Why do we get sick? How do we get well? How do we avoid getting sick again? Dr. Andrew Weil attempts to answer these fundamental questions in Health and Healing, but the real joy of the book isn't in learning the answers, but in following his mind down the path to an answer. He starts with homeopathy, a treatment that, to an outsider, seems more like a leap of faith than an actual system of healing. Weil recounts how homeopathy cured--completely cured--an annoying intestinal problem he suffered. Then he discusses the principles and history of this type of treatment, including the surprising ways in which homeopathy has affected the course of modern medicine. Finally, he gets to the real question: does homeopathy work or is it simply a placebo effect? The only reasonable answer is "maybe," but accompanying Weil as he gets to that answer is a fascinating experience. One of the strongest points made in this book is that "perfect health" is simply unattainable. We're all going to feel bad sometimes. Another is that the body eventually heals most of its injuries, illnesses, and infections--up to 90 percent of them, by some estimates. But it's the other 10 percent that raise havoc. Weil, trained as a medical doctor, believes that conventional medicine is great at handling trauma and sudden, life-threatening conditions like heart attacks, but it's less good at dealing with chronic conditions like arthritis. Health and Healing examines the strengths and weaknesses of both conventional and alternative medicine, and offers a roadmap to determine which is best for what ails you. --Lou Schuler
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