Author Description

A Handbook on African Traditional Healing Approaches & Research Practices is a rich collection of well-researched articles on indigenous healing. These articles, from a broad range of researchers, pertain to a broad range of communities. They discuss healing practices in the realm of the spiritual, the medicinal, nutritional and more. Some demonstrate a clear relationship between modern and traditional medicine through pharmacological analysis. The practical examples documented capture the effectiveness of indigenous healing as practised by a large number of societies. That indigenous healing practices face the risk extinction is a theme that runs through the contributions. Indeed, without practical (and urgent) steps to preserve such knowledge for posterity, future generations will not have the benefit of time-tested knowledge such as this. The risk of loss of such knowledge that has been passed down generations would be a major loss to humankind. This collection, in part, addresses that risk through systematic research and documentation. What others say "We have always known that divine law and scientific law are connected, and more important than just knowing it, we live it. This book reaffirms our need to view life cosmologically." - Kai ner Maa Pitanta, Toronto, Canada "This book is a must read for anyone who believes that one can blindly trust the foods we eat and the medicines that are "supposed" to heal us. It is enlightening to know that there are natural cures for most things and that we have had the answers to many of our illnesses from the beginning of time." - Natasha Burford, University of Toronto, Canada "This work, in part, addresses the debate with respect to the value of traditional healing practices. It is must read for everyone concerned about the society's health, especially in the face of documented limitations of western medicine." - Matunda Nyanchama