The Magic Feather Effect: The Science of Alternative Medicine and the Surprising Power of Belief

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The acclaimed author of Pandora s Lunchbox and former New York Times reporter takes an enlightening, engaging deep dive into the world of alternative medicine and the surprising science that explains why it may work.We all know someone who has had a seemingly miraculous cure from an alternative form of medicine a friend whose chronic back pain vanished after sessions with an acupuncturist or chiropractor a relative with digestive issues who recovered with herbal remedies a colleague whose autoimmune disorder went into sudden inexplicable remission thanks to an energy healer or healing retreat The tales are far too common to be complete fabrications, yet too anecdotal and outside the medical mainstream to be taken seriously scientifically How do we explain them and the growing popularity of alternative medicine generally Is there a biological basis for practices like acupuncture, tai chi, chiropractic, and energy healing Who are the faithful patients and practitioners who tell these stories and speak of such mystical seeming concepts as qi, chakras, and meridians in the first place In The Magic Feather Effect, author and journalist Melanie Warner attempts to answer these questions, taking us on a vivid, fascinating journey through the world of alternative medicine Crossing continents and sides of the debate, visiting prestigious research clinics and ordinary people s homes, she investigates the scientific underpinning for the purportedly magical results of these practices and reveals not only the medical power of beliefs and placebo effects, but also the range, limits, and uses of the surprising system of self healing that resides inside us Equal parts helpful, illuminating, and compelling, The Magic Feather Effect is a brilliant exploration of some of the world s most popular health treatments, the people who seek them, the scientists who study them, and the reasons they may work. Best Read The Magic Feather Effect: The Science of Alternative Medicine and the Surprising Power of Belief Author Melanie Warner For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of The Magic Feather Effect The Science of Alternative Medicine and the Surprising Power of Belief. This was a fascinating and informative look at alternative therapies that include acupuncture and tai chi and how these less traditional methods of healing promote therapeutic benefits and positive mental health.The author is honest about her skepticism she s pro science all the way, but she s open to the possibilities of such alternative methods She meets Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of The Magic Feather Effect The Science of Alternative Medicine and the Surprising Power of Belief. This was a fascinating and informative look at alternative therapies that include acupuncture and tai chi and how these less traditional methods of healing promote therapeutic benefits and positive mental health.The author is honest about her skepticism she s pro science all the way, but she s open to the possibilities of such alternative methods She meets patients who have benefited and medical doctors who are pushing to include ...I feel really conflicted about this book In my mind it was equal part exploration and equal part memoir not in the sense that it was about the author s story, but in the sense that throughout the book her inner conflict regarding the topic was visceral and it felt as much about the topic as it did about her I think the premise that anything that s not measurable can be attributed to the power of the psyche is misguided and arrogant I realize this wasn t explicitly stated, but seemed to be I feel really conflicted about this book In my mind it was equal part exploration and equal part memoir not in the sense that it was about the author s story, but in the sense that throughout the book her inner conflict regarding the topic was visceral and it felt as much about the topic as it did about her I think the premise that anything that s not measurable can be attributed to the power of the psyche is misguided and arrogant I realize this wasn t explicitly stated, but seemed to be the subtext To believe that the human mind has the capacity to fully grasp all the things that the universe i...It always feels too good to be true when a book crosses your radar that just happens to be about a subject you re currently interested in I went into this book with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised to find a nuanced and fair examination of alternative medicine and the ways in which it crosses paths with mental health, chronic pain, and traditional medicine.This book strikes a healthy balance between acknowledging that alternative medicine offers legitimate benefits to patients It always feels too good to be true when a book crosses your radar that just happens to be about a subject you re currently interested in I went into this book with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised to find a nuanced and fair examination of alternative medicine and the ways in which it crosses paths with mental health, chronic pain, and traditional medicine.This book strikes a healthy balance between acknowledging that alternative med...Alternative medicine has always interested me I believe doctors are too quick to prescribe drugs and thendrugs to counteract the side effects of those drugs rather than suggesting lifestyle changes and less invasive, holistic treatments to their patients This book discusses several alternative medicine methods and how they developed, including stories from practitioners and patients While I don t personally believe in all of the methods covered here, I do believe positive effects can Alternative medicine has always interested me I believe doctors are too quick to prescribe drugs and thendrugs to counteract the side effects of those drugs rather than suggesting lifestyle changes and less invasive, holistic treatments to their patients This book discuss...I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher As someone interested in pursuing a career in medicine and mental health in particular , I found this book quite compelling I tend to avoid books advocating for particular types of alternative medicine, but this book isn t one of those Melanie Warner is a journalist and examines a variety of thepopular types of alternative medicine, like acupuncture, chiropractic, and energy healing Warner also delves into the concept of I received an ARC of th...More people need to read this book From the title, I was afraid it d be a pseudo scientific rant telling me to go get Reiki to cure cancer Quite the opposite It s an investigative journalism piece focusing on the WHY behind different kinds of alternative healing movements and how they are so popular in this age of Science It s well researched, chock full of interviews from people on all sides, and its main thesis is on the Placebo Effect s underrated role in medicine And how maybe we should More people need to read this book From the title, I was afraid it d be a pseudo scientific rant telling me to go get Reiki to cure cancer Quite the opposite It s an investigative journalism piece focusing on the WHY behind different kinds of alternative healing movements and how they are so popular in this age of Science It s well researched, chock full of interviews from people on all sides, and its main th...I loved this book not so much for the writing as for the subject matter The power of belief and the mind body connection are super fascinating to me Since college I ve been enad with the scientific method and extremely skeptical of anything that bypasses it and sells itself as a cure with nothing but anecdotal evidence as support And...This book provides a fascinating, clearly written discussion of a journalist s exploration of alternative medicine The author provides a very balanced view of what works based on a combination of interviews, personal experiences, and review of relevant scientific literature.I don t want to discuss the well reasoned conclusions she draws because part of the fun of reading this book is seeing how she unravels the mysteries of various claims about healing I loved the distincti...Acupuncture, chiropractic, tai chi, qi gong, and energy healing are investigated by an author with a background in journalism to determine their medical efficacy, contrasting and comparing to accepted western medical options Speaking with patients and practitioners, at times receiving treatment, she considers the placebo effect on psychosomatic pain, and finds that western doctors are becomingaccepting of the mind body connection American hospitals are incorporating reiki into their Acupun...I love reading about the placebo effect, so this book was a real treat While Warner is solidly in the science camp, that doesn t mean she dismisses the claims of alternate healers Instead, Warner tries to match the weird, wild, and wacky of holistic healers with science s weird, wild, and just about as wacky concepts i.e synesthesia In the end, she comes to the usual conclusion science sucks at treating the whole person, while alternative medicines cheat on verifiable facts in pursuit of I love reading about the placebo effect, so this book was a real treat While Warner is solidly in the science camp, that doesn t mean she dismisses the claims of alternate healers Instead, Warner tries to match the weird, wild, and wacky of holistic healers with science s weird, wild, and just about as wacky concepts i.e synesthesia In the end, she comes to the usual conclusion science sucks at treating the whole person, while alternative medicines cheat on verifiable facts in pursuit of warm fuzzies Each has much or learn from the other None of that is particularly new, but I appreciate Warner s ability to maintain a sense of wonder at it all.The book still left one nagging question At one point, Warner breaks down one placebo treatment that works on 60% of participants So what happens to the other 40% Do they not have a response at all Is it a bad response D...

The Magic Feather Effect: The Science of Alternative Medicine and the Surprising Power of Belief
  • 20 March 2018
  • Hardcover
  • 288 pages
  • 1501121499
  • Melanie Warner
  • The Magic Feather Effect: The Science of Alternative Medicine and the Surprising Power of Belief