The Magic of Touch/Revolutionary Ways to Use Your Most Powerful Sense (New Ways to Health)

Self-Help, Health, Psychology

Cohen (coauthor of Diabetes, etc.) explores the sense of touch and its role in emotional and physical health, and introduces the reader to a gamut of touch-healing methods: therapeutic touch, rolfing, reflexology, acupuncture, reiki, shiatsu, the Alexander and Feldenkrais techniques, the Chinese and reichian massage methods, etc. She explains when particular therapies should be employed or avoided (a Swedish massage is recommended for fatigue and insomnia but not for pregnant women around the abdominal area), and presents pros and cons of the various procedures ("On the subject of faith healing, I'm fascinated but largely unconvinced"). Although she advocates "people touch" too insistently ("Touch your doctor, your lawyer, your editor, your typist"), thelively style and abundance of anthropological and medical evidence should sway touch-inhibited or skeptical readers. There is a list of touch-therapy clinics and associations, but the lack of illustrations detracts from the book's impact.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A popular look at the uses of touch, covering the history of healing by touch, a guide to therapeutic modalities (shiatsu, chiropractic, Feldenkrais, laying on of hands, etc.) and touch for power and communication. Few would debate Cohen's thesis that most people need to be touched more often. But her gushing style, superficial treatment, and cloudy thinking make for tedious, pop magazine reading. A disappointing first entry for this new series; libraries would do better to acquire the books of the series' advisory board members Andrew Weil, Dolores Krieger, Richard Grossman, and Lawrence LeShan. For a knowledgeable popular treatment of the major therapies, see Carl Lowe and Jim Nechas, Whole Body Healing ( LJ 2/15/83). Judith Eannarino, George Washington Univ. Lib., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.