Elizabeth Sewell

David Schenck

Taking its bearings from the Greek myth of Orpheus, whose singing had the power to move the rocks and trees and to quiet the animals, Elizabeth Sewell’s The Orphic Voice transforms our understanding of the relationship between mind and nature. Myth, Sewell argues, is not mere fable but an ancient and vital form of reflection that unites poetry, philosophy, and natural science: Shakespeare with Francis Bacon and Giambattista Vico; Wordsworth and Rilke with Michael Polanyi. All these members of the Orphic company share a common perception that “discovery, in science and poetry, is a mythological situation in which the mind unites with a figure of its own devising as a means toward understanding the world.” Sewell’s visionary book, first published in 1960, presents brilliantly illuminating readings of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus, among other masterpieces, while deepening our understanding not only of poetry and the history of ideas but of the biological reach of the mind.

Poetry and Natural History

The Orphic Voice

Larry Churchill

Healing is often discussed but infrequently studied. Schenck and Churchill provide a systematic approach to the elements that make clinician-patient interactions themselves a source of healing, based on comprehensive interviews with 50 physicians and alternative practitioners. The authors present a compelling picture of how healing happens in the practices of extraordinary clinicians.

Extraordinary Clinicians at Work

Healers

Larry R. Churchill

Joseph B. Fanning

Healthcare ethics has been dominated by the voices of professionals. This book listens to the voices of patients and argues that patients' perceptions should form the core ethical obligations and insights for "good care." This is the ethical meaning of "patient-centered care."

The Everyday Ethics of Health Care

What Patients Teach

In this groundbreaking volume, David Schenck and Larry Churchill present the results of fifty interviews with practitioners identified by their peers as "healers," exploring in depth the things that the best clinicians do. They focus on specific actions that exceptional healers perform to improve their relationships with their patients and, subsequently, improve their patients' overall health. The authors analyze the ritual structure and spiritual meaning of these healing skills, as well as their scientific basis, and offer a new, more holistic interpretation of the "placebo effect." Recognizing that the best healers are also people who know how to care for themselves, the authors describe activities that these clinicians have chosen to promote wellness, wholeness and healing in their own lives. The final chapter explores the deep connections between the mastery of healing skills and the mastery of what the authors call the "skills of ethics." They argue that ethics should be considered a healing art, alongside the art of medicine.

These Fairy-Tale Princesses aren't for the kids! The Princess and the Pea has a drinking problem but she's deadly with a six-gun, Cinderella has a flaming sword and a rodent infestation, and Rapunzel has cut off her hair to make a lethal whip and has a very foul mouth.The Wicked Queen has almost won. Only Snow White's kingdom still stands. She has gathered together Princesses from all the defeated kingdoms to form the Princess Company. These Princesses have thrown off their fine clothes (well, not Cinderella) and strapped on their armor. They form the last line of defense for millions. Now our three heroines set off on a mission deep into enemy territory to rescue Beauty (no longer asleep) and obtain a secret weapon that could turn the tide of the war!****NOTE**** This book has a lot of strong language (the word f*** shows up, on average, more than once a page), occasional bloody violence and, aside from the title, absolutely no connection with Shakespeare. Be advised. Read responsibly!****ALSO NOTE**** There is now a "clean" version of this book (at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LKOQB7U ). This means that I've removed all instances of the words f***, s*** and a**h***, however, they have, frequently, been replaced by words like: damned, crap, hell, etc. Also, there remain several instances of the word bitch and, the word ass continues to show up occasionally. So, as they say, cleanliness is in the eye of the beholder (I don't think anybody says this). There is, also, occasional bloody violence and, aside from the title, there is still absolutely no connection with Shakespeare. I've done my best to maintain the attitude of the original. So, it still might not be appropriate for your child (unless, of course, you're a childless aunt or uncle and you think it's cute when other people's children use bad words, in which case, either version is just fine for corrupting your little nieces or nephews) Just to be clear - the book on THIS page IS NOT the clean version. Be advised. Read responsibly!

David Schenck

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