Customer Reviews

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Alternative Medicine

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I am currently in an RN-to-BSN program to complete my Bachelor's of science in nursing. One of our courses requires the textbook "Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Nursing Practice" 3rd edition (480 pages, 2010) by the same author, Karen Lee Fontaine.

I'm really broke (seriously -- like, overdrawn on my checking account). So I was looking for alternatives (such as buying the 2nd edition). The 2nd edition of that text is also called "Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Nursing Practice"(528 pages, 2004).

The 1st edition of that textbook is called "Healing Practices: Alternative Therapies for Nursing" (452 pages, 1999).

This book, "Absolute Beginner's Guide to Alternative Medicine" and the 2nd edition of "Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Nursing Practice (2004)" have virtually the same table of contents. The differences are minor and only in the names of some chapters or parts. They appear to cover exactly the same areas of alternative and complementary therapies/medicine

In fact, the TOC of this book "Absolute Beginner's..." differs from the TOC of the "Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Nursing Practice" 3rd (2010) edition only in the following ways: this book has no Music Therapy chapter, whereas the 3rd ed. text does; this book has no chapter on research and evidence-based complementary and alternative therapies, but the 3rd edition does; and the 3rd ed. text has no chapter on detoxifying therapies, whereas this book does.

In fact, this book "Absolute Beginner's" TOC seems to be virtually the same book as the 2nd edition of the "Complementary and Alternative" text -- their TOCs differ from the 3rd edition text in almost exactly the same ways and lack (or include) the same chapters.

The only difference I can see is that this book "Absolute Beginner's..." is 384 pages, whereas the 3rd edition of the "Complementary and Alternative" (2010) text is 480 pages (and the 2nd edition of "Complementary and Alternative," 2004) is 528 pages.

I don't know for sure but that makes it seem like this is essentially a "Cliff's Notes" or slightly dumbed-down version of the 2nd edition "Complementary and Alternative" textbook.

I find this all to be extremely, disgustingly deceptive on the part of the author and the publishers. We all know the textbook industry is a total racket; this just proves it. It's revolting.

And look at the price difference! I would be better off buying a used copy of this book than EITHER used or new copies of the 3rd or 2nd edition of the textbook! All so I can use it for 8 weeks and then re-sell it? It's sickening. This is the kind of thing that makes my blood boil. Then people wonder why it costs so much to go to college? This kind of BS is only one small part of WHY!