Review
Alternative Health at a Glance... Pursuing alternative medical treatment just got easier. HealthInform, a company that publishes an alternative health newsletter in Montrose, NY, goes one step further with the book Resource Guide to Alternative Health. It presents information on 56 treatments - from acupuncture to yoga - including history, therapeutic uses, educational requirements of practitioners and thousands of references. -- American Health for Women
Just a few years ago, libraries nationwide only offered limited numbers of books about so-called holistic and alternative medicine. But as the practice of such fields has received more attention from mainstream media outlets, Montgomery County libraries have followed suit. Although the stock of books on nontraditional medicine vary by library, here's a sampling of a few titles share by all county branches and give both a macro and micro view of the emerging field. -- from Gazette.net
More and more consumers are seeking information on alternative and complementary health care methods to use in conjunction with traditional treatments for acute and chronic medical conditions. This timely source describes 56 individual treatment styles discussed in 38 chapters, limiting inclusion to therapies represented by a US or international professional association that publishes either a journal, magazine, or a newsletter. A second criterion for selection requires some type of educational or training opportunity for those interested in becoming practitioners. The guide is organized alphabetically by therapy, some chapters serving as umbrellas for topics such as body therapies, energy therapies, and expressive or massage therapies. Reader aids include subject/keyword, association/educational resources, acronym, and geographic indexes. Several appendixes include a list of alternative medicine Internet sites and a list of current grants from the Office of Alternative Medicine. The book includes chapters on acupuncture, aromatherapy, Rolfing, chelation therapy, meditation, naturopathic medicine, nutrition, vitamins, and supplements. Although several similar works have been published recently, The Alternative Advisor: The Complete Guide to Natural Therapies and Alternative Treatments, 1997 and Adriane Fugh-Berman's Alternative Medicine: What Works: A Comprehensive Easy-to-Read Review of the Scientific Evidence Pro and Con, 1996. HealthInform will more efficiently and succinctly assist readers seeking consumer health and patient education information. Highly recommended. -- J. M. Coggan, University of Florida, appeared in Choice, July/August 1998 Vol. 35 No. 11/12
The first of an annual directory of information sources on alternative and complementary therapies. Just recently released, it contains references on over 56 therapies, with a brief description of each approach. This book represents a huge undertaking and is the most comprehensive text available. Extensive web address reference section. Close to a thousand organizations are included. Recommended as a valuable resource for anyone seeking to network in the field of complementary health care. -- Latitude Newsletter
This hefty guide is a one-stop reference to education, organizations, books, newsletters, anything you need to explore 60 types of treatments. Each section begins with a one-page introduction. The editors obviously did their homework. The aromatherapy section lists 30 educational resources, 14 journals and newsletters, plus books, organizations, and newsgroups. Fourteen pages - the most extensive covered - are devoted to herbal medicine with over 100 resources. Other headings include acupuncture, naturopathic medicine, homeopathy, and holistic medicine. Appendixes list Internet sites and current grants from the Office of Alternative Medicine. HealthInform also publishes an excellent newsletter. -- American Herb Association Quarterly Newsletter
Just a few years ago, libraries nationwide only offered limited numbers of books about so-called holistic and alternative medicine. But as the practice of such fields has received more attention from mainstream media outlets, Montgomery County libraries have followed suit. Although the stock of books on nontraditional medicine vary by library, here's a sampling of a few titles share by all county branches and give both a macro and micro view of the emerging field. -- from Gazette.net
More and more consumers are seeking information on alternative and complementary health care methods to use in conjunction with traditional treatments for acute and chronic medical conditions. This timely source describes 56 individual treatment styles discussed in 38 chapters, limiting inclusion to therapies represented by a US or international professional association that publishes either a journal, magazine, or a newsletter. A second criterion for selection requires some type of educational or training opportunity for those interested in becoming practitioners. The guide is organized alphabetically by therapy, some chapters serving as umbrellas for topics such as body therapies, energy therapies, and expressive or massage therapies. Reader aids include subject/keyword, association/educational resources, acronym, and geographic indexes. Several appendixes include a list of alternative medicine Internet sites and a list of current grants from the Office of Alternative Medicine. The book includes chapters on acupuncture, aromatherapy, Rolfing, chelation therapy, meditation, naturopathic medicine, nutrition, vitamins, and supplements. Although several similar works have been published recently, The Alternative Advisor: The Complete Guide to Natural Therapies and Alternative Treatments, 1997 and Adriane Fugh-Berman's Alternative Medicine: What Works: A Comprehensive Easy-to-Read Review of the Scientific Evidence Pro and Con, 1996. HealthInform will more efficiently and succinctly assist readers seeking consumer health and patient education information. Highly recommended. -- J. M. Coggan, University of Florida, appeared in Choice, July/August 1998 Vol. 35 No. 11/12
The first of an annual directory of information sources on alternative and complementary therapies. Just recently released, it contains references on over 56 therapies, with a brief description of each approach. This book represents a huge undertaking and is the most comprehensive text available. Extensive web address reference section. Close to a thousand organizations are included. Recommended as a valuable resource for anyone seeking to network in the field of complementary health care. -- Latitude Newsletter
This hefty guide is a one-stop reference to education, organizations, books, newsletters, anything you need to explore 60 types of treatments. Each section begins with a one-page introduction. The editors obviously did their homework. The aromatherapy section lists 30 educational resources, 14 journals and newsletters, plus books, organizations, and newsgroups. Fourteen pages - the most extensive covered - are devoted to herbal medicine with over 100 resources. Other headings include acupuncture, naturopathic medicine, homeopathy, and holistic medicine. Appendixes list Internet sites and current grants from the Office of Alternative Medicine. HealthInform also publishes an excellent newsletter. -- American Herb Association Quarterly Newsletter
From the Publisher
HealthInform's Resource Guide to Alternative Health: An annual Directory of Information Sources on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, edited by Kate Page and Janet Gotkin offers a short description of each therapy followed by lists of relevant organizations, books, newsletters, Internet resources and on-line discussion groups.
