As is usual I received this book courtesy of somewhere or other, this time Shelf Awareness.
The nutshell on this book is summed up in the subtitle rather tidily. The author investigates, in very readable fashion, the connection between our mental well being and our physical well being in every facet of interpretation which can be applied to the phrase. She starts with the placebo effect but makes her way eventually all the way to belief in God and new age medicines.
To the positive, the book is fairly well balanced while remaining upbeat and optimistic. I came away pondering how such concepts could help people I know get a better handle on their own wellness. The author is detailed and helpful but also puts the brakes on when appropriate to keep her readers from going off any dangerous cliffs. She cites numerous studies but doesn’t become bogged down by them. If I had to sum up each chapter in a few words:
Chapter 1/2 – Placebo Effect
Chapter 3 – Pavlovian Conditioning
Chapter 4 – Illusory physical performance barriers
Chapter 5 – Hypnosis
Chapter 6 – Pain Management through distraction
Chapter 7 – Impact of human connection on health
Chapter 8 – Impact of stress
Chapter 9 – Meditation
Chapter 10 – Health benefits of Friendship and Social connectedness
Chapter 11 – Vagus nerve stimulation
Chapter 12 – The Role of Religion
To the negative, the last half of the book really does begin to slide downhill and by the time you get to Chapter 12 you’ve really had enough. By the conclusion I was skimming and the last bits seemed somewhat glued on and accessory.
In summary, the author does a wonderful job of achieving balance between promoting new and somewhat unfashionable ideas and protecting readers from the quackery that has popped up in this realm as of late. I really do believe that some of the techniques in this book could be terrifically helpful and have earned further research.
The Tattered Thread 