Books in the category: Non-Book items

Kindle e-book reader

A review by Barbara Bigham, Chiropractic Books, Etc.

The news didn’t surprise too many people: e-books now outsell print versions and the top selling e-book reader remains the Kindle.

While most chiropractic books haven’t yet made the transition, more than 130 books answer to the keyword “chiropractic” – everything from D.D. Palmer’s “The Chiropractor” to the 2010 edition of “Chiropractic Technique: Principles and Procedures” by Thomas F. Bergmann and David H. Peterson.

It’s inevitable that more and more will take advantage of that format in the future.

Although there’s a downside to using Kindle (no color photos, lack of clarity in some illustrations, absence of resale value) the advantages mostly outweigh the disadvantages.

For chiropractors, one key advantage is space. A Kindle can hold thousands of books, as well as a wide variety of other documents (magazines, articles, web pages, etc.)

It handles Kindle (azw), pdf, txt, mp3 audio, mobi and prc files natively and can convert html, doc, rtf, jpeg, gif, png, and bmp files. While Kindle has its own conversion procedure, I prefer to use Calibre, a free and open source e-book library management application that converts files, syncs to the Kindle, manages titles, and includes an e-book viewer. (Despite what some websites report, I have had no difficulty viewing most pdf files.)

I was amazed at the features and capabilities available in the Kindle – far beyond simply reading text books on a screen. Among the unexpected bonuses: the ability to click on hyperlinks in a document and open a browser to the referenced page, import web pages (I use SENDtoREADER, a free and easy app that can let me read e-articles away from the computer), and listen to audio files, and share passages on my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Additionally, you can upload text files from your computer, in Word or pdf files, and read them on your Kindle anywhere. You can download books directly via the built-in wireless connection or through the “Free 3G” connection. You can search a document, place “bookmarks” in a book, and even access the numerous different formats, making the Kindle an even more versatile and fun tool.

Despite my “old eyes,” I find reading off the 6” Kindle screen easy at the default size, but you can increase and decrease the font size if needed. You can also rotate the orientation of the screen and read it in landscape format, which is handy for viewing widescreen websites on the built-in browser.

There are even a few apps for the Kindle, such as a calculator, note pad, and calendar.

My recommendation is the 6” Kindle 3G. The DX model provides a bigger screen (9.7”) but the resulting 10” x 7” device size is more cumbersome that the 7.5” x 5” model. I definitely suggest getting the “3G” over the plain wi-fi since it will allow you to connect to the internet anywhere – without a wi-fi hotspot. It uses a technology similar to cell phones and coverage is extensive.

There are specials available but these come loaded with “sponsored screensavers” – a fancy name for ads that display whenever you aren’t actually reading a book. When the Kindle is closed, the ad covers the entire face of the screen. When managing files, etc., it appears at the bottom. It may be easy to ignore them after a while, but I’d opt for the model without them. At some point it’s likely the ads will be for drugs or medical “treatments” and I prefer not to have them staring me in the face every time I want to read a book.

In the future, Chiropractic Books Etc., will try to note the availability of Kindle versions for all books it features.

Click here to learn more about the Kindle, or to order our recommended 6” Kindle 3G.

The Living Matrix DVD

The Living Matrix is a new documentary that challenges conventional medicine to expand its understanding of human biology. The film uncovers evidence-based research in bioenergetic medicine that reveals energy and information fields — not genetics – drive human physiology and biochemistry.

Although not specifically about chiropractic, it encourages the total integration and acceptance between conventional and alternative health care and is fascinating for all “healers.” Woven among interviews with world’s most respected experts in bio-energetic medicine, dynamic 3-D graphic animation takes The Living Matrix viewer on a journey deep into the structure of the human body to illustrate how quantum biology influences health.

Through in-person interviews and dramatized video vignettes that tell the stories of people who recovered from chronic illness — including a five-year-old boy born with cerebral palsy, an osteopathic doctor with a brain tumor, and a North Carolina housewife bedridden with chronic fatigue syndrome — the film demonstrates the effectiveness of bioenergetic medicine.

Click here to buy The Living Matrix

Chi Walking & Chi Running

– by Danny Dreyer & Katherine Dreyer

Walking has been touted as one of the more perfect means of exercise and recent scientific research confirmed it’s a valuable way to increase overall wellness levels and address specific health problems ranging from heart disease to fatigue. At the same time, the concept of “chi” – or a life force critical to all health — is growing in acceptance.

“Chi Walking” and “Chi Running” — along with their companion DVDs and workbooks — blend the health benefits of walking and running with the core principles of T’ai Chi to deliver exercise programs that can benefit all chiropractic patients. Similar to Pilates, yoga, and T’ai Chi, ChiWalking and ChiRunning emphasize body alignment and mindfulness while strengthening the core muscles of the body.

The exercise program can be used to: reduce or eliminate pain in knees, hips, back and lower legs; strengthen core muscles and improve balance; practice proper posture; tone muscles; and develop a strong mind-body connection.

The books are authored by Danny Dreyer, a well-known walking and running coach and a nationally ranked ultramarathon runner, and his wife Katherine Dreyer. They also provide instructor training and certification so that practitioners can incorpo rate the methods into their own practice.

Purchase now direct from the publisher

Biofeedback “games” — such as the popular “Journey to the Wild Divine” developed with input from Drs. Andrew Weil, Dean Ornish, and Deepak Chopra and the more recently released “Alive” computer programs developed by Somatic Vision — are drawing patients into chiropractic offices and allowing them to experience the effects of biofeedback training.

The “Wild Divine” game was originally introduced in 2001, incorporating an involved “adventure game” where various events are controlled via heart rate variable coherence and electrodermal/ skin conductance level sensors attached to the fingers of the non-mouse using hand.

However, long, complex games that involve puzzle solving aren’t appropriate for all users; the new programs are more adaptable for short sessions and younger patients. Users, wearing the same finger sensors, control on-screen actions such as growing flowers, flying a space shuttle into a space station docking bay, driving a race car on various terrains, and changing color and shapes of different moving patterns.

A clinical version is available for use by chiropractors, medical doctors, mental health professionals and other practitioners. It gives patients a chance to play “games” specifically engineered to help them better manage stress and achieve emotional and mental balance. The program provides a robust per-session analysis of heart rate, smoothness, and skin conductance along several criteria.

Patients receive immediate visual feedback of their ability to self-regulate physiological responses, reduce stress, regularize breathing patterns, or elevate energy levels. Used in conjunction with chiropractic care and complementary wellness training, the programs can also act as an outcome measurement tool to assess overall improvement in patient wellness levels.

Get more information or purchase the program for your office.