The Clay Disciples

Cano Graham is among the foremost activists and authorities in the United States concerning the ancient art of Clay Therapy (Pelotherapy). The very soul of his book is the unimaginable healing spectrum, both internally and externally, of modern clay therapy. This healing phenomenon moves through dozens of inspiring human-interest tales, beginning in 1987 with Mr. Graham's odyssey of building the original Crystal Cross Therapeutic Clay Center in Tecopa Hot Springs, California. In Tecopa, the loveable old-timers exposed him to an "amazin' healing' mud," and his life was forever altered. Cano delights in treating the reader to a wild ride through the lives and times of those people destined to become his feature stories. For five wonderful, explosive years, he submerged himself in the rugged beauty of the Mohave Desert near Death Valley to create one of the largest pure therapeutic clay facilities in the United States. The reader is aware early on that this enigmatic author, who is on hiatus from a productive acting career, has an active interest in medical issues. But an ominous conflict surfaces when Cano is indicted and sent to Federal Prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute drugs and launder money. Cano's journey continues with fascinating stories from Federal Prison when he smuggles the clay inside and covertly uses it to treat inmates with afflictions mainstream medicine does not handle well. The Clay Disciples, written during his eleven years behind the razor wire of Federal Prison, is his semi-autobiographical reflection and represents fifteen years of hands-on experience with clay. Cano Graham has been described as an eccentric activist because of his fervent lobbying to have the regal cause of clay therapy accepted universally as a centerpiece of 21st century alternative medicine. The reader will sense between the lines a whisper of love and respect for all humanity, made audible through this unusual book's inspiring affirmation of life. Indeed, that is the essence and genesis of The Clay Disciples.