Alternative Books

I sent this to my mother who has lung cancer. She says this is the best book on cancer she's seen & wishes she had the book earlier when she was going through radiation & chemo. I know she highly recommends this book.

I really appreciate the fact that this book is research based and advocates complementary medicine. I feel it really helped me sort through treatment options and show me how I could help my mother after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She's currently doing cyberknife therapy, and now I know which supplements can help her with radiation therapy, and what I need to give her now (I chose curcumin or quecertin, vitamins, Ip6 and Maitake mushrooms, and am a Reiki practicioner so I do Reiki on her every night. Even Reiki is mentioned in the book!).

If you're trying to figure out what to do, get this book first. It's also approved by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which practice allopathic along with naturopathic medicine in treating cancer.

This book is a must for people with cancer or people trying to prevent. Easy to read and follow, you can start from the beginning or use it as a reference. A keeper for your health and medical library!

This is a great book, tons of information, really helpful and very informative regarding alternative treatments to cancer and things you can do long with conventional treatments.

I found this book to be very informative. As a Pharmacist, I do believe that certain medications are beneficial. However, I also believe in nutritious foods and exercise to be the foundation of a healthy body. This book is an educational tool, but not difficult to read. Enlightening!!

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.

The authors have something helpful to share, and its a gift to MS readers. They have MS themselves, and describe their personal journeys of disease disability, then discovery and recovery, using dietary modifications. They inform us that the medical establishment currently falls short. There's no money in dietary research. At least for some, there is new hope of recovery. I recommend this book anyone with MS who has the ability, will power really, to make some dietary changes. Then, if improvement results, educate the neurologists about this book.

Phenomenal book. Gives direction and a lot of hope dealing with a disease where there is not a lot of hope given (especially by physicians). Enjoyed the personal stories, the recipes, opinions of the authors. Would highly recommend this book to those interested in getting well.

I really enjoyed this book and I am grateful that this book is available at all, when you are faced with an incurable disease the most important thing is finding some hope and gaining some control back over your life.

This book is great for that.

I was really hoping for more specific guidelines though, for example.

How to prepare for an ELISA test (if this is possible)
Where to get an ELISA test done.
Start off with X,Y,Z suppliments.
Eliminate one food group at a time.
Common alternatives to common (problem) foods are ...
Staying strong and avoiding temptations (there are a few excellent ideas on this in the book but I felt that they could have been restated towards the end of the book)

I understand that this information IS in the book but I just felt that after reading it I needed more guidance.

Changing your diet is hard enough - when you have such a deeply compelling reason for changing it I feel that one cannot have too much guidance in acheiving it.

I would recommend this book to anyone with MS. I was diagnosed 18th months ago with MS and have been taking medication prescribed by my neurologist. The medicine definitely helps, but this book has given me renewed hope. In addition to the information and stories provided, this diet is amazing. After one week on this diet I noticed a marked change in my ability to walk and my stamina.

I feel extremely lucky to have found this book. When I was diagnosed with MS in October 2007, I instinctively became very careful with my diet because of past health problems due to food (Celiac's,food allergies & sensitivies).

But there were things I didn't know in regards to food & MS. This book explains why diet is important & how different foods effect MS. I also enjoyed reading all the personal case histories of real MS patients who have tried this diet.

I plan on staying on this diet the rest of my life. (I want to do everything possible for me to achieve the best possible outcome, so I also take one of the MS drugs (Avonex) in addition to this diet.)

Also, this book explained more to me about the disease of MS than all the neurologist's I have seen put together. I am deeply grateful to Ann Sawyer & Judith Bachrach for writing this book...Thank You!

Our culture raises us to fear birth, to dread birth. As a fellow birth doula and childbirth educator, I love having resources such as this book, which offers women a different way of seeing birth. Empowering birthing women, mothers, empowers society and us all. Brava!

Giuditta has provided us with a wonderful gift by writing 'Painless Childbirth: An Empowering Journey Through Pregnancy and Birth'.

Simultaneously practical and spiritual, she guides us to access our inner wisdom and own our pregnancy and birth journeys. I love her exercises, stories and the lists of questions she provides so that women can communicate with professionals from a place of informed co-creation.

Giuditta is acutely aware of the importance of our feelings and memories and how we can work with them to move forward into greater awareness, connection with our bodies and harmony with our babies....so that painless childbirth can be our reality too.

She shares beautifully, month by month, what is going on with your baby and how you can consciously support yourself and this unique new being growing inside you now.

Giuditta's insight and perspective as shared in this book is an excellent resource and support for mum, dad and baby. Painless childbirth is your birth right!

Deirdre Morris
[...]

(Note: This review was written by my wife Laura...)

Written by a doula, this book uses the chakra system as its basis for healing through the next nine months and beyond. She noticed that each month of pregnancy corresponds with a chakra as the embryo/fetus learns the vital lessons that the corresponding chakra invites.

For example, the first month is associated with the first (root) chakra in which the embryo learns if it feels wanted and safe in its physical environment. This phenomenal book guides you through each month/chakra so that you can heal and grow right along with your baby. Most of us have residual pain and baggage from our own time spent in utero, so by using her guided techniques and visualizations you have the opportunity to heal each relevant chakra.

By learning about and healing each chakra, we open ourselves to the possibility of creating an ecstatic, painless birthing experience. This is the goal of the book, but there are, of course, many other long-term benefits to healing and opening ourselves up to divine energy.

PAINLESS CHILDBIRTH: AN EMPOWERING JOURNEY THROUGH PREGNANCY AND BIRTH is a pick family libraries will want: it explores the relationship between the nine months of fetal development in the womb and nine basic human rights, advising mothers to participate in both creation and their own rights to a painless childbirth on their own terms. From hospital births and birthing center differences to obtaining peace from pain, PAINLESS CHILDBIRTH blends case history examples with advice and tips.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

With my previous pregnancies I have ordered and read quite some books on natural childbirth and methods to deal with pain; and some stories about painless, even extatic births! This book is a unique guide on how to prepare oneself for a painless and pleasurable birth. It offers a lot of information, advice and true stories, but the big part of the job is to be done by the user. There is really a lot a mother can do if she wants to. And several months seem enoughf time to do it. I have recomended the book to all my pregnant coworkers, frinds and the mothers attending classes with me. Some of them are truelly ecxited; other wonder where to start from; but all of them grasp the consept that birth is not a punishment and hence does not need to be painfull. For some of us the idea that it can be pleasurable seems as natural as love itsels, for others it requires a lot of time and effort, somethimes with the help of proffesionals as therapists, natural healers and dulas. There is one quote from this book I would like to share: According to statistics, about 1 % of womem do not experience any pain during childbirth. With 4 milion birthing women per year in the US it means that 40,000 mothers do not experince pain! If 40,000 women can do, I can do it as well; anyone can do it!!!

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

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 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.!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

This book is a must for all people who suffer with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. I read it slowly, trying to absorb each and every suggestion that was written.

Anyone person suffering these illness, and has struggled with the lack of medical help, NEEDS HOPE. I felt this was truly provided in this book along with the information of Healing. Just reading this book, helped my depression of long term illness that no Dr. could see, touch or give me a Rx for. Getting older or gaining weight, being female did not cause these health problems. Seeing other accounts of similar problems has given me a place to start investigating just what is wrong with my health and so armed with this information, I think can be the first step on the path to wellness.

If you have or know someone who suffers from fibromyalgia (chronic muscle pain) or chronic fatigue, you absolutely must get this book. Don't waste one more minute, order it now. IT could save your life. Don't believe the naysayers who tell you that nothing can be done. There is plenty that can be done. Not all of it will work, but at least you now have a good place to get started, and techniques that have proven successful for others. Plus the book gives you excellent resources for finding the best doctors out there to get you well. Any questions feel free to contact me at srowe@nbn.net

After many hours of searching and reading, this book combines documented clinical facts and case studies. I too suffered with these conditions and have found this book and its treatments to produce positive results! I have been in the medical profession for 20 years and had to leave the field because of my condition, but until recently, have I put these practices to the test, and have found those that work for me. If you really suffer from this, trust me, YOU NEED this book. For those interested, please feel free to write me and I'll discuss with you my own treatment plan and results..

My boss bought this book for me, and I thought it was going to be just another, "yeah, you have fibromyalgia and it's a real shame, this is how you cope with it", but instead, this book CHANGED MY LIFE! (Sorry for the run-on sentence). I had so much pain that some days I couldn't get out of bed. I would find a position that was minimally pain free and not move until I was better. It got so bad that I had to use a cane so I could get to work. But I read the book and I couldn't believe the case histories. But when the pain got so bad that I thought I would lose my job, I changed my diet (hey, what did I have to lose? ) and low and behold, within a week the pain was gone (I stopped taking pain medicine everyday), the "fog" lifted and I felt better than I had in YEARS! Another side benefit, is that I have lost weight! But I recommend this book very highly. I will also say that my doctors have pooh-poohed these results, but I firmly believe that what we eat, really effects how we feel. I just never knew how much!

I think this book is a little pedestrian in its layout and overall look, but the contents are interesting and will be used when the situation arises. I think that coconut oil is wonderful for you, so this book is worth checking out.

This comprehensive book tells all about coconut oil. It will answer all your questions and then some. It will also explode all those outdated beliefs about oils and fats. I now know the properties of coocnut oil, specifically how it is beneficial to my health, and what to look for when buying it. A great book for my library.

The author is very thorough. Each point is well explained. A great "How To..." book. Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut It has tons of preventative treatments as well as cures for all types of ailments. This book will assist the reader in making an informed choice. The only problem I had was finding enough fresh coconuts up here in the Northwest.

Excellent book. I recommend reading all of Bruce Fife's coconut books, starting with Coconut Oil Miracle. Eat coconut oil, just like he says.

I love this book!!! It is so well written. I have learned some amazing things from it and I love the section in the back for remedies (quick reference) It is my favorite book on this subject!!!

Excellent read for anyone that would like to share in the expierence of fatherhood with gay men.
Refreshing and insighful.
A must read for gay men that are thinking of having kids.

I got this book and started reading the book and I could not put it down. When I got half way through the book I noticed that I was half way done with the book and that I did not want it to end. So now I am only reading 1 story per week so I can make the book last. I hope the author will come out ( no pon Intended) with a sequal.

Even if your not a gay male you will find all the stories heart warming. After reading this I hope you will want to support Same-Sex Marriages.

You can't help but be deeply touched by the stories David Strah so beautifully tells in Gay Dads. This book not only highlights the struggles of creating a family and how different family structures/make up can and do work but more importantly, it demonstrates how love can overcome adversities. Read it and be enlightened.

I NEVER buy a book when I can just check it out or read it in the store, but I finally just had to get this one after several of the stories caused me to well up right there in the store. David Strah's masterpiece has been brilliantly crafted, with each story showing how strong love can be. I only wish it came it hardback.

Like the other reviewers of this book, I also feel it was a page turner and beautifully written. I bought the book based on the reviews I read from this site and am happy to say it was worth every penny! David Straw has a gift for story telling. He shares the tales of 24 families and tells us how they each became a family. The methods range from international adoptions to co-parenting with a lesbian couple. The photographs are brilliant. I had to hold back from choking on tears several times because the pictures were so touching. Straw covers his own family's story in the last chapter. His kids are insanely cute! I guarantee this book is a must-read, something for everyone, gay, straight, married, or single, whatever, you will love it!