The Whole Story Alternative Medicine on Trial [Paperback]

Alternative medicine is a fifty billion dollar per year industry. But is it all nonsense? The Whole Story rounds up the latest evidence on the placebo effect, the randomized control trial, personalized genetic medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy and more.Preface Introduction Medicine's Conundrum The Advocates The Critics The Gold Standard Tarnished Measuring the Unmeasurable Hints of Understanding A New Model The Evidence Leads Conclusion

'This book should be prescribed for bigots on both sides, to be taken thoughtfully, all the way to the last page.' - The Guardian

'An excellent overview of the subject...It is probably unwise to label any book as required reading. Nevertheless, when contemplating the entrenched attitudes of many in both the orthodox and complementary medical communities, the temptation to do so with The Whole Story is strong.' - Guardian Saturday Review

'Murcott provides a lay person's guide to what is happening in the industry and his book is excellent and thought-provoking for anyone interested in research into complementary therapies.' - Institute for Complementary Medicine Journal

'A book you ought to read.' - www.popularscience.co.uk

'A fun little book about complementary and alternative therapies. It is not about what works or what doesn't and remains impishly neutral...Whichever side of the argument you start, you will shout 'rubbish' at some point, but at least you will have been exposed to a different point of view and be no worse for that.' - Bandolier

'The Whole Story elegantly presents the challenges of testing therapies from acupuncture to reflexology and in so doing makes an original, thought-provoking and worthwhile contribution to the debate on complementary medicine.' - Dr. Susan Aldridge, Author of The Thread of Life and Seeing Red & Feeling Blue

'Complementary and alternative medicine is more popular tlc(