Books (cont. 1)

Love, Miracles,
and Animal Healing

by Allen M. Schoen, D.V.M., M.S. and Pam Proctor

Quotes:

"A Compassionate and deeply moving book by a veterinarian with a rare understanding of the emotional as well as the physical needs of his patients. Anyone who loves animals will find it absorbing and educational."
–Henry Kissinger

"Love, Miracles, and Animal Healing is a ray of hope for all creatures under our dominion,and is a major contribution to the art and science of veterinary medicine. This wonderful book should be read by all who love animals and keep them as companions."
–Dr. Michael W. Fox, Vice President, The Humane Society of the United States, author of Understanding your Cat and Understanding your Dog

"In his groundbreaking and moving book, Allen Schoen reveals how he has taken veterinary medicine to the level of his soul. He is a true pioneer."
–Martin DeAngelis, board certified veterinary surgeon

"I love this book so much that I read portions of it aloud to friends."
–Richard Gere

"Allen Schoen performed miracles on my animals for a very long time. Yet I never fully understood what he did until I read this fascinating book."
–Mrs. Shascha Rockefeller

"Love, Miracles and Animal Healing is filled with love and empathy that all veterinarians feel toward animals when they dedicate their lives to helping them. At a time when acupuncture and other forms of natural medicine are now being recognized and accepted by many medical professionals, this book should offer new hope to animal lovers when conventional medicine fails to solve their animals' problems."
–Robert B. Hilman, D.M.V.; Senior Clinician, Cornell University Coillege of Veterinary Medicine

"Love Miracles, and Animal Healing shows how veterinarians have the opportunity to see beyond the conventional facts of health and disease and to gain new insights into the art of healing. Compassionate, open and honest, this book will be uplifting to veterinarains and animal lovers alike."
–Sebastian E. Heath, Vet. M.B., Dipl. ACVIM, Purdue University,College of Veterinary Medicine

Complementary and Alternative
Veterinary Medicine: Principles and Practice

by Allen M. Schoen, D.V.M., M.S. and Susan G. Wynn, D.V.M.

Book Review by Dr. R.H. Bradshaw

The field of complementary and natural medicine is rapidly expanding in both human and veterinary medical practice. This North American text seeks to cover the current state of the art in the veterinary profession. It is a lucid and highly informative book suitable for both students new to the field and established practitioners. I am sure it will remain a definitive source of information on these issues for the foreseeable future.

"Complementary and natural medicine" should be viewed as an umbrella term encompassing an array of very different conceptual approaches and techniques. Thus, for an comprehensive text in this field, the sheer volume and diversity of subject matter that needs to be addressed can present a problem. In order to tackle this diversity, the editors systematically divide the book into nine Units (each comprising a number of chapters) and seven Appendices (which list further sources of information). This successfully allows each topic to be viewed within its broader framework and allows easy reference to specific subject areas.

The first introductory chapter (in Unit 1 Fundamentals) covers some of the underlying philosophy and history from a Western perspective. The diverse group of therapeutic systems involved unfolds, and care is taken to point out some of the complexity of these different approaches. The Units that follow (Units 2 to 6) cover the following: nutrition (from preventative to cancer therapy); physical medicine (including acupuncture, Chinese herbs, chiropractic care and massage); energetic medicine, botanical medicine (including Western herbal, Chinese and Ayurvedic); and homeopathy. A "Miscellaneous Therapies" unit then covers environmental medicine, aromatherapy and Bach flower remedies.

Because of public perception (and attitudes in current veterinary practice), there is a tendency for complementary and natural medicine to be seen as irrelevant to the more conventional small animal veterinary practice, is particularly important.

In the final unit, a diverse number of issues are tackled including bioethics, the human-companion animal bond (a branch of anthrozoology), euthanasia, and ethnoveterinary medicine. All units follow a systematic approach and give a highly informative overview of the state of current thinking and practical application.

In the final sections of the book, a helpful series of appendices provide information on many different aspects of the field (from suppliers and Web sites, to periodicals and diagnostic software). This additional material will allow any students or practitioners to pursue specific topics in greater depth.

In conclusion, this is a very interesting and informative book. It successfully tackles a rapidly expanding field by providing a comprehensive and lucid account of the diverse array of available therapeutic systems while emphasizing the need for an integrated approach. This major new text deserves to be included in the reference library of all serious students and practitioners of veterinary medicine.

Dr. R. H. Bradshaw, D. Phil.
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine
University of Cambridge
Madingley Road
Cambridge CB3 OES
United Kingdom

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