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

by Isadore Rosenfeld M.D. (Author) "Why are millions of Americans, especially those who are better educated, spending billions of dollars every year on a wide variety of "alternative," "complementary," or..." (more)
Key Phrases: coffee enemas, ozone therapy, mainstream doctors, United States, Rosenfeld's Guide, American Cancer Society (more...)

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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (December 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449000745
• ISBN-13: 978-0449000748
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,914 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

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

By A Customer

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.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Consider the Source..., January 17, 2003

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)

This book is a good example of why NOT to get advice from someone with their own axe to grind.

Dr. Rosenfeld is clearly and utterly a Medical Doctor. He sees little or no use for modalities that do not agree with traditional medical ideas. He basically is judging his competitors in health care! How objective can he be? Consider the source.

12 of 15 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.