A wonderful reference book to have for those who are looking for cancer treatments other than surgery, chemotherapy and radiation for themselves or for their loved ones.

I have had cancer and was fortunate enough to have my right kidney removed by surgery without the need for any chemotherapy or radiation. By the time I had any symptom, I had a tumor half the size of the kidney. Conventional medicine is excellent for surgery, emergency and trauma. But it is sorely lacking, and sometimes harmful, for treating illness and disease. Conventional doctors only know 3 treatments for cancer: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The latter two treatments destroy the immune system while attempting to destroy the cancer. This book gave me a totally new perspective. Instead of the conventional medical model of attacking the symptoms and trying to remove individual cancer cells, it seems the proper thinking about cancer is that you need to build your own immune system to fight it. It is a disease that will return unless you build your body's immune system to control it! Destroying the immune system while destroying the cancer will not work. It is one's own immune system that will fight the cancer to give one a future. With this book and its extensive content, I have developed a 3 point plan: 1) Prevention - build my immune system, this book gives me ideas to develop a plan; 2) Diagnostics - this book shows there are a multitude of diagnostic methods that conventional doctors don't even use, some of which will detect cancer up to 19 months before conventional diagnostics (X-ray, CAT scan) will, many are very simple and relatively inexpensive ($100-$200) - why aren't these used???; 3) Treatments - with this book, I have studied and prepared myself with the knowledge ahead of time of what I would investigate and use for alternative treatments should my cancer return.

This book, writtin in easily understood layman's language lays out the alternative treatments of more than 20 doctors. This information proved to be a life saver for me when my lymphoma recurred following chemotherapy. This book gave me the information I needed to get the treatment to solve my problem rather than diddle with the symptoms. The bottom line message is "YOU DONT HAVE TO DIE FROM CANCER"

In the past, Dr. Diamond has on the whole confined himself to one major area of interest in each of his books. In the Life Energy in Music series he focuses on various aspects of music, The Healer: Heart and Hearth is concerned mainly with the role of the therapist or healer, Re-Mothering and its Experience examines the importance of our relationships with our mothers, and so on. In Facets of a Diamond, however, Dr. Diamond draws together all the aspects of his life and the experiences that make him the therapist that he is. But, more than being just an auto-biography, this book introduces us to the possibility that we are all therapists, whatever our profession or station in life. After reading this book I felt inspired to consider how my choices and decisions are determining the pattern of my own life, and how I can best develop and manifest my own philosophy day by day.

I think that this is one of the most remarkable traits of Dr. Diamond's writing: that, instead of claiming to have found the one true path to enlightenment, he presents his own ideas and thought in such a way as to be a springboard for the reader's.

Dr. Diamond has written a book which covers a wide range of the areas to which he has turned his attention over many years. His work is indeed multifaceted and beneficial to both specialist readers from a range of disciplines as well as the general reader looking for further insight into his/her life. One of the most intriguing aspects of Dr. Diamond's writing is his focus on how insights and information are presented. His intention is to make the writing itself therapeutic and this intention, and its effect on the individual, is obvious and immediate as one dips into this book. Dr. Diamond writes with intensity and enthusaism as well as humour and compassion. This is truly a book which approaches healing and health holistically and with real concern for the sufferings, physical or psychological, more or less obvious, of others.

I find this book a great inspiration - worth returning to repeatedly to stimulate my thoughts and uplift my spirit. It is as truly "multi-faceted" as its title implies - a reflection of the many-faceted author, Dr. John Diamond. In it, I find parts that apply to my personal, professional, artistic and inner lives. I can open it to any section and find a gem - and then I find myself engrossed by the wonderful stories, quotations, poems and aphorisms. It is full of humor and heart. I highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, while I'm writing this, John Diamond has already died--a couple of months ago, actually, after a long & exhausting 4-year fight with cancer. I should probably not use the word "fight" though--one of the basic things that the author stresses in this book is that dealing with cancer is not a fight in any way: it's living with the circumstances that you're dealt with, & since you really have no choice, you can't be considered a brave person. Still, after finishing this book, I would have to (partly) disagree with J.Diamond. Humour can be a great weapon & also a very brave behaviour. And John Diamond never lost his sense of humour, up until the very end. At least that's what I felt while I was reading the book: that I was listening to a brilliant, down-to-earth, realistic & yet hopeful person talk about his experience. How cancer affected him, his everyday life, his thoughts, his feelings, & how it affected his family life, too.

John Diamond, in this book, does fight but in a different way: he fights alternative medicine that doesn't have a basis in scientific research. He uses lots of well thought out arguments & makes a case in favour of orthodox medicine & the treatments it offers. John Diamond also gives new meaning to the phrase "living life from day to day", not in any new-agey kind of way, but just through the belief that life has a lot to give even when this disease is taking away so much.

"Because cowards get cancer too" has been a very interesting read for me. An intelligent, informative, full of details book about living with cancer. But also a funny (sometimes out-loud funny) read that's sure to help & even guide lots of people in their own struggle with disease. In this way, even though it's surely not enough for the late author himself & for his family, John Diamond lives on through this book.

This book was incredible: as soon as I finished reading it, I read it again. I don't know how to describe it, because although it's a book about one man's experience with cancer, it's much more than that. There are parts in it that are actually funny, mainly because the author has a very sharp sense of humor. I enjpoyed this book because it was so honest and so immediate -- I felt that I knew this person -- and I was amazed that someone could write so well about such a painful subject. And amazed as well that he could keep going through everything he went through without giving up; I know I could never have done it. This book makes you appreciate life more for having read it. I read almost 200 books in 2000, and this was in my top five.

I was deeply touched by this book. Having watched my mother and my wife die of cancer, and knowing that I too will likely go by the same route, the subject is part of me. And being a writer who always longed to write his masterpiece, I feel such an identification with John Diamond who here does indeed write his masterpiece, an unlikely tale from the heart, mind and soul without a trance of cant or any phoniness. I hope he knows how good this book is. It is-believe it or not-a comedic master work, the funniest book I have read in quite a while. He uses humor tempered with rationalism instead of pathos to confront the horror of being torn apart by cancer (and its treatment). I can see Shakespeare reading this and sitting up straight with the realization that not only can this man make those words dance, he can engage our heart.

John Diamond is a print and broadcast journalist, a well-known Londoner whom I had never heard of before I picked up this book. Obviously he is a very funny and keenly insightful man who sees things that others miss, a magical wordsmith who did his best work when others might rightly have restricted themselves to wallowing in self pity. He contracts cancer of the tongue and throat at probably the most joyous time in his life with a successful career in full swing and a brilliant second marriage not ten years old. He has two little children under four years of age and he himself is still in his early forties. And then he learns that he has cancer. Within a few months time he loses his ability to eat and to speak and to even breath properly.

One of the terrible ironies of this book is the fact that Diamond wrote newspaper columns on the fraudulence of the alternative medicine industry, and put his faith entirely in the hands of the medical establishment. There is something of the spirit of English rationalism and the belief in science that allowed him nonetheless to see his treatment as something positive. Because he was relatively young and had a keen desire to stay alive he was motivated to take the treatment. As he says, he really had no choice. He had a responsibility to his wife and his children and his parents to do whatever was necessary to stay alive. And so he went under the surgeon's knife, he subjected himself to radiation and eventually to chemotherapy, all the while getting worse and worse. As he himself writes on page 91: "No wonder the alternative quacks get away with their fairy dust treatments: you die just as quickly as with the real thing but you feel better about it." He had "the real thing."

Nonetheless he can laugh and make us laugh with him. The scene where he tears out the tubes and IVs sticking in him in an attempt to escape the hospital is hilarious. On page 122 he's describing all the gadgets and tubes, etc. he's hooked up to: "There was also a tube connected to a catheter shoved up my urethra and carrying away my urine. (Here's a tip for the gents in the audience. If anyone ever asks if he can poke a catheter up your urethra and leave it there for a few days, tell him no. They will say it doesn't hurt and express surprise when, on pulling it out a few days later, they have to scrape you off the ceiling. Avoid.)"

Any man that can see the humor in such horrific circumstances, is a man worth listening to, and a man we can respect and admire. John Diamond is such a man and this is a beautiful book.

I have always loves Blake - in particular the facsimile editions with Blake's watercolor designs bordering the beautiful copper-plate text, but nowhere have I been struck by the power of his writing to the extent that I have by this volume. The layout that Dr. Diamond has chosen adds immeasurably to the force of Blake's words. The imagery in these passages leaps off the page, and the reader is given a compelling sense of the creative visions that must have inspired Blake to write.

This is a wonderful collection of Blake's later poems is specifically edited to enhance their therapeutic power and comprehensibility. This anthology, more than any other I have come across, helps to make these obscure works accessible; and the layout and punctuation has deepened my experience of them.

I love this book. I keep it by my armchair and open it when there's a quiet moment. And when I do, the power of Blake comes to me and helps me throughout my day. Only Blake speaks with such passion and strength, and his poetry is presented here unadulterated by titles, footnotes or page the poetry in landscape format so that Blake's long lines need not be broken. Whatever your previous experience of poetry, this book will enhance your life in a way that only such a distillation of Blake could achieve

I love this book. There are a number of brief papers which discuss important ideas and concepts, but my favorites are the little poems, or aphorisms. Maybe two or three to a page, they conjure up images, pose questions or set in motion trains of thought that really get to the heart of why the creative arts are so important to our life, health and general well-being.
This is a book that can be read over and over again - each time revealing something new.

This book is about more than just drumming. It shows how you can use music to help yourself and those round you. Diamond's approach is a unique, and combines philosophy with psychology and numerous other modalities. The writing ranges from the philosophical to practical suggestions and it has been a great inspiration to me in using music to enhance my life. One wonderful aspect to his approach is that anybody can do it--it's all about intention, not technique.

Reading this book opened up the world of music and showed me a way to become free from the tyranny of the beat, the "must be right" of conservatory training.

If you are looking for a picture laden book with short commentary, then this book, i.e., 99 : My Life in Pictures
by Wayne Gretzky, et al. The text is short and sweet and there is a plethora of well taken pictures.

This is a very nice coffe table book. Many pictures of Wayne from his years in Edmonton to New York coupled with qoutes. A must for any Gretzky or hockey fan.

This book is a worthy tribute to the greatest hockey player of all time. Breathtaking photos capture all the emotion of an unparalleled life and career.

W. John Diamond, M.D., a board-certified pathologist and alternative medicine expert, and W. Lee Cowden, M.D., who is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and clinical nutrition, joined forces with Burton Goldberg, author of numerous books on alternative medicine, to write Cancer Diagnosis: What To Do Next.

Many people don't know where to turn for information when diagnosed with cancer. And the answers they often get from medical professionals include few options. Lack of knowledge causes many people to undergo treatments they don't want.
Goldberg says that "there is no single magic bullet cure for cancer. Many factors contribute to the development of cancer and many modalities and substances must be used to reverse it."

The authors emphasize that never giving up hope is a critical first step in cancer treatment, no matter what therapy is chosen. They then outline some positive steps that patients can take that will help them chose the therapy that's best for them. Included in this section is a simple test that reveals whether a tumor will respond to chemotherapy, and if so, what the smallest effective dosage is.

They also discuss the causes of cancer, and offer suggestions for prevention and early detection. They provide complete information about testing methods used by alternative practitioners that aid in developing effective treatment plans.

Nutrition plays a big role both in prevention and treatment of cancer, and the authors explain how to choose the best diet for you. They also explain the role of supplements, such as vitamins and minerals, in strengthening the body.

Herbs and other nontoxic therapies can be very helpful for many people. All the details are included, as well as complete information on techniques for stimulating the immune system. Detoxification and energy therapies are also explained.
Detoxification is especially important because of all the pollutants in our air, water, and food. According to the authors, "most conventional doctors do not take these factors into consideration when treating cancer."

Each chapter includes "Quick Definitions," which are explanations of medical terms, in the margins, making it easy to understand the text. Whenever a special test or procedure is discussed, contact information is provided.

"Alternative medicine has established the causes of cancer--from radiation and dietary factors and pesticide residues to stress and dental factors and free radicals--and has safe, nontoxic, and effective therapies that can address each one." Cancer Diagnosis gathers all this information into one easy-to-use book. It's an essential reference for anyone desiring full information on treatment options.

Cancer Diagnosis: What To Do Next is an indispensable guide to alternative medical approaches to treating cancer, choosing a physician and a course of treatment, the role of sophisticated diagnostic equipment in mapping out a treatment plan, the role of energy in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, non-toxic alternatives to chemotherapy, innovative techniques that fight cancer by boosting the immune system, the role of diet and nutritional supplements in fighting cancer, and the importance of maintaining a hopeful attitude during treatment and recovery from cancer. Cancer Diagnosis: What To Do Next is essential, life-saving, quality-of-life enhancing reading for anyone with the diagnosis of any type of cancer.

This book tells the truth on what is available in the fight against cancer. After speaking to doctors who gave my loved one NO HOPE and said "there is nothing to be done", when they should have said WE DONT know what to do. This book is the American way. Bravo! Shame on the medical industry.

In this personal and engaging book, Dr. Diamond considers the many elements that combine to produce an effective and long-lasting therapeutic relationship. Drawing on his own extensive experience as a holistic healer, Dr. Diamond discusses the role of the healer and that of the sufferer. He also looks in detail at setting up the best environment in which healing can take place.

I find Dr. Diamond's emphasis on the importance of a holistic approach to healing most valuable, and I welcome the philosophical context in which this book places that concept.

Dr. John Diamond, M.D. believes that love is the supreme healing power. In this book, he distills his philosophy of healing, what he who needs healing must do and what the healer must do was well.

This book inspired me to have a new attitude toward my home -- and my life! It is written in a mix of prose and lovely poetry -- both of which are full of heart-warming thoughts. I also like the use of word origins to illuminate these thoughts.

Dr. Diamond uses the word "cantillation" to denote a high level of Life Energy in which we are at our most loving and our most creative. In this state we make the best choices for life, health and well-being, both on our own behalf and for others. This book looks at some of the things that make it difficult for us to maintain this state, and offers solutions to some of the more commonly-encountered problems.

Dr. John Diamond, M.D. believes that the absence of the love of our mothers, our gods, is what makes us sick and what makes us hate.

He discovered, in 1985, Cantillation. And it is the total feeling we are loved and have always been loved by our mothers.

Only in this way, can we find our place in the world. Only in this way can we live a life of altruism. For in this state, we can not help but love and care for others.

This book opened a new world of thinking for me. It is based on science, but connects it to philosopy and psychology. It made me look at the world differently, made me understand more what life is about. I am very grateful to have come accross this book.

There is a lot to like about this book. It has the usual host of colorful and varied characters that one finds in Trollope's novels. There are strong and complex women, sturdy and weak-willed men, and some wonderful set-pieces. It's a bit of a let-down after _Phineas Finn_, though, which to my mind is the greatest political novel in the English language. The previous two 'Palliser' novels having been clearly both for and about Liberals, I think that Trollope was struggling in this novel to write in a way that would both reflect and appeal to more Conservative sensibilities. So we get a lot of domestic gossip, a little mild anti-semitism, and endless lectures about the Proper way for a Gentleman to Behave to a Lady. Still, the protagonist, Lizzie Eustace, is a gem.

Lucy Morris is a bore. If you like Jane Austen you will like this novel! It has all the necessary ingredients to keep you turning the pages. It's fun and charming to read just like its heroine Lizzie Eustace. Trollope argues that she is no heroine at all but it is when she appears that your interest is held the longest and that you laugh the loudest. She is wicked and selfish and vain and yet childike spoiled and that's what makes her great. Lucy Morris in comparison bores you with her goodness and her morality and her prim and proper attitude which although greatly admired in 19th century women leaves her nonetheless dull and insipid in comparison to charmingly wicked Lizzie.

I have only read one Anthony Trollope novel, and I had the very good fortune of having chosen "The Eustace Diamonds." This superbly constructed novel begins with what is probably my favorite opening sentence of a novel--it's right up there with the opening sentence to Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice":

"It was admitted by all her friends, and also by her enemies--who were in truth the more numerous and active body of the two--that Lizzie Greystock had done very well with herself." The second sentence further clarifies Lizzie's character when it goes on with, "We will tell the story of Lizzie Greystock from the beginning, but we will not dwell over it at great length, as we might do if we loved her."

Lizzie Greystock--eventually to become Lady Eustace--is a fascinating combination of cunning and foolishness, of avarice and pitiable character, of steely backbone and whimpering fits. She reminds me so very much of both Emma Bovary and Scarlett O'Hara. Her determination to keep the Eustace family diamonds entirely for herself is what sets the novel in motion, and with this rather simple device, Trollope goes on to spin out a tale which encompasses morality, greed, Victorian social mores, the corrupting influence of money, and the blindness it can cause to everything else of value.

Lizzie is contrasted, with every shade under the sun, with the sweet and constant Lucy Morris. Picture the contrast as one very much like that of Scarlett O'Hara and Melanie Wilkes. "The Eustace Diamonds" is a deliciously satisfying book, and a classic for a very good reason: despite having been written in the 19th century, what it has to say reverberates as soundly now as when Trollope first published it. I can't recommend it highly enough.