by Chris Kurz
|
T
HE CONSUMER'S GUIDE weighs in at a hefty 410 pages; it touches on
every conceivable topic of interest to the lay person. "Part I: Introduction to Homeopathic Medicine," establishes homeopathy as a medical practice
rooted in philosophy, history, and science. Particularly noteworthy is Chapter 4, "Scientific Evidence for Homeopathic Medicines," dedicated to an overview of scientific studies
and clinical data on the efficacy of homeopathic remedies, a
topic not commonly discussed in entry level homeopathic
literature. Note that it is not necessary to search out the
numerous references cited – that homeopathy is
founded on well documented verifiable data is plain to the reader in Ullman's discussion. However, even though Ullman leaves
little doubt that homeopathy "works," I have yet to read the author
who refrains from babbling on in science-speak and is able to admit that nobody has any idea how
our remedies work.
|
|
In "Part II: Common Concerns of Consumers" Ullman explores issues such as when self-care is appropriate, how to find a good homeopath, how to tell if she or he is a good homeopath, what questions the homeopath might ask, how much it costs to see a homeopath, and how fast the remedy will act. Ullman also takes up the question of classical versus non-classical homeopathy, although his six-page discussion labors under the strain of trying not to offend. The controversial issue of combination remedies is awarded its own chapter, "Combination Homeopathic Medicines: the Single Remedy and the Multiple Remedy Controversy." Finally, in "Part III: Can Homeopathy Help Me?," Ullman discusses specific conditions and their homeopathic treatment. All the hot topics are discussed: heart disease, cancer, AIDS, and drug addiction, as well as more mundane ailments, such as digestive disorders, skin conditions, and injuries. However, the lay person will not be able to properly use homeopathic remedies after reading this section since the question of how one finds the correct homeopathic remedy is dealt with only superficially on little more than three pages; individualizing information on specific remedies is brief at best. There are no drug pictures to be found, and no equivalent of a self-care materia medica is included. Ullman states that, "[O]nce you have written down all your symptoms, you can use this book and other homeopathic self- care texts to find the individualized remedy." If it were really as simple as that, I wonder why homeopaths would bother with so many years of study. In general, the book lacks heart and feeling. Again and again, I found myself thirsting for illustrative case examples. I wanted to read about the sufferings of a real person and how these sufferings were resolved by homeopathy, but there is not a single case history in The Consumer's Guide to Homeopathy. From my own experience as a teacher, I know that illustrative examples are the most effective means of conveying information to an audience. Such examples are, unfortunately, lacking in this text. The Consumer's Guide to Homeopathy is written with a tone of careful moderation. Ullman seems to make a considerable effort not to offend anybody and to please everybody. The end result is that the writing remains impersonal. Only in the chapter, "Combination Homeopathic Medicines," did I get a glimpse of the person, Dana Ullman. Even though I differ with Ullman regarding combination remedies, I did appreciate his candid opinion on this topic and would have liked more of this fare throughout the text. In order to be a true guide to the consumer, The Consumer's Guide to Homeopathy would have to offer more personal guidance.
I cannot envision The Consumer's Guide to Homeopathy as the centerpiece of
a budding homeopathic library. There are better
self-help books, there are better books on homeopathic
research, and there are better books explaining how
homeopaths see the world. Ullman's book does have merit, however. It is an all-around resource for
the lay person. As a single book offering the reader a broad overview of homeopathic medicine and references to further reading, The Consumer's
Guide to Homeopathy is valuable. Literature suggestions are usually well
thought out, and the resource guide at the end of the book
is chock-full of addresses and other goodies (although the
address of The Minimum Price, a popular mail order source
for homeopathic books, is missing). However, I don't think
Ullman's book would lose much of its usefulness without the
specific self-care section in "Part III: Can Homeopathy Help Me?" Add some soul,
personal experience, and real life cases and I can recommend
it as a valuable resource for novices of homeopathy. |
Mail to Web Mistress |
 |
 |
