From Booklist
The medical advisors and editors chose the subjects of the articles after reviewing professional and lay resources. Entries for therapies (Acupuncture, Rolfing) include descriptions and information on the origins, benefits, description, preparations, precautions, side effects, research, and general acceptance. Those covering herbs and remedies (Ginseng, Saw palmetto) include general use, preparations, precautions, side effects, and interactions. Entries for diseases and conditions cover definitions, descriptions, causes and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, allopathic treatment, expected results, and prevention. Cross-references make locating relevant material easy. The articles are written in lay language, so they are easy to read and understand.
Although The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine is a comprehensive source, it does not offer anything that cannot be found in one-volume resources such as Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide (Future Medicine, 1993). The articles on diseases and conditions are taken from The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (1998) with minor editing. Libraries specializing in alternative medicine may want to consider this encyclopedia, but it is not a necessary purchase for those who own other sources on the subject. RBB
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