the patient will obtain an improvement in their vital force. As their vital force improves they are able overcome many chronic ailments such as colitis, asthma and arthritis, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.

Sequential Therapy uses specific single-remedy homeopathics to address these traumas and to heal the most intractable patients.

This book is for the physician who desires to know how to use homeopathy in conjunction with allopathy and obtain extraordinary results for their chronically ill patients. It is for the homeopath who wonders why the simple cures simply no longer work at a deep level. Equally, it is for the lay person who through "Rediscovering Real Medicine" learns how to rediscover real, solidly based, lasting health.

The book is for all who are curious about the consequences of vaccinations and palliative drugs, and how to correct these traumas through this powerful modality.

The translation from the French by Barry Maybury is graceful and eloquent. The book itself is well written, well organized, and well indexed. It is generally presented in lay terms, with extensive examples from Dr. Elmiger's practice over the many years.

Dr. Elmiger is the originator of Sequential Homeopathic Therapy. This is the source work from which all other books on the subject have been based.

Dr. Aline Fournier, Escondido, CA. agfneb@home.com

Elmiger started his practice as a "traditional" doctor, an allopathic doctor. He became disenchanted with his results, and studied homeopathy. Eventually he found a very specific and new way to practice, which is Sequnetial Therapy. It is based on the simple and obvious idea that the way to treat is back through time. So each person is treated for the specific shocks to their systems, etc, whether that is an accident or an operation or an emotional shock. This book is amazingly easy to read and follow even for one who knows little about homeopathy. The explanations are remarkably clear, and there are numerous specific examples. I think this book could be a find for anyone interested in medicien, homeopathy, health in the 20th century, and of course for all those interested in the New Age of medicine that is dawning with the the change from Newtonian to Einsteinian physics. The book was originally written in French and only recently became available in English

...Enlightening because of references to Homeopathy's awesome healing power, its relationships with Vital Energy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, its colorful and tumultuous history, and the various intriguing methods by which its remedies are concocted.

...Disturbing because of revelations of extensive physical, psychological, social and genetic damage being done by vaccinations and other accepted medical practices, and the extensive multi-discipinary training, intuitional abilities, insight, patience and skill required by a doctor to practice Real Medicine! I wonder if Dr. Elmiger realizes the element of despair that may arise in his readers upon realization that there are perhaps only a handful of doctors in the world capable of following this method! Or that with age one's medical history becomes so convoluted that even the best practitioner may take pause when faced with such a Gordian Knot, the exact chronological sequencing of therapy based on life's shocks being a critical element in the treatment's success.

The reviews that follow are excellent and I will not belabor their points. However, at the end of the book one is clearly instructed that Homeopathy is only one leg of a three-legged stool - Osteopathy and nutrition being the other important elements of health care.

This book is a very important step in the right direction for Medicine. Despite seemingly directed towards the medical profession, it makes fascinating reading even for the lay person (or perhaps not surprisingly since it was initially intended as a tutorial for Dr. Elmiger's patients).

In print world-wide, I'll bet Dr. Elmiger is a busy man these days!

This book is an invaluable resource for people who wish to explore the field of reflexology. It not only details the massage techniques but also compares the different schools and gives extensive background information as to why the system works.

This book is the perfect guide to understanding Reflexology , especially for someone who is just learning about alternative healing. By starting from the begining and not feeding too much information at a time, Dougans is able to ease the reader into becoming quite an expert on the subject in no time at all!

This is the best overall presentation of reflexology that I have found and I have been studying and applying this discipline for many years. It gives such a great explanation of all the thinking, experience and background that let's the student know why this is such an important part of the holistic approach to healing. Dougans lays out his material in such a simple, straightword manner that anyone can become proficient at the art of reflexology and immediately apply the techniques in their lives everyday. I can't say enough about how much I appreciate this work and how it can benefit every single person who would take the time to learn this skill - not to mention your friends and family will love you for it.

This book is well-written and excellent for teaching reflexology. In fact, this book was a helpful reference for the national certification test for therapeutic massage and bodywork. My study group and I also used the following for the national certification exam:
The Ultimate Study Guide for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Key Review Questions and Answers by Patrick Leonardi
Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3
The last three books were excellent for helping my study group and I prepare for the type of questions asked.

I agree completely with the previous reviewer. This book is truly "The Definitive Practitioner's Manual" as the title states. And if you plan to practice reflexology professionally, this is THE book to own. It's more costly than most of the other reflexology books available, but well worth the investment.

This book is concise, clearly written and easy to read. It includes the usual topics covered in reflexology books e.g. what is reflexology, history, how it works, zone theory, etc. Plus it covers areas that few other reflexology books have covered before: setting up a practice, consultation procedures, hand reflexology, ear reflexology and face reflexology.

It touches on all aspects of reflexology and health, mental, physical and spiritual. As the title says the definitive guide! A must for every reflexologist.