Amazing Medicines: The Drug Companies Don't Want You to Discover!

Rating:
Summary: I'm very thankful for this book, and have used it.
Review: I have read most of this book and find it very enlightening. I love it. However, the index in my book is very innaccurate and I wonder if that has been corrected. I would love to have a new index. Thanks. Sara Allred

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but NOT practical
Review: There are many interesting medicines discussed in this book and the authors cite as many studies as possible. However, these studies are not referenced in the book so you can not look them up to find out their validity. More important, doses are not mentioned AT ALL. There is no discussion about the dangers of combining any of the medicines or interactions with prescription drugs that some people may be taking. There are far better books on this subject. Don't buy this one.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Source of Information
Review: This book brings together information from various sources in an easy to read quick refence format. Each of the 24 chapters tackles an issue from poor memory to hair loss to living longer. The chapters are only 2-5 pages long, and the treatments mentioned are listed at the end of the chapter, along with places to get them (including addresses & phone numbers of vendors for hard to find items).

While it's true that this book isn't completely objective, nor does it talk about possible drug interactions or discuss all of the known side affects, it's a great handy reference to start your search. Also, keep in mind that drug interactions are the responsibilities of the drug companies, and that no book is completely objective, nor can any one book of this scope and breadth have all known side effects for a product.

I suffer from Insomnia. I looked it up in Amazing Medicines. Chapter 22 "Stop Insomnia, Jet Lag, Breast Cancer and Live Longer" pps. 252-256. I learned that Melatonin and Valerian Root are effective cures against Insomnia or Jet Lag. I went online and looked them up, and found more in depth articles on them, including side effects, and decided to try them. They did the trick. I take the melatonin about an hour before I want to go to bed, and the valerian about 15 minutes before I want to fall asleep. They were amazingly inexpensive, about $12 for a month to two month's supply of both. When I bought my next month's supply I bought time release melatonin and gel cap valerian, and they don't work as well, so I'm going to switch back to the non-time release melatonin and the capsule valerian.

This paperback brings together research from all over the world that "the drug companies don't want you to discover." It would take me several hours of research to learn about the treatments for vision. With this book, I can learn about a half dozen different therapies in the 10 - 15 minutes it takes for me to read the chapter. Then it's up to me to decide which ones I want to follow up on.

This book is worth it's weight in pills. I've had it since August, 2000 and I reference it all the time.

Also reccomended is Gary Null's Complete Guide to Health and Nutrition.