-In her doctoral research, Larson focused on evidence-based medicine in women's health. Her mission here is to provide a savvy consumer's guide to healthcare alternative medicine in particular. She explores its principles, research support, regulation, insurance coverage for, and other controversies surrounding holistic medicine in the context of escalating US healthcare costs and conventional medicine errors. A major portion of the volume is devoted to an annotated list of primary sources. It also feature timelines for alternative medicine systems and specific therapies (e.g., botanical medicine, homeopathy, naturopathy). —SciTech Book News

-For an introduction to this topic and some details about its scope, this book serves the reader well. —Journal of the Kentucky Medical Association

-[T]his volume aims to help researchers, clinicians, and consumers make sense of the prevailing debates about alternative health care. Drawing on preventive strategies and treatments that include lifestyle changes, clinical nutrition, and some alternative therapies, Larson outlines a proactive program for managing degenerative diseases. The author clarifies terminology and explains integrative medicine's relationship to holistic care. Larson suggests a strategy focused on using successful and safe practices in alternative therapies together with Western medicine. This comprehensive analysis of this diverse field will be a valuable addition to academic, medical, and hospital libraries. Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; general readers. —Choice