This book investigates the sociological and institutional processes through which complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has transitioned from the periphery of health care into mainstream clinical practice. The authors, a team of sociologists and health researchers, analyze the shifting boundaries between conventional biomedicine and alternative therapies. They utilize a framework of professionalization and institutional integration to explain how policy, public demand, and medical education have facilitated this convergence. By examining the structural changes within health systems, the text provides a comprehensive overview of how medical pluralism is negotiated in contemporary society.

Experts in medical sociology and health policy recognize this work as a significant contribution to understanding the institutionalization of non-conventional medicine. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which makes it a valuable resource for students and researchers interested in the sociology of health and illness.