Alternative Books

This is such a beautiful and poignant story about one man's love for his daughter and how far he's willing to go to protect her from harm. The story has so much honesty and faith. I ended it with a lump in my throat and a wish that everyone in the world had the faith and love of this father.

Heartfelt. Emotional. Love and faith driven by a father's devotion in a tragic situation. Presented in a well-writen two dimensional world, John Cassell, again, lives up to his extraordinary ability of story telling. Very poignant. Having a daughter her age--and being one who still "smells" the cordite and "hears" screams at night--John Cassell poised a thoughtful question for me. The answer was yes! The power of the pen is within his hand!

Incredible pain; incredible love, that is what the author, John W. Cassell, has fashioned in this truly heartfelt tribute to his daughter. John sends his daughter, Christine, off to war because she has told him it is her desire and duty to do what is right and honorable. Like any good father, John is filled with worry over the horrible possibilities such a deployment might provide for his beloved Christine.

But John has already been where his daughter is about to venture. A different time and place, to be sure; but identical in so very many ways. To lessen his worry for the safety of his daughter, John makes a pact with a Higher force, real or imagined may be fuzzy in our minds but we realize not so in John's, to be, in a very tangible way, a vicarious substitution for the deadly fate that could very well be awaiting his precious Christine. Given the circumstances and John's intimate relationship with those circumstances he understood only too well what his own duty was and he fulfilled his obligation.

A great read and a great tribute. Thank you, John.

Joshua Berry, Andrea's Dream and Amazon Shorts. Take a look. And take a look at all the other works of John W. Cassell.

A painful truth emerges from the heart of author John W. Cassell. His story -telling ability is second to none.The title, "Lest We Forget," fits the mood of this towering piece.Emotional, grabbing, and entrenched describes the words that take the reader to a level of understanding not found in most reads.
The autobiographical flavor adds a striking dimension to this story, factual and a special recount from one who has been there. Mr. Cassell leaves no doubt for the strength of his love so passionately held for his daughter and the present fears for her safety as she relives today what he once experienced.
I found Mr. Cassell's portrayal of personal demons most remarkable, a soldier with a wounded psyche, "War is Hell."
Finally, I thank Mr. Cassell for giving me a profound definition of love for a daughter;
Love is courage and commitment to forgive oneself, not the act of weakness but one of strength. Once you realize there is something or someone greater than you are, only then can you love with perfection.
A must read and definitely 5 star material.

Robert A Meacham, author of poetry, suspense novels, and contributor to Amazon Short Program.

`Lest we Forget' is a story about a father's love for his daughter and an underlying sense of regret over an event in his life in which he had no control.

Thru it all, the two loves of his live converge as his memories of the past haunt his life and his wish for his daughter's safety carry the story forward.

It is well written, highly emotional, and it gives a peek into the life of a man who has suffered many travails, but still carries on because of his faith.

I have read several books by the Garretts and find them all to be wonderful sources of information and brings my Cherokee heritage home to rest in my heart. Thank You.

I am very Thankful that at this Time of Mother Earth The Elders are sharing The Ways of The First Nations of Turtle Island! I am looking forward to finding all the material available by the Garretts....

The Garretts pull from their experieces from the "real world," as well as their healings and practical experience with the Cherokee to give us excellent starting points in helping ourselves and others. For such a thin book, there is a lot of advice hidden in the stories and accounts, if you know what to look for.

I really enjoyed reading this material and consider it the best for Individuals of Indian ancestry who still believe in the Traditional Ways.

This is a must read book for first time people into the world of the Native americans. It will open a whole new door that you will bring out of it is the respect for all living things and for Morther Earth. The book helps you understand that certain things are sacred to the Native Americans and how it ties into their beliefs. Once you read this book you will begin to see things through the eyes of a different race, but from the point of a Native American. You will learn differemt ways of praying and saying thanks to mother nature. You will take things from the book and apllied to your everyday life. Wah Doh.

After a 16 foot fall from a ladder and a broken ankle and leg I found Dr. Levy's book to be an amazing self healing tool. Obviously I needed surgery to get put back together but Levy's book gave me unknown insights into how to use my own healing powers to speed my recovery. The meditation he teaches is also extremely helpful not just for healing injuries but for my overall well being and making good life decisions.

Jim Brown
Barnesville, Maryland

MIRACULOUS HEALTH: HOW TO HEAL YOUR BODY BY UNLEASHING THE HIDDEN POWER OF YOUR MIND isn't just an admonition of what should happen - it offers a concrete blueprint for achieving good health, guiding readers through a program to heal physical illness or injury and offering healing techniques blending the latest mind-body research. It's this specific program which makes MIRACULOUS HEALTH so different from competitors: backed by a psychologist working at the forefront of mind-body medicine since 1976, it offers up expert advice.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

My wife and I found this book while browsing in a local bookstore. I started to read it and prucahsed it and brought it home. This is a very useful, practical and easy to understanb book. Instructions are clear and easy to follow. I have done healing with my hands in the past but Dr. Levy's instructions and methods have greatly increased my abilities. Both my wife and I are very happy that Dr. Levy has written this book. Not only does he explain how to do the exercises he also explains why they work. This book has indeed been a great asset and addition to our abilities and health. If Dr. Levy should ever come to lecture in our area we will be among the first to go. For those who are serious about improving their health, this is a must book. You will have work conciously and continuosly as you go through the book to obtain the full benefits.

I have been living with a chronic painful condition for the last decade, and have tried every available option in Western Medicine, to try and heal myself, and the results have been disappointing.

When I started to read this book, I was hopeful that it might provide some answers for me, and so I went into it with an open mind. I have read through it in its entirety, and am now going through it again, this time doing the exercises in each chapter. So far, I have to say that I am impressed! I am very excited about the potential for healing that this book holds. I would recommend this book for any person who is prepared to take charge of their healing and do the work that Dr. Levy outlines.

The writing style is easy and clear to follow, and very inspirational. Although I have a long way to go, I am feeling very encouraged by the small improvements I am experiencing already. Now that I am aware of the role that my mind is playing with regard to my health problems, and now that I have the tools to change that, life can only get better.

THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT AND AMAZING JUST WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR IT COMBINES ENERGY HEALING WITH HYPNOTISM AND MEDITATION

I have read this book three times - bought this copy for my daughter. It is fun, full of wisdom, and hard to put down. A great gift for the open minded and curious!

I am an avid reader (although usually of non-fiction books), and I was completely taken in by this work of "fiction"! In fact, I read the entire trilogy (nearly 600 pages) in just a few days!

I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the metaphysical. Although it's fiction, I believe it shares some of the "real" views of the author - apparently obtained during her messages from Seth (I haven't yet read her "Seth" books yet, so I can't be certain about this).

Basically, this is a story about the journey & subsequent learning of a non-physical being - oversoul seven, and his many teachers along the way. It is beautifully written, and such a page turner, that I only wished there was more stories of the adventures of this quirky soul.

If you are at all interested in the "metaphysical", or enjoy this authors books re: Seth, I would highly recommend "The Oversoul Seven Trilogy" - the author presents some of the most difficult of concepts in an easy, enjoyable way. I can't speak highly enough about this book!

Read this and you will never be the same again! Unlike anything else I have ever read, the Oversoul 7 trilogy stands alone, and in my top 5 books of all time. Cosmic truths presented in fictional format, but NOT cheesy or contrived like most 'New Age fiction.' You know what I mean - those books that have a story just to provide an excuse for New Age preaching. blech. It's great when it works, but it rarely works. Well this time it works! Jane Roberts pulls it off, and pulls it off quite well!

Read Oversoul and your dreams will come alive. You will look at every sunflake with new appreciation. Your sense of time and space will be forever altered. You will grasp at last the paradox of nonlinear time (ie, 'time travel'). You will meet unforgettable characters and remember them fondly many years later (the hallmark of a great book). And, you'll have fun reading it.

For those of you who love fictional accounts that leave you on a different plane of existence, this is for you. Many may prefer books that spell things out and leave you with a set of rules to follow from some motivational speaker. This book offers your imagination an enjoyable trip that leaves you with some new perspectives and concepts with which to create your own life.

I was so glad they re-released these books. I love the whole series. As novels they are great, but as an explanation of how the universe works they are awesome. I espeically love the old age home of the gods!

The whole idea of all time being simultaneous is so clear. Made me wonder if we aren't all just someone's oversoul!

How they got this much good information in one book is unbelievable! Very, very good.

As a long-time EFT practitioner and energy psychologist, I can recommend this book with no hesitation. Whether you are new to the concept of energy medicine, or an advanced practitioner, I am sure you will find much valuable information in this book. I haven't seen anything better on the subject!

I especially liked the way the different authors each had their own section in which to describe their specialties, from Gary Craig's EFT to Donna Eden's fascinating work with body energetics. This is a book I will always keep in my reference library.

This is an interesting subject matter. It is a beneficial mode of healing and as stated in this book the "methods can be traced back 5,000 years". I like the fact that their is another tool that can heal which can reduce or even eliminate medication. The author provides information that shows this concept as a tool which complements the science of Psychology.

This book includes a 5 minute daily energy routines that can be combined with other disiplines of excercise. Some of the routines can assist with insomia, ADD, and memory to name a few. IMHO-I would not try any of the information in this book without seeing a professional in this field. I highly recommend this for individuals suffering from PTSD and missing limbs.

The title says it all. I found this book at the library several months ago, brought it home and began using EFT on myself. Not long after, I ordered six copies -- one for myself and five for my friends as Christmas gifts.

I used EFT on Sunday to remove a friend's fear of flying. It worked like a charm. I should point out that I am not trained in EFT -- I learned what I need from this book and the book rocks!

This book is clear, fascinating and contains many examples. I have purchased three copies as gifts and am going back for more.

One of the most real and grounding books I have ever read. It can quiet any raging storm. It certainly quieted mine. I have owned this book for years, and everytime that I read it, it's like reading it for the very first time. It is always new. And I am one to rarely read the same book over and over and over. You really do get it when you read this book. Every word resonates with my soul. I am at a point in my life, and am having experiences that are making me really assimilate the truths presented in the book as the way to do this life while on earth. So simple, yet power beyond any earthly measure that I've come across. It has replaced my need for a therapist and other things recommended for controlling anxiety and depression. I am now able to let go and trust in what I've always known to be true. If you purchase the book, you are giving yourself and the planet, because we will all benefit, a great gift.

Keep it with me all the time. Helps me to realign into balance and impeccability when the kindness and compassion within me gets challenged, inert or thoughtless. Pocket sized.

This little book can bring you peace. My wife turned me on to White Eagle and his book "The quiet mind." Keep it in your pocket or backpack and just read it when you get upset. It works.

This is one of my favorite daily books. It has the most wonderful quotations to soothe and inspire you, whether you're sad, depressed, stressed, angry, frustrated, worried, irritated, fearful, or upset in any way. The words of wisdom ring true to me on every level and, its gentle teaching makes me feel deeply loved and attended by loving spiritual beings.

The Quiet Mind is a book for those looking for spiritual support and for those genuinely interested in the progress of the soul and the realization of its true identity. This 'little' book never fails to inspire me and has advice for virtually every situation in life.

Fascinating look into the world of OCD -- spelled out in an informative, entertaining fashion.

I originally picked this gem up thinking it would be interesting to read from a psychological point of view. Once I started into it, though, I began to recognize certain elements of my own behavior. Though I would not say I am a full-blown OC, I do sometimes have obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors (probably as most people do at some time in their life). Just the title and him referring to the tapes that keep replaying in his brain was enough for me to squash my own destructive thoughts. Whenever I start wasting time on obsessive thoughts, I just think of his analogy of the tapes that keep playing, then rewinding and replaying. I then choose to shut the tape player off. Very freeing! A courageous and interesting story. Thank you for sharing, Mr. Bell.!

This book brought me to tears. It so reminded me of my daughter's struggle with anxiety disorders. One thing that all people need to be reminded of is, Jeff, nor anyone with anxiety disorders, is ever cured. It is not overcome. It is coped with - sometimes better than other times. Your life and those around you are still affected by the disorder. You still have symptoms but are better able to not let them control you. This takes energy. If someone you know has anxiety disorders, remember this.

I cannot recommend this account of a person's journey into the terrors of OCD highly enough. I suffer from OCD and read as much as I can on this topic, and this is the best personal story I have ever encountered on this subject. Without whining or blaming, the author carefully and honestly shares his torture. With a reporter's skills, he has us on the scene with him, feeling his agony and rooting for his recovery. A close friend who does not have OCD and borrowed my book was equally in awe of the author as she read of his struggle and his eventual recovery. I would recommend this book to family and friends of OCD sufferers as Jeff shares what his wife, children and parents went through during the height of his disorder. Professionals who treat OCD sufferers will benefit from it as well. It will be a real eye opener into our world. You will not be disappointed in this heartfelt, amusing, and heartbreaking story. This is a book I found extemely hard to put down. Please read this book.

Jeff Bell uses the metaphor of a tape player to describe his struggle with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in his harrowing memoir, "Rewind, Replay, Repeat." Bell has been a successful radio personality for many years, which makes his willingness to come clean about his illness all the more remarkable. He is a doubter, who states, "I have all five of my senses, but tend not to trust any of them." Because he does not believe what he perceives, Bell mentally replays entire sequences of his life over and over again. He also revisits places to check that he has not harmed anyone or failed to do something essential. He calls his story "a tale of fear and torment and agony and shame."

After experiencing a few OCD symptoms as a child, Bell enjoys a normal adolescence, goes on to college, earns an MBA, marries his college sweetheart, and starts a career in commercial radio. He and his wife, Samantha, have a little girl, Nicole. Everything is going wonderfully. Unfortunately, the peace of mind that he enjoyed for so many years is shattered when his OCD returns with a vengeance. He begins to obsess about a near-collision that occurs while he is piloting his father's boat. He spends hours worrying about some minor damage that he may have inflicted on someone else's cabin cruiser. Not only does he think about this event constantly, but he also visits the marina over and over to look for physical clues. This fixation on an unimportant incident takes over his life to such an extent that it begins to affect his marriage and his ability to concentrate at work. He stays up all night worrying, and his sleeplessness makes him groggy during the day. Rather than owning up to his condition, Bell makes a valiant effort to hide the truth from his colleagues, friends, and loved ones. He is living a double life and it is destroying him emotionally.

Even after he reluctantly shares his secret with his family and agrees to seek help, the first therapist that Bell consults has no useful answers for him. Although his devoted wife is steadfast in her support of her beleaguered husband, she finds his behavior increasingly unsettling. After sixteen months of "pent-up rage," Bell curls up on the bathroom floor of his house and bawls like a baby. He is deteriorating and he has no idea what to do to make things better.

"Rewind, Replay, Repeat" illuminates the agonizing world of doubters and checkers--those unfortunate souls who cannot leave well enough alone. OCD sufferers include: the woman who must unlock her front door repeatedly to check the stove; the driver who feels compelled to circle the block to make sure that he didn't run over a pedestrian; the terrified child who keeps asking his mother the same question a thousand times and is never satisfied with the answer; the washers who scrub their hands dozens of times a day until their skin is raw and painful; and the savers who hoard objects of no value until their homes resemble garbage dumps. Medical science has yet to pinpoint exactly what causes the brains of OCD patients to misfire.

This is an intensely personal, painfully honest, and extremely detailed look at one man's journey into the abyss and back. After he learns that he has OCD, an incurable condition, Bell struggles for years to get his life under control with a combination of spiritual awakening, a support group, cognitive behavioral therapy, and drug treatment. "Rewind, Replay, Repeat" is an informative, touching, and vividly written first-person account that will give hope and comfort to OCD sufferers and their families. It is a welcome addition to other excellent non-fiction works on this subject that include the classic "The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing" by Judith Rappaport and "Brain Lock" by Jeffrey Schwartz.

I was diagnosed a brain tumor 5 years ago, it was removed 15 days later. I was astonished to find so much informations in this book I shoud have known from the very beginning that nobody knew or dare to share with me.
I strongly recommend this book for someone dealing with this problem (family, patients). The message of the book can be summed up as "Grab your illness yourself and fight". It also give hope which is invaluable although many things influence the outcome (each case is different). Nonetheless I was convinced (as a scientist myself) with the pragmatic approach of the author.

Dr. Ben Williams is an excellent writer who provides a rare opportunity for readers to learn about his "terminal" cancer through a scientist's eyes. In short, he has already survived and thrived over 15 years after he received a diagnosis of a disease that was supposed to lead to a rapid trip to the undertaker. In part one, he shares a very personal view of his own round-trip to Hades. His wry sense of humor makes it enjoyable, even though we share his painful experiences in the hands of some physicians who are not going to win awards for bed side manners. Patients and their loved ones can be torn apart by the healing art of medicine that was meant to cure them, but Dr. Williams kept his dignity and his wits about him, allowing his survival. In part two, Dr. Williams explains why the medical system needs reform. This is an excellent review of some of the basic flaws of scientific medicine. Physicians be warned, Dr. Williams is an iconoclast with a razer sharp mind and first rate scientific credentials, even after being kicked in the head with a near fatal brain tumor. Many physicians who have not had the benefit of an inductive scientific approach may be surprised to learn new ways of examining data. Third, Dr. Williams shares information that your oncologist won't tell you, including alternative medicine, supplements, cutting edge treatments and sources of information. Throughout the book the layman is provided with helpful guidance that will enable the patient and his/her caretakers to make their own choices. The book is also important because Ben was a very patient mentor to me when I was an undergraduate studying experimental psychology at the University of California, San Diego, some 33 years ago. I have the greatest respect for him as a leading scientist and a teacher; and now I have an even more profound respect for him as a tough fighter, and a leader who used his scientific prowess to save his own life, and who then wrote about it to help save others. My bias in favor of Ben aside, this important book will probably change the way cancer is dealt with politically, clinically and scientifically. It is an inspiration to all of us because it shows that what makes the human brain truly amazing is its ability to not only recover function, but to actually improve itself as a result of trauma. They say, "Physician, heal thyself". Dr. Williams not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. Bravo!

My sister was recently diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and I have been trying for more than three weeks to get information on the internet about available treatments. I found out about this book on the Wikipedia page on Glioblastoma. Reading this book has been extremely helpful for me to understand what my sister is dealing with and what I can do to maximize her chances of survival by finding information on the available treatments and their likelihood of sucess. Moreover the survival story of the author is truly inspiring and gives hope to patients and family members that the gloomy statistics of the medical establishment about this monstruous disease may be beaten.

The Gold Standard treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) brain tumors is a combination of surgery, radiation and the chemotherapy themozolomide (Temodar / Temodal).

Untreated, GBM uniformly kills its victims within four months.

For 10% of all patients treated with radiation, that survival expectation increases to two years. At four years, 3% of the original group will still be alive.

Add Temodar and surgery to that radiation, and 27% of those treated can expect to survive to two years. At four years, 12% of those treated with the Gold Standard combination will still be alive.

University study press releases cheer the dramatic increase in surivival rates for patients receiving Tamodar along with radiation and surgery. From 10% to 27% for two years and from 3% to 12% for four years are big jumps.

While the numbers do represent a significant increase, the fact remains that at four years, 88% of those receiving the Gold Standard treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme tumors will be dead.

In 1995, before Temodar was anywhere near the marketplace, Dr. Ben Williams discovered that he had a large Glioblastoma Multiforme tumor. Williams looked at the survival rates for those receiving the recommended treatment and did not like the odds.

A research scientist and academic, Williams scoured every resource to create a state-of-the-art Glioblastoma Multiforme protocol. He received all of the standard treatment, which he supplemented with six other anti-cancer, pro-immune agents (and aspirin for the side effects).

Williams combined the prescribed treatment:
* Surgery (which left mass behind)
* Radiation
* BCNU chemotherapy
* PCV chemotherapy

With these addition of these agents:
* Tamoxifen
* Verapamil
* Accutane
* Melatonin
* Mushroom extract
* Gamma Linolenic Acid
* Aspirin

The treatment the oncologist recommended was certain to result in Williams' death. Yet the doctor refused any treatment outside the standard protocol, for fear of doing harm.

Williams believed that nothing was more harmful than death. The oncologist only budged a little. He gave Williams some Tamoxifen. Everything else Williams took to reduce his tumor - including a higher dose of Tamoxifen than the oncologist would prescribe -- he researched and obtained on his own.

A 1995 Gold Standard for GBM tumor treatment did not exist. The oncologist offered surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The difference between 1995 and 2007 is the accuracy of the radiation and the quality of the chemotherapy.

At two years from diagnosis - when 92% of patients receiving standard treatment would be dead - Williams received the first of what is now 12 years of clean MRIs.

Williams regards his low-toxicity drug cocktail as a synergistic weapon against glioblastoma multiforme. He compares the current Gold Standard GBM treatment to the AZT AIDS treatment. Although AZT worked at first, the body developed a resistance to it. No more HIV patients were alive at four years on AZT than off of it.

GBM cancer cells also adapt to chemotherapy. They're not adept at adapting to the low-toxicity cocktail Williams invented. The Accutane prevented the cancer cells from consuming the cells nearby. The Tamoxifen slowed the cancer cells' ability to extrude out the chemotherapy. The Gamma-Linolenic Acid produced free radicals inside the tumor, killing it from the inside out.

As a rule, oncologists do not offer these treatments to brain tumor patients. These treatments are not "proven." If the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not blessed the substance then the doctor will not prescribe it, even if the doctor's treatment itself means almost certain death.

Doctors know, says Williams, that their patients will die. So what is the problem prescribing low-toxicity agents that might cure brain tumors?

Going outside the system can have a dramatically negative affect on a doctor's career. He might be accused of fraud, profiteering or incompetence. In a profession based on the credo "First, do no harm," doctors would first like to do no harm to their own careers.

Doctors find themselves trapped between the FDA and the medical self-policing infra-structure on the one hand, and certain death for their patients on the other.

Doctors won't prescribe the cocktail agents Williams took because they are not "proven" according to FDA standards. The approval process requires billions of dollars. Pharmaceutical companies won't research drugs that will not be economically viable. The drug must be exclusive to the pharmaceutical company. The population requiring the drug must be large enough to expect a return on investment.

Many of the agents Williams used to cure his cancer are not patentable. Competitors would be able to copy and sell the compound. About 12,000 people a year are diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme tumors. The market is not large enough to justify very expensive scientific trials.

Beaten down by disease, radiation and chemotherapy, few GBM patients have the energy to climb the hurdles to promising but not "proven" treatments. Even when the outcome is certain death patients who ask for more will not receive it. Just as AIDS patients created political pressure to get "unproven" treatments for HIV, Williams encourages GBM patients to insist on access to "unproven" treatments for GBM.

Dispensing only "proven" treatment is legal, says Williams. But denying dying patients access to substances that could save their lives is grossly unethical. Already fighting the deadliest of brain tumors, patients should not have to fight for promising but "unproven" cures. Until the political pressure on the FDA reaches a critical mass, he says, the GBM Gold Standard Treatment will still produce a four year death rate of 88%.


[...]

This book was written by Dr. Williams, an eminent and widely published experimental psychologist in the field of learning theory and many other related fields. Dr. Williams was diagnosed in 1995 with a glioblastoma with, for all practical purposes, zero chance of survival. He immediately went on a quest for maximizing his chances of survival by evaluating and combining traditional and nontraditional treatment approaches. Today, in 2007, he is alive and well. This book should be of interest for anyone, even if not affected by cancer personally. I found it a remarkable account of how one can deal with catastrophic diagnoses and seemingly hopeless situations. It also critiques current FDA policies and conventional medical practice by providing a wealth of facts, literature citations, and well-developed logical arguments. There is also a very readable discussion of the statistical approach, written for a lay audience, of experimental design, and of implications for the methods for the social and medical/biological sciences. This book includes a systematic, open, thoughtful, and fair evaluation of so-called alternative treatments. The evaluation of these alternative treatments is so convincing because it was undertaken by someone like Dr. Williams, who knows the scientific approach so well. I call this book "inspirational" for anyone who has to tackle important life-and-death decisions.

Well written. I've read many books on the same topics that he covers in the book, and I was very impressed with the chapter on mercury and the one on testing. The other chapters were quite good as well.

Wellness: Piece By Piece by Pat Sullivan is a highly informative study of what constitutes a chronic illness and a quite helpful guide to the healing process for such a condition. Introducing readers to chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, candida, allergies, brain fog, the detoxification of mercury and other heavy metals, healing the gut, balancing hormones, clearing infections, proper nutrition, and the spiritual and physical connection with chronic illnesses, Wellness: Piece By Piece provides a concise and complete understanding of the incapacitating disorders. Wellness: Piece By Piece is very strongly recommended as a reliable and "reader friendly" reference or guide for coping with any form of chronic illness with respect to oneself or a loved one.

I have been on a journey to uncover the secrets behind my chronic illness for many years and it wasn't until I discovered Pat Sullivan's book "Wellness Piece by Piece" that things started to make sense for me. I have read just about everything there is out there regarding fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and chronic illness, but I never felt like is was hitting the nail on the head with regard to getting better. I never felt like someone understood the big picture until Pat shared his story. What a gift to hear from someone who has been there and walked out on the other side. Pat's book is like finding the key that unlocks all the secrets to getting better. Each chapter reveals his experience regarding a piece of the puzzle toward feeling better and I have to say that everything he has said, and that I have tried, has been right on. Please, if you are suffering from chronic illness, give yourself a gift, read this book. You won't be sorry.

As a fellow chronic sufferer, with much the same story of undiagnoses by the medical establishment and ineffective treatments or incomplete results by the alternative field, this book reveals the Truth that heavy metals and/or negative organisms are behind every chronic disease and what SEEMS a temporary ache and pain that builds momentum into the pits of hell.

Pat outlines the details of his tedious labors, uncovering why he continued to stay sick. Take special note of his message: until you erradicate the offending agent, supplements will have limited results, if any, as in my case and many others, and the liver doesn't know the difference between Prozac and Heroin. All metals are poison. Heart attack? Diabetes? Parkinsons? AIDS? All symptoms.

Pat gives much insight into what HAS helped him mitigate against the toxic load on the body while he was searching for the answer, and breaks down the list of myths that will be encountered in the healing fields, when enough time is spent hunting down the tiger. He also outlines what hasn't been effective to which I also concur in my own experience.

Wellness Piece by Piece is easy to read, hard to put down, and helps to reinforce you can get well when all seems hopeless.

Knowing metals may not even show up on a challenge test until you are chelating for a few months, the word out there by other chronic sufferers, is chelate anyway. The results [or lack thereof] will be revealed soon enough. Pat's book reveals what chelating agents are NOT effective, and with DMSA now available without prescription, anyone can start accomplishing results.

Disease doesn't appear overnight. This book is a must read for chronic sufferers and those who never want to get sick and who have probably already started the disease process and don't even know it! You can also find this book on Pat's Jigsaw Health website.

Thanks, Pat, for getting the word out. With enough available knowledge, people can stop the abuse of medical and health "care" and discover the answer lies in those who have come before them.

I was raised by two pharmacists who told me that vitamins were garbage and natural medicines were a scam. Three years ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I voraciously read many books on caring for my immune system and natural medicine. I wish I had read Pat Sullivan's book first. He clearly and succinctly synthesizes volumes of material into a proactive self care handbook that any layman can understand. I now know what my father didn't: not all healing comes from the pharmacy.

I strongly recommend Wellness Piece by Piece to anyone looking to put more life into their years!

AG

Suza Francina, the author of Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause, dedicates this book to the Yoga Sisterhood, of which I consider myself a member. I have been practicing yoga off and on since my early 30s and have never really lost my love for this practice.

In this wonderfully arranged book with lots of snapshots of many yoga poses (asanas), Suza has provided the midlife woman with "tools" to help her with the transitional period of midlife that we call menopause. Each chapter tackles a specific topic. For example, Chapter One covers alternatives to hormone therapy and Chapter Two delves into the endocrine system. (Hormones are the substances secreted by the endocrine glands. Hormones are also called "biochemical messengers".) Chapter Four is called The Power of Hot Flashes and Chapters Five, Six, and Seven deal with healthy bones, cancer, and heart disease, respectively.

Each chapter is filled with stories of other women's menopausal stories and how yoga helped them through this midlife transition. In this way, the author also draws upon the wisdom of other yoga practitioners and writers in the field of yoga, putting quotes as sidebars in appropriate places in each chapter. In effect, you are getting the wisdom of many authors, not just Suza's.

The book is easy to read and quite comprehensive. Each chapter has photos of poses that help women as they navigate the menopausal trail. The final chapter is a series of photos as part of Suza's Practice Guide. There is also a helpful Resources section of yoga teachers featured in the book and a Directory for finding a yoga teacher in your area. Francina also includes women's retreats that offer yoga, as well as miscellaneous websites and associations.

Here are a few quotes from Francina's book that will hopefully encourage you to read the book and/or join a yoga class, if you have not already done so:

"Menopause is a metamorphosis, a complete change at the cellular level." (p. xvii)

"Yoga is a `unification' of physiological, psychological and spiritual therapies. It is a healing science that addresses all the concerns of women going through menopause." (p. xviii)

"Yoga postures, besides providing a superior form of weight-bearing exercise that stimulates bones to retain calcium, also help to stimulate and distribute the flow of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints between bones." (p. 105)

"Yoga can help reduce the risk of breast cancer by stimulating lymph flow, strengthening the endocrine and immune systems, and helping you be more in touch with your body." (p. 127)

"The feminine path to self-realization unfolds when a woman reclaims her own authority over her body and her life. She learns to honor her own needs and rhythms, and to trust her body's innate wisdom." (p. 179)

This book is an excellent resource for all women. It is informative, uplifting, and powerful. Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause is published by Health Communications, Inc. in Florida and costs $12.95 (soft cover), a bargain for so much information. The publisher's website is www.hcibooks.com.

I was thoroughly impressed with Suza Francina's other book, "The New Yoga For Healthy Aging", so I thought I would check out "Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause" as well. Once again, I was not disappointed. As a woman who is at midlife, I am concerned about the upcoming 'change of life' and have been reading many books on the subject. Some have been helpful and inspiring - others have been downright depressing. After reading Francina's book, I feel that my yoga practice is giving me options to deal with this new stage of life in a manner that is gentle, life affirming and positive.

"Yoga And The Wisdom of Menopause" is not just a book of poses for your symptoms - it is a friendly guide to this exciting and confusing experience filled with suggested routines and information about a wide range of issues including bone health, heart issues, pelvic problems, cancer and more. Francina is never preachy - instead, she adopts a very kind and spiritual tone, which is comforting. Even when talking about such controversial subjects such as HRT, she states facts without histrionics - this allows the reader to make their own conclusions about what is 'right' for them. Sprinkled throughout the book, other women share their stories about menopause, which gives the reader something to relate to. These anecdotes gave the book a very personal feeling - I found myself nodding in agreement with many of theit experiences.

Although this book is geared towards those of us in the change of life, I think that any woman would find it useful. Francina has an Iyengar background and is strongly influenced by Geeta Iyengar - all female pracitioners of Iyengar style yoga will really benefit from adding this book to their yoga library.

With this book, Suze Francina - Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher, applies Yoga and its therapeutic use to the challenging stage of menopause in a women's life. Her vast experience with Iyengar Yoga and her personal experience of the stage gives her real-life experience about how Yoga can be useful for calming the mind and the body during menopause.

As with any problem or symptom, it is useful to know what all parts of the body are affected first. The book addresses each of the symptoms that are a result of the phase - hormonal changes, hot flashes, pelvic health, stress, etc. You will find sequences of postures that are suitable to address the symptom. Suza encourages the use of props which is critical for people starting Yoga at these ages.

A key aspect of this book as in her earlier book is the inspirational stories of women who have faced the challenges by practicing yoga. The stories are alone enough to motivate you to look at Yoga as a cure to the problem. It is true that Yoga is extremely effective in calming the mind and this itself is a key aspect in its therapeutic effects on various ailments. What this book stands out is to help one choose a challenging aspect such as hot flashes and go straight to the chapter and see how Yoga could help. As a yoga teacher myself, I find the guidance extremely useful in letting women know how Yoga can help.

Suza's experience in dealing with the issue goes to a higher level than merely a prescriptive approach. 'Menopause is indeed a wake-up call to take care of ourselves' she writes. She rightly brings spirituality into the cure. A lot of physical and mental ailments can be faced effectively by feeling spiritual; the strength you find in being spiritual is stronger over the long run than many medicines. 'Yoga has helped me embrace my menopause, heal, grow, let go and move on. I want the same for you'.

If you know that Yoga can help many ailments and are getting to or into menopause, you will certainly benefit from this effort coming out with a good amount of knowledge about what happens and how Yoga can help.

I am totally new to yoga and I found this book to be helpful and confusing at the same time. The first person accounts were interesting although it seems that most, if not all, of the women had been involved with yoga for years so I couldn't relate to that part of their story. I could relate to their menopausal experiences, though.

I think I will be able to do the yoga poses just from looking at the pictures and reading the explanations. I think I will be able to do many of the poses even though I have arthritis in my knees. I am glad about that because I tried to do yoga by following a yoga instructor on a video and I could not do many of the poses because of pain in my knees.

Most of the above is positive, but I do have a problem with the book. The author made charts listing the best poses for different symptoms of menopause, but did not put the page number of the poses that she listed in the charts. She had poses pictured throughout the book and then a comprehensive set of pictures of all the poses at the end. The book could have been smaller and less confusing if she had just pictured the poses once and put page numbers on the charts showing where the poses could be found.

I was glad the book did not go into a lot of the spiritual side of yoga but wondered why she did not go into more detail about the proper way to breathe during the poses. She talked about how important proper breathing is but I did not see a good explanation of what she means by that. ( I have not read every word of the book, so may have missed that, but it wasn't in the same place as where she talked about the importance of breathing, which would be the appropriate place.)

As the Walking Editor for Prevention Magazine, I was priveledged to invite Suza Francina to teach yoga at our annual Walkers Rally several times. A welcoming and understanding teacher, Suza had classes attended twice a day by many of my participants, most over the age of 50, many 60 and 70 year olds. Her easy going style and attention to the way older bodies "work" (or don't) opened the door for many men and women to this wonderful body science.

This book, as well as The New Yoga for People Over 50 are invaluable guides for folks who are experiencing the effects of aging that can slowly erode range of motion and the pleasure and freedom of uninhibited movement. Thank you Suza!

Maggie Spilner
Author
Walk Your Way Through Menopause
Prevention's Complete Book of Walking
Prevention's Encyclopedia of Walking for Health