Rating: 
Summary: Review from a nurses' v iewpoint
Review:  Spontaneous Healing By Dr. Andrew Weil M.D. Dr. Weil is both a visionary and a pilgrim in the field of alternative medicine. He saw the possibility of self healing long before it became accepted by the medical community at large .He has spent years researching the body's natural ability to maintain and heal itself. He is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and has worked for The National Institute of Mental Health and was a research associate in ethnopharmacology for 15 years at the Howard Botanical Museum .He is currently associated with the University of Arizona at Tucson, where he now practices natural and preventive medicine. Early in his career he felt that the emphasis of Medicine should be to prevent disease, rather than cure it after it occurred. He contends that the body is perfectly able to heal itself if all of its systems are functioning in unison. Healing is the result of a mind-body connection and a restoration of the balance between the two. He was quick to observe that most patients who came to him had been abandoned by other physicians. They had been pronounced incurable and in many cases had been sent home to die. Often this was a result of too many Specialties, and Specialists dealing with only a part of the anatomy instead of dealing with the person as a whole. The first step to healing them was overcoming this negative energy and replacing it with positive energy, dealing with one system at a time. Healing requires a lot of energy, positive energy. Positive energy required for spontaneous healing comes from correct breathing, proper and adequate nutrition, stress reduction, spiritual connection and the willingness to make life changes that promote optimal healing and health. Dr. Weil traveled extensively studying natural herbs and plants that have been used by practitioners for centuries. He believes in the holistic approach that encompasses physical and spiritual well being. His 8 week plan to enhance healing deals with all aspects of harmony within the systems, supplemented with natural medicinal herbs and plants. We now have a population of over medicated people because the average physician does not take the time to assess the entire person and treats symptomatically. The patient does not feel that he or she has his money's worth unless he leaves the office with a handful of pill samples or prescriptions. These same people, with a little more basic knowledge of their bodily functions and systems could readily heal themselves. As a nurse, I have been part of the medical profession for 45 years and know the pessimism that pervades the profession. We are keyed in to preventing death instead of promoting healthy life. Dr. Weil is as refreshing as a breath of fresh air, and his approach is a "down to earth", sensible answer to optimum health. With the prohibitive cost of today's health care, alternative medicine is becoming more and more appealing to the increasingly health conscious public. Other books by Dr. Weil are Natural Health, Natural Medicine, and Health and Healing. Phyllis Fowler
Rating:
Summary: Two thumbs up!!!
Review: A must read for _everyone_ especially those
interested in natural methods for keeping the body in good working order. Dr. Weil includes many case studies, personal experiences, as
well as an eight-week program for achieving optimal health and well-being. Dr. Weil also points out that in order to achieve this state of well being, you yourself must first undergo a change. It is not an easy task; it requires a lifestyle change as well as a belief and spirit in yourself that what you are doing will yield positive long term benefits. Unfortunately, as individuals we desire instant gratification
and an easy road to success. Our medical community provides this by masking our ailments primarily through the use of drugs. However, if you can keep an open mind, Dr. Weil offers alternatives which are safer, more beneficial, and provide more long-lasting effects for our overall well being.
Rating: 
Summary: A handbook of modern pop medicine
Review: A simplisitc and trendy viewpoint on the current state of medical and non-medical treatments. I would recommend this book highly to all MDs in clinical practice- not that it contains anything particularly useful, but as a roadmap of everything that is currently in vogue in non-medical treatment it does let you know what you can expect to be hearing from your patients (and where they are hearing it). The book does have some good points. The author provides a very accurate enumeration of the things for which effective modern medical treatments are available. And maladies for which sub-optimal medical treatment is currently available are also listed. The author also provides a rather good explanation of the benefits of shamanistic doctor/patient relationships. Unfortunately IMHO the book is less than balanced in its assessement of various therapies. Where it does a very complete job of pointing out the deficiencies of modern medicine, it does not even come close to applying the same level of critical analysis to the various and sundry forms of alternative "medicine" that it identifies. In fact, the author shows a lot of enthusiasm for all manners of quackery. It must also be pointed out that the issue of shamanistic relationships is not treated in any kind of balanced manner. The author doesn't even attempt to address the problems associated with balancing an un-questioning faith in the abilities
Rating:
Summary: spontaneous healing
Review: An excellent book, Spontaneous Healing shows the reader how all the different systems of the body work together and that by taking the best of all worlds (east and west) one can achieve optimal health. A very insightful book about how different injuries, trauma, and habits affect our health both short and long term. It helped me personaly to better understand the relation of different health issues I was experiencing. An excellent book for all readers - good for every one!
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Summary: Too bad this book is not required reading in high school.
Review: An EXCELLENT book. At last someone presents a new point of view. Having been the "victim" of countless western medicine proponents, this book was the answer to my prayers. I began his 8 week program (also found on his website) and have noticed a remarkable improvement in my physical well being, not to mention my attitude about life in general.Dr. Weil points out that in order to achieve this state of well being, you yourself must first undergo a change. It is not an easy task; it requires a lifestyle change as well as a belief and spirit in yourself that what you are doing will yield positive long term benefits. Unfortunately, our society promotes drugs to ease our ills. Our medical community promotes this for their own benefit. Dr. Weil offers alternatives which are safer, less expensive and much more beneficial in the long run. If you REALLY want to feel your best then read this book.It is beyond me how some people just don't "get it". I think many of those people who criticize this book are getting something out of their suffering.
Rating:
Summary: Too bad this book is not required reading in high school.
Review: An EXCELLENT book. At last someone presents a new point of view. Having been the "victim" of countless western medicine proponents, this book was the answer to my prayers. I began his 8 week program (also found on his website) and have noticed a remarkable improvement in my physical well being, not to mention my attitude about life in general.Dr. Weil points out that in order to achieve this state of well being, you yourself must first undergo a change. It is not an easy task; it requires a lifestyle change as well as a belief and spirit in yourself that what you are doing will yield positive long term benefits. Unfortunately, our society promotes drugs to ease our ills. Our medical community promotes this for their own benefit. Dr. Weil offers alternatives which are safer, less expensive and much more beneficial in the long run. If you REALLY want to feel your best then read this book.It is beyond me how some people just don't "get it". I think many of those people who criticize this book are getting something out of their suffering.
Rating: 
Summary: a book of quackery
Review: Andrew Weil a graduate of Harvard Medical School, after many years of practicing medicine, found that the medical professionals did not cure or heal ailments but took care of the problem either by surgery, drugs. In the 1970's he met Dr. Fulford,an osteopath who helped and cured people with many different types of ailments. Dr. Weil explains that our bodies have a natural ability to heal themselves. If we are in touch with our body, mind and spirit we can be on our way to a better, healthier person. We have to take on the responsibilities of our own care, we are the captain of our own destiny. At times we do need the medical community because we are sometimes caught in emergency situations and we need to be discerning in our choices of care but we should not depend on this treatment. We need to practice preventive ways of keeping ourselves healthy and not depend on quick fixes when we get into trouble. Thank you Dr. Weil for taking a stand and making a difference. Other books for your consideration are: Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss and Women's Bodies, Women's Spirit by Christine Northrup.
Rating:
Summary: Physician heal thyself
Review: Andrew Weil a graduate of Harvard Medical School, after many years of practicing medicine, found that the medical professionals did not cure or heal ailments but took care of the problem either by surgery, drugs. In the 1970's he met Dr. Fulford,an osteopath who helped and cured people with many different types of ailments. Dr. Weil explains that our bodies have a natural ability to heal themselves. If we are in touch with our body, mind and spirit we can be on our way to a better, healthier person. We have to take on the responsibilities of our own care, we are the captain of our own destiny. At times we do need the medical community because we are sometimes caught in emergency situations and we need to be discerning in our choices of care but we should not depend on this treatment. We need to practice preventive ways of keeping ourselves healthy and not depend on quick fixes when we get into trouble. Thank you Dr. Weil for taking a stand and making a difference. Other books for your consideration are: Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss and Women's Bodies, Women's Spirit by Christine Northrup.
Rating:
Summary: An Important Book
Review: Andrew Weil's basic premise in "Spontaneous Healing"-that that body can heal itself-is one of my own most cherished beliefs, and I have found the experience of reading Dr. Weil at a time when I am recovering from an illness to be particularly inspiring and informative. That is not to say that the book is for those who are currently ill; indeed, Dr. Weil focuses as much on prevention as healing. But for those who are ill this book can be an illumination. I have read Dr. Weil's "Health and Healing" so I was familiar with his ideas about healing and medicine, but the lucidity of his writing here eclipses that early book and brings his points home as clearly and simply as possible.
Dr. Weil believes that allopathic doctors need to pay more attention to nurturing the body's inherent ability to heal, instead of administering medicine. He argues again and again that allopathic medicine, while extremely valuable in certain illnesses, is, for the most part, not a very good solution to many types of illness. Often allopathic medicine is merely suppressive. This is definitely the case with medicines that treat autoimmune disorders and digestive disorders like ulcerative colitis-once the medicine is stopped, symptoms often return, sometimes worse. This is one of the reasons I refused to take Colozal for ulcerative colitis. According to my gastroenterologist, Colozal treats the symptoms of colitis efficiently, yet one has to stay on the medicine indefinitely for the "cure" to be effective. In fact this is not a cure at all. Real healing occurs when the body is given a chance to heal. To this end, Dr. Weil suggests alternatives to allopathic medicine: lifestyle changes, diets recommendations, and certain tonics. These alternatives do not merely combat specific germs or suppress symptoms, but rather work with the bodies natural defenses to promote healing.
People have treated themselves successfully with alternative remedies for years. Here, Dr. Weil gives numerous case examples. Indeed, testimonials form the basis of much of his knowledge of healing. He argues, lucidly, that testimonials should not be ignored but taken very seriously; they should even be studied. While Dr. Weil scrutinizes the stories he hears very carefully, and is reluctant to take every story of healing at face value, he understands that "testimonials are important pieces of evidence." He writes: "They are not necessarily testimony to the value of particular healers and products. Rather, they are testimony to the human capacity for healing. The evidence is incontrovertible that body is capable of healing itself."
Without the help of testimonials I would have never used Ayurvedic medication for my ulcerative colitis symptoms. Yet, I was convinced by the simple power of other's people's stories of healing. (One of Dr. Weil's "Seven Strategies of Successful Patients" is, "Seek out other who have been healed.") And now I can offer other people my own story of healing.
The sections on the role of spirit and mind in healing struck me as the most important in the book. Why has the medical profession abandoned the idea of psychosomatic illness? Dr. Weil cites several testimonials of people using the power of the mind and spirit to cure serious illness. He even mentions Dr, John Sarno, whose book "The Mindbody Prescription" helped me tremendously when I was first diagnosed with my own illness.
Simply put, this book is important. I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most practical guides to healing ever written.
Review: As in his past book, NATURAL HEALTH, NATURAL MEDICINE, Weil dispenses wise advise for the experts and laymen alike. SPONTANEOUS
HEALING goes in depth to talk about the body as a whole and what we can do to maintain good health. From our physical well
being to our mind and spirit we learn the secrets to longevity.
The testimonials in the beginning of his book will make a believer
out of the most skeptical. This book packs a punch and makes one
really stand back and take a long, hard look at thier own health.
Everything from removing toxins in your body to ways to transition
your diet, he tells you. Read it to learn about your bodies own
inborne abilities to heal itself.
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