Seven Universal Principles and the Seventh Sense

Name: Seven Universal Principles and the Seventh Sense
Author: Nader Butto
ISBN: 978-1-5049-3920-1

by Nader Butto ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2015

Bursting with information, this intriguing, if uneven, book delivers a wealth of scientific and spiritual subjects for...

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Butto (Unified Integrative Medicine, 2014, etc.) offers a treatise on the overlapping worlds of science and healing.

Stating at the outset that it is obvious “that chemistry and physics are not enough to solve the riddle or explain the full complexity of the physiology of the human body,” the author, a cardiologist, makes it clear that he will attempt to fill some of the holes. Outlining, as the title indicates, seven principles that “embrace the universe and unify the forces of physics, biology, physiology, religion, and spirituality,” the book explores a wide variety of fields. Those who read the introduction will likely wonder whether such unification could be possible in less than 200 pages. Whether providing a discussion of the golden ratio (“two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio between the sum of those quantities and the larger one is the same as the ratio between the larger one and the smaller”) or stomach chi (“an example of rebellious stomach chi would be hiccups or vomiting”), the volume offers a plethora of information. Linking all that material to create “the principle of oneness” is no simple task, however, and the work presents its share of hits and misses. At its best, when focusing on lesser-known phenomena, there is undoubtedly a lot to uncover. Even those well versed in the world of quarks may, for instance, be surprised to find that an organization called the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) Institute once investigated the ways in which human consciousness affected random processes. Statements from the author such as “I have been using the seventh sense since 1990” and that this sense “helped me step beyond the boundaries of the physical and reach a level on which I could detect and understand energy” are likely to produce skepticism in some readers, though the main purpose of the book is to bridge the gap between the established and the esoteric. The success of this enterprise depends greatly on a reader’s willingness to see items such as the logarithmic nature of a flower and the “balance between the male and female energies” determining the sex of a baby combined into one text.

Bursting with information, this intriguing, if uneven, book delivers a wealth of scientific and spiritual subjects for readers to ponder.

Pub Date: April 24, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-3920-1

Page Count: 164

Publisher: AuthorHouseUK

Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2016

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

HEALTH & FITNESS

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A SHORT GUIDE TO A LONG LIFE

by David B. Agus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014

Useful but disappointingly commonplace tips.

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In a follow-up to The End of Illness (2012), which explored how technological advances will transform medicine, Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) restates time-tested but too often overlooked principles for healthy living.

The author outlines simple measures that average citizens can take to live healthier lives and extend their life spans by taking advantage of modern technology to develop personalized records. These would include a list of medical tests and recommended treatments. Agus also suggests keeping track of indicators that can be observed at home on a regular basis—e.g., changes in energy, weight, appetite and blood pressure, blood sugar and general appearance. He advises that all of this information be made available online, and it is also helpful to investigate family history and consider DNA testing where indicated. Along with maintaining a healthy weight, Agus emphasizes the importance of eating a balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and a minimum of red meat. Avoid packaged vitamins and food supplements, and if possible, grow your own vegetables or buy frozen vegetables, which will generally be fresher than those on supermarket shelves. The author also warns against processed foods that make health claims but contain additives or excessive amounts of sugar or fat. Regular mealtimes and plenty of sleep, frequent hand-washing and oral hygiene are a must; smoking and excessive time in the sun should also be avoided. Agus recommends that adults should consider taking statins and baby aspirin as preventative measures. He concludes with a decade-by-decade checklist of annual medical examinations that should be routine—e.g. blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings, from one’s 20s on; colonoscopies, prostate exams and mammograms later—and a variety of top-10 lists (for example, “Top 10 Reasons to Take a Walk”).

Useful but disappointingly commonplace tips.

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4767-3095-0

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013

Categories:

HEALTH & FITNESS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LUCKY YEARS
by David B. Agus

- BOOK REVIEW
THE END OF ILLNESS
by David B. Agus

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THE END OF ILLNESS

by David B. Agus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2012

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Oncologist Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) predicts that the application of advanced technology for modeling complex systems will transform 21st-century medicine.

The author writes that a remark Nobel Laureate Murray Gell-Mann made to him in 2009—“Look at cancer as a system"—transformed the way he views his own specialty and the entire field of preventative medicine. It made him realize that “[r]ather than honoring the body as the exceedingly complex system that it is, we keep looking for the individual gene that has gone awry, or for the one ‘secret’ that can improve our health.” Agus writes that although the ability to sequence the entire human genome is a great step forward, it is insufficient for achieving a significant breakthrough. Even though it may start with a mutation, cancer “is a dynamic process that's happening…far from the confines of a static piece of DNA”—it involves the body's immune system, its ability to regulate cell growth, metabolism and more. Agus directs his university’s Center for Applied Molecular Medicine and is the co-founder of two personalized medicine companies, Applied Proteomics and Navigenics. His hope is that their research will contribute to developing better analytical tools for preventative medicine and for the treatment of cancers. These will address the functioning of the body as a whole, applying digital technology already used by physicists to provide virtual models of cancers and model the action of proteins that regulate cell communication in the body. He also hopes to develop tools that will provide information on the concentration of different proteins in a drop of blood taken from a patient, which may reveal the onset of disease. The author also includes some guiding principles and warnings about certain healthy practices that may not be so healthy. A refreshing change of pace in the medical field, but by venturing beyond his field of expertise to pontificate on a wide range of subjects, Agus makes his otherwise intriguing narrative difficult to follow.