Textbook of Natural Medicine, 2-Volume Set (Textbook of Natural Medicine)

"An outstanding set of books!!! This set of books is by far, the best set of natural healing books I've found. It was recommended to me by two traditional medical professionals and it has an amazing amount of current information. The first book provides detailed summaries of many natural herbs and supplements, healing therapies, tests you might not hear about from traditional medical doctors and many other ways to improve your health. The second book addresses specific health disorders and how to treat them. This has to be one of the best reference texts on this topic!!! "
~ Written on 2008-07-30

"i liked the book very much. i am a naturopath, and my studies have been based on the previous edition of the textbook. i use it still, years after i finished my studies. it's the only textbook for naturopathy, and it's getting better with every edition. and now it comes with the e-edition and updates....!!
i also love the integrative tendency of the text, and it's helpful to me in my work in a hospital.
still, of course, there are subjects that i'm missing in it, like the power of special foods, for example, or complete metabolism pathways. these things have to be completed from other books - which is also ok.
so, overall, i'm very pleased with the book, and continue to use it for my students now.

kira levy - naturopath"
~ Written on 2007-08-12

"I recently viewed the new chapter concerning 'naturopathic philosophy' [in the 3rd edition, 2005] within this text at the University of Bridgeport's library, as there's a naturopathic school there that I attended. The chapter discusses the premises of 'the naturopathic.' Do you really want to be treated by a physician who conflates (blends) supernatural, nonscientific, scientifically discarded, idealistic, metaphysical, religious and scientific information -- and presents the whole thing as [supposedly] scientific? [a misrepresentation: Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District anyone?]. Check out "The Epistemic Conflation of a School of Thought Claiming to be Scientific" and "Why I Dropped Out of Naturopathy School" - online per me, Rob Cullen. [THIS is future healthcare? I disagree, these prophets are truly 'facing backward']. I'm highly ethically disturbed by this text and naturopathy, still. I'll just make one point about this book's contention that complexity, self-regulation, and evolution indicate that life defies the laws of natural science {and is therefore supernatural} -- particularly the second law of thermodynamics, per physics, in terms of life as supposedly being antientropic as indicated by life's evolving complexity [p.081-082] -- therefore justifying, particularly, vitalism and its handmaiden teleology-finalism. [Beliefs essential to 'the naturopathic'; explanations no longer within science at all; rejected-knowledge in terms of the scientific].[Yes, evolution! Even though evolution is actually the culmination of 'methodological naturalism,' which is HOW science approaches phenomena, that is: SCIENCE DOES NOT INVOKE THE SUPERNATURAL {which includes ideas like naturopathy's vitalism, spiritism and kind}, science determines its contents based upon EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, and exceptionally LEAN explanatory approaches {per parsimony: as in 'do not multiply entities needlessly'; that is, if not ascribed by the evidence, IT ISN'T A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION}]. Ah, HUGE problem. The second law deals with closed systems and life's context is within an open system, in terms of thermodynamics. [For the compliance of the 'living' with thermodynamic law, see Atwater & Rosa's work in 1897 which specifically speaks in terms of the first law {the Kinesiology Dept. of Rice University has a nice web page on biological thermodynamics}; and see 'Biological Thermodynamics' ISBN 0521795494 {p.321 specifically speaks in terms of the second law}]. UB says NDs practice "scientific medicine" and naturopathy is "health science." Hmmm, what kind of [supposed] science text gets something so simple WRONG? Naturopathy is a 'self-labeled science-based' area that won't let go of what has not been considered scientific [the supernatural, the metaphysical, the idealistic, the scientifically-refuted and -discarded -- and kind; i.e., the tenets of their doctrines] for several decades PLUS. This text reflects naturopathic 'epistemic mislabeling nonsense' [e.g. naturopathy's vitalism ("life force"), spiritism ("personal spiritual development; body, mind, spirit"), autoentheism ("god-power within"), teleology-finalism ('life force' as "intelligent, purposeful, goal-directed") and 'whatever else idealism'/ woo-woo AREN'T science-based (or even empirical phenomena, as in therefore 'not scienceable') -- but are falsely labeled as scientific by naturopathy anyway]. In reality, minimally, a mandatory, manipulatable, spiritual, 'underlying' {metaphysical, supernatural, idealistic and what-not} 'life force' {of many aliases} immediately responsible for states of health and disease is INSTEAD AN ARTICLE OF FAITH {aka a 'sectarian medicine' belief set}. Hmmm: "the most thoroughly researched and carefully referenced text on natural medicine has been revised to include the most up-to-date information...." It has been a couple of months since I read that chapter, and I'm still, honestly, LAUGHING OUT LOUD. Naturopathy is, essentially, a 'supernatural science' (an oxymoron; particularly, vital-force-spirit, spiritism, autoentheism, and teleology-finalism as "science-based" are arrived at through a radical unlimiting of the boundaries of 'the scientific'); while evidence from science doesn't support the supernatural / theistic, the metaphysical, or the idealistic; and vitalism and spiritism, in terms of physiological agency, are refuted biological hypotheses. -rc. "
~ Written on 2006-05-20

"The third edition of the Textbook of Natural Medicine is an extraordinary accomplishment. This will be seen as the moment when natural medicine truly took its place at the forefront of modern healthcare.

Under the stewardship of Michael Murray and Joe Pizzorno, this edition provides guidance for practitioners and laypersons alike in the application of natural interventions in treating all manner of diseases and afflictions. As a naturopathic practitioner, I owe a debt of gratitude to Murray and Pizzorno, and to all of the contributors to this wonderful text. Such loving attention to the art and science of natural medicine must not go unrecognised.

Some have critcised previous editions for a lack of scientific rigour. If one is to refer to conventional medical texts from only a generation ago, they will find significant errors and outrageous claims. For a system of medicine with little-to-no corporate or government funding, naturopathy has performed extraordinarily well to achieve its current position - where the science exists, we detail it. Where it does not, we demand it. People must realise that in corporate, profit-driven healthcare, there are aspects of natural medicine that shall likely never be researched; this does not, however, invalidate them. Individuals must decide which is the most appropriate healthcare service for them...and then partake of it.

If you are a naturopathic clinician - I implore you...purchase this book. If you are a medico - invest in the future of medicine, and give yourself a head start among your colleagues. If you are a member of the public - buy this text, integrate it, and take charge of you and your family's health and destiny. Your wellness is your responsibility, and yours alone - the Textbook of Natural Medicine is here to help you realise that goal. A landmark publication for an age in desperate need of a more rational, more compassionate system of medicine."
~ Written on 2006-01-28

"Much like the naturopathy school founded by one of the authors, this book LOOKS slick, professional and science based. But, a closer look reveals a lack of any real substance. Far too much emphasis is put on questionable diagnoses.Though the treament sections looks to be well referenced, many of the studies cited don't support the author's assertions and others are outright irrelevant! Many of the disease monographs recommend a shoppingbag full of supplements--Polypharmacy at its worst.

Also it should be kept in mind that the second author is a rep for a nutritional supplement company, a potential conflict of interest not noted in the text.

Poor works such as this one only serve to damage the reputation of natural/integrative medicine.


Choose David Rakel's "Integrative Medicine" for more reliable information at a fraction of the price."
~ Written on 2004-09-29