Medical & 1st Aid

This is a great reference for anyone who relies on traditional western medicines for healing. Compiled by a team of eminent pharmacologists, The Pill Book provides excellent information on specific medicines, including side effects, interactions, effectiveness on specific ailments, and cross-references to other generic or more effective medicines. Most doctors only know what the drug companies tell them and do not read the multiple pages of fine print that come with each of the thousands of different medicines. If you use pharmaceutical drugs, buy this book and educate yourself about what you are putting into your body!

Caroline Myss is a medical intuitive and an immensely popular author of books on the mental, spiritual, and psychological aspects of healing. In the late 1980s, she started running into a lot of people who were doing “all the right things,” yet still not healing. Her book offers deep insights into the nature of healing, numerous case history examples, and mental/spiritual exercises for removing the inner roots of disease. If you like this book, you will probably also like her bestseller, Anatomy of the Spirit.

This was recommended to me by an herbalist as her favorite all-around guide to herbal medicine. If you were to buy only one book on herbal medicine, this would be an excellent choice. The author, Michael Tierra, has studied and practiced herbal medicine for over thirty years. He has studied with traditional healers of Native America, India, and China. Tierra incorporates his broad knowledge into this book, offering healing philosophies and formulas that can make herbal healing far more effective than simply applying individual herbs to treat specific symptoms and diseases. The book includes information on herbal preparations and dosages, but provides no visuals for identifying herbs in the wild.

For more than 3,000 years, Chinese people have relied upon a wide variety of herbal concoctions for their health and longevity. In 1982 Michael Tierra, one of the nation’s most respected herbalists, was chosen to be a part of the first group of Americans to travel to China specifically to study herbal medicine. Tierra’s extensive knowledge of Chinese medicine is now available through this book to help readers access the healing power of Chinese herbs.

A brilliant book by a woman who has dedicated her life to researching and serving the needs of terminally ill patients and their families. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross pretty much founded the conscious dying movement, which has brought a great deal of compassion and understanding into a modern world where the dying are often thrust into cold, compassionless institutions. Written in 1969, this is a classic book that still holds tremendous value after all these years.

“One of the most wonderful books I have ever read.”—Karl Menninger, M.D. This book really is terrific. Bernie Siegel practiced general and pediatric surgery in New Haven, Connecticut, until he retired in 1989. He founded Exceptional Cancer Patients, based on “carefrontation,” a loving, safe, therapeutic confrontation that facilitates personal change, empowerment, and healing. Love, Medicine & Miracles is filled with wisdom, love, and many case examples of the mind-body connection to healing. It is not about abandoning Western medicine, but empowering the mind and body to make the most of healing, whether it is from within the structure of traditional Western medicine or alternative healing practices. Love, Medicine & Miracles is such a classic book that there should be hundreds of used copies available if it goes out of print.

Capturing the attention of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the presidential task force on health care, Dr. Dossey’s provocative book shares recent evidence linking prayer, healing, and medicine. Calling for a bold new integration of science and spirituality, Dossey shares case studies and anecdotes that illustrate those methods of prayer offering the greatest potential for healing. In addition to summarizing a convincing array of scientific tests and studies that support the power of prayer to positively affect healing, Dossey blasts the idea that illness is the patient’s fault and that physical health always reflects spiritual health. He points out that many saints and holy men have suffered from terrible physical maladies, including some of the same illnesses that they reportedly healed in others.

This revised and updated book, written by one of the gurus of alternative medicine, is an excellent general reference. Dr. Weil outlines an easy, eight-week course for gradually introducing changes for improving one’s health through proper diet, herbs, supplements, exercise, and mental imagery. Recipes are provided to make it easy and delicious to follow Weil’s recommendations.

Stephen Levine has worked with the pain and suffering of terminally ill and dying people for more than 25 years. This is a wonderful book, which compassionately shares some of the wisdom and experiences that Stephen has garnered through his work. Highly recommended both for personal growth and if you wish to prepare yourself to assist others with pain, suffering, or dying. Stephen describes several excellent mental techniques for dealing with chronic pain.

This fine book gives an excellent introduction to the brilliant, highly successful, and uncommon approach to counseling and hypnotherapy as practiced by Milton Erikson. Whether you are a professional therapist, or simply struggling with the problems of raising children or dealing with difficult people, this book is sure to provide valuable insight.