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Unconventional Medicine: Join the Revolution to Reinvent Healthcare, Reverse Chronic Disease, and Create a Practice You Love
The world is facing the greatest healthcare crisis it has ever seen. Chronic disease is shortening our lifespan, destroying our quality of life, bankrupting governments, and threatening the health of future generations. Sadly, conventional medicine, with its focus on managing symptoms, has failed to address this challenge. The result is burned-out physicians, a sicker population, and a broken healthcare system.In Unconventional Medicine, Chris Kresser presents a plan to reverse this dangerous trend. He shows how the combination of a genetically aligned diet and lifestyle, functional medicine, and a lean, collaborative practice model can create a system that better serves the needs of both patients and practitioners.The epidemic of chronic illness can be stopped, if patients and practitioners can adapt.
342 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2017
321 people are currently reading
1713 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
November 18, 2017
If you're already into ancestral health and functional medicine, you won't find much new in this book. Sound information? Yes. Riveting, new ideas? No. You will get the essential parts from this book by listening to Kresser's episode on the Joe Rogan Podcast. I'm not really sure who would benefit the most from this book.Perhaps those new to the idea of functional medicine who are influenced by anecdotes and case-by-case scenarios to which they may relate.
November 20, 2017
Don't get me wrong, the book is fine, I would be thrilled to have a consult with Chris Kresser (FUN FACT when he talks about his office in the book HE OFFICE SHARES WITH MY MIDWIFE SO I KNEW! I don't know if I would describe the space as beautiful though!) about my health if I had an extra $5000 available. But the problem with the book is that it's a preaching to the choir situation. I don't believe that anyone picking this up isn't already convinced, or looking for ways to shout about how Kresser is an overqualified acupuncturist. You know? So I just don't think someone is going to be reading this book and like "aha!" As someone already convinced, it was mostly a slog, and a fervent wish that this way of treatment could be more affordable.
November 3, 2017
The statistics are alarming to say the least. “One in two Americans now has a chronic disease, and one in four has multiple chronic diseases…chronic disease accounts for 86 percent of healthcare expenditures…twenty-seven percent of children now suffer from chronic disease…seven of the top ten causes of death are chronic diseases.”
Most people who read this book will be generally aware of the health care crisis we face today. How can we not? The clinician that he is, however, Kresser gives it dimension and offers a blueprint for an alternate way. And it makes all the sense in the world.
Our current medical paradigm is disease-based and has a structural and financial bias toward symptom suppression, largely through the extensive use of pharmaceuticals, rather than the discovery and elimination of root cause. He calls his alternative model the ADAPT Framework, a combination of “…Functional Medicine, an ancestral perspective, and a collaborative practice model…”
Causal integration is a growing trend in all areas of science today. Richard Thaler was recently awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics “for his contributions to behavioural economics,” combining economic theory with psychological reality.
The explanation for the misalignment between the dominant contemporary healthcare paradigm and our current reality is both simple and logical. Through advances in science and technology, the evolution of Western medicine has outpaced the evolution of humankind. We have been hugely successful in repairing trauma and eradicating disease, but changes in our social and physical environment have presented new problems that the specialized symptom suppression model is simply not sensitive to.
While this book is about medicine specifically, I think Kessler has ironically thrown back the tarp on a much bigger problem that extends well beyond medicine. Rupert Sheldrake calls it “the science delusion.” It is the willingness of those with an agenda (In his case, Big Pharma.) to wrap opinion in a white coat and call it irrefutable.
Kresser notes, “In other words, most published research findings support the status quo; they’re not necessarily based on solid evidence.” He cites Marcia Angell, a former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine: “It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published.” And John Ioannidis, a Stanford researcher, who published a paper entitled, “Why Most Published Research is False.” In it, Ioannidis concludes, “Claimed findings may be accurate measures of the prevailing bias.”
I will be interested to see if Kessler can break through the Internet gatekeepers and get the attention he deserves for this book. Unfortunately, the democratization of influence that the Internet promised has yet to be realized as alternative thought is squeezed into obscurity by the sheer volume of attention captured by celebrity and cute cat videos.
One concern I do have for the ADAPT Framework is that I don’t see how this medical revolution, as inevitable as it is, can take place given the dismal state of health care insurance in the US. His ideas, it seems to me, will take bold vision and an ironclad commitment. While I agree with Kresser on the long term cost benefits of his approach, I can’t imagine it will be an easy sell to private insurance companies and hospital administrators. The Cleveland Clinic is a crown jewel of American medicine, but it is hardly representative of the health care infrastructure that most of us rely on.
A national health care program, it seems to me, will have to be put in place before integrated and functional health care will get a fair hearing. Kresser notes that “Two-thirds of medical research is sponsored by pharmaceutical companies…” “Reimbursement-based medicine,” as he calls it, will not go down without a fight. And when there is so much money involved, we can expect it will be bloody.
My other concern is a general concern about dogma itself. The Greek philosopher, Pyrrho of Elis, the founder of the philosophical school of skepticism, noted that once ideas become dogma they tend to become vulnerable to the same lack of conceptual adaptability that made change so necessary to begin with. I am not suggesting that Kresser has done that, but I cringed ever so slightly when he talked about the importance of decorating the waiting room properly.
All told, this is a very good book and I hope all that have read will help to spread the word. Our health really does depend on it.
Most people who read this book will be generally aware of the health care crisis we face today. How can we not? The clinician that he is, however, Kresser gives it dimension and offers a blueprint for an alternate way. And it makes all the sense in the world.
Our current medical paradigm is disease-based and has a structural and financial bias toward symptom suppression, largely through the extensive use of pharmaceuticals, rather than the discovery and elimination of root cause. He calls his alternative model the ADAPT Framework, a combination of “…Functional Medicine, an ancestral perspective, and a collaborative practice model…”
Causal integration is a growing trend in all areas of science today. Richard Thaler was recently awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics “for his contributions to behavioural economics,” combining economic theory with psychological reality.
The explanation for the misalignment between the dominant contemporary healthcare paradigm and our current reality is both simple and logical. Through advances in science and technology, the evolution of Western medicine has outpaced the evolution of humankind. We have been hugely successful in repairing trauma and eradicating disease, but changes in our social and physical environment have presented new problems that the specialized symptom suppression model is simply not sensitive to.
While this book is about medicine specifically, I think Kessler has ironically thrown back the tarp on a much bigger problem that extends well beyond medicine. Rupert Sheldrake calls it “the science delusion.” It is the willingness of those with an agenda (In his case, Big Pharma.) to wrap opinion in a white coat and call it irrefutable.
Kresser notes, “In other words, most published research findings support the status quo; they’re not necessarily based on solid evidence.” He cites Marcia Angell, a former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine: “It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published.” And John Ioannidis, a Stanford researcher, who published a paper entitled, “Why Most Published Research is False.” In it, Ioannidis concludes, “Claimed findings may be accurate measures of the prevailing bias.”
I will be interested to see if Kessler can break through the Internet gatekeepers and get the attention he deserves for this book. Unfortunately, the democratization of influence that the Internet promised has yet to be realized as alternative thought is squeezed into obscurity by the sheer volume of attention captured by celebrity and cute cat videos.
One concern I do have for the ADAPT Framework is that I don’t see how this medical revolution, as inevitable as it is, can take place given the dismal state of health care insurance in the US. His ideas, it seems to me, will take bold vision and an ironclad commitment. While I agree with Kresser on the long term cost benefits of his approach, I can’t imagine it will be an easy sell to private insurance companies and hospital administrators. The Cleveland Clinic is a crown jewel of American medicine, but it is hardly representative of the health care infrastructure that most of us rely on.
A national health care program, it seems to me, will have to be put in place before integrated and functional health care will get a fair hearing. Kresser notes that “Two-thirds of medical research is sponsored by pharmaceutical companies…” “Reimbursement-based medicine,” as he calls it, will not go down without a fight. And when there is so much money involved, we can expect it will be bloody.
My other concern is a general concern about dogma itself. The Greek philosopher, Pyrrho of Elis, the founder of the philosophical school of skepticism, noted that once ideas become dogma they tend to become vulnerable to the same lack of conceptual adaptability that made change so necessary to begin with. I am not suggesting that Kresser has done that, but I cringed ever so slightly when he talked about the importance of decorating the waiting room properly.
All told, this is a very good book and I hope all that have read will help to spread the word. Our health really does depend on it.
January 28, 2025
Chris Kresser does an excellent job outlining the startling scope of the chronic disease epidemic plaguing the country and provides an invaluable summary of the foundational medicine approach to care.
When I conducted primary care workforce shortage research, I first learned about the benefits of an integrated team-based approach to care. If we want to make a larger impact on health outcomes, a holistic model of care that extends beyond the physician’s office is CRITICAL and Kresser does a great job underscoring this point.
I found the patient cases and practitioner testimonies to be incredibly eye opening in regard to the often disjointed and ultra-specialized structure of our healthcare system. Kresser not only outlines the problem, but poses a myriad of solutions and resources for clinicians and patients alike. My only criticism of this book is that I wish Kresser spent more time delving into the nitty gritty details of the application of foundational medicine to patient care. The latter part of the book felt like it was trying to sell me on Kresser’s classes and website. That being said, it is a great book and I would highly recommend it to anybody who is interested in/new to the concepts of foundational medicine, the ancestral diet, or alternative medicine.
When I conducted primary care workforce shortage research, I first learned about the benefits of an integrated team-based approach to care. If we want to make a larger impact on health outcomes, a holistic model of care that extends beyond the physician’s office is CRITICAL and Kresser does a great job underscoring this point.
I found the patient cases and practitioner testimonies to be incredibly eye opening in regard to the often disjointed and ultra-specialized structure of our healthcare system. Kresser not only outlines the problem, but poses a myriad of solutions and resources for clinicians and patients alike. My only criticism of this book is that I wish Kresser spent more time delving into the nitty gritty details of the application of foundational medicine to patient care. The latter part of the book felt like it was trying to sell me on Kresser’s classes and website. That being said, it is a great book and I would highly recommend it to anybody who is interested in/new to the concepts of foundational medicine, the ancestral diet, or alternative medicine.
March 28, 2021
A excellent framework for functional medicine, an anscetral lifestyle, and supportive medical alies as a vision of healthcare. A lot of review if you have familiarity with functional medicine but still excellent scaffolding to hang around the experience. If you don’t have experience or familiarity then I highly recommend the book for the foundation it will lay and the hopeful vision it will provide.
June 8, 2018
I have been a fan and follower of Chris Kresser, who is a Functional Medicine practitioner, for quite some time now. His premises about diet and lifestyle are based on science, with the latest studies and information, and he's not afraid to correct himself if new evidence comes to light that refutes an earlier theory he talked about. The gist of this book is that our modern "health care" delivery system is broken, that it is not "health" care at all, but "sick" care, focused on treating symptoms primarily with medications and expensive tests and procedures rather than looking at the root cause of the problems and turning to other modalities like diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes first. But it's not just like at your traditional doctor's office where they hand you some pamphlets with your new diet and make an appointment with a dietician. He advocates for an integrated system that also includes the tools to help people make those changes happen.
Functional Medicine can sound a bit like "quackery" if you are truly invested in our current system of "gimme a pill to make things better." But it actually takes the best of all medical worlds and rolls them together. It uses the latest modern testing and cutting-edge technology to get answers, but the difference is what questions are being asked and the solution to the problem. It integrates a more holistic approach, seeing the body as a connected whole instead of looking at each body system as a separate entity and treating all the individual symptoms instead of locating a root cause. It combines modern medicine with traditional and...well, unconventional means, and with great success. More Functional Medicine practices are opening up all the time, and the flagship facility located at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic, has a months' long waiting list for new patients. The delivery of care is entirely different from what you get at a traditional doctor's office.
This book is intended in large part for medical people, trying to catch some of the burned out doctors and nurses and therapists who are ready to leave the health care system. Kresser points out that there is a BETTER way for both medical people AND their patients. If I were ten years younger, I would most likely be right in there training at his Institute and find myself a job in a Functional Medicine practice somewhere. But it does also contain a lot of great information for patients too, particularly if you aren't familiar with Kresser's "ancestral lifestyle." (I admit I skimmed those chapters, because he would be just preaching to the choir.)
That said, the book is not particularly well written, which is why I marked it down a little. There was a lot of repetition, a few paragraphs that seem to have been entered into the middle of a chapter as an afterthought that sort of threw off the flow of the topic. It could have used some better editing. But the content? SPOT ON.
Functional Medicine can sound a bit like "quackery" if you are truly invested in our current system of "gimme a pill to make things better." But it actually takes the best of all medical worlds and rolls them together. It uses the latest modern testing and cutting-edge technology to get answers, but the difference is what questions are being asked and the solution to the problem. It integrates a more holistic approach, seeing the body as a connected whole instead of looking at each body system as a separate entity and treating all the individual symptoms instead of locating a root cause. It combines modern medicine with traditional and...well, unconventional means, and with great success. More Functional Medicine practices are opening up all the time, and the flagship facility located at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic, has a months' long waiting list for new patients. The delivery of care is entirely different from what you get at a traditional doctor's office.
This book is intended in large part for medical people, trying to catch some of the burned out doctors and nurses and therapists who are ready to leave the health care system. Kresser points out that there is a BETTER way for both medical people AND their patients. If I were ten years younger, I would most likely be right in there training at his Institute and find myself a job in a Functional Medicine practice somewhere. But it does also contain a lot of great information for patients too, particularly if you aren't familiar with Kresser's "ancestral lifestyle." (I admit I skimmed those chapters, because he would be just preaching to the choir.)
That said, the book is not particularly well written, which is why I marked it down a little. There was a lot of repetition, a few paragraphs that seem to have been entered into the middle of a chapter as an afterthought that sort of threw off the flow of the topic. It could have used some better editing. But the content? SPOT ON.
January 10, 2018
This book is full of important information presented in a straight-forward, understandable manner. It is really geared more to physicians and medical professionals but is certainly readable by interested consumers. If you follow Chris Kresser and read his blog or listen to his podcast you will be familiar with the material in this book but will get more details.
I both read and listened to this book. I would recommend reading it as the later chapters talking about different programs and institutions is a bit dry for listening. The printed or Kindle book will serve as a good reference.
I suspect some people will not like Chris’ reference to his own institution and programs but, to be fair, he provides information about other sources as well. Since Functional Medicine is still out of the mainstream, there are not as many options so it is important to include Chris’ offerings as well. This is well worth the read to understand just how broken our current health care system really is and how we can work to fix it.
I both read and listened to this book. I would recommend reading it as the later chapters talking about different programs and institutions is a bit dry for listening. The printed or Kindle book will serve as a good reference.
I suspect some people will not like Chris’ reference to his own institution and programs but, to be fair, he provides information about other sources as well. Since Functional Medicine is still out of the mainstream, there are not as many options so it is important to include Chris’ offerings as well. This is well worth the read to understand just how broken our current health care system really is and how we can work to fix it.
March 10, 2021
This book has been on my "to-read" list for literally *years.* I kept getting distracted with the text version, feeling like I wanted to underline or bookmark all the great statistics, so I finally grabbed the audio version.
It ended up not being quite what I'd expected. It was very practitioner-oriented where for some reason I'd expected it to be more directed toward patients/change agents, but all the material was top notch. The examples were also skillfully handled to get maximum impact from a limited number of samples. It was exceptionally well organized and a great source of direction and other resources.
I'm not sure I'll recommend it to anyone simply because I don't have anyone else in my life right now that I think is the target market, but I'm very happy that I read it and I think it would be a great resource for anyone in the target demographic.
It ended up not being quite what I'd expected. It was very practitioner-oriented where for some reason I'd expected it to be more directed toward patients/change agents, but all the material was top notch. The examples were also skillfully handled to get maximum impact from a limited number of samples. It was exceptionally well organized and a great source of direction and other resources.
I'm not sure I'll recommend it to anyone simply because I don't have anyone else in my life right now that I think is the target market, but I'm very happy that I read it and I think it would be a great resource for anyone in the target demographic.
February 22, 2020
Overall this book outlines a large number of issues that physicians and patients face within the conventional medical system. For me, I found the book to outline the same points on choosing the ancestral diet, decreasing toxicity and eliminating stress to be preaching to the choir. Don’t get me wrong, these are important for proper health, but much of this information can be found when Chris Kresser made a guest appearance on the Joe Rogan Podcast.
As a Canadian citizen, I also found it difficult to relate to many of the points surrounding insurance and question whether this can be applied in the same fashion given the reliance on Universal health care in Canada. I hope to see more primary care physicians adopt this type of practice In the future.
As a Canadian citizen, I also found it difficult to relate to many of the points surrounding insurance and question whether this can be applied in the same fashion given the reliance on Universal health care in Canada. I hope to see more primary care physicians adopt this type of practice In the future.
December 26, 2017
The beginning was promising. It listed all the ways the conventional system has failed us and what it is actually meant to treat; acute infections, trauma, surgery.
However, as I continued reading I started to feel like Chris Kresser was only writing this to promote his own agenda, the ADAPT framework and his Cleveland clinic.
As a reader who was hoping for a bit more detail about the functional medicine approach vs conventional medicine and its failures, this book is a disappointment. I'm already familiar with how important and integral to our health functional medicine is. I guess I was just looking for a bit more factual information and a more indeptn look at each.
However, as I continued reading I started to feel like Chris Kresser was only writing this to promote his own agenda, the ADAPT framework and his Cleveland clinic.
As a reader who was hoping for a bit more detail about the functional medicine approach vs conventional medicine and its failures, this book is a disappointment. I'm already familiar with how important and integral to our health functional medicine is. I guess I was just looking for a bit more factual information and a more indeptn look at each.
January 21, 2018
While the target audience of this book is largely medical practitioners, I found the material accessible and informative. The way that Kresser explains how the current healthcare system is broken, and how it can be repaired through a new approach, in his terms ADAPT, makes me an even deeper believer in a more Eastern approach to our well-being. Our pill-popping approach to chronic illness does not, and financial cannot, be our future. The case studies that Kresser talks about help the reader to understand why lifestyle, an ancestral diet, and the right medical support team can help us all address our health needs in ways that help us live longer, more quality lives.
April 5, 2025
Functional medicine persuasively proposed as the best way to prevent and reverse chronic diseases by focusing on treating the patients with their individual genome, epigenome and exposome (diet, lifestyle and environment) vs. superficially treating the symptoms. Conventional medicine is not healthcare- it's disease management through heavy use of pharmaceuticals.
The author is very convincing in explaining why the current system will not be able to keep up with the scale of chronic disease rampant in America.
Unfortunately, he himself acknowledges that the accessibility of functional medicine is extremely limited by the lack of insurance coverage. No policy solutions were suggested.
The author is very convincing in explaining why the current system will not be able to keep up with the scale of chronic disease rampant in America.
Unfortunately, he himself acknowledges that the accessibility of functional medicine is extremely limited by the lack of insurance coverage. No policy solutions were suggested.
January 12, 2020
If you are in the field of healthcare and in the business of helping your patients actually get better read it! In order of us to move healthcare in the U.S. from the dumps we must move from the conventional model of just treating the symptoms and actually get to the the root cause.
Functional and integrative medicine is the only way to help people thrive and live. If you aren’t in healthcare, but are interested in learning more about different types of treatments that are available, this will be an eye opener for you.
Functional and integrative medicine is the only way to help people thrive and live. If you aren’t in healthcare, but are interested in learning more about different types of treatments that are available, this will be an eye opener for you.
February 21, 2020
This was great! It made me a bit sad to know how few doctors think beyond prescription pads, and how the standardization of medicine, much like in education, is showing within the detriment to overall American health. While some of the chapters weren't super relevant to me because they were written directly to medical professionals as an audience, and I think the author overextended the emphasis on gastro-related reactions sometimes in a way that makes you want to assume ALL things are gastro-related, I found this to be insightful and easy to read.
November 12, 2017
Maybe I got the aim of the book wrong but having been following the author for a while now (articles, books and podcasts) I just didn't feel there was much new in it for me but a couple of really good concepts. Still, I totally support and love its content and recommend it if you're still not familiar with the Functional Medicine approach. If you do know about it and want to dive deeper in the topic, I wouldn't say this is THE book for you.
June 20, 2019
This is not a bad book, but it has quite a strong alarmist tone and often time reads more like a sales pitch than a science book. The tone was distracting and I think I was expecting a more detailed presentation of the philosophy and approach of functional medicine. I am left with the impression that a functional medicine approach is for those with a significant amount of disposable income and a high degree of self-motivation.
November 16, 2019
I’m not a doc, so this book wasn’t written for me, but I have been scoping out Kresser’s ADAPT health coach program and was looking for insights into the how and why of that program. In this book, Kresser argues for the value of his ADAPT health program and way of using functional medicine to better address the needs of patients. Worth a read if you’re a doc and are not familiar with Kresser’s work.
August 13, 2022
Although the concepts were enlightening and engaging, the delivery was extremely repetitive. I felt like one of the main issues was the overuse of the word paradigm. I honestly wish the "bonus chapter" that included the case studies was a part of the book. It would connect ideas with realities and help make sense of the multiple areas of focus involved in functional medicine. Still interesting overall.
November 10, 2017
Ways to fix a broken system
-1 in 2 Americans suffers from chronic disease, our system of care is misaligned with this fact.
-Through a functional medicine approach that’s laid out we can begin to get more in line with true health.
-Clearly what we are doing is not working, Chris gives steps to create a healthier future.
-1 in 2 Americans suffers from chronic disease, our system of care is misaligned with this fact.
-Through a functional medicine approach that’s laid out we can begin to get more in line with true health.
-Clearly what we are doing is not working, Chris gives steps to create a healthier future.
December 10, 2017
Clearly lays out some serious issues we’re facing when it comes to health. Outlines the problem and the solution. Certainly not the ‘mainstream’ perspective at this point, but maybe that’s part of the issue! Any health professionals (or aspiring health professionals) should read in order to get a different perspective.
January 4, 2018
A good look at the problems with conventional medicine and how the way we view and handle healthcare needs to change. It well written and provides well supported reasons why functional medicine work better long term. If you’re already familiar with functional medicine and ancestral diets, then it’s likely not any surprisingly new info.
April 1, 2018
Though I loved the book, I don't believe it adds much more than what Chris Kresser discusses in his podcast and website. I also felt a lack of definition regarding who this book is aimed at: it seemed to be for everyone, from doctors, to allied providers, to patients. In my opinion, a more targetted approach would benefit everyone. Still, the information in the book is interesting, many people who are not yet aware of functional medicine would benefit from reading it (though I'm not sure any of them would actually pick it up), but those who are already into it don't have that much to gain from the book.
December 17, 2017
Revolutionary and practical perspective on healthcare
Recommended to anyone remotely interested in better health. A lot of good points brought up on the ability we all have to improve our health with just a little support and education.
Recommended to anyone remotely interested in better health. A lot of good points brought up on the ability we all have to improve our health with just a little support and education.
February 19, 2018
Was an engaging book. Much is familiar to those who've kept up on diet & health issues, incl the concept of paleo foods, keto diets, the de-demonisation of egg yolks & such, dangers of gadget screens' blue light, but thr's also much to learn here esp redesigning medical practices
March 22, 2018
Great book. As a nurse practitioner in an indigent care urban setting, my big concern, which perhaps is somewhat beyond the scope of this book, is the question of how to implement these practices among low-income patients living in food deserts.
October 17, 2018
Engaging book for non medical people to understand functional medicine. Also specifically aimed at the medical professional to offer a different approach to health care than the usual managing symptoms with drugs within very short patient visits.
September 4, 2019
A concept I'm really interested in and already believe in but the book is very heavy handed/didactic and I found repetitive. Was expecting a more readable narrative-based style à la Bill Bryson or Malcolm Gladwell but this was not that. Skimmed the last half.
February 11, 2020
A very interesting subject matter. I wonder what this would be like if implemented and how effective it would be versus the amount of time it would additionally take compared to our current health care system; would it be worth the time-investment?
February 14, 2020
There’s a lot to digest here, but ultimately Kresser is right, chronic diseases are being treated symptomatically, and we need to do more as health professionals to reverse disease and not just manage them.
July 20, 2021
I thought this was a book more for the patient, but it's really for medical practitioners and health coaches. I am interested in functional medicine and this book details how it would work in practice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews