Medicine Books

I have read many medical memoir books and this tops them all! I also recommend "Another Day in the Frontal Lobe" by Dr. Katrina Firlik.

This book is phenomenal. The author's recount of his neurosurgery training is both gripping and funny. Some of the patients he treated and what happened to them will be forever engraved in my mind. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot. This is not a type of book I am used to reading but it is very well written. The subject is very intersting and Mr. Vertosick makes it very easy to understand for people like me, who does not know a lot about subject.

I highly recommend this book. I am an R.N. and my husband is an electrical engineer and neither of us could put the book down. I've read it twice already. It's very well-written and shows a side of surgeons you never see in the hospital.

Originally published in 1996, "When the Air Hits Your Brain," by Dr. Frank Vertosick, is a mesmerizing insider's look at "an arrogant occupation" whose practitioners operate on the spinal cord and the human brain ("a trillion nerve cells storing electrical patterns more numerous than the water molecules of the world's oceans"). A neurosurgeon must be supremely confident in his ability to get the job done; if he were to dwell on everything that could possibly go wrong during a procedure, he would be too terrified to operate. Because of the high potential for missteps, neurosurgical training is an arduous seven years of hell. Before he starts treating "brain cancers, spinal cord injuries, head trauma, [and] lethal hemorrhages," a trainee must endure a grueling regimen of study which includes repeated humiliation at the hands of verbally abusive mentors. This is not a profession for the faint-hearted, for when neurosurgery is unsuccessful, the results can be catastrophic. Even if the patient survives, his cognition, speech, movement, and vision may be forever compromised. In the words of Gary Stancik, a sardonic chief resident, the brain is like a '66 Cadillac: "It was built for performance, not for easy servicing."

Vertosick fell into neurosurgery by happenstance. He spent some time as a steelworker, majored in theoretical physics, and wound up choosing medicine by default. In the years to come, he would have to adjust to impossibly long hours, inadequate sleep, and hit-or-miss meals. He would become adept at performing quickly and efficiently under pressure. However, none of his earlier experiences would fully prepare him for the emotional roller-coaster that lay ahead. He was destined to endure a trial by fire when faced with such cases as a six-week old infant born with a malignant tumor, a twenty-two year old woman with devastating multiple injuries resulting from an auto accident, a Vietnam veteran with an intracranial aneurysm, and a twenty-eight year old pregnant woman with a lump of cancerous cells in her brain. Fortunately, Dr. Vertosick enjoyed some notable successes; he was instrumental in helping a number of gravely ill patients resume normal lives.

Although it is vital to care about and communicate with each patient, Vertosick argues that it is a mistake to become too personally invested in each outcome. Hardest of all, one must accept the unpleasant fact that even brain surgeons can commit colossal blunders. On one occasion, Vertosick sank into despair when one of his patients died because of what he perceived to be his incompetence. He could have given in to his torment and self-loathing and abandoned his career, but he ultimately decided to "stop moping over one postoperative death." In the words of the aforementioned Gary, "Yeah, it's a nightmare, but that's neurosurgery. Land of nightmares."

"When the Air Hits Your Brain" is impeccably and stylishly written, with fascinating asides about the complexities of medicine and the human body. Vertosick's wry and irreverent black humor serves as a welcome respite from the book's often grim subject matter. In his postscript, which was written in 2007, the author provides updates on the changes that have occurred in the last decade: by law, residents are not allowed to work more than eighty hours a week, aneurysms may now be treated without resorting to invasive surgery, and new technologies such as deep brain stimulation and "frameless stereotaxis (a kind of GPS system for navigating the brain)" are revolutionizing the field. This is an intelligent, moving, and enlightening book and one of the most powerful and intimate accounts that I have ever read on the making of a surgeon.

I got this book for a graduate class I am taking in immunology; although, I didn't really need it, it was helpful.

I am a 2nd year medical student and I used this book to pre-read before my immunology lectures. This book explains everything with the right amount of detail. The author takes difficult concepts and clarifies them without oversimplifying concepts. This book clarifies difficult concepts that immunology textbooks are horrible at explaining.

I'm a first year vet student and have read this text over the summer to get my feet wet. Excellent. Its just enough to explain the real mechanisms of specific cells and immune functioning. I would highly recommend as this text gives a thorough explanation to very difficult material.

For someone with no immunology background this is a great place to start. I wish I'd known about this book before taking immunology in medical school. It is short enough and such engaging writing that I'd strongly recommend reading it before taking an immunology course. This book isn't going to be one you go to for specifics about this receptor or that cytokine it's all about understanding how all the parts fit together.

This is one of the best books I have read in Medicine, for its ease and information. It stimulates you to go and read more.

This Merck home manual is a must have book.. I dont even keep it in the bookcase. i keep it on the table where we can get to it.When ever a test is called for i find itin the book so i know what to expect. when having a few miner aches and pains i have been able to gain information on what is the matter.. This book is jut plain good sense.I plan to get the one for older people. next .since i am a senior citizen i believe it will be even more help to me.. Again you must have this book..hallycatThe Merck Manual of Medical Information: 2nd Home Edition (Merck Manual of Medical Information Home Edition)The Merck Manual of Medical Information: 2nd Home Edition (Merck Manual of Medical Information Home Edition)

This is the best medical book out there unless you are a doctor and even they refer to it!

This book is a great addition to our household. Had the paperback version but now have the updated version for want-to-be doctor wife.

Ray

This book is great for looking up any diagnosis in a patient chart. There has only been 1.. yes ONE that was not in the book.... VERY informative.... gives suggestions as what to do with the diagnosis and what can cause it, etc. I LOVE this book, it quickly became my GO TO book for anything and EVERYTHING!!!

The Merck Manual is a great source of Western medical information. To complement this, I use the Yale doctor's book, AN ELEMENTARY TEXTBOOK OF AYURVEDA by Frank John Ninivaggi, M.D. of Yale University Medical School. Both give practical information about how to stay well and treat medical and psychological problems.

Not only did I like the tape, it was so inspiring. The shipping was within alloted times.

I have used Mindfulness techniques with many clients in my private practice, but in the last couple of years have begun working with mentally ill inmates in a maximum security prison. These inmates are often depressed and feel out of control. I was looking for a way to help them understand their feelings and regain a sense of control over their circumstances. They have responded very positively and are applying the principles to their lives. We recently started a meditation time where they meditate at the same time of day even though they are in separate cells and not able to directly communicate with each other. This has been a powerful, positive experience for them. The book has been a hit with a very tough audience.

I was actually led to seek out information on meditation as a treatment for depression through a book called Surviving America's Depression Epidemic by psychologist Bruce E. Levine. That book takes a highly insightful approach to investigating the sociological and personal genesis for depression and I credit it for saving me from succumbing to this condition. Afterwards, I bought "The Mindful Way through Depression" to supplement Levine's more brief explanation of meditation as a therapeutic modality.

Three psychologists - J. Mark G. Williams, John D. Teasdale and Zindel V. Segal began investigating why it was that people who became depressed once would experience constant relapse even after treatment. They eventually were led to the work being done by Jon Kabat-Zinn who had been researching the benefits of meditation at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

The approach they eventually created is called Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (or MBCT), which begins with the understanding of human psychology branching out of the Buddhist contemplative traditions of ancient India. This understanding of reality is then applied to findings of Western cognitive-behavioral therapy. Despite its Buddhist influences, the practice is completely secular. There is no mention of Buddhist concepts such as anatta, dharma or nirvana but the essence of the contemplative traditions is still present. The meditations in the book and on the CD are focused on experiencing the present moment as it unfolds here and now. This is what is meant by mindfulness.

Some of the reviews on this page mention "curing" depression. Yet, like Dr. Levine, the authors of this book redefine depression - not as some inherent chemical or genetic fault that needs to be eradicated with psychotropic drugs - but as a habitual reaction towards our unpleasant feelings. Taking a poignant insight from Buddhist philosophy, the authors realized that much of our suffering is due to an aversion towards our own unpleasant feelings. (Note: Depression is NOT unpleasant emotions themselves. Negative feelings - sadness, fear, anger, anxiety, etc. - are benign in and of themselves. It is a pattern of reactions towards these feelings that is the depression.)

Feelings - both the pleasant and unpleasant - are important messengers which contain vital information about whowe are and the state of our lives. However, when depressed, we often become paralyzed by our unwillingness to be with our fear, sadness, anger, anxiety, etc. This initial aversion cycles into depression in a complex interplay between our emotions, thoughts and behaviors. This is why we often find ourselves sinking deeper into depression the more we try to "think" our way out or just "snap out of it." At worst, these attempts only serve to further estrange us from our emotions or cause us to start ruminating, cementing our depressed thoughts. At best, they serve only as a cosmetic and temporary solution.

I was happy to discover that MBCT addresses some of the shortcomings of traditional CBT that Levine criticizes in his book. CBT has a preoccupation with thoughts specifically - neglecting the nuanced relationship between our external circumstances, our emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Likewise, I found CBT tends to be exhausting. Who can stand to analyze their thoughts constantly, especially when they don't have an understanding of where those thoughts are coming from to begin with? The mindfulness practices in this book place thoughts in the wider context of life itself and bring us out of our own heads. The "Body Scan" that begins the CD is an excellent way of bringing one into the entirety of the body and opening to the physical, sensory experiences most of us have come to ignore.

Eventually, what these practices serve to do is awaken one to the true nature of living. Depression itself can be seen for what it is - a pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviors - that we eventually learn to transcend. If you are currently depressed, this may all sound highly dubious. I myself was skeptical at first. But, having nothing to lose, I read through the book, practiced the meditations as described and suspended judgment for the eight weeks recommended by the authors. Within the first two weeks, it started making more sense. I felt I was living more "in the moment." When depressed, our days often feel monochromatic - everything runs together in a big jumble of anxiety, numbness, inaction, etc. Weeks go by and we feel like we haven't actually LIVED through them.

Mindfulness completely transformed this familiar experience for me. My days feel longer and more varied. I started noticing tiny details like where I hold tension in the body, when I needlessly and repetitively feed anxieties with negative thoughts, and started to notice things in the world around me more. Many people construe "curing" depression with banishing all unpleasant emotions. However, this is neither possible nor desirable. These sorts of emotions will always arise. However, the aim is to learn to be open to them instead of becoming overwhelmed by them. I can't really explain exactly how different this feels, but it felt like being a child again: awakening to the newness of each and every moment, as a child experiences the world, is really the heart of mindfulness.

This book and CD would certainly do fine as a stand-alone if you are just interested in feeling better. The insights into the workings of the mind and emotion are remarkable and all supported by the latest research. The CD narrated by Kabat-Zinn is extremely helpful as well in setting up a regimented practice and commitment to yourself to get better. If, however, you are also interested in learning about depression as a cultural, sociological and historical phenomenon, I highly recommend Bruce Levine's "Surviving America's Depression Epidemic" which touches on many topics not dealt with here, including the role of schooling in teen depression, shyness or social phobia, abuse and neglect, the role of depression for artists and musicians and loss of community in modern-day society. Both are excellent books, however, that deal with different aspects of the same topic.

Before I start I just have to say that this book is FANTASTIC and is a really exciting step forward in the treatment of depression. At last - a non-drug approach to one of societies most overwhelming problems: Depression.

As a person who has suffered from depression in the past and as a therapist, I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It told me all I needed to know about mindfulness and taught me the process in a very comprehensive yet easy to follow way.

I had read several books on mindfulness by various authors before receiving this book. Compared against the others that I read, I found this one to be the most clear, so even if you do not suffer from depression, but are looking to learn mindfulness, this book could be just what you are looking for. The other bonus with this title is that it is not repetitive like similar titles I have read - it just tells you what you need to know.

Some observations that I would make though are as follows.

1. There were a few spelling and grammar mistakes throughout, however they didn't affect my `reading flow', so this should be an issue.
2. The layout of the separate sections could have been better laid out. It shows you how to follow an 8 week program in the end of the last chapter. I would have liked to seen it laid out so that you read and practice a section at a time rather than learning everything before you start.
3. There is a warning in a couple of places in the book that warn you not to us the program in is entirely now if you are experiencing an episode of clinical depression. This somewhat confused me as the title of the book is `The Mindful Way THROUGH Depression.
4. The book comes with a CD... It was recorded using the voice of one of the authors, Jon Kabat Zinn. The meditation entitled `The Body Scan' seemed a little rushed. As a personal preference, I used an old CD that I had from Jon that was much better quality for me and worked well.

These were the only negative things that I picked up and wanted to include them to make this review as balanced as possible. There were so many things right with this book though that the comments above are small concerns against all the things that you will get out of reading it.

So in conclusion: this book is easy to follow, very inspirational and motivates you to learn mindfulness and overcome your depression. It is simply fantastic.

Warmly,

Richard MacKenzie
Author of Self-Change Hypnosis

I feel very grateful to the authors of this book, having suffered from recurring bouts of depression over the past dozen years or so. For help, I tried several books on cognitive therapy and saw a few therapists who focused on this approach. But, each time, after initial improvement, I ended up in a mental boxing ring fighting with the same old repetitive, negative thoughts. I would try to substitute negative thoughts with more realistic ones, as cognitive therapy encourages, but I soon realized this process would go on endlessly, without any real change. As someone wrote in an earlier review, it was exhausting. It never seemed possible to me that depression could be dealt with at the level of thinking since habitually negative thinking is the main problem in depression!

In "The Mindful Way through Depression," the authors really take the reader to a different level in handling negative, ruminative thoughts and their accompanying difficult feelings. I love the underlying theme of the book: that it's not the content of our thoughts that's important, but rather the present-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and surroundings. Emphasis is also placed on deeply accepting all of these sensations -- not running from them in fear or aversion, but approaching them with gentle awareness and curiosity and allowing them to be there. There's a huge freedom in this, but it takes perseverance.

One point to note: I think it was wise of the authors to state at the book's outset that a person suffering from fairly severe depression should wait until he or she is on the mend before attempting to use the book. Personally, I think trying to do some of the exercises would be very difficult during a deep depression.

Finally, while the book is completely non-secular and beneficial to anyone, it will probably be particularly appreciated by people already interested in areas such as mindfulness, yoga, meditation, and "Westernized" Buddhism.

This is the book for anyone who has a blood sugar problem. This blood sugar malfunction may manifest itself in weight gain, alcohol abuse, overuse of sugar, or simply in sinking energy levels. The author of this book gives her own personal story, and she gives some amazing, yet easily understandable details on how our bodies handle sugar and what our bodies need to function well. A practical plan is laid out that helps each person learn about his or her individual body reactions to the food we eat. Of all the diet or health books that I have read, this one has helped me the most. (It is not a diet book, it is a plan to maximize your body's ability to function in good health.)

Reading this book, my wife has realized that she and our daughter have sugar sensitivity. Though the recommendations in this book are not necessarily easy to implement, they're much better than many other approaches we've tried in the health and diet genre. Going through the steps, after some withdrawal symptoms similar to caffeine withdrawal (headache but not as severe) getting her body cleansed, my wife is reporting much higher energy levels.

The potatoes thing seems to work. Pleasant dreams!

This book is changing my life. To overcome twenty years of craving chocolate and bingeing on sweets--twenty years of wondering what was wrong with my willpower--by simply following the seven steps outlined in this book: well, it's nothing short of a miracle. Here I am, someone who could never imagine life without chocolate, actually embracing cutting sugar out of my life. My daylong grazing has been replaced by planned snacks, I'm less cranky, I rarely battle mild depression anymore, and I can now stay up till 9:30 or 10 PM without petering out (a biggie for me). And it all began with getting enough protein for breakfast.

One of the best things is that you don't have to believe this eating program will work. If you just do the food, the changes will happen by themselves. It's straightforward (no complicated calculations), simple (though not always easy), and cheap (once you buy the book, there's no big outlay of money). Plus, there's a wonderful and caring online community to support people each step of the way.

I also highly recommend Kathleen DesMaison's eating program for children, outlined in LITTLE SUGAR ADDICTS. Through this book, my four daughters' lives are changing in wonderful ways as well.

The original version of this book gave me my life back. Depression gone, cravings gone, crazy thoughts gone, self-loathing gone, PMS gone. All through the simplicity of eating the right foods for my body. I gave up sugar without shedding a tear, something I thought I would never be able to do, and I don't miss it at all. This edition has all the newest, updated info that Kathleen and the Radiant Recovery community have discovered since the first edition came out. This book will change your life, will give you a life you might only have dreamed of otherwise. Thank you, Kathleen.

I suspected that I had a problem with sugar when I tried to get rid of it and couldn't. I also noticed that I tended to increase my sugar intake every day for several days and then go off of it for a while and then start again. I used it like a drug.

The first edition of PNP changed my life. All of DesMaisons' books are great, but PNP is the best. It explains the science behind the theory in greater depth than the other books, which gives the theory more power in my opinion. The second edition is sort of a different book. It has a lot of updated information based on what DesMaisons' has learned by working with the online community. It's worth reading both, but if you only buy one, get the second one.

Visit her website if you want to know more about the theory before you buy. There is life after sugar addiction and it is a great life!

I am a patient that has had heart problems for awhile now. I just had surgery in 2006, so reading this book really helped me to understand where heart surgery all started. It brought it all home for me at the end. There is something about this surgeon that I now have a close connection to, and I didn't even realize it until the end! Those of you who have read "King of Hearts" would understand! This book has taught me a lot, but it also has a lot of great stories intertwined within. Totally worth the read!!

The medical history related in this book is one of the boldest and most amazing one. If it wasn't for these highly risk taking individuals, open heart surgery would not be possible today.

When a friend gave me this book to read, I thought I'd skim a few chapters and either get bored with the technical details or be bothered by them since I have had heart surgery for congenital heart defects myself.

I thumbed though the first chapter and I was hooked! The writing demonstrates the intensity found in intense pediatric cases very well and uses that and the determination of Dr. Lillehei to move the story along at a fast clip. I finished it in about 36 hours!

I had gotten to the point there I was trying to take care of myself well as an adult with congenital heart disease (treated defects), but I hadn't quite grasped the details of my own surgeries nor did I want to. After I read this book I ordered my surgical records immediately and was excited to read them! The book filled the descriptions of the surgeries with such excitement that it carried over into my own personal education about my health.

I like how they told the story of Dr. Lillehei as a person who did great things, but was also human being as much as his patients - with faults of his own - but also clearly, great gifts.

For more information about the long-term outcome of patients with congenital heart defects/disease and how we continue to lead the longest and healthiest lives possible for us, please visit the Adult Congenital Heart Association's website at www.achaheart.org

Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. What a fascinating subject and such wonderful storyteller. From the mom of a "heart baby" it just amazes me how far we've come in such a short amount of time.

It's a good story, and Dr. Lillehei blazed an amazing trail, but this man appeared to be a sociopath who destroyed everything and everybody he touched - except, of course, his patients. I can't believe nobody addressed this yet, or maybe they were so fascinated by the story that they missed - or dismissed - it completely. This was more than a massive ego; this guy could have been a Dr. Swango had things been just a wee bit different.

I realize the book was about Dr. C. Walton Lillehei, but his brother Richard was also a transplant surgeon, as are his sons Craig and Kevin.

Ever read any one last wish novels by lurlene mcdaniel? Ever wondered where it all started? Ever wondered how one life changed so many lives. Well if you have then The Legacy Making wishes come true would be the book that answed these questions. Follow the life of Jenny a teenage girl as shes battlen cancer in the late seventies early eightys. Thats not the only thing going on in her mind. Shes falling in love. Copeing with her parents death. And trying to keep in touch with her Three best friends she met in the hospital. I have to warn you there are probley gonna be tears, so be prepared.

Lurlene Mcdaniel has written an extremely wounderful book called "One Last Wish". Themes of discovering the tragic story behind a struggle for survival against impossible odds. The novel is written in first person narrative style by a character named Jenny Crawford. Who is Jenny Crawford? A 16 year old girl who struggles for survival and understands the love and friendships that develop into a legacy of giving. Falling deeply in love, Jenny dosen't really tell Richard Holloway the way she really feels about hime. Closer do they become after finding out that Jenny's life is completly destroyed with leukemia. Though towards the end of the story Jenny learned that suffering does not respect people and who they are. Knowing that she only had little time to live,Jenny made her grandmother promise to make sure she made out her will. She wanted to leave something meaningful behind. A special trust fund of one hundred thousand dollars, for other sick teenagers. Which she called it her "One Last Wish". As I read the story it made me feel all the pain Jenny had to go through, and even though she had leukemia Richard didn't care, and admired her with all his heart. Besides all the extreme characters,I really enjoyed reading this novel by Lurlene Mcdaniel. The imagery in this story gives you an exact picture in your mind, anthor good reason why I enjoyed reading this story. The story could have been better if the author would of let us know what Richard Holloway ended up doing in his life. After reading the pain Jenny had struggled with it was disapointing to read that she passed away. Reading this story makes you realize whats good in life, and the things you should appriciate. The narrator draws you into the world of Jenny Crawford, which is what a good novel is all about.

Lurlene Mcdaniel has written an extremely wounderful book called "One Last Wish". Themes of discovering the tragic story behind a struggle for survival against impossible odds. The novel is written in first person narrative style by a character named Jenny Crawford. Who is Jenny Crawford? A 16 year old girl who struggles for survival and understands the love and friendships that develop into a legacy of giving. Falling deeply in love, Jenny dosen't really tell Richard Holloway the way she really feels about hime. Closer do they become after finding out that Jenny's life is completly destroyed with leukemia. Though towards the end of the story Jenny learned that suffering does not respect people and who they are. Knowing that she only had little time to live,Jenny made her grandmother promise to make sure she made out her will. She wanted to leave something meaningful behind. A special trust fund of one hundred thousand dollars, for other sick teenagers. Which she called it her "One Last Wish". As I read the story it made me feel all the pain Jenny had to go through, and even though she had leukemia Richard didn't care, and admired her with all his heart. Besides all the extreme characters,I really enjoyed reading this novel by Lurlene Mcdaniel. The imagery in this story gives you an exact picture in your mind, anthor good reason why I enjoyed reading this story. The story could have been better if the author would of let us know what Richard Holloway ended up doing in his life. After reading the pain Jenny had struggled with it was disapointing to read that she passed away. Reading this story makes you realize whats good in life, and the things you should appriciate. The narrator draws you into the world of Jenny Crawford, which is what a good novel is all about.

Find out how the One Last Wish Foundation came to be. Ever since Jenny's parents died she has been living with her grandmother. Tradey strikes when sixteen year old Jenny is diagnosed with leukemia. At the hospital she meets three great friends who also have cancer. Together they form a special bond and Jenny learns some valuable lessons.

This is a story of a girl who gets lukemia at the age of 16. She learns many things about life through her battles against the cancer that threatens to kill her. She makes friends, creates even stronger bonds with old ones, and learns the true meaning of love. this is the story of the mysterious girl who started the One Last Wish foundation. Hint: read this book first before the other OLW books and definatelly do not read Please Dont Die before this.

I give the Merck Manual 5 stars in general but I wouldn't buy this edition because is was written in 1999. Everything in this book is obsolete. It's very important to buy up-to-date medical books for the proper information. If you're looking for a newer Merck, I would buy The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Second Edition: The World's Most Widely Used Medical Reference - Now In Everyday Language which was written in 2004 but is the most up-to-date Home Edition of Merck. However The Merck Manual 18th Edition was written in 2006 but is intended for doctors. I wouldn't recommend The Merck 18th Edition unless you have a good knowledge of medicine.

This is the most comprehensive guide to health related issues available on the market. There is a more authorative edition of the Merck Manual, but at 1700 pages this edition will keep you occupied. It covers the broad range of illnesses with handy diagnoses. But, what I like most is the children's section, which not only fills you on all the ailments that plague little ones, but the vast array of problems that can occur during pregnancy. While much of this information may provide more anxiety than assurance, it is worth knowing, especially if going through the experience of child birth for the first time. The children's section also has good information on health and nutrition. It quite literally covers the gamut of health related issues and no home should be without it. But, don't get carried away with self-diagnoses It can be frightening!

This is a wonderful summary of general medical information written in simple terms so this is a great addition to the family. It is very current in describing medical understanding of a variety of illnesses, and it provides a solid foundation upon which you can start doing more research on the Internet for the condition that you may be interested in finding about. It even suggests temporary remedies and puts you in charge of how you are treated by the medical profession. This is a must have book to keep around!

This book is cheaper [on] AMAZON than the one I bought at my warehouse club. I'd buy it for twice list price if I did not already have a copy.

The text is marvelously complete, yet devoid of fluff and fillers despite its 1500+ pages. The illustrations are very helpful, as is its exhaustive index.

If I have a medical problem in the house, this is what I grab first, even before logging onto the net. It's that good.

All that being said, it is not a complete medical library, you can get more detailed info by visiting a medical library, buying more specific books on the condition that interests you, and be spending hours researching a subject on the net.

If you want to understand something medical in a hurry, reach for this first.

This Merk Edition is perfect for patients with limited medical background. The explanations are more in laymen's terms but it would be good to have a medical dictionary to help when needed. Most term are explained in the book and it is full of diagrams to help with understanding. Merk recognizes the need for patients to become educated and have confidence that this is not a difficult thing to do. Some doctors have led patients to believe for too long that the knowledge was beyond their comprehension, so nothing that they do is ever questioned. I have met other doctors that explain in great detail and even draw on a bed sheet what they are going to do and why, giving the patient the respect that they deserve. I have a Degree in Early Childhood Education, and one crucial thing that was drilled into us that everybody can be taught anything if you start on the level of knowledge of the subject that you wish to teach. I believe this about children, and I certainly feel the same about every age level. Doctors are just people who went to school to learn. You never know what quality of the knowledge is that they learned or if they have kept up with an ever changing field with updates from research all of the time. If you are particular about who watches your pet, you should be even more concerned about your health care. Whatever depends on you to stay alive and for you to take care of, need for you to be healthy, and the health care of your loved ones should be a serious concern. It is easy to understand. Mrs. Symmington

Not a tremendous amount of useful info. a lot of the herbs recommended are in a different language; therefore, not useful to those that speak English....

Excellent book and easy to read. It does explain what Ayurvedic is all about and how to improve your health and well being. It has so many suggestions, you will find what is best for you.

The book is very useful to understand Ayurveda's principles and the remedies seem very good (I already tried some and they worked quite well).

I consider this book as a very valuable secret, which everyone must have. A must buy!!!

Any Metaphysical person will enjoy learning about alternative ways to keep your body in tune with the Natural way of Living!

I am a reiki teacher/master and give this book to my level I students as a reference guide. To me, Pamela's book captures the heart of reiki and reflects her deep understanding and practice of reiki. I also especially like the language she uses that speaks to my scientific nature (I hold two M.S. degrees) without detracting from the mystery that unfolds as you practice reiki on yourself and others. I highly recommend this book and suggest you check out Pamela's website. I also recommend the book "Practical Reiki" by Richard Ellis to my students because it is full of beautiful images and photographs.

Excellent book on Reiki. I just purchased in last week and have already recommended it to several clients of mine...a few of them western medical doctors. It demystifies the subject in a language anyone can follow and more importantly it will not turn off the most closed-minded reader.

As as a devoted student, and one who practices Reiki, I was initially impressed with the elegance, scope and reliability of this beautifully written book. It is absolutely authoritative, but reads in a very personal way. I literally have stacks of Reiki books that seemed compelling at first, but "Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide," has risen to the top and withstood the test of time. It is the only Reiki book that I refer to regularly on an ongoing basis. As my practice grows, I find new things to explore in this book, and I am always rewarded with solid and soulful insight and guidance.

I have recommended, to all my Reiki students, that they read and study Pamela Miles' excellent book! (I have included myself :-)

I own more than 80 Reiki books (e.g., Haberly, Petter, Gray, Rand, etc.) --but I regard this Reiki book, highly--amongst the "top 3". (The others: Bronwen & Frans Stiene: Reiki Sourcebook and Japanese Art of Reiki.)

Pamela Miles is a "purist" and I value her book because of its' honest, integrous and insightfull approach to Reiki!

With this outstanding reference work, everyone in the Reiki community has benefitted!

Pamela, I have you to thank (I mean this most sincerely) for my re-connection with SELF-Reiki! And, it has extended to my Reiki students, also!

One of the very best books on Reiki: what it is, how it works, how to use it

Pamela Miles, the author of "Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide" is founding president of the Institute for the Advancement of Complementary Therapies and has 35 years experience as a clinician, educator and lecturer in natural healing. She has been a student of meditation and yoga for 45 years. The author began practicing Reiki in 1986 and was initiated as a Reiki master in 1990. She has developed Reiki programs for implementation in prominent New York City hospitals, published numerous articles in peer-reviewed professional journals, and presented and taught Reiki at medical schools and conferences.

This is a thoughtful, informative, enlightening book, written in an engaging and conversational style, peppered with anecdotes, that let's its readers know that here the author is opening up her heart. It is a book that is useful to seasoned Reiki practitioners, the newly-minted Reiki practitioner and the individual for whom Reiki is a new experience as practitioner or as recipient. For anyone who is interested in bringing Reiki into their lives and are without a clue as to where and how to begin, "Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide" offers an excellent starting point.

The book is divided into fourteen very well-organized chapters, moving from a description of what Reiki is and what it does, its history, the components of Reiki training, and formulating a Reiki practice, to the last few sections devoted to the role of Reiki in integrative medicine and the science and research methodology underpinning that role.

The author deals fairly but squarely with the unhappy reality that much of what most of us were taught about the origins of Reiki from Hawayo Takata, who brought the practice to the West, was simply untrue: a useful myth, perhaps, but without historicity or any factual basis. Miles addresses this without hesitation, but always reminds us of what really matters: the unassailable fact that Reiki works. Even in the absence of an explanation as to how it works, in the absence of a clinically demonstrable therapeutic mechanism, it does what it says it does. While honoring and clarifying the history and traditions of her own Reiki lineage, Miles is respectful of and offers recognition to the many different styles of practice which have developed since the time when Hawayo Takata first brought Reiki out of Japan.

As a practitioner and teacher of Reiki and other healing modalities (I integrate Reiki and the Bach flower remedies into my practice of traditional Ayurveda), I am profoundly grateful to Pamela Miles for all she has done for both Reiki as well as for complimentary and integrative medicine. The author, considered to be one of the senior-most Reiki Masters now practicing, has forged a strong and graceful link between Eastern and Western medicine, and I hope that we see more of her writing in the near future.

Here, at long last, we have an insightful, straightforward and intelligent book appropriate for seasoned Reiki practitioners and medical professionals as well as individuals who are simply looking for objective explanations.