Alternative Health Care

By Michael S. Goldstein

Book Overview

In November of 1998 "The Journal of the American Medical Association "devoted an entire issue to alternative medicine for the first time in its publishing history. According to survey results reported in the journal, 83 million Americans used some form of alternative medicine to preserve and maintain their health in 1997, a sharp increase from the 61 million who turned to alternative forms of care in 1990. Michael S. Goldstein's "Alternative Health Care" is the first comprehensive account of the growing presence of alternative medicine in American society. Beginning with the basic premises of alternative medicine, Goldstein's book examines the clinical, economic, a and political realities of the broad range of alternative care options and practices in the United States and explains why alternative medicine has become a viable choice for so many people who are ill or who seek to remain healthy. Bringing history, policy, practice, personal experience, and in-depth sociological analysis together into one comprehensive volume, Goldstein -- one of the first recipients of funding from the National Institute of Health for research on alternative medicine -- also studies the complexities of the relationship between spirituality and alternative medicine and the changing role of alternative medicine in the larger context of American health care. Probing such issues as the corporatization of medicine, the role of alternative medicine in health care, and the dynamic relationship between conventional and alternative treatments, Goldstein's "Alternative Health Care" is more than the long-awaited introduction to the many forms of alternative medicine. It is also the measure of the implications of such care for practitioners, businesses, policymakers, and patients alike. "Alternative Health Care" is the definitive guide for the millions of Americans interested in alternative medicine and treatment, American health care, the sociology of medicine, and American social issues."

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566396778
• ISBN13: 9781566396776
• Release Date: February 1999
• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Length: 195 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

A superb book--the definitive study of alternative health.

UCLA's Michael S. Goldstein has written the definitive study of alternative health care. His superb book provides a fascinating description of the therapies now in use, and for that alone his book will reach a broad public. But his task is much more than description, and he offers an impressive analysis of why alternative health care is becoming such a major force in American life. Growing out of well-founded grievances with the dominant biomedical system of care, alternative health care offers 'age-old wisdom made new.' Goldstein has mastered a vast literature to generate a clear picture of the core beliefs and practices of alternative medicine and its relationship to religion, politics and the broader health care system. He concludes with an examination of a future that may include even more growth but also the risk of assimilation into mainstream health care. Anyone concerned about his or her own personal health or about the future of American health care must read this excellent book.George W. Dowdall; Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Sociology; St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia.