The Wellness Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Maintaining Health and Treating Stress-Related Illness

by Herbert Benson, Eileen M. Stuart

Take control of your health with everyday habits that lead to life-changing gains.

Millions of readers are familiar with the work of Dr. Herbert Benson and the Mind/Body Medical Institute from his mega-bestselling book The Relaxation Response . With more than 5 million copies in print, it is a classic in the field of mind/body medicine. In The Wellness Book , Dr. Benson has created the definitive resource that shows readers how to maintain health and treat stress-related illnesses, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, Parkinson’s Disease, infertility, insomnia, anxiety, symptoms of HIV and cancer, menopause, and more.

The Wellness Book shows readers how to create and control their own well being. Use of the book, in combination with modern medical treatments, will aid in prevention and treatment of a number of illnesses and, according to USA TODAY , “legitimizes the mind/body connection in traditional medicine.”

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

512 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

About the author

Herbert Benson, M.D. (born 1935), is an American cardiologist and founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He graduated from Wesleyan University and Harvard Medical School.

Benson is Mind/Body Medical Institute Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI). He is the author or co-author of more than 175 scientific publications and 11 books. More than four million copies of his books have been printed in many languages.

Benson is a pioneer in mind/body medicine, one of the first Western physicians to bring spirituality and healing into medicine. In his 35+ year career, he has defined the relaxation response and continues to lead teaching and research into its efficacy in counteracting the harmful effects of stress. The recipient of numerous national and international awards, Dr. Benson lectures widely about mind/body medicine and the BHI's work. His expertise is frequently sought by national and international news media, and he appears in scores of newspapers, magazines, and television programs each year. Dr. Benson's research extends from the laboratory to the clinic to Asian field expeditions. His work serves as a bridge between medicine and religion, East and West, mind and body, and belief and science.

Benson participated in a dialogue that was held at Harvard in March 1991, as part of a conversation between scientists and Buddhists initiated by 14th Dalaï Lama, organized by the Mind and Life Institute. Book Review: MindScience.

Reviews

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slightly old and outdated but comprehensive work on total wellness. The author covers every major area and argues effectively - with research and evidence to support - the total interconnectedness of human physiology, psychology, spirituality, etc. If one realm is unhealthy, the others will be affected. I had to read this book for a class, but it was refreshing to read something by an author who is willing to speak the truth when it comes to health; that is, there are no magic bullets. So many authors are making money saying that there is.

Docked one star from five due to some outdated information and a section with an over-focus on stretching/relaxation positions.

[Chanin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never could get it started. Probably me, not the book.

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just OK. It's more like a work book, so if you want to really spend some time working on yourself, this is the book for you. The second half is really geared towards readers who are currently undergoing health issues.

[Rona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benson is a pioneer in mind-body medicine.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for beginners to wellness concepts.