Physician, writer and editor Larry Dossey has been an important voice in medicine for more than two decades.
In his previous books and papers he has articulated an emerging vision of medicine which goes far beyond a simple mechanical view of the body, and emphasises a model that also addresses the emotional, spiritual and timeless aspects of our lives.
In this book he incorporates and expands upon some of the insights of the burgeoning field of positive psychology. One of the most attractive things about this new work is that he also emphasises the importance of apparently "negative" experiences. I have pointed out in my own work that we need to understand the importance of duality, balance and personal integration: To recommend positive thinking can be disastrous for some people, for whom pessimism and negative cognitions are their natural defense styles. Similarly, there are some people who get sick once stress is over. And the constant drive to boost self-esteem has created many people with narcissistic and sociopathic personality traits. In the same vein, Dossey also points out the importance of bugs, tears, dirt and an occasional a bit of unhappiness for our overall well-being.
This is a book that should be widely read and the principles applied in all our lives.
Highly recommended!