Rating: 
Summary: Presents something profound and of enormous value
Review: Andrew Weil, who is a graduate of the Harvard Medical School and the author of a number of best-selling books on medicine, consciousness, health and diet, is one of those rare men who have managed to acquire a prestigious conventional education and then build on that with unconventional experiences in other parts of the world. He has studied botany and medicine in the Amazon jungle and elsewhere, and alternative medicine in the far east before establishing his practice in the United States. This book, first published in 1995, is the result of what Weil has learned over the years. There is nothing spectacularly new here, but there is a carefully presented, enormously compelling argument for the power of our bodies to heal themselves if only we would give them the opportunity.Problem number one is a medical establishment that sees its interventions as the cause of healing, when it occurs, and the failure of the body, when it does not. Every physician should humbly realize that it is the healing mechanisms of the body that defeat disease, not the treatment. Weil makes this point even in the case of antibiotics: "Antibiotics reduce numbers of invading germs to a point where the immune system can take over and finish the job. The real cause of the cure is the immune system, which may be unable to end an infection because it is overwhelmed by sheer numbers of bacteria and" their toxic products (p. 110). I would add that even in the case of setting a bone or removing a bullet, it is the body that does the healing. Properly understood, Weil advises, the function of the physician is to aid the defenses of the body. This is how medicine is understood in cultures of ancient linage around the world, particularly in the time-honored Chinese and Ayurvedic systems. There is much we could learn from them. The tech-heavy Western approach fails to treat the whole patient--mind, body, emotions and spirit--and therefore has great difficulty in dealing with chronic illnesses. Weil emphasizes prevention, and when illness does occur, the cultivation of habits and a lifestyle conducive to spontaneous healing. Included in the text are a number of testimonials of spontaneous healing from people given up on by conventional medicine. Dr. Weil is fascinated by these "anecdotal" cases and believes that the medical establishment is missing something by dismissing them because they cannot be scientifically validated. Weil counts heads and comes to the obvious conclusion that something is going on here, whether it can be baselined and graphed or not. People do indeed get well for no apparent reason. There are literately thousands of documented cases. How does this happen? Weil calls it the phenomenon of "spontaneous healing," and believes that we are all capable of performing this "miracle." Personally, it happened to me (if you'll forgive the Yogi Berra-ism) at my daughter's wedding. I had strained the instep of my right foot playing basketball and it would not heal. Weeks went by. I either could not stay off it enough and/or I was re-injuring it to the point where I could not walk without pain. A friend and I walked around the Stanford campus during the day, which I should not have done. The pain was very annoying, but in the evening, fortified with the festive occasion and the refreshments, I danced wildly, joyously, one might say, ignoring the pain, realizing that I would pay for it the next day. But in the morning when I woke up there was no pain at all, and although it has been almost ten years, the pain has never returned. Not exactly a miracle, but proof enough to me that spontaneous healing is a reality. What Dr. Weil does here, relying on his wisdom and experience, is to present a program of right practice, right habit, right diet, and right attitude (e.g., "Regard illness as a gift...a powerful stimulus to change...[an] opportunity...for personal growth and development..." p. 251) that will, he believes, greatly increase anyone's chance of healing spontaneously. (Chapter 17, "Seven Strategies of Successful Patients" is a precise prescription.) I think he makes a cogent and compelling case. And, as usual, his felicity of expression, almost meditative in tone and effect, is a huge plus. Weil has a gift for making the spiritual and mysterious aspects of our existence seem the very bedrock of rationality! Noteworthy is a chapter on "Medical Pessimism" in which Weil argues that conventional doctors consciously or unconsciously infect their patients with a reverse placebo with their negative attitudes. "Simply put: too many doctors are deeply pessimistic about the possibility of people getting better, and they communicate their pessimism to patients and families" (P. 59). He calls this "medical hexing" (p. 64). He adds, on page 61, "So-called voodoo death is the ultimate example of a negative placebo response." Weil believes that the pessimism of the medical profession has its roots in "the lopsided nature of medical education, which focuses almost exclusively on disease and its treatment rather than on health and its maintenance...the word is used rarely...the term not at all."This last point, I believe, points directly to what is the central problem with conventional medicine in this country. Medical schools are too exclusive and expensive, preventing many people who would truly love to help others from attending. Their programs are also flawed because of a too narrowly focused curriculum that ignores the thousands of years of experience of practitioners from around the world. The emphasis is on the exclusivity and status of the profession and not on the healing arts. Dr. Weil, because he is a rare product of that system, is a man especially to be listened to. I consider this book a "quiet classic" that someday will be recognized as a catalyst that helped revolutionize conventional medical practice. At least I hope so.
Rating:
Summary: Spontaneous Healing
Review: Dr Weil pulls together the medical knowledge from around the world to explain the human healing system. He offers suggestions for diet, natural herbs, vitamins, and much much more. I practice medicine as a Physician Assistant in Boise, Idaho. I have a web page "At Ease Medicine" that deals with natural healing, I recommend this book to all of my patients. I think it should be required reading in high school. Buy it, read it, let Dr. Weil change your life for the better.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource. Enjoyable reading.
Review: Dr. Andrew Weil is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and was for 15 years a research Associate in Ethnopharmacology at the Harvard Botanical Museum. He is founder and Director of the Program of Integrative Medicine at the U. of Arizona. His educational background, medical formation and years of professional experience are formidable and, I feel, give him the authority sufficient to write a book of this caliber. For the last 7 months I have been receiving his monthly newsletter which discusses natural remedies to health problems and maintenance. They are wonderful. Over the Christmas holidays I purchased three of his books. By the time I finished reading Spontaneous Healing I had already sent a copy of the book to my mother, an LPN under treatment for Leukemia, and a friend of mine with Rheumatoid Arthritis. With another friend, who suffers from chronic eczema, I've shared my copy. In this book Dr. Weil covers a number of case studies and explains how traditionally non-conventional medicine (herbal treatments, Traditional Chinese Medicine, hypnotherapy, creative imagery, etc.) has alleviated or cured sicknesses or health problems for which conventional medicine offered little to no relief. However, that is not to say he is an opponent of conventional medicine. He names instances in which he feels it is best to turn to it. One of the case studies which made me reflect deeply on "alternative" medicine was of a 70 yr. old woman who had suffered her entire adult life with Rheumatoid Arthritis. After a series of dietary changes he recommended to her, her symptoms (i.e. her pain) decreased significantly. His recommendations included adding to her diet omega-3 fatty acids, organically grown produce and flax seed; eliminating from her diet all polyunsaturated and partially hydrogenated fats, dairy products, and most meat; taking a number of herbal remedies and practicing breath relaxation. Simple (and affordable)recommendations, but with very powerful benefits. I have found Dr. Weil's suggestions for health maintenance more than reasonable. He makes sense. This book is well written, enjoyable to read, easy to understand and with suggestions that can make a difference between feeling well or ill. I highly recommend it to all and any interested in improving one's health.
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Summary: Wise words, great perspective, great advice. One to own.
Review: I read that Weil likes when he is criticised by both traditional medicine and by alternative medicine, because it means that he is doing what he likes to do: Tell the truth as best he can, combining the best of medicine and alternatives. He offers great advice on so many areas in this book, including nutritional supplements, food choices, elimination of toxins from your life, exercise, and more. All the "Weil" providing analysis and explanation so that we feel informed and not just doing what he says. Highly recommended book! Also, for a concise book and approach to effectively enhancing wellness, read also "Effortless Wellbeing: The Missing Ingredients for Authentic Wellness" by Evan Finer. Excellent and HELPFUL books!
Rating: 
Summary: Spontaneou Healing.....
Review: I think the book is well thought out and is a great overall resource for the reader. Dr. Weil is open, honest and has had many experiences firsthand. While I am an avid opponent of Western medicine in many ways, Dr. Weil does a fine job at showing both sides of the coin in health care. The "Coin" certainly referring to our monstrous & capitalistic health care system in the United States. There is nothing "Caring" about Health Care in this country & the overuse and danger of the "medicine"....(DRUGS) they use and hand out like candy will be the cause of enormous problems down the line. I think this book would have deserved 5 stars in my mind. However...On page 296 Dr. Weil advises readers to stay away from Maharishi Auyrveda. This is one of the best organizations in the United States for traditional products that WORK. The claim by him that it is expensive I disagree with. Check it out for yourself. The company is an invaluable resource and has products that are like none other. I am a long-time student of Ayurveda and I am grateful to have them as a resource.
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Summary: What you won't hear many doctors tell you
Review: If you've had little success with chronic or "incurable" ailments or would like to avoid them in the future, your money will be well spent on this book. I've been practicing many of the suggestions Dr. Weil makes, yet I still found plenty of new material to learn from. The book highlights the inadequacy of modern traditional medicine. From the lower success rates for treating a vast number of ailments, to the ineffectiveness of drug treatments, to the ever climbing costs of health care, it reveals what many medical professionals won't tell you or, even worse, don't know about themselves. If you'd like to regain control of your health and keep it that way at the lowest reasonable cost, this book gives you the "fishing pole" for how to do that.
Rating:
Summary: What you won't hear many doctors tell you
Review: If you've had little success with chronic or "incurable" ailments or would like to avoid them in the future, your money will be well spent on this book. I've been practicing many of the suggestions Dr. Weil makes, yet I still found plenty of new material to learn from. The book highlights the inadequacy of modern traditional medicine. From the lower success rates for treating a vast number of ailments, to the ineffectiveness of drug treatments, to the ever climbing costs of health care, it reveals what many medical professionals won't tell you or, even worse, don't know about themselves. If you'd like to regain control of your health and keep it that way at the lowest reasonable cost, this book gives you the "fishing pole" for how to do that.
Rating:
Summary: What you won't hear many doctors tell you
Review: If you've had little success with chronic or "incurable" ailments or would like to avoid them in the future, your money will be well spent on this book. I've been practicing many of the suggestions Dr. Weil makes, yet I still found plenty of new material to learn from. The book highlights the inadequacy of modern traditional medicine. From the lower success rates for treating a vast number of ailments, to the ineffectiveness of drug treatments, to the ever climbing costs of health care, it reveals what many medical professionals won't tell you or, even worse, don't know about themselves. If you'd like to regain control of your health and keep it that way at the lowest reasonable cost, this book gives you the "fishing pole" for how to do that.
Rating: 
Summary: The Famed Dr. Weil Offers His Ideas on Spontaneous Healing
Review: In these 352 pages, the renowned Andrew Weil, M.D. offers you his theories on spontaneous healing. He helps you examine the body's ability to heal itself naturally, and clearly explains how the body performs self-diagnosis, self-repair, and self-regeneration. He walks you through the natural ways to cure disease, covering areas from acupuncture to biofeedback, herbal medicine and more. You'll learn how to help your body maintain its healthiest state. There is data on your diet, the outside environment, exercise, reducing stress, and vitamins and food supplements. He tells you how to build-up your body through the use of the proper diet, vitamins and supplements, excercise, mind and body techniques. He discusses actual case histories and methods from throughout the world. Included is an eight-week program to help your body heal itself and ward off disease. All of the information is presented in easy to understand language. He discusses how the mechanisms of self-diagnosis and self-regeneration have worked in practice (not just theory) to resolve live-threatening diseases, trauma, and chronic pain. Dr. Weil notes that the best medicine works with the body's natural defenses to overcome illness, and not just to reduce symptoms or cure infection. A very useful book, one that can really improve our health and well being.
Rating:
Summary: Spontaneou Healing.....
Review: Like Weil's other books, this one is filled with pseudomedical flapdoodle, unprovable claims, unsupported conclusions, and a complete dearth of scientific method. This book is for the desperate, the uneducated, the gullible, and the pollyana population who require no scientific proof of something that sounds good to them. Weil promises health and spontaneous healing to those who already believe outrageous claims without the rigor of proof (also known collectively as "the stupid"). This book has no basis in scientific medical reality, none of it has been proven clinically (where is Andrew Weil's cirriculum vitae?), and it is all designed to milk cash from the soft-minded, newage (rhymes with sewage) followers that depend on a corpulent quack for advice on eating.
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