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Best Health Books |
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Best Health Books |
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"Andrew Saul is one of the best reviewers I have ever known. He
is an amazing scientist and contributor." (Abram
Hoffer, M.D., Editor in Chief, Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine) Stop learning to live
with illness! Learn how to live WITHOUT illness by reading these excellent
health books. Do not be dissuaded by some of the older publishing dates. Practical
health knowledge is timeless. (Note: Although I
enthusiastically recommend these books; I do not sell them. To purchase
copies, try your favorite bookseller. To borrow copies, ask your public
library's interlibrary loan department to assist you.) Airola, Paavo
How to Get Well (1976) Easy to use and concise,
Dr. Airola's popular guide to nature cure is
required reading for persons wanting hot-to-do-it information. Treatment
outlines are provided for over fifty common illnesses, with specific vitamin
dosage recommendations and diet suggestions. Juice fasting instructions are
included, along with a discussion of minerals, vitamins, special therapeutic
foods, spa treatments and naturopathy in general. This outstanding work
could be considered to be the best book to begin serious study with (303
pages, cloth) Bach, Edward and Wheeler,
F. J. The Bach Flower Remedies (1979) This volume is a compilation
is three short books in one: Heal Thyself and The Twelve Healers
by E. Bach and The Bach Remedies Repertory by Wheeler. Both were
medical doctors and highly regarded in Boericke, William Homoeopathic
Materia Medica (Ninth
Edition, 1927) This shortened,
one-volume listing of homeopathically active substances provides the
framework on which to build an intermediate knowledge of the "like
treats like" science of homeopathy. Several hundred remedy resumes
are provided with over 350 pages of cross-indexing, symptom by symptom. This
standard work is unusually inexpensive (because of the publication date) but
is in clear need of revision, especially in the Therapeutic Index, which does
not always agree with the much more comprehensive and superior Repertory
immediately preceding it. Other more recent and more expensive Materia Medicas await the
detailed needs of the more experienced homeopath, but Boericke's
nearly 75 year old text is hard to beat for everyday reference and home use.
(1042 pages, cloth) Cameron, Ewan and
Pauling, Linus Cancer and Vitamin C (Revised edition, 1993)
Now regarded as a classic
of controversy, Cameron and Pauling's trail-blazing studies of megavitamin C
therapy offer both education and hope in complementary cancer
treatment. Begin reading on page 99; read through to the end of the book
and then return to page one. The reason for this suggestion is that the
second half of the book is the most interesting, and the most important,
part: the part on successful vitamin C trials in Chapman, J. B. Dr
Schuessler's Biochemistry (1973) There are few medical
books that are handier than Dr. Chapman's very clear and concise guide to mineral
therapy using the twelve "cell salts" of W. H. Schuessler.
Schuessler found that small doses of common minerals, those normally found in
healthy body tissues, had a potent therapeutic effect in diseased
tissues. Providing the appropriate, dilute mineral remedy is made simple
through non-technical writing, sample case histories from medical doctors
using Schuessler minerals, and the most helpful indexes that you are likely
to find anywhere. This is one of my favorite
3-in-the-morning-the-baby's-sick books. Highly recommended. (185 pages,
cloth) Cheraskin, E., Ringsdorf, W. M. Psychodietetics
(1974) "Changing your diet
can change your life. You don't have to take our word for it; you can
prove it to yourself." (p 132) So say this team of medical
doctor and dentist, in one of the most persuasive and readable books on
megavitamin therapy for emotional illness. The authors put forward
surprisingly effective cures for drug dependency, mental illness, senility,
depression, anxiety, hyperactivity in children, alcoholism and other
ailments, supported by case histories and 290 medical references.
Self-diagnostic questionnaires and an Optimal Diet are included, plus a
hypoglycemia diet and notes on how to administer large doses of niacin
(vitamin B-3) without side effects. (225 pages, paper) Cheraskin, E., Ringsdorf, W. M. and Sisley, E.
L. The Vitamin C Connection: Getting Well and Staying Well with
Vitamin C (1983) Professor of Medicine
Emanuel Cheraskin (et al) are at it again, and this book is even better than Psychodietetics. An excellent guide to
vitamin C therapy, it is also an excellent review of the literature as well,
with 45 pages of medical references cited and discussed. Studies not
supporting vitamin C are also included, and ably refuted by overwhelming
favorable evidence. Though slightly more technical than most popular
health books, The Vitamin C Connection is
of special interest to layman and professional alike, because it so
thoroughly debunks many commonly held misconceptions about this enormously
versatile, safe and effective vitamin. Hand a copy to your family
doctor. (279 pages, cloth) Clarke, John H. The
Prescriber (Ninth
Edition, 1972) This book is just what
the title indicates: a homeopathic prescription guide that is the next best
thing to having a personal homeopathic doctor. Clarke's work has stood
the test of time. In this one volume, the reader will first find the best 60
page introduction ever written on just how to use homeopathic remedies, plus
a list of abbreviations, and then over 300 pages of foolproof cross-indexing
(repertory). With The Prescriber, a Materia Medica, and study, one
can become a competent homeopath. Simple to use and to the point, The
Prescriber is an essential reference for a
healthy home. Coulter, Harris L. Homeopathic
Science and Modern Medicine (1981) No one is a better
historian of homeopathy and allopathic (drug) medicine than Dr.
Coulter. He is also a fine spokesman for homeopathy, and here in just
over 100 pages makes a strong, logical and well-researched case for "the
physics of healing with microdoses." If
you've always wanted to know how and why "like cures like" and to
read a fine review of the literature on infinitesimal dosage, here's the
book. Although merely a pamphlet compared to Coulter's multi-volume
homeopathic treatise Divided Legacy,
this little book still provides over 250 citations from medical journals, a
handy table of remedy dilutions, and an annotated bibliography. A
31-page article by J. T. Kent, MD, on case taking and prescription is also
included. (157 pages, paper) Gerson, Max A
Cancer Therapy: Results of Fifty Cases (Third Edition, 1977) Albert Schweitzer's wife
was cured by Dr. Gerson's therapy. Dr. Schweitzer himself called Gerson
"a medical genius who walked among us." High praise indeed,
yet fully justified by Gerson's striking success in frequently curing cancer,
circulatory and nervous diseases, tuberculosis, arthritis, and more. His
book completely describes the details of the Gerson Therapy, thereby taking
the wind out of the sails of those who would say that Gerson was, and his
institute ( http://www.gerson.org
) is out for financial gain. Unlike some books that tell of a cure, this
one tells exactly how to cure. Pages 187 to 248 should be read first by
anyone who needs immediate knowledge of the therapy. Pages 251 to 389
contain the 50 case histories, including x-rays, of those cured of a
considerable variety of cancers. Gerson explains his approach,
and the problem of cancer in general, in the first third of the book. Though
rarely stocked at commercial bookstores, A Cancer Therapy is a remarkable
volume is most valuable for both patient and practitioner. Gerson's
therapy can be done at home with minimal professional care. Here is far
more than just "hope" for incurable illness; here is a proven
solution. You probably do not believe that statement. That is why
you need to read this book. (420 pages, paper) Goldbeck, N. and Goldbeck,
D. The Supermarket Handbook (1976 and later revisions)
Signet: NY If you can't live
completely from your own garden, you will need this helpful book. What to
buy; when to buy it; why to avoid processed foods; how to tell freshness; how
to select eggs, fruits, vegetables, milk products, meats, condiments, and,
yes, even sweets and desserts is all here. Also included is some fine
advice on how to make your own (and often better) baby foods, desserts, salad
dressings, soups, meatless dishes and more. You'll learn how to read a
food label and what to do about it. When you shop for food, take along the Supermarket
Handbook for an item-by-item, brand-by-brand education that will improve
your health and save you money. Good bibliography and index. (436 pages,
paper) Gregory, Dick Dick
Gregory's Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat: Cookin'
With Mother Nature (1973) A little humor never
hurts an important work. Dick Gregory used to weigh 288 pounds. He
began fasting and eating only fresh and raw foods and lost well over 100
pounds. But it's what he found in the process that is even more
important. Gregory describes how his health problems went away and how
much better he and his family now feel on "mother Nature's"
diet. His personal story is of course included, and it is witty and
inspiring reading. Also included is the best 21-page introduction to
human structure and function that can be found anywhere (Chapter Four: The
Body Owner's Manual). The chapter on fasting is enough to get the reader
to try it; it certainly worked with me. Here is a fine introduction to
naturopathic medicine nicely disguised as a celebrity bestseller. Bibliography
included. (164 pages, paper) Hawkins, David and
Pauling, Linus Orthomolecular
Psychiatry (1973) San Francisco:W. H.
Freeman and Co. It is not speculation
that high doses of vitamins can effectively treat mental illness; it is a
fact. This volume is an entire textbook devoted to the subject.
37 contributing authors in thirty articles provide abundant scientific basis
for aggressive use of orthomolecular (megavitamin) therapy, especially in
psychosis. ( http://www.orthomed.org
) Though not for the general reader, this book is a powerful response to
those who insist, still, that RDA or RDI quantities of vitamins are quite
adequate for all. Complete, from case histories to biochemical
mechanisms, Orthomolecular Psychiatry and its many hundreds of included
references firmly establish very-high-dose vitamin therapy as the treatment
of choice for schizophrenia, dementia, depression, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, and related illnesses. Instructions are also provided, with
emphasis on the most important outcome: results. (679 pages, cloth) Hoffer, Abram and Walker,
Morton Orthomolecular
Nutrition (1978) "The drug industry
makes next to no money on vitamins, minerals, no-junk diets, and various food
supplements, compared to the billions it makes on its
pharmaceuticals." Abram Hoffer, MD, ought to know, having pioneered
mega-dose niacin therapy for schizophrenia since the early 1950's. It is important to hear
from Hoffer and pleasant to have this non-technical book by which he most
capably guides you. Hypoglycemia and sugar overconsumption, (the “saccharine
disease”), psychosomatic conditions, the failures of psychiatry and
many more topics are discussed. An optimal diet is presented, along with a
good consideration of the vitamins and minerals. References to the scientific
literature are provided. The voice of experience is heard in Dr. Hoffer. (197
pp, paper) Howell, Edward (Food)
Enzymes for Health and Longevity (1980) Originally written in
1939, Dr. Howell’s treatise on raw food enzymes stands as something of
a classic in naturopathic healing. His work is documented with over 400
references which, regrettably, are not included in this modern paperback
reprint. Since all of those references were pre-1940, their inclusion would
provide a fine historical review as well as substantiation for Dr. Howell’s
position. His position is well thought out and carefully presented nonetheless:
eat fresh and raw food for at least 75% of your diet. This book is a thorough
and scholarly work which explains in detail what cooked food can do to the
body and what raw food can do for a body. The introduction by Viktoras Kulvinskas is worth
reading, and is followed with a recent interview with Dr. Howell. Good
summary at the close of the book. (124 pp, paper) Illich, Ivan
Limits to Medicine: Medical Nemesis, the
Expropriation of Health. “Expropriation”
may be defined as the deprivation of rights. A “nemesis” is an
enemy. In this incredibly well documented book, Dr. Illich
puts forward an ironclad argument that allopathic medicine has turned against
us and is literally depriving us of our health. A viewpoint like that will
not just “go away” when one chapter alone (“The Medicalization of Life”) contains 264 footnotes. Illich speaks of doctors as “medical clergy”
and their activities as disease-producing: iatrogenic. This means that the
medical monopoly is making us sick. Illich provides
solutions as well as enumerating problems, but the author of Deschooling Society has some revolutionary
ideas to share. Absolutely vital reading for anyone who contracts their
health out to a doctor or hospital. (294 pages, paper) Jensen, Bernard The Science and Practice of
Iridology (1952) Even a skeptic will have
some trouble denying the proven utility of iris diagnosis, as shown in
included X-ray pictures and testimonials. This book must be read before one
can deny that iridology works. (360 pp, cloth) Thirty years after the
above iridology text was written, Dr. Jensen has
produced another, more colorful work that can only be described as an atlas.
Included in this volume are high quality reproductions of iris charts used
and developed over the last century. This is fascinating history in itself.
Literally hundreds of full-color photos of patient irises are also provided,
with annotation, to demonstrate reading of various iris zones. Large pull-out
charts and overlays are included, as well as anatomical drawings and some
very beautiful microphotographs. Like Volume I (above), this volume suffers
from a lack of scientific references and no bibliography of supporting
medical research is provided. A recommended reading list is given. Jensen’s
accumulated knowledge is nevertheless formidable, and his success as a
practitioner and teacher is high. (572 pp, oversize cloth) Here’s a book that
is certain to offend almost everybody, and equally certain to educate almost
everybody. If the reader can get past the gaudily mod retro cover and the
hippie-ish illustrations, he or she will uncover an
unusually well documented handbook on how to live healthfully and very
economically on a sprout and fruit diet. Kulvinskas makes a convincing argument for
radical lifestyle change with the support of 259 citations from a variety of
sources. He also provides a directory of alternative health schools,
organizations, businesses and resources. A vast amount of practical
information is provided on how to sprout, and why. Later chapters deal with
spiritual discipline and practices which may or may not be embraced by the
reader. It is not necessary to accept every word Kulvinskas
writes; yet his case for natural diet is outstanding. (310 pp, oversize
paper) La Leche
League The Womanly Art of
Breastfeeding (1963) Lad, Vasant
Ayurveda:The Science of
Self-Healing (1984) The world’s most
ancient complete system of healing is capably explained and condensed in this
very practical introduction to ayurveda. Often considered to be the “folk
medicine” of Lust, John The
Herb Book (1974) There are a lot of herb
books around. Many suffer from inaccuracy, excessive length, obsolescence and
omissions. Dr. Lust has written a book that has none of these faults, arid is readable and genuinely interesting to the
beginner. His organization is superb, with multiple glossaries, repertories
and indexes. It is therefore easy to find any plant and its use to the body.
Over 110 references are provided, plus commercial sources of herbs, gathering
information, preparation instructions (very helpful), history, an introduction to botany, medicinal applications and
more. This is the herb book I look in first. Lust includes warnings
and contraindications where appropriate; not all herbs are safe in every way.
The thrust of this book is using plants to heal people. It is an excellent
tool to do just that. (631 pp, paper) Passwater, Richard A. Supernutrition (1975) One feature of this book
stands out: you learn how to find out, through guided experience, what
amounts of vitamins you personally need to take for optimum health. No one
prescriptive list is given; no “one size fits all” approach is
offered. Rather, Passwater builds a careful and
documented case for mega-vitamin therapy and then shows how to increase your
own vitamin doses in two-week intervals until subjective and objective tests
(which are described) show peak health has been reached. You essentially take
the smallest amounts of supplements that give the greatest results. If you go
beyond that level, health benefits stay the same or decline: that would be
the point of diminishing returns, the point of wasting money, and/or
potentially harmful overdose. If this seems sensible, it is. Passwater’s book makes a lot of practical sense.
Dosage and toxicity graphs are provided for each vitamin. Very clear. (259
pp, paper) Pauling, Linus How
to Live Longer and Feel Better (1986) After bringing high-dose
vitamin C therapy for colds and flu to the public (and to much of the medical
profession) around 1970, Dr. Pauling has had to spend quite a bit of time
defending the vitamin from under-informed critics. In this recent work,
Pauling prevents his most thorough case yet for much-larger-than-RDA doses of
ALL the vitamins. He answers his critics with facts from reputable scientific
journals and books. Pauling has a rare gift for making the complex
understandable, and his talent shows most clearly in this book. Distilling
thirty pages of references into logical, common-sense advice, he covers
vitamins and cancer, heart disease, aging, infectious diseases, vitamin
safety, toxicity and side effects, medicines, doctors attitudes, nutrition
history, vitamin biochemistry and more. With that, he still finds time to
clearly summarize as he goes, and to include some personal thoughts on
attaining world peace. This is perhaps the strongest presentation ever
written on the need for supplemental vitamins. (312 pp, paper) Price, Weston A. Nutrition
and Physical Degeneration (1945) If you have felt that it
is the duty of “civilized” peoples to assist the “primitive”
peoples with foods and medical services, you will soon have second thoughts
after looking at Dr. Price’s work. Indeed, Price shows that around the
world it is the isolated, native peoples that are healthier and longer lived
than we are. Price traveled extensively back in the 1930’s and studied
firsthand the remote communities in Shadman, Alonso J. Who Is
Your Doctor and Why? (1958) “In performing
upwards of twenty thousand surgical operations, I never gave a blood
transfusion and I never had a patient die from lack of it.” (p. 133) Now
there’s a remarkable statement coming from a M.D. who ran his own Included in this same
volume is a 190 page repertory of homeopathic remedies, a good book list, and
a list of suppliers of homeopathic remedies. (440 pp, paper) Shute, Wilfrid E. Vitamin E for Ailing and Healthy
Hearts (1969) Dr. Wilfrid
Shute and his brother Evan were arguably the world’s most experienced cardiologists,
having treated tens of thousands of patients in their Stone, Irwin The
Healing Factor: Vitamin C Against Disease (1972) It was Irwin Stone who
first put Linus Pauling onto vitamin C. Stone thinks we humans have inherited
a genetic trait to need but not manufacture the vitamin. More important to
most readers, he tells how many diseases have responded very well to
high-dose vitamin C treatment. This book contains over fifty pages of
scientific references, making it required reading for you and your doctor.
Yet it is doubtful that many skeptics have been as thorough as Stone has in
checking vitamin C literature. Most readers will want to begin on page 59,
and learn about cures of infections, (bacterial and viral), allergies,
asthma, eye diseases, ulcers, poisoning, and the effects of smoking. Vitamin
C’s role in treating cancer, heart disease, diabetes, fractures, shock,
wounds and pregnancy complications is also included. The information on
tetanus and glaucoma is especially interesting. This is a unique and
incredibly valuable book. While well organized, it does lack an index. A
glossary is provided. (258 pp, paper) YOU CAN READ THE HEALING FACTOR
FOR FREE Williams, Roger J. & Kalita, Dwight K. A Physician’s
Handbook on Orthomolecular Medicine (1979) It is likely that any
doctor or layman reading this book will begin using vitamins instead of drugs
to treat virtually all ailments. Here is presented an excellent collection of
29 papers by a variety of top nutritional physicians, including Abram Hoffer,
Wilfrid Shute, Allan Cott, Carl Pfeiffer, Emanuel
Cheraskin and others. Worth the price of the book alone is a paper by
Frederick R. Klenner, M.D. entitled “The Significance of High Daily
Intake of Ascorbic Acid in Preventive Medicine.” Most of Klenner’s
20-plus published papers are in regional medical journals and are hard to
come by. But this paper is precise direction on how to give vitamin C by
mouth, by injection, in the hospital, with or without buffers, how often and
how much by body weight. Klenner accumulated over 40 years of experience
using very large doses of the vitamin. Editor R.J. Williams has added to his
already highly distinguished career by bringing great articles together, and
several of the best are by him. Though aimed at physicians, there is every
reason for everyone to obtain, and carefully read, a copy of this invaluable
book. (207 pp, paper) Wigmore, Ann Recipes for
Longer Life (1978) What makes this cookbook
unique is that there is absolutely no cooking in it. One of the best ways to
be healthy is to eat a raw foods diet. Dr. Wigmore
can help you really enjoy doing so. She is the woman largely responsible for
bringing sprouting to the U.S.A., and she has decades of experience in
helping people get well using raw foods, sprouts, juices and fasting. This
visually attractive, oversized format cookbook is full of simple and
appetizing recipes. It’s all here: salads, dressings (over 30 different
ones), dips, spreads, sauces, breads and soups (yes, without cooking),
candies, cookies, pies and, of course, entrees. How to sprout, juice and
gradually move towards such a diet is also included. A foods list, glossary
and a good index are provided. Lots of beautiful border illustrations and
some nice photos to guide first-time sprouters.
(190 pp, paper) Copyright C 2008, 2005
and prior years Andrew W. Saul. Andrew Saul is the author
of the books FIRE YOUR DOCTOR! How to be
Independently Healthy (reader reviews at http://www.doctoryourself.com/review.html
) and DOCTOR YOURSELF: Natural Healing that Works. (reviewed at http://www.doctoryourself.com/saulbooks.html
) For ordering information, Click Here .
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AN IMPORTANT NOTE: This page is not in any way offered as prescription, diagnosis nor treatment for any disease, illness, infirmity or physical condition. Any form of self-treatment or alternative health program necessarily must involve an individual's acceptance of some risk, and no one should assume otherwise. Persons needing medical care should obtain it from a physician. Consult your doctor before making any health decision. Neither the author nor the webmaster has authorized the use of their names or the use of any material contained within in connection with the sale, promotion or advertising of any product or apparatus. Single-copy reproduction for individual, non-commercial use is permitted providing no alterations of content are made, and credit is given. |
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