The complementary and alternative medicine information source book /

In this new work, Rees (emer., library and information science, Case Western Reserve Univ.) accomplishes the formidable goal of compiling information about alternative medicine resources. Designed to be a supplement to Consumer Health Information Source Book (6th ed., 2000; 5th ed., CH, Jul'98), this work compiles and ranks all imaginable sources of information on alternative medicine. The book does not endorse or discourage alternative medicine but serves only to rank the quality of the information resources about it. Resources are divided by media into popular books, professional books, popular magazines and newsletters, professional journals and newsletters, Web sites, and CD-ROMs. There is a listing of alternative medicine resource organizations and a listing of available pamphlets. Popular books are listed by topic, and each book includes publisher information and price, as well as an informative synopsis. An exceptional resource for anyone interested in finding the best sources of information concerning any aspect of alternative health care. All levels. J. A. Brown Education America

Intended as a supplement to Rees' Consumer Health Information Source Book [RBB My 1 00], this text provides a thorough listing of resources pertaining to alternative medicine. The topics range from acupuncture to herbal medicine, from reflexology to ayurvedic medicine, all presented in a nonjudgmental manner. The book is divided into 12 sections, beginning with a discussion of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) terminology and background. Among the sections that follow are a list of contact information for several hundred CAM associations and individual sections rating magazines and newsletters, pamphlet materials, professional literature, CD-ROMs, sources on the Internet, and books. Rees rates the resources based on a list of criteria including authority, credibility, comprehensiveness, readability, ease of use, and identification of further sources of information. There are 350 books rated, and most are current, having been published in the last three years. The "best" sources from all of the formats are compiled in Section 2. Rees' text is more current and covers more resources and a wider variety of formats than other works, including Alternative Medicine Resource Guide (Scarecrow, 1997). This publication is a useful guide both for librarians building a collection and for patrons looking for CAM materials.