amy_yuki_vickers's review
3.0
This is an entertaining book full of colorful anecdotes. Most of what he says is not well-supported. It's more like he's giving a series of opinions based on his own personal experiences. This is not to say that he doesn't make a lot of good points. He does (and then sometimes contradicts those points a few chapters later).
Although, be prepared, he tells enough hair-raising stories about allopathic medicine that you'll be afraid to see an MD ever again.
He gives a history of medicine in America and does a survey of a variety of alternative healing modalities. I found this particularly informative; for example, he describes the difference between a naturopath and a holistic doctor (something I didn't know). However, I found his section on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lacking, especially considering the amount of empirical evidence that supports that framework compared to the other modalities. I found his description of TCM too general. I also don't feel that he spent enough time talking about subtle energy (Qi) because it is a key component of the TCM framework and it's one of the major things that differentiates it from Western medicine.
Given his seeming acceptance of homeopathic medicine, I was a little surprised at his seeming dismissal of Faith Healing. He does not say that Faith Healing doesn't work, but he does appear to be saying that it is entirely dependent on the placebo effect. In my opinion, that is a cop-out to placate the allopathic medicine community.
Please note: I discussed this book at length with someone who disagrees with me that he is dismissive of Faith Healing and Shamanic traditions. She got the impression that he accepts them for what they are and does not say that they are entirely dependent on the placebo effect. As I said before, he oscillates a lot, so sometimes it's hard to know what he thinks.
Although, be prepared, he tells enough hair-raising stories about allopathic medicine that you'll be afraid to see an MD ever again.
He gives a history of medicine in America and does a survey of a variety of alternative healing modalities. I found this particularly informative; for example, he describes the difference between a naturopath and a holistic doctor (something I didn't know). However, I found his section on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lacking, especially considering the amount of empirical evidence that supports that framework compared to the other modalities. I found his description of TCM too general. I also don't feel that he spent enough time talking about subtle energy (Qi) because it is a key component of the TCM framework and it's one of the major things that differentiates it from Western medicine.
Given his seeming acceptance of homeopathic medicine, I was a little surprised at his seeming dismissal of Faith Healing. He does not say that Faith Healing doesn't work, but he does appear to be saying that it is entirely dependent on the placebo effect. In my opinion, that is a cop-out to placate the allopathic medicine community.
Please note: I discussed this book at length with someone who disagrees with me that he is dismissive of Faith Healing and Shamanic traditions. She got the impression that he accepts them for what they are and does not say that they are entirely dependent on the placebo effect. As I said before, he oscillates a lot, so sometimes it's hard to know what he thinks.
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