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caseyjayner's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
A special thank you to Crown, NetGalley, and LibraryThing Early Reviewers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Award-winning science writer Jo Marchant travels the world to meet the physicians, patients, and researchers on the cutting edge of this new world of medicine in her extraordinary book, CURE, A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body.
"The healing power of the mind -or lack thereof; has thus become a key battleground in the bigger fight against irrational thinking." Drawing on her training as a scientist and a science writer, Marchant precisely and thoroughly investigates both promising and improbable theories of the mind’s ability to heal the body.
When the health problems we face aren’t just physical or psychological—they are both. By combining the best of both world, one day, hopefully a workable solution of medicine. Using life-saving drugs and technologies when they are needed, but also supports us to reduce our risk of disease and to manage our own symptoms when we are ill; and when there is no cure- allowing us to die with dignity.
We cannot wish ourselves better. Harnessing the power of the mind providing alternative treatments offering something conventional medicine has missed. There are ways we can use our conscious minds to influence from believing we have taken a pill or focusing on the present moment to seeking support of a loved one. If we feel safe, cared for, and in control during an injury or disease, we feel less pain, less fatigue, and our immune system works with us instead of against us. To focus on repair and growth. However even though the mind plays a role in health, this does not mean it can cure everything.
As the author reiterates, the problems with modern medicine run deep; clearly they will not all be solved by mind-body therapies. But trying to improve medical outcomes by treating patients as the complex human beings we are, rather than simply as physical bodies, is a good starting place.
The implications of embracing the role of the mind in health go beyond medicine, based on the research in the book (stresses of poverty and inequality) are creating life-long chronic disease before babies are out of their nappies.
Understanding the link between mind and body—not just about health, medicine, or society, but something more fundamental. What it means to be human.
It is now clear the principle holds true for health; our thoughts, beliefs, stress levels, and world views-- all influence how ill or well we feel. However, you don’t have to believe what your brain in saying. I recently read Michael A. Singer’s The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself-highly recommend. Also, Dr. Joe Dispenza's You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter.
Physical reality— and in turn, the health of our physical bodies influences the state of our minds. As examples: Inflammation induces fatigue and depression. Low blood-sugar levels make us short tempered. Calming our bodies by slow breathing, improves our mood.
The main threats facing us today are not acute infections, easily cured with a pill, but chronic stress-related conditions for which drugs are not nearly as effective. Shocking, the top ten highest grossing drugs in the US help only between 1 and 25 and 1 in 4 of the people who take them; statins may benefit as few as 1 in 50.
Combined with the ongoing problem of physicians pushed to see more patients in less time, contributing to a loss of empathy among medical professionals. Our country spends $3 trillion a year on health care, meanwhile prescription drug use is high- almost half of Americans are on medications for cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol (both caused by high stress), with nearly 60% of adults aged over 65 taking five or more different drugs at any one time.
From allergy side effects, adverse drug reaction, complications of medications, interventions, prescription drug abuse and the rise of antibiotic resistance, there needs to be other alternatives. The US is the richest country in the world yet even with trillions of dollars to spend, it cannot match the life expectancy of a middle-income country like Costa Rica.
Unfortunately, the clinical trials are funded by drug companies who have no interest in proving the benefit of any approach to care that might reduce the need for their products. Sadly in comparison: "Annual budget NIH $30 billion, versus .2% goes on testing mind-body therapies".
Marchant is not advocating relying solely on the mind to heal us, but denying its role in medicine surely isn’t the answer either. Her hope is that this book might help to overcome of the prejudice against mind-body approaches, and to raise awareness that taking account of the mind in health is actually a more scientific and evidence-based approach than relying ever more heavily on physical interventions and drugs.
With our minds as well as our bodies shaped by evolution, we are built to hold beliefs that aid our health and survival, not that are necessarily true. There are powerful evolutionary forces driving to believe in a variety of remedies and faith, and some more positive than they are. By simply understanding how our minds influence and reflect our physiology, we can resolve that paradox and live in tune with our bodies in a way that is based on evidence, not delusion.
Well-researched, informative, beautifully written, and laid out in easy to read chapters—"a must read"! Baby boomers will appreciate the immediate effects of thoughts and beliefs--how our state of mind shapes disease risk throughout our lives, especially as we move into older adults, with dementia, Alzheimer's, and other health concerns.
On a personal note:
I happen to be one of those, with a family history of heart disease, cancer, and high cholesterol. However, due to my severe allergies, I am unable to take any medications or undergo any procedures. Therefore, thyroid, heart, cholesterol, and other conditions are controlled by vegan diet, yoga, environmental changes, exercise, and low stress. I am a firm believer in the mind-body, meditation, and other ways to heal the body, versus medications. Embrace alternative treatment!
JDCMustReadBooks
Award-winning science writer Jo Marchant travels the world to meet the physicians, patients, and researchers on the cutting edge of this new world of medicine in her extraordinary book, CURE, A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body.
"The healing power of the mind -or lack thereof; has thus become a key battleground in the bigger fight against irrational thinking." Drawing on her training as a scientist and a science writer, Marchant precisely and thoroughly investigates both promising and improbable theories of the mind’s ability to heal the body.
When the health problems we face aren’t just physical or psychological—they are both. By combining the best of both world, one day, hopefully a workable solution of medicine. Using life-saving drugs and technologies when they are needed, but also supports us to reduce our risk of disease and to manage our own symptoms when we are ill; and when there is no cure- allowing us to die with dignity.
We cannot wish ourselves better. Harnessing the power of the mind providing alternative treatments offering something conventional medicine has missed. There are ways we can use our conscious minds to influence from believing we have taken a pill or focusing on the present moment to seeking support of a loved one. If we feel safe, cared for, and in control during an injury or disease, we feel less pain, less fatigue, and our immune system works with us instead of against us. To focus on repair and growth. However even though the mind plays a role in health, this does not mean it can cure everything.
As the author reiterates, the problems with modern medicine run deep; clearly they will not all be solved by mind-body therapies. But trying to improve medical outcomes by treating patients as the complex human beings we are, rather than simply as physical bodies, is a good starting place.
The implications of embracing the role of the mind in health go beyond medicine, based on the research in the book (stresses of poverty and inequality) are creating life-long chronic disease before babies are out of their nappies.
Understanding the link between mind and body—not just about health, medicine, or society, but something more fundamental. What it means to be human.
It is now clear the principle holds true for health; our thoughts, beliefs, stress levels, and world views-- all influence how ill or well we feel. However, you don’t have to believe what your brain in saying. I recently read Michael A. Singer’s The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself-highly recommend. Also, Dr. Joe Dispenza's You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter.
Physical reality— and in turn, the health of our physical bodies influences the state of our minds. As examples: Inflammation induces fatigue and depression. Low blood-sugar levels make us short tempered. Calming our bodies by slow breathing, improves our mood.
The main threats facing us today are not acute infections, easily cured with a pill, but chronic stress-related conditions for which drugs are not nearly as effective. Shocking, the top ten highest grossing drugs in the US help only between 1 and 25 and 1 in 4 of the people who take them; statins may benefit as few as 1 in 50.
Combined with the ongoing problem of physicians pushed to see more patients in less time, contributing to a loss of empathy among medical professionals. Our country spends $3 trillion a year on health care, meanwhile prescription drug use is high- almost half of Americans are on medications for cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol (both caused by high stress), with nearly 60% of adults aged over 65 taking five or more different drugs at any one time.
From allergy side effects, adverse drug reaction, complications of medications, interventions, prescription drug abuse and the rise of antibiotic resistance, there needs to be other alternatives. The US is the richest country in the world yet even with trillions of dollars to spend, it cannot match the life expectancy of a middle-income country like Costa Rica.
Unfortunately, the clinical trials are funded by drug companies who have no interest in proving the benefit of any approach to care that might reduce the need for their products. Sadly in comparison: "Annual budget NIH $30 billion, versus .2% goes on testing mind-body therapies".
Marchant is not advocating relying solely on the mind to heal us, but denying its role in medicine surely isn’t the answer either. Her hope is that this book might help to overcome of the prejudice against mind-body approaches, and to raise awareness that taking account of the mind in health is actually a more scientific and evidence-based approach than relying ever more heavily on physical interventions and drugs.
With our minds as well as our bodies shaped by evolution, we are built to hold beliefs that aid our health and survival, not that are necessarily true. There are powerful evolutionary forces driving to believe in a variety of remedies and faith, and some more positive than they are. By simply understanding how our minds influence and reflect our physiology, we can resolve that paradox and live in tune with our bodies in a way that is based on evidence, not delusion.
Well-researched, informative, beautifully written, and laid out in easy to read chapters—"a must read"! Baby boomers will appreciate the immediate effects of thoughts and beliefs--how our state of mind shapes disease risk throughout our lives, especially as we move into older adults, with dementia, Alzheimer's, and other health concerns.
On a personal note:
I happen to be one of those, with a family history of heart disease, cancer, and high cholesterol. However, due to my severe allergies, I am unable to take any medications or undergo any procedures. Therefore, thyroid, heart, cholesterol, and other conditions are controlled by vegan diet, yoga, environmental changes, exercise, and low stress. I am a firm believer in the mind-body, meditation, and other ways to heal the body, versus medications. Embrace alternative treatment!
JDCMustReadBooks
bookslifeandeverythingnice's review against another edition
4.0
Informative and well researched with lots of anecdotal stories. The book discusses ways in which illness, wellness, and the physical body can be affected by the mind. It's a interesting mix of typical western medicine and alternative medicine. There are many studies and clinical trials referenced, which I appreciated. It's a nice starting out point for people to learn more about alternative types of medicine, in combination with standard western medical treatments. I think the author does a good job of balancing these. I appreciated that it was made clear that people shouldn't forego all typical medical treatments for curing disease with only their mind. These alternative treatments can possibly be used with the standard treatments. Also, the author made it clear that we have much more to learn about these non-traditional ways of treating people in medicine.
glowbird's review
5.0
Your mind won’t cure cancer, but when harnessed properly can help you feel much better. Also, people need dignity and control over their lives to manage conditions. And no, there’s no way to make money off of compassion and common sense, so the studies are small, few and far between. Anybody got a billionaire friend looking for something to disrupt?
danbernstein94's review against another edition
5.0
I've been waiting to read this book for over a year, and it did not disappoint. The book illustrates just how little humans understand about how our brains work from a reductionist perspective.
kamehamedallada's review against another edition
4.0
This may have taken me years to finish, but nearly any time I've picked this up, there's been an incredible story, and research that blew my mind. This book is a collection of case-studies, but in most it's the author who has personally visited with patients, doctors, or caretakers to understand what's at stake. Marchant presents scientific data behind alternative treatments to medicine, but in equal parts or more, she shares the anecdotes of those seeking to provide or receive healing which made the data so much more digestible.
What I liked most was Marchant's personal POV when introducing and exploring a topic or person. For example, she would walk into a room to meet someone on one side of the world, or knock on someone else's door on another side of the world, placing the reader in that setting. I felt like I was a part of her interviews, and it brought these individuals to a very intimate level before exploring the history of their malady. (There were some very oddly specific descriptors, like describing someone's tank top, or the accent they spoke with, which was distracting at times.) I think the first half to 2/3's of the book were most fascinating to me, but every chapter followed the same structure and began to feel like I was reading the same thing.
For many of these topics, I had a cursory knowledge of how the brain can influence the body, but potential readers don't need to have any prior knowledge to grasp what's in this book. Although I knew about some of the research, it was nice to have all the research that's currently available [originally published 2016] collected in one place, and contextualized in its applications. There was much more I hadn't known, and it was very satisfying to tuck this information away.
What I liked most was Marchant's personal POV when introducing and exploring a topic or person. For example, she would walk into a room to meet someone on one side of the world, or knock on someone else's door on another side of the world, placing the reader in that setting. I felt like I was a part of her interviews, and it brought these individuals to a very intimate level before exploring the history of their malady. (There were some very oddly specific descriptors, like describing someone's tank top, or the accent they spoke with, which was distracting at times.) I think the first half to 2/3's of the book were most fascinating to me, but every chapter followed the same structure and began to feel like I was reading the same thing.
For many of these topics, I had a cursory knowledge of how the brain can influence the body, but potential readers don't need to have any prior knowledge to grasp what's in this book. Although I knew about some of the research, it was nice to have all the research that's currently available [originally published 2016] collected in one place, and contextualized in its applications. There was much more I hadn't known, and it was very satisfying to tuck this information away.
textpublishing's review against another edition
5.0
If you think this book is going to be full of wellness guff then think again! Cure is a balanced and relatable feat of science journalism. Once we started reading we couldn’t put it down.
Jo Marchant goes to the forefront of mind-body medical research and uncovers case studies that offer an impressive insight into the relationship between the mind and body. The anecdotes Marchant uses to reveal this relationship are fascinating. From virtual reality simulations that ease pain in burn patients, to placebo effects that re-engage autistic children, Cure cuts through the noise to provide a thoughtful, in-depth study.
You don’t need a science major or a medical PhD to enjoy this book. Regardless of your background this is a topic that will interest everyone. As Publishers Weekly said in their STARRED review, Cure is: "A critically needed conceptual bridge for those who are frustrated with pseudoscientific explanations of alternative therapies but intrigued by the mind’s potential power to both cause and treat chronic, stress-related conditions."
Read Marchant’s popular LinkedIn article ‘How to Thrive on Stress’: www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-thrive-stress-jo-marchant
Listen to an interview on NPR: www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/01/26/464372009/how-meditation-placebos-and-virtual-reality-help-power-mind-over-body
Jo Marchant goes to the forefront of mind-body medical research and uncovers case studies that offer an impressive insight into the relationship between the mind and body. The anecdotes Marchant uses to reveal this relationship are fascinating. From virtual reality simulations that ease pain in burn patients, to placebo effects that re-engage autistic children, Cure cuts through the noise to provide a thoughtful, in-depth study.
You don’t need a science major or a medical PhD to enjoy this book. Regardless of your background this is a topic that will interest everyone. As Publishers Weekly said in their STARRED review, Cure is: "A critically needed conceptual bridge for those who are frustrated with pseudoscientific explanations of alternative therapies but intrigued by the mind’s potential power to both cause and treat chronic, stress-related conditions."
Read Marchant’s popular LinkedIn article ‘How to Thrive on Stress’: www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-thrive-stress-jo-marchant
Listen to an interview on NPR: www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/01/26/464372009/how-meditation-placebos-and-virtual-reality-help-power-mind-over-body