Return to Wholeness: Embracing Body, Mind, and Spirit in the Face of Cancer (Paperback)

by David Simon M.D. (Author) "As a young child, I used to imagine a bogeyman living under my bed..." (more)
Key Phrases: people facing cancer, six tastes, inner healer, United States, Wholeness Our, Chopra Center (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"Over the course of a lifetime, almost half of all North American men and nearly 40 percent of North American women will get cancer." Those petrifying statistics, and a profound interest in mind-body medicine, drew Dr. David Simon, director of the Chopra Center for Well Being, to write Return to Wholeness. Where most books on cancer focus on treatment for eradicating the disease, this book refreshingly combines Eastern and Western healing principles to focus on helping the whole person heal--emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

Simon's book answers many questions that the newly diagnosed may have, among them, "How can I stimulate my inner healing response to maximize the benefit of my medical treatments? How can I be an active partner rather than a passive participant in my therapeutic journey?" It covers alternative therapies, including meditation, prayer, Ayurveda, journaling, visualization techniques, art and music therapy, and nutritional programs including vitamin, mineral, and phytochemical supplementation.

Return to Wholeness should be of special benefit to survivors living in constant fear or recurrence, or those who have had no obvious risk factors. "When a heavy smoker develops throat cancer, we may not question why his illness arose," Simon writes. "When someone [with excellent health habits] gets sick, our sense of order is threatened, and we search, often unsuccessfully, for some reasonable explanation. But, even if we cannot easily understand why someone's mind-body system allows cancer to arise, we can at any moment make choices to strengthen our immunity and improve our overall quality of life." --Erica Jorgensen --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
Simon, a neurologist by training and director of the Chopra Center for Well Being, invites cancer patients to acknowledge the unity of their physical, emotional and spiritual selves in order to become more active, effective participants in their own healing. Simon begins with a refreshingly accessible discussion of the mechanics of cancer, then reviews a spectrum of healing techniques including enhanced nutrition, visualization, medication, journal writing and expressive movement. While the book's message can be applied to all forms of the disease, the mind-body relationship in breast, prostate and colon cancer is discussed in detail; one useful chapter helps readers sensibly assess experimental treatments. Though Simon cites the Indian tradition of Ayurveda as inspiration for his holistic approach, the book is devoid of jargon or agenda and is supportive of Western treatment as well as less drastic interventions. The author's reasonable, calmly intelligent voice is the book's great strength?with his compassion for the confusion as well as the pain cancer causes, and his humility in the face of the mysteries of illness and health, Simon sounds like the family doctor most of us would love to have. While the book may be too general for readers already familiar with holistic approaches and offers little new information, it provides an excellent overview for those pushed by cancer's crisis to consider new alternatives in healing.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 24, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047134964X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471349648
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #279,574 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #71 in	Books > Science > Medicine > Alternative & Holistic > Holistic Medicine
  #84 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Personal Health > Stress > Creative Visualization
  #84 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Alternative Medicine > Ayurveda

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An absolute window into new thought and healing., May 17, 2000

By	Dean Evans (Hawaii) - See all my reviews

The book is easy to follow and interpret even if you are new to this type of thinking. After reading the book I was so motivated to find a way to heal my own spirit while facing cancer treatment that I decided to attend the one week program called Return to Wholeness at the Chopra Center for Well Being in LaJolla CA. I highly recomend the book and program outlined in the book to anyone who is facing the challanges of cancer treatment.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to understand, empathetic approach to cancer treatment., February 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Return to Wholeness: Embracing Body, Mind, and Spirit in the Face of Cancer (Hardcover)

Simon removes the horrible veil of mystery that shrouds cancer victims and their loved ones, by writing in the language of the common person. However, the reader is also struck, if not comforted, by the obvious thoroughness of Simon's reseach and his absolute grasp of the modern understanding of cancer treatment. Simon displays an empathy in his approach that can only be derived from years of internal struggle over the percieved helplessness of his patients who are seeking one last chance. This may be that opportunity for millions.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazingly brilliant and helpful book that changed my life, March 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Return to Wholeness: Embracing Body, Mind, and Spirit in the Face of Cancer (Hardcover)

Dr. Simon's has written a book that everybody must read that is having issues with cancer. This book helped me and my family through a terribly hard time and turned the experience into a great learning experience that left me and my family healthy and happy. Dr. Simon's wise words will provide much needed comfort and assurance on many levels to those who's life has errupted into un-immaginable chaos. It is a well-written treasure not only for advice but for those trying to lead a more integrated life. This book is a must read for anybody that has spiritual or medical questions concerning cancer or life in general.