Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy [Paperback]

Amy L. Lansky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2003

Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy provides an in-depth and exciting account of the history, philosophy, and experience of homeopathic medicine. At the core of Impossible Cure is the amazing story of how the author's son was cured of autism with homeopathy. It also includes dozens of other testimonials of homeopathic cure, for a variety of physical, mental, and emotional conditions.

Impossible Cure will serve as an invaluable guide to anyone interested in learning more about this intriguing form of health care. It has won endorsements from leading experts in alternative health care, including: Larry Dossey, MD (executive editor, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, and author of Healing Words); Bernard Rimland, PhD (director, Autism Research Institute); Wayne Jonas, MD (director, Samueli Institute, and former director, Office of Alternative Medicine, NIH); Michael Castleman (author of The New Healing Herbs and other consumer health books); Louis Klein, RSHom (president, Luminos Homeopathic Courses); and Richard Pitt, CCH, RSHom(NA) (director, Pacific Academy of Homeopathy).

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dr. Joseph Mercola: In Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy, author Amy Lansky tells the incredible story of how homeopathy was used to cure her son of autism. Although Lansky is not a medical professional, she has a Ph.D. from Stanford and worked for NASA as a researcher. She has more than enough scientific training to provide a compelling and easy to understand description of how homeopathy can be used to treat 'incurable conditions' like autism. Along with this compelling testimonial, Lansky provides an in-depth account on the history, philosophy and practice of homeopathy, as well as dozens of other testimonials on the power of homeopathy in curing various health problems... Impossible Cure covers all aspects of homeopathy from how it was developed to supporting research available today, including a guide to current homeopathic resources, and interweaves fact with the personal experiences of many people. The result is an introduction to homeopathy that stands out from the rest and is appropriate for anyone interested in homeopathy, whether they are at the beginner or professional level. There is also an entire chapter devoted to reviewing the scientific evidence supporting the validity of homeopathy. This chapter should help reassure skeptics. Also useful is Lansky's use of sound evidence and personal insight to share her unique perspective on why homeopathy is a worthy alternative to traditional medicine. After two decades working as a computer scientist, Lansky was so moved by her son's healing that she left her career to become an advocate and practitioner of homeopathic medicine. Her enthusiasm, belief and knowledge in homeopathy comes through in her writing and serves as an important guide on how and why homeopathy is a truly effective way to overcome chronic disease and restore mental, emotional and physical health. --Review, Mercola Newsletter

Impossible Cure is the finest general introduction to homeopathy I've yet read... Lansky's writing is magnificently crafted, and all her facts and figures are as straight as can be. She weaves together a seamless exposition about homeopathy -- what it is, how it developed, what research exists, and with it gives us her personal journey of discovery... I have a goodly number of 'homeopathic introductions' in my library. Many are just rehashes of the same old stuff. A few really do step out and present the material in a new way. This book takes the furthest step -- in part because it is the most recent and can draw upon the latest thinking and research -- but also because the author drew on the experiences of many people to help her and coupled that with her excellence as a word crafter. This book should be read by everyone interested in homeopathy, from the rank beginner to the seasoned professional. It has something new in it for everyone-- no matter which level they are on... Bravo for Amy for having the vision to see it and the skill to make it happen. --Julian Winston, Editor of Homeopathy Today, Author: The Faces of Homeopathy

This new book is one of the clearest and most comprehensive introductions to homeopathy in recent times. In Impossible Cure, Amy Lansky, PhD, explains in a remarkably reader-friendly way the science and art of homeopathy. By including dozens of patients' stories as well as interviews with practitioners, she weaves a well-crafted overview. Her language is not complex, making it accessible to the non-technical reader. This book may very well contribute to the transformation of homeopathy from the ugly duckling of medicine to the swan that it deserves to be. The book is written from two vantage points: that of a loving mother sharing the heart-wrenching story of her son's struggle with autism and how homeopathy cured him, and that of a skeptic delving into the mysteries of healing... Lansky shares the story of how her son, Max, recovered fully from moderate autism...[This] is followed by chapters that delve into deep issues, such as, 'What is Disease? What is Cure?' Lansky acquaints the reader with the relationship between the symptom pattern and the simillimum. She presents a historical picture of the development of the varied strategies homeopaths may use when they choose a remedy and its potency. LM potency use is included, so the book joins just a handful of others modern enough to speak of this relatively new phenomenon. Lansky gives a short explanation of related applications of homeopathy outside the classical homeopathic paradigm, including combination remedies, isopathy, anthroposophic medicines, homeopathic prophylaxis, homeopathic specifics, cell salts, intuitive and machine-generated prescribing, Flower Essences, herbalism, and energy healing. Lansky states here that it is 'important for patients to understand which treatment methods are actually 'homeopathy' and which are not.' Impossible Cure also includes up-to-date information on homeopathic research and its significance in relation to modern medicine. The author's skill at word crafting is noticeable here- - whereas other books' descriptions of chaos theory, ultra dilutions, and cluster physics had lost me, this book has actually made these complex theories understandable to my brain - no small feat! Lansky guides fledgling consumers through finding a practitioner, experiencing an initial interview, taking a remedy, and responding to it. This is a great help to someone who has no idea what to expect when stepping into homeopathy. The chapter, 'Cure is Possible' relates many success stories drawn from an impressive, international list of practitioners, patients, and their family members - including dramatic reversals of Alzheimer's disease, cancer, fibromyalgia, and mental illness. These are instructive cases illustrating the efficacy of homeopathy. Impossible Cure sticks to principles and philosophy, completely foregoing any discussion of materia medica and how-to information. Since most people, even in enlightened circles, still do not understand homeopathy and its potential, the homeopathic community is faced with the challenge of getting the word out - and the even larger challenge of providing accessible, affordable, professional, homeopathic health care - thereby liberating society from the monopoly of conventional medical care. Homeopathy must grow into a viable healthcare choice for the many - not just for an elite few - and this will take massive education at the grassroots and a shift in how homeopathy is now accessed. Impossible Cure succeeds in demystifying homeopathy's approach to healing and will help people understand what embarking on homeopathic treatment is all about. The facts and history are accurate and well-documented. Everyone interested in homeopathy can enjoy this book, from the rank beginner to the seasoned homeopath. The book speaks of the promise that homeopathy holds for those who step forward to use it. --Lia Bello, Reviewer for Homeopathy Today

About the Author

Amy Lansky graduated from the University of Rochester in 1977 with degrees in mathematics and computer science. She received her doctorate in computer science from Stanford University in 1983. After many years working at various Silicon Valley research institutions, Lansky made an unusual career move -- she became a student, writer, and promoter of homeopathic medicine. This was prompted by the miraculous cure of her son's autism with homeopathy. She also serves on the board of the National Center for Homeopathy and has been active in the national health freedom movement. She is dedicated to helping others -- especially families with autistic children -- discover the curative powers of homeopathy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: R.L. Ranch Press (April 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972751408
• ISBN-13: 978-0972751407
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Children's Health > Autism & Asperger's Syndrome

More About the Author

Amy Lansky grew up in a suburb of Buffalo, New York. She graduated from the University of Rochester in 1977 with degrees in mathematics and computer science, and she received her doctorate in computer science from Stanford University in 1983.

After many years working at various Silicon Valley research institutions (including SRI International, NASA Ames Research Center, and three years as a consulting associate professor at Stanford), Lansky made an unusual career move: she became a student, writer, promoter, and, most recently, a part-time practitioner of homeopathic medicine. This was prompted by the miraculous cure of her son's autism with homeopathy. She is dedicated to helping others -- especially families with autistic children -- discover the curative powers of homeopathy.

Lansky's homeopathic studies have included foundational course work with Misha Norland's School of Homeopathy in Devon, England; completion of the Homeopathic Master Clinician's course with Louis Klein; and studies with Simon Taffler, Sadhna Thakkar, Jan Scholten, and Alize Timmerman. For two years she served as coeditor of The American Homeopath, the journal of the North American Society of Homeopaths.

In December 2003, Lansky joined the board of the National Center for Homeopathy in Alexandria, Virginia. She now serves on the board executive as Secretary. Lansky also helped to found and was an executive board member of the California Health Freedom Coalition from 2001-2005. This is the organization that sponsored SB-577, the California health freedom bill that was passed in September 2002. As part of this legislative process, Lansky testified before a California Senate hearing on alternative medicine.

Much of Lansky's current work involves promoting homeopathy and providing guidance and referrals to parents through email. She often gives lectures, interviews, and writes articles about homeopathy. She also writes a regular column for the Society of Homeopaths Newsletter (UK), "Letter from America". Lansky's monthly radio show on homeopathy can be found on Autism One Radio (aired the third Friday of each month, 2-2:30pm EST, but archived for later listening). This show provides an excellent and free short course for those wishing to learn more about homeopathy. It can be found at www.autismone.org/radio or via www.impossiblecure.com.

www.impossiblecure.com also includes the "Cure Stories" database of other people's experiences with homeopathy, advice for parents with autistic children, and pointers to practitioner referrals. Amy does not treat autistic children herself, but is happy to provide a referral for you if you send her an email.

Amy is currently beginning work on a new book in the area of consciousness studies. It will take off from work she did ten years ago on a paper entitled "Consciousness as an Active Force" (www.renresearch.com/consciousness.html).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

112 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best on Explaining Homeopathy, March 24, 2004

By 

Erica L. Mcphee (SW Florida - United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy (Paperback)

I stumbled upon Amy Lansky's website while researching treatments for my own son's autistic symptoms. We had seen dramatic improvements in my son after beginning homeopathic treatments with a gifted, classical homeopath and I was researching to learn more. Though I had been researching since we began our journey to cure our son for a little over a year, I had not yet been able to find any concrete information regarding the practice of homeopathy - how it worked, why it worked, etc. - in straightforward, interesting, and applicable terms. Lansky's book, Impossible Cure, fills this void.

Although we had little experience with "alternative" medicine and none with homeopathy, we were willing to try anything to halt the headbanging, stimming, and unsettling behavior my then 18 month old son repeated day after day. We saw almost immediate improvement with the first dose of remedy. In the past year and a half my son has gone from a toddler who did not speak, play, or interact much to a happy, sweet, loving, typical 32 month old who by all means is normal - talks, laughs, plays, and tests out at or above his age on all developmental tests. People meeting him for the first time can not believe he was ever on the spectrum. While we have done many interventions on behalf of our son, it is clear to us through our documentation that homeopathy has had one of the most dramatic impacts.

Lansky's book played a pivotal role in my son's continuing success. Although homeopathy had dramatic results for my son very quickly, I wanted even faster results. I read the book at a time when I was losing patience and ready to give up on the homeopathy and move on to more dramatic treatments. The Impossible Cure helped me understand the history of homeopathy, how a remedy is created, why it works, and reinforced its legitimacy as a proven treatment option. Of the many medical texts, personal accounts, and research I have read in the past year, this book stands out as integral to my son's recovery.

Impossible Cure is not a "treating autism" book but rather a comprehensive yet quick-read guide to understanding the "science" of homeopathy. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for validation and explanation of this miraculous treatment option.

89 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amy Lansky shows how homeopathy can restore health, January 5, 2004

By 

Alan Lekan (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy (Paperback)

In today's medical environment, the word cure is rightfully avoided for legal and ethical reasons. So, for an author to not only put the word "cure" in a title but then follow it with the word "promise" is indeed a bold premise of what is inside.

Author Amy Lansky's history is an increasingly common scenario: a mother who was desparately trying to find hope and help for a sick child - one diagnosed with Autism - but getting no where with conventional approaches. In her search for a solution, Ms. Lansky applied her valuable business and technical accumen (a former Silicone Valley phD tech-wiz) to identify the best approaches that seemed to truly offer a potential to cure. The word "cure" here basically means that some intervention was done (medicine or some treatment) and now it is completely resolved with no need of further intervention. This search eventually led her to the 200-year old system of medicine called homeopathy. A good part of this book describes her son's journey and treatment with homeopathy that eventually led to his restored health and balance - which was the primary motivation for Ms. Lansky to leave a lucrative career to study and practice homeopathy.

While relatively unknown in the USA, homeopathy is widely practiced in most western countries and in many parts of the world (Europe, Australia, Russia, India). It is just lately gaining a greater understanding and acceptance in the USA - a trend that is forecast to accelerate with a medical system that has become exhorbantly costly and with consumers who are not willing to take expensive medications for years or even for life. Even Intergrative Medicine Departments at major hospitals are increasingly studying its curative potential. In this well-written book, Ms. Lansky effectively presents cases and arguements of how homeopathic medicines effectively stimulate a person's innate healing mechanisms to allow chronic or acute disease to be eventually resolved. Her son's case illustrates realistically how homeopathy, like all modalities that stimulate true healing, is no "magic bullet" for immediate results but brings about the deep, curative effects over time and often with much patience. That is important for patients to know and accept if they go down the path of natural healing.

Amy's book is considered a landmark book (and is much loved) within the homeopathic community. It is a substantial introduction to the topic (briefer introductions include, "Flat Earth Medicine" and "The Patient's Guide to Homeopathic Medicine.") In this book, Lansky gives simple but meaningful technical descriptions of the history and curative effects of homeopathy. She illustrates the unique contributions homeopathy can make to relieve suffering in a world of ever-increasing chronic illness. Wisely, Ms. Lansky doesn't pretend to "scientifically explain" precisely how these seemingly-benign medicines work (as science has not quite explained the whole picture yet). But many things in life - even modern quantum physics - cannot be fully explained either, but this does not disallow its use and contributions to mankind. Rather, she illustrates that true cure of the root causes of illness is possible (and routinely realized) with careful homeopathic treatment over months or even years. From someone who cured many "layers" of limiting chronic illness with homeopathy, I can confidently agree with Amy that homeopathy is one of the deepest-acting and truly curative modalities anywhere.

However, the challange of such approaches like homeopathy is that it is not easy to master by the practitioner (part science, part art like anything) - and results can widely vary like any approach. It is a modality too that does not lend itself that well to uneducated home care (apart from some simple acute illness treatment like bites and burns). As such, Amy puts forth the need for evolving homeopathy to higher levels of professionalism, one being national certification of all practitioners. She also lays out the vision for a nationwide environment where alternative medicine can be practiced without fear of unwarrented government interference, giving a good summary of the current Health Freedom legislation movement. All-in-all, probably the finest introductary (yet in-depth) book on homeopathy with something for most unbiased readers - from the scientific skeptic to the mother whose kids suffer with asthma, allergies or behavioral disorders. It is written with skill, precision, compassion and vision. Most importantly, her story here can restore a sense of hope for people who have given up that things can get better. And they can with skillful homeopathic treatment as she illustrates.

49 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Homeopathy explained!, December 10, 2003

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy (Paperback)

It might come as a surprise to you that HRH Queen Elizabeth II of the UK has used Homeopathy. That by the time the medical profession as we know it (allopathy) codified itself 100 years ago, Homeopathy had already been a thriving & successful healing system in America & Europe.

Since the 1970s Homeopathy has had a resurgence within the healing profession, primarily because people's understanding that heroic, invasive medicine is not always successful nor healing, that the cure is often as bad as the illness...& certainly very expensive.

IMPOSSIBLE CURE is much more than a memoir of a son's recovery from autism. When nothing in the normal medical world helped regain her son's wellbeing, & everyone was telling her that autism was untreatable, Amy Lansky, a graduate from the University of Rochester with degrees in mathematics & computer science, refused to believe it.

When she found a Homeopathic doctor & saw the miraculous results of her son's response, over a period of a few months, Amy Lansky decided to explore this little known healing system. IMPOSSIBLE CURE is the result of all this skilled student has learnt over the years about the history, the science & the experience of this 200+ year old healing system.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends IMPOSSIBLE CURE for anyone. You don't have to have a Ph.D. It will open a whole new path to health that is different, gentler & less expensive for what ails you -- alcoholism, allergies, Alzheimer's, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, ADD, autism, back pain, bladder infection, blood pressure, bronchitis, Carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, diabetes, drug addiction, ear infection, flu, & much, much more.