Pick an ailment--any ailment--and chances are, Bill Gottlieb can succinctly crystallize the problem, propose its root cause, and describe a handful of nonmedical remedies for treatment. Creator and supervising editor of the bestselling Doctors Book of Home Remedies, this 25-year veteran of the health field draws from more than 300 alternative care practitioners (including holistic nutritionists, licensed acupuncturists, massage therapists, and the occasional swami) to present a thick textbook worthy of gracing the reference shelf of any family or health provider. Serious physical ailments like asthma, HIV and AIDS, stroke, and cancer receive equal attention with pesky afflictions like oily hair, acne, nightmares, and wrinkles. Mental health ailments, such as guilt, anxiety, grief, and shyness, also get their due. Gottlieb's stance is not that individuals should shun their primary care physicians to rely solely on herbs, better nutrition, and other alternative paths. Rather, he seeks to educate readers on the biological effects of such practices and tinctures, to share their documented benefits in helpful detail. Each ailment receives a sidebar titled "Guide to Professional Care," in which Gottlieb outlines symptoms that warrant immediate medical attention. Other sidebars highlight especially helpful treatment--from aromatherapy to meditation--for various troubles. Gottlieb provides an section on alternative healing where he elaborates on the process, benefits, and safety of each general treatment referred to in the book (from acupuncture to yoga therapy). Complete information, an engaging writing style, and visually appealing graphics make this encyclopedia-style book very easy to digest. --Liane Thomas