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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionseBook editionsThe Cure Within: A History of Mind-Body Medicineby Anne Harrington
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:People suffering from serious illnesses improve their survival chances by adopting a positive attitude and refusing to believe in the worst. Stress is the great killer of modern life. Ancient Eastern mind-body techniques can bring us balance and healing. We've all heard claims like these, and many find them plausible. When it comes to disease and healing, we believe we must look beyond doctors and drugs; we must look within ourselves. Faith, relationships, and attitude matter. But why do we believe such things? From psychoanalysis to the placebo effect to meditation, this vibrant history describes our commitments to mind-body healing as rooted in a patchwork of stories that have allowed people to make new sense of their suffering, express discontent with existing care, and rationalize new treatments and lifestyles. These stories are sometimes supported by science, sometimes quarrel with science, but are all ultimately about much more than just science. Review:"Over the past several years, numerous medical reports have confirmed the connection between a positive mental attitude and good physical health. In this splendid book, Harrington (The Placebo Effect), chair of Harvard's history of science department, demonstrates that the belief in such a connection between mind and body is nothing new. She uses case studies and stories of healings to show how deeply embedded the idea of positive mental health is in the quest for physical health, as well as the ways that contemporary medicine has incorporated a focus on mind-body healing into its black bag. In her highly original analysis of this history from ancient times to the present, she discovers six different 'narratives' about mind-body healing. These include 'the power of suggestion,' 'the power of positive thinking' and 'broken by modern life.' In 'the body that speaks' narrative, for instance, Harrington traces the idea that physical symptoms are the outward expression of the mind's secrets, and that revealing those secrets can heal, whether the revelation takes place in the confession box or on the analyst's couch. Harrington's study offers a first-rate cultural history of an age-old but still much debated topic." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Book News Annotation:In examining why patients are increasingly turning to mind-body
medicine, Harrington (history of science, Harvard U.) argues that
they are seeking to make sense of their suffering as well as cures
that physicalist Western medicine is often deficient in supplying.
She traces evolving cultural narratives of the role of the mind in
healing (e.g., modern stresses are making us sick, looking to the
East for cures), from early Church exorcisms to rid the body of
demons to secularized treatment of disease. Images include photos of
leading figures in mind-body medicine and related art and ads.
Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Synopsis:Lays bare the history behind mind-body healing. Synopsis:Lays bare the history behind mind-body healing. Synopsis:"A splendid history of mind-body medicine...a book that desperately needed to be written."'"Jerome Groopman, New York Times Synopsis:Is stress a deadly disease on the rise in modern society? Can mind-body practices from the East help us become well? When it comes to healing, we believe we must look beyond doctors and drugs; we must look within ourselves. Faith, relationships, and attitude matter. But why do we believe such things? From psychoanalysis to the placebo effect to meditation, this vibrant cultural history describes mind-body healing as rooted in a patchwork of stories, allowing us to make new sense of our suffering and to rationalize new treatments and lifestyles. About the AuthorAnne Harrington, professor and chair of the History of Science Department at Harvard University, is the author of Reenchanted Science and the editor of The Placebo Effect and The Dalai Lama at MIT. She lives in Watertown, Massachusetts. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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