Book Description
The first in a new series created to acknowledge the explosion of knowledge in fields related to infectious disesases and clinical microbiology. Thirteen contributions focus on organisms which are of major medical importance in this country or which have contributed to an understanding of pathology. ... Read more

Book Description
The article is excerpted fromGale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine.
"Gale's products are known to be thorough, well-researched, and good reference tools.This item is no exception...
This is a valuable resource for readers who are seeking information on complementary medicine and herbal remedies. The scope of this encyclopedia is comprehensive, but not definitive. Readers should use this as a supplement,.to professional healthcare consultation. This source has been a long-awaited product for the consolidation of general alternative medicine information."
-- ARBA (2002)

Information on recommended therapies for specific disorders and diseases, medicinal uses for plants and herbs are balanced by conclusions of studies on efficacy and analysis of current levels of acceptance by traditional scientists and doctors. Biographies of pioneers in the field -- including Deepak Chopra, Edward Bach and David Palmer --appear as sidebars through the text. Included are 39 sidebars. Each volume contains a color photo insert containing images of herbs. There are more than 275 disease/condition entries, 300 herb/remedy entries, and 150 therapies. ... Read more

Book Description
This book provides a comprehensive reference and diagnostic aid to the practicing pathologist or infectious disease specialist encountering a parasite in an examined tissue sample. Organized by phylogenetic group, the text facilitates diagnosis by discussing common characteristics and patterns of different parasites, and misleading artifacts that resemble parasites in tissue. This second edition includes molecular biology and immunologic aspects, and a more in-depth discussion of syndromes more prevalent due to increased world travel, immigration and the AIDS epidemic. ... Read more

Book Description

The term Alternative Medicine encompasses many forms, and elicits at least as many opinions. This authoritative, objective set is in tune with the subjects that matter to students and researchers, presenting four volumes of current, unbiased information on alternative and complementary medical practices. Covering all aspects of the subjectTherapies, Conditions/Diseases, Herbs/Plants and Peoplethe Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine identifies 150 types of alternative medicine being practiced today, including reflexology, acupressure, acupuncture, chelation therapy, kinesiology, yoga, chiropractic, Feldenkrais, polarity therapy, detoxification, naturopathy, Chinese medicine, biofeedback, Ayurveda and osteopathy. For the practitioner or interested patient, there are current training requirements, listings of organizations, as well as descriptions of treatments.

Book Description
This wide-ranging collection covers such topics as: nutrition support and HIV; malarial parasites and antioxidant nutrients; the impact of schistosomiases on human nutrition; ascariasis and childhood malnutrition; and hookworm infections and human iron metabolism. ... Read more

Book Description

According to conventional wisdom, our genes and lifestyles are the most important causes of cancer, heart disease, and other killer ailments today. Conventional wisdom is wrong. In this bold, visionary book, biologist Paul W. Ewald argues that these serious illnesses are caused by a virtual plague of chronic infections. Acute infections give the sufferer symptoms almost immediately; the flu, cholera, even Ebola are all well-known and easy-to-identify examples of acute illnesses. Chronic infections, however, are stealthy predators that may not produce any symptoms for decades, and so remain almost undetectable, but eventually they ruin the sufferer's life. The netherworld of stealth infections is now opening before us.In Plague Time, Ewald puts forth an astonishing and profound argument that challenges our modern beliefs about disease: it is germs -- not genes -- that mold our lives and cause our deaths. Building on the recently recognized infectious origins of ulcers, miscarriages, and cancers, he draws together a startling collection of discoveries that now implicate infection in the most destructive chronic diseases of our time, such as heart disease, Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia. Acclaimed for years as one of the most important thinkers alive today on the genesis of disease, Ewald now explodes conventional medical thinking with a new comprehensive view of what germs do. Some people worry about dangerous germs "going global." In most cases it is already too late. The most dangerous germs among us have already been disseminated globally. Ewald explains how evolution in this worldwide environment makes some germs turn nasty while some become harmless. Most importantly, he shows how we can work together to master our modern infectious plagues by controlling disease evolution. He reveals that we live in an ecosystem of microbes, and we must understand them to avoid their deadly damage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Persuasive eye opener
Professor Ewald lays out a very interesting and persuasive case for the potential involvement of infectious agents as the cause of many "non-infectious" diseases. This book offered a fascinating account into the history of disease and makes plausible predictions about future discoveries. I read this book several months ago and have since been keen to periodic news reports concerning recent discoveries linking infection as a possible cause for various chronic aliments. I believe Professor Ewald may be ahead of his time.

I'm not a medical professional, just an interested layman. Mr. Ewald's book is an easy read for a non-professional. If you're interested in the topic this book will not disappoint.

Nice book.For the real science see the book on microcompetition
Ewald's idea is great, and the general public should definitely read his book and think about its basic premise.However, as an answer to the review by Douglas Turnbull, for the real science and the proof that an infection with a latent virus is indeed the cause of many chronic diseases, see Dr. Polansky's book on microcompetition.In his book, Dr. Polansky explains how foreign DNA modifies the production of cellular proteins, and how these changes translate into clinical symptoms.However, readers beware.Dr. Polansky's book is heavy reading, and is targeted towards the professional scientist, not the recreational reader (a simple explanation of the microcompetition discovery is available at www.causeofcancer.org)

Being at the point of the spear is not easy...
If you categorize your self as an early adopter, I think you will appreciate the words written by Paul W. Ewald concerning the strong possibility of infectious agents (germs) causing the medical conditions of heart disease, cancers, HIV and Alzheimer's.He suggests many other diseases as well may be caused by germs.
There was a time not long ago (1980's) when the cause of peptic ulcers were clearly and almost universally accepted to include stress, genetic disposition and emotional anguish.Today, as a result of the acceptance that ulcers of this type are caused by germs, are successfully treated with antibiotics.
To my knowledge, the author is one of the early advocates of this theory that germs are the cause of many of the diseases not presently associated with being caused by them.As a result, he is often subject to harsh critical review from the present generation of medical experts.
I especially appreciated his suggestion for the creation of a data base made up of anecdotal reports ofunexpected positive results of the application of vaccines on chronicdiseases.The data base could supply direction for future research studies to explore.
Although I have no medical expertise, I found reading the book manageable but not an especially easy read. Even so, I found the time spent was very rewarding and left me feeling as though I was getting a pretty clear view of where the future of medicine is headed.

Credibly incredible!
Dr. Ewald makes some outstanding points and raises questions that should have been raised 50 years ago. The idea that all (or most) cancers are microbes is old news, however. There was a group of doctors during the 1920's that isolated the virus in a microscope and were able to destroy the microbe using a radio frequency. People with cancer were being cured because these doctors were destroying the microbes with their radio frequency machine. These doctors' findings and the invention of their microscope were common knowledge and their success against the cancer microbe was published. But the growing medical establishment prevented its treatment from becoming mainstream and eventually destroyed their work. I recommend reading "The Cancer Cure That Worked: 50 Years of Suppression" by Barry Lynes to learn the story.

The world needs more insightful doctors like Paul Ewald. I highly recommend this book to learn about how viruses and other pathogens are causing so many of our health problems!

Hard to read but worth the effort
Plague Time provides important and fascinating information about diseases, how they are acquired, their evolution, and their consequences. Professor Ewald contends that many chronic diseases such as several types of cancer, arteriosclerosis, schizophrenia, several types of arthritis, bipolar disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or even many symptoms of aging are the result of infections. The explanations of how these infections are acquired, and situations where the infectious agents are likely to be especially virulent are of great practical value.

Dr. Ewald's thesis is that infectious agents quickly evolve to maximize their reproductive success. Their virulence and the nature of the acute or chronic symptoms they cause are a function of how they are transmitted. The discussions of microbe evolution deepened my understanding of biology and evolution. There are many examples presented.

Many sections were unnecessarily wordy, with clumsy and overly long sentence constructions and much redundancy. This made parts of the book slow and heavy going. His frequent and often lengthy criticisms of the medical establishment are justified in my view, but sometimes got tiresome. In spite of the effort required, Plague Time is well worth reading. ... Read more