Review
"DR. ANDREW WEIL IS AN EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENON."
--The Washington Post

"MEMORABLE . . . DR. WEIL MAKES HIS CASE CAREFULLY AND CLEARLY."
--The New York Times Book Review

"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED."
--Library Journal (starred review)


Review
"DR. ANDREW WEIL IS AN EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENON."
--The Washington Post

"MEMORABLE . . . DR. WEIL MAKES HIS CASE CAREFULLY AND CLEARLY."
--The New York Times Book Review

"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED."
--Library Journal (starred review)


Book Description

The body can heal itself. Spontaneous healing is not a miracle but a fact of biology--the result of the natural healing system that each one of us is born with. Drawing on fascinating case histories as well as medical techniques from around the world, Dr. Andrew Weil shows how spontaneous healing has worked to resolve life-threatening diseases, severe trauma, and chronic pain. Weil then outlines an eight-week program in which you'll discover:

- The truth about spontaneous healing and how it interacts with the mind
- The foods, vitamins, supplements, and tonic herbs that will help you enhance your innate healing powers
- Advice on how to avoid environmental toxins and reduce stress
- The strengths and weaknesses of conventional and alternative treatments
- Natural methods to ameliorate common kinds of illnesses
And much more!


From the Inside Flap
The body can heal itself. Spontaneous healing is not a miracle but a fact of biology--the result of the natural healing system that each one of us is born with. Drawing on fascinating case histories as well as medical techniques from around the world, Dr. Andrew Weil shows how spontaneous healing has worked to resolve life-threatening diseases, severe trauma, and chronic pain. Weil then outlines an eight-week program in which you'll discover:

- The truth about spontaneous healing and how it interacts with the mind
- The foods, vitamins, supplements, and tonic herbs that will help you enhance your innate healing powers
- Advice on how to avoid environmental toxins and reduce stress
- The strengths and weaknesses of conventional and alternative treatments
- Natural methods to ameliorate common kinds of illnesses
And much more!


From the Back Cover

"DR. ANDREW WEIL IS AN EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENON."
--The Washington Post

"MEMORABLE . . . DR. WEIL MAKES HIS CASE CAREFULLY AND CLEARLY."
--The New York Times Book Review

"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED."
--Library Journal (starred review)


About the Author
Dr. Andrew Weil is a leader in the new field of integrative medicine, which combines the best ideas and practices of Western and alternative medicine. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, he is director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona and founder of the Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson, which is advancing the field worldwide. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller 8 Weeks to Optimum Health. His Web site, "Ask Dr. Weil," is in the top five of all health-related programs on the Internet.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Examining thebody's ability to heal itself, Dr. Weil describes the mechanisms involved in this process and explains its interactions with the mind, its biological organization, and its systems of self-diagnosis, self-repair, and regeneration. He analyzes natural, non-invasive measures to cure disease, from acupuncture to biofeedback and herbal medicine, and provides specific information on how to aid the body in maintaining its well-being: information on regarding diet, environmental factors, exercise, stress reduction, and vitamins and supplements.

ANNOTATION

A healing diet/protection from toxins/using tonics/activity & rest/mind & spirit/making the right decisions when sick.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In this book, Dr. Andrew Weil, one of the most authoritative, and important voices in the field of health and healing, makes clear the reality of spontaneous healing. He illuminates the mechanisms and processes of the body's healing system, delineates the ways in which an individual can optimize the functioning of his or her own system, and outlines the alternative medicines and treatments available to aid the healing system, not only in the remission of life-threatening diseases but also in response to everyday illnesses and in day-to-day upkeep of basic health. In clear, concise language, Dr. Weil explains how the healing system operates, its interactions with the mind, its biological organization, its systems of self-diagnosis, self-repair, and regeneration.

FROM THE CRITICS

Marijane Green - FitnessLink

Spontaneous Healing by Andrew Weil, M.D. provides a look at the world of alternative medicine though the eyes of a Harvard Medical School graduate. The book is chock full of testimonials from patients who recovered from their afflictions by what Weil calls spontaneous healing. Spontaneous healing occurs when conventional medicine can give no other reason for a patient's recovery. He breaks these testimonials into subchapters called "The Faces of Healing," outlining each patient's history and recovery.

Weil began his medical career receiving training in conventional medicine at one of the most respected medical schools in the nation, Harvard. Soon thereafter, he began exploring the world of alternative medicine and he liked what he saw. Weil has worked for the National Institute of Mental Health and was a research assistant in ethnopharmacology at the Harvard Botanical Museum. He traveled the world extensively collecting information about the medical properties of plants, altered states of consciousness, and healing. When the book was written, he was the Associate Director of the Division of Social Perspectives in Medicine and Director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he practiced natural and preventive medicine.

Chapter two, Right in My Own Backyard, describes Weil's return from his South American travels in 1973, and his settlment near Tucson, Arizona, where he lives to this day. This chapter is easily one of the most interesting, providing insight into Weil's beliefs. In this chapter, we meet kindly Dr. Robert Fulford, an unusual osteopathic physician who believes in "cranial therapy." At this time, Weil says he was prejudiced about osteopaths, and with the usual prejudices of medical doctors, considered them second-rate M.D's who "dabbled in the kind of manipulation of the body more frequently done by chiropractors." This chapter details Fulford's medical practices and how Weil was eventually won over by his techniques. At the end of the chapter, Weil states, "Dr. Fulford did not succeed with everyone, but he had a higher percentage of successful outcomes than any other practitioner I have met."

Although Weil provides detailed information supporting various types of alternative medicine, it seems the conventional medical community would not receive this book with open arms. However, Weil offers a credible look at alternative therapy that is worthwhile reading for any medical professional. For those who already support alternative medicine, the book provides valuable insight into both alternative and conventional worlds of treatment.

In various chapters Weil discusses, "Medical Pessimism," "The Healing System," "The Role of the Mind in Healing," "The Tao of Healing," "Optimizing Your Healing System," "A Healing Diet," "Protecting Yourself from Toxins," "Using Tonics," "Activity and Rest," and "Mind and Spirit." He ends the book with his "Eight Week Program for Optimal Healing Power." Here, Weil outlines his program for wellness and healing.

Some readers might be skeptical of alternative medicine, but this easy-to-read book provides solid evidence for considering alternative practices. Those who believe in alternative medicine will also find the book helpful and informative.

Publishers Weekly

As others argue the politics of health care, Weil ("Health and Healing") turns away from the usual practice of Western medicine, which is focused on alleviating symptoms rather than strengthening internal mechanisms of health, to closely consider the nature of the healing process. "At every level of biological organization, from DNA up,'' he writes, the "mechanics of self-diagnosis, self-repair and regeneration exist in us.'' To buttress his point, he cites such evidence as the placebo effect, inexplicable remissions and the commonplace repair of wounds, often marginalized by the medical community. In an effort to make the process of healing seem less obscure, Weil reports a wide range of dramatic case histories. Other sections detail various means, e.g., diet and breathing exercises, available for optimizing one's healing system, and suggestions for approaches to illnesses. Also included are an ``Eight Week Program for Optimal Healing Power'' and a guide to finding practitioners, supplies and information.

Library Journal

Arizona doctor Weil leads the movement to combine alternative forms of medicine with standard treatment.

BookList - Ray Olson