Books (March 2008)

Maggie Phillips. Reversing Chronic Pain: A 10-point all-natural plan for lasting relief, Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books 2007.  228 pp.  Refs. 4 pp  Notes 15 pp. $17.95

Maggie Phillips has gathered an excellent assortment of methods for dealing with pain. These include breathing exercises; sorting out feelings about pain; relaxation; imagery; mindfulness; bioenergy approaches; movement; pendulating (alternating between constriction and expansion); love; and building on success. Each section has discussions, case examples, helpful exercises, notes and references.

Phillips’ approach is very straightforward and practical, acknowledging that no single method is suitable for every person or every pain. This is an excellent book both for those needing help with pain relief and for therapists who want to learn diverse methods for dealing with pain.

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.  New York: Harper Collins, 1993 167 pp.  $13.95  

The Alchemist is Paulo Coelho’s second book and one of numerous bestsellers.  When Coelho was a young man, he traveled Latin America seeking spiritual experiences in the footsteps of the legendary Carlos Castaneda.  The book centers on the main character, Santiago, discovering how to have faith and courage while confronting obstacles on the path of following his heart.  The search for worldly goods turns into Santiago’s discovery of his personal inner treasure and the transforming power of dreams. 

Coelho suggests that people experience four obstacles when pursuing their personal dreams: 1) learning that nothing is impossible; 2) knowing what to do and following that knowing despite what others who love us might say; 3) fear of failure along the way; and 4) having a sense of guilt that we have achieved our dreams when others have not.  The story of the Alchemist is centered on these four obstacles of Santiago, as he struggles to listen to his heart while pursuing his personal dream.  
 (See more in IJHC, January 2008)