Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being

by Esther M. Sternberg

Does the world make you sick? If the distractions and distortions around you, the jarring colors and sounds, could shake up the healing chemistry of your mind, might your surroundings also have the power to heal you? This is the question Esther Sternberg explores in Healing Spaces, a look at the marvelously rich nexus of mind and body, perception and place. Sternberg immerses us in the discoveries that have revealed a complicated working relationship between the senses, the emotions, and the immune system. First among these is the story of the researcher who, in the 1980s, found that hospital patients with a view of nature healed faster than those without. How could a pleasant view speed healing? The author pursues this question through a series of places and situations that explore the neurobiology of the senses. The book shows how a Disney theme park or a Frank Gehry concert hall, a labyrinth or a garden can trigger or reduce stress, induce anxiety or instill peace. If our senses can lead us to a “place of healing,” it is no surprise that our place in nature is of critical importance in Sternberg’s account. The health of the environment is closely linked to personal health. The discoveries this book describes point to possibilities for designing hospitals, communities, and neighborhoods that promote healing and health for all.

Genres: Architecture, Health, Nonfiction, Science, Psychology, Environment, Design

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2009

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I thought it would be when I picked it off the new book shelf at the library, but I really got into it. I appreciated that it was written so that the lay person could understand it and well written too. I loved her stories and history that was interwoven with brain function, immunology, psychology and architecture. I am amazed that I have an idea of what the vacuous nerve does, how our brain receives signals and where it processes input. She cites tons of research. She talks about Lourdes and possible reasons for the miraculous healings that have occurred there - fascinating. She covers the effects of stress and illness on the brain and body. How our brains process place.

[Emma Sea · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this was fine, without being a particularly good read. There is a lot of information about different studies which have shown the link between place and body, but while there's a good bibliography, there's no actual referencing in the text; good luck tracking down which article or book refers to which snippet.

I guess I was hoping for writing which is more evocative: something like The Architecture of Happiness. This would be a good jumping-off point for research on the topic, but not something I'd recommend for a leisure read.

[H M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't say it was an enjoyable read. It’s more of a collection of academic papers or a dissertation. Not bad but put in mind that it’s extremely boring.

[Juneau Public Library]

This excellent non-fiction book on the science of the brain examines how our bodies are affected by our surroundings, specifically, how our bodies' ability to heal is affected by our environment. Starting with the belief held by the ancients that some environments have healing properties, contemporary scientific research has begun to inform the design of hospitals and urban areas in an effort to reduce stress and promote healing

Sternberg, a doctor and National Institute of Health researcher, explains scientific concepts in a way that is easy to understand. This book is fascinating.

Recommended by Beth

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough, scholarly writing but worth the effort. This book lays out a few new findings on how an environment can foster healing.

[OliviaHF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sternberg presents a wealth of Research to Illustrate how people's mood, health and well-being can be controlled by the spaces with which we surround ourselves. Fascinating chapters about how famous destinations like Disney World have employed the psychology of space to illicit specific feelings and drive business. Examples also include psychoarchitectural analyses of Geary and Frank Lloyd Wright's structures, homes, hospitals, asylums. Healing spaces leaves no stone unturned regarding sight, sound, motion, feng shui, texture, design. A meaty read.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great topic and and interesting read so far. My gripe is that the author neglected to reference the vast body of research and projects from landscape architecture, preferring instead to present what has transpired in building architecture. An odd omission, since the author is clear from the start that the outdoor environment and natural elements are essential to healing places.

Readers interested in healing environments might enjoy the work of Clare Cooper Marcus (Healing Gardens), Marni Barnes, and the many, many others within and aligned to the discipline of landscape architecture.

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but not quite what I was hoping for. This book summarized a lot of neuroscience research on how the physical environment can be related to healing and well-being. Much of this brought back memories of the sensation/perception class I took as a psychology undergrad, but I was looking for more specific implications/recommendations for how to design living spaces to promote well-being.

[Mary Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange and illuminating book! It explores illness, healing, and "miracle cures" through the lens of neuroscience, particularly the effect of environmental stimulants -- of sight, sound, touch -- on the brain. I was surprised to learn how sensitive our immune systems actually are to our surroundings. A fresh perspective for anyone interested in mindfulness, energy healing, and other alternative approaches to wellness.

[Jewels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. As a nurse and a person living with autoimmune disease I really appreciated the complex connections made in this book. The author Esther Steinberg is a physician and has done extensive research on stress and our health. Environmental impacts and their relationship to our health are explored throughout this engaging book.

[Ann Kucera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being by Esther M. Sternberg, M.D. is one of the first books to cover science and research on health and environment, light, color and nature. The author explains scientific and medical concepts in a clear way. She discusses environmental factors that contribute to healing hospital patients.

[Carina Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very easy read and rather enjoyable, making the morning commute easy and pleasant. Although, I think I was hoping for a little more research behind the notes Dr. Sternberg was making, I was glad it wasn't heavy on the terminology.

[Bookchick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the science but was left wanting more practical application.

[Jmp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a how to book. A collection of studies about the human environments. Explaining what you may have already known

[Daniel Spaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my favourite possessions now. Sternberg's writing is evidence-based and informative but more than that is it emotive and graceful.

Her descriptions of health and wellbeing in relation to the environment we exist within as individuals are extensive and clearly presented. I was drawn to this book as a physiotherapist and digital experience designer. Am read it straight through and now I am simply in love with it.

I would like it on the curriculum of every clinical and every design-based training everywhere. The world would be a better place.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the perspective but felt there was too much focus on hospitals as healing spaces. Perhaps that's because most of the research/evidence came from there, with a secondary emphasis on nature, but what about retreat houses, rehab centres, eco hostels and many other places besides - wood cabins in the wilderness, spa centres - even places that are architecturally stunning and have awe-inspiring beauty. I've felt at peace many a time in museum spaces, for example.

[mumtaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought it was giving an architectural read but turned out to be more of a book about neuroscience and our nervous system’s responses to the built environment. Learned a lot but the writing felt dry most of the time- loved the examples of Lourdes and the personal account of gardens at the end. Some of the insight was definitely questionable, given the author’s positionality, but a decent read for anyone interested in designing and building healing spaces in the built environment

[C.A. Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can kind of tell most of what you need from the title of this book. I therefore skipped around a lot... it went into the various senses and how they contribute to helping our bodies to heal, but what I found most interesting was the way to best structure and environment for healing (after reading "The Geography of Nowhere," this seemed especially relevant to me.)

[Hannah Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic overview of the impacts of place on wellness. Covers a lot of ground and does so in a comfortable, storytelling way, while packing in a lot of study results and health data. Will use as a reference.

[Neha Virk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good shift in scientifc perspective and a good read for the average person

[Guillermo Duran · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is exceptional in its contents and the authors capacity to connect all the investigations and personal experiences, but it is not a entertaining read.

[Sunday Kofax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t finish (yet)

[writer... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interest in this book as it pertains to specifics of creating welcoming spaces that offer and promote healing. Surprise Canadian authored discovery at a charity shop in AZ, this is well timed information regarding providing the environment conducive to sessions of spiritual direction , my area of interest, amongst many others.

Scientific and technical resource as well as practical.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very accessible. Best part was Sternberg's mentioning that the Fourth Presbyterian Church off Michigan Ave was built by Ralph Adams Cram, who also designed the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC.

[Angela Eschler · Rating 5 out of 5]

fabulously interesting. I love science.

[Lindsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for those in health care management - and those not. Incredibly engaging and full of enlightening statistics and facts.