Dr. Rosenfeld's Guide to Alternative Medicine : What Works, What Doesn't And What's Right for You [Paperback]

Isadore Rosenfeld M.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 1997

"For those curious, confused, or downright leery about alternative medicine, the open-minded, plainspoken Rosenfeld offers some sound information."
--Publishers Weekly

Here at last is an authoritative , comprehensive look at the controversial field of alternative medicine. A distinguished and experienced clinician, Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld reviews the track records of dozens of widely used alternative therapies, including acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathy, hypnosis, and reflexology. For each approach, he describes how it is used, the theories on which it is based, how much scientific evidence exists to support claims for it, and--perhaps most important--whether it actually works. With wit and candor he explains


How claims made by some alternative practitioners may be valid even though they cannot be proven by the scientific method
How hypnosis can be used to treat "physical" conditions like asthma as well as emotional disorders
Which herbal preparations should be added to, or even replace, conventional drugs
Why you should try to have acupuncture immediately after a stroke
How certain aromas can help claustrophobia, improve your sex life, and help you sleep
Why fasting can be good for your spirit but bad for your health

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For those curious, confused or downright leery about alternative medicine, the open-minded, plainspoken Rosenfeld, (Doctor, What Should I Eat?) offers some sound information. After a brief explanation of placebos and some principles of quack detection, he considers over 30 alternative therapies, arranged alphabetically from acupuncture to reflexology. Rosenfeld treats each therapy seriously, yet with a touch of humor, providing a short history, an explanation of how the method is supposed to work, relevant scientific research on its effectiveness for various conditions and, in some cases, an address or phone number for further information. Each chapter ends with an evaluation of the therapy. Occasionally, these are less than helpful. On homeopathy, for instance, Rosenfeld simply advises: "decide for yourself." Nevertheless, when sufficient evidence for a definitive yes or no concerning a technique's efficacy does not exist, Rosenfeld generally offers a carefully considered opinion, and, mindful of the Hippocratic oath's dictum to "first do no harm," he consistently emphasizes safety. 13-city author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

A best-selling author (Doctor, What Should I Eat?, LJ 1/95) and distinguished professor of clinical medicine, Rosenfeld offers a mainstream medical perspective on 30 major alternative therapies (Chinese, Ayurveda, bee venom, oxygen, mind-body, etc.), describing circumstances where choosing the therapy is and isn't warranted. His conclusions and recommendations are based on personal clinical experiences, scientific research, and literature review. While supportive of bridging the gap between traditional and "holistic" healthcare, Rosenfeld warns against reckless claims in chapters on "The Lure of the Cure" and "How To Spot a Quack." He takes on topics like chelation, reflexology, and hypnosis, telling readers what is safe, what is useless, and what needs further investigation. Writing in a tongue-in-cheek style that is entertaining yet informative, Rosenfeld has produced an excellent resource backed by professional expertise. For all consumer health collections.
-?Rebecca Cress-Ingebo, Fordham Health Sciences Lib., Wright State Univ., Dayton, Ohio
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (December 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449000745
• ISBN-13: 978-0449000748
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #968,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars, November 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Dr. Rosenfeld's Guide to Alternative Medicine : What Works, What Doesn't And What's Right for You (Paperback)

For those of us who do not know the difference between Ayurveda, Chelation, and Iridology, Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld comes to the rescue. In his practical book, Dr. Rosenfeld's Guide to Alternative Medicine, he spells out the difference between these and many other alternative therapies which more people are going to everyday. I wholeheartedly reccomend this work to be on anyone's bookshelf who is even romotely interested in knowing different therapies used today.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Judgmental, but up-front about it; oversimplified, June 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Dr. Rosenfeld's Guide to Alternative Medicine: What Works, What Doesn't--and What's Right for You (Hardcover)

Dr. Rosenfeld's book is well written and accessible for laypeople. The narrative is interesting, and the author's wit and humor came through. However, I found the content excessively judgmental in places; in fairness to the author, he admits his biases in most places. The book's principal failing, in my opinion, is one common to books of this sort - oversimplification. For example, the author's classification of chiropractic approaches - and his attendant opinion - did not fully capture the principal differences between practitioners, and appeared to dismiss some credible independent research. As a result, his recommendation was less complete than it could have been. I observed this in a few other areas of the text, though not frequently. In fairness to the author, I must admit my own bias, as a chiropractic college administrator. :-) In general, I applaud the author for his attempt to assist health care consumers in wading through the admittedly murky waters of so-called alternative medicine and complementary therapies.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ignore Those Who Bash This Book, September 6, 2006

By 

Irfan A. Alvi (Towson, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dr. Rosenfeld's Guide to Alternative Medicine : What Works, What Doesn't And What's Right for You (Paperback)

I find the negative reviews of this book to be far too extreme. In the process of vehemently complaining that Dr. Rosenfeld bashes alternative medicine, they reveal their own excessively anti-establishment agenda.

The fact is that, with the human body and health, we're dealing with something so intrinsically complex that a great deal of uncertainty is inevitable regardless of what theoretical perspective we adopt, whether conventional or unconventional. Under these circumstances, the wisest approach is to identify the best elements of all approaches and try to integrate them, even if that means we have to start with a messy eclectic mix.

Since no one has all the answers when it comes to health, no one source, including Dr. Rosenfeld, should be solely relied upon to decide how to proceed. Instead, we have the burden of reading widely and listening open-mindedly to people with varying viewpoints, and then proceeding based on our best judgement.

In that regard, I find Dr. Rosenfeld's book to be an excellent resource. He is very fair and open-minded, while at the same time applying an appropriate level of critical thinking. Moreover, the claim that Dr. Rosenfeld tries to undercut alternative medicine is totally wrong. If you actually read the book, you will find that Dr. Rosenfeld is neutral, cautiously optimistic, or clearly supportive of many alternative treatments, including some that I didn't previously take seriously myself (e.g., hypnosis).

As Dr. Rosenfeld would say, here's the bottom line. If you're interested in alternative medicine (you should be), this book is an excellent resource to add to your collection. Read it and consider what Dr. Rosenfeld has to say, but don't solely rely on it.

Why not 5 stars? Because, again, nobody has all the answers, so nobody can have the final word on this subject. Moreover, the book is now approaching a decade old, and the subject of alternative medicine is ultimately much too large for one book anway.