Mental Health Books

Let Buster Lead is a wonderful read--and not just for dog lovers as one might expect. However, anyone who has ever loved a dog will absolutely adore this book. It's a real inspiration. Buy a copy for anyone who needs a lift.

Deborah Potter has written a book few people would be courageous enough to write. She writes with a clarity that is disarming in its fearlessness and in the end is instructive and endearing.

I was not expecting the emotional punch this book delivered. Nor did I expect how compelling it would be, but I found myself up at late, quiet hours in the night, reading and experiencing this story. I am very glad Ms. Potter wrote this book, and I learned alot, and yearned for alot more in my own life. I highly recommend this book. There are many hidden revelations here.

A compulsively readable true story about the transformative power of devotion -- in this case, between the author and her memorable dog, Buster. Brave and touching, Potter's personal tale rings true on every page. You will never forget Buster!

Let Buster Lead by Deborah Potter is a wonderful book about her faithful dog Buster who led Deborah back from worry and pain to her normal life with her family and friends. It is inspiring for everyone who is looking for love and quidance that can be found with "man's best friend". Buster only gave back love and care. I could not put the book down until I had finished reading. It can be an inspiration to all who read it.

Many books celebrate being gay, but few offer guidance into particular sexual activities, the physical and emotional health of actors, and some of the challenges many of us gay men encounter. While little or no moral judgments are proffered, healthful preferences are cited vis-a-vis the unhealthful. "Just because we 'can,' does not means we 'should.'"

Without insisting gay is a "lifestyle," it highlights those activities and circumstances often associated with being a gay man, and it discusses them honestly and candidly. No other published book offers such excellent information on such a broad array of issues in an intelligent and "whole earth catalogue" sort of way. I've had occasion to recommend it, and every recipient appreciates the referral.

Until it is surpassed, which seems unlikely, it's the best "handbook" to acceptance, adaptation, adjustment, approval, and analysis of most concerns we gay men face. Very highly recommended.

Do not pass up this one. A comprehensive guide to modern gay life! Covers a range of topics that even surprised me. I guarantee you will learn something from this book as I did.

It's hard to think of a group that has amassed more information about gay men and their health problems than New York's Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). Now nearly twenty years old, the group has just published a comprehensive guide to gay male health, Men Like Us: The GMHC Complete Guide to Gay Men's Sexual, Physical and Emotional Well-Being. The result is a snappy, savvy, and indeed almost encyclopedic look at our sexual, physical and emotional health, with common-sense language and lots of information.

Part One of this book is called "Sex Basics." This involves the penis, anal pleasures, mutual masturbation, how to use condoms and so on. Our attention is flagged any time a disease risk is involved. Barely a page goes by that the book doesn't use a sidebar, or a quote from an expert, or testimony from one or another gay men who's been there and done that, which keeps things on a light tone. There's even a self-help guide for

deformalities and abnormalities of the penis and which ones need medical attention (there are actually a couple that don't).

"Body Basics" is Part Two of the book. It introduces the basics of healthy exercise (both the aerobic and the body-builder type), tells how to deal with digestive problems, find a good doctor, investigate alternative health (if you so desire), monitor things like cholesterol and blood pressure, and understand the aging process. The presumed audience is a male in his late thirties or early forties who is just starting to notice that things like cardiac health and abundant vitality can no longer be taken for granted.

Part Three, "Major Medical," has two sections. The first deals with the realities of AIDS in a very sophisiticated yet easy-to-follow format. This section really shines, and here it's worth remembering that the Gay Men's Health Crisis was the first group ever formed to deal with AIDS (before it even was called that). The second section is a very knowledgeable "user's guide" to getting the most out of a hosptial stay.

Part Four has a section on therapy and mental health, one on friendships, and one on spirituality. Of the three, the spirituality section is the weakest because it lumps spiritual and religious topics together and treats them superficially. (Remember, too, this is not GMHC's forte here.) Men Like Us is a great book for any gay owner of a male body who wants to keep it in good shape. And it's wonderful when it comes to the ins and outs of AIDS. The books is probably best suited for someone age 35 or older who lives a relatively "out" gay life and is comfortable finding bias-free resources: a gay or sympathetic doctor, say. Indeed, Men Like Us book seems to make the assumption that its readers have been around the block a time or two, as when it reiterates that the rules for oral hygiene are "the same rules you've heard since you were a little homosexual-in-training." While this would still be a good book for a 22-year-old if only for the safe-sex guidance, it might not be as useful as for someone older.

Men Like Us is the complete guide to a gay man's life. The operative word is COMPLETE. This book had absolutely everything!
From anatomy (and yes, sexual pleasure), to exercise and diet, relationships and intimacy, medical care (which included lengthy passages on HIV), mental health and therapy, and on a deeper note, spirituality and community.
While the book does deal with some hard topics, it never loses it's fun feel. On nearly every page you will find funny, helpful diagrams or cartoons, depicting different aspects being discussed.
While, obviously, this book isn't for everyone (it'd probably give old Grandma a heart attack with it's vivid descriptions of anything from oral pleasuring to the "toys and tools" section) it is just right for that special man in your life. Uncle, brother, nephew, friend, etc.
This is a positive, clever, and helpful guide to gay living. No gay man's library would be complete without it.

I can truthfully say that most every question that I had regarding issues ranging from the widest range of topics imaginable were answered in a professional & very informative manner. Some of the topics ranged from "The Anatomy Of Pleasure", "Sex Acts And Facts","Sex Troubles",& much more in chapter one. Through 13 chapters of fact filled up to date info.this encyclopedic book keeps your attention in high gear, gets you thinking about what really matters, and is written in an entertaining manner as well. This all-inclusive "COMPLETE GUIDE TO GAY MEN'S SEXUAL, PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING" is a must read, and a great reference I refer to very often. If there is one book on gay men's info. this is the ONE!!!

A friend of mine gave me this book and even though I am not a "big book reader" (it takes me forever to finish one), I could not put this one down.
I had talked to other mothers with PPD, but I always felt that they couldn't relate, that my Postpartum Depression was different. Needless to say I felt very lonely and isolated. I read the book and I found women that I could identify with. For the first time in a long, long time, I didn't feel so alone anymore, and even better I had HOPE again. The road to recovery was still long and hard, but I knew that there was light at the end of the tunnel and that I could beat this horrible disease.

I found this book very helpful when I was first diagnosed with PPD. Knowing there were other women out there that had experienced similar feelings made me feel not quite so alone.

This book made me feel comforted and not alone when I was feeling depressed after giving birth to my twins. I highly recommend it.

This book was so helpful to me during my PPD. It was so encouraging to hear the mothers stories and how they recovered. It gave me hope that I could get better too. It was like having a support group whenever I needed one.

No other material on PPD that I have read compares to this offering. The stories are from REAL mothers who REALLY went through PPD and other mood disorders. I wish I had had this book when I went through PPD and OCD in 2000 with my first child. The feelings I get when reading it are... I'm not alone! I'm not abnormal! Other women feel as I did! It has been such a relief to me to read this book and has really helped my healing road with depression, specifically PPD.

While this book seems largely unknown in the Reiki community, it is a most wonderful resource. It really does help understand the process of living in the moment and feeling the energetic effects of simply being.

The author describes the journey that this book represents not as being a "how-to" guide for Reiki, but as a "why-to." Narrin truly feels that Reiki cannot be adequately described, and therefore she leaves that to the reader to find their own Reiki experience. Thus, the book is left to be a journey into understanding the tangible, real-life benefits of approaching life holistically and with intention.

I strongly reccomend this book to everyone, not just Reiki practitioners. It will honestly enrich our human experience. Jus the author's personal story related in the book is wonderful, and it is so nice to see a Reiki book that isn't regurgitating the same information as every other.

I tried using one of the plant energy experiments on a dead Dogwood tree in our front yard that was killed by lightning over twenty years ago and within four weeks of using the twenty minutes worth of Reiki energy on the dead tree stump, there appeared four new sprouts right beside the stump that were little Dogwood trees.

In the back of the book there is a personal journal for a month worth of your energy healing and journal to learn if you are actually living in the moment being aware and grounded or spending the majority of your day zoned out on other things like daydreaming/ worry Etc...

After reading and studing this book, I have found that the insights Janeanne Narrin brings, along with the "ways" to learn about, and get into contact with this energy bring to life something we all "know" exists. It allows us to step by step tune in and tune up!..

Good reading, and a better study guide.... much "fuller" than any other I have studied...I recommend highly and am hoping Janeanne creates a sequal ...

I love the attention to detail and the beautiful artwork that this book contains. The layout is well done and I find it causes me to be drawn into the text. The exercises are interesting and unique to most Reiki books. Her descriptions make the practice of Reiki easy to understand and the drawings are helpful. The storys add interest and give a refreshing perspective. Certainly a lot of thought has been given to the creation of this very useful Reiki book.

Having read Janeanne's book from the perspective of a novice in the world of Reiki, I was especially drawn in by her stories of personal transformation. My goal in learning about Reiki is similar: to transform my life through new methods AND new perspectives, which her book helps me do. I would highly recommmend this to anyone who is new to Reiki and is looking for a CONTEXT of Reiki in their life's pursuits.

Once again, Russell Vassallo has written a book that will bring pain to your heart but laughter to your soul. The depth and honesty of the emotions that he shares with us are at once breathtaking and admirable. Few men have the kind of courage Vassallo has when it comes to revealing the singularly human feelings that are shared by all of us, men and women alike. Whether it be loneliness, frustration, fear or depression, Vassallo has tasted them all. But, more importantly, he can also share those feelings with us, and in so doing, directs the light of understanding into our own lives, and our own experiences.

There is a lot of sadness in these stories, as there is a lot of sadness in the world at large. But there is also a lot of joy in these stories. It is the joy of loving, of being loved, and of sharing that love with others, whether those others be people or animals.

Mr. Vassallo obviously has a special connection with animals, an affinity that is returned to him in full measure by nearly every animal he meets and takes into his heart. The animals feel that love as much as he does. And the lives of both are enriched by that love.

The stories in this collection include a duck that gets uproariously drunk--falling-down drunk--on rye whiskey; a mysterious, almost mystical cardinal who brings hope to the hopeless; a horse and a dog whose bond was stronger than death itself; and a mare who re-lights the flame of marital love.

This is a book for anyone who loves and tries to understand animals, any kind of animals. But it is also a book for those who wish to understand themselves.

This is a book that clearly deserves MORE than five stars. I recommend it highly.

Russ Heitz
www.russheitz.com

I bought Tears and Tales because it was recommended to me by a friend. I love the stories and I can't make up my mind which story is the best. They are all great. I really feel like I know the characters and didn't want the book to end

Feeling down? Going through a rough period of life? Russell Vassallo, author of Tears and Tales has had more of those times than most people, but has been helped through all of them by loving and being loved by the many animals that have been a part of his life.

We share his journey of healing from a painful childhood through the dissolution of his first marriage, retirement, depression, and then the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Beginning with Crazy Duck, the whiskey drinking duckling, Russell shows us the way in which animals help him connect to his feelings.

Russell shares many stories of how animals guided him through an inner journey of self-reflection. He is fearless in allowing us to see parts of himself that many would be afraid to share. We learn of his doubts about his worthiness as a partner and parent; we see him become self-absorbed and misinterpret his wife's caring gestures. Throughout it all, we are privy to his willingness to learn about love and life from his dogs, horses, and even a cardinal that speaks to him of the possibility of a joyful life.

Reading this book will give you hope that you can cope with whatever challenges life gives you. And it will inspire you to share that life with an animal that needs you as much as you need it.

As the tears came to my eyes as I read the stories of each special animal, I realized that our vulnerable friends make our lives rich. Having rescued and loved many animals, memories came to mind of the sad times and happy times throughout the years. This book will warm the hearts of so many people. Take the time to enjoy it!

Mr. Vassallo beautifully expresses how animal "relationships" offer life lessons we can apply to our encounters with each other, as well as discover things we didn't recognize in ourselves. We may not always like what we see, but we are forever changed by the experiences and lessons these beloved creatures impart to our daily lives and those around us.

You will close this book with a sense of understanding your own "Tears and Tales" after reading and re-reading this honest recollection of love, loss, laughter and a sprinkling of magic even if you don't believe a Cardinal can save a man's life...in this case, Mr. Vassallo's!

I look forward to the next time Mr. Vassallo will entertain and enlighten us with his gift of telling it like it is when you have animals in your life....worth every joy and every tear, and what you lose if you don't.

This unique personal perspective of the human/animal bond will speak to anyone with a heart. The author's very candid and revealing insight into his personal space, and the the animals who entered is most reassuring to anyone who has ever felt like giving up or looking for strength to go on.

Thank you Russell,for sharing.

This is one of the most helpful books out there for treating depression. And most of the concepts and advice are useful for anxiety as well. Easy to read, excellent illustrative examples, non repetitive, concise, and accurate. Even if you don't go in for the Eastern views on diagnosis and treatment (although I personally believe that the practice if mindfulness is one the best treatment modalities out there), the first section on understanding and taking care of your brain is well worth the price of admission alone. Thank You for this informative and innovative book!

This book was very informative and an excellent resource. You learn a lot about yourself.

I see Dr. Emmons as a regular patient. He is a gifted doctor and healer. His book goes on to further demonstrate his ability to combine western medicine with eastern logic only to achieve amazing results.

This is a fantastic book. For anyone who has every experienced the "prisoner in you own mind" feelings that come with anxiety, this book really lends a helping hand. Like the other reviewers mentioned, it is well written and concise...but perhaps most of all, it gives you some very empowering tools amid an otherwise desperately helpless-feeling time.

Anyone looking to improve their lives should definetly take a look at this stuff. This book literally changed my life. Whether you suffer from mild or severe depression, the small suggestions offered in this book are priceless and very easy to follow (plus, they're fun to try).

I've spent years battling severe depression. I dropped out of college for a year, and recently ended up in the hospital with suicidal thoughts. I'm not sure if I would be here if I hadn't accidentally picked up this book. It was refreshing to find so many extra steps that I can take to improving my lifestyle, other than just medications and therapy. The book is easy to read and fascinating. Since reading this book, I've meditated daily and even sought out an ayurvedic practicioner to help me (something I would have considered "quack" science before).

These practices have kept me on track in graduate school, and many people have told me I look better than I ever have (I'd bet everything that it has to do with my better diet and meditation practices). The book was just a start, but it's the only book I've ever seen that allows that kind of start. I've read extensively on depression, and I've never learned more than I learned in one little book.

Most of all, I feel better than I've felt since I was 16 (before the depression). This book has opened new doors for me and I feel well enough to take them all!!!

If you are a parent, or teacher/therapist/service provider, to a gifted child with ADHD or Asperger's, this is the best book around. I am puzzled by the reviews that say this is academic in tone - I actually thought it was a tremendously effective and accessible compendium of the seminal research in the field. Dr. Lovecky makes two big, valuable contributions in this book - she documents what we know, empirically, about ADHD and Asperger's kids with high IQs (the focus of much research and treatment is based on the average IQ population, and is not always helpful or appropriate to understanding and working with gifted kids), and she offers many concrete strategies for helping these "twice gifted" children at home and at school to develop strategies for problem solving, social skills development, etc. As a mom of a recently diagnosed, and long misunderstood, gifted son facing extreme executive function challenges, this book made me understand my son better and helped give me some insight into how I can better support him as a parent. I am giving copies to my family members to help them support him as well! THIS IS A FANTASTIC BOOK WORTH TWICE THE PRICE!!!! Thank you Dr. Lovecky for writing it.

I have been reading book after book trying to figure out what is going on with my son, and I've finally found it! I had so many "a-ha" moments while reading Different Minds. Even the title speaks to me!

This book not only discusses the issue of twice-exceptionality (a new concept to me), it goes into great detail about characteristics of children with different exceptionality combinations. For example, ADHD is not lumped into one description...gifted kids with ADHD, inattentive-type are differentiated from gifted kids with ADHD, combined-type, based on the fact that their thought patterns, behaviors, and emotional reactions to situation can be markedly different. As an example, there is a paragraph that clearly describes why gifted kids have higher levels of anxiety, and how (in our case) inattentive-type ADHD can cause that anxiety to be even higher due to over-focus.

Another of the great things about Different Minds is that it gives very specific ideas on how to handle these issues. I needed practical, hands-on tools that I can use to help encourage, support and motivate, as well as cope with, my twice-exceptional son. I got some great ideas from this text that were very specific to our situation. The book discusses, as an example, how a behavior management technique that works with a boy with inattentive-type ADHD may not work with a girl with the same combination of issues. The specifics in this book are fantastic.

Also included are discussions of learning styles, which lead to several "a-ha" moments regarding my own personal learning style and that of those I interact with. I believe this can be invaluable in terms of learning to motivate people, both children and adults. This has helped us refine our home/bedroom organization system, as we are all visual-spatial and thus need to see our "stuff."

All this being said, the most important thing, for me, about this book is that after reading it, I did not feel so alone! I finally found a book that "gets" my child and makes him sound normal, at least for a twice-exceptional child!!

Through the years, I've bought countless books on the separate problems of ADHD, Aspergers, giftedness and learning deficits. This book was a GREAT relief because it really gave me all the practical information and more that I could possibly want to know on these subjects. Plus, it was enlightening. I'm highlighting pages and finding out things about myself, my husband AND my boy who is ADHD, Aspergers, gifted and has CAPD (auditory processing problems). I personally feel they are all somewhat related, and you don't get true giftedness without some other problems. I disagree with a previous reviewer who thought it was a book more for professionals. If you have a child with any of these problems, I'd recommend buyin this book and reading it thoroughly before going on and buying separate books on the subject.

Yes, Deidre Lovecky writes in an academic style. I appreciate books that don't talk down to parents, but allow us to share in the data the experts have developed without dumbing it down.

If you have a gifted child, know that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The chances are very good that you are gifted, too. If you truly have a need for the wonderful information in this book, I suspect you will have little difficulty absorbing the concepts that will help you help your child.

Having encouraged parents to boldly go and read this book, I must also comment that whatever you find here that should be acknowledged and coped with by your child's teachers, school administrators, or psychologist, can be easily communicated by getting them a copy with appropriate passages marked. The book IS written professionally and for the benefit of other professionals as well as parents.

I first met Dr. Lovecky 14 years ago, and I was impressed then with her insight and interest into children who were gifted and demonstrated difficulties such as ADHD, Asperger's, etc. Her depth of clinical experience and observation has enabled her to develop and share keen insights that will help any parent or professional recognize and help a gifted child with an added exceptionality.

This book was informative, but written in a tedious and academic style, like a textbook. I think it would be more useful as a reference for professionals than a guide for parents. In some respects my son would fall into one pigeon-hole, but in other traits he would fall into quite another. And it left me quite confused as to how to handle his difficulties. Many of the recommendations are oriented toward young children, but a teenager is a different matter entirely. It also ignores many of the other pressures on teenagers that are part of the equation. We're going to go to a therapist--hopefully he will be able to figure something out.

As a support group facilitator of a domestic violence group, I have found Encouragements for the Emotionaly Abused invaluable. Women in group and every woman who comes to the shelter program for help receives a copy of this book. It aids healing and validates everything someone feels when in an abusive relationship. I highly recomend this publication to anyone who has at any time in thier life experienced any form of abuse.

No woman wants to need to read this book. However, those of us who have lived the abuse know the pain. We carry our abuse with us like an unlit torch thinking it will light the path before us. Only to find out it is the abuse that keeps us in the dark. This book is the true light; it is the words we need to hear echo in our heads; it is the hope that our lives in the end will mean something to ourselves and others. Both Encouragements and "The Emotionally Abused Woman" are a must read. It can make life lighter.

I read this book as a way to help clients that come into our office. I was amazed at how much I learned, and what a pick-me-up it ended up being for me. It is an easy read, and is a wonderful help to anyone, at any stagein the healing process or life. I highly reccommend it!

I purchased this material, because I am in love with a woman who has suffered from emotional and sexual abuse as a child and I wanted to learn more about the subject. My hope was to learn about the topic, so as to be understanding and helpful to her, as our relationship progressed. Honestly, this has proven to be a difficult relationship, yet I would say the material has been rather helpful...written simply, and clearly...an easy read. No 2 situations can be exactly the same, so not every point can be applied, that would be my only caution when reviewing the material. For anyone who has suffered from this tradgedy, my guess is this is valuable reading...for anyone wanting to understand the challenges of those who have, it is a good starting point to learn. However, more sources will be needed to grasp the challenges presented.

Gives you so much insight into your own world. Thank you for this book. It has helped me see the truth as it really is. Not how I would want to see it.

This is a very information book. I am in the process of becoming certified in EMDR therapy, and this book has really helped me to understand the origins of EMDR, the reasons why it works, and how to use it in my practice. This book is a very useful tool in addition to an EMDR training program.

This book is a companion to the live course, the foundation for EMDR. A must have text if you are a therapist using this modality.

This restatement of Francine Shapiro's standard overview of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)outlines the standard protocols for this proven treatment method. The methods, theory, and failsafe procedures are carefully explained for clinician practitioners. Careful liability reduction checks are examined and encouraged throughout the manual. This book alone is not a substitute for training in EMDR, yet will assist the new and veteran EMDR practitioner in remaining competernt in the skills and therory. I keep it handy for frequent review.

EMDR may be an excellent form of overcoming trauma, and the research tends to suggest it does, although if you read the literature in a disinterested way, you will find there are many mixed reports on study results. Some find EMDR equal to or better than Cog/Beh Therapy intervention; some find it better; some find it not as effective. As someone who has conducted experimental research, I wish to point out several issues that should be addressed, even for true believers. First, EMDR is a perfect intervention for a technological age: after all, don't all our life's problems supposedly have a technological solution. Our culture says so, but of course, history tells us otherwise. Spiritual meaning, social integration, a personal credo, culture and religion still appear to be the ingredients that hold us together..or as Paul Tillich says, "Our ground of being." Technology may be helpful but it is ultimately ancillary. Of course, those who suffer from trauma may require immediate relief, and if EMDR can reduce suffering efficiently and quickly, that's fine. HOWEVER, that being said, one must look a bit further. First, one must consider the individual client him/herself. EMDR helps us return to a traumatic event, see it more objectively, and hopefully allows us to use our reasoning faculties which may not have been in play during such events owing to stress, shock, immaturity, ignorance, and so forth. However, we all have varied levels of experiencing or "reliving" memory. Some can visualize quite easily and can "see" the experience as vividly, even more vividly than the true life one. In keeping with Gardner's idea of "multiple intelligences," we should consider that different individuals have different "intelligences" in reconstructing or reliving events. Furthermore, we should consider that individuals have varying degrees in their ability to make associations. While a trauma may be a single event or several similar events, in all likelihood they have developed as narrative themes that compose the self-concept the client has. The better a client can connect the trauma to such themes, the more holistic the effect. A good EMDR clinician can encourage this reconstruction, but one should be aware that we have different cognitive styles.

Second, some of us have more entry into traumatic events than others. This may be attributable to personality traits such as openness to self-disclosure, and environmental influences of trust, and/or varying levels of general repression of uncomfortable (let alone traumatic) thoughts and events. So, one size may not fit all.

Another important variable that should be examined by practitioners/researchers is the background of the therapist. For example, since much of EMDR is used to uncover traumatic childhood events, I believe it is important that the therapist have a background in treating children--at least to some minimal level. For, as the client recalls events from childhood, he/she is recalling them as a child and may be in a child-like state during the process. Therefore, the therapist must be able to talk to the client as a child (not the inner child because EMDR, if it works for childood trauma, brings the inner child "outward." Finally, the therapist must sense when the client is "ready" for the treatment. The trauma may be known, but the ability for the client to address the trauma in a safe and secure environment may take time to establish and nurture. I do not see the metaphor of the mind as a computer. If we begin to think that way, our society is in very big trouble. Much of our culture already does. In conclusion, this method should not be viewed as a mere technique, but like any intervention for change, as a technique largely dependent on the individual therapist/client. It helps to have a rich sensory life and a good sense-memory. A therapist might be able to jog some of it, but it still is a trait. And finally, about the eye movement part, there have been few studies comparing EMDR with and without the eye movements. Studies regarding whether they are necessary to the process have not been highly encouraging.

Easy to read and helpful for understanding the process of EMDR. I would have to agree with the previous reviewer Laura M that PEACEFUL HEART : A Woman's Journey to Healing is a must-read. Aimee Jo Martin's story clearly illustrates and details her journey with successful EMDR treatments. Quite powerful if you want to really see how effective EMDR can be.

Food is such an integral dynamic of our lives that we should all at least consider its impact on our bodies. In a modern age of fast food, uninhibited consumption and the cosmetic manipulation of basic commodities we truly need to reflect and refresh our blitzed minds with regard to what is truly good and that which is actually causing us considerable harm.

Ann Marie Colbin does this with methodical and systematic gusto. From the basics of living systems, the inherent energy fields and forces in foods, balance, quality and quantity, and to modern diets, wholeness, food preparation, diets, and food as medicine. Importantly, she concludes that we can employ our natural wisdom of foods to bring a valuable balance between our mind, body and spirit.

Food and healing is a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between good health and the quality of our consumption. This book is one amongst many in a new wave of scientific and natural dietetics that correctly identifies the source of many modern illnesses with the food that we eat. Colbin is objective and knowledgeable in her approach and advice, and I cannot recommend this book enough. Much of the information she offers is of a practical nature, and her seven criteria for food selection is a good example to follow; buy food that is 1)whole, 2)fresh, natural, real, organic, 3)seasonal, harmonic, 4)locally grown, 5)traditional, native, 6)balanced, nutritious, 7)delicious.

Bon appetit!

This book is incredible. I liked it so much I bought a copy for my mom and a friend. So much information, yet still easy to comprehend. Understanding why we crave certain things, learning to listen to your body, and learning how to eat in a way that is enjoyable AND health supportive. Great book, I highly recomend it.

When I first borrowed this book from my acupuncturist/naturopath, I didn't think I'd ever actually get through it. But what I found was that I ended up reading it like a novel -- fascinated to learn about foods the way she presented it.

For example -- it really helped me to undertand the effects of sugar in a new way. Sugar in small amounts creates individuation and sugar in large amounts creates alientation. Also, Americans eat about 20 times more sugar than we did 100 years ago, and the average juvenile delinquent does 40 times more. And when the juvenile delinquents had sugar removed from their diet and replaced with fruits and vegges, they violence reduced and they began falling into the range of normal.

I used to keep it in my cube at work, and refer to it to offer suggestions to handling ailments. One time a guy at work cancelled an appointment because of a migraine. So when he made it in a few days later, we went through the book to see the cause an found some foods he had eaten a day or so before the migraine. He came to me 9 months later and said he had not had a migraine since.

This book provides a great model for understanding how diet can be used to help balance us from a physical, mental and emotional perspective.

Thanks Dr. Colbin!

I just borrowed this book from a friend, and Colbin covers everything--there were several pages I xeroxed before returning it. It doesn't propose any specific philosophy, rather it evaluates the effects of different foods on the body. She incorporates Chinese and ayurvedic philosophy also and details macrobiotics. I am vegan, and I especially recommend it for vegetarians since it explains how to balance your diet, making sure you get enough calcium and the essential B12. Colbin emphasizes all-natural foods and listening to your body. I'm gonna buy a copy when I get back to the states. Enjoy!

This remains one of my favorite books on eating for health. Annemarie offers sensible, and do-able guidelines, not rules, and a lot of information to mull over.
I go back to this book over, and over again.
I also recommend her cookbooks. Healthy, delicious, easy to make dishes, with
simple ingredients.