The best 24 Medicine & Natural Remedies books

1
Our Malady

Our Malady

Timothy Snyder
Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary
3.7 (183 ratings)

What's Our Malady about?

Our Malady (2020) explores why the American health care system not only fails to keep people healthy but also denies their freedom. It identifies the shortcomings of the present system, the dire ramifications, and why other countries don’t suffer the same fate.

Who should read Our Malady?

  • Truth-seeking Americans
  • Health-care personnel
  • The politically curious

2
The Sleep Solution

The Sleep Solution

W. Chris Winter
Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It
4.2 (366 ratings)

What's The Sleep Solution about?

The Sleep Solution (2017) discusses the fundamentals of sleeping. It explains why keeping a consistent rhythm and schedule is important, and how insomnia is not a lack of sleep, but rather a result of dealing poorly with substandard sleep. You’ll learn how to improve your sleeping patterns and, as a result, improve your quality of life.

Who should read The Sleep Solution?

  • People who suffer from insomnia
  • Stressed out workers who take sleeping pills to get some rest
  • Anyone who thinks getting a good night’s sleep isn’t that important

3
Cure

Cure

Jo Marchant
A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body
4.5 (95 ratings)

What's Cure about?

Cure (2016) is your guide to the healing power of the mind. These blinks explain the true depth of the placebo effect, how hypnosis can cure illnesses and explain the fascinating, scientifically-supported alternatives to the painkillers and surgeries so prominent in Western medicine.

Who should read Cure?

  • Anyone interested in the power of the mind
  • Patients who are tired of conventional treatments for their ailments
  • Health care professionals and students

4
Stealing Fire

Stealing Fire

Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal
How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work
3.9 (154 ratings)

What's Stealing Fire about?

Stealing Fire (2017) explores the controversial and exciting pursuit of altered states of consciousness. From tech entrepreneurs to BASE jumpers, meditators to festival-goers, it takes readers on a whirlwind tour of the revolutionary nonconformists trying to change the way they experience the world.

Who should read Stealing Fire?

  • Burning Man enthusiasts
  • Entrepreneurs curious about performance hacks
  • Psychology buffs interested in alternative therapies

5
Super Immunity

Super Immunity

Joel Fuhrman
The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body’s Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger and Disease Free
4.0 (228 ratings)

What's Super Immunity about?

Super Immunity (2011) reveals the secret to a better, stronger immune system and healthier body: superfoods. These blinks shed light on the shortcomings of modern medicine and teach you how to take advantage of the healing powers of plant foods rich in nutrients and phytochemicals.

Who should read Super Immunity?

  • People tired of suffering from colds and flu
  • Individuals interested in alternatives to antibiotics and prescription medicine
  • Anybody keen on boosting their health the natural way

6
Clean

Clean

Alejandro Junger and Amely Greeven
The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself
3.7 (94 ratings)

What's Clean about?

Clean (2009) puts our bodies and environment under the microscope. It reveals just how many toxins we’re constantly exposing ourselves to, which include dangerous toxins in our food and harmful emissions, coming from both indoors and out. Fortunately, we can detoxify. So find out what steps you need to take to rid your body of the unhealthy residue that is currently increasing your chances for all sorts of cancers and diseases.

Who should read Clean?

  • Tired and rundown people who need a boost
  • Health nuts who are always on the lookout for advice
  • People interested in alternative medicine

7
Deep Medicine

Deep Medicine

Eric Topol
How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again
4.5 (86 ratings)

What's Deep Medicine about?

Deep Medicine (2019) explores how artificial intelligence could dramatically reshape the health-care industry, from how illnesses are diagnosed to the ways patients are cared for. Our current experience of care is “shallow,” as overworked clinicians rush through patients without truly empathizing, listening, or being present. Artificial intelligence has the power to change this – and, perhaps paradoxically, to bring the human side back to medicine.

Who should read Deep Medicine?

  • Health-care professionals and students
  • Futurists interested in how AI may impact the health-care industry
  • Anyone who’s ever been frustrated by flaws in the medical care they’ve received

8
Genome

Genome

Matt Ridley
The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
4.3 (57 ratings)

What's Genome about?

Genome (2006, second edition) takes you on an exciting journey into your own body, exploring the genetic building blocks that make up not only who you are but also all life on earth. You’ll examine the basics of genetics and discover what genes influence, from aging to illness to even your own personality. Importantly, you’ll better understand why the future of healthcare and wellness may be found in the human genome.

Who should read Genome?

  • Students of biology or genetics
  • People curious about biological determinism vs. societal determinism
  • Anyone wondering how exactly genes work

9
A Crack in Creation

A Crack in Creation

Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H. Sternberg
Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution
4.7 (59 ratings)

What's A Crack in Creation about?

A Crack in Creation (2017) describes everything you need to know about CRISPR, a new technique to alter the genes of living organisms. These blinks explain the scientific details of gene editing, while also discussing its medical and ethical implications.

Who should read A Crack in Creation?

  • Biologists, chemists and natural scientists
  • Philosophers and ethicists who wonder about the implications of gene editing
  • Anyone interested in the future of medical science

10
The Vitamin Solution

The Vitamin Solution

Romy Block and Arielle Levitan
Two Doctors Clear the Confusion about Vitamins and Your Health
3.8 (50 ratings)

What's The Vitamin Solution about?

The Vitamin Solution (2015) offers a clear picture of the world of vitamins to help you determine whether you need them, why you might need them and what they can do to improve your everyday life. Cut through the clutter and confusion and find out which vitamins are essential for a healthy body and mind and how you can put yourself on the path to better living.

Who should read The Vitamin Solution?

  • Athletes looking to reach their body’s optimal performance
  • People suffering from fatigue, depression or insomnia
  • Medical practitioners interested in the benefits of commonly used vitamins

11
Do You Believe in Magic?

Do You Believe in Magic?

Paul A. Offit
Vitamins, Supplements, and All Things Natural: A Look Behind the Curtain
2.7 (50 ratings)

What's Do You Believe in Magic? about?

Do You Believe in Magic? (2013) uncovers the hidden truth behind the alternative medicine. With insightful research findings and revealing case studies, these blinks will make us rethink our beliefs about supposedly all-natural treatments, and their less than healing side effects.

Who should read Do You Believe in Magic??

  • People who take vitamins and supplements daily
  • Patients who are discontented with conventional medicine and are considering alternatives
  • Fans wondering about the latest miraculous remedy recommended by their favorite movie star

12
The Patient Will See You Now

The Patient Will See You Now

Eric Topol
The Future of Medicine is in Your Hands
4.1 (40 ratings)

What's The Patient Will See You Now about?

The medical world is on the brink of a revolution thanks to new and future technology like Big Data health maps and bacteria scanners that can attach to smartphones. Power is shifting from the doctor to the patient, and self-treatment and self-diagnoses are becoming unprecedentedly powerful. The Patient Will See You Now (2015) outlines these changes and what they mean for both you and the healthcare world.

Who should read The Patient Will See You Now?

  • Medical students
  • People who suffer from a chronic disease
  • Anyone curious about the future of medicine

13
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Izabella Wentz
Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause
4.4 (33 ratings)

What's Hashimoto's Thyroiditis about?

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (2013) is a guide to healing the body through lifestyle interventions. Wentz offers practical suggestions for people with Hashimoto’s, including recommendations for tests and dietary changes, so they can get on the right track toward feeling better.

Who should read Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?

  • Hashimoto’s patients looking for new treatments
  • People whose loved ones have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s
  • Anyone interested in diet and gut health

14
The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth

The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth

Thomas Morris
And Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine
3.6 (52 ratings)

What's The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth about?

The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth (2018) charts some of the most interesting and unpredictable events in the emergence of modern medicine. From tragic operations to bizarre cures, these blinks explore a history of medicine that most doctors would prefer to ignore.

Who should read The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth?

  • Medical workers interested in the hidden history of medicine
  • Science buffs keen to discover some of history’s wackiest medical theories
  • History nerds interested in a fascinating historical niche

15
Missing Microbes

Missing Microbes

Martin Blaser
How the Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plagues
4.2 (33 ratings)

What's Missing Microbes about?

Missing Microbes (2014) explores the strange and microscopic world inside your guts. It sheds light on the crucial role played by microbes – tiny creatures that keep your body happy and healthy – and explains the dangers of overusing antibiotics.

Who should read Missing Microbes?

  • People curious about the dangers of antibiotics
  • Parents concerned about their children’s health
  • Readers interested in medicine and health

16
Napoleon’s Buttons

Napoleon’s Buttons

Penny LeCouter & Jay Burreson
How 17 Molecules Changed History
4.4 (51 ratings)

What's Napoleon’s Buttons about?

Napoleon’s Buttons (2004) is all about the molecules that have guided the course of human history in the unlikeliest of ways. These blinks explore how major geopolitical and social changes can be traced back to the simple bonding of atoms in a molecule.

Who should read Napoleon’s Buttons?

  • People interested in the history of chemistry
  • Students of history who want a different perspective on world events
  • Anyone who’s intrigued by the ways everyday objects have changed world history

17
Chasing the Sun

Chasing the Sun

Linda Geddes
The New Science of Sunlight and How it Shapes Our Bodies and Minds
4.3 (92 ratings)

What's Chasing the Sun about?

Chasing the Sun (2019) delivers a fascinating account of the sun’s influence on our day-to-day lives. Throughout history, humans have worshipped the sun and touted its restorative, healing properties. As author Linda Geddes explains, science clearly shows that the sun is one of the most important elements of our health and well-being.

Who should read Chasing the Sun?

  • Science geeks
  • Winter blues sufferers
  • Healthy lifestyle seekers

18
An American Sickness

An American Sickness

Elisabeth Rosenthal
How Health Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back
4.3 (38 ratings)

What's An American Sickness about?

An American Sickness (2017) takes an honest look at the state of the American health-care system and frankly diagnoses its many ailments. When big business started taking over what were once charitable organizations, things began to go truly wrong. Rosenthal presents valuable information on how to reduce health-care bills and not get taken for a ride by greedy hospitals and over-prescribing doctors.

Who should read An American Sickness?

  • Americans, both healthy and sick
  • Workers in the health-care and insurance industry
  • Readers who want to save money

19
Extra Life

Extra Life

Steven Johnson
A Short History of Living Longer
4.4 (56 ratings)

What's Extra Life about?

Extra Life (2021) looks at some of the breakthroughs that allowed the global human life expectancy to double in just one hundred years. From seat belts to explosives, from Ireland to Constantinople, it’s an account as gripping as it is wide-ranging.

Who should read Extra Life?

  • History buffs interested in lesser-known tales from times past 
  • Medical nerds fascinated by the history of human health
  • Humanitarians who want to learn from past progress

20
Stem Cells

Stem Cells

Jonathan Slack
A Very Short Introduction
4.4 (215 ratings)

What's Stem Cells about?

Stem Cells (2021) provides an introduction to stem cells – how they’re used by scientists, the therapies that exist today, and what the near future holds. It focuses on the medical and scientific consideration of stem cells and only briefly considers ethical, political, and legal aspects. This “very short introduction” is part of a series of over 650 short introductions covering myriad subjects in every discipline.

Who should read Stem Cells?

  • Biology buffs
  • Stem cell therapy skeptics and miracle-cure seekers
  • Politicians and businesspeople interested in the future of stem cell applications

21
Bad Pharma

Bad Pharma

Ben Goldacre
How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients
4.2 (37 ratings)

What's Bad Pharma about?

Bad Pharma reveals the shocking truths of the pharmaceutical industry, describing in great detail the ways in which it deceives doctors and patients, and even circumvents standard ethical medical practices, all in pursuit of profits.

Who should read Bad Pharma?

  • Any medical doctor or patient
  • Anyone who wants to learn more about the pharmaceutical industry
  • Anyone who takes medication regularly

22
Nine Pints

Nine Pints

Rose George
A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood
4.4 (38 ratings)

What's Nine Pints about?

Nine Pints (2018) explores the rich but neglected story of blood. Taking a panoramic view and approaching the subject from multiple angles, Rose George looks into the science of blood and details some of the institutions, businesses and taboos that have arisen around this vital fluid.

Who should read Nine Pints?

  • Armchair doctors fascinated by medical science
  • Anyone not clued up on the brilliance of blood
  • Squeamish souls who need to face their fears

23
Ask Me About My Uterus

Ask Me About My Uterus

Abby Norman
A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women's Pain
4.8 (22 ratings)

What's Ask Me About My Uterus about?

Ask Me About My Uterus (2018) explores one woman’s struggle with endometriosis. Shining a light on the devastating impact of this little-understood disease, these blinks also explore the sexism of the healthcare industry, which often compounds patients’ suffering. Drawing on personal experience and delving into scientific research, Ask Me About My Uterus explores the painful intersection of sickness and inequality.

Who should read Ask Me About My Uterus?

  • Women suffering from endometriosis
  • Healthcare professionals seeking a fresh perspective
  • Feminists looking for new insights

24
Vaxxers

Vaxxers

Sarah Gilbert and Catherine Green
The Inside Story of the Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine and the Race Against the Virus
4.3 (146 ratings)

What's Vaxxers about?

Vaxxers (2021) follows the race to develop a functional vaccine to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Professor Sarah Gilbert and Dr. Catherine Green, of the University of Oxford, deliver captivating and informative insight into the process of designing, testing, and manufacturing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in record time. They recount exciting moments of innovation, as well as the hurdles faced along the way.

Who should read Vaxxers?

  • Anyone fascinated by vaccine development
  • Public health enthusiasts 
  • Futurists looking to prepare for the next big pandemic

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