4 out of 4 stars
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Arthritis: The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me chronicles the healing journey of author Phil Escott, who was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2010. After being told that his joints would "never be normal again," Mr. Escott defied the odds and cured his condition through researching and applying a myriad of medical and spiritual healing practices. Mr. Escott has written this book not only to share his story, but to help others who may be suffering.
As someone who is afflicted with osteoarthritis, I jumped at the chance to read this book. I have certainly never thought of arthritis as a blessing, and I was curious to learn how the author came to such an unusual conclusion. I am glad to say that this was an informative book that got me interested in learning about non-traditional ways to approach my condition.
The book is divided into three parts. The first portion contains information about the author's personal life and diagnosis, the second part focuses on the dietary and lifestyle techniques that helped Mr. Escott overcome his illness, and the third portion discusses the importance of spirituality to the healing process. The book is well written and easy to understand. Mr. Escott speaks authoritatively on the subject matter, but maintains a humble attitude and exudes genuine concern for his audience.
As already implied, the information within this book falls well outside the realm of conventional medicine. I don't want to go into too much detail for fear of including spoilers, but I can say that there is a heavy emphasis on the importance of diet, and quite a bit of discussion on popular dietary approaches, including veganism and the Paleo diet. There is also discussion about the many aspects of modern life that can have adverse health consequences, and how to mitigate them.
Throughout the book, Mr. Escott mentions the books, websites, and individual experts from whom he gleaned his information. There is no formal bibliography, which could turn some readers off, but I commend the author for consistently providing his sources within the chapters of the book. Although this strategy may not fly with traditionalists, the reader is still given the opportunity to fact check the book if he or she so desires. I have reviewed two other books that discussed self-healing, and this has been the first one that provided concrete sources to back up its claims.
In conclusion, I found Arthritis: The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me to be a worthwhile read, and I give it 4 out of 4 stars for its quality writing and helpful intent. I would recommend this book to anyone suffering from a chronic physical ailment, as well as those with an interest in healthy living. I do have one minor warning, though: the chapters that cover spirituality discuss Eastern religious practices, so those who are uncomfortable reading about beliefs that clash with their own may want to skip this portion of the book. I would encourage those readers to still read the first two parts, however, because the information is quite helpful.
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ARTHRITIS - The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.: Healing The Pain Of Psoriatic And Rheumatoid Arthritis And How Autoimmu
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It's great that the author consistently provided sources for the information, since that's often not the case in indie self-help books..
