Recommended Reading
Learning online is very convenient, but you just can’t beat the satisfaction of cracking open a real book. The 42-year voyage of experience, discovery, and synthesis that led to the book SELF-REFERRAL/MAXIMUM HEALTH and this Website came about through long and dogged scholarship as well as insights gained independently. I want to leave plenty of breadcrumbs so if you want to follow the same lines of inquiry you can do so easily, without having to go through everything that I did.
All the books listed here contribute directly to the ideas I synthesized into SELF-REFERRAL/MAXIMUM HEALTH. While you do not have to read every page of every book to gain this knowledge, they are all books that I have had on my bookshelf for many years. While I was writing the book and creating the Website, I knew that you, the reader, would want access to the same knowledge so you can explore it on your own.
This list of books is only a toe in the water to get you acquainted with the ideas. Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Alvin Toffler, Dr. Robert Keith Wallace, and all the other authors have many other books you can obtain and learn from. This list is just to get you started!
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Good reading and good hunting on the road to knowledge!
God Bless and Jai Guru Dev… Dr. Michael Borger
Connect with Amazon to order these books by clicking the book image. Your business with them is separate from this Website and there is no commercial connection between this Website Page and Amazon.
Future Shock by Alvin Toffler. This is a critical text to show the relationship between stress and disease. Toffler clearly documents how modern life is progressively adding more and more stress – and causes more and more disease. This is the book that started me on the knowledge quest that culminated in the book SELF-REFERRAL/MAXIMUM HEALTH and this Website. This is clearly one of the important books of the 20th AND 21st centuries. You won’t fully grasp this material discussed on this Website until you read and understand the contents of this book! ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Philosophy of Osteopathy by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still. This book is the one I would recommend of his several books. In it Still lays out the main concepts of Osteopathy. This includes the main principles of how the body works, the unity of body structure and body function, and the critical nature of normal anatomy. Still also goes deep into the philosophy that is the foundation of Osteopathy. Those who are alert will readily see the links between Still’s ideas and Ayurveda. When you consider that this man realized all this in the American West following the American Civil War, it truly is an amazing breakthrough accomplishment.
The Science of Being and Art of Living by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This is a mandatory text to understand how everything works AFTER you have learned Transcendental Meditation. This book will not mean much until you are practicing the official TM Technique. This is the basis of all Vedic knowledge and ties up nicely with what is going on today in modern physics from Quantum Physics up. This is one of the best books in the WORLD to read – but learn TM to understand what it teaches!
The Coherence Effect by Dr. Robert Keith Wallace, Jay B. Marcus, and Dr. Christopher S. Clark. This book is a true tour de force on the central role of coherence in biology and life. This book centers on the idea that coherence of brainwaves – as demonstrated by TM research – point to a centrality of coherence in health and enlightenment. This is the best single volume review of all the TM related research findings. The book also teaches many ways we can all optimize SELF-REFERRAL and move toward MAXIMUM HEALTH.
Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy by Anne M. R. Agur and Arthyr F. Dalley. Any student of the ideas discussed in SELF-REFERRAL/MAXIMUM HEALTH will eventually want a clear and understandable human anatomy reference. This is the anatomy text we used in medical school along with Gray’s Atlas of Anatomy. I always found Grant’s to be more clear and less ambiguous than the older standard. Try it – you’ll probably like it.
The Body in Time by Kenneth Jon Rose. This book looks closely at how the human body works in the context of time. This book will chronicle the amazing coordination of various parts and operations of the physiology and show you how it all works together. This is truly an amazing look at body operations and you will clearly understand the mechanics of SELF-REFERRAL – and how optimizing SELF-REFERRAL leads to MAXIMUM HEALTH.
Is It Worth Dying For? by Dr. Robert S. Eliot and Dennis L. Breo. This absolutely riveting book illustrates the stress of life and how we deal with it (or fail to deal with it.) This is the researcher I refer to in the book SELF-REFERRAL/MAXIMUM HEALTH who hooked patients up to heart and blood pressure monitoring and had them play a video game. The patient did not know it, but the game was rigged to be impossible to beat. The resulting stress was well-documented. This clearly illustrates the stress of modern life!
The Stress of Life by Dr. Hans Selye. This is the classic text by the originator of the concept of stress. Today, the concept of stress is so well accepted that it is more an assumption than a theory. This excellent text, written by the visionary who discovered the pernicious effects of stress on health, will solidify your understanding of what constitutes stress; the effect of stress on the physiology; and the negative health effects of stress. This is the man who actually wrote the book on stress!
Ideas and Opinions by Albert Einstein. This book is excellent to keep perspective on SELF-REFERRAL’s role in the Universe. This is not a book about physics or deep science, although it is there between the lines. This is a book to reveal what Einstein’s thoughts and impressions were beyond science, far into the philosophical and even religious aspects of life. We get to share the thoughts and opinions of one of the greatest minds in history. This book will give you perspective we all need!
The TM Book by Denise Denniston and Illustrated by Barry Geller. This is the best single introductory book to Transcendental Meditation. Newbies to meditation and specifically TM will have tons of questions. This book takes you from knowing nothing at all about TM to being well informed through answering every question you are likely to have. This book is extremely informative but also quite fun to read. It is illustrated quite a bit like a comic book and is loaded with plenty of good jokes and humor. This is your best start toward learning about TM!
Gut Crisis by Dr. Robert Keith Wallace and Samantha Wallace. This book is a fascinating and useful introduction to the ideas centering around the Microbiome. This is the microbial population all of us harbor throughout our bodies, especially in the G.I. tract. The authors teach that the gut plays a far more prominent role in human health than previously known. They offer new approaches to treat Leaky Gut Syndrome and many disorders beyond the G.I. tract. They open new doors to promote SELF-REFERRAL and move toward MAXIMUM HEALTH.
The Rest and Repair Diet by Dr. Robert Keith Wallace and Samantha Wallace. This book puts into practice the lessons learned in Gut Crisis. Describing the Microbiome as a hidden organ in the body, the authors look into the best way to achieve balance and improve SELF-REFERRAL. Defining specific dietary changes as defined by Ayurveda, they teach practical ways to correct imbalances, fight appetite urges and cravings, aid digestion, and treat Leaky Gut problems. They see working with the Microbiome as an important way to improve SELF-REFERRAL and move toward MAXIMUM HEALTH.
The Healing Brain by Robert Orstein and David Sobel. This book is a highly important review of recent research findings showing the brain as an agent of healing. This is confirmation of the concept of SELF-REFERRAL between brain and body as being the critical link in maintaining normal body operations. When the brain is able to do its body-governing work effectively, health results. The opposite is true when the brain cannot carry out its functions. This book shows how effective SELF-REFERRAL moves the body toward MAXIMUM HEALTH.
Molecules of Emotion by Candace B. Pert. This book delves into the way that consciousness is conveyed throughout the body via roving white cells. These cells have aboard them the necessary equipment to create the key neurotransmitters that create mood, emotion, and so many of the mental processes we identify as human. Little is on the Website here but a lot of coverage on these topics can be found in the book SELF-REFERRAL/MAXIMUM HEALTH. This is extremely important material to understand total body health on a moment-to-moment basis.
The Neurophysilogy of Enlightenment by Dr. Robert Keith Wallace. This book explores the relationship between the physiology and consciousness. Throughout history, consciousness has been considered by scientists and lay people alike to be a poorly defined, nebulous term. The author does a masterful job showing how TM research clarifies this situation and demonstrates consciousness as a product of brain and body function. Beyond that, he shows how anyone can employ the technology of TM to improve brain function and move toward higher states of consciousness. This is a very clear road to improve SELF-REFERRAL and move toward MAXIMUM HEALTH.
Spontaneous Healing by Andrew Weil, MD. This is an excellent book if you have not been exposed to the ideas found on this Website and in the book SELF-REFERRAL/MAXIMUM HEALTH. Dr. Weil is an excellent physician and a strong advocate for natural medicine. He supports the idea that the body has what it needs to heal itself if we remove toxic intake and supply what the body truly needs to be healthy. Dr. Weil speaks quite favorably of Dr. Robert Fulford, author of Dr. Fulford’s Touch of Life (see below.). This is a most instructive book, especially for beginners looking for ways to optimize SELF-REFERRAL and move toward MAXIMUM HEALTH.
Dr. Fulford’s Touch of Life by Robert C. Fulford, D.O. This book goes into the application of the Osteopathic ideas of Dr. Andrew Taylor Still and applies them to Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment. He also takes a very deep dive into the ideas and philosophy behind Osteopathy. I had the honor of hearing Dr. Fulford speak at several medical conventions and he is an amazing thinker and an outstanding teacher. You can learn a lot from this timeless philosopher physician and amazing facilitator of healing.
Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease by Dr. Dean Ornish. This is one of the most important books published in the field of natural approach to medicine. Dr. Ornish talks a lot about the principle of SELF-REFERRAL, although he does not call it that. He then focuses on a practical program to actively reverse verified heart disease. This includes Yoga to improve flexibility; radical changes in diet to minimize fatty foods and maximize healthy diet; supervised safe exercise program; and stress reduction through non-TM meditation. Add TM, Ayurveda, and Osteopathic care and we readily see the future of medical care. Good job, Dr. Ornish!
Carpenter’s Human Neuroanatomy by Andre Parent. This is one of the best medical school textbooks on the subject. If you want to locate some intricate connections, precise anatomy, or better understand the layout and function of the human nervous system – this is the go-to book. Important warning: this may be beyond your understanding as it is written for medical students, physicians, and other people with a lot of heavy training in medicine. But if you are up to it, this is one of the best books of its kind.
Contemporary Ayurveda. Medicine and Research in Maharishi AyurVeda by Dr. Hari Sharma and Dr. Christopher Clark. This book is simply the best single volume teaching about Ayurveda – especially for those who are beginners and need to learn the ideas and practical application of same. Drs. Sharma and Clark take Ayurveda from its origins in the Sanskrit literature, explain how it relates to quantum physics theory, and then launch into a clear teaching and application in medical practice. You can learn a whole lot here, whether you are a patient working to regain your health or any health professional who wants to get involved in providing Ayurveda-based care. This is one great book!
Freedom from Disease by Dr. Hari Sharma. Dr Sharma is one of the main proponents of Maharishi AyurVeda in the United States and across the world. One of his big interests is in advanced herbal preparations prescribed by Ayurvedic tradition. He personally initiated major programs of hard science medical research on herbal preparations like Amrit Kalash. That substance has shown great promise as a cancer preventative. Amrit Kalash is known to combat the free radicals in the physiology that are believed to cause cancer. This book will go deeply into the theoretical background and practical applications of Maharishi AyurVeda.
The Resilient Warrior: Healing the Hidden Wounds of War by Jerry Yellin and Dr. Sarina Grosswald. This book examines the positive effects of TM practice by combat veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Many combat veterans suffer from PTSD with major problems including depression, anxiety, insomnia, and difficulty processing unpleasant and disquieting memories. PTSD can destroy lives, and until TM was shown to be an effective treatment for PTSD, the only available help was counseling and heavy medications. TM has been proven to be a game-changer for those suffering from PTSD. Jerry Yellin is Co-Chair of Operation Warrior Wellness and tells this story with the perspective of personal experience. Give this book to any veteran with PTSD problems!
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Manter & Gantz’s Essentials of Clinical Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology by Ronald G. Clark. This book is a shorter version of material found in Carpenter’s Neuroanatomy with a strong emphasis on the clinical side of things. I find this book extremely helpful for its illustrations that are very clear and well explained in the text. In addition, you can get a much clearer idea of Dr. Andrew Taylor Still’s description of the continuity of CSF flow from the brain’s ventricles, out to the spinal cord and segmental and cranial nerves, terminating at the level of the motor end plate or functional equivilent throughout the body. That is how the brain nourishes the body via the subtle CSF circulatory system.