The most recommended alternative medicine books

I fell in love with this book through one quote that I underlined several times: ‘In the process of writing, of discovering our story, we restore parts of ourselves that have been scattered, hidden, suppressed, denied, distorted, forbidden, and we come to understand that stories heal.’

I went on to underline many, many more passages in this book, which is a treasure trove of wisdom about the power of personal storytelling and beyond into archetypes, fairy tales, and myths.

It’s also packed with brilliant writing prompts to help you dive into your life story. 

If you’re dreaming of travel but unable to hit the road at the moment, this is the perfect coffee table book for the vegan armchair traveler. Written by the creators of the Veggie Hotels web-based directory of vegan and vegetarian hotels, this book is full of gorgeous photos of some of the best cruelty-free digs around the world.

You’ll also find plenty of useful information about all the services and activities these veg and vegan accommodations offer, such as yoga and cooking classes. And chefs from the on-site restaurants even share some of their most popular recipes in the book.

This book had a huge impact on my life into exploring so many different healing modalities filled with love and compassion for animals we share our lives with. He eloquently explores the healing power of the human-animal bond with deeply personal stories. He changed my life and will impact your connection to the animals that you share your days with. 

Dr. Connealy, an integrative medical oncologist, gives practical ways that cancer patients can be a part of reversing their cancer. She is a sought-after speaker and oncologist. After reading this book, you’ll see why cancer patients travel a distance to consult with her. She shares much wisdom in this book. I’ve also had the privilege of hearing her lecture several times. She is on the cutting edge of cancer.

I absolutely love this book. When I first picked it up, I’ll admit, I was skeptical. I know a lot about Energy Medicine, and I wasn’t sure what new information I’d learn. It turned out to be one of those books that you cannot put down. The author has an engaging and friendly voice, while also being an astute authority on her topic. Her stories draw you in and open your mind to the possibilities that there is so much more that we don’t know about how the body/mind/spirit works. But this book also allows you to experience her process and get a taste of the power you hold within yourself to accelerate healing.  

Originally published in 2002, the author took a revolutionary approach to burnout, suggesting that burnout could be an opportunity for making overdue changes rather than a reason to panic. Ignoring the warning signs of burnout, feeling exhausted, frustrated, empty, disconnected, spent, or cynical will ultimately lead to a state of collapse, but listening to the message of burnout and exploring life alternatives will enable you to make beneficial changes. One of the founders of Skyros Holistic Holidays in Greece, psychotherapist and imagework practitioner Glouberman promotes alternative ways of living and being that actively promote psychological health.

To say that Dr. Lincoln is eccentric understates the case. His interpretations of varied symptomologies can be truly harsh. Make sure you feel strong enough when you use him as a reference to push away what doesn’t resonate for you. His book is the one I return to over and over again because it meets at the crossroads of Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life (the original classic in the field, if a little glossed-over) and Taber’s Encyclopedic Medical Dictionary, both of which I also use. The point is this: human bodies are remarkable, first and foremost, because they don’t lie. They don’t lie because they can’t lie. When we learn to listen to our bodies, we are that much closer to health and healing.

Long before everyone and their mother knew about the gut microbiome and its impact on overall health and immunity, Velasquez-Manoff blew my mind with this impeccably researched book about the connections between specific “old friends”—microorganisms that had long been part of the human species’ inner ecosystems—and risk of developing autoimmune disease. Forget the fearmongering explanations you’ve seen on social media blaming GMOs, gluten, lectins, or the dietary demon du jour; this book has actual evidence-based answers to the question of why allergies and autoimmune diseases are on the rise.

The author is a journalist with a knack for storytelling and making complex science accessible—and he is also affected by multiple autoimmune diseases himself. His storytelling takes readers all over the world to different societies at different periods and introduces us to specific bacteria, worms, and viruses—“old friends”—whose erasure from our collective inner ecosystems seems to foretell a rise in the… show more.

I was drawn to this meticulously written book in part because the author is a professor of pharmacy and my father is a retired pharmacist. I found myself thoroughly enjoying, underlining, and learning from the wealth of insight into living with chronic illness. The author offers excellent tips for navigating relationships, the medical field, and evaluating treatment options. 

While this book (like mine) is written for readers of all faiths, I appreciated and related to the testimony in the final chapter in which the author discusses the importance of his Christian faith and how it has helped him find meaning and purpose through suffering.   

In this book, Bill Bauman merges the scientific and the spiritual, inviting us into a "round-trip" journey into what he calls the Quantum Void—the space between existence and non-existence, from which we can tap into our infinite creative power to dream and realize a greater potential of our human nature.

Bill Bauman is a visionary mystic whose journey began as a Catholic priest and expanded to include a psychologist, holistic health practitioner, spiritual healer and teacher, and world peace advocate. His simple style of writing makes quantum perspectives of reality accessible to all.