Health and Healing

by Andrew Weil

Dr. Andrew Weil's groundbreaking handbook for people who want to take control of their lives and their health, Health and Healing: The Philosophy of Integrative Medicine and Optimum Health presents the full spectrum of alternative healing practices, including holistic medicine, homeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic, and Chinese medicine, and outlines how they differ from conventional approaches. The philosophical basis for his work in integrative medicine and optimum health, Health and Healing draws on Weil's own vast clinical and personal experience, as well as on case studies from around the world.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Medical, Medicine, Science, Philosophy

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care that encompasses body, mind, and spirit. He is the author of many scientific and popular articles and of 14 books: The Natural Mind, The Marriage of the Sun and Moon From Chocolate to Morphine (with Winifred Rosen) Health and Healing, Natural Health, Natural Medicine; and the international bestsellers, Spontaneous Healing and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health, Eating Well for Optimum Health: The Essential Guide to Food, Diet, and Nutrition The Healthy Kitchen: Recipes for a Better Body, Life, and Spirit (with Rosie Daley) Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Well-Being; and Why Our Health Matters: A Vision of Medicine That Can Transform Our Future (issued in paperback with new content as You Can’t Afford to Get Sick).

Combining a Harvard education and a lifetime of practicing natural and preventive medicine, Dr. Weil is Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, where he also holds the Lovell-Jones Endowed Chair in Integrative Rheumatology and is Clinical Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health. The Center is the leading effort in the world to develop a comprehensive curriculum in integrative medicine. Graduates serve as directors of integrative medicine programs throughout the United States, and through its Fellowship, the Center is now training doctors and nurse practitioners around the world.

Learn More:
Facebook.com/DrWeil
YouTube.com/DrWeil
Instagram.com/DrWeil
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Pinterest/DrWeil

Reviews

[PJ Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. You should read it.

I wanted to read this book to learn more about health it (eat this, not that; exercise at half speed for a half hour, etc.). This sort of information is not there, really. However, it contains a great exploration of alternative approaches to good health, beyond pills and surgery. Weil is an MD, but he is also well versed in many other ways to heal and live well. There is a lot of medical history here. So, this book is not exactly what I expected but it taught me about various theories and practices. He’s very knowledgeable and also a very good writer. I truly enjoyed reading it. Thanks!

[Pippa · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I think Andrew Weil and I would agree about a lot of things, there are so many contradictions in this book its ridiculous. Can't read the whole thing without being left with many more questions.

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an updated version of the original book. It is a comprehensive look at different alternative healing methods.

[Allan Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of health and nutrition details. Especially alternative and holistic.

[Rachel]

Read in 1996, liked it then.

[Billy Sheppard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weil offers an overview of medical theories and practices other than the standard allopathic American Medical Association methodology. Some of the descriptions favor a poetic explanation where more substance may not exist. I think the insights in this book are very common, though Weil's collection of alternative medical practices is fairly exhaustive. This book contains a weak history of alternative medicine, with some tinge of advocacy for these techniques. Weil's strongest message is for the "placebo," or for the acknowledgement that the attitude and expectation of the patient may be at least as important as the substance of the medication. This message is potent and necessary. I would have appreciated a more rigorous approach, but the book is worth reading.

[Amy Yuki Vickers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining book full of colorful anecdotes. Most of what he says is not well-supported. It's more like he's giving a series of opinions based on his own personal experiences. This is not to say that he doesn't make a lot of good points. He does (and then sometimes contradicts those points a few chapters later).

Although, be prepared, he tells enough hair-raising stories about allopathic medicine that you'll be afraid to see an MD ever again.

He gives a history of medicine in America and does a survey of a variety of alternative healing modalities. I found this particularly informative; for example, he describes the difference between a naturopath and a holistic doctor (something I didn't know). However, I found his section on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lacking, especially considering the amount of empirical evidence that supports that framework compared to the other modalities. I found his description of TCM too general. I also don't feel that he spent enough time talking about subtle energy (Qi) because it is a key component of the TCM framework and it's one of the major things that differentiates it from Western medicine.

Given his seeming acceptance of homeopathic medicine, I was a little surprised at his seeming dismissal of Faith Healing. He does not say that Faith Healing doesn't work, but he does appear to be saying that it is entirely dependent on the placebo effect. In my opinion, that is a cop-out to placate the allopathic medicine community.

Please note: I discussed this book at length with someone who disagrees with me that he is dismissive of Faith Healing and Shamanic traditions. She got the impression that he accepts them for what they are and does not say that they are entirely dependent on the placebo effect. As I said before, he oscillates a lot, so sometimes it's hard to know what he thinks.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book does a nice job of explaining the various types of alternative medicines and how they differ from each other. Weil makes some excellent points about traditional allopathic medicine, its strengths and limitations. I found his opinions frustrating, however, when he criticized traditional medicine without suggesting alternatives. For instance, Weil views traditional allopathic medicine as the only way to go for dire situations such has heart attacks, but he says he would never use traditional medicine himself for cancer treatment. As a trained medical doctor, it seems irresponsible of him to say such a thing without additional detail. He provides no supportive facts about current and/or alternative treatments. Overall, I agree with his main point, however; that medicine should be treating the whole person from a preventative stance, rather than ridding the person of diseases after they happen.

[Mike Knapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good broad look at the so-called "alternative medicine" philosophy from a grounded western viewpoint as well as a look into just a few of the plethora of healing modalities that are available but generally unrecognized by the healthcare professionals in our current medical system. Andrew Weil walks around like he invented the idea of natural health but he nonetheless fills an important role in advocating for natural healthcare and making it palatable to a large population of people.

[Mugsymkelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, premised on the idea that our bodies generally have the ability to heal themselves. I particularly liked his suggestion to listen cloesly to the early signs that your body is not at its fullest state of health and take action at that point, rather than when it is too late. I also appreciated his discussion of physicians v. surgeons and opinions as to when he would explore alternative methods of treatment instead of the standard medical route.

[Carissa Weibley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of the development of modern medicine, and a look at how holistic medicine is viewed today. It was written in the 80's so it is a little out of date, but some parts were really good. Others got a little tedious. There were a lot of testimonials from the different branches of medicine. It makes you realize just how much we don't know about healing.

[Andrea]

from Erin

[Mfly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Changed how I see the world.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Traducido en spanish como "Elige tu propia medicina". Muy bueno.