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Books that
help
Here is a list
of books that I have found to be fantastically helpful.The first nine
books are the books that had a dramatic and life-changing effect on
me as I read them. Most of these I read in the first year after diagnosis
in my quest for well-being and a better way to live.
Click
on the book title to see more information. Use the Back button on
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- Head
First, Norman Cousins
- Anatomy
of an Illness, Norman Cousins
- Getting
Well Again, Carl O. Simonton and Stephanie Simonton
- Quest
for Life, Petrea King
- You
Can Fight for Your Life, Lawrence LeShan, 1976
- Cancer
as a Turning Point, Lawrence LeShan
- The
Relaxation Response, Herbert Benson
- Feel
the Fear and Do It Anyway, Suzanne Jeffreys
- The
Bristol Programme, Penny Brohn, London, 1987.
- Minding
the Body, Mending the Mind, Joan Borysenko, 1987.
- What
to do when they say 'It's Cancer' - A survivor's guide,
Joel Nathan, Allen & Unwin, 1998 (reviewed)
- My Left Breast, Barbara Joss with Libby Harkness, Sydney, 1999.
Some other great
books are:
- The
Road Less Travelled, M. Scott Peck, Arrow Books, London, 1978.
- Living,
Loving & Healing, Bernie Siegel, 1993 and other books by
Bernie Siegel such as Love, Medicine & Miracles.
- Peace
of Mind, Ian Gawler
This
book sounds great but I haven't read it yet:
There is a high
correlation between depression and physical illness. Depression reduces
the ability of our immune system to deal with invaders such as cancer
cells. A great book about depression and how to inoculate your children
(and yourself) against depression:
- The
Optimistic Child, Martin E.P. Seligman, Random House Australia,
1995.
A book everyone
should read about Men:
- Manhood
(Second Edition), Steve Biddulph, Finch Publishing, Sydney, 1995.
Top
Detailed
Descriptions
Head
First, Norman Cousins
An
amazing book which is a "bible" of self-help in the face
of life-threatening illness. Has been out of print but a new edition
has recently been released.
Anatomy
of an Illness, Norman Cousins
A
detailed description of Norman Cousins' battle with a terminal, degenerative,
life-threatening illness and how he took control of his treatment
and went on to recover fully. He used laughter (playing funny movies)
as a pain-relief strategy and was able to significantly reduce his
need for analgesics. Has an excellent chapter on surviving the hospital
system which should be compulsory reading.
Getting
Well Again, Carl O. Simonton and Stephanie Simonton,
Bantam Books, New York, 1978.
This
should be one of the first books you read. It's an excellent
starting point for newly diagnosed cancer patients who want to know
how to help themselves become well. It's a foundational work in that
it was one of the earliest books to explore the mind-body relationship
and its role in disease and well-being from a Western Medicine/scientific
point of view. Easy to read.
Quest
for Life, Petrea King.
Petrea is an internationally
recognised authority on well-being and cancer survival. She has established
a retreat centre called the "Petrea King Quest for Life Centre"
at Bundanoon in the Southern Highlands, south of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Quest for Life is an easy-read storehouse overflowing with
information about the experience of having and surviving cancer and
its treatment. From a brochure published about Petrea:
Petrea's experience
comes from her own struggles with leukaemia in 1983 and her work
since then as a counsellor and naturopath. She has helped thousands
of people with life-threatening illnesses find practical strategies
for self-healing through diet, meditation and visualisation techniques,
lifestyle choices, resolving anger, finding and extending forgiveness,
communication within families, support groups and more.
Quest for
Life is chock-full of wisdom and hope for cancer patients and
families.
You
Can Fight for Your Life, Lawrence LeShan, 1976.
Cancer as a Turning Point, Lawrence LeShan.
Lawrence LeShan
is an American psychotherapist who for many years worked exclusively
with cancer patients who had exhausted all avenues of medical treatment.
He worked with his patients to help them find reasons for
living and, in the process, had an extraordinary number of
patients who experienced complete remission and others who survived
long beyond expectations. He emphasises the importance of quality
of life over quantity of life.
His books are
easily read and contain many stories about patients who, just like
us, struggle with the threat of cancer and its impact on their lives.
Our bodies respond to hope and meaning with wellness as we walk the
road of self-discovery in our quest for a full, rich life. These books
are a rich source of example and wisdom.
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