A New York Post Best Book of 2016 A New York Magazine Best Science Book of 2016A Mindful.org Top 10 Mindful Book of 2016 A Sunday Times Book of the Year An Economist Book of the Year A Spirituality & Health Best Mind/Body Book of 2016 “Ms. Marchant writes well, which is never a guarantee in this genre… Second, [she] has chosen very moving characters to show us the importance of the research… and she has an equal flair for finding inspirational figures… the studies are irresistible, and they come in an almost infinite variety.” —New York Times “Cure is a cautious, scrupulous investigation of how the brain can help heal our bodies. It is also an important look at the flip side of this coin, which is how brains damaged by stress may make bodies succumb to physical illness or accelerated aging…Cure points a way toward a future in which the two camps [mainstream medicine and alternative therapies] might work together. After all, any medicine that makes a patient better, whether conventional, alternative, or placebo, is simply medicine.” —Wall Street Journal “A well-researched page-turner… raises questions about the role of culture, environment and neurochemistry in our responses to treatment—and may very well lead to widespread changes in the ways we practice medicine.” —Susannah Cahalan, New York Post “Cure is for anyone interested in a readable overview of recent findings in mind-body phenomena, a reliably enthralling topic… A rewarding read that seeks to separate the wishful and emotion-driven from the scientifically tested.”—Washington Post “Research-heavy but never dull, this revelatory work about the mind-body connection explains how the brain can affect physical healing.”—Entertainment Weekly “Marchant is a skeptical, evidence-based reporter—one with a background in microbiology, no less—which makes for a fascinating juxtaposition against some of the alternative treatments she discusses.”—New York Magazine "A thought-provoking exploration of how the mind can affect the body and can be harnessed to help treat physical illness."—Economist “In a wide-ranging and compelling new book, science journalist Jo Marchant explores whether the mind can heal the body… With lively, clear prose, Marchant surveys the evidence for the mind-body connection.” —Science News “Fascinating and thought-provoking. Marchant has travelled extensively around Europe and the US, talking to health workers and ordinary folk, to produce this meticulously researched book… Cure is a much-needed counter to a reductionist medical culture that ignores anything that doesn’t show up in a scan… [it] should be compulsory reading for all young doctors.” — New Scientist “A revved-up, research-packed explication of the use of mind in medicine, from meditation to guided visualisation. Marchant’s nimble reportage on the work of scientists in novel fields such as psychoneuroimmunology and her discussion of placebos are as fresh as her reminders of how stress and poverty affect wellbeing are timely."— Nature “Could my belief that I’m going to feel better in itself heal me? It’s a fascinating question, and one that British author Jo Marchant takes on with aplomb in her new book, Cure .”—Spirituality & Health “Writing with simplicity, clarity and style, and covering an enormous range of material, [Marchant] surveys with grace what we think we know, and what we would like to know, about the mysterious and troubling relationship between our minds and our bodies… [She] is level-headed, always with one foot planted in the worlds of science and reason. Though open-minded, she is rigorous, her gently skeptical tone reassures, and she gracefully skewers quackery.”— The Guardian “Thought-provoking… This new generation of evidence-based mind-body researchers has produced some remarkable findings, which Marchant analyses with elegance and lucidity."—Times Literary Supplement “Jo Marchant makes her case so cogently that it is hard to disagree [with her]… The author has a gift for writing that is both clear and vivid, and communicates complex ideas in a way that is comprehensible and uncondescending… This is surely an area of medicine whose time has come.”—The Independent "A diligent and useful work that makes the case for 'holistic' medicine while warning against the snake-oil salesmen who have annexed that word for profit."—Sunday Times “This is an important book, and one that will challenge those dismissive of efforts to investigate how our thoughts, emotions and beliefs might directly influence our physical wellbeing… The evolving science explored in Cure is intriguing and trailblazing, and Marchant's account of its pursuit is often gripping… There's a lot to this impressive book, and it has the potential to have the same dramatic impact on our understanding of our self as Norman Doidge's blockbuster, The Brain that Changes Itself .” — Sydney Morning Herald "Marchant explores the possibilities of psychology-based approaches to improving physical well-being in this open-minded, evidence-based account… A powerful and critically needed conceptual bridge for those who are frustrated with pseudoscientific explanations of alternative therapies but intrigued by the mind’s potential power to both cause and treat chronic, stress-related conditions." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A balanced, informative review of a controversial subject." —Kirkus Reviews "Cure represents a journey in the best sense of the word: a vivid, compassionate, generous exploration of the role of the human mind in both health and illness. Drawing on her training as a scientist and a science writer, Marchant meticulously investigates both promising and improbable theories of the mind’s ability to heal the body. The result is to illuminate a fascinating approach to medicine, full of human detail, integrity, and ultimately, hope.” —Deborah Blum , author of The Poisoner’s Handbook and Love at Goon Park “This is popular science writing at its very best. Cure beautifully describes the cutting-edge research going on in the fascinating—and until now, often unexplored—area of mind-body medicine. I would recommend this book to anybody who has a mind and a body.” —Henry Marsh , author of Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery
Two things separate Cure from other books of this type. First, Ms. Marchant writes well, which is never a guarantee in this genre; you often must make a choice between authors who understand science but can't write, and authors who can write but don't understand science. Second, Ms. Marchant has chosen very moving characters to show us the importance of the research she discusseswe forget that those who turn to alternative medicine are often people in extremisand she possesses an equal flair for finding inspirational figures.
The New York Times - Jennifer Senior
★ 11/30/2015 British science writer Marchant (Decoding the Heavens) explores the possibilities of psychology-based approaches to improving physical well-being in this open-minded, evidence-based account. She connects readers with practitioners who are meticulously demonstrating real physiological and perceptual effects of psychotherapeutic treatments, particularly for problems for which traditional medical solutions are unavailable or problematic. Despite the incompatibility of these practices with the scientific gold standard of double-blind testing, Marchant does her best to identify the science underlying them and cite repeatedly demonstrated results. Going beyond the placebo effect, Marchant looks at successes with “honest placebos,” physiological operant conditioning, hypnosis, virtual reality, meditation, and continuous compassionate care in providing real relief in pain reduction, improved physical outcomes, and patient satisfaction. The idea of the brain as “central governor” offers a possible framework for improving functional disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and depression by recalibrating the relationship between mind and body. It also appeals to patients who are weary of unhelpful medical interventions and dismissive accusations of hypochondria. Marchant has developed a powerful and critically needed conceptual bridge for those who are frustrated with pseudoscientific explanations of alternative therapies but intrigued by the mind’s potential power to both cause and treat chronic, stress-related conditions. Agent: Karolina Sutton, Curtis Brown (U.K.). (Jan.)
★ 02/01/2016 The mind and the body are interconnected, but, until recently, scientists have ignored the importance of this link, viewing the latter as an entity that operates on its own with little input from the brain. Once scientists and medical professionals accepted the damaging effects of stress and anxiety on physical health, they began to treat these conditions as aspects of illness, but the idea of using the mind to help heal remained in the realm of unorthodox gurus considered to be quacks. Award-winning science writer Marchant, a PhD in genetics, explores the work of researchers studying the role of the mind in health and healing and discovers compelling information. She traveled the world and interviewed scientists, physicians, alternative medicine practitioners, and patients to learn more about the mind-body relationship and found that, in many cases, it can assist to ease discomfort, boost the immune system, and aid recovery. While it has limitations, incorporating nontraditional techniques in medical treatment gives patients hope and offers them some control over the process. VERDICT This excellent book looks at alternative therapies objectively and provides readers a glimpse at fascinating research.—Barbara Bibel, formerly Oakland P.L.
2015-11-11 Marchant (The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut's Mummy, 2013 etc.) explores how traditional and alternative medicine overlap. As a science journalist and former editor at New Scientist, the author is uncompromising in her commitment to the scientific method and the necessity of rigorous trials to determine the efficacy of medical treatment. In answer to the question of whether "by harnessing the power of the mind, alternative treatments can offer something that conventional medicine has missed," she finds the role of the mind to be central to both. A significant element related to this question is the placebo effect. When new therapies are being tested, subjects are divided into two groups, only one of which is given the treatment. "To avoid individual biases when testing new therapies, neither doctors nor patients know what treatment is being given," writes the author. "The results are analyzed using rigorous statistical techniques" in order to eliminate the element of suggestibility from the results. Marchant turns this idea on its head. Her aim is to explore curative effects of placebos themselves as a clue to the relationship between the brain and the body's immune system. Despite the fact that placebo effects are subjective, they are "underpinned by measurable, physical changes in the brain and body." This relationship is especially relevant to the treatment of autoimmune diseases, problems that may arise with organ transplants, and the nature of controversial diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome. It also offers clues to understanding why nontraditional medical treatments may prove effective. Marchant explores a number of nontraditional therapies such as the use of hypnosis, visualization, and mindfulness meditation to deal with chronic pain and stress-related diseases. However, she is not optimistic that a revolution of medicine is in the offing—drug companies are too influential in shaping research—despite the promise of these approaches in dealing with medical and psychological issues. A balanced, informative review of a controversial subject.