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Facets of a Diamond: Reflections of a Healer

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In the past, Dr. Diamond has on the whole confined himself to one major area of interest in each of his books. In the Life Energy in Music series he focuses on various aspects of music, The Healer: Heart and Hearth is concerned mainly with the role of the therapist or healer, Re-Mothering and its Experience examines the importance of our relationships with our mothers, and so on. In Facets of a Diamond, however, Dr. Diamond draws together all the aspects of his life and the experiences that make him the therapist that he is. But, more than being just an auto-biography, this book introduces us to the possibility that we are all therapists, whatever our profession or station in life. After reading this book I felt inspired to consider how my choices and decisions are determining the pattern of my own life, and how I can best develop and manifest my own philosophy day by day.

I think that this is one of the most remarkable traits of Dr. Diamond's writing: that, instead of claiming to have found the one true path to enlightenment, he presents his own ideas and thought in such a way as to be a springboard for the reader's.

Facets of a Diamond is an incredible book that looks honestly, intelligently and profoundly at the roles of healer and patient, and more importantly, at the underlying motivation of man.

Diamond looks at every aspect of an illness or life problem: spiritual, societal, motivational, dietary, energetic, psychological, environmental, hereditary...

Lynne McTaggart, author of The Field, says that ""On Dr Diamond, I would say he is one of the great pioneering healers of our time. His greatest contribution (of so many) is his discovery that our emotional selves register physical weaknesses in the body and that the body's meridian points also are the seat of certain emotions. But he's also made an incredible contribution to the role of music, to the use of many herbs and substances in healing. He is, in short, a genius."

As the title suggests, this book shows facets-many facets-of the healing work of Dr. John Diamond. It is, however, far from being just another self-help book. Diamond obviously knows what he's talking about, but what makes this book so great is that he talks about the essence of life in such a clear, direct, friendly, and sometimes even humorous way. It's very hard not to be touched by the many little poems, aphorisms, and stories in the book.

Diamond discusses various aspects of healing: the "true therapist," the "patient" (but much better if the patient is a "student" who wants to learn what to do himself, rather than to be passive and let the healer do the work), creativity, aspiration, and many others. He offers deep insight in the human spirit, much of it new, although often based on centuries-old philosophies.

The most wonderful part of the book to me as a musician and music teacher are the many pages (thankfully!) where Diamond speaks about music. He explains how music is such a beautiful metaphor for life, and also how music-much, much more than being mere entertainment-can really help people: "If only we all were singing-always."

Everybody interested in Life should read this book.

At first glance, it seemed to me that Facets of a Diamond is a book more for health professionals, but just a few pages into it, I realized what a remarkable book this is for everyone. Facets is extremely easy to read, and for the first time, I finally understand what is meant by a body-soul connection, especially when it comes to illness. Dr. Diamond is an MD, so he understands the diseases he discusses, but he also talks about the deeper sources of illness, suffering
-- and health! -- and he does this in a way that is really clear. Creativity plays a big part, and I found this inspiring. The best part is that he doesn't tell you what to do or not to do. Instead, you feel like he has his arm around you as he shares his stories (many of these are touching, and some are amazing). Reading Facets for me was comforting, but also very motivating. I felt truly energized.

Two great contributions of this book are Diamond's concepts of "will to wellness" and "art as therapy." Dr. Diamond has a lot of traditional medical experience, and there is no hesitation here in discussing suffering and very serious diseases in patients for some of whom there can be no cure. Yet for each of us (and even for the terminally ill) there is our will to be well, there is our Life Energy, which can always be enhanced. Diamond sees this diminished will as the cause of much of our suffering, something that can occur many years before there are actual physical manifestations of any disease. This is inspiring because it gives each of us a place to turn: to enhance this will, to raise our Life Energy. The purpose in doing this is not only to make our lives fuller and happier, but also to help our bodies ward off disease (and make any treatments received more effective).

The second contribution concerns the means of actually increasing our Life Energy. For Diamond, this is primarily achieved through creativity and the arts (especially music). Seeing the arts and the act of creation as having therapeutic benefit offers our culture a new and dynamic way of liberating ourselves from the social malaise and many diseases that increasingly affect all of us. Other means to raise our Life Energy include friendship and love. Diamond elucidates these ideas with anecdotes from his lengthy and varied career in a way that gives fresh and true credibility to concepts that have otherwise become rather trite in our day-to-day world.

Facets is written in brief "vignettes" making it very readable. It is a unique format that, for me, was very inspiring beyond the insights and information that Dr. Diamond discusses. A great book for doctors, therapists, but also for each one of us.

Dr. Diamond has written a book which covers a wide range of the areas to which he has turned his attention over many years. His work is indeed multifaceted and beneficial to both specialist readers from a range of disciplines as well as the general reader looking for further insight into his/her life. One of the most intriguing aspects of Dr. Diamond's writing is his focus on how insights and information are presented. His intention is to make the writing itself therapeutic and this intention, and its effect on the individual, is obvious and immediate as one dips into this book. Dr. Diamond writes with intensity and enthusaism as well as humour and compassion. This is truly a book which approaches healing and health holistically and with real concern for the sufferings, physical or psychological, more or less obvious, of others.

I find this book a great inspiration - worth returning to repeatedly to stimulate my thoughts and uplift my spirit. It is as truly "multi-faceted" as its title implies - a reflection of the many-faceted author, Dr. John Diamond. In it, I find parts that apply to my personal, professional, artistic and inner lives. I can open it to any section and find a gem - and then I find myself engrossed by the wonderful stories, quotations, poems and aphorisms. It is full of humor and heart. I highly recommend it.

Here is another momentous and extraordinarily inspiring book from Dr. John Diamond. When I read "Your Body Doesn't Lie" and "Life Energy" some years ago, I saw his unique approach to life, health and true wellbeing; I felt that I was able to see human suffering in a completely different light, and that there truly is a solution. Since then I have read every one of Dr. Diamond's books that I have been able to get my hands on - just the experience of reading them is calming, reassuring and inspirational.

But this one, to me, is the greatest of them all. Here he brings together his research, his musings, and his extraordinary experience into a cohesive look at suffering, healing and our strivings for true and complete health. His anecdotes are fascinating and his aphorisms bring a new perspective on human existence. In years to come, Dr. Diamond will surely be seen as one of the true greats amongst the world's practitioners, therapists, and healers. But, for the moment, his deeply inspiring approach to healing and to life can be experienced by those who read this book.

"The loving and healing words in this incredible book by John Diamond have catapulted me to a new level of life energy. Diamond is a genius among healers. He needs to be more broadly read and appreciated for the depth and breath of his knowledge of the human healing process. His emphasis on the special power of the creative arts and his semi-autobiographical style in this book place him in the pantheon of the most profound and influential healers in contemporary medicine."

Dr. Richard Lippin
Founder, International Arts-Medicine Association (IAMA)
Founder, American Physician's Poetry Association (APPA)

This is an extraordinary book of depth and insight, not to be hurried though, to be dipped into time and time again to be refreshed by the wisdom and compassion contained in its pages.