If you are truly interested in learning about holistic health, you'll want to be careful about choosing alternative medicine books. One major consideration is the book's authorship, making review of the author's qualifications and credentials extremely important. You may also want to do online research on the book and look into other reviews, particularly those written by health care professionals and scientists. If you are interested in learning about specific complementary and alternative therapies, you'll want to find a book that addresses these specific treatments. On the other hand, if you are unfamiliar with integrative medicine, you may wish to investigate alternative medicine books that address a broad spectrum of alternative health options.
When evaluating alternative medicine books, pay attention to the author of the book. In some cases, the authors may have little or no experience in health care and may not have legitimate educational credentials. If an author claims to have a postgraduate degree, for example, it's a good idea to do some research on the school from which he or she received the degree. An author may claim to hold a degree from a school that is not accredited. If you find this to be the case, you may wish to treat the author's claims with some suspicion. If the author claims expertise in a particular modality, such as body work or aromatherapy, find out whether the author holds the appropriate certification credentials in that area.
Look up reviews of alternative medicine books online. While there are certainly some bloggers and commentators to dismiss anything written about complementary and alternative medicine out of hand, other, more thoughtful writers may offer you a solid, unbiased perspective on the value of a particular book. In addition to factual accuracy, you may want to pay attention to what reviewers have to say about the book's readability, illustrations, and overall quality.
If you are just learning about alternative health, you may wish to start by reading one of the many alternative medicine books offering a broad overview of the many different types of holistic health treatments on the market. These are often found in public libraries, major bookstores, or even in the offices of alternative medicine practitioners. On the other hand, if you are interested in learning about specific areas of alternative medicine, you may wish to visit the websites of professional organizations for people who practice that particular modality. These websites may offer a reading list to visitors, or you can directly contact the organization to ask for recommendations.