Head First: The Biology of Hope and the Healing Power of the Human Spirit
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Author: Norman Cousins |
Norman Cousins has long been a hero of mine. In 'Head First' Cousins lays out more evidence for the great healing power of positive expectation and emotion.
His own story is pretty amazing. A leading journalist and editor of 'Saturday Review', he suffered debilitating and life threatening health problems, including a major heart attack and cancer. However, he was determined to be positive and claims he used humour and hope to nurse himself back to health. He told his story in full in 'Anatomy of an Illness', published in 1978. He was subsequently appointed adjunct professor at the School of Medicine, UCLA.
In 'Head First' he sets out to describe how the conscious cultivation of positive emotion can create the right internal environment for medicine to work effectively.
He offers many anecdotes of researchers, physicians and patients who combine medical treatments with the deliberate creation of hope and other positive emotions, particularly laughter, subscribing to the principle that 'a merry heart doeth good like a medicine'.
Cousins describes how fear and despair cause biochemical damage and how positive attitudes promote wellness and healing. He supports his fascinating anecdotes with powerful scientific data demonstrating how the mind can hugely influence the course of illness and health.
In 'Head First' Cousins also explains how to encourage confidence and hope in patients in order to activate all their resources against their illness. He shows how a cultivated positive attitude (as an adjunct to good medical treatment) can lead the body toward health.
Even if your life is not touched by illness, this book is great testimony to the benefits of laughter and optimism. It is scientific, thoroughly researched and a highly inspirational read.
Review by Mark Tyrrell
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